Saint Patrick Parish Saint Hedwig Parish

Serving the East Bayfront of Erie since 1837

Daily Mass 8 AM

Saturday Vigil Mass 5 PM Saturday Vigil Mass 4 PM

Sunday 8 AM & 10:30 AM

HOLY FAMILY OF JESUS, MARY AND JOSEPH

DECEMBER 28, 2014

Christmas at St. Patrick’s

Monsignor Henry Kriegel, Pastor Saint Patrick Parish Saint Hedwig Parish 130 East Fourth Street 521 East Third Street

Erie, PA 16507 Erie, PA 16507

454-8085 FAX 459-8685 454-6232 FAX 454-8096

stpats@neo.rr.com sainthedwig@neo.rr.com

www.saintpatrickparisherie.org www.sainthedwigparisherie.org Office Hours: Mon - Thurs 9AM-Noon, Office Hours: Wednesday 8AM—3:30PM

1 PM - 4PM; Friday 9AM - Noon

From the Pastor’s Desk…..

Today is the Feast of the Holy Family, always celebrated on the Sunday after Christmas. We hear first a wonderful reading from Sirach, a book written about 200 years before the birth of Christ. It contains moral instruction for Jewish daily life and human relationships. One of the re-curring themes is family relations. Today’s read-ing offers a prime example of the ideal family structure, one in which “honor” governs family ties. Children are clearly expected to obey and revere their parents while parents are to support each other and exercise authority over their chil-dren. In Jewish thought, how one honors and re-spects parents has a direct impact on one’s rela-tionship with God. According to Sirach, when a child honors and reveres his father, especially in old age, various divine rewards are given, sins are atoned, prayers are heard, children are forth-coming and a long life is granted. Our second reading from Paul’s Letter to the Co-lossians is a particularly poignant and moving instruction. It sets forth the ideal relationship be-tween husbands, wives and children. This read-ing is often read at weddings. However, most scholars believe that this section was not written by Paul, but by a later scribe a generation or two after Paul. Why? Because it does not contain Paul’s countercultural attitude toward women but seems to put women on an equal status with man, something that Paul does not do. Today’s gospel offers a glimpse of the holy fami-ly at a threshold moment in their lives. Luke is alone among the gospel writers in offering this portrait (recall that Luke contains 80% of what we know about Mary giving rise to the fact that he either knew her personally or knew someone from whom he received first hand information.)For Luke, Simeon and Anna are important fig-ures who advance this theology. First, their

words speak to God’s salvation, offered to both Jews and Gentiles, and they also point to the contradiction (controversy) that will mark the public ministry of Jesus. Remember that the same author wrote this gospel and Acts of the Apostles, the story of the apostles taking the message of salvation to the Gentiles. The Parish Office is closed for the holidays and will re-open on Monday, January 5. I am here in case of any emergency and you can reach me at the parish office or at my phone 454-4032. A special thanks to the parishioners who cleaned the Stations of the Cross in anticipation of Christ-mas as well as those who worked to decorate the churches for the season. Bishop Persico and about a dozen priests will be at St. Patrick’s rectory on New Years for pork and sauerkraut and some good time shared together. I invited priests who do not have family in town and who otherwise might not have a place to go for dinner on New Years. I mentioned in a bulletin about a month ago that I am surprised at how the number of weddings at St. Patrick’s for 2015 has dropped from an aver-age of about 30—35 per year down to only a doz-en. Well, I’ll learn not to write anything like that again. In the weeks since I wrote that, we have now scheduled a total of 23 weddings for the year. We are finishing up the 2014 weddings with a wedding on the Saturday after Christmas and the last one on New Year’s Eve. Couples planning a 2016 wedding at St. Patrick’s can now begin to make those reservations. In fact, we already have 5 scheduled for that year. If there are any high school students or college students in the parish who are confirmed and would like to be a Eucharistic Minister, please

Saint Hedwig News

Zyczymi Szczesliwego Nowego Roku! Happy New Year! Bless us in this new year, O Lord….

We offer our sympathy and prayers to the family of Eleanore Kaminski. We pray for the repose of her soul and that Christ’s consolation may touch the hearts of Eleanor's loved ones and friends.

Because of early deadlines for the bulletin, our offer tory for the weekends of December 20/21, 27/28 and January 3/4 will be listed in the bulletin of January 10/11. Thank you and God bless.

Masses Celebrated at Priest Retirement Home Raymond Kantorowski (Jane Kapella), Richard Dombkowski (Jean, Marie & Mercy Nowakowski), Jennie Pazdziesz (Wanda & Joe Habas), Mercedes Kalata (Frank & Chin), John C. Bargielski (Gert Ja-sek), Peter Joseph Dubowski (Mrs. Rita Kaminski), Chet Loncki (Stanley & Jane Lipinski).

New Year’s Day Mass - (Solemnity of Mary, the Ho-ly Mother of God) at Saint Patrick’s January 1st at 9:00am.

From the Pastor’s Desk continued………

contact the parish office. I would love to see some young people participating in our liturgies. If you look around at the new growth in the par-ish, most of it is comprised of young couples. I don’t think I have ever seen as many babies in church as we have at St. Patrick’s. And I would like the liturgies and the ministers to reflect some of that new youth. If anyone is interested in being a Eucharistic Minister or a lector, please contact the parish office. You can tell us what Masses you can do and what ones you can’t, and we’ll accommodate your request. I hope you took the time to read the recent bulle-tin insert on Saint Martin’s Center in the hopes that we can supply them with volunteers. They have the resources and a multitude of programs in place. What they desperately need are more volunteers. There are all kinds of positions open. Why not consider participating in some of their programs. You will be surprised at what a re-warding experience it is. Pope Francis recently made an overture to the Orthodox church for unity with the Roman church. He noted that we acknowledge the validi-ty of the sacraments in the Orthodox church as well as the validity of the ordination of their priests and bishops. Their sacraments are as val-id as are ours. But the overture he recently made to the Orthodox Patriarch was that we both seek unity “with no strings attached.” In the past, previ-ous popes have reached out to the Orthodox but always with an understanding that the papacy is supreme; Francis is not including this demand. He is instead, speaking of how the Synod of Bishops will become much more of a decision making body and that the pope cannot act in iso-lation from them. That’s a major move on the part of the papacy. Six Irishmen were playing poker and drinking beer when one of them played a bad hand, lost a lot of money and suddenly died. The rest drew straws to see who would tell his wife. The man who drew the shortest straw goes to his friend’s house to tell the wife and says, “Your husband lost a lot of money in a poker game and is afraid to come home.” The wife says, “Tell him to drop dead.” The man responds, “I’ll go tell him.”

Saint Hedwig Ministry Schedule

St. Hedwig Ministry Schedule January 3 4:00pm Lector Tom Kurpiewski Eucharist Charlotte Mabie Ushers Tom Zielinski Ray Nowosielski Altar Server Charlotte Mabie

Our Sanctuary Lamp burns this week in loving memory of William Hayes requested by Joe & Colette Vahey and family.

Our Lady’s Shrine Lamp burns in loving memory Jeanette Borowy requested by Gary & Laura Borowy.

St. Joseph Shrine Lamp burns in loving memory of Amanda Juchno requested by Judy & Peter Pentz. Remember in your prayers those in the hospital, nursing care, the military and the homebound.

Saint Patrick News

Please make a special effort to remember in your daily prayers the members of our parish who are hos-pitalized, in Long Term Nursing Care, or home-bound. We continue to thank those who make special donations to our parish and we pray for those people in whose honor the donations were made:

The Sanctuary Lamp burns in memory of Mary Ann Fessler from Alice & Carl Carlotti

The Food Pantry Truck is sponsored this week by the Ave Maria Care & Concern Society

Donation to the Food Pantry: In memory of Deceased Members of the Vitron, & Wenstran Families from Roberta & Robert Vitron

In memory of John & Cora O’Hara from Jeffery O’Hara

In memory oif the Poor Souls in Purgatory from Yvonne Gersims

In memory of Emory Lang, Jr., Jim & Mary Ann Mahoney, Paul & Norma Causgrove from Anne & Paul Causgrove

In memory of Bob Holmes from Kimberly & Joseph Bohrer

In memory of David C. Schmidt from Patricia Schmidt

In memory of John DeBias, Marjorie DeBias from Margaret & Kevin Cohick

In memory of Barbara McGill from Judy Galvin

In memory of Trish Hardner from Jeffery Hardner

In memory of Al Crunk from Nancy Crunk

In memory of Nancy Gallagher from Jane & Leo Fitz-gibbon Also donations from: Judy & Phillip Kelly, Jeanne & Wellie Yaple, Alice & Kenneth Daub, Barbara & Mark Sargent, Stephanie & Scott Nick, Thomas Fontecchio, Michael Reske and Mary Beth & Richard Wachter

NEED PRAYERS? Please call Mary Alice Hartwell at 454-5908 to have your prayer inten-tions placed on our joint parish pray-er wheel. Please be assured that your prayer requests will be treated with respect and confidentiality.

Stewardship Because of early publishing deadlines our offering for the weekends of December 20/21, December 27/28, and January 3/4 will be listed in the bulletin of Janu-ary 10/11. Thank you for your continued generosity.

Ministry Schedule

Thursday, January 1, 2015 at 9:00 am Eucharistic Minister: Forrest Mischler

Saturday, January 3, 2015 at 5:00 pm

Lector: Rick Filippi Eucharistic Ministers: Kay Mannino, Lynne Long Chris Sanner Greeters: Judy Kelly Altar Servers: Emilio & Gemma Filippi Ushers: Chris Lampe, Rob Oligeri, Phil Rewers

Sunday, January 4, 2015 at 10:30 am Lector: Ryan Palm Eucharistic Ministers: Dario Cipriani, Ed Brown, Charla Leehmuis Greeters: Arlene Millier. Tim Donlin Altar Servers: Juliette Morales Ushers: Dave Taccone, Tom Welch, Jim Wehan, Paul Balczun Offertory Counters: Bill Welsh, Cindy Welsh, Tim Donlin

ST. PATRICK’S WELCOMES THESE

NEW PARISHIONERS

Eleanor Bird, Amanda Bivens & Derek Connors,

Patricia Donnelly, Amy Beth Kooser, Ann Pysh,

Mary Ann Ritter, Debbie & Jim Kooser, Ashlee

Mook, Julie & Dave Sanner, Deborah & Barry Mas-

terson and Jeanette & Tom Schaaf

Athbhlian faoi mhaise dhibh! Celtic - Happy New Year!

HOLY FAMILY OF JESUS, MARY AND JOSEPH DECEMBER 28, 2014

LITURGY INTENTIONS Dec. 27 Vigil: The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, &

Joseph

4:00 PM TED MIELNIKI (IRENE & FAMILY) - ST.H

5:00 PM HELEN LAROCCA, ANNIV. OF BIRTH - ST.P

(DAUGHTER, ANGIE)

Dec. 28 The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary & Joseph

8:00 AM MARION BORKOWSKI - ST.P

(DAUGHTER, PAT ANTONOPLOS)

10:30 AM BETTY SONTAG (DAVID & LISA DEMARCO)-ST.P

Dec. 29 Monday, Fifth Day within the Octave of the

Nativity of the Lord

8:00 AM NO COMMUNION SERVICE OR MASS

Dec. 30 Tuesday, Sixth Day within the Octave of the

Nativity of the Lord

8:00 AM NO COMMUNION SERVICE OR MASS

Dec. 31 Wednesday, Seventh Day within the Octave of

the Nativity of the Lord

8:00 AM NO COMMUNION SERVICE OR MASS

Jan. 1 Thursday, The Octave Day of the Nativity of the

Lord - Solemnity of Mary the Holy Mother of

God

9:00 AM FRANK MARIELLA, ANNIV. (FAMILY)

Jan. 2 Friday, Saint Basil the Great & Gregory

Nazianzen, Bishops & Doctors

8:00 AM NO COMMUNION SERVICE OR MASS

Jan. 3 Saturday, Vigil: The Epiphany of the Lord

4:00 PM MARY ALICE MADONIA (JUCHNO FAMILY)-ST.H

5:00 PM PAUL & PAT RYAN (MARY & ROY MARSH)-ST.P

Jan. 4 The Epiphany of the Lord

8:00 AM MARY JEAN CIOCCIO - ST.P

(TOM & SHEILA HIGGINS)

10:30 AM JAMES MCCARTHY, ANNIV. (WIFE, MARY)-ST.P

DATES TO REMEMBER

St.H=St. Hedwig, St.P=St. Patrick, HR=Holy Rosary

CP=Chapel,, PF=Polish Falcons PR=Pascal Room, R=Rectory, CV=Convent

12/27 3:30 PM Confessions - St.H

4:30 PM Confessions - St.P

12/28 NO RELIGIOUS EDUCATION CLASSES

12/30 11:00 AM Food Pantry - PR

01/03 3:30 PM Confessions - St.H

4:30 PM Confessions - St.P

01/04 9:00 AM Rel. Ed Kdg. - Grade 6 - Holy Rosary

1:00 PM Rel. Ed Jr./Sr. High - Holy Rosary

1:00 PM Confirmation Session - Holy Rosary

NEW PARISHIONER REGISTRATION FORM

Saint Hedwig Saint Patrick

NAME: ____________________________ _____________________ PHONE: ____________

STREET: ______________________________________ CITY: _____________ ZIP: _______

E-MAIL: _______________________________DATE OF BIRTH_______________________

PLEASE CIRCLE ONE BELOW:

New Registration Change of Address Moving Want Envelopes

PLEASE DROP THIS INFORMATION INTO Offertory Basket or mail to Rectory

A Moment of Reflection

Reading I: Sirach 3:2-6, 12-14

Gospel: Luke 2:22-40

This Sunday we are invited to think about some of the

experiences or events that define who you are. What have

you learned from your own family that has stayed with

you—that helps define who you are today? What is it

about your family life that you are proud of? Is there a

significant experience that defines what family life means

to you? How has technology affected your family life...for

the good? ...for the not so good?