St. Gerard Majella, Canton

SOLEMINTY OF MARY, THE HOLY MOTHER OF GOD

St. Gerard Majella Church

2

St. Gerard Majella, Canton

January 1, 2017

Collection December 24th & 25th

Attendance - 2,500

Clergy Fund Collection - $17,599

Thank you for your continued support of St. Gerard’s

Mass Intentions Saturday, December 31st 4:00PM Richard Scarry (3rd Anniversary) Sunday, January 1st 8:30AM Steven Colmer (5th Anniversary) 10:30AM Joao Araujo (Memorial) 6:00PM For the People of the Parish Monday, January 2nd 9:00AM Sophia & Jose Midence (Memorial) Saturday, January 7th 4:00PM Edward & Joyce McDonough (Anniversary) Sunday, January 8th 8:30AM Americo, Sabato & Johnny Ferrara (Memorial) 10:30AM For the People of the Parish 6:00PM Ed Gilmore & Brendan Burke (Memorial)

Your prayers are requested for Ernest J. “Ernie” Cavanagh who was buried from St. Gerard’s last week.

If you are a visitor to Saint Gerard Majella Parish, we want you to know how welcome you are whether you have come from another part of the country, from across the world, or from another parish here in the Archdiocese. Thank you for praying with us. Thank you also for your generosity, which helps us to cele-brate our liturgies in a fitting and beautiful way, and to offer spiritual support to people in the Canton area. Enjoy your visit!

Your daily life is complicated enough!

Forget your envelope or your check?

Make things easy on yourself!

Sign up for automatic offertory

Online at: www.parishpay.com

or through your Bank

Prayer Corner for the living Please keep the following in your prayers: John Mariani, Emily Lewis, Ava Alpert, Kay Smith, Robert Sommer, Lawrence, Marissa, Ericka, Danielle, Betty B., Anita Steele, PAF, David, Julia H., Harris Dervisevic, Brian, John IV, Billy G., Gwenyth McGovern, Jeannette C. Garcia, Alaina Goodwin, Carol Miller, Nicole Pellitteri, Matthew, Cheryl J., Susan, Madison Bergstrom, Aidan, Anthony Giogianni, Gene Floore, Donald Starr, Julia Starr, Catherine Starr, Andrew Starr, Ralph Ricci, Sherri, Sully & Maura Sullivan, Nupur Bhatnagar, Chris, Don Smith.

Homebound Ministry Deacon Dan and Eucharistic Ministers bring the Holy Eucharist to many of our fellow parishioners who are unable to leave their home to attend Mass. Within this very important ministry, we as a parish commu-nity are able to extend ourselves in a real and impor-tant way to many of our fellow parishioners who are permanently disabled or physically unable to make the trip from their home to church. We would like to expand this program to other parishioners who may be temporarily disabled due to a recent medical pro-cedure or who may simply be unable to find transpor-tation from home to church. If you are aware of any person who is unable to make their way to church for whatever reason, please contact the parish office and we will make sure they are included on our home-bound list.

• Going to church dramatically im-proves health. • (A 20-year study by Harvard scien-tists found) women who went to reli-gious services more than once a week

lived an average of five months longer than women who never went to services.

• The denomination of the church did not matter. The study included data on more than 75,000 U.S. women between the ages of 46 and 71.

• The Harvard study confirms other research that has found beneficial health effects from faith:

• A Duke University study found religiously active people have lower blood pressure.

• People with religious faith have less mental ill-ness, according to another Duke study. People who attend church once a week or more are less likely to be hospitalized, according to a study published in the Southern Medical Journal.

• Members of prayer groups have lower heart at-tack risk, a 2005 study found. CNN.com and In-stitute for Natural Healing

St. Gerard Majella, Canton

SOLEMINTY OF MARY, THE HOLY MOTHER OF GOD 3

Attention Parents When children need to use the bathrooms in the Church, during or after Mass, it is strongly recommended that an adult accom-pany them. This is not meant to alarm any-one but merely to underscore the simple fact that St. Gerard’s is a very safe and nurturing environment. Our aim is always to protect our children.

Operation Lazarus Our Youth Ministry students return to the Boston Common monthly to feed and clothe the homeless. Their faces always brighten when they see our van pull in and they are always so grateful for the gener-osity of our Parish. If you would like to donate to this worthwhile program, there are envelopes for your use at the right door exit to the back parking lot.

Contributing families for December were: Ghostlaws, Collins, Cunninghams, McCabes, Walkers, Bradleys, Countermans and Girl Scout Troop # 89222

THANK YOU !

Communion If you are attending Mass with someone who is un-able to walk to the altar to receive communion, please let one of the Eucharistic Ministers know before Mass so they can bring Communion to them.

The Religious Education schedule for Christmas Break:

Monday, January 2: New Year’s Day Observed: No Classes

Tuesday, January 3: Classes Resume

Trips BRANSON April 25 – 29, 2017

This highly entertaining tour features: Breakfast and dinner daily, round trip flights, four nights at a first class hotel and a number of top quality shows that Branson is noted for. Staggered rates depend on group size starting at $1729/ppdo for 40+ passengers to $1859 for as few as 20 people, cash or check.

MADEIRA & PORTUGAL’S TREASURES OCTOBER 4 – 12, 2017

Tour includes: Airfare; 4 nights on Madeira Island and 3 nights in Cascais; 12 meals; tours of Madeira, Lisbon, Fatima (100th anniversary) Sintra, and Obi-dos. Rate for tour is $2799/ppdo. Space is limited Dep. $250 with reservation.

Call 781-575-1491 for additional information and res-ervation forms

DONATIONS FOR CHRISTMAS FLOWERS

DONATIONS FOR CHRISTMAS FLOWERS MADE IN MEMORY OF

Baby Jack Crimmins Bob Crimmins

Marie, Alice & Pat Flynn Dorothy M. Nagle

Rosemarie & Paul Robison Steve Staffiere

Mr. & Mrs. Patrick Siska

Youth Ministry *Save the Dates*

Jr CYO: Black Light Dance. Friday, January 6th. Wear neon colors or white for a great effect! 7-10PM. $5 admission. Jr. CYO Ski Trip: Saturday, February 4th. Gun-stock Mt. Info and permission slips in the mail and our website. High School Ski Trip: Friday night-Sunday night, March 17-19. Okemo Mt., Vermont. $220 all inclusive. Info mailed and on our website. Confirmation Grade 10 Classes: Beginning January 10. Individual schedules have been mailed to all students. Father Bills: Next trip is Saturday, January 14th. Kids Camp Committee Meeting: Sunday, January 22, 7:30PM.

Food Pantry Our monthly collection of non-perishable items (beef stew, baked beans, mac & cheese, jelly, cereal, pasta, soup, Jell-O, canned fruits and vegetables) for the Canton Food Pantry will be taken up the weekend of January 7th & 8th. Donations may be left in the baskets at the doors of the church. As always your generosity is appreciated.

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St. Gerard Majella, Canton

January 1, 2017

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WELCOME TO SAINT GERARD MAJELLA If you have recently moved into our parish and would like to register as a parishioner, please fill out the form below. You may return it in the collection basket or drop it off at the Rec-tory. If you have any questions about our parish, please call the Rectory at 781-828-3420.

NAME: ______________________________________________________________

ADDRESS: _________________________________________PHONE: ____________

Pope Francis: Want to see God this Christmas? Be humble

By Elise Harris

(CNA/EWTN) News On Christmas Eve, Pope Francis noted how the coming of Jesus as an infant is paradoxi-cal to the images of grandeur that had accompanied the prophesies on the coming of the Messiah, saying this should challenges us to go beyond the ephemeral and focus on what really counts.

“If we want to celebrate Christmas authentically, we need to contemplate this sign: the fragile simplicity of a small newborn, the meekness of where he lies, the tender affection of the swaddling clothes. God is there,” the Pope said Dec. 24.

This is the “enduring sign to find Jesus,” he said. “Not just then, but also today.”

…Jesus “does not appear in the grand hall of a royal palace, but in the poverty of a stable; not in pomp and show, but in the simplicity of life; not in power, but in a smallness which surprises,” Francis said.

So if we want to find him, “we need to go there, where he is: we need to bow down, humble ourselves, make ourselves small.”

…In his homily, the Pope said the Child Jesus “challenges us” by inviting us “to leave behind fleeting illusions and go to the essence, to renounce our insatiable claims, to abandon our endless dissatisfaction and sadness for something we will never have” and rediscover “peace, joy and the meaning of life.”

The infant in the manger is a challenge, but Francis also urged attendees to allow themselves to be challenged by the children of today, “who are not lying in a cot caressed with the affection of a mother and father, but rather suffer the squalid mangers that devour dignity.”

Many children today hide underground to escape bombs or are forced to sleep either on the streets of large cities or at the bottom boats overflowing with immigrants, he said, noting that this reality should also chal-lenge us.

“Let us allow ourselves to be challenged by the children who are not allowed to be born, by those who cry be-cause no one satiates their hunger, by those who have not toys in their hands, but rather weapons.”

Christmas is both a mystery of hope and of sadness, he said, noting how the arrival of Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem points us to the indifference of many in the face of those who are discarded.

The same indifference is present modern society “when Christmas becomes a feast where the protagonists are ourselves, rather than Jesus; when the lights of commerce cast the light of God into the shadows; when we are concerned for gifts but cold towards those who are marginalized,” he said.

However, Christmas is also a sign of hope, because despite the darkness in our lives, God's light “shines out.” His gentle light doesn’t make us fearful, but rather, “God who is in love with us, draws us to himself with his tenderness, born poor and fragile among us, as one of us.”

… “Let us enter into the real Nativity with the shepherds, taking to Jesus all that we are, our alienation, our unhealed wounds. Then, in Jesus we will enjoy the flavor of the true spirit of Christmas: the beauty of being loved by God.”

St. Gerard Majella, Canton

SOLEMINTY OF MARY, THE HOLY MOTHER OF GOD 5

Worldwide Marriage Encounter As we celebrate Christ the King, let us remember the fullness of love re-flected in our marriage by attending a Worldwide Marriage Encounter Weekend. The next WWME weekend is January 20-22, 2017 in Duxbury and March 17-19, 2017 in South Kingstown, RI . For more information, call Stephen & Michelle O'Leary at 800-710-9963; visit us at www.WWMEMA.org.

Holy Land with Fr. Dermot Roache, SMA, February 16 -28, 2017 $3350 pp includes: Direct El Al Airlines flight Boston-Tel Aviv taxes & surcharges/travel on modern coach with Catholic guide/4 star hotel accommodations breakfast & dinner daily 9 lunches/entry fees per itinerary/daily masses/full religious program/cable-car at Masada/Sea of Galilee boat trip/Tips For more information or a brochure, please contact Mary Henry at Marian Pilgrimages mary@marianusa.com or 781-331-2444.

BC High Information Nights BC High, a college prep school for boys in grades 7-12, is hosting Information Nights for prospective families. Join these interactive events to gain a more focused perspective of BC High. Hear from our faculty and current students who will share their experiences about what makes BC High a special place. Engage in conversations to learn how our students’ growth is influenced by our program of for-mation, known as the Graduate at Graduation. The pro-gram begins at 6PM. Upcoming date:

Grades 7 – 8: January 5, 2017

For more information and to RSVP, visit www.bchigh.edu/visit or call 617-474-5010.

St. Mary of the Hills School in Milton is now accepting applications for the upcoming school year. The St. Mary’s Early Childhood Center (ECC) has expanded its program to children as young as 2.9 years old as of Au-gust 31, 2017. The school will be adding a new classroom for this young age group. The program will run 5 days a week from 8:50 am to 2:45PM. Space will be limited to 10 accepted students.

The school currently educates children in preschool through grade 8 and has implemented a S.T.R.E.A.M curriculum, which focuses on cross learning lessons in science, technology, religion, engineering, arts, and math.

Families interested in applying for next year’s ECC pro-gram should reserve their testing time slot for Friday, February 10, 2017 by contacting the Admissions Direc-tor, Ms. Margaret Collins at 617-698-2464. The testing date is quickly approaching and slots are filling up fast.

All interested families in applying for grades preschool to grade 8 are invited to attend the St. Mary of the Hills School Academic Night/Open House on Thursday, Feb-ruary 2nd, 2017 at 6PM.

Weekly tours are available every Wednesday at 9:30AM for all grades. Prospective families may contact Ms. Collins in the school office to reserve their spot on the tour or you may fill out an inquiry form our school web-site. Please visit www.smhschool.org for more informa-tion about our Catholic school.

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St. Gerard Majella, Canton

January 1, 2017

Address: 1860 Washington Street

Email: welcome@saintgerard.org

Web: www.saintgerard.org

Parish Office: 781-828-3420

Fax: 781-828-2520

Church Hall: 781-828-8699

MASS SCHEDULE

Sunday Masses: 8:30AM, 10:30AM & 6:00PM

Weekday Masses: Monday–Thursday 9:00AM

Saturday Vigil: 4:00PM

Holy Days: As announced

Rosary: Daily 8:30AM before Mass & Monday 7:30PM

SACRAMENT OF RECONCILATION

Saturdays: 3:15-3:45PM

SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM

2nd & 4th Sunday of the month at 1:00PM.

Contact the Parish Office one month in advance.

SACRAMENT OF MARRIAGE

Arrangements should be made six months in

advance. Contact the Parish Office.

SACRAMENT OF THE SICK

Contact the Parish Office if anyone is ill in the hospital or

at home.

EXPOSITION OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT

Tuesdays: 9:30AM–12 Noon

PRAYER MEETING

Tuesday, 7:30PM

A.A. MEETING

Saturday, 10:30AM, Church Hall

PARISH OFFICE HOURS

Monday 12:00-4:30PM

Tuesday - Thursday 9:30AM-4:30PM

BULLETIN NOTICES

Email submission by Monday at 9:00AM

Reverend Rodney J. Copp, J.C.L., Pastor rcopp@rcab.org

Deacon Daniel C. Nelson, THM, D. Min. dcndan@saintgerard.org

ASSISTING PRIESTS Rev. Bryan Parrish Rev. Daniel Magni

FINANCE & OPERATIONS MANAGER Gregory Pando, AIA - gpando@saintgerard.org

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION/YOUTH MINISTRY R.E. Coordinators: Mary Ann Brady, maryann@saintgerard.org Maura Messinger, maura@saintgerard.org Y.M. Director: Mike Mahan Y.M. Ass’t. Director: Janet Maguire Secretary: Kathy Donahoe: kathyd@saintgerard.org

PARISH SECRETARY Ellen Reynolds - ellen@saintgerard.org

DIRECTOR OF MUSIC MINISTRY Tracy Zwicker-Suplee - tracy@saintgerard.org

ORGANIST Elias Dagher

MARRIAGE COORDINATOR Dolores Johnson

ALTAR SERVERS Bernard Donahoe

CARETAKER Ellery Vinal

FINANCE COUNCIL Brian Callery bcallery@1017fg.com Steve MacPherson Smacpherson262@gmail.com Gene Manning manningfamily_12@hotmail.com Lisa Lopez lisaruthlopez@gmail.com

PARISH PASTORAL COUNCIL Kevin Donovan kevjdon@aol.com Tricia Kennedy tricia_kennedy@yahoo.com Joe Thornton jptjr2@gmail.com Jim Walker jim.walker499@gmail.com Jennifer Ryan jennryan3@gmail.com Ashlyn Wade ashlyn.wade@gmail.com

Connor Proctor - Youth Ministry Representative

Meetings will take place every second Wednesday of the month in the Rectory Conference Room.

No matter who you are, no matter what you do,

no matter where you come from, no matter where you are going, no matter how good or

bad things may seem, You are always welcome at

St. Gerard Majella

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