December 6, 2015 - Second Sunday of Advent

Rev. M. Keith LaBove, Pastor Parish Website: www.stpat.org

stpat.org@gmail.com

Office Hours

Monday – Thursday: 8:30 am – 3:00 pm; Friday 8:30 am – 12 noon

Celebration of the Eucharist

Saturday: 4:00 pm – Sunday: 8:30 & 10:00 am Monday through Friday: 7:30 am

Sacrament of Reconciliation

Saturday: 3:00 – 3:30 pm and Weekdays: 7:15 am

Baptisms

Seminars are held every other month - register

by calling the office. At-tendance is suggested

during pregnancy.

Anointing of the Sick The Church recom-

mends this sacrament for those who are grave-

ly ill or in danger of death. Call the priest to

arrange a visit.

Weddings

Arrangements must be made at least six

months in advance to allow time for prepara-

tion and planning.

406 East Pinhook Road Lafayette, LA 70501-8727

Phone: (337) 237-0988

Welcome to St. Patrick Church

Second Sunday of Advent

December 6, 2015

MASS INTENTIONS FOR THE WEEK

Saturday, December 5--Vigil of the Second Sunday of Advent 4:00 PM: Mike Guilbeau; Willis Noel; Cecil & Eva Mae Hebert ; Dr. Leonard & Betty Rolfes; Jules, Isola & Bart LeJeune; Wiley & Verna Romero Sunday, December 6--Second Sunday of Ad-vent 8:30 AM: Joseph & Eldie Woods; Robert Chastant & Evelyn; Eddie Upton; Dr. Almore (Doc) Bordelon; Nick & Earl Chiasson; M/M Elliot Roy; Robert Cole; Phil Simon; Bud & Euna Arceneaux; Margie Carrier 10:00 AM: Parishioners of St. Patrick’s Monday, December 7--St. Ambrose, Bishop & Doctor of the Church 7:30 AM: Dr. Nicholas Olivier

Tuesday, December 8--The Immaculate Concep-tion of the Blessed Virgin Mary 7:30 AM: Julia Phillips Wednesday, December 9--St. Juan Diego Cuauht-latoatzin 7:30 AM: Dr. Tommy Comeaux & Dorinne; Col. Clark Comeaux & Catherine (living); Col. Kimberly Fedele (living) Thursday, December 10--Advent Weekday 7:30 AM: Bella Hernandez; Gussie Hernandez; Manilla Conques Friday, December 11--St. Damasus I, Pope 7:30 AM: Dr. Charles Stewart

Non-Liturgical Devotions Daily Rosary: Monday - Friday 6:55 a.m. Our Lady of Perpetual Help Novena: Tuesday 7:15 a.m. Rosary for Priests: Wednesday 7:00 a.m. Chaplet of Divine Mercy: Thursday 7:15 a.m. Pro-Life Rosary: 1st. Friday of the month 7 a.m. Shamrocks—Wednesday, December 11: No cleaning this week.. We thank all who participate in this Ministry! Advent Healing Service All are invited to attend an “Advent Healing Ser-vice” on Thursday, December 10, at 6:00 p.m. at St. Jules Catholic Church, 116 St. Jules Street, Lafayette. Main celebrant of the Mass will be Rev. Dan Edwards, Pastor of St. Jules. For addi-tional information, please call 234-2727.

Annual Christmas Social You are invited to attend our yearly Christmas Social on Sunday, December 13, at 11 am. at the Parish Hall. Bring your favorite holiday dish. The parish will provide the meat. This is a great opportunity to fellowship with one another and to meet parishioners who attend mass at another time. Immaculate Conception Tuesday, December 8th., is the Immaculate Con-ception of the Blessed Virgin Mary and it is a holyday of obligation. Mass will be at 7:30 a.m. We honor Mary, the Immaculate Conception who is Pa-troness of the United States. The collection will be for the Needy.

Make this a Meaningful Holiday—Heifer Project Instead of material gifts, choose gifts that help struggling families lift themselves out of poverty. Since 1944, Heifer International has worked to bring help, healing and hope to millions of impoverished families worldwide. In just over 70 years, the total number of families assisted , directly and indirectly, is more than 22.6 million in more than 125 coun-tries. In areas where hunger and despair once prevailed, Heifer programs have reinvigorated communities through livestock, training and Passing on the Gift. Our church will be participating in this special endeavor as a Christmas Project. Donation sheets are available under the stairwell. All donations will be sent to Heifer International at the beginning of the year. Heifer International meets the BBB Wise Giving Alliance’s Standards for Charity Accountabil-ity. For additional information please visit their website: http//www.heifer.org/ The Light Is On for You The Church encourages all Catholics to celebrate the Sacra-ment of Reconciliation each Advent. In addition to our nor-mal Saturday afternoon confession time, our parish and all the Catholic parishes of the Diocese will be open on the first three Advent Wednesdays (Dec. 2, 9 & 16) from 6:30-8:00 pm. Please take advantage of this opportunity to make a good Advent confession and also reach out to the Catholics you know that have been away from the regular practice of our faith and invite them to seize this chance to begin again. Holy Year of Mercy In the bull of indiction Misericordiae Vultus, Pope Francis decreed that the Holy Year of Mercy will begin on the So-lemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Vir-gin Mary, December 8, 2015, with the opening of the Holy Door in the Basilica of St. Peter at the Vatican. On the fol-lowing Sunday, December 13, the Third Sunday of Advent, the Holy Father decreed that “in every local church, at the cathedral—the mother church of the faithful in any particu-lar area—…a Door of Mercy will be opened for the dura-tion of the Holy Year” (MV, 3). The Rite of the Opening of the Door of Mercy in the Diocese of Lafayette will be cele-brated by Bishop Michael Jarrell at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in Lafayette on Sunday, December 13, 2015, at 10:45 a.m. It will include the celebration of the 11:00 a.m. Mass. All are invited to attend. Schedule of Christmas Masses Christmas Eve, Thursday, December 24: 4 & 6 p.m. (NO 7:30 a.m. Mass on this Day) Christmas Day, Friday, December 25: 8:30 & 10 a.m. (same as Sundays) New Year’s Eve, Thursday, December 31st: 4 p.m. (NO 7:30 a.m. Mass on this Day) New Year’s, Friday, January 1st: 9:00 a.m.

Holy Hour for Vocations Please join us for our monthly “Holy Hour for Voca-tions and for the Spiritual Renewal of All Priests” on Monday, December 7, from 6:00-7:00 p.m. at St. Pat-rick Catholic Church, 406 E. Pinhook Road. Recitation of the Rosary begins at 5:30 p.m. All are welcome to join in these prayers for vocations and perseverance of vocations to the priesthood and religious life, spon-sored by the Serra Club of Lafayette. 2015 Parish Advent Missions—Central Region Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Church, 145 Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive, Lafayette, LA 70501. “True Devotion to Mary”, December 9 & 10—6:00—8:30 pm. For more information, please contact Rashida McZeal (337-233-1591; queenofpeace 1969@gmail.com). Our Lady Queen of Mercy Catholic Church, 1454 Henderson Hwy., Henderson, LA 70517. “Advent: The Sin of Man and God’s Response”, December 9 & 10, 6:30 pm. Presenter: Mr. Aaron Breaux. For more information, please call the Office (337-228-2352) St. Anne Catholic Church, 201 Church Street, Youngsville, LA 70592. “Who is St. John the Bap-tist?”. December 14 & 15—6:15 pm. Presenter: Rev. Garret McIntyre, Pastor of Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church, Henderson & Sacred Heart Chapel, Butte LaRose. For information, please contact Debbie Miller (337-856-8212; pastoralaide@stannechurch.net). St. Joseph Catholic Church, Broussard and St. An-thony Chapel, Cade, 232 St. De Porres Street, Brous-sard, LA 70518. “Awakening the Gift of Mercy at Christmas” December 13, 14 & 15, 7:00 p.m. (Musical Prelude at 6:45 pm). For information, please call the Church Office (337-837-6218). BSA This weekend is Bishop’s services Appeal Follow-Up Weekend. Brochures and donation envelopes remain available under the stairwell near the main entrance of Church, or you may visit our parish website at stpat.org/bsa for more information, including a link to online giving. STEWARDSHIP OF THE PAST WEEK Our Response to God’s Generosity to Us Offertory……………………...$ 3,791.00 Thanksgiving Day (UCO)……$ 641.47 Heifer International…………..$ 1,130.00 (to date) Thank You! The second collection this weekend will be for our Building Fund.

Date

Saturday, December 12 4:00 p.m.

Sunday, December 13 8:30 a.m.

Sunday, December 13 10:00 a.m.

Lectors Angie Kovacs Kenneth Phillips Phyllis Roy

Eucharistic Ministers

Candis Thompson George Eaton Rosalind Allen

Geneva Phillips Gerrie McGovern Suzanne Lavergne

Jerry Boudreaux Dee Boudreaux Tami Petre

Altar Servers Janell Venable Mary Kramer Debra Carroll

Ushers George Guidry Joyce Stelly

Rachelle Trahan Keith Toups

Robin Roy Lionel Jeanmard

Liturgical Roles for December

Readings for the Week

Monday Is 35:1-10; Ps 85:9-14; Lk 5:17-26

Tuesday Gn 3:9-15, 20; Ps 98:1-4; Eph 1:3-6, 11-12; Lk 1:26-38

Wednesday Is 40:25-31; Ps 103:1-4, 8, 10; Mt 11:28-30

Thursday Is 41:13-20; Ps 145:1, 9-13ab; Mt 11:11-15

Friday Is 48:17-19; Ps 1:1-4, 6; Mt 11:16-19

Saturday Zec 2:14-17 or Rv 11:19a; 12:1-6a, 10ab; Jdt 13:18bcde, 19; Lk 1:26-38

Sunday Zep 3:14-18a; Is 12:2-3, 4, 5-6; Phil 4:4-7; Lk 3:10-18

From the Pastor’s Desk

This Tuesday, we celebrate the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, recalling the outpouring of God’s mercy upon Mary, as he chose her to be the mother of our Savior, and preserved her from Original Sin from her very conception. How appropriate then to begin on that day a Jubilee Year of Mercy. December 8th is also the 50th anniversary of the closing of the Second Vatican Council, which Pope John XXIII opened by calling the Church to “use the medicine of mercy.” In calling for this year of reflection upon God’s mercy, Pope Francis wrote:

“1. Jesus Christ is the face of the Father’s mercy. These words might well sum up the mystery of the Christian faith. Mercy has become living and visible in Jesus of Nazareth, reaching its culmination in him. The Father, “rich in mercy” (Eph 2:4), after having revealed his name to Moses as “a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness” (Ex34:6), has never ceased to show, in various ways throughout histo-ry, his divine nature. In the “fullness of time” (Gal 4:4), when everything had been arranged according to his plan of salvation, he sent his only Son into the world, born of the Virgin Mary, to reveal his love for us in a definitive way. Whoever sees Jesus sees the Father (cf. Jn 14:9). Jesus of Nazareth, by his words, his actions, and his entire person reveals the mercy of God.

“2. We need constantly to contemplate the mystery of mercy. It is a wellspring of joy, serenity, and peace. Our salvation depends on it. Mercy: the word reveals the very mystery of the Most Holy Trinity. Mercy: the ultimate and supreme act by which God comes to meet us. Mercy: the fundamental law that dwells in the heart of every person who looks sincerely into the eyes of his brothers and sisters on the path of life. Mercy: the bridge that connects God and man, opening our hearts to the hope of being loved forever despite our sinfulness. “

And what is the purpose of this Jubilee Year of Mercy? When Pope Francis spoke to Congress last October, he reminded us of the witness of Dorothy Day, who once wrote:

“What we would like to do is change the world—make it a little simpler for people to feed, clothe and shelter themselves as God intended them to do. And to a certain extent, by fighting for better conditions, by crying out un-ceasingly for the rights of the workers, of the poor, of the destitute — the rights of the worthy and the unworthy poor in other words, we can to a certain extent change the world; we can work for the oasis, the little cell of joy and peace in a harried world.” (The Catholic Worker, June 1946). In other words, we long for mercy to transform us, so the same mercy of God might transform the world.