PARISH FAMILY OF OUR LADY OF THE LAKE�

Parish Office Hours 9AM - 3PM

Monday through Thursday

Parish Office: (978) 342-2978

Religious Ed. Office: (978) 345-7469

Fax: (978) 342-8738

Parish E-Mail Information@ourladylake.org

Religious Ed. Email Religiouseducation@ourladylake.org

Parish Web Address

www.ourladylake.org

Parish Staff

Pastor: Father Dennis J. O’Brien

Weekend Assistant: Msgr. James Mongelluzzo

Deacon: Tim Cross

Pastoral Minister: Joan Burns

Religious Ed. Director: Lisa Sciacca

Religious Ed. Grade Coordinators: Elizabeth Rawlinson & Michelle Lutter

Religious Ed. Secretary: Debbie Bronchuk

Parish Office Manager : Tracy Kennedy

Parish Secretary: Kathryn Gravel Administrative Assistant : Wendy Mullin

Facility Manager: Frank Ricardo, Jr. Director of Music: Regie Pineda

Liturgical Celebrations

Lord’s Day Masses:

Saturday: 5:00 PM

Sunday: 8:00 AM, 9:45 AM, 11:45 AM

Daily Mass: 8:00 AM (M, T, W)

Communion Service: 8:00 AM (Th, F)

Sacrament of Reconciliation Every Saturday at 4:00 PM and by appointment.

1400 Main Street ~ Leominster, MA 01453 HOLY FAMILY

“ Now, Master, you may let your

servant go in peace,

according to your word,

for my eyes have seen

your salvation,

which you prepared in sight

of all the peoples,

a light for revelation to the Gentiles,

and glory for our people Israel.”

Luke 2:29-32

OUR LADY OF THE LAKE LEOMINSTER, MA

Please remember in your prayers our departed parishioner Irene Lantry and Dora Wood. May they rest in peace and may their families find comfort from their faith in Jesus Christ.

TAIZE PRAYER ON FIRST FRIDAYS

Experience the Sacred in Song and Silence with Taize Chant and Prayers the First Friday of the month: JAN 2nd, at

8PM at the Chapel of the Holy Spirit at Assumption

College, 500 Salisbury St. Worcester .

Next Weekend’s Celebrants Fr. Dennis will be away from DEC 26

th through JAN 1

st.

January 03rd, SATURDAY

5:00 PM Fr. Dennis O’Brien

January 04th, SUNDAY

8:00 AM Fr. Dennis O’Brien

9:45 AM Fr. Dennis O’Brien 11:45 AM Fr. Dennis O’Brien

December 27th ~ January 04th

27th SATURDAY Saint John

5:00 PM Elena Pignato, First Anniversary

Maurice Thibeault Baptism: Elliott Graham Larson

28th SUNDAY The Holy Family 8:00 AM Lewis Esposito, Sr . Dick Decato, Birthday Remembrance

9:45 AM Mary Lutter , First Anniversary

Pam Duane Cole

11:45 AM Doris Johnston, First Anniversary

Msgr. Frank Goguen, First Anniversary

29th MONDAY St. Thomas Becket 8:00 AM Douglas Nash, Month’s Mind

Thomas Nutting

30th TUESDAY 7:00 AM Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament 8:00 AM Fr. Laurence, ocso 31st WEDNESDAY St. Sylvester I 8:00 AM Alice Oliveira

01st THURSDAY Solemnity of Mary, New Year’s Day 10:00 AM Wilfred Stanton, 2nd Anniversary 02nd FRIDAY St. Basil the Great 8:00 AM Communion Service

03rd SATURDAY The Most Holy Name of Jesus

5:00 PM Christopher Donelle, First Anniversary

Shirley Anderson, Month’s Mind

04th SUNDAY The Epiphany of the Lord 8:00 AM Thomas Nutting, Month’s Mind

9:45 AM Theophile and Exilda Gaudet Alban Gaudet 11:45 AM Julie Maillet, Month’s Mind.

Solemnity of Mary, Holy Mother of God “And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her

heart.” Luke 2:19. How lightly Mary held Jesus. She did not clutch Him to her but held Him out for the world to know. She knew that He did not belong to her alone. From the moment of His birth she was called upon to share Him with strangers who flocked to see Him. In the same way, we are also called to hold our blessings lightly, being willing to share what God has given to us with those whom God may lead to us. As this New Year be-gins, let us look to Mary as a grace-

filled model of sharing all that God might ask of us.

Please join us Thursday, JAN 1, 10AM, for the Solemnity of Mary, Holy Mother of God.

On behalf of our entire parish family, I would like to

thank everyone who helped to make our Christmas

Liturgies so inspiring. To the choir, the various music

groups, lectors, Eucharistic ministers, altar servers,

ushers, maintenance staff, altar guild, decorating

team, and countless other behind-the-scenes people,

we thank you for generously fulfilling your ministries

with dedication and dignity.

During this season and throughout the year, we are

very grateful to Monsignor James Mongelluzzo and

Fr. Anthony DiRusso for leading us in worship and

generously sharing themselves with our parish family.

As we begin the New Year, perhaps these words of

Minnie Haskins will prepare us well for the year

2015: “I said to the man who stood at the gate of the

New Year: “Give me a light that I may tread safely

into the unknown.” And, he replied: “Go out into

the darkness and put your hand into the hand of

God. That shall be to you better than light and safer

than any known way.” (Minnie Haskins’ poem

“The Gate of the Year”, 1908)

Happy New Year everyone!

HOLY FAMILY OF JESUS, MARY, AND JOSEPH

MINISTRIES IN ACTION

Parish Support

DEC 13/14

212 Sunday Envelopes $ 5,386 51 Make Up Envelopes $ 1,560

5 Paid Ahead Envelope $ 234

Loose Cash $ 1,242

SUNDAY COLLECTION $ 8,422

Monthly Maintenance $ 362

Fuel $ 435

PARISH TITHING

Retirement Fund for Religious $ 842

SECOND COLLECTION

Retirement Fund for Religious $ 3,937

Thank you for your generous support!

Year-End Giving and Tax Benefits

The holiday season is a time to express appreciation and love for family and friends. It is also a time to do your tax planning, and we hope you will consider making good use of the income tax charitable deduction. A year-end donation can provide a tax benefit to you, while providing meaningful support to Our Lady of the Lake Parish. Giving is about much more than tax savings. Your charitable gifts make an important difference in what we are able to

accomplish. Thank you.

We have 20 Cat’s Meow wooden ornaments leftover from the 60th jubilee celebration.

If you would like to purchase one for $15, please contact the parish office.

Haiti Trip Update: Members of our par ish will be going to Aquin, Haiti, on FEB 4th through FEB 18th. We will have totes in the Parish Family Center for any donations of supplies after the Christmas holiday starting on JAN 2nd and the totes will remain for the entire month. Preferred items are dry baby formula, cereal, bottles, cloth diapers, summer clothes, hygiene & dental products, school supplies, etc. A more complete list can be found listed on the totes. Cash and checks made payable to Haiti

Project, Inc. can be left at the parish office. Call Emery Gaudet with any questions, 978-537-1907.

Over the next few weeks we will be selecting members for our Parish Pastoral Council. The Pastoral Council serves as advisors to Fr. Dennis with regard to issues that affect the life of the parish. Please

consider nominating yourself or others for the

vacancies that will occur on the council this

January. Nominations should be sent to the attention of Elaine Hackett, Chairperson of the Pastoral Council at information@ourladylake.org or sent to the parish office. We remind everyone once again that the council is always interested in hearing your suggestions. If there are topics that you would like the council to discuss, please put them in the Suggestion Box located at the back of the church or e:mail information@ourladylake.org. All signed suggestions will be taken under consideration by the Pastoral Council.

We are getting closer to selecting a new stove for the downstairs kitchen off of St. Joseph’s Hall. If you use the stove/oven/griddle for your ministry or group, please come attend a meeting on Wednesday, JAN 14th, at 6:30PM in the Saints

Joachim & Anna Room (Family Room). We would like your input so all concerns can be considered. Please contact Jane O’Hara with any questions and to RSVP, 978-597-2555 or janeoha@gmail.com.

Many of you signed up to become part of a new ministry we hope to begin after the first of the year: Brown Bag Ministry. Our goal is to prepare brown bag lunches for the homeless and then go out and distribute them in Leominster and Fitchburg. We will have a planning meeting to strategize on how to implement this new ministry on Sunday, JAN 4th at 5PM in St. Joseph’s Hall.

We are also having a luncheon for the homeless on Monday, JAN 19th, Martin Luther King Day. The luncheon will be served at 12 noon. The Fitchburg Fire Department has once again offered us the use of their bus to transport homeless people from Leominster and Fitchburg to Our Lady of the Lake for this meal and for fellowship.

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION and TEEN ACTIVITIES

If you or someone you know has been a victim of

abuse and are in need of support, please contact

Frances Nugent, Victim Services Coordinator ,

Office for Healing and Prevention at their direct line

508-929-4363 A 24-hour, confidential voice mail is

available.

DECEMBER 27/28, 2014

Local TV stations, Channels 4, 5, & 7, will provide the

following detail for inclement weather closures:

Leominster School Closed: No morning Mass, No Religious Education, No Meetings, and the Parish Office will be closed.

Leominster School Delay: No morning Mass, Parish Office will be delayed in opening.

No Religious Services: No Mass. No Religious Classes: No Religious Education. No Evening Activities: No Religious Education or Meetings. Closed: All Church Activities are Cancelled. Our Parish Phone Line will also have information.

Inclement Weather Closures: Channel 7 and

Channel 56 TV are offering mobile app “Snow Day

Alerts”. To receive a message on your cell phone for

our parish go to www.whdh.com and click on “Closings

Alerts.” Input your cell number, name of your carrier,

and choose the schools you want to be updated about.

We are listed as Our Lady of the Lake Parish.

THERE ARE NO SCHEDULED RELIGIOUS ED.

CLASSES ON: DEC 28th, 29th, and 30th!

RETREAT TEAM, KINDERGARTEN, BEGINNINGS

AND HIGH SCHOOL I CLASSES WILL START

UP AGAIN ON JAN 4th.

RELIGIOUS ED. CLASSES FOR GRADES 1-8

WILL RESUME ON JAN 5th/6th.

ICE CREAM PARTY An ice cream party will be held on Sunday, JAN 4, after the 9:45AM

Mass with Fr . Dennis for all those children who have completed their

Advent work books. Bring your book with you and come and join us as we celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany (Little Christmas).

COME VISIT THE TOWN OF BETHLEHEM!

Our 3rd Grade children have recreated the town of

Bethlehem and the city of Jerusalem. During the

Christmas season, come visit their display in the

Parish Family Center.

Pasta with the Pastor Come join us for his event which will be held on Tuesday, JAN 6th, at 6PM. Please RSVP to Jess Brown Hare at jlyn.hare@gmail.com or call her at 978-855-2111. All college-aged young adults

are welcome to attend.

As a result of the holiday season and the bulletin printing schedule, several bulletins are required to be submitted in advance. Weekly updates of our Parish Support and Prayers for our Parish Sick will not appear up to date until the second week in January.

Thank you for your understanding. Inclement weather cancellations will supersede any bulletin meeting notices that have been pre-printed. Please refer to the local TV stations for cancellation notices on the day of your meetings.

The Gingerbread Houses created by our Jr. High Students have been successfully auctioned to the highest bidders! Through their efforts, $650 was raised to fill the shelves of our food pantry.

Thank you for your generosity!

Check out our parish bulletin boards that are

located at the back of the church for other

activities and events that are not listed in the

bulletin.

DECEMBER 27/28, 2014

THIS WEEK’S PARISH EVENTS

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 27th

07:00 PM AA Meeting

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 28th

No Religious Education Classes 09:00 AM Coffee Shop available after 8AM Mass 09:45 AM Mass, Childcare available, Coffee Shop

after Mass

MONDAY, DECEMBER 29th No Religious Education Classes

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 30th

07:00 AM Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament No Religious Education Classes No RCIA

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 31st 07:00 PM 12 Steps Meeting

All Other Meetings Cancelled

THURSDAY, JANUARY 01st

Solemnity of Mary, New Year’s Day 10:00 AM Mass No 8AM Communion Service

Meetings Cancelled

FRIDAY, JANUARY 02nd

04:15 PM Choir of Angels 07:30 PM Al-Anon Meeting

SATURDAY, JANUARY 03rd

07:00 PM AA Meeting

07:00 PM Squaw-No-Cook.

In Observance of the New Year’s Day Holiday

the Parish Office will be closed Thursday, January 1, 2015.

Saint John the Evangelist

Apostle (First Century)

Feast Day December 27th

St. John, one of the earliest of the twelve apostles, plays a prominent role in all four Gospels. He and his brother James, both Galilean fishermen, were called by Jesus the “sons of thunder.” John was a privileged witness of many significant moments in Jesus’ life, including the raising of Jairus’s daughter, the Transfig-uration, and the agony in the Garden. By tradition, John is also identified as the author of the Fourth Gospel. If this book was not actually written by his hand, the Fourth Gospel is certainly the product of a community that traced its identity and spirituality to the apostle John, referred to throughout as “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” He alone, among the Twelve, is described in this Gospel as a witness to the Crucifix-ion. There, Jesus in his parting moments, takes care to entrust the disciple and His mother to each other’s care. For the com-munity that honored the “Beloved Disciple,” the Gospel message was suc-cinctly summarized in the charge to love one another as Jesus loved us.

According to tradition, John outlived the rest of the Twelve. He escaped martyrdom and was sent into exile on the island of Patmos. After, he retired to Ephesus, where he presided over the local Church until the end of his days.

During the Christmas season the church invites us to meditate on the three beautiful letters of St. John. Perhaps you may consider prayerfully reading these during the Christmas season, which ends with the Baptism of the Lord on January 11th.

“For God so loved the world that He Gave His

only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not

perish but have eternal life.” St. John