St. Cornelius Church 5500 Wardlow Rd., Long Beach, CA 90808

(562) 421-8966 www.stcorneliuslb.org

Christmas Schedule—2017

SACRAMENT OF PENANCE

Monday, December 18 7:00 p.m. - St. Joseph's

Penance Service Tuesday, December 19th 7:00 p.m. - St. Cornelius Visiting Priests Available

Thursday, December 21st after 8:00a.m. Mass and 4:00 p.m.—4:45 p.m.

Friday, December 22nd after 5:00 p.m. Mass

Saturday, December 23rd after 8:00 a.m. Mass and 4:00 p.m.—4:45 p.m.

CHRISTMAS EVE MASS SCHEDULE

Sunday, December 24th - Christmas Eve 3:30 p.m. Samoan Choir - Church

(Music program begins at 3:00 p.m.) 3:30 p.m. Children's Choir - Large Hall

5:30 p.m. Organist & Cantor 10:00 p.m. Adult Choir

(Music program begins at 9:30 p.m.)

Monday December 25th - Christmas Day

8:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m. 12:00 noon

There will be no evening Mass

PASTOR’S CORNER 1 1 PASTOR’S CORNER 1

Hearing confessions is a ministry that Fr. George and I love to do. It is the place where we help people like no oth-er. It is a great privilege to be an instrument of God’s mercy and forgiveness. There are no limits to God’s forgiveness. As Isaiah reminds us: I will separate you from your Sins as for as the east is from the west. Though your sins be like scarlet I will make them as white as snow. In St. Luke’s Gospel chapter 15 we have the three parable of God’s mercy; - The Lost Sheep - The Lost Coin - The Prodigal Son The Prodigal Son is one of the greatest stories ever told. It tells us everything we need to know about God’s mercy. I love the part that states: “While he was still a long way off, the father caught sight of him. Deeply moved he ran out to meet him, threw his arms around his neck and kissed him.” All this indicates that the father was waiting and yearning for his sons return. God has the same attitude towards us. Henri Nouwen’s book; The Return of the Prodigal Son is an excellent read. The words of absolution are as follows; God, the Father of Mercies Through the Death and Resurrection of his son.

Has reconciled the world to himself And sent the Holy Spirit among us For the forgiveness of sin Through the ministry of the Church May God give you pardon and peace And I absolve you from your sins. In the name of the Father, And of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Seeking forgiveness is one side of the coin of mercy. The second is granting forgiveness to others. We are called to emulate God’s mercy and forgiveness. We pray in the “Our Father—Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.” Not being able to forgive is like a spiritual cancer that prevents us from loving the people we want to love. When we resent someone we become their slave. When we forgive we experience a peace and tranquility like no other: it is truly liberating. Once I was in prayer with two priests. We shared the three major hurts of our lives. Then we forgave. When I returned to the parish I didn’t talk about the experience. However, people said to me, “Father you are different...what hap-pened?” They could see that my whole being had been transformed. That is what happens when we forgive. PENANCE SERVICE On Tuesday, December 19th at 7 p.m. we will be having a Penance Ser-vice. We will have several visiting Priests. It would be appreciated if you come when we have the help.

Siempre Adelante, Fr. Mike

THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT

FORGIVENESS

By: Fr. Mike Gleeson, Pastor

Tuesday, December 19 8:00 a.m. †Petronilo L. Garcia Jr. †Eric Dagel Sr. Kathleen Bryant (50th Anniversary as Nun) 5:00 p.m. The Dagel Family Sesilia Aoga Maureen Bannon Wednesday, December 20 8:00 a.m. Kenny Neo Tuiloma (Birthday) †Petronilo L. Garcia Jr. Kene Leilua 5:00 p.m. Agnes M. Callahan The Dagel Family Alapa Leilua Thursday, December 21 8:00 a.m. †Petronilo L. Garcia Jr. Kene & Alapa Leilua 5:00 p.m. The Dagel Family Ashley Kibler (Birthday) Sesilia Aoga Friday, December 22 8:00 a.m. Kameko Rios (Birthday) †Janice Wilbur †John Bannon 5:00 p.m. †Petronilo L. Garcia The Dagel Family Teresa Leone Saturday, December 23 8:00 a.m. Virginia Butler (Birthday) †Elizabeth Gaudy Teresa Leone 5:00 p.m. †Angela Miranda †Petronilo L. Garcia Janis Petrin Sunday, December 24, 4th Sunday of Advent 8:00 a.m. †Anthony Paracca Dr. & Mrs. Suaray Darla Waddicar 10:00 a.m. †Brian Tempel †Petronilo L. Garcia Jr. 12:00 noon Sesilia Aoga Nicolas DeGaulejac Sunday, December 24th Christmas Eve 3:30 p.m. Guinan Family Church †Myles Nolan Nolan Family 3:30 p.m. †Angela Miranda Hall The Dagel Family Alba Lucy Elrod 5:30 p.m. †Mary Maglione †Anthony Bonvino 10:00 p.m. Frederick Mildred Be s People of St. Cornelius Monday, December 25th Christmas Day 8:00 a.m. †Brian Tempel †Lore a P. Silvestre Michael Timoney (Birthday) 10:00 a.m. †Patrick McCormick †Eugenio Jala 12:00 Noon †Ruben Lopez †Petronilo L. Garcia Jr.

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WEEKEND MASSES Saturday, December 23 5:00 p.m. Fr. George Reynolds Lector Pam Branch Sunday, December 24, 4th Sunday of Advent 8:00 a.m. Fr. Bill McLeam Lector: Ed Barwick 10:00 a.m. Fr. Mike Gleeson Lector: Bert Howard 12:00 Noon Fr. George Reynolds Lector Darlene Boucher Sunday, December 24 Christmas Eve Masses 3:30 p.m. Msgr. Jack Stoeger Church Lector Darlene Bouche 3:30 p.m. Fr. George Reynolds Hall Lector Dan Bradley 5: 30 p.m. Fr. Bill McLean Lector Marco Lopez 10:00 p.m. Fr. Mike Gleeson Lector Monte Bigelow Monday, December 25 Christmas Masses 8:00 a.m. Fr. Mike Gleeson Lector TBD 10:00 a.m. Fr. George Reynolds Lector TBD 12:00 Noon Fr. Mike Gleeson Lector Isabella Carbonara

LITURGY

MASS INTENTIONS † = Indicates Deceased Sunday, December 17 8:00 a.m. †Michael Dipietro †Esther L. Vieyra Maximus Orbiso 10:00 a.m. Irene Snyder Luke & Chase Snyder Kene Leilua 12:00 noon †Brian K. Tempel †Eusebio Sombilon †Mary Maglione 5:00 p.m. †Maureen O’Hanlon †Petronilo L. Garcia Jr. Alapa Leilua Monday, December 18 8:00 a.m. †Donald Theiss †Petronilo L. Garcia Jr. Kene Leilua 5:00 p.m. †Maureen O’Hanlon †Nancy Nemeth Alapa Leilua

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Please Pray for the Souls of

SANDRA LUKEHART MARIA AGUILERA MARY MAGLIONE

May They Rest in Peace

ADULT FAITH & SPIRITUALITY

PRAYERS FOR THE SICK For The Sick Who Have Asked To Be Remembered In Prayer:

Marcey McConnell Flood Alba Lucy Elrod Elizabeth Cannata Adam & Carla Mars Sandee Bradley DJ Barwick Peggy Hasse Dolores Lounsbury Peggy Pen s Walter Bordeaux Erin & Brian Longhofer Ghusn Mhawji Martha Burris Frances Boudreau Lee Hicks Julienne Aoga Sio Patolo Kasiano Alai Fiu Iosefo Aoga Mulitalo Mikaele Patricia Wolfe Samuel McCarthy Sherill S llwell Judy Klenk Jonathan Kolp Frank Novak Jean Wells Karen Gingras Alvin York Jack Alva Cooper Chris Leon Greg & Laurie Kelly Diane Reed Larry Gaudy Travis Melnick Joseph Lesko Helen Orton Dave Wills Henry Sarnecki Bob Early Jenni Rojas Rochelle Lewis Lavin Percival Francisco Paxton Thompson Maria Valadez Rosa C. Lopez Diaz Salvador Diaz Rosa M. Vivar

Anna Salinas Bella Moody William Steele Dennis Meza Javier Roberts Jessica Ortega Erin Miskelly Renee Ganske Roman Romo Rebecca Upton Jesus Palacios Pat Kitching Jim Kline Marjorie J. Lehman Alma Gomez Carna Ahmadzai Marta R. De Quiros Fernando J. Rodriguez Ana Maria Menendez Anna Coles Ruben Diaz Hazel Foley Kathy Statlander Sharon Barre Olivia Howard Jan Wynn Carlos Jaramillo Jessica Rigsby Cliff Richard John Cutler Alberto J. Smith AnneMarie Robinson Anita Digregorio Joyce Kelly Nadine Roberts Deb Sanders Sherry Waide Carmen Bernales Ronald Collins Kenny Collins William Priest Chris Norton Victor DeGrazia Harry Lacave Nanda Wijetunga Lori Richards Bret Has ngs Joe Miskiel

CANDLES Candles can be purchased in the Rectory. The cost of can-dles is $5.00. The ligh ng of the candles is the responsi-bility of the buyer. For more informa on please contact the Rectory (562) 421-8966.

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Fr. Mike Gleeson, Pastor Fr. George Reynolds, Associate Pastor

Richard Boucher, Deacon Joe Hamamoto, Deacon

Secretary’s E-mail:

secretary.stcornelius@gmail.com

Rectory Hours MON-FRI

9:00 a.m.—7:00 p.m. Saturday

9:00 a.m.—1:00 p.m.

St. Cornelius Catholic School Principal—Nancy Hayes

3333 North Bellflower Blvd. Long Beach, CA 90808 Phone: 562-425-7813 www.stcornelius.net

PRAYER LIST O en mes family members and friends call us to

ask that we pray for individuals during a trying health issue. Most of the me they do not call back to let

us know if the person is well. Please contact the Rectory if your loved one can be

removed from the Prayer list.

4 YOUTH MINISTRY RELIGIOUS EDUCATION NEWS

Christmas Holiday Closure There will be no Religious Educa on sessions,

Sunday, December 17, 2017 through January 7, 2017. The Office of Religious Educa on will be closed December 22, 2017 through January 3, 2018. Sessions and dismissals will resume the

week of January 7, 2018.

Informa on for THE LOS ANGELES RELIGIOUS EDUCATION CONGRESS is available online,

www.recongress.org or in the Religious educa on Office.

SAFEGUARD THE CHILDREN Did you know? Pay a en on to signs of neglect Neglect is a form of child abuse characterized by a failure to meet a child’s basic needs for nourishment, shelter, clothing, healthcare, educa on and so forth. Be on the lookout for signs of neglect in the children you see on a daily basis because if these needs are not met, a child may be suffering physically and emo onally. Some signs of neglect include malnourishment, poor hygiene, and insuffi-cient medical care. For more informa on, and a copy of the VIRTUS® ar cle “The O -Forgo en Type of Abuse: Neglect,” visit h p://www.la-archdiocese.org/org/protec ng/Pages/VIRTUS-Current-Online-Ar cles.aspx, or call (213) 637-7508.

CONFIRMATION NEWS HIGH SCHOOL: Youth Group: Wednesday nights 7:30-9:00 in the youth room (Please use Bellflower entrance into the large hall) Open to all high school aged students wishing to learn more about their Catholic Faith and/or wan ng to meet fellow Catholic teens. CONFIRMATION Year 2 CLASS: Sunday, December 17th, 1:30-4:45 p.m. Final $100 retreat payment due on this day. Don't forget to dress appropriately for Mass Celebra on. BLANKET DRIVE: A warm thank you to everyone that has donat-ed to our blanket drive. We are s ll accep ng dona ons. You can drop off in the large hall on Sunday, December 17th between 2:00-5:00 p.m. and any other me at the church Rectory un l then. On Wednesday, December 20th we will be making blankets and pu ng toiletry packets together. Please feel free to join us in the large hall from 7:00-9:00 pm. This is a great opportunity for our community at St. Cornelius to come together in support of those less for-tunate.

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COMMUNITY NEWS 5

ST. VINCENT DE PAUL SOCIETY Third Sunday of Advent: In today’s Gospel John the Bap st says, “I am the voice of one crying in the desert; make straight the way of the Lord.” Let us ask for the grace to help others to know the love of the Lord. Christmas is a me of love and gi giving…please give to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul so that those who do not have clothes and food can share in the blessings of Christ-mas.

RESPECT LIFE NEWS & NOTES AudioGirl Ministries

A Bold and Ac ve Voice for the Unborn.

One of the focuses of AudioGirl Ministries is pur-chasing ultrasound machines for pro-life pregnan-

cy clinics. Why? Because once an abor on-minded woman sees her unborn child via the ul-trasound machine there's an 80% chance she'll

choose life for her baby.

Last week AGM received an update from one of the clinics that they gi ed with a machine. The update reported another one of their abor on-

minded clients who saw her unborn child via ultra-sound said YES to life! That’s one more of the

hundreds of lives AGM’s been integral in helping to save.

AudioGirl Ministries is in the processing of placing their 4th ultrasound machine - this one at The

Guadalupe Medical Clinic in Los Angeles. This is a very busy clinic where up to 400 babies a year are

saved from abor on.

AudioGirl Ministries wishes to thank all of our sup-porters at St. Cornelius - YOU make buying ultra-

sound machines and saving lives possible.

To learn more about AudioGirl Ministries, or to make a dona on, visit AudioGirlMinistries.com

Do you know how to defend your pro-life posi on? Afraid you’ll say the wrong thing?

You will love this APP.

SCHOOL ENROLLMENT St. Cornelius School is now accep ng applica ons for the 2018-2019 school year. Transi onal Kinder-garten (TK) and Kindergarten applica ons are due to the school office by January 26, 2018. Children applying for Transi onal Kindergarten must be 4 years old by September 1, 2018. Children applying for Kindergarten must be 5 years old by December 1, 2018. Please call the school office at (562) 425-7813 or drop by to pick up an applica on packet. The applica on form can also be found on the school website at www.stcornelius.net.

THANK YOU Thanks to all the volunteers who helped make

the 45th Portraits of the Prince of Peace Pageant a great success. The actors, musicians, singers, dressers, hospitality crew and environ-ment helpers, as well as those who assisted in scene set-up and dismantling. You were all a key part in making St. Cornelius shine. Well over 1000 people walked the pageant each

night, and you can all be proud of your part in telling the story of the Na vity. Merry Christmas and God Bless.

7 COMMUNITY NEWS

We invite the community to meet the Catechumens and Candidates who are in the St Cornelius RCIA program. These commi ed men and women have been mee ng since September to

prepare for their Sacraments. We ask that the community pray for them as they con nue their journey to Easter when they will be invited into full communion with the Catholic Church.

Top Row: Marco Aguilar, Kathy Booth, Alejandra Enriquez, Yolanda Cuevas, Pat Ehrhardt Middle Row: James Hayes, Christopher Alpert, Anne e Kramer, Marvin Recepcion, Jose Espinoza

Bo om Row: Ashley Hayes, Andrew Goldman, Megan Hicks, Thalia Temores, Kris ne Robes