December 4, 2016 Second Sunday of

Advent

Sunday, December 4: 9:30 + Michael & Helen Palica by Barbara Maffia 11:00 + (Spanish) Maria Lourdes Franco by M. Franco 12:30 + Wanda Wierzbowska by Anna Stec Monday, December 5: 8:15 + Fr. Louie Bartruff by the Cain Family 12:15 + Wieslaw Kucia by sister, Jadwiga Tuesday, December 6: 8:15 + Agnes & Steve Andrews by the Cain Family 12:15 + Lotilda Zubrovic by Lynda, Emil and Margie and Family Wednesday, December 7: 8:15 + Martha Fornuff by the Cain Family 12:15 + Margaret (Daley) Casey by Barbara Wielunski 7:30 For the People of the Parish Thursday, December 8 (Feast of the Im-maculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary): 8:15 + Deceased members of the Barbarite & Keenan Families by Family 12:15 + Marlon Kymali Boston by Grandma Chris 7:30 + (Spanish) Fr. Robert Titone Friday, December 9: 8:15 + Br. Ralph Clifford by the Cain Family 12:15 + Bridget Martin by Lojko Family 7:30 + (Spanish) Pastora Morcade y Olivia Sanchez by Fernando y Blanca Saturday, December 10: 8:15 + Brigid McMullen by Bridget Buckley 5:30 + Anna Sidorowicz (Birthday) by son, Keith

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Sunday, December 11: 9:30 + Stanislawa Wierzbowska by Anna Stec 11:00 + (Spanish) Yudelka Nunez & Narsua Ramirez by Daniella Ramirez 12:30 + Janovcsik Family by Bill + Rozalia, Theodore, Zbigniew ajnd Charles Tonuik by Stanley Tonuik Family Please remember those on our sick list in your prayers: Hedwig Wojciehowicz, Hugh E. Reid, Carolyn Lattanzio, James Cahill, Joan Dobkin, Laurie Rueckheim, Roman Rurak, Ju-dith Ballester, Steve Belus, Janice L. Whelan, James Cunniff, Joseph Buenos, Patty Behan, Donald Buddenhagen, Margaret Sweeney, Mat-thew Colasanti, Roza D’Souza, Ann Kalter, Julia Bis, Bob Quagan, Elizabeth Kies, Joseph Anthony D’Avino, Laura Borruso, Amy Pisarki, John Slattery, Joseph Lauron, Patricia Riordan, Carmelo Reyes, Marylou Ryan, Patricia Taranovich, Eugene Stonebreaker, Zofia Or-lowska, Mary Sanz, Richard Schlopp, Robert Keenan, Ryan Marshall, Anne Marie Stampf, Edward Pertell, Genowefa Biernaca, Elizabeth Malenik, Theresa Kujawa, Kataryna Gierczyn-ska, Caitlyn Geer, James Buddenhagen, Gra-cielo Mero, Bill Wisniewski, Gary Normandia, Lucy D’Avino, Eleanor Heiberger, Brian Francis Campion, Gemma Ferrara, Joseph Micatonick, Hank Wisniewski, Frank Sarlie, Peggy Mae, Edwin Soto, Irene Cahill, Lawrence O’Donnell, Christine Mascia, Marie Mascia, Julia Silva, An-thony Kimkowski, Theresa Good, Mary Knapp, George Koslab, Robert Trotta, Juano Cano, Michael Anobile, Michael Aiello, Yolanda Aiello, Diane Arzon Rodriguez, Martha Banfield, Gus-tavo Guerra, Michael Conboy, Jaylin Figueroa Pray for the Deceased: Lorraine Matkowski, Mary Gallagher

BREAD AND WINE The bread and wine at all the masses from De-cember 4th to December 10th, will be offered

in memory of John P. Batka by his mother Cathy, his brother Nick and his daughter, Alexia

Batka. “Happy Birthday in Heaven.”

Dear Parishioners and Visitors, Hope and waiting is the general mood of the Advent Season. We are waiting for the coming of the Savior. The First Reading is about the Prophet Isiah's dream about the future. One of the images Isiah uses to describe the Messianic Age is that of a lamb lying down with a wolf and having nothing to fear. It is a time of a Universal Peace. The strong would no longer prey on the weak or the cun-ning on the innocent. Hope is a vital part of life. We spend a great deal of our lives longing, waiting, hoping for one thing or another. It is impossible to live when one is completely without hope. Hope is as important for our spirit as bread is for our body. Hope does not mean sitting back waiting for things to happen. Hope should move us to action. It is hope which makes us work so hard because we believe that hard work would help us change the situation. We believe our efforts are worthwhile. Hope is not a mere feeling of certainty that every-thing ends well. Hope is not the same as optimism. An optimist thinks that things will get better, whatever the situation. Hope is the trust that God will fulfill his promises in his way and in his time. But there is no way for us to sit back and wait for things to happen. We need to actively cooperate with God. It is the task of Christians to keep hope alive. We have to prepare ourselves and the world to be ready to receive the Savior when he arrives. St. Paul suggests some practical ways to wait for the coming of Christ. He says, 'Treat each other in the same friendly ways that Christ has treated you'. If we did as Paul suggests we would make the world a more hopeful place. This world will never fulfill our deepest hopes. Only God is able to fulfill it. Meanwhile we live in a place called Hope. This hope enables us to keep one foot in the world as it is, and the other in the world as it should be. John the Baptist had a dream and to bring that dream to reality, he prepared the people of his time to welcome the advent of the Kingdom of God and the advent of the Son of God, Jesus. John invited people to repentance and conversion, which he thought is the right action. John the Baptist called the people to produce the fruits fit for repentance. His was a stern warning: "Even now the axe is laid to the root of the tree". Any tree that fails to produce good fruits will be cut down and thrown on the fire. Fruitlessness is a dangerous condition and it invites disaster. A piece of metal that lies unused invites rusting. A book that is not used for long invites book worms. A house which is uninhabited invites dilapidation and a life that is fruitless invites condemnation. During this time of advent we try to clean up the mess in our lives. We are waiting for a very important guest to visit us at Christmas and we clean up the mess in our lives before he arrives.

Have a Joyful Advent!

God Bless you all, Fr. Antony Vadakara, CMI

Special Second Collection

This weekend, we will have a second collec-tion to help defray the cost of the roof re-pair. Total cost is $413,000. Our goal is to raise $177,000. The rest of the money will be used from the Parish funds. Your generous donation will be highly appreciated.

WEEKLY OFFERING

Weekend of November 26 - 27, 2016

Attendance - 693 Collection - $ 3,964.00

Fuel Collection - $ 1,723.00 Votive candles - $ 2,639.00

Last year’s attendance - 648

Last year’s collection - $ 4,350.00 Fuel Collection - $ 1,438.00

Last year’s Votive candles - $ 668.00

Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe

Our Lady of Guadalupe, December 11th at 7:00 PM - Novena

Vigil Mass: 7:30 PM; Vigil service till midnight

Procession on the street on December

12th at 7:00 PM

Solemn Mass on December 12th at 8:00 PM; Main celebrant: Most Reverend Neil E.

Tiedemann, Auxiliary Bishop of Brooklyn. All are welcome!

Mass:

Sunday, December 11th Mass at 7:30 PM

Vigil Mass, Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe

St. Anthony - St. Alphonsus Church

Presents

A Christmas Concert

O Holy Night

Sunday, December 4th, 2016 2:30 p.m.

Let us joyfully welcome Jesus to our hearts as we celebrate this Holy Season of Peace,

Love and Good will toward all!

Cost: Good Will Offering

Feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Thursday, December 8, 2016

Mass Schedule

Wednesday, December 7: 7:30 pm (English)

Thursday, December 8: 8:15 am and 12:15 pm

7:30 pm (Spanish) Misa a La Inmaculada Concepcion

Advent Giving Tree

Our parish is once again sponsoring an Advent “Giving Tree”. Please consider taking an orna-ment from the “Giving Tree”. On the ornament will be a name of one of the women from San-tulli Residence or an item needed for the home-less. Please purchase the item written on the ornament and return the gift wrapped with the ornament tapped to the package. Gifts may be placed under the “Giving Tree” no later than December 18th. Any gifts returned after December 18th may be brought to the rec-tory. The “Giving Tree” has become a parish Advent project of charity (love of neighbor).

Newly Baptized

The Parish family welcomes the newly baptized:

Noah Alexandre Valle

St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry

Our food pantry is in need of the following

items: coffee, hot cereals, canned meats, canned milk, peanut butter and jelly.

St. Vincent de Paul Society Christmas “Adopt-A-Family”

Anyone who is interested in donating $25.00 (or any amount) to help defray the cost of pro-viding food baskets to families at Christmas, may leave their donation at the rectory or drop it in the collection basket on Sunday. Please mark the envelope “Adopt-A-Family”. Our food pantry provides food to 75 families a month. We provide holiday food baskets three times a year (Easter, Thanksgiving and Christ-mas) to approximately 250 families. We also provide toys at Christmas. The St. Vincent de Paul Society works hard to make sure many families have a wonderful holiday. If you know of someone or a family in the com-munity who is in need of the “Adopt-A-Family” program, please call the rectory and leave their name, address and phone number. Thank you for your continued support.

50/50 CLUB

50/50 envelopes are in your monthly envelope packet sent to your home. Additional envelopes are available in back of the church. Please feel free to take additional envelopes for neighbors and friends.

Minimum donation is $2.00

Donacion menos $2.00

$2.00 = 1 chance to win $5.00 = 3 chances to win $10.00 = 6 chances to win

All proceeds will go to the Elevator Fund.

. BAPTISMS

Baptisms are celebrated in English on the last Sunday of the month at 1:30 p.m. and Spanish baptisms are celebrated on the first Saturday of every month. Arrangements must be made at the rectory in advance. The birth certificate must be presented. Instructions are required for parents and godparents before Baptism.

MARRIAGES

Arrangements should be made six months in advance. Pre-Cana Conferences are part of preparation. The website address is:

http://www.pre-cana.org/

MINISTRY TO THE SICK

Priests are available anytime. Ministers of the Eucharist can be invited to bring Communion to the home of the sick.

SCHOOL OF FAITH FORMATION

Wednesday:

Pre-Communion and Communion Classes 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Thursday:

Continuing Classes to Confirmation, Pre- Confirmation and Confirmation

5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

PARISH MEMBERSHIP

Please register at the Rectory. Any letters for Sponsorship, Baptism/Confirmation, as well as a letter for Immigration, you must be a regis-tered member of the Parish.

CHOIR

Meets each Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. in Church.

#006099 St. Anthony—St. Alphonsus 862 Manhattan Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11222 718-383-3339 Contact: Christine Bianculli Software Using: Win XP Pro SP2 Publisher 2007 AA9 Transmission Time: Tuesday afternoon Pages Sent: 6 Bulletin for: December 4, 2016 Special Instructions: