Saint James Church and Assumption Church 896 Main Street, Manchester, Connecticut 06040

Website: www.stjamesmanchester.org (860) 643-4129

December 2, 2018

MASS SCHEDULE Vigil: Saturday 4:00pm @ Saint James, 5:00pm @ Assumption

Sunday: 7:30am, 9:00am & 11:00am @ Saint James Sunday: 10:00am @ Assumption

Monday: 12:05pm, Tuesday - Saturday: 8:00am @ Saint James

CLERGY Father Kevin P. Cavanaugh, Pastor

Father Janusz Kukulka Deacon Alan A. Germain

Deacon Lee LaRocque

PARISH SECRETARY Carole Scialla (860) 643-4129

secretary@stjamesmanchester.org

DIRECTOR OF MUSIC MINISTRIES James J. Bagni

jamesjbagni@yahoo.com (860) 231-2316

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION & CONFIRMATION PROGRAMS

(860) 643-4129 Macy Jordan, Coordinator

SAINT JAMES SCHOOL PRE-KINDERGARTEN - 8TH GRADE

73 Park Street, Manchester (860) 643-5088

www.saintjamesschool.net Mrs. Bridget Zorger, Principal

SJS FOUNDATION www.stjamesschoolfoundation.com PO Box 254, Manchester, CT 06040

SAINT VINCENT DE PAUL SOCIETY (860) 643-8445

Please consider remembering Saint James Parish or Saint James School in your will.

Saint James Parish — Manchester

Please make ALL checks payable to Saint James Parish.

The weekly collection for last Sunday totaled $10,631.00.

The collection for the Archdiocese for the Military Services totaled $4,600.00.

The 2nd collection next weekend is for the support of the St. James School.

Saint James Parish offers Online Giving. Visit: www.stjamesmanchester.org, or call our

Business Manager, Marisa Howard, at 860-643-4129.

Saturday, December 1 VIGIL MASS — FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT SJC 4:00 PM Rosaria Beccio by her daughter AC 5:00 PM Bob Giola by Pauline & Romeo Dube

Sunday, December 2—FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT SJC 7:30 AM Special Intention by ALG

SJC 9:00 AM Ann & Phil Sullivan, Sr. & Phil, Jr. AC 10:00 AM Larry Nevins by Judy Nevins SJC 11:00 AM Mariano Mariani by Claudio Mariani

Monday, December 3—St. Francis Xavier, Priest SJC 12:05 PM the Potvin family

Tuesday, December 4—St. John Damascene, Priest SJC 8:00 AM Normand Fisette by Walter Fisette

Wednesday, December 5

SJC 8:00 AM Robert J. Ardini, Sr. by the Ardini & Bergan families

Thursday, December 6—St. Nicholas, Bishop SJC 8:00 AM Parishioners of Saint James Parish

First Friday, December 7—St. Ambrose, Bishop SJC 8:00 AM Jack Filipone (5th) by his wife, Pauline

Saturday, December 8 VIGIL MASS —SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT SJC 4:00 PM Edward Adamy, Jr. by Grace Carlson AC 5:00 PM John Cycenas by Romeo & Pauline Dube

Sunday, December 9– SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT SJC 7:30 AM John & Gretchen Reidy by Sean Reidy

SJC 9:00 AM Deceased Members of the LaForest Family by Paula D’Avignon AC 10:00 AM Roger Sirois by Jean & family SJC 11:00 AM the Panas & Zaremba families by George & Shirley Panas

Key: AC - Assumption Church / SJC - St. James Church

burns this week for the greater honor

and glory of God and in memory of

Mary Wertenbach

Readings for the Week of December 2, 2018

Sunday: Jer 33:14-16/Ps 25:4-5, 8-9, 10, 14 [1b]/ 1 Thes 3:12—4:2/Lk 21:25-28, 34-36 Monday: Is 2:1-5/Ps 122:1-2, 3-4b, 4cd-5, 6-7, 8-9/ Mt 8:5-11 Tuesday: Is 11:1-10/Ps 72:1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17 [cf. 7]/ Lk 10:21-24 Wednesday: Is 25:6-10a/Ps 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6 [6cd]/ Mt 15:29-37 Thursday: Is 26:1-6/Ps 118:1 and 8-9, 19-21, 25-27a [26a]/ Mt 7:21, 24-27 Friday: Is 29:17-24/Ps 27:1, 4, 13-14 [1a]/Mt 9:27-31 Saturday: Gn 3:9-15, 20/Ps 98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4 [1]/ Eph 1:3-6, 11-12/Lk 1:26-38

Saturday, December 8 (Holy Day of Obligation) Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary SJC 8:00 AM Jacinto Teixeira by the St. James Prayer Group AC 10:00 AM Irene Sosmena by the Pavadora family SJC 12:05 PM Mary Wertenbach by the Plante & Wertenbach families

The Advent Townwide Penance Service will be held at Saint Bridget Church on Sunday,

December 16th at 3 p.m.

Our Lady’s Guild of St. James Parish

The December meeting of Our Lady’s Guild of St. James Parish will be held on Monday, December 3 at 12:00 noon in Assumption Church Hall. (Note the change in time.) This will be a good opportunity for members to enjoy lunch together and share some holi-day cheer. Please bring a nonperishable food item for the MACC food bank. If you haven’t already done so, please call Anna Pinto, 860-649-2959, if you plan to attend.

First Sunday of Advent`

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR BINGO

Person needed to come in around 3PM-4:00PM to set up for coffee/tea

Person for the front table, 5PM-6:30PM

Person to work the “floor” 6:15PM-9:30PM

Callers to work the Bingo Machine, 6:15PM-9:30 pm

(once a month)

People to work in the kitchen, 5PM - 8:30PM

If anyone is interested to learn how to run Bingo and become a leader, please call Romeo on Tuesdays, 860-647-9335 or 860-646-1326 for more information.

Monday, December 3 7PM—The Social Action Committee will meet in Conference Room 1 in St. James Church Hall.

Religious Education Classes for 2018-2019 for Grades 1-8 are held on Sundays 10:00AM—10:50AM

in St. James School.

**PLEASE NOTE** THERE WILL BE NO RELIGIOUS EDUCATION CLASSES

ON DECEMBER 23 AND 30. CLASSES WILL RESUME ON JANUARY 6, 2019.

Weekly Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament

Weekly exposition of the Blessed Sacrament takes place on Mondays at Assumption Church from 2 pm until the con-clusion of the evening Novena service. Please try to set aside at least one hour weekly to spend with the Lord in prayer for the special intentions requested by the arch-bishop: an increase in priestly vocations, the success of the archdiocesan synod, and healing for our suffering Church. Sign-up sheets will be available at the church entrances. Please note: exposition will not take place if Monday is a holiday.

FIRST FRIDAY EUCHARISTIC ADORATION will be held on Friday, December 7 from 1PM–8PM. Eucharistic Adoration is our acknowledgement that Jesus is truly pre-sent in the Blessed Sacrament. Each hour you spend with Jesus will deepen His Di-

vine Peace in your heart. If you would like to sign up (at least 2 adorers required each hour), call Nancy Ecabert, 860-646-4325. You are not committed to the same hour each month - you can sign up for a differ-ent hour each month or even 15 or 30 minutes.

THE SOCIETY OF SAINT VINCENT DE PAUL assists your neighbors in need. The Society provides assistance in the form of food, utilities, and oil, thanks to the generosity of

Saint James parishioners. Please consider a donation to assist those in need. Donations marked “SVDP” can be placed in the collection basket, and checks should be made payable to “Society of St. Vincent de Paul”. Thank you in advance for your support!

The Knights of Columbus will be selling Keep Christ in Christmas items after all Masses for the next couple of weekends for as long as supplies last. We have a variety of

six beautiful Button Pin designs and a Nativity Scene Magnet for your vehicle which looks great on any color vehicle. Buttons are $1 each and car magnets are $4 each. We appreciate your support in helping people to be more aware of the real significance of Christmas.

COFFEE AND... in the St. James Church Hall after all Sunday Masses next Sunday, December

9th. Our Lady Crafters will have many Christmas crafts for sale. Please help support our dedicated Crafters for their time and talent by

making a purchase. Our host will be the Saint James Parish Men’s Prayer Group. Also, there will be COFFEE AND...AFTER the 10 AM Mass on Sunday, December 9th, in the Assumption Church hall. Please plan to join us!

First Sunday of Advent

Sacraments

Baptism: contact the Parish Office for information Penance (Confession): Saturdays 2:00 PM –3:00 PM & Thursday Evenings before First Fridays 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Communion: (parishioners who are homebound or hospitalized) contact the Parish Office

Marriage: contact the Parish Office at least six months prior to possible date Priesthood: speak with one of our priests or visit www.vocationshartford.org Anointing of the Sick: contact the Rectory as soon as possible

ASSUMPTION CHURCH MEMORIAL CANDLES

Week of December 2, 2018

Mary’s altar st. Joseph’s altar

Lillian Zammiello For my daughter & Frederick & Ellie Dandeneau her family & souls A. Hamilton Mencher in Purgatory Special Intention Rita McDermott Leonore Ash All Caregivers

To request that a candle be lit, please take an envelope from either Mary’s or Saint Joseph’s Altar, fill in the information, and place it in the collection basket or mail to St. James Rectory, 896 Main Street, Manchester, CT 06040. You can request more than one candle per envelope by utilizing the space on the back of the envelope. Those that attend Mass at Saint James Church are welcome to complete an envelope for a candle. The cost for each candle is $7.00. Please print legibly.

For more information about priestly vocations, visit www.archdioceseofhartford.org/vocations

or speak with Fr. Cavanaugh or Fr. Janusz.

Saint James Parish Circle of Love Prayer Line

For information on joining or to add a prayer intention to the Saint James Parish Circle of Love Prayer Line, please call Sharon Krause, 860-649-6525 or Joan Dower, 860-432-3397.

Parish Appeal Update

As of November 21, a total of $415,595.20 in donations has been received and another $102,920.97 has been pledged to be paid during the remainder of the campaign’s 2-year

donation period – for a total of $518,516.17—69% of our $750,000 goal.

If you have yet to make a pledge or a donation to the Annual Parish Appeal, please take the opportunity to do so at your earliest convenience so that we may assess which projects we will undertake immediately. Thank you to those Parishioners who have responded to our recent mailing and have helped us to get closer to our goal!

SOCIAL ACTION CHRISTMAS SHARING PROGRAM

Gifts supporting our Christmas sharing program are due back next Sunday, December 9th. Signup sheets are available for those who wish to provide a Christmas dinner. Please take and read the information sheet that describes the type and quantity of food needed. Dinners should be brought to the St. James Church Hall on Saturday, December 15th by 10 a.m. Please call George Hirko, 860-646-4351, or Joan O’Loughlin, 860-643-4031, with any questions. Thank you for your support.

Thank You! Thank You! The Social action Committee

would like to thank the parish for their outpouring of

generosity this year in support of our Thanksgiving

seasonal sharing program. Over 45 Thanksgiving

dinners were delivered to members of our church and

community. This would not be possible without your

support. God Bless You!

First Sunday of Advent

SHOP AMAZON, SUPPORT SAINT JAMES SCHOOL

Do you shop on Amazon.com? Amazon's new charita-ble giving program, AmazonSmile, will donate a per-centage of your total Amazon purchases to Saint James School! Simply type http://smile.amazon.com/ch/06-0653122 into your website browser and begin shop-ping. Or, visit http://smile.amazon.com and, when prompted to select a charity, enter St. James School Manchester or 06-0653122 in the search box. Entering Amazon through the "Smile" link gives you the same products, same price, same service as Amazon.com but with the extra bonus of supporting Saint James School. We thank you for supporting our School!

Worldwide Marriage Encounter

Do we put our trust in God and allow him to be Lord in every area of our life like the widow did? Trust that God wants great things for your marriage by attending a Worldwide Marriage Encounter Weekend. The next weekends are February 1-3, 2019 and July 12-14, 2019 in Manchester, CT. For more information, call Pat & Mary-Jo McLaughlin at 860-315-2127 or visit them at https://wwmectw.org/.

BOX TOPS FOR EDUCATION COLLECTION FOR SAINT JAMES SCHOOL

Each box top you clip is worth 10₡. Please bring in your box tops and put them into one of the boxes at the entrance to the church, and they will be counted

with box tops collected at the school. Box tops are used for school supplies. Thank you very much for your support!

Waiting for Bethlehem’s Child Sunday, December 9 at 5 p.m. St. Francis of Assisi Church

673 Ellington Road South Windsor, CT 06074

All are invited to a magnificent evening of musical preparation for the birth of our Savior, as the St. Junipero Serra Music Ministry’s Concert Choir and Orchestra perform Bethlehem’s Child. Drawing upon the words of Isaiah, Micah, and inspired by the Gospel writings of Matthew and Luke, come join us as we reflect on the voyage to Bethlehem and retell the story

of Christmas and the miracle of Christ’s birth. Admission is free, but free-will donations will be accepted to support the growth of the music ministry and future performances. You do not want to miss this extraordinary evening! Refreshments will be provided following the concert in the church hall.

Saint James School Substitute Wanted

Saint James School is looking for an experienced educator willing to serve as a long-term substitute in its fourth grade this school year from January to April. If you have the background, willingness, and desire to work with the marvelous students at Saint James School, please contact Principal Bridget Zorger at bzorger@saintjamesschool.net. She would love to hear from you.

Thank you! Knights of Columbus Council 1155 is very grateful for your support of our monthly Can and Bottle Collections throughout 2018. We appreciate it very much. Your generosity makes it possible for

us to fund a variety of charitable works in our community and world throughout the year. You share in that work.

NOTE: There will be no drive later this month. The next one is scheduled for January 26, 2019 and on the 4th Saturday of each subsequent month.

Christmas flower envelopes are located at the Church exits. Donations should be returned by December 23rd. Please print legibly. Thank you.

THE SOCIETY OF SAINT VINCENT DEPAUL

A donation was received from the estate of Mary Jane Murray by Patricia C. Murray, Executrix, in memory of George, Mary Jane,

Jim, and Maureen Murray. Thank you.

First Sunday of Advent

2018 Tree of Blessings

We are currently accepting orders

for the 2018 Tree of Blessings. You

may purchase a beautifully

designed cardstock ornament “In

Memory of” or “In Honor of” a

loved one. The ornament, with

your loved one’s name, will be

displayed on the school Christmas tree. A Prayer

Service honoring the recipients will be held on

Wednesday, December 19th in the gymnasium of

Saint James School. Order forms will be sent home

with students, and extra order forms will be available

in the school office and at the exits of the church.

Please have all order forms in by Friday, December

14th so ornaments can be made in time for the cere-

mony. All proceeds will benefit Saint James School.

Your generosity is greatly appreciated. Have a

blessed Christmas season!

The Catholic Cemeteries Association of the

Archdiocese of Hartford, Inc. 0% Financing on all cemetery space from now until Christmas Day 2018

Take advantage of this opportunity to leave your loved ones the greatest gift ever for the holiday, peace of mind knowing that all your final resting place needs have been taken care of. Call our family service advisors, and set up a time to discuss your individual preferences. Call Amy Chester, 203-507-7509, or email, achester@ccacem.org for more information or to schedule an appointment. Visit the website, www.ccacem.org, for more information on the Catholic Cemeteries Association.

Tradition of the Advent Wreath

Advent, which begins the Church’s liturgical year, be-gins on Sunday, December 2 and encompasses the four Sundays and weekdays leading up to the celebration of Christmas. The Advent season is a time of preparation for our hearts and minds for the anniversary of the Lord’s birth on Christmas.

One way to celebrate Advent is by putting up an Ad-vent Wreath and lighting candles each week as a way of preparing for Our Savior’s birth on Christmas. The wreath and candles are full of symbolism tied to the Christmas season. The wreath itself, which is made of various evergreens, signifies continuous life. The circle of the wreath, which has no beginning or end, symboliz-es the eternity of God, the immortality of the soul, and the everlasting life we find in Christ.

The candles also have their own special significance. The four candles represent the four weeks of Advent, and one candle is lit each Sunday. Three of the candles are purple because the color violet is a liturgical color that signifies a time of prayer and penance. The first candle, which is purple, symbolizes hope and represents the expectation felt in anticipation of the coming Messiah. The second candle, also purple, represents faith and is a reminder of Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem.

The third candle is pink and symbolizes joy. The third Sunday of Advent is called Gaudete Sunday and is meant to remind us of the joy that the world experienced at the birth of Jesus, as well as the joy that the faithful have reached the midpoint of Advent.

On the fourth week of Advent, we light the final purple candle to mark the final week of prayer and penance as we wait for the birth of our Savior. This final candle symbolizes peace. It reminds us of the message of the angels: “Peace on Earth, Good Will Toward Men.”

Celebrating Advent with an Advent Wreath is an excel-lent way to prepare your mind and heart for Christmas. EAST CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL

ENTRANCE EXAM

The entrance exam for eighth graders will be given on Saturday, December 8 at 8:30 a.m. Pre-registration for the exam is advised but not re-quired. Visit www.echs.com or call the admissions office at 860-649-5336, x6456, for more information.

December 2, 2018

**PLEASE NOTE THE CHANGE IN TIME ** Novena to the Blessed Virgin Mary

Beginning Monday, December 3,

Novena will begin at 7 p.m. at Assumption Church during exposi-tion of the Blessed Sacrament. We will pray the Rosary and conclude with Benediction.

(Please note: Adoration and Novena will not be held if Monday is a holiday.)

TUESDAY EVENING BINGO

Join us for a fun evening of BINGO at Assumption Church Hall every Tuesday evening. Doors open at 5:00PM and Bingo starts at 6:30PM. Coffee and tea are provided. Food and soda available to purchase. Cash prizes. For further information, call Romeo @ 860-647-9335.

PROGRESSIVE PRIZE………………………..$300.00

**PLEASE NOTE** BINGO HOLIDAY SCHEDULE

There will be no Bingo on DECEMBER 25 AND

JANUARY 1. The regular schedule will resume January 8, 2019.