FEBRUARY 2, 2014—FEAST OF THE PRESENTATION Our Parish Mission: Christ calls our parish family to be a beacon of hope in a rapidly changing community. SSAINAINTT PPAAULUL CCATHATHOLICOLIC CCHUHURCHRCH Address: 140 Walnut Street, Weirton, WV 26062 Phone: 304-748-6710 Web site: stpaulcommunity.net Prayer Line: 304-748-4245 & 304-564-3114 Pastor: Rev. Larry W. Dorsch E-mail: [email protected] COMMUNITY B READ BASKET Our ecumenical outreach of food and other assistance to folks in need distributes food on Fridays. Call Tara at 304-748-7595 is you need assistance. Please bring any non- perishable foods to the baskets located at the offering table in the back of the church for distribution at the Bread Basket. This month our parish’s assigned item pantry is JELLY. THE TABLE OF HOPE Table of Hope, located at First United Methodist Church, provides meals to anyone who needs nourishing food in the evenings from 5 to 6:30 pm . These meals are free with no questions asked of anyone who comes. The Table of Hope is a ministry of churches and agencies in our community (including St. Paul’s). The Table of Hope is unfortunately still on a Tuesday and Friday meals schedule. Please, we encourage families to volunteer and bring the children between 4 and 7 pm; this is a wonderful way to show the young what Christian service looks like. Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, [ you may now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.” Cover art: Rembrandt van Rijn, Presentation in the Temple, Fodor Museum, Amsterdam, 1630 When you rise in the morning, give thanks for the light, for your life, for your strength. Give thanks for your food and for the joy of living. If you see no reason to give thanks, the fault lies in yourself. —Tecumseh Adult Bible Study Tuesday Evening 6:30 in the Office Conference Room This week: Malachi 3:1-4, Hebrews 2:14-18 Luke 2:22-40 Next Week— Isaiah 58:7-10; 1 Corinthians 2:1-5; Matthew 5:13-16 The Presentation in the Temple The Temple in Jerusalem where the Gospel of Luke tells us Mary and Joseph took the Child Jesus on the 40th day after his birth was the center of Jewish cultic prayer and worship. It was also a social and commercial hub of the capital city. The Temple (see the model below) had first been built by King Solomon but destroyed by the Babylonians in about 587 BC. Just about the time Jesus was born, King Herod the Great began a massive rebuilding and expansion of the temple which made it the largest temple complex in the middle east and even in the Roman world. Herod’s Temple sat on the huge plateau now occupied by the “Dome of the Rock” and the “al Aqsa Mosque”, two of the holiest site of Islam. It was destroyed by the Romans when they leveled the city of Jerusalem during the Jewish rebellion of 70 AD. The Muslims subsequently built their shrines here once they occupied the Holy Land in the sixth century. At the time of Jesus, Jews came to the Temple to pray and to offer animal and grain sacrifices on the great altar that stood before the Holy of Holies. Traditional belief was that the Presence of God dwelt in the Holy of Holies and the High Priest once a year went into this sacred space to offer prayer for the sins of all the people. All other times sacrifices of parts of animals—bulls, lambs, goats and, as in today’s reading, turtledoves, were offered to God. Often the important organs of the animal and its blood were placed on the altar’s fire as the offering, with the smoke rising up to heaven as a sign of the petitioners’ prayer rising up to God. The other meat of the sacrifice was split between the priests who offered the sacrifice and the persons offering it who took it home to eat as a sort of “sacred meal with God.” The Temple complex was a massive space and would have provided many places for old prophets like Simeon and holy widows like Anna to pray and ‘hang out.’ In addition to the sacred spaces surrounding the Court of Women which was as far as women were allowed in the complex, the huge Court of Gentile was open to everyone including non-Jews. This area was for commerce and business too with shops surrounding the Temple on all side and government offices conveniently located for the worshippers. Holy of Holies Alcoves for shops & Business Altar of Sacrifice Courtyard of Gentiles Courtyard of Women Road to Garden of Olives . PRAY FOR OUR SICK MEMBERS Weirton Medical Center: June Mesaros Trinity East — Linda Mudrick, Joan Fassel Lifeline—Laura Settapanella, Allegheny General—Brian Duda Country Club Nursing Home: Frances Oliver Wyngate: Marino Silvestri, Virginia Yoklic, Susie Szymanek Weirton Geriatrics—Inez Oliver Franciscan Manor, Beaver Falls, PA—Chris Dorich (If you or someone you know, has been admitted to any hospital, please let us know, hospitals are not permitted to inform us due to privacy laws.) FAITH FUNDAMENTAL Religious Education Classes begin at 9:40 am in St. Paul School and end at 10:50 am. All children ages preschool through 8th grades are encouraged to attend. St. Paul Holy Name is planning a Bowling Party for all Altar Servers. The party will be held on Saturday, February 8th from 3 pm to 5 pm. All altar servers are invited and urged to attend. Starting in February, Catholic Charities West Virginia will operate a Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (V.I.T.A.) site at the Mary H. Weir Library, located at 3442 Main Street, Weirton. Households making $51,000 or less are eligible to take part in this FREE tax preparation program. Our volunteers are trained and certified by the IRS and have knowledge of all the current tax credits to ensure that you get the maximum refund on your tax return. For this first year, the site will only accept appointments. These can be scheduled from 11am-4pm on any Saturday from February 1 to April 12. If you have questions or would like to schedule an ap- pointment, please contact Cory Matz at 304-527-7140. We hope to see you soon! First Reconciliation and First Eucharist Preparation Parent and Child Preparation for these two sacraments will begin next Sunday morning at 9:30 am in the cafeteria. Children should be at least in the second grade and have participated in religious educa- tion (either in our Faith Fundamentals program or St. Paul Grade School) for a year to be eligible as a candidate. Parents who did not receive a letter on the preparation program should please call the parish office this week to talk to Fr. Larry about participating. Contribution Statements for 2013 were mailed last week. Holy Name, Christian Mothers and Altar Society Dues are now due. You will soon be receiving a letter from the Holy Name & Christian Mothers. Please consider joining these worthwhile organizations who contribute so much to our parish life. OUR PARISH THIS WEEK February 1 thru February 9 Saturday 4:15 pm Confessions February 1 5:00 pm Sunday Eucharist (Robert and Carolyn Baker Anniversary) Sunday 8:30 am Sunday Eucharist: (Edward & Mildred Kobulnicky Wedding Anniv.) February 2 9:40 am Faith FUNdamentals Religious Education in school 11:00 am Sunday Eucharist: Children’s Church (All our People) 6:00 pm Sunday Eucharist (Madeline Greco) 7:00 pm Alcoholics Anonymous in Cafeteria Monday, 8:00 am Weekday Eucharist: (Edward Glodich) February 3 5:45 pm Children’s Choir Rehearsal 6:30 pm Voices of Hope Choir Rehearsal Tuesday, 8:00 am Weekday Eucharist: (Alicia Cimino) February 4 6:30 pm “The Weekly Word” in conference room Wednesday 9:30 am School Eucharist (St. Paul Miki) (for our students, families & faculty) February 5 6:30 pm Adult Choir Rehearsal 6:30 pm RCIA in conference room Thursday 8:00 am Weekday Eucharist (Warren Carnel) February 6 2:45 pm SPS Choir Rehearsal 6:30 pm Living The Eucharist Training in conference room 6:30 pm Holy Name Meeting Friday 8:00 am Weekday Eucharist: (Richard Padden) February 7 Saturday 4:15 pm Confessions February 8 5:00 pm Sunday Eucharist (George Grantonic) Sunday 8:30 am Sunday Eucharist: (Living & Deceased Members of Christian Mothers February 9 & Holy Name) 9:30 am Reconciliation Meeting for children & parents in cafeteria 9:40 am Faith FUNdamentals Religious Education in school 11:00 am Sunday Eucharist: Children’s Church (For All Our People) 6:00 pm Sunday Eucharist (Sharon Lee O’Brien) 7:00 pm Alcoholics Anonymous in Cafeteria WEEKLY COLLECTION Don’t forget your parish, please consider giving a percentage of whatever remains in your estate to the JANUARY 26, 2014 parish memorial endowment fund. Bequests for the parish Envelopes $ 3,861.00 should read, To the Most Rev. Michael J. Bransfield, Offertory 323.00 Bishop of Wheeling Charleston or his successors in office Latin America $ 269.00 for the exclusive use of St. Paul Parish (or School) in Candles $337.00, Renovation $1076.00 Weirto, WV Meorial Edowet Fud.” LITURGICAL MINISTERS FOR FEBRUARY 8 & 9, 2014 Ministers of Lector Altar Server Greeter Usher Communion Frances Veltri David Parker Dylan McDaniel Irene Canala John Cummings Evelyn Gaumer Hunter Sistilli Ellen Gareis Lawrence Pearce Saturday Alma Cashdollar Florence Hirkala John Porco 5:00 PM Mary Kay Schuetz Joseph Veltri Maria Colantonio Katrina Mills Lindsay Mary Mazzone Thomas Beaumont McAfee Majorie Stock Roxanne Mazzone Paul Duffy Sunday, Diane McAfee Louis Stock Maria Mazzone Patrick Gurrera 8:30 AM Gabrielle Mazzone Marlene Laura Guida Hannah Payton Perkins Robert Baker Hamilton Gryszka Ed Halsey Melissa Perkins Charles Bugin Angela Reinard Claire Stewart Patricia Valero Robert Chuma Cynthia David Whalen Harcharik Sunday, Carla Gianni Young 11:00 AM George Brandenburg Mary Lyons Peggy Rossi Dustin Parr John Egan Hannah Delval A D Mastrantoni Sunday, Bennie Parr John O’Karma Amedo Mastrantoni 6:00 PM Michael Michael Mastrantoni Cucarese Mark White .