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Saint Gregory the Great Parish
85 Great Plain Road
Danbury, Connecticut 06811
203 797-0222
Website: www.danbury.org/stgreg
REVEREND ANGELO S. ARRANDO, PASTOR
Rev. Raymond M. Scherba, Parochial Vicar
Rev. Otoniel Lizcano, Parochial Vicar
Deacons Robert Blankschen, William Murphy, Daniel Myott, Richard Kovacs
The Eucharist
Marriage
Saturday Vigil: 4:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Sunday: 7:45 a.m., 9:00 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 12 noon
Daily: 7:00 a.m., 8:45 a.m.
By appointment; call the Parish Office. Arrangements
must be made at least 9 months in advance for proper
preparation.
Ministry to the Sick
Reconciliation
Please inform us about parishioners who are hospitalized
or homebound; Communion for the homebound can be
arranged by calling the Parish Office.
Saturday from 3:00 to 3:30 p.m.
By Appointment, anytime.
Baptism
Please stop by the Parish Office during business hours to
complete a registration form and be sure to introduce
yourself to one of the priests after Mass.
2nd Sunday of each month.
Prior registration is necessary.
Parish Membership
January 18th, 2015
Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
Please pray for all the victims of violence and
all sick and deceased members of the parish.
Mon. Jan.
Tues. Jan.
Wed. Jan.
Thurs. Jan.
Fri.
Jan.
Sat.
Jan.
Sun.
Jan.
MASSES FOR THE WEEK
19 8:00am Special Intention
20 7:00am Living Trust Fund Members
8:45am Special Intention
21 7:00am Special Intention
8:45am Rita Thal
22 7:00am Special Intention
8:45am Alice Gavagan
23 7:00am Special Intention
8:45am Special Intention
24 4:30pm Clara Sousa
7:30pm Special Intention
25 7:45am Special Intention
9:00am Jean Sharpe
10:30am Bernard Erdmann
12:00pm James & Deborah Walsh &
The Winfield Family
Please Note: On Monday January 19, there will be one
8:00 a.m. Mass. The parish office will also be closed.
PRESIDER
Sat. Jan. 24 4:30pm Fr. Angelo
7:30pm Fr. Otto
Sun. Jan. 25 7:45am Fr. Angelo
9:00am Fr. Ray
10:30am Fr. Otto
12:00pm Fr. Ray
HOMILIST
Fr. Angelo
Fr. Otto
Fr. Angelo
Fr. Ray
Fr. Otto
Fr. Ray
CALENDAR
Mon. Jan. 19 11:00am Sewing Group
Wed. Jan. 21 11:00am Weekly Rosary
4: 15pm Faith Formation Classes
Thurs. Jan. 22 6:00pm Sewing Group
Sat. Jan. 24 3:00pm Reconciliation
8:00pm AA
We hope that all parishioners
will sign up for Online-Giving.
“Before you were conceived I wanted you
Before you were born I loved you
Before you were here for an hour I would have died for you
This is the miracle of life.”
This beautiful sentiment is the ideal for all of us as we think about our mothers. However
the hopes and dreams of many single mothers are complicated by society, fear, uncertainty, and
rejection. Certainly the hopes and dreams of Mary, the mother of Jesus, were very much the
same. Today her child is the hope of many and certainly our hope.
The journey to birth is not always easy for many, many single mothers. Our decision to
unite ourselves to the struggles and dreams of all mothers truly defines who and what we are as a
person of faith. We cannot and must not allow ourselves to be bystanders in this life-giving challenge.
A journey to life is indeed a pilgrimage of faith and we earnestly need you to join together
as we make ourselves aware of the ever present gift of life. What you believe drives everything.
The way you behave, the habits you form, the character that defines your core. It is not enough to
believe something as right answer, you must believe it as a way of life.
Watch the bulletin for more information on how each of us can truly make a difference and
understand and believe “Every child born into the world is a new thought of God.”
FAMILY BIBLES
Family Heirloom Bibles:
$60.00
Leather-bound Bibles:
$40.00
Paperback Bibles:
$10.00
ST. GREGORY THE GREAT SCHOOL
Pre-K--Grade 8
Phone # 203-748-1217
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: saintgregoryschool.org
Mission Statement: St. Gregory the Great School,
in cooperation with the parents, was established for
the purpose of giving the students a God-centered,
Catholic outlook on life. We are committed to academic excellence, self-discipline and Global Service.
School will be closed on Monday, January 19th for
Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Sunday, January 25th – Noon mass, recognizing
volunteer of the year: Joann Borges
1:30 – 3:00 School open house
Remembering
Our Loved Ones
Someone once
said: “Flowers are for the living. Memorials should be eternal”. We believe in
the Resurrection, life after death, & that
we will spend eternity with Jesus and our
loved ones. A gift in memory of a loved
one, can be a fitting tribute and can help
our Parish.
Thursday, January 29th – School open house for
new and current families. Come and
observe our classrooms in progress.
10AM – 11AM PreSchool – 4th grades
11AM – Noon 5th – 8th grades
The staff asks open house attendees to please be respectful of the teaching while observing classes in
progress. Please do not socialize in the classrooms
Evening Open House for New Families: 6:30- 8PM
Science Fair – 6:30 PM – 8PM
Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
God knows each individual by name totally, intimately, always. None of us is ever ignored by him. Even the person of no particular significance in his neighbor’s eyes, the born
loser who lives in the shadows of depression most of the time–even he (or she) is precious in
the eyes of God, perhaps more precious than anyone can suspect.
Some of us may feel a strong, but quite false, sense of our own identity. Our self-understanding
derives too exclusively from our own achievements, failures, efforts and ambitions; God’s plan for us hardly enters the picture at all or we dismiss it as too uncertain, too “spiritual” and remote from daily life. Biblical faith,
on the contrary, insists that God calls us into relationship with himself on a day to day basis, always offering us
life, and always making demands on us to live our life worthily in his sight. Not only are we called by name to
friendship with Jesus–we become “members of his body,” sharers in his spirit.
The first words of Jesus to the disciples of John the Baptist took the form of the question, ‘What do you
want?’, or, ‘What are you searching for?’ Jesus sought to engage with those who were searching. He enters our
adult lives in response to our deepest longings. In our searching we can meet someone or some group who opens
a door for us into a deeper relationship with the Lord. Through them God can reach us and touch our lives in a
way he had never done so before. The Lord never ceases to call us through others into a deeper relationship with
himself. The readings this Sunday invite us to be open to the many ways the Lord can draw us to himself, and
also to the ways that he may be calling us to help him in drawing others to himself.
May our lives be a living proclamation to the world of God’s love.
FAITH FORMATION
FAITH FORMATION NEWS
For information regarding Faith Formation or Sacrament Preparation please call the
Office of Faith Formation at 203-7435168 for further information.
CELEBRATING THE LECTIONARY
Celebrating the Lectionary is for all children at
the 10:30am Mass.
YOUTH GROUP
The Youth Group will not be meeting this
weekend. Please contact Rene Hellmann at
203-797-1641 for more information.
SCOUT NEWS
CUB SCOUT PACK 9
For info, call Cub master, Philip
Adams at 203-546-0843.
BOY SCOUT TROOP 9
If you are a boy between the
ages of 11-17 and would like to join Scouting, email Armen Stauffer at http://
www.t9danbury.com/
Please Note: Our Annual Open House
is on 1/27/15 for boys who might like
to join boy scouts.
HOLY NAME SOCIETY
Rite of Christian
Initiation of Adults
If you or someone you know:
Were never baptized, Were baptized Catholic
but never received First Eucharist or Confirmation, Were baptized in another Christian
Church and now wishes to join the Catholic
Church, Would like to learn more about the
process of becoming Catholic as an adult, Are
a practicing Catholic and would like to participate in the process as a sponsor, please call
Mary-Ann Houser at 203-743-5168 x108
for information.
The Women of
St. Gregory
We will continue to have
our Monday at 11am &
Thursday at 7pm weaving
sessions in the Parish Community Room.
Anyone can attend even if it is only occasionally. For information, contact Rosemary
Bouffard
at
203-744-6998.
PRAYER SHAWL MINISTRY
The Prayer Shawl Ministry will meet in the
Parish Office Community Room Sat, February 7th at 9:30 a.m.
For information, please
contact Stephanie Martin at 203-743-3783 or
v i a
e m a i l
a t
[email protected]
The Holy Name Society is our parish men’s group.
Meets the 2nd Monday of the month.
Next Meeting: Monday, February 8th
Time: 7:00pm, Parish Office Community Room
All men of the parish are asked to attend
Please volunteer to become an USHER.
For information, contact William Houser at
203-743-6125 or [email protected].
6
Please notify the ushers when a
Mass is being celebrated in memory of a loved one and request
that you be the gift bearer at the
offertory of that liturgy.
NEW TO OUR CHURCH
The worshipping community of St. Gregory the Great welcomes these newly–
registered families to our faith community:
M/M Juan Almonte
Mr. Pak Ng
M/M James Bombay
Ms. Margaret Perakis
Ms. Gloria Chiaia
M/M Kevin Placella
M/M Norman Coakley
M/M Paul Prizio
M/M Allen Day
Frank Reyes & Jennifer Figuereo
M/M Daniel Grossman
Mr. Vincent Rovinski
Ms. Megan Herman
Ms. Kristina Villamana
“Keeping the Homeless Warm”
This winter plans to be a long and
cold one. Danbury has many men
& women who are homeless. In a
continuing effort to do God’s
work; St. Greg’s will continue to collect
more hats, scarves and men’s thermal
underwear to help keep the homeless
men and women in Danbury warm during
the winter months. There will be a basket
at the side doors of the church
marked “KEEPING THE HOMELESS WARM” The baskets will be
there during January.
Daily Bread Food Pantry
Baskets are at Church entrances to collect
your donations for the Daily Bread Food
Pantry. The Food Pantry operates year
round with your generosity. Please bring
cereal, spaghetti sauce, macaroni &
cheese, canned fruit & fruit
juice for use by Daily Bread.
Thank you for your continuing weekly donations of
food. Your contributions help
relieve the hunger that is
with us year round.
Family Game Night
Join us on January 18, 2015 (snow date
1/25) 5PM-8PM for an evening of fun for
kids of all ages. How brave are you? Are
you coordinated? Test your taste buds
and see how much weight can you lift at
the same time. If you like Fear Factor,
the Amazing Race, Top Chef, or American
Ninja Warrior, then this is a night of fun
that you, your family and friends DO NOT
want to miss! If you are interested in
helping the final planning or set up, contact Julie DeLuca at 203948-2807 or email her at
[email protected]"
Dinner will be “POT LUCK”
Please bring a dish to share.
Hospital Visitations &
Home Visits
Due to the Federal health
privacy laws (HIPPA), hospitals can no longer issue
names of admitted patients
to area parishes unless it is
requested by the patient.
You or a family member
must let the Admissions Office know of
your desire to have us visit during your
hospital stay. If you would like a visit at
home or at a rehabilitation center, please
call the Parish Office at 203-797-0222.
The Emergency Overflow Shelter
is looking for male volunteers over 21,
that can stay with the guests overnight at
the First Congregational Church in Danbury, 9pm–7am. For more information,
please call Kathy at 203-798-1052 or
203-470-8825.
Men’s Spirituality meets
every Saturday morning
at 8am in the church.
Come join us!
FAITHFUL DISCIPLES
Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
January 18, 2015
As FAITHFUL DISCIPLES unfolds each of us will be challenged to renew and revitalize our faith and our
faith understanding to make that faith not only relevant but also life-giving and salvific. Only when we
are willing to go out of our way to invest energy into our weekly celebration of the Eucharist can we be
drawn into the transforming power of the Holy Spirit. The choice is simple: to be active rather than passive members of our weekly celebration of the Eucharist. This is the beginning of our openness to the
Spirit. In our generous giving of self we help release the powerful symbols through which the Spirit of
Jesus reaches out to transform us. In the very act of self-giving, we help make each other even more vulnerable to the transforming word of the Spirit. In this openness we move away from magic and enter into
authentic worship.
Becoming FAITHFUL DISCIPLES keeps us ever mindful of our God’s promise, “You shall be my people
and I shall be your God.” Pope Francis, echoing the call of Vatican II, calls us to make our faith relevant
and life-altering. FAITHFUL DISCIPLES challenges each of us to assimilate into our lives and our weekly worship the relationship that God beckons us to embrace. This is precisely the process that the Church should
have taken her members through over the last fifty years but unfortunately did not.
Becoming FAITHFUL DISCIPLES calls us to an education that is a process – rather than end oriented – a
need for a deeper awareness of our worship and our faith with understanding. This education, awareness
and reflection has to happen on both personal and communal levels. I firmly believe that each of us has
the talent needed for transforming our faith experience into a more life-giving experience.
Becoming FAITHFUL DISCIPLES begins with each of us being renewed in our Baptism and the ongoing
role Baptism must play in our everyday faith life. This is what today’s Gospel invites us to better understand. With a more authentic understanding of our Baptism we can grow into a better understanding of
the role of Liturgy, our weekly worship, in the life of the Catholic Christian. The word “Liturgy” comes
from the Greek meaning PUBLIC WORK. Our focus here is specifically EUCHARISTIC liturgy, our
weekly worship. For far too many of us our Eucharistic liturgy each me is a “Me and Jesus” fest. Liturgy
is a public work and it means we must see the work of Liturgy as the word of the entire Assembly and not
just me and Jesus.
Becoming FAITHFUL DISCIPLES continues to challenge us to look broadly at the liturgical reform called
for by Vatican II – what were its hopes and its goals and how well have they been realized? What remains
to be done as well? And most importantly, “How do I fit into all of this?”
In turning to the Liturgy itself, FAITHFUL DISCIPLES will look at our worship first through the lens of
ritual, the words and the actions that make up our weekly celebration. This is a relatively new way for us
to look at and to understand what it is we do each week and more importantly why we do it. Faithfully
done, this will yield and promise to continue a significant understanding of many layers of activity that
occur during Liturgy. We will also develop a metaphor based on things that we “do” during our liturgies.
We will also have to understand what it means to be a member of an Assembly. We have to ask
very honestly “What does it mean to be Assembly?” We come from any different places and many different walks of life. And yet, in the act of assembling for Liturgy, we are formed into a whole. I choose this
phase carefully “we are formed” vs. “we become” because it speaks more clearly of the divine initiative at
work in our lives. The “whole” is community, Assembly, it is Church, it is the Body of Christ.
FULFILLING YOUR OFFERTORY COMMITMENT
THROUGH ON-LINE GIVING
Our parish is offering an additional option for giving to your church. Online-Giving is now available for parishioners who would like to make donations online. As technology continues to progress, there are more
ways that these advances can be utilized for the well-being of our parish. While I understand this means of
giving may be met with some hesitation, let me assure you that it is fully secure and private and you are in
complete control of the process. Your information is solely yours and appears no where else but in your
hands.
The reasons for Online Giving are many:
Consistent Collections
Eliminates Writing Checks
Flexible Options
You are in total control
Simple Enrollment
Begin making your offertory contribution through Online-Giving
IT’S SIMPLE TO SIGN UP.
1) Log on to our parish website: www.danbury.org/stgreg
2) Double click on
3) Double click on “Sign up for a New Account”.
4) Fill out the information and click “submit”.
5) Your account has been created. You will be directed to go to your email to verify your account. To do this,
please open the email that will be sent to you and click on the link. This will make sure the email address you
provided is valid.
6) This will bring you to the “Sign on” page. Simple log in with your new I.D. and password.
7) From here you can totally manage your account. To set up your Offertory Contributions simply click “Manage
My Payment Method”. Fill out the requested information.
8) Once your payment method has been filled in click on “Give a New Gift”. Choose each category and choose
“Recurring”. The account you designate will be made available to the Parish accordingly.
I HOPE YOU WILL SERIOUSLY CONSIDER THIS OFFERTORY OPTION.
May God bless for your ongoing generosity.
Love,
Fr. Angelo
"Family FUN Game Night”
It's not just for boards anymore!!
January 18, 2015
5PM-8PM
(Snow date 1/25)
Enjoy an evening of fun for kids of all ages.
How brave are you? Do you have good taste buds?
How much weight can you lift at the same time?
Are you coordinated?
If you like Fear Factor, the Amazing Race, Top Chef, or American
Ninja Warrior, then this is a night of fun that you, your family and
friends DO NOT want to miss!!
Parents, Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, Friends, Neighbors, bring them all
for a great night of fun and defiantly lots of laughter!
Pot Luck Supper so bring a dish to share.
If you are interested in helping the final planning or set up, please contact Julie
DeLuca at 203-948-2807
or email her at [email protected]
LECTIONARY CATECHESIS
Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
1 Sam 3:3-10,19; Ps 40; 1 Corinthians 6:13-15,17-20;
John 1:35-42
Somewhere in the dark nights of our lives, we hear the
voice of the Lord speaking to us. God speaks in holy places.
Sometimes God speaks in the sacred space where we worship. Other times God speaks in the holy temple within us.
“Here I am!”, we reply, but often to the wrong person in
the wrong situation. That is because we have not listened
deeply enough. We fail to discern the One voice among the
many. So we go back and listen again. “Speak Lord”, we
say once more, “Speak Lord”, but add “Your servant is listening”.
It is not enough to listen. When we have heard, then we
must act. God does not need our pious sacrifices; God
wants ears open to obedience. When we listen well, we can
proclaim God’s justice to the people. We will not restrain
our voices out of fear of criticism. Confidently, we will
speak God’s words. Our willingness to obey puts a new
song in our mouths: “Here I am, Lord; I come to do your
will”.
John the Baptist heard God speak and it drove him to do
strange and wonderful things. John’s response seemed foolish to some. Why go outside the “holy” land into the desert? Is there not enough to do at home? Why immerse
yourself in the muddy waters of the Jordan and invite others to do the same? There are other ways we can clean up
our act. But John listened to God’s voice instead of the
voices of protest. John not only listened, he looked. As he
watched Jesus walk by, he wanted others to see what he
saw. “Look!” he cried. “There is the Lamb of God”. We look
hard, but try as we might, we cannot see what John sees.
Jesus sees us despite our blindness. “What are you looking
for?” He asks. We cannot say for sure. We are afraid of
what we might find. “Come and see”, Jesus tells us. We will
be unable to discover what we seek all at once. It will take
a lifetime of listening, seeing and following the One who
calls. For Reflection: Do I take time to listen to God’s
voice? What is God telling me? How will I respond?
SOCIAL CONCERNS
Drinking age Act - 30 years ago, President Ronald Reagan
signed the Federal Uniform Drinking Age Act of 1984, which
mandated that all states adopt 21 as the legal drinking age
over five years. By 1988, all 50 states had moved the minimum drinking age to 21. Mothers Against Drunk Driving
were able to convince politicians that a vote against the bill
was a vote in favor of drunken driving, and they gained
passage in both the House & the Senate. According to the
MADD website, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that the law has saved about 900 lives a
year. Drunken driving deaths have decreased over the last
three decades in large part because we now throw the book
at drunken drivers in this country: All 50 states currently
define a driver’s having a blood-alcohol concentration of
0.08 or higher as a crime; 42 states suspend drivers’ licenses on the first offense. Every state now has some type
of ignition interlock law, requiring devices to be installed in
the vehicles of convicted drunken drivers that prevent a
vehicle from starting if the driver breathes into the device &
produces a breath-alcohol level above a preset limit.
Thanks to MADD, drunken driving isn’t the problem it used
to be. Keep talking to your children about drinking, drugs
& driving. If you’re interested in Social Concerns, contact S.
Martin @ 203-240-7072 or @ [email protected]
St. Gregory the Great Information Center
Parish Office—203-797-0222
E-mail address
[email protected]
Bulletin Notices:
[email protected]
Please submit bulletin notices ten days prior to publication.
Office Hours:
Mon.– Fri, 9:30 am — 3:30 pm
Parish Secretaries:
Mary Lou Cuff & Rachel Gaulard
Corporate Trustees:
Roger Gavagan, Anthony Lucera
Office of Faith Formation—203-743-5168
Director:
Mrs. Mary Ann Houser
E-mail address:
[email protected]
Assistant Administrator
Mrs. Darlene Rabito
E-mail:
[email protected]
Youth Ministry:
Mrs. Rene Hellmann, 203-797-1641
E-mail:
[email protected]
7—8 Coordinator:
Ms. Peggy Forster
E-mail:
K—6 Coordinator:
E-mail:
Catholics Coming Home:
Celebrate the Lectionary:
Pre-Baptism:
Pre-Cana:
R.C.I.A.
[email protected]
Mrs. Janice Rudisill
[email protected]
Deacon Bill Murphy, 203-744-3927
Mary Tracey, 203-790-4223
Call Parish Office, 203-797-0222
Call Parish Office, 203-797-0222
Bruce & Patty Barrows, 203-746-3232
St. Gregory the Great School—Region IX—203-748-1217
Principal:
Sister Mary John O’Rourke
Secretary:
Mrs. Terri Kennen
Parish Ministries
Altar Care:
Altar Servers:
Bereavement:
Choir:
E-mail:
Eucharistic Ministers:
Hospitality:
Lectors:
My S.M.I.L.E.
Shut-Ins:
Ushers:
WeCare:
Mrs. Ruth Lucera, 203-794-1045
Deacon Bill Murphy, 203-744-3927
Fr. Ray. 203-797-0222
Ms. Jenny Li - 203-285-8356
[email protected]
Deacon Bill Murphy, 203-744-3927
Mrs. Kathleen Kelly, 203-792-1833
Deacon Bill Murphy, 203-744-3927
Rosemary Bouffard, 203-744-6998
Deacon Bob Blankschen, 743-3091
Mrs. Mary McCormack, 792-7611
William Houser, 203-743-6125
Barbara Bozeman, 203-748-1813
Parish Contacts
Alcoholics Anonymous:
Calendar:
e-mail:
Catholic Singles:
Finance:
Holy Name Society:
e-mail:
Parish Advisory Council:
Pro-Life:
Scouts (Girl):
Scouts (Boy):
Scouts (Cubs)
Seniors:
Women of St. Gregory:
George, 203-792-5976
Barbara Bozeman, 203-797-0222
doubleb43@comcast. net
Fr. Angelo, 203-797-0222
Stephanie Martin—203-743-3783
William Houser, 203-743-6125
[email protected]
Peter Buzaid, 203-743-5504
Rose Mary Peat,
Claudette Novella, 203-746-9771
Keith Vinchkoski, 203-794-9094
Philip Adams, 203-778-9856
Fr. Angelo, 203-797-0222
Rosemary Bouffard, 203-744-6998
CHURCH NAME AND ADDRESS
St. Gregory the Great Church #257600
85 Great Plain Road
Danbury, CT 06811
TELEPHONE
203 -797-0222
CONTACT PERSON
Mary Lou & Rachel
SOFTWARE
MSPublisher 2007
Adobe Acrobat 9.0
Windows XP Pro
PRINTER
HP Laserjet 1200
TRANSMISSION TIME
Tuesday 5:00
SUNDAY DATE OF PUBLICATION
January 18, 2015
NUMBER OF PAGES SENT
1 through 10
SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS