Dear Parish Family,
Happy Advent! We enter into this new liturgical season with Jesus telling us to "Be watchful! Be alert!" Advent is a time of active waiting, staying attentive not only to the movements of God's grace at work in our midst, but also remaining watchful and on guard from the snares of the enemy. In Amazon's new series, Rings of Power, Galadriel remarks in a simple but powerful way, "Evil does not sleep. It waits." Evil bides its time, prowling and lurking in the darkness, waiting to strike at the moment our guard is down when it can do the most damage. Remember as we enter our Advent season that we are engaged in spiritual battle with an enemy who never sleeps as he plots our downfall. Advent is the time to take up the spiritual armor and arms of grace from our Lord who has already won the battle and who helps us unceasingly in our fight for truth, justice, and love!
Angel Scholarship Contribution Reminder
Thank you to all of our Angel Scholarship Fund (ASF) investors who have made a contribution this year to turn their tax dollars into tuition assistance! If you have not yet made a contribution, please do so in the weeks ahead. It's not too good to be true - by taking advantage of the tax credit, your state income tax liability is lowered, and the money you would pay to the State of Ohio gets directed to the school of your choice for us to apply to families and students for tuition assistance based on prioritized need. No amount is too small to make a big impact. Since this tax credit is a dollar-for-dollar reduction in what you owe in state income tax, there is no net cost to you as a donor, and it's a win-win for our families, students, parish, and school. Please pick up an information flyer and contribution form in the back of church today.
*Note: Please let me know if you donated to ASF and did not receive a thank you from our school within 60 days of contributing. You may have either donated anonymously to ASF or have donated anonymously to past campaigns with the Catholic Community Foundation. We want to say THANK YOU to all of our investors!
Rite of Acceptance for our RCIA
At our 8 am Mass this weekend, we will celebrate our Rite of Acceptance with our RCIA catechumens and candidates. RCIA stands for the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. The Rite of Acceptance is the formal entry of catechumens and candidates into the RCIA process and a firm commitment on their part to undergo the transformation of mind, heart, and body needed to enter into communion with the Catholic Church. Pay attention to the "signing of the senses" as part of this acceptance rite which attunes our body to the mysteries of our Lord's love. Please pray for our RCIA catechumens preparing for Baptism (Danielle, Heidi, and Brandon) and our candidates preparing for Full Communion in the Catholic Church (Brandon and Cherise) as they make this important next step in the RCIA process!
Christmas Masses
Remember that our Christmas Mass schedule looks a bit different this year since Christmas Eve falls on a Sunday. I worked with our Parish Council and staff on a schedule that would be mindful of the energies and availability of our ministers who serve at these Masses. We will celebrate the Fourth Sunday of Advent on the morning of Sunday, December 24 with the 8 am and 10 am Masses (there is NO 12 pm Mass for the Fourth Sunday of Advent). We will celebrate Christmas Eve with a 4 pm and 8 pm Mass (the normal 6:30 pm and 10 pm Masses are replaced by the 8 pm this year only). As we have done the past few years, we will only have the 8 am and 10 am Masses on Christmas Day (there is NO 12 pm Mass on Christmas Day). Thank you for your understanding as we as we adjust times for this year.
This Wednesday Early Office Closure
Please note that our parish office will close early (at 3:45 pm) this Wednesday, December 6 for a staff Christmas party.
Holy Day of Obligation - Immaculate Conception
This Friday we celebrate the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary as a Holy Day of Obligation. We look forward to celebrating Mass with you at one of the following times: Thursday, December 7 Vigil Mass at St. Mary Chardon 4:30 pm; Friday December 8 Masses at St. Mary Chardon at 7:30 am, 9:30 am (with School), and 7 pm, and Masses at St. Patrick Thompson at 8:45 am and 7 pm. Immaculate Mary, pray for us!
I am yours in Christ,
Fr. Scott Goodfellow