The Second Sunday of Advent Sunday, December 9, 2018

1980 Trafalgar Street

London, ON N5V 1A2

Phone: 519-455-3217 Fax: 519-455-3233

Email: info@maryimmaculate.ca

maryimmaculate@dol.ca

Website: MaryImmaculate.ca

All people shall see the salvation of God.

SUNDAY MASSES

Saturday: 5:00 p.m.

Sunday: 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m.

WEEKDAY MASSES

Monday, Thursday, Friday : 8:00 a.m.

Tuesday, Wednesday: 6:30 p.m.

Saturday: 9:00 a.m.

Adoration takes place each weekday, beginning 45 minutes

before Mass, Monday through Thursday.

Adoration is from 8:30 am - 12:00 pm Friday.

The 4th Thursday of each month, Mass at

Dorchester Terrace Retirement Home at 3:00 pm.

BAPTISM

Baptisms are held on the first Sunday of the month. A

Baptism preparation session is required for parents.

Contact the office to book an initial appointment, ext. 28.

CONFIRMATION June 9th, 2019

Ext. 29.

CONFESSIONS

Friday 8:30 am - 11:30 am

Saturday at 11:00 am - 12:00 pm

Or by appointment.

MARRIAGE

Contact the office at least one year in advance.

A marriage preparation course is required.

PASTORAL STAFF

Administrator ~ Rev. Augustine Ogundele

aogundele@dol.ca ext. 22

Deacon ~ John White

jwhite@dol.ca

Pastoral Minister ~ Monika Korzec

mkorzec@dol.ca ext. 28

Pastoral Assistant ~ Kaylin Pridding

kpridding@dol.ca ext. 29

Parish Nurse ~ Louise Trapp

ltrapp@dol.ca ext. 35

SUPPORT STAFF Finance Chair ~ Mike Pietraszko

mpietraszko@dol.ca Bookkeeper ~ Rosella Cox

rcox@dol.ca ext. 33 Secretary ~ Chima Adejuwon

cadejuwon@dol.ca ext. 10 Custodian ~ Aneta Burczyk aburczyk@dol.ca ext. 26

OFFICE HOURS Monday to Friday 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

Closed Daily from 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

Readings for next Sunday, Dec. 16th, 2018: Zephaniah 3:14-18, Is. 12:2-6, Phil. 4:4-7, Luke 3:10-18

Luke 3: 1-6

He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him. Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth. And all people will see God’s salvation.’

Flowers for the Church for the Christmas Season.

MARY IMMACULATE PARISH.

A wonderful way to remember a loved one or if you are celebrating a special

occasion is to donate towards flowers for the church this Christmas season.

These names will appear in the bulletin at Christmas.

Name: _________________________________

Phone #: ______________________

In memory of: ___________________________ OR

On the occasion of: ______________________________

$20 included _______

Return this form in a sealed envelope to the office, or through

the collection basket.

(Fill out this portion and drop off in the Offertory baskets for the office)

Mass Intentions & Schedule December 10 to December 16 2018

Mon. December

10

8:00 am Is. 35:1-10, Ps. 85,

Luke 5:17-26

+ Simonas & Eugenije Uzdravis & Family

~ Ben Uzdravis

+ Adam Kalnenas

~ Ben Uzdravis

Tue. December

11

6:30 pm Is. 40: 1-11, Ps. 96,

Matthew 18: 12-14

+ Des McCabe

~ Rosie & Sue

+ Jose Rebelo

~ Merita & Family

Wed. December

12

6:30 pm Zech. 2: 10-13, Rev.

11:19; 12:1;3-6;10,

Judith 13:18-20,

Luke 1:39-47

+ James Crowe

~ Syble & Family

+ Annie Cookson

~ Carolyn Cloutier

+ Ellen O’Connell

~ Richard & Rosella

Thurs. December

13

8:00 am Is. 41: 13-20, Ps.145,

Matthew 11: 11-15

+ Pranas & Eugenije Lesevicia

~ Ben Uzdravis

+ Juozas & Marcele Riklikas

~ Ben Uzdravis

Fri. December 14

8:00 am Is. 48: 17-19, Ps.1,

Matthew 11: 16-19

Souls in Purgatory

~ Goretti Cardoso

Linda Jurkovic

~ Anne Marie Novacich

Sat. December 15

9 am Mass Sirach 48: 1-4,9-11,

Ps. 80, Matthew 17:

10-13

5:00 pm

+ Nuno Oliveira

~ Alda Amaral

+ Mark Wilson

~ Carl & Carolyn Wilson

Intentions of the Parishioners of

Sun. December

16

9:00 am

11:00 am

Intentions of the Parishioners of

Mary Immaculate Parish

This Week at Mary Immaculate…

Dec. 9 Sun. 10:10 am - First Communion Formation

Dec. 9 Sun. at 7 pm - Retreat

Dec. 10 Mon. at 7 pm - Retreat

Dec. 11 Mon. at 5:40 pm- First Communion Formation

Dec. 11 Tues. at 6 pm - Food Handling Training

Dec. 11 Tues. at 6:45pm - Liturgy Committee Meeting

Dec. 12 Wed. at 7 pm - Confirmation Formation

Dec. 12 Wed. at 7:15 pm - K of C Potluck Dinner

Dec. 13 Thurs. at 7 pm - RCIA

Dec. 17 Mon. at 6 pm - St. David’s School Christmas

Mass

December Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4

4967.06

Direct Deposit

Total: 4967.06 Monthly Target: $30,000.00

Thank you for your continued generosity.

May God Bless you, Amen.

Prayer

Request

Ella Blanchard Hilda Faimuth Charlotte Komyambo Georgette Persoon Irene Weekes Brian McKinley

Sandy Cooper Donna Foulon Erin O’Brien Rosie Sesink Kathy Vens Marlene Little

Dan Cross Glenda Gerritts Kevin Parrott John Van Veen Debbie Lockwood Deb Donkers

Monique Durr Art Joy Ethan Partridge Rita Van Veen John Snyders

A Memorial Mass is celebrated in the Chapel of the Holy Family Mausoleum at St. Peter’s Cemetery for our deceased family and friends on the second Tuesday of each Month. Our next Monthly Mass will take place on December 11th. The Rosary is said at 4:00 p.m. and Mass begins at 4:30 p.m. (Seating available). The Staff of St. Peter’s Cemetery would like to offer our condolences to those families who are mourning the loss of a loved one. We hope that your participation in these services will help you in your bereavement.

The Knights of Columbus are promoting a Novena for Life

to be said for 9 days starting Dec 10th to Dec 18th. The feast of our Lady of Guadalupe is on Dec. 12th. We are encouraging our parishioners to participate. Novena Prayer cards will be handed out at Masses next week and will be available at the welcome desks.

CHRISTMAS CANDLE SERVICE Everyone is welcome to attend our Christmas Candle Service to be celebrated in the Chapel of the Holy Family Mausoleum on Monday, December 17th at 5:00 p.m. Candles will be provided for the lighting ceremony. (Seating available).

The 2019 Offertory Envelopes are available

at the back of the church. If you wish to sign

up for envelopes or to register for

pre-authorized payments, please either

complete a form found at the back of the

church or contact the parish office.

For all current pre-authorized donors, unless we hear otherwise

from you, we will assume that your donations will continue at

the same rate in 2019 as they did in 2018. Thank you for your

continued support. God bless.

Lost and Found: We found a ring after the Sunday Masses last

weekend. If you are missing a ring kindly call the church office.

A little reflection on the suffering of St

Bernadette of Lourdes

Lourdes is a town with the population of about 15,000 people

but receives more than 5,000,000 pilgrims annually. It is one of

the places of Apparitions that I have been longing to visit. The

pilgrimage I made there last month was an epoch- making event

that is very inspiring and transforming. I was at the grotto

praying for various intentions including the intentions of all the

parishioners of Mary Immaculate. From the account of the

apparitions, we can see the power of God working in the life of

the poorest of the poor.

It was through St Bernadette that Lourdes became known today

as a place of the manifestation of God’s power. Our Lady

appeared to her on Thursday, February 11, 1858 for the first

time. There were eighteen Apparitions in total. At the third

apparition, Our lady asked Bernadette if she would be kind

enough to come to the Massabielle Grotto, the place of

apparitions for 15 days and she gave her consent. I wondered

what could have been the desire of Bernadette as she agreed.

I guess the thoughts of her family in abject poverty, her inability

to have the opportunities that other children of her age had due

to her family situation must have crossed her mind, even healing

from her sickness and many other things related to this world;

but Our Lady categorically told this 14 year old Bernadette

saying, “I cannot promise to make you happy in this world but

in the other”.

Pondering on this statement , I praise the courage and faith of

this child for her perseverance in fulfilling her promise to meet

with Our Lady as scheduled for the apparitions despite the fact

that she was not promised healing for her ailment. Bernadette

had been a victim of cholera epidemic three years earlier leaving

her with chronic asthma. She didn’t receive an instant healing,

yet she became a channel through which God worked wonders

in the life of his people. She was to kiss the ground in penitence

for sinners. In fact she offered her sufferings for the conversion

of sinners she never met in her life. She was very sickly all her

life and died at the age of 35.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, do we get mad at God when

we do not receive what we desire in this life, even when we are

so committed to his service in the church and to humanity? God

has a purpose for everyone of us and he is aware of every

struggle that we face in life. God can use the suffering of one

person for the conversion of others as shown in the life of St

Bernadette. A life of holiness or encounter with the divine does

not mean a freedom from suffering and pain. We must know

that God has created us for himself and can use us for the

purpose of his will. Let us totally surrender to him in faith as we

carry our cross daily following his footsteps. May the Lord

increase our faith as we place all our trust and hope in him.

Amen.

Fr. Augustine

The Advent season is far more than time spent in preparation for Christmas. It is the opportunity to slow down and be aware that in the very midst of our busy preparations for the celebration of Jesus’ birth, it is also an opportunity to celebrate his rebirth in our lives and in our

homes: a new awareness of his presence among us and his presence in the Eucharist. We hear today in Luke’s gospel that John the Baptist heard the “Word of the Lord” in the desert. The desert is an important place for John’s formation. It is a quiet environment away from distractions where John can hear, and then he is able to spring into action. Our challenge is to think of how we can enter a desert (a quiet spot) during the noisy pre-Christmas celebrations to allow for deep listening in our lives and how God is leading us as disciples. Advent can be a “fresh start” with the purpose to grow closer to God by entering into silence as we pray, reflect, read and meditate.

Health Ministry at Mary Immaculate Parish

As an extension of Health Ministry at Mary Immaculate, we are pleased to introduce Pietra Fitness Gentle Classes for Women beginning in January. Pietra (meaning “rock” in Italian) is a word that reminds us of the importance of a solid foundation when building anything that is to have strength, stability, and longevity. At Pietra Fitness, our “whole person” workouts are built upon this concept. We utilize physical exercise to promote core strength as a solid foundation for the rest of the body. For the soul, our workouts include prayer and meditation build upon the strongest of foundations: the rock of Christ and His Church. This powerful combination truly benefits the entire human person--- restoring harmony and wholeness to body and soul. Please contact Jocelyne, certified Pietra Fitness Instructor, at furtadojoce@gmail.com for questions and more information.

Louise Trapp

Parish Nurse

Caroling With Care

Mary Maxim London invites all parish yarn crafters to join us for an

afternoon of carolers and caring. Come down on Wednesday, December 19,

2018, to hear our carolers and enjoy 10% off yarn purchases. We are also a

donation centre for Knitted Knockers, Hats for Kids, and blankets for the

Humane Society.

Hospitality Ministers: We will be holding a discussion with

all the Ministers of Hospitality following all the Masses this weekend, Dec 8th and 9th. It will likely take about 15 minutes. We also encourage anyone interested in becoming a hospitality minister to join us. We will wait a few extra minutes after Mass to start, in order for people scheduled for Ministry to finish their duty.

The Knights of Columbus will be sponsoring a

breakfast and pop can pick up next Sunday Dec.16th after the 9am and 11am. Masses.

Family Owned and

Operated Since 1930

Patrick & John

Phone 519-434-2708

www.donohuefuneralhome.ca

St. Mary Catholic School Choir and Orchestra Program St. Mary School has begun the application process for entrance to Grade 5 for 2019/2020.

Brochures with application forms are available in all elementary schools. Please contact your Principal for further details of the application and audition process or call St. Mary School at (519) 675-4423.

Applications are due back to St. Mary School by December 21, 2018.

Application to the program is open to all Grade 4 Students of the London District Catholic School Board. All applicants must meet the admission requirements.