Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church 1900 Meadowbrook Road + Feasterville, PA 19053 + 215-357-1221 CALL TO HOLINESS A Bible/Faith Sharing Group meets on Wednesday mornings at 9:15 in Mary’s Chapel (Sept. through May). The Charismatic Prayer and Praise Group meets on Monday evenings at 8:00 in the rectory office. All are welcome to praise the Lord with prayer, song and Sacred Scripture. Adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament is celebrated Tues. from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. in Mary’s Chapel. SCHEDULE OF MASSES Saturday Vigil: 5:00 p.m. Sunday: 8:00 a.m. & 11:00 a.m. Monday– Friday: 8:30 a.m. Holy Days: 6:30 a.m., 10:00a.m. & 7:00p.m. Holidays: 9:00 a.m. Saturdays: CONFESSION 4:00 to 4:30p.m. PARISH STAFF Reverend William F. McGeown, Pastor Reverend Daniel P. Devine, Pastor Emeritus Deacon Robert J. Stewart, Permanent Deacon Deacon Eric M. Umile, Permanent Deacon Sister Diane M. Wolf, S.S.J., Pastoral Assistant Mrs. Joyce Boag, Director of Religious Education Mrs. Kathleen McLaughlin, Director of Liturgical Music Mrs. Susanne Brooks, Coordinator of Youth Ministry Mrs. Dot Vogel, Parish Secretary Mr. Fred Perazzelli, Business Manager St Katharine Drexel Regional Catholic School Principal: Ms. Laura A. Clark, 215-357-4720 BAPTISM OF CHILDREN Baptisms are scheduled for the first and third Sundays of each month at 12:15 p.m. Preparations for your child’s Baptism should begin prior to the baby’s birth. Call the rectory to register for Baptism MARRIAGE Please make arrangements to celebrate the Sacrament of Marriage by calling for an appointment with the parish priest at least six months before the wedding date. P A S T O R I A L C A R E OF T H E S I C K Please contact the rectory if someone is sick, in the hospital, or wishes to receive the Holy Eucharist or the Anointing of the sick. Website www.abvmfeasterville.org Facebook www.facebook.com/Assumption Feasterville PASTORAL COUNCIL MEMBERS Janice Bauer James Brennan Steve Dwyer Matthew Hastings Sharon Koob Ann M. Baldassarre Stephen J. Clark Bernie Frederick Jack James Fr. William McGeown Deacon Bob Stewart Robert Watson Sr. Diane Wolf, SSJ FINANCE COUNCIL MEMBERS Henry Carroll Kathleen Farrell Joseph Gnias James Lomanno Kevin Leonard Kevin Shire Edward Shannon Diane Steele Robert Watson WELCOME! New parishioners are most welcome and are encouraged to register at the rectory as soon as possible after moving into the parish. Please call the rectory for an appointment. DRE Office: 215-357-3445 The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph December 28, 2014 PARISH MISSION STATEMENT As a parish community united in Jesus and dedicated to Mary, We are called to discipleship through worship and service. The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph December 28, 2014 A Message from Deacon Eric Once again, on this Feast of the Holy Family, we journey with Jesus, Mary, and Joseph to the Temple of Jerusalem to complete Mary’s purification rites and to consecrate the baby Jesus to the Lord through circumcision. Along the way we meet those two wonderful figures of the “infancy narrative,” the old man Simeon and the prophetess Anna, two righteous and devout citizens of Jerusalem who had waited patiently, longing to see the redemption of their city and the consolation of Israel in the person of the Christ child. What an exciting time this must have been for all of them! Being a husband and father myself, I feel a certain closeness to Joseph whenever I read today’s gospel account. Presumably my wife Joanne feels the same toward Mary. We can relate (if only in an imperfect way) to this perfectly holy couple who are the exemplars of what a husband and father and a wife and mother should be. Like them, we have also welcomed a child into the world (in our case, two) and completed the religious rites of our faith on our children’s behalf (in their case, baptism). Like Mary and Joseph, Joanne and I did all we could to protect and nurture our little ones, and to insure that they grew up safe, sound, and happy. For us, the period of life described in today’s gospel is over. Our children are grown and live away at college. Our nest is empty throughout most of the year. But like many of you in the same stage of life as us, we welcome our children back home each Christmas season (if only for a little while) and rejoice in the wholeness of our family again. It’s something we cherish and we wish that every family could experience and enjoy it as we do. Jesus, Mary, and Joseph are the model of the happy family, the holy family. None of us will ever duplicate the perfect love they had for each other. But we can certainly strive to emulate it. And even if we fall short (and inevitably we will), it’s reassuring to know that we are part of the holy family through the grace of our baptism. Each of us, as a baptized Christian, is a son or daughter of the Church, a brother or sister in Christ, and a member of the greatest family of all. What a blessing! May the joys of Christmas remain with you and your family throughout the year to come! Holy Family Sunday Save a Holy Family Christmas card and place it in a prominent spot, perhaps the refrigerator. Throughout the year, may it remind each family member daily that life has its joys and challenges. We need to look to the Holy Family for inspiration. Feast of the Epiphany, Jan. 4, 2015 In celebrating the coming of the Magi from the East we are reminded that Jesus came as Savior to all peoples. As a family of faith all parishioners are invited to wear native dress or the colors of our country of origin to Mass next weekend. Whether from East, West, North or South we are one family of God. Assumption BVM Sick List Please pray for all the sick of our parish and all who care for them: Father George Moore, Louis DeSiato, Marie Bontempo, Dot & Joe Oschell, Debbie Kohn, Pat Bassett, John Sullivan, Kallie Nagel, Michelle Tobin , Milessa Franco, Dennis McDonald, Charley Martin , Frances Jones. Assumption BVM Parish Deceased List Please pray for all the deceased of our parish, especially: Karen Fenstermacher, Joan Lindsay. Aid For Friends Please remember Aid for Friends when you are preparing your holiday meals. Please take a tray from the container in the back of church, fill in with food and return it to church. Any questions? Please ask the ushers or Church Sacristan. Thank you. A quote from Pope Francis The family is a community of love where each of us learns to relate to others and to the world. . . Pope Francis Fabulous 55 Plus Club News PREP (Parish Religious Education Program) Our Next meeting date is Friday, January 9, 2015 at 1:00 PM in the church hall. Following our meeting (at 2:00 PM) we will have a guest speaker to speak about senior health issues and to answer your questions. Members and non-members are invited. Come join us for “Ask the Nurse”. Parents of students who will receive sacraments in the spring are reminded that there will be informational sessions on January 15 for First Reconciliation and Eucharist, and on January 29 for Confirmation. Letters with details were sent home through PREP and school. Knights of Columbus News Confirmation students have received their red folders. Students are encouraged to work on their folders during the holiday break. Please return signed and sealed sponsor eligibility forms as soon as possible. Congratulations to Chris Dern, David Gentner, and Jim Dougherty for completing their journey to Full Knighthood with the completion of the Third Degree Exemplification. Vivat Jesus! Nativity Set Winner: Thank you to everyone who purchased a chance for the Nativity Set. Congratulations to the winner, Joseph Moser. Keep Christ in Christmas! Thank You—The members of the Regina Mundi Council #4052 wish to thank our friends and fellow parishioners of Assumption BVM for your support this past year! We could not have completed our charitable works without your continued support. God bless you! We wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year! Christmas letters went home with the PREP students. On Dec. 13 and 14. Please read these carefully— there is important information about winter weather and the Safe Touch lessons for students. There are no PREP sessions on Sunday, December 28 and Monday, December 29. There are no PREP sessions on Sunday, January 18 and Monday, January 19. Please note: Sunday, January 18 was not included on the calendar that went home in August. Letters have been sent home with information about the Sacrament Welcome Blessing for those students who missed it on the weekend of November 15-16. The “Encore” Blessing will be extended at 11:00 AM Mass on January 4. RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) News from the Pews Have you read the latest issue? Just go to our web site www.abvmfeasterville.org and click on the link News from the Pews! RCIA is the process by which persons enter the Catholic Church. It is for those who have never been baptized, for those who were baptized in another faith tradition, and for those who were baptized Roman Catholic but never completed their sacraments of initiation. Active Military Parishioners It’s not too late to begin RCIA! Anyone interested in learning more about the RCIA process is invited to call Joyce Boag at 215-357-3445. We are highlighting active military members in “News from the Pews.” If a member of your immediate family is currently serving in the military, either home or abroad, please contact Glen Michaels at 215-3960475 or [email protected]. Please include: name, rank, branch of military service, home base, and whether they are serving abroad. Early Transmission of the Bulletin For the Christmas holidays Information for the January 4th bulletin is due on or before Tues . December 23rd—9 AM - rectory office. Thank you for your cooperation. Wedding Anniversaries We want to recognize parishioners who are celebrating their wedding anniversary in “News from the Pews”. Please contact Glen Michaels at 215396-06745 or [email protected] include: wedding date, place of marriage, a photo and any details you might want to share. Assumption BVM parish hall, Friday January 9, 2015. Doors open at 6:00 PM. For information call Joan Corcoran at 215-953-7711. Feast of the Solemnity of Mary Mother of God - January 1, 2015 Holy Day of Obligation The Savio Boys Choir Is named after St. Dominic Savio, the patron saint of choir boys. CDs of their music will be available in a few weeks to help fund the Choir’s trip to Spain. For more information check the website: http:// savioboychoir.org/ or listen to the music: https://m.facebook.com/profile.php? id=371442576354210 Masses are: Wednesday evening at 5:00 PM Thursday morning 8:00 AM and 11:00 AM. Announced Masses for the week of 12-28-14 Sat. Sun. Pre-Cana at Christ the King Parish Christ the King Parish offers a Pre-Cana program for engaged couples on Friday evening, January 30th and Saturday, January 31st at Christ the King Convent, Morrell Park. The program is open to CTK couples and engaged couples from neighboring parishes. For information or registration, please contact Rich Green at: [email protected]. 5:00 PM Mass for Parishioners 8:00 AM Sally O’Neill 11:00 AM Helen Kilbride Mon. 8:30 AM Mary Jane Schwartz Tues. 8:30 AM Nancy Rooney -----------------------------------Wed. 5:00 PM Bobby Vogel Thurs. 8:00 AM Jennie Cosenza 11:00 AM Vincent Piecyk ---------------------------------Fri. 8:30 AM John Smith Sat. 5:00 PM Mickey & Peter Tulis Sun. 8:00 AM Joseph Fitzpatrick, Sr. 11:00 AM Anthony Carlini Please Note Young Adult Get-Togethers All young adults (20s & 30s) are invited. When: Every fourth Sunday of each month. (Check our website and Facebook page for specific dates) Time: Mass at 5:30 PM, followed by dinner and social activity from 6:15 PM—8:00 PM Where: St. Joseph’s Chapel (within St. Joseph’s Hall) at Malvern Retreat House Website: www.MalvernRetreat.com Facebook.com/malvernyoungadult Mother Boniface Spirituality Center 3501 Solly Ave., Phila., PA—267-350-1830 YOUNG ADULT EVENT entitled “I’m Single and I Know It—What Now? On Wed., January 14, 2015 from 7:00—9:00 PM. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus asks “Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator made them male and female….. If that is the case, then why are many of us single? What is God asking of us in our current single state? Come join fellow young adults at this event and dig into the meaning of living the single vocation in relation to God’s divine plan for us. Fee: Free Will Offering. Please phone to register at least 3 days prior to the event. If an Announced Mass is being said in honor of a loved one or member of your family and you would like to bring up the gifts for that mass, please sign up with one of the ushers the week before the mass is scheduled. Thank you. Are You a Mandated Reporter? As part of our Catholic commitment to safe environments, the Archdiocese recently updated its policies and training curriculum for mandated reporters of child abuse and neglect. These new policies reflect the Church’s commitment to always do more, as well as new Pennsylvania laws that go into effect on December 31, 2014. If you have direct contact with children, you may be a mandated reporter. Nora McDonough is our Safe Environment Coordinator and will be working with our parish in the coming weeks to educate mandated reporters about their responsibilities and how to properly report child abuse to ChildLine, PA’s 24-hour child abuse reporting hotline. In the meantime, she can be reached at 215-357-3445. As we continue to do all we can to keep our children safe, also know that the Office for Child and Youth Protection provides services, resources and support toward healing for victims and survivors of child sexual abuse and their families. Victim services can be reached at 1-888800-8780 or via email at [email protected]