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There will be a second collection at all the Christmas Masses. This collection is for Christmas Charities for Children and Youth. Please be as generous as you can.
The Christmas Eve 4:00 Mass is the "Children's Mass"! Needless to say it is wonderful on one hand, and noisy and chaotic on the other. If you have no young children, you would be well advised not to attend this Mass. The 7:00 pm Christmas Eve Mass is filled with some folks standing. The 10:00 pm Christmas Eve Mass is filled, but with extra seating available. The Christmas Day 10:00 am Mass is a great time to come to Mass for Christmas: it is not too early and there is room for all to be seated. Think about changing you routine at Christmas and coming to the Christmas Day Mass. Fr. Ken
Thank you to those who participated in St Scholastica's Christmas Gift Project. Generous donations from our parishioners will help make Christmas more hopeful for many less fortunate children in our area, and for children in Haiti and Kenya. Your donations are appreciated very much!
Any Middle school or high school youth (and their family) that would like to participate in the December 29th snowtubing trip to Seven Springs should contact Jamie Dillon by December 19.
We will be selling gift certificates after Masses this Sunday, December 18th. A wide variety will be available including Giant Eagle, Community and Whole Foods. Cash or checks (payable to CDTCA) will be accepted. Thank you for your continued support.
Our call to stewardship includes all of the ways in which we receive God's gifts with gratitude, cultivate them, and share them with others. Find more news in the online version of Stewardship Corner at our parish website: www.saintscholastica.com. Look for "Stewardship Corner" in the Quick Links.
This weekend we are collecting dried beans for the food pantry at East End Cooperative Ministry in East Liberty. Please place donations in the food bin in the vestibule of the church. Thank you!
Thanks to all who contributed to all of our Christmas giving projects! Your generosity has flowed to local people and families and to others, especially children, in West Virginia and as far away as Good Samaritans School in St. Marc, Haiti, and Hekima Place in Kiserian, Kenya. For some Christmas joy, search for HEKIMA_CHRISTMAS.wmv on YouTube.
Parishioners in the Ministry of Praise volunteer to pray at home for parish needs and parishioner requests. A list is sent to them every two months. If you would like to join this group, or have a prayer request, please contact Mary Catherine Scanlon at: prayerlist@saintscholastica.com.
I am pleased to announce that the Notre Dame Chorale will be coming to our parish in January. They will be here to participate in the 5:00 pm Mass on Saturday, Jan. 14th. They will then present a concert following this Mass. We encourage you to mark that date on your calendar. Also, we need host families who will be able to house students overnight on the 14th. To register as a Host Family you may contact Stephanie Bonaroti, she is from our parish and is with the Notre Dame Chorale. Stephanie's email is: sbonarot@nd.edu. This is a good way to celebrate a New Year. Fr. Ken
This year the March For Life will be on Monday, January 23, in Washington, D.C. There will be a bus leaving from St. Scholastica Church going to the March For Life. We have been blessed to obtain tickets for the morning Youth Rally and Mass in Washington. Chaperons will be provided for students. The Mass is usually concelebrated by Cardinal Wuerl, the Papal Nuncio, and several hundred priests. We will join the March directly after the Mass. For more information please call Mary Catherine Scanlon at 412-781-6550.
Christmas cards are available. A set consists of 10 cards for $6. Your purchase helps the Pro Life cause. Call Mary Catherine Scanlon at 412-781-6550.
INFANT BAPTISM is celebrated at noon on the 2nd and 4th Sundays of the month. Please make arrangements with the pastor at least 6 weeks prior to the desired date.
RECONCILIATION (CONFESSION) is celebrated at St. Scholastica Parish on Saturdays after 9:00 a.m. Mass. For your convenience, the parishes in our cluster have the following opportunities for reconciliation:
Madonna of Jerusalem has reconciliation on Wednesday evening from 5:30-6:45 and Saturday from 3:00-4:00 p.m..
There were a bunch of folks who believed that the world was going to end in October of 2012. They based that belief on the supposed long count of the Mayan calendar. Since you're reading this, the world obviously didn't end. Of course, there are some dissenters who are holding out for December 21. Guess they won't be celebrating Christmas this year! Last year it was the people who followed Harold Camping who thought May 21, 2011, would be the last day. When it wasn't, Mr. Camping did a quick recalculation and informed everyone that it was really going to be October 21, 2011. Why is it that Americans seem to get caught up in these predictions? These are not just recent occurrences. The nineteenth century was rife with these kinds of predictions and movements. In uncertain times it may be that some people find a certain solace in having a date in their minds as to when things will end.
In this weekend's Gospel, Jesus points out that there are signs to accompany the end of time. The sun will darken and the moon will not give light. Scientists tell us we've only got about 4.5 billion years left on this one. As for the Son of Man coming in the clouds, Jesus has not left us with a date on which he is returning.
For those who can get wrapped up in predictions of this sort, the words of Jesus are pretty clear: "that day or hour, no one knows" (Mk 13:32). As Christians we don't need to know the date of Christ's return in glory. Whether it happens this afternoon or a million years from now really makes no difference. What is important is that we live our lives in such a way that we are always ready for his return. If we follow his commands, live according to Christ's law of love, and care for those in need, we will be ready whenever our Lord comes to take us home.
This weekend, we will be taking up a special collection for the retired religious brothers and sisters. These retired religious are the ones who taught us and served in our parishes many years ago. Now that they are retired they need our support in their elder years. Please be generous.
Two weeks ago I reported that on average 889 parishioners attend our four weekend Masses which is about 25% Mass attendance. This 25% attendance is about the average for all the 204 parishes of the Diocese of Pittsburgh. These are the average number of people attending Mass for each of the four Masses: 213 at the 5:00 pm Saturday Mass; 138 at the 7:30 am Sunday Mass; 240 at the 9:00 am Sunday Mass; and 309 at the 11:00 am Sunday Mass. It is more and more evident in this Year of Faith that we must reach out especially to those who have walked away from the Church or those who feel rejected or unwelcomed. Bring a friend or family member to Mass and promise to buy brunch!! Fr. Ken
Once again this year as part of our Advent preparation we have our Christmas Sharing Tree project. This weekend, November 17th-18th, we will invite you to come forward during Mass to take a tag or envelope from the tree. Each tag represents a gift for a needy person; the envelope represents a money donation to educate a child in Haiti or Kenya. All gifts and money donations are to be returned the weekend of December 8th-9th. Thank you for participating in this wonderful way to "prepare the way for the Lord." Fr.Ken
We will be selling gift certificates after all Sunday Masses this weekend, November 18th. A wide variety will be available including Giant Eagle, Labriola's, Community and Whole Foods. Cash or checks (payable to CDTCA) will be accepted. Thank you for your continued support.
Advent begins the weekend of December 1st and 2nd this year. It is time again to volunteer to light the Advent Wreath candles at each of the weekend Masses for the four weekends prior to Christmas. Sign the sheet found in the back of church to volunteer for the Mass of your choice. Please sign up by November 22nd.
Fr. Ken's Sunday homilies are recorded and on our website: saintscholastica.com. Go to the Home Page and on the 'Quick Links' you will see listed 'The Parish Blog with Fr. Ken's Homilies."
Our call to stewardship includes all of the ways in which we receive God's gifts with gratitude, cultivate them, and share them with others. Find more news in the online version of Stewardship Corner at our parish website: http://www.saintscholastica.com/. Look for "Stewardship Corner" in the Quick Links.
· Nancy Heil sponsors a Thanksgiving program for poor families. Those who wish to donate a frozen turkey may do so only on Monday, November 19, between the hours of 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. During those hours, you may leave frozen turkeys only on the front porch at 318 Third St. Please do not deliver turkeys to the church.
· In addition, Nancy and her coworkers need many donations of stuffing mix (not just bread crumbs) and large, heavy throwaway aluminum roasting pans. Nancy's food pantry is completely out of large cans of spaghetti sauce. They also need canned vegetables of any kind. These items may be left in the usual donation area in the back of the church. Thank you for your generosity!
· Finally, Nancy asked us to print the following message from her about one of her Christmas giving programs. [Note: this is different from our parish Giving Tree program.]
"Our Christmas gift program is now underway. We accept any NEW items that would make good Christmas gifts—clothing, jewelry, toys, purses, socks and similar items. Please, only NEW items, and please leave the store tags attached. We use these gifts not only for homeless people, but for many needy families as well."
"Judy Ostrosky has headed this program for many years, and I would like to thank her for the endless hours she has devoted to helping make Christmas brighter for those in need. Judy's deadline for the NEW items is December 7."
· Finally, the Heils appeal to all: please do not leave items on their porch (except for the frozen turkeys on November 19th) or in the space between their house and the one next door. They are physically unable to deal with donations left in these areas. If you cannot leave a donation in our church bins, please contact Nancy's volunteers to arrange a delivery. There is contact information in signs on the Heils' porch and on the side basement door of the house next door.
Members of our youth group and adult helpers worked last Saturday on behalf of Catholic Charities. Congratulations to all who participated, following in Jesus' path of service!
The St. Monica Society was formed to pray for and reach out to families and parishioners who no longer worship with us. The group meets monthly on the first Saturday at 9:30 am to pray to the Holy Spirit, ask for the intercession of St. Monica and her son, St. Augustine, and to study and discuss ways to reach out to and welcome others. For more information, contact Mary Catherine Scanlon at: stmonica@saintscholastica.com.
The St. Scholastica Pastoral Council would like the members of the parish to be aware of the Council, what it is doing, and who its members are. We will be publishing brief biographies of the Pastoral Council members over the next several weeks. In addition, you can look at the slideshow on the message screen in the back of the church to see a picture of the "Council member of the week" so that you can put a face together with the information here. Please feel free to approach Pastoral Council members with your hopes and concerns for our parish.
Boo currently serves in the role as Scribe for the Pastoral Council and has been a member of the Council since January 2008. She has been a life long member of the parish, attending St. Scholastica's grade school. She is a graduate of Shady Side Academy (1979), Boston College (1983), and Duquesne University (1986, MBA). She serves in a number of ministries including the Welcoming Committee, chaperone for the Youth Ministry annual Appalachian Mission trip and the Aquinas Guild. You can contact Boo at: boobenckart@saintscholastica.com
The 2012 Autumn Song Benefit Luncheon raised more than $10,000. The money will be used to fund Church and School projects, our Youth Ministry, and various local charities. In recent years, the funds raised have been used to repair the cement and steps in back of the church and to purchase liturgical vestments and altar cloths, new funeral pall and vestments, a cover for the Gospel book and other items that enrich our celebration of the Mass and other sacraments. The luncheon has been held annually for more than 50 years.
A special thanks to all the women of the parish who attend the benefit each year and those who purchase raffle tickets and support the event with their donations. In last week's list of donors, several names were inadvertently omitted. Local businesses who contributed to Autumn Song this year include: Weddell-Ajak Funeral Home, Thomas M. Smith Funeral Home & Crematory, McCabe Bros. Inc., Funeral Homes, Jimmy Wan's Restaurant, Loafers, Luke and Mike's Front Porch, Monogram It, Nancetta Ristorante and Vygor. The generous support of parishioners and local businesses insures the success of this event each year. A very sincere thank you to all!
St. Scholastica Parish would like to thank Tudi Mechanical Systems for their continued support of the St. Scholastica Bulletin. Please see their ad on the back page.
Dear Parishioners, We recently switched our banking from PNC to S&T Bank. If you currently have contributions withdrawn from your account monthly you will notice the change this month. If you have any questions or concerns please contact Chrissy Morton in the Parish Office at 412-781-0160 ext. 24.
Saint Scholastica 2012 Directories are here! If you had your picture taken for our new directory during the past year, your copy of the directory will be available for pickup following all masses this weekend in the Pastoral Center.
CDTCA is hosting a Book Fair at Barnes and Noble Bookstore on Sunday, November 18th from 1:00 pm-4:00 pm. Stop in to hear our children sing, see some cool artwork and get a start on your Christmas shopping. All proceeds benefit CDTCA.
The Aquinas Guild invites all women of the parish to its annual Christmas Party at the Pittsburgh Field Club on Wednesday, December 5, 2012, starting at 12 noon. The cost of the luncheon is $25; as an entrée you can select either English-style tilapia or cannelloni pasta stuffed with ground veal and a blend of Italian cheeses.
If you wish to attend, please send a check payable to the Aquinas Guild to: Karyn Lynch, 127 Pheasant Drive, Pittsburgh 15238. Be sure to specify your entrée selection on the check. Reservation deadline is November 30. Once again, we will collect new baby clothes (sizes newborn to 12 months) for mothers at the Rosalia Center. If you wish to participate, please wrap your gift and mark it with size and gender. There will also be a box in the back of the church for parishioners wishing to participate. If you have questions, please call 412-963-0198.