22 DECEMBER 2019 THE PARISHES OF SACRED HEART & SAINT RAPHAEL th 4 SUNDAY OF ADVENT bestPGHparish.org Rev. Joseph Mele, Administrator Sacred Heart 412-661-0187 ext. 122 Saint Raphael 412-661-3100 ext. 124 [email protected] Rev. John Sweeney, Sr. Parochial Vicar 412-661-3100 ext. 128 or [email protected] Rev. Steve Palsa, Parish Chaplain 412-720-3554 or [email protected] Rev. Edward Muge, In Residence Dr. William Hahn, Deacon 412-661-3100 ext. 114 or [email protected] Mr. John Vaskov, Deacon [email protected] or 412-661-0187 ext. 117 SACRED HEART CONTACTS SAINT RAPHAEL CONTACTS 310 Shady Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15206 1118 Chislett St., Pittsburgh, PA 15206 Parish Office: 412-661-0187 Parish Office: 412-661-3100 Fax: 412-661-7932 Fax: 412-661-0428 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Website: sacredheartsaintraphael.org Website: sacredheartsaintraphael.org Office Hours: Weekdays 8:00AM - 4:00PM Office Hours: Weekdays 9:00AM - 5:00PM Administrative Assistant for the Grouping Administrative Assistant for the Grouping Emily Pino x111 Emily Pino [email protected] [email protected] Business Manager Business Manager Michael McGrath x118 Michael McGrath [email protected] [email protected] Director of Music Ministries Director of Music Ministries John Ronald “JR” Daniels x226 John Ronald “JR” Daniels 412-661-0187 x 226 [email protected] [email protected] Evangelization & Outreach Assistant Music Minister Jack Shaw Darlene Kiniry 412-508-5383 [email protected] [email protected] Evangelization & Outreach Secretary & Bulletin Editor Jack Shaw Manon Proulx x110 412-508-5383 [email protected] [email protected] Part time Ministry to the Bereaved Secretary Sister Mary Elizabeth Schrei, SC Barb Melick x110 [email protected] [email protected] Office Staff Bulletin Editor Gregory Caridi x113 Manon Proulx [email protected] [email protected] Safe Environment Coordinator Safe Environment Coordinator Pam Matia Pam Matia [email protected] [email protected] Saint Vincent de Paul Society Saint Vincent de Paul Society 412-404-3524 412-404-3524 SACRED HEART ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SAINT RAPHAEL PRESCHOOL 325 Emerson Street • Pittsburgh, PA 15206 1154 Chislett St. • Pittsburgh, PA 15206 Principal: Mrs. Kate Taylor Principal: Mrs. Kate Taylor Phone 412-441-1582 Phone 412-661-3100 x122 Fax 412-441-2798 Fax 412-661-0428 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Website: www.sacredheartpgh.org Website: www.straphaelphg.org/school Diocese Victim Assistance Abuse Hotline: 1-888-808-1235 HAPPENING IN OUR GROUPING 2 Merry Christmas to all!! May Jesus, our Savior, increase in each of us the capacity to love more deeply. Let us live with renewed appreciation. From your Parish Grouping Staff 3 HAPPENING IN OUR GROUPING YOUR CHRISTMAS GIFT TO THE PARISH A special Message from Father Joe This Christmas, I am appealing to your extra kindness and generosity to our parishes. Everyone prepares a special gift to the parish where we are members and where we are served regularly. This year I am asking all of our parishioners to consider making an extra special contribution to our parish. We have been through some very difficult times together. I hope you are seeing some stability return to our Parish Family in both parishes. I hope you have noticed the ways our clergy team is working hard to assure you of our love and pastoral con- cern. Because of your generosity already, I have been able to hire some of the finest pastoral staff members in the entire diocese. They joined us because they believe in the potential of our urban parish and what we can do together for the Kingdom of God in our midst. There is so much more we can do! But we need you, your deep and sincere spirituality, your prayers, your witness to Christ among us, your ideas and leadership, your volun- teerism and right now your financial support. Please pray and discern what is the most you and your family can afford to donate in the Christmas Mass collection. I know you will give in accordance to your love. Thank you for considering this very important and necessary appeal to your extra generosity this year. May God bless you for whatever extra help you can give. If you are not able to increase your donation this year for some reason, please know I understand. Your prayers for us are the most important gift you can give. Thank you. Some Children See Him Some children see Him lily white, The baby Jesus born this night. Some children see Him lily white, With dresses soft and fair. Some children see Him bronzed and brown, The Lord of heav’n to earth come down. Some children see Him bronzed and brown, With dark and heavy hair. Some children see Him almond-eyed, This Savior whom we kneel beside. Some children see Him almond-eyed, With skin of yellow hue. Some children see Him dark as they, Sweet Mary’s Son to whom we pray. Some children see him dark as they, And, ah! they love Him, too! The children in each different place Will see the baby Jesus’ face Like theirs, but bright with heavenly grace, And filled with holy light. O lay aside each earthly thing And with thy heart as offering, Come worship now the infant King. ‘Tis love that’s born tonight! Christmas at Sacred Heart and Saint Raphael Christmas Eve: Sacred Heart & Saint Raphael: 4:00PM | Sacred Heart : 7:00PM | Sacred Heart : 10:00PM | Saint Raphael: Midnight Christmas Day: Saint Raphael: 8:00AM | Sacred Heart : 10:00AM | Saint Raphael: 11:00AM HAPPENING IN OUR GROUPING 4 In this Bulletin, you can read: Fourth Sunday of Advent - Merry Christmas! ................. 2 Your Christmas Gift to the Parish ....................................... 3 Some Children See Him ........................................................... 3 Holiday Office Hours ............................................................... 4 Christmas Shrine Tour ............................................................ 4 Start the Christmas Wafer Tradition in your Home ..... 5 Special Music will enhance our Christmas Liturgies ....... 5 Warm Gifts for Cold Nights .................................................. 5 Young Family and Catechesis of the Good Shepherd ..... 6 Ready to Live the Power & Love of God ............................. 6 Financials & Schedules ............................................................. 7 Sacramentals & More ............................................................... 8 Family Blessing and Anointing of the Sick ........................ 8 Spiritual Renewal in the New Year ...................................... 8 Mass Schedule ............................................................................ 9 This Christmas we are pleased to announce that memorial brass plates have been fixed to the main altar of Saint Raphael Church in gratitude to Cheryl Begandy and Janet Ciramella and their families respectively for donating the main altar in September 4, 2011. We also have a Prayer Garden bench in front of Saint Raphael Church. Dolly & Peter J. King Family In Loving Memory of In Loving Memory of Philomena, Carmen and May your blessing out- Michael Cherubino Carmie Ciramella number the shamrocks that grow Please note that the Thank you to Ellen Kline Thank you to the Ladies and to all who supported of Charity and to all those Offices will close at the Vincentian de who supported the Giving 12:00PM on Monday, Marillac nursing home in Tree at Saint Raphael! December 23 and will re- this year's Angel Tree open at our regular times gift Drive! As always, on Thursday morning, the generosity of our parishioners is humbling. January 2, 2020. Merry Christmas! Saint Raphael & Sacred Heart - Holiday Shrine Tour Visit Four Pittsburgh Catholic Shrines of Pittsburgh & The Pittsburgh Crèche Monday December 30, 2019 Departure at 8:30AM from St. Raphael to Sacred Heart with Departure from Sacred Heart at 8:45AM Mass with Fr. Joe Mele at St. Patrick’s, Strip District at 9:30AM Visit of St. Stanislaus, Strip District Stop at The Pittsburgh Crèche (The ONLY authorized replica of the nativity scene in Saint Peter’s Ba- silica in Rome.) Visit of Immaculate Heart of Mary, Polish Hill Lunch at Grant’s Bar & Restaurant, Millvale at 1:00PM Visit of St. Nicholas, Millvale Return to St. Raphael at 3:30PM 5 HAPPENING IN OUR GROUPING Warm gifts for Cold nights Saint Raphael & Sacred Heart Clothing Drive for the Homeless & Those in Need Epiphany Weekend - January 4 & 5, 2020 Gifts of Coats, Blankets, Mittens & Socks or any gently worn warm clothing Donations Will Go To: Catholic Charities of Pittsburgh Winter Warming Stations Catholic Charities is collecting “Warm Gifts” to give to the homeless and those in need at their Winter Warm- ing Stations opened December through March. Place Donated Clothing in Collection Bins Located at the Front Church Entrance of both St. Raphael and Sacred Heart Volunteers at collection bins will also accept monetary donations before All Masses of Epiphany Weekend Questions – Contact Jack Shaw at 412-508-5383 or [email protected] Special music will enhance our Christmas liturgies. Sacred Heart: 4:00pm (Christmas Eve) String Quintet and Children’s Choir 10:00pm (Christmas Eve) Parish Combined Choir St. Raphael: 12:00am (Midnight) Instrumentalists 11:00am (Christmas Morning) Parish Combined Choir Attention all parents with young children! We need your opinion! In order to best serve the preschool age population, or soon to be 3-4 year old’s, we would like you to complete a survey to help meet the immediate and future needs of our par- ish. The link is: https://www.surveymonkey.com/ r/3DV285N CHRISTMAS WAFER TRADITION IN YOUR HOME You do not have to be Slovak, Polish or Lithuanian to observe the beautiful tradition of the Christmas Wafers (Oplatki) at your family table on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. The spiritual lesson in this age-old custom is about unity and peace in the family. Again this weekend, packets of the three white and one pink bread wafers are available in the vestibule of Sacred Heart and Saint Raphael Parishes until supplies run out.