FROM THE PASTOR'S DESK
Dear St. Charles Parishioners,
John the Baptist cries out, "Prepare the way of the Lord. Make
straight his paths."
Tomorrow, Monday, 7:30 PM we celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
We will have 9 Priests on hand to help us make peace with the Lord and
with one another. There is no better way to prepare for Christmas than
to prepare our hearts and mend the gaps in our relationships.
Come to our Parish Chrismas
Party on December 21st. We begin at 2:00 PM with la Posada, a wonderful
Latin American custom involving children and will include a special
award ceremony at 4:00 PM for a few outstanding volunteers. If allowed,
I also promise to play the fiddle!
Thanks for your support to Catholic Charities Christmas Collection
this weekend and for keeping our parish needs in your Christmas giving.
With Advent Hope!
PARKING
Please note that Midas (across the street from the Church on Washington
Blvd.) allows parking on Sundays ONLY! Cars will be towed on any other
day.
TURKEY UPDATE
Thank you to all who generously donated money to the recent Turkey fund
drive. We were able to raise enough funds to purchase all the turkeys
and trimmings to feed 20 families in and around our parish. Plus we
have "leftover" funds to be able to make donations to local
area organizations. A great big thank you also goes to the MANY volunteers
that assisted in the kitchen. We appreciate them taking time out of
their own busy schedule to help. In gratitude, Hospitality Ministry.
PLEASE NOTE… The Parish Office will be closed at Noon on
Wednesday, December 24th through Friday, December 26th in observance
of Christmas. The office will re-open on Saturday, December 27th.
The deadline for Bulletin Article submissions for
Sunday, December 28th are due in the Parish Office by Noon, Wednesday,
December 17th (instead of Friday, the 19th and submissions for Sunday,
January 4th are due no later than 9:00 AM on Tuesday, December 23rd
(instead of Friday, the 26th.) Thank you for your cooperation.
SPONSOR OF THE WEEK: Our thanks to Mike Korin, Long Term Care
Insurance Expert for his support.
MASS INTENTIONS
SUNDAY, December 14, 2003:
7:30 Joseph E. Laposa by Joanne Laposa
9:00 Sylvia Patricia Pavese by Joan Lucas-Anderson
11:00 Rose & Frank D'Ambrosio by Mario D'Ambrosio
1:00 Parishioners
6:00 John Eddins
Readings: Zephaniah 3:14-18a; Philippians 4:4-7; Luke 3:10-18
Monday, December 15, 200:
9:00 James Damian Robers
7:30 (Arlington Detention Center) for the Inmates
Readings: Numbers 24:2-7,15-17a; Matthew 21:23-27
Tuesday, December 16, 2003:
9:00 Jack Kelly by Joseph Frascone
Readings: Zephaniah 3:1-2,9-13; Matthew 21:28-32
Wednesday, December 17, 2003:
9:00 John Maguire by Bertha Maguire
Readings: Genesis 49:2,8-10; Matthew 1:1-17
Thursday, December 18, 2003:
9:00 Jeanne Marie Howe by Mike McDonald
Readings: Jeremiah 23:5-8; Matthew 1:18-25
Friday, December 19, 2003:
9:00 Regina C. Finan by Frank Finan
Readings: Judges 13:2-7,24-25a; Luke 1:5-25
Saturday, December 20, 2003:
9:00 Aurelia Bacarreza by Francisco Roque
5:00 Scott Hallahan by Helen Hallahan
Readings: Isaiah 7:10-14; Luke 1:26-38
PLEASE PRAY FOR
Please remember to keep in your prayers, those who are sick and those
who suffer, especially: Diane Herbst, Celia Coronado, Josephine Meuse,
Ly King, Kathleen Hauke, Veronica Ricks, and Regina Heise. Let us also
pray for those who have died: Louise A. Montavon and Jacob Brady.
CATHOLIC CHARITIES CHRISTMAS COLLECTION
The second collection this weekend, December 13-14, will benefit Catholic
Charities of the Diocese of Arlington. All money donated will go to
support the many programs of Catholic Charities: soup kitchen, food
pantry, thrift shop, adoption, foster care, crisis pregnancy counseling,
family services, counseling, elderly services, immigration services
(Hogar Hispano), prison ministry, parish social ministry, and services
for the disabled. Catholic Charities is deeply grateful for the ongoing
support it is receiving from the Catholic community in the Diocese.
The response to the emergency appeal in June was exceptional and the
generosity to the annual fall appeal is heartening. THANK YOU for the
prayers and outpouring of support for the work of Catholic Charities
in our Diocese. For more information, call 703-841-3833.
RESPECT LIFE MINISTRY
"…it must be noted also that a well-formed Christian conscience
does not permit one to vote for a political program or an individual
law which contradicts the fundamental contents of faith and morals."
(Doctrinal Note on Some Questions regarding the Participation of Catholics
in Political Life).
CHRISTMAS FLOWERS
The Parish Office is now accepting donations for Christmas Flowers.
If you wish to have a loved-one remembered, please include his or her
name with your donation. For your convenience, you may place your donation
and the name of your loved-one in a plain envelope. Both may be dropped
in the Sunday collection basket or you can stop by the Parish Office.
The list of those remembered will be published on Christmas Day, so
please have your donations and names in the Parish Office by Tuesday,
December 19th. Thank you!
SURVIVING LOSS DURING THE
HOLIDAYS
For those who have lost someone and find the holidays difficult. Come
to our parish family to share and help others. Open to those who need
some grieving time. We will meet in the Parish Library at 7:30 PM, Monday,
December 15th, If you have any questions, please call Jean Sweeney at
703-527-5500 x 15.
YOUTH NEWS
On The Way Parish Cookbooks will be on sale after Masses today! For
only $10, these cookbooks make great Christmas gifts as well as a perfect
addition to your own kitchen. All money raised will help to offset costs
for On The Way's overnight retreat in February. Cookbooks also will
be available during the week in the Parish Office.
NURSERY NEWS
The St. Charles Borromeo nursery is now open for both the 9:00 am and
11:00 AM Masses. We have committed volunteers that are there every Sunday
to watch your children. Please feel free to stop by the nursery after
either Mass to meet Shannyn Peterson, the 9:00 am volunteer, or Ryan
Taylor and Amy Wyckoff, the 11:00 am volunteers. The nursery is located
in the Memorial Room, and accepts children between the ages of 1 and
4. If you have questions or concerns, please feel free to contact Rose
Holliday, the Nursery Coordinator at 703-522-8336. Hope to see you there!
PARISH COUNCIL NEWS
The St. Charles Parish Council is pleased to highlight several recent
activities sponsored by parish ministries.
Community Life
- The recent Contemplative
Way session brought together 17 people to reflect on the theme
of gratitude.
- The Mom's Journal Group facilitated by Tori Bayer is meeting at
the parish.
Hospitality
- Prepared 20 Thanksgiving turkey suppers for needy families.
- Provided refreshments for the Conversation with Creedon series,
the Remembrance Mass Reception and the Annual Social Justice Dinner.
POSADA AND PINATA PARTY
Also, please join us for the Parish Christmas Party on Sunday, December
21 from 2:00-5:00 PM. We begin with Posadas/Looking for Lodging sponsored
by Neighborhood F. A reception and volunteer awards presentation follows
in the School Cafeteria.
TRY ADVENT REFLECTIONS & EVENTS ONLINE
Jesus is coming and your parish website, stcharleschurch.org, can help
you prepare. Find faith reflections that
can help discover meaning in the season, a list of parish and Neighborhood
Advent events, plus the who's
saying which holiday Mass. Try some of these resources this week
and make this your best Advent ever.
- Collection for Sunday (November 30, 2003) was $16,070.50.
- Tithe for November 30, 2003: $1,478.78 was for St. Charles Outreach.
- Collection for Sunday, December 7, 2003 was $18,107.00.
- Tithe for December 7, 2003: $1,665.84 was for our sister parishes
in Cavaillon & Gros Marin, Haiti.
- The 2nd Collection for Sunday, December 7, 2003: $8,076.94 was
for our Building Fund.
- This Week's 2nd Collection is the Catholic Charities Christmas
Collection.
- Next Week's Tithe is for Project Lazarus.
