St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church . Naperville . November 30, 2008 St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church 1500 Brookdale Road, Naperville, IL 60563 e-mail: [email protected] 630 355-8980 (Main Office) Visit us on the internet at www.stapostle.org 630 305-6318 (Religious Education) 630 355-0521 (Facsimilie) Pastoral Staff — Full Time Sacrament of Reconciliation Rev. Joel Fortier – Pastor, [email protected] Reconciliation is available Saturday, 3:30 to 4:15 Rev. Fritz Louis, C.S.C. – Associate Pastor p.m., or after the 4:30 p.m. Mass in the Reconcilia- Rev. Bob Colaresi, O. Carm. – Weekend Assistant tion Room of the Chapel. Fr. Joel is available during Rev. Mr. William Worden, D. Min. – Deacon, x105 the week by appointment. Communal Penance ser- Rev. Mr. Chuck Lane – Deacon, x220, [email protected] vices are held occasionally throughout the year. Rev. Mr. Jim Breen – Deacon, 630-357-4853, [email protected] Sick and Home Bound Rev. Mr. Larry Kearney – Deacon, x225, [email protected] Rev. Mr. Michael Barrett – Deacon , x220, [email protected] Call the Church Office to receive prayer/Eucharist Kate Cuddy—Director of Music and Liturgy, x112, [email protected] from a priest, deacon or Minister of Care. Gerry Czerak – Business Manager, x106, [email protected] Baptism Corinne Seguin-Dart – Director of Junior High Youth Ministry, Baptisms are usually celebrated 2-3 Sundays each x117, [email protected] month at a 1:45 p.m. service. On selected dates, Bap- Patti Dougherty – Director of Religious Education, tisms are celebrated at weekend Masses. Parents are x109, [email protected] required to attend an awareness and renewal evening Jan Olah – Director of Pastoral Care, x124 prior to the Baptism. Call the Church Office a few Kevin Pranaitis—Director of High School Youth Ministry, x123, [email protected] months in advance to make arrangements. Chari Rosales – Director of Adult Education & RCIA x138, [email protected] Michael Ryder – Director of Outreach & Social Justice (OSJ), Matrimony x121, [email protected] A couple planning on being married at St. Thomas should contact the church six months in advance. Pastoral Care Staff — Part Time One year is preferred. Either the bride or groom, or Jessi Allured, Asst. Director of Music, x111 their parents, must be a registered parishioner for at Felicia Lawlor, M.S., R.N., Faith Community Nurse, x104, [email protected] least three months prior to calling to set a date. Rose Grumbine, R.N., Faith Community Nurse, x104, [email protected] Religious Education Support Staff — Full Time Call the 305-6318 to register. Nancy Cirmo – Religious Education Assistant, x118, [email protected] Lori Culberson – Liturgical Assistant, x120, [email protected] RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults) Kathy Ferguson - Receptionist, x100, [email protected] Any person wanting to learn more about the Catholic Diane McQueen – Parish Assistant, x101, [email protected] Faith, or to join our Catholic community should call Anne Schultz – OSJ Partner & Adult Faith Formation Assistant, x113, the church at 355-8980. [email protected] Counseling Service Angela Tuttle – Liturgy Assistant & Communications Coordinator, Call Samarian Interfaith 357-2456 or Jan Olah, x110, [email protected] Pastoral Care 355-8980 x 124. Support Staff — Part Time Sunday Nursery Pat Berkhout – Evening/Saturday Receptionist, x119, [email protected] Nursery care is available for your child age one Marge Coronado – Evening Receptionist, x119, [email protected] (must be walking) to four at the 9 & 10:45 a.m. Mass. Marilyn DeMeo – Database Coordinator (T/Th), x107, [email protected] For more information call the church office. Susan Francesconi, External Communications, x108, [email protected] Jorge Gonzalez – Custodian Sally Meno - OSJ Financial, [email protected] Janet Simmons – Financial Assistant (M/W/F), Liturgy Schedule x107, [email protected] Ted McKeown - Facility Coordinator, x133, [email protected] Daily Theresa Sheliga – Sacristan Coordinator, x116 (Monday — Friday) Lynne Vehlewald – Librarian, Johnx125, Lawlor [email protected] Communion Service — 6:30 a.m. Pastoral Leadership CommunityMatt Lohmeier Rosary — 8:10 a.m. John Ball Dan O’Grady 922.1334 Mass — 8:30 a.m. Christine Berta 579.4294 (Saturday) Julee Gard Communion Service — 8:30 a.m. Steven Grumbine 375.0126 Commission Facilitators Weekend Worship Josh Goralski 357.7671 Saturday Vigil — 4:30 p.m. Parish Life Sunday — 7:30, 9:00, 10:45 a.m., 12:15 p.m. Faith Formation Chris Baker 548.1733 and 6:30 p.m. Elaine Scutti 904.1272 Administration Dave Otto 717.6635 Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament every Service Carol Healy 961.0942 first Friday of the month 9 a.m. — Noon. Stewardship Dear Friends, With this First Sunday of Advent we begin a new Liturgical Year, another year and season of grace. It is with great hope and expectation that we actively wait. Advent hope is expressed in the first reading: “You, Lord, are our Father, our redeemer you are named forever.” While we despair of our own circumstances which seem to be collapsing around us, yet is our hope full of immortality, “You O Lord are our Father, our redeemer...” In preparing to remember Christ’s first coming, with devout and joyful expectation “We are to be we also await Christ’s second coming in alive and awake fullness of glory, the end toward which we are all headed, to be caught up with Christ to the grace that in glory when Christ will be “all in all”. is always present: That is a joyful hope and expectation, 1st Sunday of Advent “Emmanuel… and it’s happening right here, right now in our own time. It has been said that break- November 30, 2008 God With Us.” downs can be breakthroughs. I believe this Be watchful! Be alert! is such a time. We have great hope on one hand even as the world around You do not know when the time will come. us is changing and dying. Because of our faith, hope, and — Mark 13:33 love, it can be a time of breakthrough, a shift in consciousness as some have called it. It can be and is a time of new beginnings, of necessary change, of conversion. The first reading also says, “...we have withered like leaves, and our guilt carries us away like the wind...Yet, O Lord, you are our father; we are the clay and Welcome... you the potter: we are all the work of your hands.” Guests and Visitors! Because of that I have hope, no matter what comes. So Jesus tells us in the gospel: “Be watchful! Be alert! St. Thomas is here to compan- Watch...What I say to you, I say to all: Watch!”. ion you on your faith journey. We are to be alive and awake to the grace that is always Come with us as we grow in present: “Emmanuel...God With Us.” It needs to be closeness to Christ through presupposition of our Faith in “Dabar-Yahweh”, that God is liturgy, music, faith formation, always talking to us, with us and in us, pushing out into the special events, and countless world in a creative way that the Word might become Flesh in ways to make a difference. us; that Christ would be born anew in us. Would you like to become I end with a prayer that we received from Jack Shea who a Parishioner? Join us did an Advent in-service here with us: Sunday, December 7, at “Lord, we know we have eyes that see not, and ears that Welcome Sunday after the hear not. Today, something we see may cause us to pause: 7:30, 9:00 and 10:45 a.m. something we hear may invite us to ponder. Keep our eyes Masses, in the gym with and ears open so we may follow what calls us into the grace Donuts. of Christmas where the light shines in the darkness.” Amen. Let it be! With Advent Hope for Love and Peace, Worship Commission Prayer for Waiting To Stand Watch calls for us to be alert, and to be sensitive. God, help us to be aware of the true beauty of our surroundings, And remind us in the everyday experiences of our life, to seek peace, beauty, and wisdom. As we anticipate with eagerness the arrival of Christ, help our worship today and in times ahead be reflective of the hope that comes as a light in the darkness of our lives. Keep alive the flame of expectation in our daily lives, and may our working hands create change in this world to truly connect with the hope that your love brings us. St. Thomas Alive! CD’s Wedding Workshop It’s not too late to purchase St. Thomas Alive The next music and liturgy workshop to help couples CDs. They will be for sale next weekend after choose music and prepare their wedding mass or Mass, or you may purchase them during the week ceremony will be Saturday, January 10, from 10:00 a.m. in the Main Office. A GREAT Christmas gift! to Noon in the Church. All couples who will be wed at St. Thomas must attend one of these workshops which Immaculate Conception are held several times throughout the year. This work- Immaculate Conception is a Holy Day of shop should not be confused with the Engaged Couples Obligation and will be celebrated December 8 at Retreat Day, which couples must also attend. 8:30 a.m. and again at 7:30 p.m. After January 10, the next workshops are scheduled for February 14, April 25, and September 26. Contact Advent Reconciliation Diane in the Main Office at 630.355.8980x101 or We will have a Reconciliation Service, [email protected] to register.