Dear Friends,

Christmas is a scandal. I mean that in the literal meaning of the word – it’s a stumbling block for people’s sense of God. For our Jewish and Muslim brothers and sisters it’s downright blasphemous. Why? Because they have a very exalted vision of God. He could never lower himself to become human! Not only that, such a move would violate their appreciation of the strict monotheism they profess. Both faiths have a very real respect for the person of Jesus, the carpenter’s son and the son of Mary. But, for them, he is no more than a prophet.

Even those who call themselves Christian have a hard time believing that Jesus was both God and human. For many Christians of earlier generations, he was more God than human, like God-in-disguise. He just went around looking human, but he was really divine.

Some Christians today take the opposite view: Jesus was the best of people, no doubt; closer to God than anyone else ever was, for sure; but that was it. It’s just seems unnecessary to bring this combination of God-human into the picture. He’s great without that.

Christmas is scandalous. But before we get tripped up by the scandal, maybe we can appreciate why the Scriptures say that “the Word became flesh and made his dwelling amongst us.”

While it certainly is a mystery with a capital “M”, we can’t be silent about Christmas. One thing it tells us is that God must have had some appreciation for his creation if he joined himself to it. For God, matter really matters!

What a more powerful way to say that than by becoming what he created, without stopping being

God? Now doesn’t that make us pause and consider how we should take this creation of his more seriously that we’ve been doing?

A second thing that Christmas shows us is how clever God must be. He translated himself into being human to show us, in a way we can more easily understand, who he really is. From how he lived his very human life and how that life ended, we learn that the essence of God is mercy itself. And from that end we learn that his mercy is stronger than death.

When we learn to respect one another as Christ inspires us to do and when we let him move us to give of ourselves freely as he did, then we experience why Christmas is both mysterious and yet beautiful.

That’s what happens here in our parish when we gather to celebrate this feast in the wonderful way that we do so. So, if you allow me, I’d like to mention the good folks who helped us this year to do this:

Our Christmas Concert gave us its special way of ushering in the season. Our Mailing Team assembled the Christmas Programs. The families behind our Liturgy and Decorating Committees used their gifts to set up the exterior and the interior Manager Scenes and to give our church its warmth this Christmas season. Our Lectors, Eucharistic Ministers, our Ushers, our Welcoming Ministers, Altar Servers, and Sacristans ministered to us with dignity and grace. Our wonderful Choirs and Leaders of Song helped us worship the Lord with their very special gifts. Our Giving Tree Committee and our Kids Corner made it possible for us to help those less fortunate in our midst.

Fr. Colin and I also want to thank all of you who contributed so generously to the Christmas collection this year. Finally, we and Fr. Jeremiah, Msgr. Ziccardi, and Deacon Rich, want all of you know how grateful we are to all of you for your kindnesses to us. It is our prayer that you and your families and friends, may notice the scandalous love of Christ in and through all of our lives in 2016. Love,

Fr. Joe

Worship…Called and formed by the Word of God, we

worship our Lord primarily in the Mass. The Eucharist is

the center of our Christian life. It grounds everything else

we do, from prayer to our daily tasks to our ministries. If you

have any comments, please feel free to contact any of the

following Pastoral Council Representatives: Fr. Colin

Kay, Deacon Rich McGarry and Michael Kohler.

Pray for the recovery of: Dylan Ochanski, Helen Konarski, Cathy Nahra, Sharon Breheny, Mary Ludlow, Margaret Schneider, Dave Owens, Sam Samir, Craig Buksar, Ven Hammonds, Fr. Jim Moran, Timothy Dolan, Manny Chirico, Margaret Chirico, Facundo Daniel, Helen Kohler, Nicki Conaway, Ray Hofmeister, Virginia Sprague, June Passarelli, Barbara Spreer, Ron Barbarulo, Janet Blumka, Emma Marie Wyman, Evelyn Hedderich, Jason & Justin Leider, Kevin Barnett, Dianna Miranda, Jack Hermans, Joanne DeCaro, Brandon Higgens, Ann Millstein, Carol Gravel, Wendy Gratale, Richie Policastro, Jackie Manning, Stanislaw Tecza, Jean Calabrase, Louis Frances, Jarret Adamo, Matthew McGovern, Gloria Ranieri, Sarah Valenti, Dennis Crosby, Stan Tomon, Violeta Arva, Ken Macagna, Todd Hodge, Vickie DePadova, Louise Garcia, Emily Rao, John Rao, Carol Verbovsky, Kenneth Bodzak, Janice Ward, Carol Crosson, Anne Llewellyn, Amy Joosten Butler, Les Wolf, Gary Beal, Diana Lambouras, Thomas Brown, Mary Ann Cavana, Nicole Schepps, John Falcone, Elise Bord, Vicki Purpura, Liz Morano, Baby Regan Doyle, John Cooney, Msgr. Joseph Slinger, Jayden J. Miranda, Brenda Reef, Mary Garripoli, Kenneth Michael Bodzak, Kelly Ann Ross, Kay McAteer, Frank DiGiaimo Jr., Michael T., Mildred Adamo, Patricia Salvi, Aliysha Malone, Peter Mastrangelo, Olga Marino, Tyler Dixon, Richard DeLorenzo, Brandon Patory, Alice Giegler, Ruth Rizzo, Patrice Foster, Gertrude Mahon, Sean Cox, Ken Lisa, Kevin Considine, Baby Kaedon Ross, Glenn Endresz, Sarah Wilder, Krista Jentzsch, Patricia Hinchliffe, Helen Krajacic, Robert O’Byrne, Andrew D’Amico Sr., Anthony Frank, Janet Blumka, Anna Coletti, Patricia Castiglia, Linda DeLorenzo, Jean Conerly, Ruth Corsi, Rick Owen, Jeannie Girovasi, Natasha Santana, and Jay Paolella.

†Pray for the happy repose of † Alice Pastor, Michael Mania, James Lambert,

Ruth DeNegri & Fr. Edward Thompson

The Bread and Wine will be offered this week in loving memory of Joseph Bosch Sr. as requested by the Bosch family.

The Altar Candles will burn this week for the special intentions of the people of St. Anne Parish.

The Sanctuary Lamp will burn this week for a safe and successful SOHC Bowling Meet. .

Monday, January 4th

7:30 – Amanda Marshall (Living) – Family

Darren Reilly - Paul 8:45 – Honorata Bielewicz – Margaret Bryzk Anna J. Covuoto – Daniel & Eileen Goldberg

Tuesday, January 5th

7:30 – Maurice King – Mrs. Anna King Ann Thornberry (Living) - Paul 8:45 – Agnes Guilfoyle – Joanne & Anthony DeCaro

Theresa & Giacinto Fillips – Josephine DiPaola & Family

Wednesday, January 6th

7:30 – Charles Williams – The Abate Family Lisa Thornberry - Paul 8:45 – William Bergin – Sister, Chris

Catherine & William Dalton – Family Carl Schell – Tom & Cathy Pagano

Thursday, January 7th

7:30 – Dorothy Robertson – Family

Debra Ann Johnson – Mildred Placa 8:45 – Louis Parada – Esther Vera Ida Zunno - Family

Friday, January 8th

7:30 – In Thanksgiving – Paul & Lisa Lisa Thornberry - Paul 8:45 - Jim McLoughlin – The Connor Tullys In Thanksgiving – Mary & Joanne Ludlow

Saturday, January 9th

8:45 – Linda McManus – Joanne Ludlow Mary Ludlow (Living) – Joanne Ludlow 5:15 – Stella & Frank Fabio

– Patrick & Caroline Pompeo Thanksgiving to Our Lord For All His Blessings – Grace Betty Reilly – Mary Brennan Honorata Grabowiecki – Noel & Ann Coughlan

Sunday, January 10th

7:30 – Jane Pelka – Mr. & Mrs. Bill Filerino

Faye Vita – Family Amado Cabaero, Sr. – Belard & Tess 9:30 – Frances & Stephen Rosty – Rosty Family

William Aquino – Tina & Clark Karlebach Honorata Grabowiecki – Martin & Kelly Gillispie 11:30 – Gloria Keane – Amanda & Anthony Ferreira Sigmund Golabek – Family Roddy Martin Goolcharan – Melissa Rovetto-Ruffner & David Ruffner 6:00 PM – People of St. Anne Parish

Let us pray for those in our armed forces especially

for: PFC Richard Marchese, US Army; Lt. Col. Phillip Christy, US Army; Army Natl. Guard; Pvt. John

Pagios, US Army; Pvt. Kristoffer Burger, US Army;

SPCE4 Kyle Milnes, US Army; PO 2nd

Cl Jimmy

Guerra, US Navy, PO 2nd

Cl Nicholas J. Vanni, US Navy; Major Gregory Sugalski, US Army; MM2

Nicholas J. Magarelli, USN, Master Sgt. Michael

VanPamel, USAF; Sgt. Michael Bourke, US Army;

PFC Lindsay Newarski, US Army; PFC Jason Dawson, US Army;Staff Sgt.. Matthew Bauer, USAF; Brandon

Motto, USMC; Lt. Marc Sabatino, USN; LCPL Storm

Odom, USMC; Airman Michael Diffin, USAF; Sgt Major Joseph R. Lobban, US Army; CPL Justin Scales,

USMC; LCPL Dominick Rizzo, USMC; PFC Jonathan

C. Sulinski, Warrant Officer Alan Harty, US Army; Sgt. Bert J. Frullo, US Army; LCPL. Harrison James

Bruining, USMC; LCPL Steven D’Argenio, USMC;

Capt. Kip Rainey; SP4 Monica Saucier, US Army; Spec.

4 Brian Tarantino, US Army; PO 1st Cl. Mike

Tarantino, USN; Lt. Col. Marshall Denney; Lance

Corp. Marshall Denney IV; EO2 Michael Yondolino,

USN; Col. Patrick Frank; Capt. Daniel Curtin, US Army; Capt. Erik Mineo, US Army; Staff Sgt. Joseph

Sullivan, USMC; A1C Richard Baldassari, USAF;

Capt. Donald Pump, USMC; and all those serving in

Iraq and Afghanistan.

ALTERNATIVE TO ABORTION If you know someone who is considering having an abortion, here is a number they might call that could be of help to them to consider an alternative to this practice. The number is 1-800-395-HELP (4357).

BACK TO OUR ROOTS

Will not meet this week.. BTOR will resume on January 21st

from 1-2 PM in the Faith Center

Worldwide Marriage Encounter The search is underway for the Longest Married

Couple in the U.S. Do you think you know who

they are? Maybe it’s your parents…

grandparents…That nice couple who live down the

street… Nominating a couple is easy! Just send

their names, wedding date and where they live and

your contact information to:

wwmelmc2015@gmail.com Nominations accepted

until January 10. 2016. Winners will be announced

February 2016 to celebrate World Marriage Day.

Nominate a couple you know today!

MEDITATION

Christmas Prayer by Robert Louis Stevenson

O God, our loving Father, help us

Rightly to remember the birth of Jesus,

That we may share in the song of the angels,

the gladness of the shepherds

And the worship of the wise men.

Close the door of hate and open the oor

of love all over the world.

Deliver us from evil by the blessing

That Christ brings, and teach us

To be merry with clear hearts.

May the Christmas morning make us happy

To be thy children and the Christmas

Evening bring us to our beds with

Grateful thoughts, forgiving, and

Forgiven, for Jesus’s sake.

Amen.

STEWARDSHIP REFLECTIONS Epiphany of Our Lord

“The Gentiles are co-heirs, members of the

same body, and co-partners in the promise in

Christ Jesus through the Gospel.”

–Ephesians 3:6

Today we celebrate that Christ came to all of us,

not just the Hebrews. He made us all one body

with Him. We were all given different gifts; we all

have different yet equally valuable roles to play in

the Body of Christ. Ask God how He wants you to

use your gifts so that we may all “be one” in this

Year of Mercy.

During January, Pope Francis asks that we pray especially ...that sincere dialog among men and women of different faiths may produce the fruits of peace and justice.

Felician Sister Christmas Concert “The Glory of Christmas” will take place on Sun., Jan. 3rd at Immaculate Conception Convent Chapel, 260 South Main St. in Lodi at 3:00 pm. No admission charge, but good will offerings will be accepted and proceeds to be given to the poor.

Word… St. Anne’s is a family of faith formed by the Word of God, especially as this is expressed in the person of Christ, in the

Scriptures, and in the Tradition of the Church. As we hear this word and take it more and more deeply into our lives, we

become ever more truly the People of God.

If you have any comments, please feel free to contact any of the following Pastoral Council Representatives:

Donna Stickna, John Hill, Carmie DeMerchant, Melissa Rovetto-Ruffner & Marianne Cummins

SAINT ANNE SCHOOL NEWS

Sunday, January 31, join us for mass at 9:30 am to kick off Catholic Schools Week then stop at the school for a student-guided tour and a chance to meet the principal, teachers, and current parents.

It’s time to begin thinking about the upcoming school year. St. Anne School offers an amazing preschool with several attendance options as well as full-day Kindergarten. Both will put your child on the right track to the outstanding academics that continue in all grades.

FAITH FORMATION NEWS

SUNDAY/TUESDAY FAITH NEWS - Sunday Faith classes resume January 3; Tuesday Faith classes resume January 5. All Sunday/Tuesday Faith students should return their signed progress reports.

CONFIRMATION PREP - January Confirmation prep sessions will be held January 3, 17, & 31. All sessions are in the school, 7-8:30pm. Please enter through door #4.

SUMMER FAITH: EPIPHANY RETURN SESSION - Email reminders have been sent to all families scheduled to attend the Epiphany Return Session on Sunday, January 10 from 10:30-11:30am. Families are to attend the 9:30 Mass, where the children can experience the LaunchPad.

EUCHARIST INFO: PARENTS/GUARDIANS - ALL parents/guardians of children preparing for the sacrament of Eucharist are to attend a Eucharist Info Meeting on Wednesday, January 13 at either 10am or 7:30pm in the Church Hall. Preparation materials will be distributed at this meeting.

The Bereavement Support Group will meet on Monday evening Jan. 11, 2016 from 7:00 -8:30 PM in the

rectory. All are welcome, this is a walk in program and there is no need to register. Your loss does not have to be recent, if you have lost a loved one and are still grieving then come to a meeting. Each session is facilitated by registered nurses who are certified bereavement group facilitators. For more information call Margaret Howard at 201-796-9365.

Eucharistic Adoration

Friday, January 8th 12:00 pm – 6:00 pm

Concluding with Benediction at 6 pm

Please volunteer to pray one hour before our Lord. Sign-up sheet in the church vestibule.

Service… Impelled by the Spirit of Jesus, St. Anne’s strives to reach out to others. In works on behalf of justice, charity, and human

development, we seek to imitate Jesus in bringing glad tidings to the poor, liberty to the oppressed and captives, and healing to

the blind and the sick. If you have any comments, please feel free to contact Fr. Joe or Fr. Colin.

FROM THE OFFICE OF HUMAN CONCERNS

FOOD PANTRY NEEDS: Our Pantry is in dire need of all food!

Please be generous and give what you can to help us feed the poor families of Fair Lawn and Elmwood Park.

ITEMS MOST NEEDED: COLD CEREAL, CANNED VEGETABLES, CANNED FRUIT, PEANUT

BUTTER AND JELLY, TUNA, PASTA, PASTA SAUCE, MAC/CHEESE, FACE SOAP, LAUNDRY

DETERGENT!! Rice, instant potatoes, pancake mix, syrup, cake mix, healthy snacks, cookies, deodorant,

napkins, paper towels, house cleaning products are also needed.

Please check the dates on your donations prior to donating them. We do not hand out expired food. You can

drop off food anytime at the rectory.

Food coupons from Newspaper: Please collect the inserts from the Sunday papers. DO NOT CLIP

COUPONS! Bring them to the church and place them in the third drawer of the small wicker chest in the main

vestibule of the church. A parish family collects them and uses them when they purchase the food they donate

to our Food Pantry.

ST. CAJETAN MINISTRY

for the Unemployed & Under-employed

We meet every two weeks as follows: St. Catharine’s Ministry Center - next meeting: Thursday, Jan. 7th - first floor meeting room 7-9PM and at St. Anne’s Rectory on Saturday, Jan. 9th - from 10am-12 noon. If you think you may be interested please contact Ed Grzesiak 201-321-5144, John Lederer 201-286-9354, Lou Cuomo 201-657-3838, Eamon Jennings, 917-841-2558, Steve Zmuda 201-819-9026. You can also email us at stcajetan@stannefairlawnnj.org

Save the dates for our Parish Mission…

Saint Anne Parish will host a Parish Mission this Lent

featuring Msgr. Paul Schetelick

beginning with the weekend Masses on March 5 & 6, 2016

and continuing in the evening on March 7, 8 & 9 at 7:30 pm in the Church

In keeping with the Holy Year of Mercy declared by Pope Francis,

The theme of the Parish Mission will be mercy.

Community… Formed by the Word and by the Eucharist, St. Anne’s

builds community in the ways that we live and work and

celebrate together. In these ways, we experience the living

presence of Christ.

If you have any comments, please feel free to contact any of

the following Pastoral Council Representatives: Junie

Fuertes, Peggy Long, Eamon Jennings, Danielle

Douglass, Stephanie Kedersha, Joe Barone and Terence

Curley

EVENTS FOR THIS WEEK Sunday, January 3rd Coffee Sunday/BP – 8:30 am – 1:00 pm - CH Monday, January 4th RCIA – 7:00 pm - CR AA – 7:30 pm – LCR PTG Board – 6:30 pm – SFR PTG – 7:00 pm - CAF Choir – 7:30 – 9:00 pm – C Tuesday, January 5th Men’s Prayer Group – 6:00 am - FC Home Study – 7:00 pm – CAF/SCF

Wednesday, January 6th Play Group – 9:30 – 10:30 am - CH Bible Study – 7:00 pm – CR Women’s Cornerstone – 7:30 pm - CH

Thursday, January 7th Children’s Choir – 4:15 pm – C Cub Scouts – 6:30 – 8:30 pm – CAF/CH Choir – 7:30 pm - C

Friday, January 8th Eucharist Adoration – 12:00-6:00 pm – C Cheer Dance – 7:00 – 10:00 pm - CH Saturday, January 9th

Service Sat. – 10:00 am – CR Cub Scouts – 10:00 am – 5:00 pm - CH AA – 7:30 – 8:30 pm – CAF

Are you a stay-at-home mom or dad of children age 5 and under? Or perhaps you care for your grandchildren during the week?

If so, come join us for a weekly Play Group this Wednesday, January 6th at 9:30 am for about an hour in the Church Hall. Hope to see you there! For info, please email Meghan at meghan.lobue@gmail.com

GROW (God Reaches Out to Women)

Epiphany: 1. a Christian festival held

on January 6 in honor of the coming of the three kings to the infant Jesus Christ

2. a moment in which you suddenly see or understand something in a new or very clear way

What is YOUR personal epiphany of faith? Join us for an Epiphany Prayer Hour on Wednesday, January 6 from 7:30-8:30pm in the Church Hall

St. Anne’s Athletic Council is hosting a Flapjack

Fundraiser breakfast on Sunday, January 17th

from 8:00 – 10:00 am at Applebee’s, Rt 17 North

& Ridgewood Ave. at The Fashion Center in

Paramus. Tickets are $10.00 and includes

pancakes, sausage, scrambled eggs, coffee, juice,

soda or tea. Tickets can be purchased at the door

the day of the breakfast.

Rosary News:

Happy New Year to all Rosarians! There is NO meeting in January. Our next meeting will be February 2nd. Eucharistic Adoration will be January 8th at 12 noon until 6:00 for Benediction. Signup sheets will be in the back of the church.

Dried-out Christmas trees are a post-holiday hazard

Fair Lawn’s Mayor and Council hope our residents have a joyous Christmas and remind everyone not to neglect fire safety in the post-holiday season. Although residents are encouraged to check the tree’s water level and add water twice daily, trees will however dry out altogether and pose a tremendous fire hazard. And that becomes obvious by the increasing volume of needles that accumulate on the floor. To avoid a tragedy, residents are urged not to be lazy about removing a dried out tree from the home and to dispose of it properly. For further information on Christmas trees or any other fire safety matter, please contact Fire Marshal Jay Bender at 201-794-5408. FireMarshal@FairLawn.org

Finance/Administration… A Christian community strives to steward its resources so that they can provide the material by which its various

ministries can reflect the parish’s mission to reflect Christ’s presence in all that we do and say. Finance Committee

Members: Ed Hughes, Bill Ball, Sally Quinn, Sheila Abate, Ed Trawinski, Loretta Stachiotti, Kristie Bednarz,

Karen Gillies, Steve Palermo and Jerry Cunningham.

Buildings/Grounds: Carl Shoemaker, Dave Lee, Kate Humble, and Steve Zmuda.

We are grateful to the 1,470 people who worshipped with us on Dec. 19/20 weekend and contributed $12,591.00 in the offertory and $2,352.00 through Online Giving offertory, which along with

other fees and donations, totaled $18,626.00. Our weekly expenses average out to $20,348.00.

Heating & Air Conditioning ~ Everyone knows that there are some months in which our electricity bill or heating bill is higher than

others. Well, it’s the same with the Church. As you know, we use an additional way of paying for our extra

energy months. In the back of the church each Sunday you will find separate ENERGY envelopes. If you should

happen to hit the jackpot that week, and wish to throw a dollar or two in that envelope, we’d greatly appreciate

it! You can throw these special envelopes right in the collection with your regular envelope. The energy

envelopes will not be mailed to you. They will simply be in the back of the church, so if you don’t spot them, be

sure to ask the ushers at your Mass. Thanks so much. And special thanks to those who have already been doing it

regularly. It makes a difference!!!

Online Giving…

You have the opportunity to make donations to our Sunday collection online! To sign up, go to the St. Anne website – www.stannefairlawnnj.org

There are several ways to access the system:

1. Underneath the scrolling slideshow on the home page, on the bottom right-hand corner, you will see a

light blue icon with a $ sign. Click that icon to go directly to the system.

OR

2. From the homepage, check the left-hand menu options. The second to last menu option says

“envelopes & online giving.” Click that link, and a page with various giving options will appear. Select the

Online Giving option to be taken directly to the system.

Once you are taken to the new site, click on the section that says Create New Account. Next you will see New User Account Registration. Fill out the form and click “submit.”

When you are enrolled, you can go into Manage My Account, where you will see My Payment Methods. Here you can choose to have the funds deducted from your checking or bank account (you will need your routing and account numbers on hand). Under Manage My Account, you will also see Give a New Gift. There you will

decide when and how much to give. (In the list, Offertory Collection means the Sunday collection.) You can select recurring or one time gifts. You also have the option to access all the other special envelopes you would normally find in your envelope packet and which are generally one-time donations.

Each time you go to Mass, get a card that says “I have made my donation online” and put it in the collection when the usher comes around. Thanks so much for giving online!