December 7, 2014 - Second Sunday of Advent

Baptisms

Parents are encouraged to call the Church during pregnancy to avoid de-

lays of the sacrament

406 East Pinhook Road Lafayette, LA 70501-8727

Phone: (337) 237-0988 Fax: (337) 233-8868 Rev. M. Keith LaBove, Pastor

Parish Website: www.stpat.org

Weddings

Arrangements must be made at least six months in advance to allow time

for preparation

Office Hours

Monday – Thursday: 8:30 am – 3:00 pm; Friday 8:30 am – 12 noon

Celebration of the Eucharist

Saturday: 4:00 pm – Sunday: 8:30 & 10:00 am Monday through Friday: 7:30 am

Sacrament of Reconciliation

Saturday: 3:00 – 3:30 pm and Weekdays: 7:15 am

Welcome to St. Patrick Church

Second Sunday of Advent

December 7, 2014

MASS INTENTIONS FOR THE WEEK

Saturday, December 6--Vigil of the Second

Sunday of Advent

4:00 PM: Mike Guilbeau; Paul LeBlanc

Jules, Isola & Bart LeJeune; Mac;

Mary Jane Belfie (living); Special Intention;

Joseph Guidroz

Sunday, December 7--Second Sunday of Ad-

vent

8:30 AM: In Thanksgiving to God;

Joseph & Eldie Woods

10:00 AM: Parishioners of St. Patrick’s

Monday, December 8--The Immaculate Con-

ception of the Blessed Virgin Mary 7:30 AM: Bella Hernandez; Agnes Duplechain;

Gussie Hernandez

Tuesday, December 9--Advent Weekday

7:30 AM: Carmen Murillo;

Christi Ana Alvergue; Adam Hernandez

Wednesday, December 10--Advent Weekday

7:30 AM: Dr. Tommy Comeaux & Dorinne;

Col. Clark Comeaux & Catherine (living);

Col. Kimberly Fedele (living)

Thursday, December 11--St. Damasus I, Pope

7:30 AM: Mary Broussard; Pat & Jessie Garner;

Albert M. Hebert

Friday, December 12--Our Lady of Guadalupe

7:30 AM: Dr. Charles Stewart

+++++++++++ Call the office for a donation of Christmas Poinsettias in

memory of a loved one.

Non-Liturgical Devotions

Daily Rosary: Monday - Friday 6:55 a.m.

Our Lady of Perpetual Help Novena: Tuesday

7:15 a.m.

Rosary for Priests: Wednesday 7:00 a.m.

Chaplet of Divine Mercy: Thursday 7:15 a.m.

Pro-Life Rosary: 1st. Friday of the month 7 a.m.

Shamrocks—Wednesday, December 12: Don-

na Guilbeau; Patsy Robicheaux; Gerrie McGov-

ern; Charlotte Privat

For Our Young People 10 to 16 years old:

Pizza at St. Pat's will have a Christmas party on

Sunday, December 7th from 4 to 5:30 in the Parish

Hall. Our theme this year is “The Gift that Keeps on

Giving”. Come and learn about the free and everlast-

ing gift that God offers you! (No purchase neces-

sary!) Of course there will be fun and food. If you

have questions, call the office at 237-0988. Hope to

see you on the 7th!

Immaculate Conception

Monday, December 8th., is the Immaculate Concep-

tion of the Blessed Virgin Mary and it is a holyday of

obligation. Mass will be at 7:30 a.m. We honor

Mary, the Immaculate Conception who is Patroness

of the United States. The collection will be for the

Needy.

Make this a Meaningful Holiday—Heifer Project Instead of material gifts, choose gifts that help struggling

families lift themselves out of poverty. With the gifts of

livestock and training, families are helped to improve their

nutrition and generate income in sustainable ways. In ex-change for receiving their animal and training in its care,

each family agrees to give one of its animal’s offspring to

another family in need. It’s called Passing on the Gift and it means the gift you make this Christmas Season to Heifer

International will actually multiply many times with every

new generation. Our church will be participating in this special endeavor as a Christmas Project. Donation sheets

are available under the stairwell. All donations will be sent

to Heifer International at the beginning of the year. Heif-

er International meets the BBB Wise Giving Alliance’s Standards for Charity Accountability. For additional infor-

mation please visit their website: http//www.heifer.org/

2014 Parish Advent Missions—Central Region

Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church, 818 12th

St., Lafayette, LA 70501. “Journeying though Advent”, December 8, 9, 10— 7 –8:00 p.m. in Church. (Musical

Prelude at 6:45 p.m.). Presenter: Deacon Alex Jones, Arch-

diocese of Detroit. For more information, please call the

Church Office (235-4618) or visit ihmchurchlafayette.com.

St. Anne Catholic Church, 201 Church Street, Younsgs-

ville, LA 70592 “Parish Advent Mission” , December 8

— 6:30—8:00 p.m. in Church. Confessions 6:00 p.m. in

Church. Presenter: Mr. Chad Judice, Husband, Father, Re-

treat Leader, Teacher and Coach, National Speaker, Award

Winning Author. For more information, please contact Debbie Miller (856-8212 or pas-

toralaide@stannechurch.net)

St. Peter Catholic Church (102 North Church Street,

Carencro) will hold an Advent Mission on December 9, 10

& 11 in Church. Mr. Gary Zimak, Catholic Lay Evange-list, Author and Radio Host will present “From Fear to

Faith Parish Mission” each evening beginning with 5:30

p.m. Mass followed immediately by the Mission Talk.

Nightly themes include “Pray, Hope and Don’t Worry” on December 9; “How to Stop Worrying TODAY!” on De-

cember 10; and “Listen To Your Blessed Mother” on De-

cember 11. For more information, please call 896-9408.

Schedule of Christmas Masses

Christmas Eve, Wednesday, December 24: 4 & 6 p.m.

(NO 7:30 a.m. Mass on this Day) Christmas Day, Thursday, December 25: 8:30 & 10 a.m.

(same as Sundays)

New Year’s Eve, Wednesday, December 31st: 4 p.m. (NO 7:30 a.m. Mass on this Day)

New Year’s, Thursday, January 1st: 9:00 a.m.

Annual Christmas Social You are invited to attend our yearly Christmas Social

on Sunday, December 14th., at 11 a.m. at the Parish

Hall. Bring your favorite holiday dish. The parish will

provide the meat. This is a great opportunity to fellow-ship with one another and to meet parishioners who

attend mass at another time.

The Light is On for You

On all Wednesdays of Advent [December 3rd, 10th,

and 17th], from 6:30-8:00 p.m., we will be offering confessions here at St. Patrick Church, together with all

the Catholic parishes in the Diocese of Lafayette. This

outreach is called “The Light is On For You,” and is an

effort on the part of our Diocese to highlight the im-portance of the Sacrament of Confession in the life of

Catholics and to make it as easy as possible for every

Catholic to come or to return to this great source of God’s mercy and healing love. You are welcome to

come here or to go to any other Catholic parish in the

Diocese. Please make plans to come yourself and please invite others take advantage of this great oppor-

tunity to be reconciled and begin anew your journey in

faith this Advent.

Healing Hearts “Healing Hearts” is a new Support Group for women

whose relationships have been affected by pornography or sexual addiction of a loved one. Meetings are held

in the evening during the week for 1 hour and 30

minutes, in Lafayette. This is a highly confidential

group. Confidentiality statement must be signed by all members before the place and time of meeting will be

disclosed. Please call 337-404-6113 Voicemail and the

group facilitator will return your call as soon as possi-ble.

Second Collection Next Weekend Support elderly religious. A parishioner writes, “As a

Catholic school student from grades K-12, I was

formed to be the person I am by many religious broth-

ers and sisters, and I am forever grateful.” Show your thanks for the senior Catholic sisters, brothers, and

religious order priests who made a positive difference

in so many lives. Please give generously to next week’s collection for the Retirement Fund for Reli-

gious.

STEWARDSHIP OF THE PAST WEEK

Our Response to God’s Generosity to Us

Offertory……………………..$ 4879.49

Thanksgiving Day (U.C.O.)…$ 633.95 Thank You!

Date

Saturday, December 13

4:00 p.m.

Sunday, December 14

8:30 a.m.

Sunday, December 14

10:00 a.m.

Lectors

Dana Guidry Patsy Robicheaux Robin Roy

Eucharistic

Ministers

Merrick Stelly

Harold Guilbeau

George Eaton

Geneva Phillips

Sarah Hamsher

Sandra LaGrange

Leroy Abshire

Barbara Abshire

Tami Petre

Altar Servers Janell Venable Glenn LaGrange Phyllis Roy

Ushers

George Guidry

Joyce Stelly

Rachelle Trahan

Keith Toups

Jenny Feehan

Lionel Jeanmard

Liturgical Roles for December

Readings for the Week

Monday Gn 3:9-15, 20; Ps 98:1-4; Eph 1:3-6, 11-12; Lk 1:26-38

Tuesday Is 40:1-11; Ps 96:1-3, 10ac, 11-13; Mt 18:12-14

Wednesday Is 40:25-31; Ps 103:1-4, 8, 10; Mt 11:28-30

Thursday Is 41:13-20; Ps 145:1, 9, 10-13ab; Mt 11:11-15

Friday Zec 2:14-17 or Rv 11:19a; 12:1-6a, 10ab; Jdt 13:18bcde, 19: Lk 1:26-38 or Lk 1:39-47

Saturday Sir 48:1-4, 9-11; Ps 80:2ac, 3b, 15-16, 18-19; Mt 17:9a, 10-13

Sunday Is 61:1-2a, 10-11; Lk 1:46-50, 53-54; 1 Thes 5:16-24; Jn 1:6-8, 19-28

From the Pastor’s Desk

This past Monday marked the 59th anniversary of a woman refusing to stand up. The year was 1955, and the woman was Rosa Parks. She was in Montgomery, Alabama, and she was arrested because a white man want-ed her seat on the bus. 24 years later, the U.S. Bishops would write this:

“Racism is an evil which endures in our society and in our Church … Racism is not merely one sin among many; it is a radical evil that divides the human family and denies the new creation of a redeemed world. To struggle against it demands an equally radical transformation, in our own minds and hearts as well as in the structure of our society.” Brothers and Sisters to Us (U.S. Catholic Bishops, 1979 Pastoral Letter on Racism)

And then there’s Ferguson. This Sunday, December 7th, marks the anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor which brought the U.S.

into what we know now as the Second World War. Recent history seems to show that we not only don’t know how to not get started in a war. We don’t know how to end them either. And as the violence rages on, those who sacrifice to fight our wars have to keep fighting to get us to take care of them.

There are a number of issues being fought over in Congress these days (though you probably don’t have to worry about them doing anything about it). As part of a prayer campaign I’ve been participating in, this week I’ve been reading these words over and over, from the 19th chapter of the book of Leviticus: “When an alien re-sides with you in your land, do not mistreat such a one. You shall treat the alien who resides with you no differently than the natives born among you; you shall love the alien as yourself; for you too were once aliens in the land of Egypt. I, the LORD, am your God.” And of course it was just a few weeks ago that our Sunday Gospel quoted Jesus: “Whatsoever you do to the least of these, you do unto me.” When we think about the controversy surrounding im-migration, should these words matter?

I mention all of that not to depress anyone, though it is easy to lament the state of affairs in many aspects of our society. Rather I offer it to suggest that if Advent did not exist, we would need to invent it. We desperately need the coming of Christ into our world.

This weekend we find John the Baptist at the Jordan, calling people to conversion of heart. We can pass laws, and we can build walls and fences, and we can deploy drones all around the world. But it seems that noth-ing will change until our hearts are changed.