S Saint Thomas the Apostle Roman Catholic Church Rectory/Parish Center: (973) 338-9190 ● Fax: (973) 338-4224 ● Religious Education: (973) 338-7400 School: (973) 338-8505 ● Convent: (973) 338-9118 Address: 60 Byrd Avenue, Bloomfield, New Jersey ● Website: www.stachurchbloomfield.com December 25, 2016 Christmas Day
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Roman Catholic Churchresume on Monday, January 9th and Tuesday, January 10th. All are Invited to Pray the Rosary The Rosary Society will meet at the church to pray the Rosary 7 pm
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Address: 60 Byrd Avenue, Bloomfield, New Jersey ● Website: www.stachurchbloomfield.com
December 25, 2016 Christmas Day
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Christmas Day
Masses for the Week
Sunday, December 25 8:00 am For The People
10:30 am Jacob Szajkowski – Daughters
12:00 pm Eleanor Pettoni – Family
Monday, December 26
7:30 am Felix Milani – Family 11:30 am Rocco Nardelli – Family
Tuesday, December 27
7:30 am Rosemary Matis – Friends 11:30 am Pat & Phyllis Russillo – Family
Wednesday, December 28 7:30 am William Delefeti – Daughters 11:30 am Deceased of Teti Family – Family
Thursday, December 29 7:30 am Catherine T. Taylor – Friend 11:30 am Harold Strazza – Friend
Friday, December 30
7:30 am Evelyn Tosi – Friend 11:30 am Rizalina Ilustrisimo – Family
Saturday, December 31 8:30 am Joseph Mundy – Friend
Sunday, January 1 Saturday, December 31 5:00 pm Ernest, Philomena Cordasco & Joseph Bianchi, Sr. – Family
Sunday, January 1
7:30 am For The People
9:00 am Robert & Joshephine Sheridan – Family
10:30 am Martin Rizzo - Family
12:00 pm Joseph Vincent McKenna - Family
PRAY FOR OUR SICK
Nina Mattarazzo, Kiran Fernando, Nancy Salerno,
Dawn Alfano, Inez Roberts
REST IN PEACE
Paul Crandall
SANCTUARY CANDLES
Church: Desc’d of Rohan & Powers Families Convent: David Kossack & Bridget Kochuk
December 25, 2016
Four Masses are celebrated for the feast of Christmas, and each is given its own set of readings to help us contemplate Christ's birth. The Gospel for the vigil Mass on Christmas Eve is taken from the beginning of the Gospel of Matthew. The Mass at midnight proclaims the birth of Jesus using the Gospel of Luke. The Mass at dawn on Christmas morning continues the story of the birth of Jesus as found in Luke's Gospel through the shepherds' visit to the infant Jesus. In each of these Gospel readings, we hear portions of the Infancy Narratives with which we are familiar. The Gospel for the Christmas Mass during the day is taken from the beginning of John's Gospel, but this Gospel is not an Infancy Narrative like those found in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. Instead, John's Gospel begins at the beginning, as it were, and presents the Creation story as the framework for announcing the Incarnation. John's opening words, “In the beginning . . .,” echo the opening verse of the Book of Genesis. This framework invites us to view Jesus' birth from God's perspective. Each of the Gospels makes clear that Jesus' birth was the result of God's initiative. However, John's Gospel highlights that this was the divine intention from the very beginning, from the moment of Creation. As we observe in today's reading, the Gospel of John includes highly philosophical and theological language. One example that particularly stands out is John's use of the expression, “Word of God.” This expression (logos in the Greek) borrows from a concept found in both Jewish and Greek thought. In Jewish thought, this phrase describes God taking action—for example, in the Creation story and in the Wisdom literature. In Greek, or Hellenistic, thought, the logos was understood as an intermediary between God and humanity. John and others in the early Church adopted this language to describe God's incarnation in Jesus. As the term was used to express the trinitarian faith of Christians, the word Logos came to be equated with the Second Person of the Trinity.
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From the Pastor’s Desk...
Dear Parishioners, Christmas is a wonderful and holy time of the year. It is when we become more aware of the many gifts God gives us all year - the gift of life, the gift of faith, and the gift of each other. On Christmas God showed how deeply he loved us by taking on flesh and becoming one like us, so that we could become more like Him. All of us here at Saint Thomas the Apostle, priests and staff, wish you and your family a happy and holy Christmas. My prayer is that the Christ, whose birth we celebrate, may be present in your hearts and in your homes throughout this season of joy! In the Lord,
Rev. Charles J. Miller Pastor
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The main source of operating funds for
St. Thomas is our weekly / holyday offertory
collections. The information below will show where the
Parish is as of December 11 compared to the budget amount for the year. The break even date is June 30,
2017. The amount needed each week is $17,630 and the
amount collected last weekend was $16,291.
Budget Amount Year to Date Remaining Amount $881,500 $384,940 $496,560
The year to date amount is negative by $38,630 as of week number 24 in our budget year.
Giving Tree Program Thank you to everyone that participated in the Annual Advent Giving Tree Program. Your generosity and continued support has not only made this program successful but has brightened the Christmas season for many. We collected over $3500.00 in gift cards that served our local community in addition to all the gifts for the organizations listed below. A total of 97 very large bags filled with gifts were distributed to: -Dr. Lena Edwards Charter School, Jersey City
-Interfaith Hospitality for the Homeless of Essex County, Montclair
-National Alliance for Mentally Ill, NAMI Essex NJ Inc., Montclair
-Newark Beth Israel/St. Barnabas Health Care Center for Hemophilia, Newark
-St. Rose of Lima Parish, Newark
-The Pope John Paul II Pavilion at St. Mary’s Life Center, Orange
-St. Joseph’s Social Services, Elizabeth
-Atrium Senior Living, Park Ridge (Medicaid Residents)
A special thank you to all those who pitched in to help tote and sort the gifts.
St. Thomas Young Adult Winter Retreat
January 7 – January 8 (2pm Saturday – 3pm Sunday)
Parishioners age 19 – 30 are invited to join the young adult ministry on a winter retreat at the
Baptist Camp & Conference Center in Lebanon, NJ.
Registration fee: $55 For registration information contact:
Dear God, Watch over your children, especially those with no homes to return to at the end of long and weary days. Protect them from all harm and keep them from despair. Open the hearts and eyes of those of us with blessings to share. Unite our voices in a call for justice: So that no man need ever lie down for the night on a wooden park bench because he has no home: So that no woman need ever tuck her children into the backseat of her car because she has ne home: So that no child need ever wonder, “Where will I feel safe?” because he has no home; So that all those who wander and all who are in need, find the food and shelter and the peace they seek. Remind us, O God, that we cannot rest fully secure in our homes each night until all your children are, at last, home. Amen
Our commitment to the St. Augustine soup kitchen has continued to thrive because of your continued giving of “time, talent and treasure”. Thank you
St. Thomas the Apostle Prayer Shawl Ministry
Next Meeting
Sunday, January 17th at 11:30 in the Parish Center
All crafters are welcome to joins us on the third Sunday of the month from September to June unless otherwise specified. We meet in the St. Peter’s room at 11:30 until 1:30. An active prayer... As I knit this shawl, the work of my hands and the faith of my soul ask God to bring blessings upon you. A gift received, a prayer accepted. The receiver physically and spiritually wrapped in the shawl, the prayers of the giver -- prayers for comfort, for healing, a blessing, or thanksgiving. During these cold winter months a prayer shawl or lap robe, which can be had for the asking, may well be comforting to someone limited in activity or going through a difficult time. You may request a shawl by calling the parish center, by speaking to one of our members, dropping by during one of our meetings or by contacting Alicia @ 973-473-6633 or aliciavons@ gmail.com
Let us continue to pray for those making shawls
and those who receive them.
“For a child is born for us, A son given to us;
authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named
Join us at our Open House on: Sunday, January 31, 2016 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Thursday, February 4, 2106 4:00 - 7:00 pm
New Family Registration begins Monday, February 1, 2016
For more information or to schedule a tour, call the school office at 973.338.8505.
www.stthomastheapostlenj.com
ATTENTION STA ALUMNI Please visit our website & register on the Alumni
Registration page.
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SSummer CCD If you have children and a busy schedule, our Summer CCD program might be just the help you need. We offer classes for children going into Grades 1, 3,4,5,6,7, and 8. We also offer class for students who are going into Grade 2 in school but have never been to CCD before. Classes run each day from June 26th through July 7th from 9:00 am to 12:30 pm. No absences are permitted. Watch the bulletin for registration information starting in mid-January. Summer CCD teachers are desperately needed for all grades. If you have ever thought of volunteering and helping in our church in any way please consider teaching CCD – it is a truly rewarding experience! If the commitment of two weeks is too much for you, we can pair you up with a team teacher who can teach one week while you teach the other. This is also a great opportunity for college students who are studying to become teachers. Please consider helping out with our Summer CCD program – if interested, please call Tracey Hann at 973-338-7400 or email at [email protected]. Thanks! Religious Education Christmas Break from December 26th through January 8th. Classes willresume on Monday, January 9th and Tuesday, January 10th.
All are Invited to Pray the Rosary
The Rosary Society will meet at the church to pray the Rosary 7 pm on the following days:
Jan. 9th Feb. 6th
March 6th April 3rd May 1st June 5th
Meetings follow in the Parish Center
ST. THOMAS THE APOSTLE CHURCH
60 BYRD AVENUE BLOOMFIELD, NEW JERSEY 07003
SUPPORT GROUP FOR THOSE
GRIEVING THE DEATH OF A LOVED ONE
We invite you to join us for a series of three
sessions of mutual sharing & support in a spiritual,
caring, confidential setting.
Our Mission:
Provide a Christ-centered group experience
Offer spiritual& emotional support
a caring, compassionate, confidential atmosphere
2017 session dates: January 22 & 29
February 12
Sundays 12:00 noon– 1:00 p.m.
Meetings held: Parish Center
St. James Room
Registration required
Please contact Parish Center:
973-338-9190
All calls are confidential.
595 St. Thomas the Apostle, Bloomfi eld, NJ (inside) U John Patrick Publishing Company (800) 333-3166 • www.jppc.net
THOMAS M. CONNOR, M.D., F.A.A.P., F.A.C.C.Board Certifi ed Pediatric & Adolescent Cardiologist
101 Old Short Hills Rd., Suite 104, West Orange, NJ 07052
973-731-55504-14 Saddle River Rd., Fair Lawn, NJ 07410 • 201-794-1366