Dear Members of St. Charles:
Monday night at 7:30 you are invited to celebrate the Sacrament of Forgiveness (Confession). Advent is the season of preparation for Christmas. While we decorate our homes and buy gifts, let us also prepare our hearts for the Prince of Peace. Our Pope sees this season as the beginning of a year that readies us for the Millennium, a Jubilee Year. Jubilee is a time of mercy, forgiveness of debts and sin. Come and “Open wide the door for Christ”.
Shalom, Salaam, Peace,
BORROMEO HOUSING, INC.
The Board of Directors and staff of Borromeo Housing wish to thank all the members of St. Charles Parish for their support and participation in our Tenth Anniversary Celebration on November 5. The event was well attended and over $13,000 was raised to assist BHI in fulfilling its mission to address the needs of homeless pregnant women and mothers with children.
BAPTISMAL PREPARATION
The baptismal preparation class in English will take place on December 20, 1998 (third Sunday) at 12:00 Noon in the Parish Library, instead of December 27th (fourth Sunday). Pre-registration is REQUIRED.
1998 CHRISTMAS NOVENA MASS
The Philippine-American Community in the Ballston area in cooperation with the Liturgy Group of St. Charles, is going to hold a Novena Mass of nine days of sacrifice. Its intention is to prepare oneself to receive Christ on Christmas. This will begin on December 16 and end on December 24. All the Novena Masses will be at 5:00 AM and will be officiated by Rev. Ed Garcia, a Filipino priest. This project is being coordinated by Bob and Kathy Chan. If you have any questions, please call Fr. Ed at 703-276-7126.
SPONSOR OF THE WEEK: Our special thanks to Ireland’s Four Courts for supporting our Parish.
SUNDAY, December 13: Third Sunday of Advent
7:30 Parishioners
9:00 Gabriel Villamizar by Lucia Hittle & family
11:00 Mary & Anthony Petito by Rose Evans
1:00 Elena Sánchez by Maria & Oscar Hernández
Readings: Isaiah 35:1-6a,10; James 5:7-10; Matthew 11:2-11
Monday, December 14:
9:00 John & Vina Oczytko on their 50th Wedding Anniversary
Readings: Numbers 24:2-7,15-17a; Matthew 21:23-27
Tuesday, December 15:
9:00 Manuel Jesús Bueno by Milton & Eleanor Werthman
7:30 (at the Arlington Detention Center) for the Inmates
Readings: Zephaniah 3:1-2,9-13; Matthew 21:28-32
Wednesday, December 16:
9:00 St. Joseph by Joanne Lynch
Readings: Isaiah 45:6b-8,18,21b-25; Luke 7:18b-23
Thursday, December 17:
9:00 Margaret Salvador by Jim Salvador
Readings: Genesis 49:2,8-10; Matthew 1:1-17
Friday, December 18:
9:00 Regina C. Finan by Frank J. Finan
Readings: Jeremiah 23:5-8; Matthew 1:18-24
Saturday, December 19:
9:00 Pablo Prieto by Christina Prieto
5:00 Pearl Walsh by Camille Burruto
Readings: Judges 13:2-7,24-25a; Luke 1:5-25
Please remember to keep in your prayers, the elderly, those in distress, the lonely, and those who are sick, especially: Rev. James Muldowney, Jan Prisco, Hazel Hagarty, Mennensa Fernandez, Flo Seguin, Waldo and Myrna Ruiz, Lillian Healy Orr, Jack Reynolds, Eileen and Ralph Bruno, Jimmy Clark, Juanita Whetzel, and the Acosta family. Let us also pray for those who have died, especially:...
SOCIAL JUSTICE CORNER...
OFFENDER AID AND RESTORATION of Arlington County “Helping to Break the Cycle of Crime” & DONATIONS OF USED CLOTHING AND HOUSEHOLD ITEMS - How do these fit together? Let us tell you! St. Charles is a little short on space, as most of you know. We receive many donations each week of used clothing and such. In turn, we find volunteers to take these items to Goodwill. It would be wonderful if those of you donating items could take them to Goodwill at the onset, AND SAVE YOUR GOODWILL RECEIPTS! Bring them to the parish office. Brigid Doherty, our Social Justice coordinator, will make sure the receipts get to the OAR program. OAR’s mission is to restore the individual offender as a responsible member of the community by providing programs to inmates and services to ex-prisoners. Our donated receipts are turned into vouchers for OAR clients. They use the vouchers to get clothing for job interviews, and to get back on their feet once released. Thanks, as always for your generosity, willingness to help, and your spirit of giving.
Ministry
God can and will break through. The joyous spirit of Christ is still being conceived, still grows, still is born -- in unexpected places.
- Rev. Harold Fohlin
CELEBRATE THE WHOLE SEASON
The 5:00 PM Mass on January 2nd will include a special intergenerational reenactment of The Adoration of the Magi. Actors and Actresses are needed along with an MC for this event. Practice is one hour prior to Mass. Please contact Marilyn Krause in the Parish Office to volunteer. THANKS!
YOUTH NEWS!
To all parishioners who supported the Thanksgiving Food Drive... WAY and On The Way would like to thank you for your generous support. We also wish to thank Sister B for the use of the freezers at the school. When all counting was done, we had 53 desserts, 53 cans of fruit, 68 cans of cranberry sauce, 71 boxes of stuffing, 72 macaroni and cheese mixes, 90 cans of vegetables, 40 cans of gravy, and 80 turkeys to donate! A final thanks to the Roa family, Lisette Tabage, Colleen Dykema, and the Confirmation class for clearing the altar after each Mass.
All 7th and 8th graders are invited to the On The Way Christmas Party TONIGHT from 7:00 - 8:30 PM in the Upper Room. Remember your wacky gift (make sure it’s wrapped!), any Christmas tapes or CD’s, and your favorite treat if you signed up to bring one. Also, next Sunday, December 20, On The Way is going to the movies to see The Prince of Egypt. We will be meeting at St. Charles. Call Angela (532-5636) or Christine (527-6194) December 17 or 18 for exact departure and return times.
WAY invites all 9th-12th graders to tonight’s meeting from 7-9 PM in the Youth Center. Join us for a chance to grow in faith and friendship! Also, remember to RSVP for next week’s Christmas Celebration.
ST. CHARLES YOUNG ADULTS (C’YA)
If you haven’t already done so, pick up a copy of our December calendar and newsletter, “The Dead C’YA Scroll”, at the back of church today. C’YA welcomes everyone in the 20’s - 30’s + to join us in building community through social, spiritual, and service events. Check the Scroll or www.stcharleschurch.org/cya for details on our Christmas party December 18. Hope to see you there!
DISCOVER ADVENT ON-LINE!
Treat yourself to a special Advent this year by visiting the St. Charles Advent web page. From the main page at www.stcharleschurch.org, click on Advent and you will find daily reflections and news about parish holiday events. Surf on by today! The St. Charles Web Team wishes you and your family a blessed Advent season.
PARISH COUNCIL NEWS
The Parish Council convened on Wednesday, December 2, 1998. We discussed follow-up to the St. Charles town Hall (held on November 4 and on November 22 in Spanish), heard highlights from ministry and neighborhood reports and considered the Fiscal Year 2000 Planning and Budgeting process.
In addition, we reviewed plans for the parish’s Christmas celebrations. Please plan to attend the Our Lady of Guadalupe Mass at 5:00 PM on December 12, followed by an all-Parish Christmas party in the cafeteria. We understand that the famous singing group, the Carlitos (a.k.a. Fathers Creedon and Mendez) will be making a repeat performance!
You are also invited to enjoy good food, meet parishioners and sing Christmas carols with the Choir and Folk Group after the 5:00 PM, 7:30, 9:00 and 11:00 AM Masses on the weekend of December 19 and 20. A party will be held after the 1:00 PM Mass too!
A third opportunity for you to celebrate the season is through the Advent activities in the parish neighborhoods. Neighborhood D’s Home Mass and Party are scheduled for 7:30 PM on December 16 in the Summerwalk West Community Room (1029 N. Stuart Street.) Call John Teem (841-1114) for more information. Neighborhood E’s caroling party is scheduled for 7:30 PM on December 17. Call Monica Craven 524-4526) for details.
We look forward to seeing you at all these Christmas events!
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, there are envelopes available at the Church entrances or 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 to the Parish Office by Monday, December 21st. Thank you.
- Last Week’s Collection: $13,824.00
- Last Week’s tithe of $1,382.40 was for our sister parishes in Cavaillon and Gros Marin, Haiti.
- This Week’s. 2nd Collection is for Catholic Charities.
- Next Week’s tithe is for St. Charles Outreach.
