THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT Page Two THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT December 13, 2020 CORCORAN’S CORNER The Third Sunday of Advent: JOY SUNDAY… Help Make Christmas For Others… This Third Sunday of Advent encourages us to be aware Well the good news is that people are rapidly registering and appreciative of all that we have to be joyful about. Dur- for our Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Masses. A word to ing this COVID-19 Christmas, a lot of ordinary joy-filled the wise: with a capacity of 200 people per Mass, please do moments have been taken away from our lives. I absolutely register in the days ahead, as we will fill up! As of December loved “Donuts with Santa” sponsored by our Men’s Club. 10, our 3:00 PM Christmas Eve Mass is fully-booked; 5:00 There was such a buzz of excitement in O’Mara Hall. And PM Mass has 180 registered; and 7:00 PM has 39 regis- I loved seeing all the smiling faces. The children seemed tered; and 10:00 PM is now over 100 registered. We have to enjoy the event too. I know the Men’s Club did! enough volunteers in the church for Christmas Eve and I missed hosting our Annual Christmas Concert/Gala last Christmas Day Masses. Hurrah! Thank you to these volun- weekend. It was always a delight hearing our choirs and or- teers for your generosity. chestra, complimented by our liturgical dancers. The audi- The problematic part of our puzzle is for people to ence loved it. [Desserts afterward were also a great treat.] volunteer for our 3:00 PM and 5:00 PM Masses in the CJB Our parish organization individual Christmas parties were School classrooms and the McBrady Center. Volunteers will filled with fun as these groups know how to have a fun time. check people in and/or distributing Holy Communion. [Our Similarly, our Religious Education Program catechist dinner 9:30 AM Christmas Day Mass is filling up with volunteers and the CJB School Faculty dinner were always festive and nicely!] So, if you can volunteer to come back to church so delicious. Father John Zurek and I always enjoyed preparing we can open CJB School and the McBrady Center for 3:00 our parish staff Christmas Party, and a good time was had and 5:00 PM Mass, it will be gratefully appreciated. You will by all. All these great events in abeyance. This is sad. But truly make someone’s Christmas. Please contact Carlos this year remembering these great days, events, gatherings, Bautista after Mass to volunteer or contact 708-403-0101 and the people we shared them with remain truly joy-filled x102 or [email protected]. memories. We savor these memories, and the memories bring joy to our days now. They are bright spots through Our Virtual Ministry/Parish Organization Fair… For some weeks now we have featured in our parish bul- these tough times. letin and on our parish website a “Virtual” Parish Ministry and Remembering these good blessed days in the past help Parish Organization Fair. In past years the Parish Pastoral us to appreciate how fortunate we were to spend Christmas Council [PPC] sponsored this in our church Narthex as a with each other. The people whom we get to celebrate this way to highlight all the good things the parish is doing and all year's Christmas are far fewer in number, which perhaps of our ministries/clubs/groups in which we all can join. This makes them even more meaningful. year due to social distancing, etc., we could not have this in This weekend let us all remember the sources of joy in person, but are highlighting all of them through our website our lives in our blessed past, and blessed present. and bulletin. This Virtual Parish Ministry Fair is also a way to Celebrating Bambinelli Sunday Today... invite parishioners to join these ministries/clubs/groups. COVID-19 or no COVID-19, we continue our tradition of Many things are in abeyance at the moment—but this abey- Bambinelli Sunday on this weekend [Third Sunday of ance will not last and we will be ready to go. Please take a Advent]. On Bambinelli Sunday, the people of Rome bring look at our many, varied ministries/clubs/groups listed and if their Christ Child figurine from their home Christmas creche you want to join one or to receive more information, please to be blessed by our Pope in St. Peter’s Square. When you return the request slip found on the bottom of the flyer in this bring your creche figure to church, we will ask you to stand, bulletin or on our website. You will be most welcome. but not come forward to the altar, and holding the figure we will bless them as you remain in your pew in church. This Marching Towards Christmas… While our outside church is fully lit, our church sanctuary custom joins your home creche to our parish church creche. was very spare for the First Sunday of Advent. Then last During Advent, it is the one “shrine” you set up in your home, week some Christmas trees were erected. This week our remembering and celebrating the Holy Family. Christmas creche is up in our Narthex. [We do not want to CHRISTMAS SHARING OPPORTUNITIES: lose any church seating space this year!] We are slowly The RESPOND NOW Gift Card Toy Drive… showing our preparation for Christmas more and more, Our St. Vincent DePaul Drive and the RESPOND NOW as a way of showing the progress of the Advent season. Gift Card Toy Drive both conclude this Sunday, Dec. 13. You can drop off your SVDP items or RESPOND NOW Christ- COVID-19 Killers… mas Gift Card Toy Drive at Masses this weekend or by con- Our parish has purchased bright “St. Elizabeth Seton tacting our parish office [708-403-0101] by this Monday, COVID-19 Killer” t-shirts for Mass volunteers and our cate- Dec. 14, to arrange a drop off time [from 9:00 AM-1:00 PM]. chists who have so generously stepped forward so that par- ish life of celebrating Mass and passing on the faith could Our Resurrected Choir… continue. We are very grateful. Following Archdiocesan guidelines, and wearing new masks designed for singers, we now can have three mem- Sacrament Of Reconciliation… bers of our choir enhance our music at Mass. We are also It was erroneously printed in our parish mailing that we teaching the congregation to clap during the “Alleluia.” This could celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation on will not spread germ particles, adds to participation at Mass, Wednesday, Dec. 23. from 3:30-4:00 PM. This is NOT true. and is kind of fun. We are making music together again! We will however, have extended time for Reconciliation this Saturday, Dec. 19, from 3:30-4:30 PM. All are welcome. Thanks To The Knights Of Columbus… Fr. John Zurek and I will be the confessors. The local Knights of Columbus have made a kind and generous donation to those in need in our community. Keep Smiling, I want to thank these “good elves” for making Christmas brighter for others. December 13, 2020 THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT Page Three FOR YOUR INFORMATION • The parish office is temporarily closed as a precaution due to the COVID 19 virus. Your parish business can still be conducted by calling the parish office at 708-403- 0101. Please leave a message and you will be contacted with arrangements to assist your needs. Thank you for your patience and understanding. Our Women’s Club is offering Oplatki wafers for Christmas… WELCOME FREE WILL OFFERING ACCEPTED Celebrate Christmas/w Oplatki James and Kelly Houston OPLATKI is available in the parish office for (Children: Nora, Emma and James Houston) those wanting to participate in this centuries old custom. Oplatki, Holy Bread, is our Christmas oblation and the Christmas wafer BAPTISMS is reminiscent of the word Bethlehem, which means “House of Bread.” The breaking of Congratulations to David Olson and Courtney Joyce on the baptism bread with family in your home is a sign of of their child, Cameron Joyce, on Sunday, Dec. 6, 20202. charity, unity, and friendship. With prayer for God’s grace and for the welfare of the present/absent members of the family, PLEASE PRAY FOR the broken wafer pieces are distributed to each one at the table. Due to temporary parish office closure Due to privacy issues we honor prayer requests (by you/family member for COVID-19 precautions, Christmas only) for two weeks. Please call to add name or continue for two weeks. Oplatki is available in the Narthex on a We remember the sick, infirm, and those recommended to our table located outside of the parish office prayers, that they may experience the healing power of Christ: Kathy Kocher door from 9am-1pm and on Sundays Maria Teresita Martinez from 8am-1pm. If these time slots are Haley Galvin inconvenient, please call the office Ray Alba (708-403-0101) to schedule a pickup. Joseph Mannion Elvira Valdez Seton Sowers Rosemary Sprague Sharon Oskielunas Newborns in Need Newborns in Need volunteers provide care And for our deceased: necessities to agencies/hospitals serving Eileen Broderick premature, ill, or impoverished newborns. “Heavenly Father, accept the prayers which we offer for them.” Newborns In Need distributes these items free of charge. Newborns in Need is unable to meet due to the current virus but we are MASS INTENTIONS still collecting items. If you knit, crochet or sew, we would be happy to have you make Sat., Dec.