liturgy schedule
Monday 8:00 AM Holy Mass
Tuesday 5:30 PM Mass
Wednesday - Christmas Eve
3:00 PM Mass
5:00 PM Mass
11:00 PM Mass
Thursday - Christmas Day
10:00 AM Mass
Friday 8:00 AM Mass
Sunday Vigil Mass/Saturday 4:00 PM
Sunday 8:30 AM, 11:00 AM, 5:00 PM
mass intentions
from our pastor
Christmas Masses will be Christmas Eve at 3:00 p.m.,
5:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. and Christmas Day at 10:00 a.m.
We expect the 3:00 p.m. Mass to be very crowded and
advise that you arrive at least 30 minutes early in order to
get a seat or choose one of our other Masses. As usual,
our musicians have planned a glorious celebration of our
Lord and Savior’s birth for all four Masses.
Communal Reconciliation: This afternoon we will have several priests
available for individual confessions from 3:00 p.m. to at least 4:00 p.m.
We will have a very brief prayer to begin that time together, but you are
welcome to come at any time. We hope this will give an opportunity for
families to come and celebrate the sacrament of mercy together and avoid
the long lines you may encounter if you wait until the last minute.
Tuesday evening we will have two priests available for reconciliation
beginning at 6:00 p.m.
As the initial phase of our Legacy of Faith capital campaign draws to a
close, I want to thank the nearly 700 families who have made a pledge or
gift of any kind to help us make our debt payments over the next three
years. We have over $1.7 million in pledges, and are closing in on the $2
million we need to make those payments. We have had many first time
donors as well as the generous support of families who have donated to
past campaigns.
Many thanks to Michael Henkenius of the Steier Group who has helped
steer the campaign and coordinate the efforts of many hardworking
volunteers. Thanks also to Marie Maki and her volunteers who helped
process all the pledges. If you have any questions regarding your pledge,
Marie will be happy to help you, and she can be reached at 651-768-3064
or [email protected]. Finally, our Legacy of Faith
campaign will continue to accept pledges or one-time gifts at any time
during the three-year period from fall of 2014 through fall of 2017. We
still encourage every parish family to consider making a pledge or onetime gift as your circumstances allow.
Sunday December 21, 2014
8:30 AM: Rita Gottwald Lenzmeier ╬
11:00 AM: Susanna, Rinaldo,
& Yolanda Puccinelli ╬
5:00 PM: Mass for the Parish
Monday December 22, 2014
8:00 AM: Gaetan Lambiase, Sr. ╬
Tuesday December 23, 2014
5:30 PM: Patricia Leuer
Wednesday December 24, 2014
3:00 PM: Bob Savina ╬
5:00 PM: Mass for the Parish
11:00 PM: Jerry McGrath ╬
Mary McGrath ╬
Thursday December 25, 2014
10:00 AM: Bob Bosch ╬
Laurie Lehner ╬
Friday December 26, 2014
8:00 AM: Gaetan Lambiase, Sr. ╬
Saturday December 27, 2014
4:00 PM: Patrick Peterfesso ╬
Sunday December 28, 2014
8:30 AM: Doris & Roger Haas ╬
11:00 AM: Viviana & Joe Puccinelli ╬
5:00 PM: Mass for the Parish
advent
reconciliation
schedule
Communal Celebrations
Parish Communal Reconciliation
 Sunday, December 21 at 3:00 PM
Individual Celebrations
 Tuesdays 6:00 PM
(We will have 2 priests available for
confessions on Tuesday, December 23)

Saturdays 3:00 PM – 3:30 PM
christmas masses
Christmas Eve Masses
3:00 PM, 5:00 PM, & 11:00 PM
Christmas Day Mass
10:00 AM
Fr. Tom Walker
fourth sunday
of
advent
~
december
21, 2014
saint ambrose
our parish family
baptisms
We welcome into the family of God and
our Catholic Community:
Tomas Ricardo Rodriguez
Son of Francisco & Dana
of
woodbury
· page 2
welcome
Welcome to Saint Ambrose of Woodbury
Catholic Community!
We’re happy you are here. Parishioners are available
after Mass each weekend to answer any questions
and provide assistance with registrations. Also, feel
free to contact the parish office at 768-3030 for
registration forms and assistance.
congratulations
Katherine Hartjes & Jarryd Campbell
Who were married on December 19, 2014
At Saint Ambrose of Woodbury
new parishioners
We welcome the following new
parishioners to our parish family:
Sara Grady
internet information
We’re online! Log on to the parish website at:
www.saintambroseofwoodbury.org for registration
information and/or forms for our:
*Parish *Faith Formation Programs
*School *Early Childhood Education Center
Tadeusz Kolodka
To contact the Parish Pastoral Council, email
[email protected]
Theresa & John Leis
Children: Elizabeth & Jack
parish team
Nicole & Jess Tennis
Children: Isabelle & Avery
Prabhu & Aaliya Vijayarajan
are you registered?
Saint Ambrose of Woodbury
4125 Woodbury Drive
Woodbury, Minnesota 55129-9257
Phone: 651 768-3030 Fax: 651 714-9257
Website: www.saintambroseofwoodbury.org
Registration helps us keep you informed of important
events especially regarding sacramental preparation for
your children. The date you register also determines your
priority for enrolling your children in Saint Ambrose School.
If you don’t receive mailings from the parish, you’re
probably not registered.
Saint Ambrose of Woodbury School
Phone: 651 768-3000 Fax: 651 768-3080
Early Childhood Education Center
Phone: 651 768-3031 Fax: 651 768-3090
Also, please let us know when you move or when any of
your phone numbers change. Having current emergency
contact information (home, work, and cell) can make a
critical difference if an emergency should arise with
children in our school or faith formation programs.
Pastor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fr. Thomas J. Walker
Deacon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Deacon Rip Riordan
Pastoral Ministers . . Deacon Larry Amell, LeAnn Bauer-Staiger
Parish Business Administrator . . . . . . . . . . Greg Hereford
our mission
Liturgy & Music . . . Mary Reimann, Lisa Cressy, Monica Hamer
Faith Formation . . Patti Watkins, Ann Meuleners, Janine Ricker
Saint Ambrose of Woodbury is an actively involved
community which seeks to witness
the Gospel of Jesus Christ to one another,
as well as the greater community
of Woodbury, through our
Worship, Education and Outreach.
Administration . . . . . . . Dione Murray, Marie Maki, Treva Peters
Molly Sagerhorn, Yvonne Blanchard, Lee Buchanan
Youth Ministry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Amy Burns
School Principal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Betsy Osterhaus-Hand
ECEC Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Anne Huber
Buildings & Grounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mike Thompson
december
21, 2014
stewardship
page 3
calendar
Sacrificial Generosity
December 8, 2014 - December 15, 2014
Adult Contributions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $14,413.08
Children’s Envelopes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $56.50
Votive Candles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $128.70
Hospitality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $127.94
TOTAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $14,726.22
·
december 21,
sunday
8:30 AM
11:00 AM
3:00 PM
5:00 PM
6:00 PM
2014
of
events
- december 28. , 2014
Mass & Liturgy of the Word for Children
Mass & Liturgy of the Word for Children
Communal Reconciliation
Mass
High School Youth Group (SA)
Special Collections
Legacy of Faith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $7,036.00
Retirement for Religious . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,463.87
Christian Cupboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $645.01
l
monday
8:00 AM Mass
7:00 PM Adult Choir (CH)
Fiscal Year-to-Date Information
July 1st, 2014 - October 30, 2014
Sunday Stewardship Collected . . . . . . . . . . . . $523,451.99
Sunday Stewardship Budgeted . . . . . . . . . . . $527,972.00
Difference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ($4,520.01)
tuesday
Legacy of Faith Campaign
wednesday
Pledged to Date . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,701,693.00
Celebration Goal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $2,000,000.00
Challenge Goal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $3,000,000.00
Victory Goal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $8,600,000.00
Families Participating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 698
Families Participating Goal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,000
5:30 PM Mass
6:00 PM Reconciliation
3:00 PM Christmas Eve Mass
5:00 PM Christmas Eve Mass
11:00 PM Christmas Eve Mass
thursday
10:00 AM Christmas Day Mass
*Parish Office Closed for the Holiday*
Thank you for your generosity!
friday
daily word
Readings for the Week of December 21, 2014
Sunday: 2 Sm 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16/Rom 16:25-27/Lk
1:26-38
Monday: 1 Sm 1:24-28/Lk 1:46-56
Tuesday: Mal 3:1-4, 23-24/Lk 1:57-66
Wednesday: Morning: 2 Sm 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16/Lk 1:67
-79
Thursday: Vigil: Is 62:1-5/Acts 13:16-17, 22-25/Mt 1:1-25
or 1:18-25; Midnight: Is 9:1-6/Ti 2:11-14/Lk 2:1-14
Dawn: Is 62:11-12/Ti 3:4-7/Lk 2:15-20; Day: Is 52:7-10/
Heb 1:1-6/Jn 1:1-18 or 1:1-5, 9-14
Friday: Acts 6:8-10; 7:54-59/Mt 10:17-22
Saturday: 1 Jn 1:1-4/Jn 20:1a, 2-8
Next Sunday: Gn 15:1-6; 21:1-3 or Sir 3:2-6, 12-14/Heb
11:8, 11-12, 17-19 or Col 3:12-21 or 3:12-17/Lk 2:22-40
or 2:22, 39-40
8:00 AM Mass
*No adoration on December 26th*
saturday
3:00 PM Reconciliation
4:00 PM Mass
sunday
8:30 AM Mass
11:00 AM Mass
5:00 PM Mass
Eucharistic adoration
Fridays:
Exposition following the 8:00 AM Mass
Benediction: 9:00 PM
Sundays:
Exposition: 1:00 PM
Benediction: 4:45 PM
saint ambrose
of
legacy
woodbury
of
· page 4
faith
Campaign Update - $1,701,693.00 in Pledges Received from 698 Parish Families
Thank you to our parish families that have made a
difference
For the past 5 months, Saint Ambrose has worked hard to
provide every parish family the opportunity to make a difference
for our future. The Legacy of Faith campaign is a significant effort
to move Saint Ambrose closer to becoming debt free. We are
grateful for our campaign volunteers that have sacrificed their
time. We are grateful for all the parish families that have
generously sacrificed with a gift of their treasure.
You can still participate and make a gift to Legacy of
Faith!
It’s not too late to return your pledge card and make a three-year
pledge. Pledge cards are available at the campaign table in the church narthex, or by contacting the parish office. If
you are not in a position to make a three-year pledge you can make a one-time gift. Every gift counts. We have an
ambition goal of 2,000 parish families participating in the campaign.
Below is our parish campaign prayer. Please make it a part of your daily prayer:
O God, abundantly bless our efforts as you gather us together to build a Legacy of Faith for the people of Saint
Ambrose of Woodbury. Grant us the wisdom and courage to make the decisions and sacrifices necessary to
continue on our journey. Help us to realize that we are the Living Stones whom you have called to be your
Temple, proclaiming to all your love and power in our lives. Amen.
cycles
of
faith
"Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word." Mary chose to cooperate
with God. She didn't completely understand how his plan was going to unfold. She couldn't have known exactly
what it all meant for her future. But she chose to offer herself to God's service nonetheless. And thanks to that
generosity, the first Christmas happened nine months later.
Mary gives us a powerful example of saying yes to God. For her, the divine plan was revealed through the visit of
the angel Gabriel. For us, it is usually revealed in less dramatic ways. We hear God's voice through the readings at
Mass, through the homily, through the wise counsel of a trusted friend, through a spiritual book, through an
inspirational speaker, or just in the prayerful silence of our own hearts. Regardless of how God speaks to us, we are
in a similar situation to Mary's. We are faced with the choice either to accept God's will in our lives, saying yes as
Mary did, or to say no and choose a different path. It may be tempting to stick to more familiar ground or to avoid
the challenge of surrendering our plans to God. But just look what happened when Mary decided to let God lead:
the greatest miracle in all of history! God became man because of a faithful woman. And God wants to work
miracles through us too. Every time we cooperate with his will, he transforms us into more loving, more generous
people.
As we round the corner toward Christmas this week, may we embrace God's will in our lives with the same joy and
openness that ultimately allowed Mary to embrace the infant Jesus in her arms on Christmas Day.
2014 Liturgical Publications
december
21, 2014
·
page 5
faith formation
Christmas Break
Please note that Faith Formation classes will be on Christmas
break from December 21 - January 3. Classes will resume the
week of January 4th, 2015.
Thank You
 A Very Special Thank You to all the children and their
families who gave so generously to the 1000 Gifts of
Love this year. Your donations are greatly appreciated
and there are many families who will truly cherish the
gifts you have shared.

The entire Faith Formation Staff would like to thank the
many volunteers who have helped in so many ways
throughout all of the Faith Formation programs. Our
many catechists and “behind the scenes” people who so
generously share their time and talents with the children
in our parish are truly a blessing to us all.
Love came down at Christmas so on this
holy night, may your hearts be illuminated
with love, joy and peace.
Our Faith Formation team would like to wish all of our Saint
Ambrose parishioners a happy and blessed “Merry
Christmas”!
father flood
youth news
Thank You!
Thank you to all those who so generously donated fleece for
our Jr. High Service Project of making full sized blankets,
baby blankets, hats and scarves to be donated to both: the
Family Place (a family homeless shelter in St. Paul) and to the
Woodbury Life Resource Center here in Woodbury. We will
once again be doing this project during the month of January,
so if you didn’t get the chance to drop off fleece, please feel
free to drop it off at the parish office during the week or in
Fellowship Hall on the weekends. Please mark the bag: “Jr.
High Youth Group”. In addition to making our fleece blankets
we would also like to make pillows using the oddly shaped
and smaller cuts of fleece so if anyone has any extra
“stuffing” or if you happen to see it on sale over the holidays
we would gladly accept donations of stuffing/fluffing to create
soft pillows to be able to send along with our donations.
January Jr. High 2nd Saturday
Attention Jr. High students: Please note the change of date
for our January Jr. High 2nd Saturday night of fun. We will
actually be meeting on the 1st Saturday - January 3, 2015
from 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM. Forms can be found on the Parish
Webpage under Youth Ministry Link. We will once again be
doing our service project during this event and in addition to
making our fleece blankets we would also like to make pillows
using the oddly shaped and smaller cuts of fleece: so if
anyone has any extra “stuffing” to donate to the cause please
bring it with you on Saturday, January 3, 2015.
Lifeline Event
Attention High School Students: You are invited to attend the
next Lifeline Event on Saturday January 10, from 6:00 PM 9:30 PM. This is a free event for high school students that is
held at the NET (National Evangelization Team) center in
West St Paul. It is an awesome, high energy night with over
1,000 high school students from the Twin Cities area. There
will be Mass (fulfills Sunday obligation), adoration, live music,
and a dynamic speaker. You are welcome to invite other
friends to attend as well. Because seating for this event fills
quickly, participants need to be to the NET center (110
Crusader Ave. W, West St. Paul, MN 55118) by 5:15 PM,
when the doors open, in order to get a seat together in the
main gym. We do arrange transportation to and from the
NET center (with the help of parent drivers - who have all the
current paper work and needed requirements on file) and we
meet here at Saint Ambrose at 4:30 PM. So that we are
prepared with enough drivers, we do need an RSVP from you
by Thursday January 8, if you wish to take advantage of the
transportation we provide leaving at 4:30 PM from the
Church, or you may arrange your own transportation (there &
back) and we will be happy to save seats for you.
High School Winter Retreat
High School (9-12 grade) students mark your calendars… and
ask off of work now… for our HSYG Winter Weekend GetAway Retreat at Camp Icaghowan is scheduled for Jan 2325, 2015. Much more to come…
saint ambrose
of
woodbury
· page 6
events & announcements
Christmas Poinsettia Dedication
Help decorate our worship space for the Christmas
Season!! Dedicate a poinsettia in memory of, or in tribute
to a loved one. Please bring payment of $15 per plant to
the parish office during business hours through December
22nd or to the welcome table after all Masses. A form will
be provided to write your name and the name(s) of those to
be remembered. Thank you for your participation and help
in making our worship space beautiful for Christmas!!
School News
Merry Christmas from the students and faculty of Saint
Ambrose of Woodbury Catholic School! We are preparing for
Jesus by learning about Advent, participating in the
sacrament of reconciliation, singing Christmas songs and
praying for one another. We are so fortunate to practice our
faith at school.
Thank you for your support and prayers!
Betsy Osterhaus-Hand, Principal
Service And Learning Experience
Cerenity DayAway
Please note that Cerenity DayAway will be closed on
December 24, 25, & 26 for the Christmas holiday.
Saint Ambrose Sunday Nursery News
We are excited to announce that we have a new nursery
coordinator, Molly Mendoza, and the nursery at Saint
Ambrose will be open every weekend for both the 8:30 AM
and 11:00 AM Masses. We invite you to bring your children,
ages 6 months through 3 years, to the nursery on Sunday if
you would like to do so. The nursery is located in the Saint
Ambrose school extended day room located near the Early
Childhood Education Center and we will have signs posted to
help you find the correct room. We ask that families who
use the nursery on a regular basis to help by volunteering
when needed (Molly will fill you in on the safety
requirements for volunteers) or by making a donation to our
free will offering. For more information, please feel free to
contact Patti Watkins at (651) 768-3011 or by emailing
[email protected].
Save The Date – Trivia Night
Here’s your chance to show what you know at the
3rd Annual Adult Trivia Night on January 24, 2015 from
6:15 PM – 10:00 PM. Reserve a table for a team of eight
and plan on a fun filled night of trivia. More details to follow
in January from your Trivia Night Committee. For now, save
the date!
Year End Tax Donations
Are you looking for a way to increase your tax deductions for
2014? Just a reminder that charitable donations to Saint
Ambrose of Woodbury are tax deductible. We also accept
stock donations. Please contact Greg Hereford, Parish
Business Administrator, at 768-3010 for more information.
Thank you for your generosity!
A new program at Saint Ambrose begins Saturday January 10.
The Service and Learning Experience or S.A.L.E. is an
opportunity to volunteer at a local charity and then in turn
learn about the mission of the group and about the people
they serve. We will be traveling to Catholic Charities Indian
Ministries in Minneapolis for our first S.A.L.E. We will be
painting their offices and then learning about their unique
style of Catholic worship. We will meet at Saint Ambrose at
8:00 AM on January 10. This event is open to people 16 and
older. Everyone must arrange their own transportation to and
from Indian Ministries. Pre-registration is required. To
register or for any questions contact Deacon Larry at 651-768
-3008 or [email protected].
Remember: Everyone likes a good S.A.L.E.
Invitation to Eucharistic Adoration
Would you like to spend some quiet time with our Lord?
Experience Eucharistic Adoration in the Saint Francis Chapel
Fridays, 8:30 AM - 9:00 PM, and Sundays, 1:00 PM 4:45 PM.
We are in need of a weekly adorer Fridays, Noon-1:00 PM.
Is God calling you? For more information, contact Marlys,
651-895-7124 or [email protected].
Annual Prayer Service for Life
Please join us at 10:30 AM on Thursday, January 22, 2015
for the Annual Prayer Service for Life with Bishop Lee Piché
at the Cathedral of Saint Paul, 239 Selby Ave. This prayer
service commemorates the millions of lives lost to abortion
and the many women and men wounded by abortion’s
aftermath. Please consider carpooling or utilizing buses as
parking will be limited due to the Red Bull Crashed Ice
event. All are invited and welcome. For more information,
please contact the Office for Marriage, Family & Life at 651291-4488 or our website at www.archspm.org.
And the angel said to her in reply, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the
power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be
called holy, the Son of God."
- Lk 1:35