Gaudete in Domino semper: iterum dico, gaudete. Dominus enim prope est.

(Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice. Indeed, the Lord is near.)

This Third Sunday of Advent is known as Gaudete Sunday; it takes its name from the above Latin phrase, which is the opening antiphon (song) of this Sunday’s Mass when it is sung in Gregorian chant. This idea of rejoicing signifies a lifting of spirits during the second half of Advent, moving from the theme of “mournful waiting” in the first half of Advent to the theme of “joyful expectation” in the second half. The Roman Liturgy permits the use of rose colored vestments on this Sunday (also on the 4th Sunday of Lent). If the parish had rose colored vestments, I’d be wearing them. As we do not, I’ve chosen to wear the lightest and most beautiful shade of purple vestments which signify this lifting of spirits that I’ve just been writing about. We have had some unsettling news this week. Our pastor, Fr. Don, is taking some time away from the parish to address his personal health concerns. In his absence, I am taking on more Masses and you will see some visiting priests here to offer some of the Masses on the weekends. We have a competent staff in both our parish office and school, and I expect that everything will continue to run, more or less, smoothly. I am only just now finding out about some of the many things that Fr. Don did in our parish, and I am trying to fill his shoes, but they are indeed very large. Please be patient with me if oversights do occur, and please let me know about them. I encourage you to begin a daily prayer regimen for Fr. Don in his absence. I suggest one “Our Father,” “Hail Mary,” and “Glory Be” every day that he is gone. In Fr. Don’s absence, if you need a priest in an emergency situation (like if someone is dying or gravely injured) you may reach me at any time by dialing (262) 872-0275. Last of all, let us continue our theme of gladness and rejoicing because our diocese has a new priest! Fr. George Noel was ordained on Saturday morning, December 14th. He is assigned to the care of the parishes in Stephen, Florian, and Argyle. Please Keep Fr. Noel in your prayers. Sincerely in Christ,

Mass Times Sunday Mass:

Saturday: 5:30 PM Sunday: 7:30, 9:00 & 11:00 AM

Weekday Masses Monday, Friday & Saturday: 8:30 AM Tuesday: 12:10 PM Wednesday: 8:40 AM

(at 8:30 AM June, July & August) Thursday: 7:00 AM

Thursday Care Center Masses 10:30 AM

Havenwood: 1st & 3rd Thursday

Neilson Place: 2nd & 5th Thursday Goldpine: 4th

Thursday Baker Park: 51h Monday at 2:00 PM

Adoration Monday: 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM Tuesday: 6:00 AM to 9:00 PM Thursday: 12 Noon to 9:00 PM Friday: 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM

Reconciliation Saturday: 4:30 PM Sunday Mornings: between all Masses, or by appointment

Rosary for Peace Sunday: 8:35 AM Sunday: 10:15 AM

Marian Devotions Tuesday: 7:30 PM & Saturday: 8:10AM

School Council Members: Bill Maki, Chair Jaclyn Bergerson Roben Beyer Debra Carlson-Doom Tiffany Fankhanel Shannon Seibel

Parish Council Members: Wanda Baumgartner Barry Cervenka Clark Chambers Kevin Erpelding Gary Gregg Mike Headlee Scott Herr Brent Rud Theresa Wilander

Finance Council Members: Nick Berg Eileen Bretschneider Bill Joyce Claude Sand Shannon Schmitt

Trustees: Jon Hunt Joann Gardner

St. Philip’s Church

218-444-4262 FAX 218-444-1381

www.stphilipsbemidji.org

Parish Staff

Pastor: Fr. Don Braukmann ext. 102

Parochial Vicar: Fr. Adam Hamness ext. 106

Deacon: Deacon Kermit Erickson ext. 103

Parish Administrator: Terry Jones ext. 108

Bookkeeper: Deacon Kermit Erickson ext. 103

Director of Music & Liturgy: Lee Richards ext. 104

Director of Preschool & Elementary Faith Formation/Safe Environment Coordinator: Kris Jensen 444-5849

Director of RCIA, Liturgical Ministries & Special Projects: Robb Naylor ext. 118

Director of Youth Ministry/Middle & High School Faith Formation: Paula DeClusin ext. 107

Events Coordinator: Susan Lucas ext. 105

Secretaries: Rose Johnson ext. 100

Facility Maintenance: Supervisor: Larry Mack Maintenance Support Staff: Greg Allen Jim Shaw

St. Philip’s School Staff

Principal: Carol Rettinger 444-4938

School Secretaries: Suzy Bormann Heidi Fladeboe Denise Kern

Sister Parishes

St. Charles Pennington Saturday at 4:00 PM

(Fishing opener to Labor Day)

Holy Spirit Newman Center BSU/NWTC

Sunday at 7:00 PM, Tuesday at 5:30 PM 1701 Birch Lane NE

218-444-4762

Diocese of Crookston

Victim Assistance Coordinator: Louann McGlynn 218-281-7895 lmcglynn@crookston.org

St. Philip’s Clothing

Depot

218-444-3835 Tuesday through Saturday

9:30 AM to 3:00 PM

Manager: Norma Himmelright

Stewardship of Financial Resources:

Fiscal Year July 1, 2013-

June 30, 2014

Week #23 contributions (received the weekend of 12/8/2013)

Envelopes $ 11,745.50 Loose Plate $ 758.53 Children’s $ 74.28 Total $ 12,568.31

Fiscal Year to Date (Week #23):

Amount Contributed Envelopes $ 346,693.74 Loose Plate $ 22,901.11 Children’s $ 1,215.40 Total $ 370,810.25 (97.76% of budget)

Stewardship: A Habit of the Heart.

Monday, December 16: 8:30 AM Mass: +Tillie Theroux Tuesday, December 17: 12:10 PM Mass: +Karl Jacobson 5:30 PM Mass (Newman): Special Intentions for Fr. Don Wednesday, December 18: 8:40 AM Mass: +Willis Beer Thursday, December 19: 7:00 AM Mass: Mass of Thanksgiving for 40 Days 10:30 AM Mass (Havenwood): +Donald Welter Friday, December 20: 8:30 AM Mass: +Jane Senger Saturday, December 21: 8:30 AM Mass: +Wyatt Martine 5:30 PM Mass: +Jessica Daigle Sunday, December 22: 7:30 AM Mass: For the People 9:00 AM Mass: +Donald Kubicek 11:00 AM Mass: +Cele Maus NO 7:00 PM Mass (Newman):

Monday, December 23: 8:30 AM Mass: +Hugh & +Lillian McCormick Tuesday, December 24: Christmas Eve Parish Office Closes at 1:00 PM 4:00 PM Mass: +Stephanie Vencel Leikvoll 6:30 PM Mass: +Bernard P. Schmitt 10:00 PM Mass: +Art Miller NO 5:30 PM Mass (Newman): Wednesday, December 25: Christmas Day Parish Office Closed 10:00 AM Mass: +Lenore Aschauer Thursday, December 26: 7:00 AM Mass: Special Intentions for Tara & Nathen Martine 10:30 AM Mass (Goldpine) +Desmond Sagedahl Friday, December 27: 8:30 AM Mass: +Lenore Aschauer Saturday, December 28: 8:30 AM Mass: +Jane Senger 5:30 PM Mass: +Loraine Snyder Sunday, December 28: 7:30 AM Mass: +Anna Vonasek 9:00 AM Mass: +Margaret Fulton 11:00 AM Mass: For the People No 7:00 PM Mass (Newman): .

Monday, December 16: 8:30 AM Mass 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM Adoration (Chapel) 7:00 PM Nighlights (Kateri)

Tuesday, December 17: 6:00 AM to 9:00 PM Adoration (Chapel) 12:10 PM Mass 5:30 PM Mass (Newman) 7:30 PM Rosary (Chapel)

Wednesday, December 18: 8:40 AM School Mass 1:15 PM School Christmas Program (Church) 5:45 PM School Christmas Program (Church)

Thursday, December 19: 7:00 AM Mass 10:30 AM Mass (Havenwood) 12:00 PM to 9:00 PM Adoration (Chapel) 1:00 PM St. Jude’s Circle (Kateri) 7:00 PM Prayer & Praise (Chapel)

Friday, December 20: 8:30 Mass 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM Adoration (Chapel)

Saturday, December 21: 8:30 AM Mass 4:30 PM Reconciliation (Chapel) 5:30 PM Mass

Sunday, December 22: 7:30 AM Mass 8:35 AM Rosary (Chapel) 9:00 AM Mass 10:15 AM Rosary (Chapel) 11:00 AM Mass NO 7:00 PM Mass (Newman) 7:00 PM Choir Practice ( Church)

THIS WEEK IN THE PARISH

MASS INTENTIONS

for December 15 to December 29

INFORMATION & ACTIVITIES

BAPTISM PREPARATION CLASS

Parents or prospective parents who wish to present a child for Baptism

are asked to attend a baptism preparation class.

The next session will be on January 12. Please call the parish office at 444-4262 to register, or for more information.

Monday, December 16: Nm 24:2-7,15-17a ● Ps 25:4-9 ● Mt 21:23-27

Tuesday, December 17: Gn 49:2,8-10 ● Ps 72:1-4,7-8,17 ● Mt 1:1-17

Wednesday, December 18: Jer 23:5-8 ● Ps 72:1-2,12-13,18-19 ● Mt 1:18-25

Thursday, December 19: Jgs 13:2-7,24-25a ● Ps 71:3-6,16-17 ● Lk 1:5-25

Friday, December 20: Is 7:10-14 ● Ps 24:1-6 ● Lk 1:26-38

Saturday, December 21: Sg 2:8-14 ● Ps 33:2-3,11-12,20-219 ● Lk 1:39-45

Sunday, December 22: Is 7:10-14 ● Ps 24:1-6 ● Rom 1:1-7 ● Mt 1:18-24

Bible Readings for the Week of December 16 ~ December 22

It is God who gives life.   Let us respect and love human life, especially 

vulnerable life in a mother’s womb.   ~ Pope Francis, Tweet from @Pontifex, May 15, 2013

Congratulations and Blessings to Greta Schoepel who received our Lord for the first time on December 8, 2013.

NIGHTLIGHTS

Nightlights, a support group for anyone who has a loved one with mental illness will hold its monthly meeting at 7:00-8:30 p.m., Monday, December 16, 2013, in the Kateri Room at St. Philips Church. Pastor Tricia Mattson with Trinity Lutheran Church in Bagley will address the group with a message on “Hope”. Please join us!

Looking for a great Christmas present for your spouse? Give each other a gift that will last a lifetime. The Men’s Cursillo will be happening February 13–16, 2014. The Women’s Cursillo will be March 20-23, 2014. For more infor-mation contact Carol Olsonawski at 218-689-9081 or Mary Derosier at 218-253-4623. Ap-plications are also available at your parish office or on-line at www.crookston.org/Cursillo

December 14/15

It’s the third week of Advent. Our special Advent prayer services will be on Monday and Thursday of this week at 8:35 A.M. in the gym. All are welcome to join us.

Our Mass leaders on Wednesday are Mrs. Hinners’ second graders. No “Bah, Humbugs!” The St. Philip’s School Christmas Program, “A Christmas

Carol: Scrooge in Bethlehem” will be presented this Wednesday, December 18th. Two performances will be offered: one at 1:15 and the other at 5:45 P.M. Get in the Christmas spirit and join us for this annual musical presentation.

During Advent, our classroom projects are to fill Tubs of Love. Our last day of classes for 2013 is Thursday, December 19. May your days of preparation be fulfilled as Christmas arrives.

Christmas Flowers for St. Philip’s Church will be supplied, in part, through the generous donations given by parishioners in memory of deceased loved ones, or in honor of the living.

If you wish to make a memorial, please use your

Christmas Flower Offering envelope in your box of offertory envelopes. Or place your donation in an envelope clearly marked as Christmas Flowers. Please indicate the name of the deceased person(s) your gift is in memory of or the name of the living person(s) your gift is in honor of.

Please place your envelope in the collection basket or turn it in to the parish office as soon as possible. All memorials will be published in the parish bulletin after the Christmas season.

“Knight’s Corner”

On behalf of K.C. Council #1544, we wish to extend our warmest Holiday Greetings to all Brother Knights and their families, along with the entire Parish as a whole. We hope and pray that this Holiday Season may be both enjoyable and faith-filled… a time spent with friends, family and our new born Savior, Jesus! Merry Christmas and God’s blessings for 2014… We’d like to extend an invitation and remind all Brother Knights of this Thursday’s regular council meeting. This meeting/Christmas Party will be held at the Newman Center and begin with the rosary at 6:30 P.M. If need be, you may park in the B.S.U. Rec Center parking lot. We hope to see you there! If you’re a Catholic gentleman of at least 18 years of age and have an interest in learning more about a very worthy and giving organization, we encourage you to contact us. We’d be more than happy to answer any questions you might have and share with you why joining the Knights of Columbus will be one of the best decisions you ever made.

“Upcoming Events”

Thursday, Dec. 19th- Council Meeting (Newman Center)

Sunday, Dec. 29th - 5th Sunday Ministries (9:00 A.M. Mass)

Thursday, Jan. 2nd – K.C. Board Meeting (6:00 P.M. / Kateri)

Membership

Grand Knight: Terry Belanger- 755-9850 Financial Secretary: Dan Shea- 760-6616

ALL MINISTERS are asked to please call the parish office at 444-4262 or email to rnaylor@stphilipsbemidji.org by January 15 to let us know dates when you are not available to do your ministry for the month of February.

MINISTRY SCHEDULE week of December 21 ~ December 22

Dec 21, 5:30 PM Dec 22, 7:30 AM Dec 22, 9:00 AM Dec 22, 11:00 AM

SACRISTAN Robb Naylor Jennifer Leisenheimer Joann Gardner Doris Swedmark

CAPTAIN Sharon Zarrett Walter Schuiling Sue Lucas Karen Merschman

EMHC

Robb Naylor Laura Schwindt Jane Wilcox Betty Lindy Jim LeClaire Heidi Hiscock HELP

Jennifer Leisenheimer Fran Petersen Joyce Berg Monica Arel Brad Arel Roslyn Hanson HELP

Tim Lucas Joann Gardner Dan Walter David LaZella Mary Scofield Lorie Erpelding Jerry Daniels Steve Pfleger Ethen Aamodt

Doris Swedmark Kimberley Gourneau Zach Holcomb Karen Williams Pat Kelly Shannon Schmitt HELP HELP HELP

LECTOR Amy Buckanaga Peggy Neumann

Pam Murray Judy Stai

Kevin Erpelding Clark Chambers

Patty Nagle Dick Rossman

USHER Mark Moris Dick Lehmann Dave Hiscock HELP

Paulette Welle Matt Murray Bob Murray HELP

Mark Froelich George Gardner Bob Aitken Paul Nistler

Lloyd Lind Barbara Fitzgerald Hank Imsande HELP

GREETER Tom Thompson Audrey Hofmeister

Rosemary Petersen Vi Hendricks

Becky Haskell Jim Haskell

Neal Holmstrom Maureen Holmstrom

INTERCESSOR Shannon Kilichowski Elizabeth Upgren Mary Walter Ernie Rall

HOSPITALITY Vi Hendricks

Ron Hendricks Sue Bruns Mary Bjerke June Aitken Karen Black

Gail Haubrich Marilyn Sundrud Sue Wright Stella Wakonabo

ALTAR SERVER Garret Schwindt Will Schwindt

Hannah Leisenheimer Hayley Leisenheimer

Dominic Dixon Daniel Froelich

Toby Glen Nathaniel Gourneau