Saint Cecilia Parish 

wishes each of you 

Blessings in 2015     

 

St Cecilia Parish, 1310 Madison Avenue North, Bainbridge Island, WA 98110. 206‐842‐3594 

The Epiphany of the Lord – January 4th 2015

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NOTES FROM THE PASTOR

Dear parishioners:

This weekend we continue our celebration of Christmas with the Solemnity of the Epiphany. In recalling the visit of the Magi to the newly born King and Savior, we are reminded of God’s plan from the beginning, to call all people to be His people. Most of us are descendants of the Gentiles, the peoples of the nations who were not the original chosen people, the Jews. We celebrate our gratitude that we have been called to know Jesus and follow Him and affirm our responsibility to share in the work of bringing all peoples to worship the once newborn King, now reigning gloriously and generously from heaven.

We have just begun a new year according to the secular calendar. It is never too late to make New Year’s resolutions. Here are several:

1. Begin reading the Four Signs of a Dynamic Catholic

2. Begin to move in the more “dynamic” direction by working on the most important sign, prayer.

3. Start planning now for participation in the parish wide Lenten small group activity.

I know I look forward to this special opportunity for all of us to assist one another in strengthening our commitment to discipleship.

Yours in Christ,

COVER: Entryway to Basilica di Santa Cecilia in Trastevere - Many Thanks to Artist Bill Hemp Santa Cecilia in Trastevere is a 5th century church of Rome, located in the Trastevere rione and devoted to Saint Cecilia. The first church on this site was founded probably in the 3rd century, by Pope Urban I; it was devoted to the Roman martyr Cecilia, martyred it is said under Marcus Aurelius, by the late fifth century, for in the synod of 499 of Pope Symmachus, the church is indicated with the Titulus Ceciliae. Tradition holds that the church was built over the house of the saint

PARISH CALENDAR at a Glance Monday, Jan. 5 9:30 a.m. Centering Prayer – St. Monica 5:30 p.m. Legion of Mary – Church 5:30 p.m. Rosary – Church 5:30 p.m. Liturgical Choir – Choir Room Tuesday, Jan. 6 9:30 a.m. Bible Study – St. Monica 12:30 p.m. Knitting Circle –St. Monica 5:30 p.m. Rosary – Church 6:00 p.m. St. Vincent de Paul-Library 7:00 p.m. RCIA – Chardin Room 7:30 p.m. Contemporary Choir - Church Wednesday, Jan. 7 12:00 p.m. Centering Prayer 5:30 p.m. Rosary - Church Thursday, Jan. 8 3:30 p.m. K-6th PREP- Conger 5:30 p.m. Rosary – Church 7:00 p.m. Evening Bible Study-Chardin Friday, Jan. 9 10:00 a.m. Adoration all day Saturday, Jan. 10 Adoration until 4 p.m. 1:00 p.m. 1st Reconciliation Learning Center Day 4:00-4:45 p.m. Confession – Church 4:00 p.m. Liturgical Choir - Church 5:00 p.m. Vigil Mass Sunday, Jan. 11 9:00 a.m. Coffee and Doughnuts MASS INTENTIONS Monday, Jan 5-St. John Neumann 9:00 a.m. Communion Service Presider- Orysia Earhart Tuesday, Jan. 6-St. Andre Bessett 9:00 a.m. Communion Service Presider- Sue Kuebler Wednesday, Jan. 7-St. Raymond of Penyafort 9:00 a.m. Mass †Timothy Bania Thursday, Jan. 8 9:00 a.m. Mass †Morris Shepherd Friday, Jan. 9 9:00 a.m. Mass Saturday, Jan. 10 9:00 a.m. Mass 5:00 p.m. Vigil Mass For Parishioners Sunday, Jan. 11-The Baptism of the Lord 8:00 a.m. Mass For Parishioners 10:00 a.m. Mass For Parishioners † Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord. And let perpetual light shine upon them. May the souls of the faithful departed, rest in peace. Amen

St. Cecilia Parish – Bainbridge Island

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The Sunday Mass Ministry Roster and the Visiting Eucharistic Ministry Roster are no longer printed here. The roster is available online at the parish website http://www.saintcparish.org/volunteer-ministry-page and it is also posted in the sacristy.  

FINANCIAL STEWARDSHIP

“Dearest lord, teach me to be generous; teach me to serve you as you deserve; to give and not to count the cost.”

— Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556)

See www.saintcparish.org for how to give online

ST. CECILIA PARISH MISSION STATEMENT: As part of the living Body of Christ, Saint Cecilia parish on Bainbridge Island seeks to conform to the will of God through faith, works, teaching and stewardship of God’s creation as guided by the Holy Spirit, by the teachings of Christ, and the Grace of the Father. We celebrate this mission daily in prayer, liturgy, sacraments and

life.

FINANCE CORNER

You may have noticed the colorful new Children’s Offertory envelopes in the pews these past couple of weeks. Whether or not a child brings a monetary offering, they are encouraged to share what they have done in the past week to build up God’s Kingdom. Just write it in on the line: “My good deed was_______” . We will be highlighting good deeds of the week in the Stewardship section of the bulletin. And thank you to whoever offered up the seagull poem in the collection basket. I’m not sure if it was original or a quote, but I imagine God is pleased with all efforts sincerely meant to please Him.

Peace,

Ruth Anne

PARISH & COMMUNITY EVENTS

ADORATION In Bethlehem, almost 2014 year ago, a child was born and his name was Jesus. The same Baby resides in our church in the Blessed Sacrament and He is giving heavenly gifts. His birthday is coming up, you can visit Him and pay homage. Church is open everyday of the week. PEACE AND JOY TO YOU THIS NEW YEAR

LIBRARY NEWS Jerusalem: Center of the World, DVD. Covering history of over 4,000 years, this film captures the rich mosaic of the city’s Christian, Jewish and Muslim communities. Highlights include: Mount Moriah, the site of the First and Second Temples; the Church of the Holy Sepulcher; the Dome of the Rock and the Western Wall. Check it out! Library is open Sunday Morning after Masses and during the week, 9

The Epiphany of the Lord – January 4th 2015

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a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (except Tuesday), Questions? Call Sonja 206-780-1134.

FOR ALL PARENTS AND CHILDREN PREPARING FOR FIRST RECONCILIATION-

The First Reconciliation Learning Center Day will be Saturday, January 10, 2015. It’s one on one time with your child, consisting of fun and learning with crafts and

games centered on learning together about reconciliation. Plan to go through learning stations with your child at your own pace. It’ll be open from 1-5. Plan for 2 hours. Most children make a great leap in learning after they have gone through this workshop with their parents leading them. Great quality time.

LAST WEEK OF COAT & SHOE DRIVE St. Cecilia Parish are collecting used (or new) coats, sturdy shoes and work boots for the Kitsap Rescue Mission. Donation box in found in Conger Hall and a second one in the church narthex. This drive continues through January 11th this weekend. Anyone interested in helping with the collection and delivery of the clothing, please contact Sharon Reynolds @ 206 595-0901.

IN SEARCH OF A NEW BULLETIN EDITOR. It is time for a change and we are looking for a new bulletin editor to work with Parish Staff to create the weekly bulletin. Weekly Bulletin Preparation (includes

drafting new content as well as editing content provided by staff, ministries, and outside agencies). Good communications skills, verbal and written; Proficiency in computer technology to include word-processing, and PDF creator. Expected time

commitment 2-3 hours a week, training provided and archive of past bulletins available. Start date February 1, 2015

COME PRAY THE LITURGY OF THE HOURS We invite you to join in a new opportunity for prayer at St. Cecilia. Vespers of the Church will be celebrated in a group each Sunday at 7:00 p.m. in the Blessed Sacrament chapel. Vespers is one of the seven parts of the Church’s Liturgy of the Hours, or Divine Office. The Liturgy of the Hours consists primarily of psalms supplemented by hymns and readings. The various “hours” are designed to be prayed throughout the day as a means of sanctifying the whole day with prayer. As with the Mass, the Divine Office is an official public prayer of the Church. Vespers takes about 20 minutes. Scripts will be provided, and anyone can participate – Catholic or not. Please join us. Questions? Contact Bob Earhart, OFS, 240-447-3173

HELP START A LIBRARY IN THE PHILIPPINES NEEDED YOUR GENTLY USED BOOKS and/or A DONATION FOR SHIPPING COSTS There is now a box in

Conger Hall to support this endeavor Our goal is to collect 1,000 gently used books in order to create a greatly needed elementary school library for The Don Herminio Maravilla Elementary School in Bacolod City, Philippines. We also need funds to pay of the shipping costs. The books will travel by boat because it is the cheapest way to send them. The cost is about $75 a box and takes almost 3 months to arrive from Seattle to Manila. Call or email me to schedule a book pick up, Kimrick Soltanzadeh, 206-920-7160 ethanisland@aol.com Make checks payable to “HUBL” which stands for Help Us Build a Library.

St. Cecilia Parish – Bainbridge Island

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YOUTHIES FUNDRAISING UPDATE Thank you to

all who have supported us so generously. We have reached our goal and then some. Yet we still have a parking lot full of split

wood. More trees are continually been donated so we are still going strong. Now that we have reached our first fundraising goal for the Haiti school, we are now focusing our efforts to raise funds for our World Youth Day trip to Poland in July 2016. We will keep doing this because it is keeping everyone warm including the fathers and sons splitting together! We are selling firewood by the truckload - you pick up or we deliver. Suggested donation - whatever you think is fair - Contact Neill Raymond at 206-842-1149 to place your firewood order.

SEE ---- Spiritual Enrichment Events In our ongoing focus on Pope Francis’ message on poverty, prayer, compassion and personal story, Fr. William Treacy will explore Prayer: Its Possible Forms and Place in Our Lives - Wednesday, January 21st at 7:30pm in the Faith Center. Fr. Treacy is a treasured speaker and writer, and co-

founder of the Treacy Levine Center. The Center brings together people of different cultures and faiths to promote peace and global understanding. Recently, teens from Israel, Palestine, and the U.S. spent ten days talking about their faiths and life experiences. With Rabbi Raphael Levine, Fr. Treacy co-authored “Wild Branch on the Olive Tree.”

ST. CECILIA CATHOLIC SCHOOL Applications are now being accepted for "EXPLORERS", the Saint Cecilia Catholic School's Preschool program for 3 and 4 year olds.

We do hands-on learning centers.

We teach independent thinking and core subjects.

"We believe learning should be full of wonder.

This is a theme based learning program with an emphasis on hands-on activities. Classes meet Tues/Thurs from 8:45 am-12:00 pm. Please contact 206-842-2017 for information, to tour the classroom and to meet the teachers. Visit the school website at www.saintceciliaschool.org For your older children, consider also our K-8 program. Tour our state of the art facility today, and experience first-hand how SCCS delivers a quality education. Educating the whole child - mind, body, and soul. Financial Scholarships/Aid is still available for students beginning in January. Please call the office for an appointment.

RCIA meets on Tuesday nights at 7pm in the Chardin Room. We welcome everyone to attend - those interested in joining the Catholic Church, those who just have questions, please contact Patrick Middleton at 206-321-0050.

Morning BIBLE STUDY gathers each Tuesday, morning at 9:45 a.m. in the St. Monica Room, we are studying the book of James. Evening Bible Study is held on Thursday evenings at 7:00 p.m. Bible Study meets in the Chardin Room.

The Epiphany of the Lord – January 4th 2015

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ARCHDIOCESE & BEYOND!

COMING HOME TO MYSELF - A Women's Retreat led by Pat Lewis and Carol Scott-Kassner Saturday, January 17th, 9:30-4:30pm, Lake Washington, Bellevue. (Further details sent after registration.) Cost $70. Scholarships available. Contact Pat Lewis 206-322-9211 or psixtyone@msn.com Join with other women in: Gaining greater awareness of threads in your life

by examining your story Identifying what needs to be released at this time

to come into your center Naming what you want to claim for yourself at

this point in your journey Cost: $70.00- includes coffee and rolls and lunch. Some partial scholarships available. We invite all who are able, to contribute to the scholarship fund so that all women who want to attend can share this day with us. Let us know if you need this support. Registration: Closes January 10, 2015. Refunds minus $5.00 possible before this date. Register early to reserve your spot. Space is limited to 24 people.

UPCOMING RETREATS It’s never too early to consider a retreat at the Palisades Retreat center. There are even special Men’s retreats. Find out more information and schedule times at the archdiocese website www.seattlearchdiocese.org/palisades

THE BEST GIFT FOR YOUR SPOUSE A LOVING MARRIAGE. Have you and your spouse drifted apart

over the years? Do you live in peaceful coexistence,

but wish your marriage was more than that? Do you think it’s impossible to have a warm and loving marriage? Think again. Retrouvaille can help. For confidential information about, or to register for our upcoming program beginning January 23-25, 2015 call 206-706-2608 or visit our website at www.HelpOurMarriage.com

SAINT THOMAS BECKET, ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY continued from page 7

Four Norman knights overheard this remark and took it upon themselves to do what their king requested. According to Alfred Duggan’s The Murder of Becket, on December 29, 1170, the knights challenged Thomas in the cathedral in Canterbury, asking “where is the traitor?” Thomas responded, “Here I am, no traitor, but archbishop and priest of God.” When Thomas would not concede to their demands, they struck him down, splitting his skull. Thomas’ last words were, “I accept death for the name of Jesus and for the Church.”

All of Europe was shocked by the murder of Thomas Becket. King Henry II himself performed public penance. Thomas was canonized in 1173, and many miracles have occurred at his shrine in Canterbury. St. Thomas Becket’s memorial is December 29.

+ + THE SAINTS + MODELS OF CATHOLIC LIFE + + Patrick Middleton SAINT THOMAS BECKET, ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY

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According to historian, Christopher Tyerman, Thomas Becket was “the most famous Englishman of the Middle Ages.” He was born in London in 1118. The Norman Conquest had occurred in 1066 when William

the Conqueror invaded Britain. Thomas’ father, Gilbert, was a Norman knight who flourished as a London merchant. His mother was deeply religious and instilled in Thomas a devotion to Mary, the poor, and a life of piety. Thomas attended Merton Priory and

then the famous University of Paris. In 1141, Theobald, the Norman monk-archbishop of Canterbury, hired Thomas as a clerk. Theobald was so impressed that he sent him to study civil and canon law in Bologna and Auxerre. In 1154, Theobald ordained Thomas a deacon and appointed him Archdeacon of Canterbury.

When King Stephen died, the young Henry II became King of England. Upon Theobald’s recommendation, Henry appointed Thomas his chancellor, one of the two most powerful positions below the king himself. Thomas and King Henry, who was twelve years younger, became great friends. Henry, H.W. Crocker III wrote in Triumph, The Power and the Glory of the Catholic Church: “Becket was one of those extraordinarily gifted medieval churchmen who were simultaneously soldier, diplomat, lawyer, financier, prelate, and in his case eventual martyr, counseling kings and countries. Indeed, Becket led troops in battle, served as the king’s principal adviser, and was educated primarily as a lawyer. He was also able to balance a rollicking demeanor – he and the

king have been described as ‘like two schoolboys at play’ – as well as a taste for the high life and regal splendor with a serious religious devotion.”

When Theobald died, however, King Henry II sought to reacquire the control that William the Conqueror had asserted over the Church, including appointing its clerics. His plans including making Thomas the new archbishop. When Thomas learned of the king’s intentions, he objected, pointed out that he was not yet a priest, and said, “I know your plans for the Church. You will assert claims which I, if I were archbishop, must needs oppose.” But, after the urging of Cardinal Henry of Pisa, Thomas agreed to the appointment, was ordained a priest in 1162 and the next day consecrated Archbishop of Canterbury.

Thomas did not, however, behave as King Henry II had hoped. As stated in Triumph, “As chancellor to the king, Becket had been an ardent defender of the monarchy’s claims, so much so that Henry hoped to have him serve in both positions…. But Becket not only resigned the position of chancellor; he became yet more serious in his religious devotions and in his practice of personal mortification. He was no longer a boy at play; he was the pope’s man in England. As archbishop he insisted – as he had warned the king, before his appointment, that he would – on the Church’s independence.”

Thomas looked for reasonable concessions, but he would not concede on key matters, which resulted in the two friends becoming enemies. Thomas eventually had to escape to France and then to Pope Alexander III. Negotiations took place between Henry II, Thomas, and Pope Alexander III; and Thomas was allowed to return to England in 1170. The people welcomed him with great enthusiasm. But, disputes began again. As stated in Triumph, Henry II became so exasperated at Thomas’ uncompromising resistance that he screamed, “Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest?” (continued on page 6)