Home	Christ the King	2012 Bulletins
	November 25, 2012
SAINT PETER’S PARISH 10 maple street • Dartmouth, NS • B2Y 2X3    tel 466-6183 • fax 466-2207 e-mail:   st.peters.dartmouth@ns.sympatico.ca website:   http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/Religion/StPeters PASTOR FR. JIM RICHARDS DEACON JACK MACNEIL • DEACON BERNIE YOUNG   DIRECTOR of MUSIC and LITURGY GREG BECIGNEUL • PRIEST IN RESIDENCE FR. CHARLES BURKE  RELIGIOUS EDUCATION COORD HEATHER RIDEOUT • OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR SHERRI LAPIERRE REGULAR OFFICE HOURS:  MONDAY to THURSDAY; 9 am – 4 pm / FRIDAY: 9am – 1 pm  WEEKDAY MASS SCHEDULE Monday ……........................................................No Mass Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday.....………..……….....12 noon Friday………………………........................................no mass WEEKEND MASS SCHEDULE Saturday………........................………………………….…...4pm Private Confession..............….............………….3 – 3:30pm Sunday……………...............................8:45, 11:15 and 7pm IMMACULATE CONCEPTION MASS SCHEDULE Monday ……………....………......…..........………..…….… 7pm Private Confessions (Last Monday of Month)...6:30-6:45pm Sunday………………......................…………………….....10am   Christ the King - November 25, 2012 “My kingdom is not of this world.” Where is Jesus’ Kingdom? It exists wherever people embody Jesus’ manner of acting and relating (“belongs to the truth”), wherever the Spirit of Jesus is the rule of life. We enter into Jesus’ kingdom whenever we listen to his voice and proclaim him “the Alpha and the Omega” (2nd reading) of all that is. This kingdom does not belong to this world, but is meant to transform this world. Today we celebrate a King whose presence and power we have experienced: Christ, whose kingdom is not territory but virtue, not power but service, not wealth but grace.   Advent Begins Next Sunday Next Sunday we enter the season of Advent, the beginning of a new Liturgical Year.  ‘Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain wisdom of the heart’ (Psalm 90:12) beseeches the psalmist.  Numbering our days, marking time, is essential to being human.  We ritualize the change of seasons and the beginning of the new year; we celebrate birthdays and anniversaries; we order our lives by the clock and the calendar.  Keeping track of time provides us with a common structure for life’s activities.  Applied to the Church, knowing what time it is invites us, as a community and as individuals, to live more fully our Christian calling to pattern our lives on the Paschal Mystery of the life, death, and Resurrection of Jesus the Christ.  What we begin in Advent will continue throughout the entire year as we listen to the scriptures and learn to understand Jesus’ life and teachings as a template for our own. Advent, the beginning of a new liturgical year, is a period of joyful anticipation.  The tendency to focus exclusively on Advent as preparation for Christmas Time can prevent us from also seeing these four weeks as an opportunity to begin a new year of grace, a year in which we deepen our participation in Christ’s life and teachings as a template for our own.  Preparing for Jesus’ birth is the beginning, a first step. For us who live in the northern hemisphere, Advent corresponds with the coming of winter’s increasingly long and dark days.  We feel in our bones what it means to walk in the darkness and to see a light.  We wait in eager anticipation of the growing light as the candles of the Advent wreath are incrementally lit over the four weeks. During Advent we are preparing to experience this divine light in our lives.  We receive glimpses of it in the liturgy as we listen to the readings and we sense it in our hearts as we meditate on the One for whom we wait.  Much of our world may be dark, ravaged by the sins of war, greed, persecution and degradation.  Yet as Christians, we once again commit ourselves to embracing and embodying the Light, which not even the darkness can overcome. (condensed from The Almanac for Pastoral Liturgy: Sourcebook for Sundays, Seasons and Weekdays)   Catechetical Program Classes continue this Sunday for Primary to Grade 6 EDGE on Saturday Dec 8 at 10am Confirmation Class on Saturday Dec 8 at 10am  The children preparing to celebrate their First Holy Communion celebrated the Sacrament of Reconciliation for the first time this Saturday.  Keep them in your prayers as they continue on their journey to know the Saviour.   Advent Liturgical Environment: Helpers Needed Consider helping us next Saturday, December 1 beginning at 9am as we make our annual preparations for the season of Advent.  That day we will install the Advent Wreath and Candles as well as the Nativity setting.  If you are able to help it would be appreciated.   Advent Backpack Project This year our parish will partner with four other Dartmouth parishes to fill bags of gifts for the patrons of Feeding Others of Dartmouth and other local charities. Our goal is to fill 300 gift bags with useful items for adult men and women who do not have the resources to provide for themselves. At the entrances to the church, you will find gift bags with a list of suggested items inside.  Please take a gift bag home with you, fill it, and deliver it back to the church on or before Thursday, December 13. We hope for your generous support of this Advent project. ADVENT BACKPACK PROJECT: the background The F.O.O.D. Advent Backpack Project is a church-based initiative that provides Christmas gifts to the patrons of Feeding Others of Dartmouth (FOOD), an organization which provides free meals to those less fortunate in our community.  FOOD is located at the corner of Wentworth and Ochterloney streets and is affectionately known as “Margaret’s House”. The Project was first undertaken in 2005 by a couple of Dartmouth parishes as an Advent project. This one-time project was such a success that it was decided to keep it going and it is still alive and well today, 8 years later! The project has successfully grown to include volunteers from five Dartmouth parishes: Immaculate Conception, St. Anthony, St. Clement, St. Paul and St. Peter and to provide not only 130 backpacks filled with personal care items, warm winter accessories, towels, groceries and more but also provides filled gift bags for 9 other local charities.  The number of people receiving gifts last year was estimated at 400.   Prayer Cards for the Season of Advent As our parish celebrates this Year of Faith, we aim to provide prayer opportunities to reach those who are suffering, in need or have been separated from our community.  We begin today by making sets of prayer cards available to families.  The cards are provided at no cost by CHALICE and offer the opportunity to provide tangible evidence to those we know who are in need of prayer by lighting a candle, saying the prayer inside the card and then sending the card to the person for whom we pray.  The format is called Evena, which means praying three times over three days for someone.  The first prayer will be prayed together each Sunday at the lighting of the Advent wreath at Mass.  There are three cards in each set enabling families to pray for three people they know, one for each of the first three Sundays in Advent.  Families are asked to pray twice more during the week at home to conclude each week of the Evena Prayer invitation.  On the fourth Sunday, you are invited to bring your three addressed cards back to the church if you wish and deposit them in the containers we will have set up.  (please be sure to add a stamp on your envelopes)  They will be brought forward and a prayer of thanksgiving and blessing will be said that week before they are mailed off from the parish.  As we drench our community in prayer in this time of New Evangelization, this tangible sign of sharing Christ will let them know that the Church is alive, well and faithfully still praying for them.     Parish Administration   Donations for 2012 In order for your donations to be included in your 2012 tax receipt, please ensure you drop your envelope in the collection basket by Sunday, December 30. Any donations received in January have to be dated 2013, they cannot be backdated to 2012. Thank You for your continued support and understanding   Advent Backpack Fundraiser Dinner Thanks to all who have worked so hard to make the Annual Advent Backpack Fundraising Dinner a great success this weekend.  The funds realized will be applied to the cost of ensuring that the Advent Backpack Project is successful again this year.  The time spent by parishioners in fostering outreach to the less fortunate is one sign of the vitality of the parish.    New Sunday Missals are available in the main entrance of the church for $3.   Fireside Kitchen Christmas Fruitcake Campaign Life Coalition Nova Scotia is taking orders again this year. The order form is in the main entrance of the church, the cut off date is Friday, November 30.  Call Ellen at 861-1982 or Marian 865-8160   Feed Others Of Dartmouth Special Request There is an urgent need for new or used men’s and women’s winter gloves and socks.  The need exists as the days grow longer and colder and our friends in the downtown area struggle to stay warm.   upcoming liturgies + events + programs + meetings   Catechetical Program Classes as usual this Sunday, Choir Rehearsals (Children and Adult respectively) Children’s and Adult Choirs Wed Nov 21 at 4 and 7:30pm Children’s Liturgy of the Word Sunday at the 8:45am Mass Sister Norma Heffernan’s Series on the Book of Exodus Thursday mornings at 10:15 (parish office) Preparation of Liturgical Environment for Advent Next Saturday, Dec 1 at 9am in the church Jesse Tree Dec 2 and 9 at 8:45am Mass Senior’s Group Planning Committee Monday Dec 3 at 2pm (parish office) Senior’s Group Gathering Mass at noon followed by Luncheon and social Tuesday Dec 4 Catholic Women’s League Tuesday Dec 4 at 7pm (parish office) Sacrament of Reconciliation Service Wednesday, December 12 at 7pm Advent in our diocesan community…     Cursillo Ultreya at St Benedict Parish on Nov 28  at 7pm Cursillo Memorial Mass will be followed by monthly Ultreya.  All Cursillistas and friends are welcome.   The Christmas Story at St Agnes Church Hall Nov 29–Dec 3 at 7:30pm.presented by St Thomas Aquinas Canadian Martyrs Parish. Song, dance, comedy and drama. $15 ($20 at the door) info at 423-3057.  Proceeds to assist the poor.   Hand in Hand: looking for volunteers The mission of Hand in Hand is to be an outreach of the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul to operate a Centre to provide social, cultural, material, spiritual and educational programs for those in need.  They are in need of assistance to sort donations. Contact Heather Coffin - Executive Director at 477-7744. Thanks for considering.   Employment Opportunity – Database Analyst CHALICE, a Catholic sponsorship and development charity, seeks a person to be responsible for database analyst and end-user training. For more information view their website www.chalice.ca.   Jesuit Centre of Spirituality 2287 Brundswick Street Programs registrar@jesuitspirit.ca or phone 429-7344 A time aside: Mini-Retreat Day Monday December 2 Theme: All for God's Greater Glory Know God more personally through mini-retreat days which can be taken individually or in series. Drawing on the heritage of St. Ignatius Loyola and the scriptures, retreatants will spend time in private prayer and optional faith-sharing. Lunch provided. 10:30am to 2:30pm.   Pre-Marriage Course at St. Thomas Aquinas Canadian Martyrs 7 weeks starts Mon Feb 4 6:30-9pm fee is $80 call 423-3057  Loonie-Toonie Coffee House at St. Paul Church Wed Nov 28 7-9pm. Entry: a toonie. Hosted by the Sham-Rocks.  Bring your friends and musical instruments.   Merchandise Auction at Stairs Memorial United Church 44 Hester St Dartmouth on Dec 1, 2012 from 1-4pm. Lots of items! Viewing 12noon. Desserts served. $5 (466-4389 or at the door)   Annual Christmas Bingo at St Catherine Parish on Dec 2 at 2pm Regular games $5 per book, for turkeys and specials.  Doors open at 12:30.   Christmas Kettles The Salvation Army is looking for volunteers to stand with their Christmas Kettles.  The shifts are two hours in length at various locations around Dartmouth.  If you are able to help, please contact Katherine Winsor at 717-4646     Lost and Found A woman’s watch was found in the hedge row along Maple Street.  Contact the office        St. Vincent de Paul Advent and Christmas Outreach  ANNUAL CHRISTMAS DINNER For many years our St. Vincent de Paul Society has spearheaded a Christmas dinner for our friends and neighbours in the downtown area who struggle to meet their basic needs.  Annually, hundreds of people enjoy this offering.  Parishioners of St. Peter Parish have always generously given of their time and resources, a great testament to our faith in the mission to serve those who are less fortunate. This year’s dinner will be held on Sunday, Dec. 16.    Your donations of food or money would be appreciated.  Call Anne MacIsaac at 466-3144.  Needed are 48 turkeys, 52 pies, 32 bags of frozen vegetables and 32 cans of gravy.  Donations should be in by Tuesday, Dec.11. You may wish to help with food preparation (potato peeling and more) on Saturday, Dec.15 at11am.   As well, your help is required on the day of the dinner to prepare food, set-up the parish hall, serve food and of course clean up after 2pm.  CHRISTMAS SPONSORS  If individuals, groups or businesses are interested in sponsoring a family or a single person at Christmas please call Ann MacIsaac at 466-3144.  We emphasize the need for sponsorship of a single person because often they are overlooked at this time of year.  Please keep the dedicated members of the St. Vincent de Paul Society and the people served by them in your prayers, particularly at this time of year.   Advent Wreath for the Home   As we enter the season of Advent and Christmas our thoughts go to the symbols that have meaning in our lives.   Often at this time of year we feel at odds with the rest of the culture.  So it is important to maintain the traditions that help us focus on the meaning of the season. In our parish, many have incorporated the tradition of lighting the candles of the Advent wreath in their home.  We encourage you to bring out your home Advent wreath this week and dust it off.  Replenish the four candles so that as you light them, one for each week of Advent, you will mark time, so important to the essence of our humanity. (see article above: Advent Begins Next Sunday) If you do not have the Advent wreath tradition in your home, consider starting it this year.  Simply use an appropriately sized wreath for your kitchen or dining room table, or where ever you or members of your family gather to eat meals or share time.  Festoon the greenery with violet and rose coloured ribbons until Christmas Day (when they may be changed to white or gold).  Supply four candles in safe candle stick holders (many have used white pillar candles or even vigil candles in glass holders).  Either way, on the First Sunday in Advent, and for the following week, light the first candle.  Say the Advent Prayer (found in the corresponding bulletin) for that day or week.  Light the second candle as well on the Second Sunday and following week, and continue marking time until Christmas.   Gift Certificate Tree Immaculate Conception Church announces that tickets are being sold on a Gift Certificate Tree valued at $1200 to raise money for the new roof.  Tickets are available at the Russell Lake Sobeys on Friday, November 30 and Saturday, December 1 from 9:30am to 2:30pm and at Sobeys at Penhorn Mall on Saturday, December 15 from 9:30am to 2:30pm.  The draw will be on Sunday, December 16.     Development and Peace This fall, D&P’s education theme is DO IT JUSTICE. They ask their supporters to reflect on how Canadians contribute to international solidarity and the fight against poverty. Since its founding, D&P has supported more than 16,000 local initiatives in 70 countries in diverse fields such as agriculture, education, community action, peace building and human rights. The needs, perspectives and knowledge of the poor must be included in aid and development projects. There are information papers at the main entrance of the church. Please take one home.  Consider becoming a member of D&P.  A one year membership is $5. It’s a straightforward way to be in solidarity with D&P. Find forms at the main entrance.   The St. Vincent de Paul Annual Book Sale The St. Vincent de Paul Society thanks you for supporting the Annual Book Sale last weekend.  $1393.70 was realized.  The 50/50 prize went to Chris Rector to the tune of $63.   a special thank you A special thank you goes out to Sadie Graham, her family and birthday guests who collected a large donation of food for the food bank on the occasion of Sadie’s recent 100th birthday.  Thank you for so generously thinking about the Society and the people they serve.   Also, the St. Vincent de Paul Society thanks Sobeys on Portland Street (Penhorn) for the van load of food they contributed from their October food drive!  Well done.   Senior’s Group The next senior’s gathering will be on Tuesday, December 4.  That day, the folks will gather to celebrate Mass at noon, followed by a light lunch and social time in the room behind the tapestry.  Good times.   Sacrament of Reconciliation in Advent During the season of Advent you will have several opportunities to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation.   On Wednesday, December 12 at 7pm we will gather in the church with members of neighbouring parishes to celebrate a communal Service of Reconciliation.  After a liturgy of the Word and Examination of Conscience there will be private confessions.   Mental Health Program Christmas Gifts Once again we are collecting Christmas gifts for inpatients and residents of the Nova Scotia Hospital, Abbie J. Lane Building and East Coast Forensic Hospital. Please pick up a suggested gift list from the entrances and drop your new, unwrapped gift off at the main entrance.   Catholic Women’s League Cookbook 2013 will mark the 60th Anniversary for the Catholic Women’s League at St. Peter Parish.  To commemorate the occasion, the League is compiling recipes for a cookbook which will be available for purchase in the spring of 2013.  The proceeds will be donated to Bryony House, a shelter for women and children who are victims of violence.  The League is seeking your help to obtain recipes from past members of Saint Peter CWL Council.  Perhaps family members may have recipes from deceased CWL members or parishioners may like to share recipes to be included in the book.  Please pass along recipes to Tricia Vermeulen or any CWL member no later than January 31, 2013.  Thanks for helping out with this effort.       note: There will be no noon Mass at St. Peter Church this Thursday due to a priests day of Recollection.  Mass will be celebrated however at St. Paul Parish at 199 Windmill Rd. at 9am on Thursday.