24252 El Toro Road, Laguna Woods, CA 92637 (949) 837-1090; FAX (949) 837-9510; www.st-nicholaschurch.org

School of Religious Education: (949) 837-7676

Our Parish Mission Statement St. Nicholas Parish is a Catholic community, celebrating our faith

through the Sacraments, Liturgy, Prayer and Service. We strive to nurture family life and to create one body out of many in the Lord.

We share the Good News with people of all ages, cultures and faith backgrounds. Adopted July, 1996

BAPTISM English: Fourth Sunday of the month at 2PM. Spanish: Third Saturday of the month at 11AM Vietnamese: Second Sunday of the month at 2PM.

MARRIAGE Arrangements must begin at least six months in advance with a priest of the parish.

ANOINTING OF THE SICK Call Parish Office in an emergency. Special Service celebrated in fall/spring as announced.

FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS At the death of a family member, please call the Parish Office at your earliest convenience to plan for the Mass of Christian Burial.

EUCHARISTIC ADORATION DAY 24-hour adoration begins the second Wednesday of the month at the 9:00AM Mass.

DEVOTIONS & BENEDICTION Wednesday evenings at 7:00PM; Vietnamese—2nd Wednesday of the month at 8PM. Recitation of the Holy Rosary and Benediction.

CLERGY

Pastor Rev. George P. Blais Parochial Vicar Rev. Quyen Truong Visiting Priest Rev. Msgr. John Campbell Visiting Priest Rev. Gerald Walker Visiting Priest Rev. Brendan Hankins Visiting Priest Rev. Jack Sewell Visiting Priest Rev. Chin Dang Deacon Wayne Thompson Deacon Chau Tran Deacon Gerardo De Santos

MASS SCHEDULE Saturday Vigil: 4:00PM, 7:00PM in Spanish Sunday: 7:30AM, 9:00AM, 10:45AM, 12:30PM, and 5:00PM in Vietnamese. Monday through Friday: 7:00AM and 9:00AM Saturday: 9AM

Filipino Mass: 5:30PM, First Saturdays, October-June. Holy Days: 4PM Vigil, 7AM, 9AM, 12PM, 6PM, 7:30PM in Vietnamese, and 7PM Spanish Vigil.

RECONCILIATION (Confession) Saturday: 9:45AM to 10:15AM and 3:00PM to 3:45PM or by appointment.

Parish Office Hours: Sunday: 8:30 AM—1:30 PM Monday through Friday: 9 AM—12 Noon; 1 PM — 7:00 PM;

Saturday: 9 AM—12 Noon

St. Nicholas Parish

June 3rd, 2018 The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

Stewardship of Treasure

2018 2017 52-Weekly Required Budget

May 27th $19,196.49 $19,565.65 $25,856.00

Dear Parishioners,

Today we celebrate the Feast of Corpus Christi, the Body and Blood of Christ. Every time we come to Mass, we have the privilege of receiving Jesus in a special way, the Eucharist. As Catholics, when we receive the Eucharist, we are receiving His true Body and Blood. We believe in the real presence of Christ in communion because that is indeed what it is; the real presence of Body and Blood.

Our Eucharist is not a sign or a symbol or a simple remembering the Last Supper, and this is why we must receive with reverence and be totally prepared to receive. Often times, people approach the reception of communion very casually and without reverence; however, this is the most important part of the Mass because Jesus comes to nourish us with His Body and Blood. When we hear the words from the priest or Eucharistic minister: “The Body of Christ,” or “The Blood of Christ.”, our response is “Amen”, which means “I believe”. As we make this response, it is important to say it with meaning and conviction; rather than a whisper. We should then receive with reverence and as we go back to our seat, this is a time of prayer in thanksgiving for all that the Lord has given us. The word Eucharist means thanksgiving and after we receive, we give thanks to God in silent prayer.

As the priest or deacon is purifying the sacred vessels at the altar, we have the opportunity to pray silently. When I am purifying the vessels, I am praying my prayer of thanks and take seriously the need to treat the fragments in the vessels with the utmost respect and reverence and this is why sometimes it may seem like I take too long; however, please know that I do not want to appear to complete this task casually or without proper respect. I am not simply doing the dishes I am purifying the sacred vessels. Fr. George

Pastoral Services Appeal 2018

Thank you to all who have already participated in this year’s PSA. If you did not receive information about the PSA in the mail, there are brochures and pledge envelopes available in the Church or in the

Parish Office.

# Participating families: 321 Amount of pledges: $135,203 Payments received: $82,653

Once we reach our diocesan goal of $111,000, all monies over that amount

will be returned to St. Nicholas to help pay for the parking lot project.

Would YOU

like to serve God

as an Altar Server?

If you are interested in becoming an

Altar Server, pick up a Registration Form

in the SRE Office.

Qualifications: Must be in 5th grade or higher;

received First Communion; registered in SRE classes;

able to serve at one of the parish Masses as scheduled;

able to attend training sessions. Return your

completed form to the

SRE Office, Attention: Fr. Quyen.

Our Monthly Day of Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament begins next Wednesday, June 13th, at the 9AM Mass and continues until just prior to the 9AM

Mass on Thursday, June 14th. We invite and encourage you to spend some time with Our Lord in

the presence of the Blessed Sacrament - praying especially for the strengthening and unity of

Christian family life and for vocations to religious life and the priesthood.

Monday: 7AM Aaron McNamee (d) 9AM Aurora F. Acres (d) Tuesday: 7AM Communion Service 9AM Eugene Sampson (d) Wednesday: 7AM Communion Service 9AM Gus Schram Thursday: 7AM Communion Service 9AM Clara Ambrico and Marjorie White (d) Friday: 7AM Communion Service 9AM Vincent Alpino (d) Saturday: 9AM Guadalupe Gandora (d) 4PM Patrick Hernandez 7PM Rafael Gonzalez (d) Sunday: 7:30AM For the Parish 9:00AM Beatriz Daza (d) 10:45AM Mario Balledos 12:30PM Justin and Gabriel Lobaton Jr.

Parish Calendar This Week

MONDAY Sewing Group, Small Hall, 8AM Spanish Rosary, Church, 7PM

TUESDAY St. Nicholas Chorale, Small Hall, 7:15PM

WEDNESDAY Charismatic Prayer Group, Room A, 9:45AM Knights of Columbus Meeting, Room 102, 6PM Devotions and Benediction, Church, 7PM Hispanic Choir, Room C, 7PM Filipino Choir, Small Hall, 8PM

THURSDAY Faith Alive—Faith Sharing, Room A, 9:45AM Hispanic Council, Room C, 6:30PM St. Nicholas Choir, Small Hall, 7:15PM

FRIDAY Spanish Bible Study, Small Hall, 7PM Baptism Preparation—Spanish, Room B, 7PM Baptism Preparation—English, Room C, 7:30PM

SATURDAY Hispanic Choir, Room C, 4PM

SUNDAY Baccalaureate Mass, Church, 10:45AM Library CLOSED

TODAY’S READINGS

First Reading: Exodus 24:3-8 This is the blood of the covenant that the LORD has made with you Psalm 116 I will take the cup of salvation, and call on the name of the Lord. Second Reading: Hebrews 9:11-15 Christ is the mediator of a new covenant. Gospel: Mark 14:12-16, 22-26 This is my body. This is my blood of the covenant.

We Remember

Leanne White and Rita Keller who entered their new and eternal life in Christ.

Grant to all our dearly departed, eternal rest, O Lord,

and may your light shine on them forever.

The St. Nicholas Library...

The Library will be closed June-August and will re-open on September 2nd.

Any checked out books need to be returned to the Parish Office.

The Library will be open the 1st & 3rd Sundays of the month, from 8:45am—12:45pm when it re-opens in September.

We are located in Room C, behind the Parish Office.

Freebie Cart: Rosaries, prayer cards and more!

Mass Intentions for the Week

PARISH OFFICE STAFF

Parish Liturgical Secretary: Kathy Debolt Parish Financial Accountant: Irma Contreras Front Office Lead: Karen Falagrady Ministry to Sick & Homebound: Barbara Price Director, Youth Ministry: Gwen Wieser Director, Religious Education: Gwen Wieser SRE Secretary/Admin Assistant: Alfonso Lopez Music Ministry: Emett Loera Plant Supervisor: Steve Burton

SCHOOL OF RELIGIOUS EDUCATION: (949) 837-7676 VIETNAMESE MINISTRIES: (949) 837-1090, Ext. 116 Sr. ThuHuong Nguyen, LHC (949) 837-1090, Ext. 137

June 3rd, 2018 The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

SCHOOL OF RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Check us out on Facebook!

Bible Study will resume Tues. June 19th at 6:30PM

Sun. June 10th — Join us for the Baccalaureate Mass at 10:45AM for all those graduating from high school or college. Afterwards, we will be having a picnic at the Laguna Niguel Regional Park at Shelter #1 at

12PM. Please bring a snack to share for at least 6 people.

July 20-22nd — Leadership Retreat at St. Andrew’s Abbey in Valyermo. The first planning meeting is

scheduled for June 5th at 6:30PM at Santiago de Compostela Church.

We thank and congratulate everyone — parents, catechists, aides, and St. Nicholas staff for a wonderful and faith-filled year. Prayers and good wishes for a safe

and happy summer. We look forward to your return to SRE in the fall.

IMPORTANT NEWS:

Registration forms have been mailed. Please make it a priority to re-register your student(s) for the next year and return the forms to the SRE Office ASAP. Faith

formation is a life-long commitment and students should continue attending classes until their Confirmation.

Registration forms for junior high and confirmation classes will be mailed in the next week. Please return the

forms as soon as possible. Thank you.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Vacation Bible School— August 13-17th from 9AM to noon — We will need volunteers to help lead

songs, dances, games, and crafts. Call the SRE Office for more information: (949) 837 - 7676

YOUTH MINISTRY

EL GRUPO DE ORACIÓN EN ESPAÑOL

Invitamos a los feligreses a unirse en oración y alabanza a Jesus, Maria, y Jose en la iglesia de St.

Nicholás cada tercer Miércoles de cada mes a las 7PM en el Salón “C”.

Para más information, favor de llamar a José o a Norma Garibay a (949) 613-3030.

June 3rd, 2018 The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

Oktoberfest and Irish Festival Volunteer Needs

The annual Oktoberfest and Irish Festival are always great fun and are important fundraisers for our School of Religious Education, and we greatly appreciate those who have donated their time to help at these events in the past. In order to assure that these two events will continue in the future, several volunteers are needed to help with the organization and management of both the Oktoberfest and Irish Festival. Specifically, 3 people are needed for the following:

♦ To schedule and supervise workers to decorate the parish hall on the morning of the events and to de-decorate in the evening at the end of the event.

♦ To schedule and supervise workers to set up the Stage, Dance Floor, and Beverage Booth before the events and to break down and put away these same items at the end of the event. Also, to purchase and pick up supplies.

♦ To schedule workers for ticket, raffle, and beverage sales on the day of the events, and to supervise these areas during the events,

Without additional volunteers to fill these key positions, these events are in jeopardy of being discontinued. If you are willing to volunteer in any of these three areas, or would like to get additional information, please call Chuck Wieser at (949) 240-0242.

TREASURES FROM OUR TRADITION

The origins of today’s solemnity lie in thirteenth-century Belgium. In those days, people seldom received Holy Communion, and never from the chalice. A nun in a troubled convent, Juliana of Liège, devoted her life to stirring up love for the Eucharist, lobbying for a feast day to honor the Blessed Sacrament with Masses and processions. Juliana may have been inspired by the Ascension Day processions in nearby Bruges. Crusaders brought a treasure home to Bruges from Constantinople in 1204: a reliquary said to contain a cloth from Joseph of Arimathea with which he had helped prepare the body of Jesus for burial. The stain on the cloth was said to be the holy blood itself, and so the people of Bruges built a great basilica to house the relic. Bruges became a great center of pilgrimage because of this treasure, and the procession of the Holy Blood is still one of the greatest festivals in Belgium today. The bishop carries the relic through the narrow streets, and the people wear medieval costumes and act out scenes from the Bible.

—Rev. James Field, Copyright © J. S. Paluch Co.

Come to Faith Alive-Faith Sharing!

The Faith Alive-Faith Sharing group meets weekly on Thursdays, 10AM to 11:30AM in Room A.

All parishioners are invited to join the group to study the scriptures for the upcoming Sunday Masses.

Fathers’s Day Novena

Spiritual Bouquet cards and envelopes are now available in the Parish Office for the

Novena being offered for Fathers, Grandfathers, Uncles,

and Godfathers, etc.

Mass will be offered once a day from June 14th—21st.

Spiritual Bouquet Envelopes will be placed in the Sanctuary during these Masses.

— HELP WANTED —

More volunteers are needed to help in the cleaning of the Church. We meet on the first Tuesday of the month after the 9AM Mass. If you can contribute an hour or two of your time, it would be appreciated! Our next church cleaning is Tuesday, June 5th.

Call: Phoebe at 949-855-9263 with any questions.

Wordnet Productions presents

“The Word in the World” — week of June 3rd:

Guest Speaker — Andrew Carroll and Military TV Project Contributors

TCT (Direct TV-377) - now on Sundays, 4am–-record it!! (TCT is on Channel 205 in Laguna Woods Village.)

Or go to www.wordnet.tv—Program Archives, or YouTube: Wordnet Productions Channel.

HOLY LAND PILGRIMAGE AND EGYPT PILGRIMAGE INFORMATION MEETING

Deacon Steve Greco invites you to join him on a

Pilgrimage. There will be two separate pilgrimages discussed at the information meeting.

Oct. 28-Nov. 6, 2018 — Holy Land Pilgrimage Jan. 21-Feb. 1 2019 — Egypt Pilgrimage

Join us on June 8th at 7PM at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church to hear more about

these two pilgrimages.

For more information: Mary Anne (949) 981-0918

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church, 9 Hillgate Irvine

Senior Grocery Program for those 60+.

Fruit—Vegetables—Meat—Dairy—Bread

PHOTO ID REQUIRED. No income requirement.

Please bring your own grocery bags.

Sponsored by area churches, this program provides fresh produce, dairy, etc., for seniors at the

Lutheran Church of the Cross (back parking lot) 24231 El Toro Rd., Laguna Woods.

Distribution of food will be on Friday, June 15th from 10am to 11am in the Social Hall.

St. Nicholas Senior Singles

We will be gathering for lunch on Friday, June 15th at 12:30PM at Lucille’s Smokehouse BBQ Restaurant 23760 El Toro Rd. Lake Forest

Reservations a must! RSVP: Betty Sehi at 949-588-5430.

New members are invited and welcome!

Friendship with the love of God in our hearts!

June 3rd, 2018 The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

Christ Cathedral invites you to hear a talk by Scott Hahn on Wednesday, June 13th from 9AM-12PM.

Join us at the Christ Cathedral Arboretum for two talks that will enrich your faith.

Registration and details can be found at stpaulcenter.com/christcathedral/

Christ Cathedral Campus 13280 Chapman Ave. Garden Grove, CA 92840

We have a “Lost and Found” for items that have been left in the Church.

]

If you think you may have left something in the Church, we encourage you to come and check for it in our Lost and Found. It will be available on the weekends, and you may ask an Usher to assist you after Mass. Items that have not been “found” by their owners will be either donated or discarded.

Pancake and Sausage Breakfast

The Knights of Columbus will be hosting a pancake and sausage breakfast after the 7:30AM,

9:00AM, and 10:45AM Masses this weekend.

This is the major fundraising event for the Knights of Columbus and your patronage would be most appreciated. Please plan to attend with

your family and friends.

Refurbishing the Art Works

You may have noticed a different image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus that was on the large parking lot side of the Church by the candle

stands. The original piece is being restored and will be gone for about 2 months.

Once this piece is returned, the image of the Blessed Mother will be restored.

June 3rd, 2018 The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

Prayer to the Sacred Heart

O most holy Heart of Jesus, fountain of every blessing, I adore you, I love you, and with lively sorrow for my sins. I offer you this poor heart of mine. Make me humble, patient, pure, and wholly obedient to your will. Grant, good Jesus, that I may live in you and for you. Protect me in the midst of danger; comfort me in my afflictions; give me health of body, assistance in my temporal needs, your blessings on all that I do, and the grace of a holy death. Within your heart I place my every care. In every need let me come to you with humble trust saying, Heart of Jesus, help me. Amen.

Thank You Council of Catholic Women

In last week’s bulletin, we had a message from our CCW on the response from their annual Tea. They gave a check for $5,100.00 to the parish for special needs of the parish. I wish to thank the ladies for their hard work in this fundraiser and to all who participated in the special event. I have decided that this gift to the parish will be used to cover the cost of the new coffee maker for the parish hall and for re-covering many of the chairs that are used in rooms A, B, and C. Many of these chairs were showing their age with tears and rips and the old coffee maker, which is used by many of our ministries had been causing electrical problems in the hall kitchen and needed to be replaced. This donation from the CCW was the amount that we needed to repair and replace these items and without this donation, we would have had to take the funds from our ordinary income, which is limited, or from our building fund, which we are saving for our parking lot repair. Thank you all once again for your continued support of our parish needs and know that I am always seeking to be a good steward of the gifts that you contribute to the parish.

Fr. George

Interested in becoming a Lector?

The Lector Ministry is seeking new volunteers to proclaim the Good News during Mass, especially

Wednesday mornings at 7AM and during weekends.

If you are a Confirmed, practicing Catholic parishioner who loves Sacred Scripture and comfortable speaking in public, please come

join the Lector Ministry.

Come to the “New Lector Training” on June 12th at 7PM in Room C.

To RSVP for the training or for more information, please call Peggy O’Donnell at (949) 500-0826.

God doesn't call the qualified, he qualifies the called!

The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

The cup of salvation I will take up, and I will call upon the name of the LORD.

— Psalm 116:13

PLEASE NOTE:

Announcements for the bulletin need to be sent 2 Fridays before the weekend you wish to have the announcement in.

Please send bulletin announcements to kdebolt@st-nicholaschurch.org