Our Lady of Mount Carmel ChurchDecember 23, 2018

SSaturday, 12-22 9:00 a.m. Emily Joan Scroggs 4:30 p.m. Martin McDonaghSunday, 12-23 7:30 a.m. For our parish family 9:00 a.m. Joseph and Angelina Barone 10:45 a.m. William DaPonte

Monday, 12-24 9:00 a.m. Special intention 4:00 p.m. Christmas Vigil 6:00 p.m. Christmas Vigil Midnight Midnight MassTuesday, 12-25 8:30 a.m. Christmas Mass 10:30 a.m. Christmas Mass

All Christmas Mass intentions are for our parish familyWednesday, 12-26 9:00 a.m. Marilyn and Thomas Dyer, Jr.Thursday, 12-27 6:30 p.m. Special intentionFriday, 12-28 9:00 a.m. Hendricks family

Saturday, 12-29 9:00 a.m. Mass 4:30 p.m. Keith M. Smart, 21st anniversary, and Albert Fiero, 10th anniversarySunday, 12-30 7:30 a.m. Mary Jane Jones 9:00 a.m. Father Thomas Mayhew 10:45 a.m. Joseph Tremblay

The SANCTUARY LAMP is burning this week for Rob Hunt.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church aspires to be a com-munity that is a place of God’s mercy and hope, which

fosters courage, hope, and new vigor for one’s faith jour-ney — a place with doors wide open so that all may enter

and feel welcomed. If you are interested in joining our parish, please contact the parish office, 508-336-5549.

Report for December 15-16, 2018Weekly Offering: $9,672Building Fund: $779Christmas Flowers: $1,350

We are grateful to those of you who support the parish when unable to attend Mass due to illness, vacation, or the weather. We are an active parish supporting many ministries, needs, and social services within our community.

OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL PARISH SEEKONK, MASS.

Did you know that you can give to Mount Carmel online? It’s easy!Please visit our website, www.olmcseekonk.org, and select “Online Giving.”

Coffee Sunday will take place in the lower church today, Sunday, Dec. 23, after the 7:30 and 9 a.m. Masses. Please join us for coffee, pastry, and fellowship. Take a moment to say hello to someone you’ve never met before and to wish them a Merry Christmas!

When school is cancelled due to inclement weather, Mass attendance is not encouraged. Mass will not be cancelled, but your safety is of the utmost importance.

Bulletin deadline is Friday, Dec. 28, for the Jan. 5-6 bulletin. Please email notices to vickianndowning@yahoo.com or deliver to the parish office.

Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God (Holy Day of Obligation)

Monday, Dec. 31 (New Year’s Eve): 5:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Jan. 1 (New Year’s Day)9 a.m., noon, 7 p.m.

New Confession schedule: We now have added an ad-ditional evening for Confessions. Beginning this week, we will offer Confession on Thursdays from 5:15-6:15 p.m. (prior to Mass) in the confessional in the back of the church. We will continue to have Confessions on Saturdays from 3:15-4:15 p.m.

Parish office holiday hours: The office will be closed from Monday, Dec. 24, through Wednesday, Dec. 26. The office also will be closed Monday, Dec. 31, and Tuesday, Jan. 1.

Faith Formation update: Classes will resume Sunday, Jan. 6, and Monday, Jan. 7, but ninth grade will not meet until the following weekend.

Merry Christmas!

FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENTPastor’s PageBishop da Cunha’s 2018 Christmas Message

Dear friends in Christ,

This year that is coming to a close, has been a year full of challenges for our world, our country, our diocese and for the Universal Church. We have seen natural disasters: fires destroying homes, lives and entire communities in Califor-nia; we have seen powerful hurricanes affecting the lives of millions of people; we hav¬¬e seen violence in our country and around the world; we have seen racial tensions and migrants suffering from displacement. We have seen scan-dals ripping through the heart of the Church and affecting the faith and trust of God’s people in the Church and her leaders. We have seen the face of sin and evil all around us.

In our own diocese, four churches closed: Saint Bernadette, Holy Rosary, Holy Cross and Saint Anne. As Bishop of Fall River, these were difficult de-cisions to make, knowing that closing these beloved places of worship would cause tremendous sadness for the faith-ful parishioners of these parishes.

On the other hand, we have also seen commitment of so many good people to remain faithful and connected to God and the Church. We have seen the solid faith of so many who are not aban-doning God or the Church. We have seen people fighting the evil of racism, working to eradicate the sin of sexual abuse, and dedicating their talents to protect life and to protect this planet, our common home. It is because of the generosity and commitment of so many good people, and because we know that God will never abandon us, that hope is kept alive. God’s grace and our faith continue to help us remain committed to making this world a better place.

As we celebrate Christmas, let us re-member that when Jesus came, He did not find a peaceful, loving world; He found a world filled with discrimina-

tion, division, violence and war. Jesus Himself was a victim of these evils, but He faced these evils head-on because He is the Prince of Peace.

Jesus comes to us again this Christmas, in the midst of all the evil in the world, to bring peace. He asks us to embrace with Him the mission of transforming the world by eliminating what is evil in ourselves first. “Remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter from your brother’s eye” (Mt. 7:5). Christ-mas is the perfect time for us to pause and reflect on how we each contribute to what is not going well in the world and how we can contribute to make the necessary changes. The message of peace and Salvation that Jesus brought us 2,000 years ago will only be realized when we accept our responsibility to make a difference through our faith and with our talents.

This Christmas, as we gather with family and friends, let us remember that Christmas is much more than just a holiday or feast; it is a Sacred moment celebrating the coming of Christ to save us and our world and entrusting us with the task of continuing His mission of saving and Sanctifying the world. Let us pass on to our children and young people the values we received from our ancestors and rekindle the real Spirit of Christmas in our hearts, our homes, our families and throughout the world.

Merry Christmas! Feliz Natal! Feliz Navidad! Joyeux Noel!

Sincerely yours in Christ,Most Reverend Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V.Bishop of Fall River

New website and Facebook pageRecently our parish website was changed with the hope that we will be able to post many more videos and articles on the faith in efforts of new evangelization. Also, we are starting up a new Facebook page for the parish. (It

Father Kevin Cookis being revamped because the older site was set up to be accessed only by those accepted into it). It is my hope that the new Facebook page will make it easier to post last-second announcements, to help finding people to cover for Adora-tion, and to post requests for prayers, etc.).

Wishing you all a Merry ChristmasIf I do not have the opportunity to talk with you on Christmas, then I would like to wish you a very Merry Christ-mas! This Solemnity is such an extraor-dinary celebration in the Church and a time for us to reflect on and express great gratitude to God for the gift of his only begotten Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ. I hope all of you find this holy day to be a blessed, joyful, and healthy day. For many it will be a wonderful time with family and friends, but let us remember that for others, it can be a very difficult day because they are not able to be with loved one. Especially for some, it will be the first time celebrating Christmas without a loved one (so it can be a very difficult day).

I want to thank all of you for the great kindness you have shown Deacon Ryan and myself. I know this year has been a challenge for many but as we seek to grow, let us remember ultimately it is our dependence on the Word Incarnate, Jesus Christ our Lord. Please know you are in my prayers and I hope I will get to know all of you in the months and year ahead. God bless!

— Father Kevin

OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL PARISH SEEKONK, MASS.

St. Joseph Adoration Chapel

Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish offers perpetual adoration of the Eucharist — 24 hours a day, seven days a week — in St. Joseph Adoration Chapel.

Stop by the St. Joseph Adoration Chapel to prayerfully prepare to celebrate Christ’s birth and to look forward with hope to his second coming. Adorers and substitutes are needed. For more information, please contact Linda Nason, Adoration Coordinator, 508-463-6723.

Adorers are needed:• Saturday: 10 p.m.• Sunday: 1 p.m., 8 p.m.• Monday: 2 a.m., 3 p.m., midnight• Tuesday: 7 a.m., 9 a.m., 2 p.m.• Wednesday: 3 a.m.• Thursday: 11 a.m.

Substitutes are needed:• Saturday: 4 p.m., 5 p.m., 8 p.m., 10 p.m.• Tuesday: 11 p.m.• Monday, 10 a.m., midnight

Contact information for adorers:Midnight-5 a.m. Donna Castle 401-524-52196 a.m.-11 a.m. The Andrades 508-252-52546 a.m.-11 a.m. Loretta MacDonald 508-252-4475Noon-5 p.m. Linda Nason 508-463-67236 p.m.-11 p.m. Maureen Sanders 508-243-4104

Society of St. Vincent de Paul

The angel said to (the shepherds), “Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a man-ger” Luke 2:10-13

The members of Saint Vincent de Paul wish all of our friends of the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish a blessed and happy Christmas. May the blessings and peace of God our Father be with you all.

If you know of anybody who needs help, contact the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul, 401-603-8888.

The next meeting will be on Tuesday, Jan. 8, at 7 p.m. in the lower church. New members are welcome.

The Chaplet of Divine Mercy is prayed in the adoration chap-el Monday through Saturday at 3 p.m.

A rosary for priests and all vocations is prayed in the adora-tion chapel every Thursday at 2:30 p.m.

A novena to St. Anne for the protection of children is prayed every Friday at noon in the adoration chapel.

A statue of the Blessed Mother, located in the first confes-sional in the adoration chapel, can be borrowed for one week. Please use the sign-out sheet.

Thank you from Doorways food pantryDear Father Cook,

On behalf of the volunteers and clients of Doorways, we’d like to thank you and the parishioners of Our Lady of Mount Car-mel for your generosity in the recent parish food drive. Your parish gift supports many Seekonk residents who are facing challenging times, and the food you provided will help to sus-tain households throughout our community in the weeks to come. More than sixty local families rely on Doorways on a regular basis, and Doorways, in turn, relies on people like you and your parishioners.Our Lady of Mount Carmel is a valued partner with Doorways in the fight against hunger, with your congregation supplying food, funds and volunteers to sustain our mission. We estimate that over the past sixteen years, we have given away over one million pounds of food at no cost to our needy Brothers and Sisters. And still the need continues.Thank you again. We are so very grateful for your support.

With heartfelt gratitude,Paul Hodge,Board of Directors,Doorways, Inc.

Baby Bottle Campaign raises $3,554We received a nice note from Abundant Hope Pregnancy Re-source Center in Attleboro thanking you for your generosity in supporting their work. Your donations of $3,553.61 through the Baby Bottle Campaign will help them to offer free services to those facing an unplanned pregnancy, to those struggling to care for their small children and to those who suffer from pain from past abortions. The Pro-Life Committee and the Ameri-can Heritage Girls also thank all who participated.

FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT

Handmade prayer shawls available Many thanks to all who created and donated the beautiful prayer shawls that were blessed recently. Made with love and prayers, they are a powerful symbol of God’s grace and mercy transferred from the one who makes the shawl to the one who receives it. The shawls are distributed through our ministries to any-one in need of comfort and healing. If you are going to visit someone who is ill or know someone who would like a shawl, please stop by the church office to pick one up or call Betsy Charnecki, 508-252-5718.

Children’s Choir to sing at 4 on Christmas EveAll boys and girls are invited to join the Children’s Choir at the 4 p.m. Christmas Eve Mass on Monday, Dec. 24. The children will also sing a 10-minute concert before Mass.

There will be only one rehearsal, just be-fore the Mass, from 3–3:45 p.m. in the lower church.

With all the excitement of Christmas, fun Christmas music, the trumpets and drums, and all the people, this will be one vibrant Mass! Come and be part of it! Open to all el-

ementary and middle school children.

For more information, contact Jean Kusiak, Director of Music, (401) 225-3700, JMKusiak@comcast.net

Save the date for conference: The Fall River Diocese 2019 Women and Men’s Conference will take place on Satur-day, March 9, at Stonehill College in Easton. Please mark your calendars and watch for details.

The newest members of American Heritage Girls Troop MA3712 received their Joining Awards. The girls learned what it means to be an American Heritage Girl. They learned the meaning of the Oath and Creed and how to put them to use in their lives. As American Heritage girls, they will be asked to strive to fulfill the promise made each time they state the AHG Oath: “I promise to love God, cherish my family, hon-or my country, and serve in my community.” The girls also learned proper flag etiquette as well as the history of Ameri-can Heritage Girls and its mission statement. They should be proud of their accomplishments. Congratulations, girls!

Thank you from American Heritage GirlsA special thank you from American Heritage Girls Troop MA3712 to all parishioners who stopped by our fundraising table and supported our troop candy bar sales. The troop looks forward to upholding the motto of “Faith, Service and Fun.”Girls are completing requirements to earn the Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception patch. This winter the troop is planning a service project for the Rehoboth and Seekonk food pantries as well as having some fun with a mother-daughter tea party and a trip to a trampoline park.

Vocation discernment retreat for menPope St. John XXIII National Seminary in Weston will host a discernment mini-retreat for men age 30 and older interested in learning more about a vocation to the prieshood.The event will begin with registration at 10 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 10, and conclude after lunch on Saturday, Feb. 11. Men who will be traveling a considerable distance are welcome to arrive on Thursday, Feb. 9.If interested, please contact Father Cook.

Inspirational book availableLook for Into His Likeness: Be Transformed as a Disciple of Christ, the book by Edward Sri. Into His Likeness provides an approachable but in-depth exploration of how to live as a dis-

ciple and experience the transformation Jesus wants to work in our lives. We might desire to live more like Christ, but we know we fall short. This book helps us fol-low those initial promptings of the Holy Spirit so that we may more intentionally encounter Jesus anew each day and be more disposed to his grace changing us ever more into his likeness.The St. Vincent de Paul Society has pur-

chased copies of the book and will distribute 100 per mass to visitors and parishioners.

Diocesan Pro-Life Essay ContestThe Diocesan Pro-Life Apostolate will sponsor its annual Es-say Contest to coincide with the anniversary of Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton, decisions that legalized abortion-on-de-mand in this country. This year’s theme is “Every Life – Cherished-Chosen-Sent.” We are called to be messengers of God’s love, treating one an-other as cherished and chosen by Him. Essays will be grouped and judges in two categories: Grades 6-8 and Grades 9-12. First prize winners will receive $150 and second prize $75.

984 Taunton Ave., PO Box 519, Seekonk, MA 02771Website: olmcseekonk.org

Email: office@olmcseekonk.org Facebook: OLMCSeekonk Twitter: @OLMCSeekonk

Pastor: Rev. Kevin A. Cook, fr.cook.olmc@gmail.comDeacon: Ryan Healy

Office hours: Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-noon, 1-4:30 p.m.Office telephone: 508-336-5549 Fax: 508-336-9010

Parish Center: 508-336-9015Rectory: 508-336-9022

Administrative Assistant: Kelley NievieraSecretary: Jan Smart

Rectory Assistant: Meg MulveyMaintenance: Dave LeClair

Custodian: Sheila Ducharme

OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL PARISH ORGANIZATIONS

American Heritage Girls Elizabeth Day, 774-991-0729Meets 1st and 3rd Mondays, 3:45-5:30 p.m.

Caring for the SoulKelly Kugel, 254-319-4981Christine Shreve, 401-374-2089Meets 1st and 3rd Tuesday, 6-7 p.m.

Gathering GrandmothersJan Smart and Eileen CorriganMeets at noon Fridays in St. Joseph Adoration Chapel to pray Novena to St. Anne for protec-tion of children.

Jordan Ministry Jan Smart, 508-336-5549

Knights of ColumbusMike Mafale, 401-465-1148Meets 3rd Friday

Men of St. JosephBob Bertoncini, 401-447-8136Meet 2nd Thursday at 7 p.m.

Men’s Prayer and FellowshipWilliam Kearney and Marty Doyle, 508-243-0880Meets 1st Saturday at 8:30 a.m.

Ministry to the SickPat Swanson, 508-336-5549

Parish NursesElizabeth Charnecki, 508-252-5718Blood pressure clinics Wednesdays after Mass, Sept.-June.

Prison MinistryFrank Gibbons, 508-336-5461

Prayer GroupBarbara Craveiro, 508-889-6472Meets Wednesdays, 7 p.m.

Pro-Life GroupRon and Claudette Larose, 508-252-4336

St. Vincent de PaulMarie Morrell, 401-603-8888Meets 2nd Tuesday at 7 p.m., Sept.-May

Seekonk Catholic Cancer SupportElizabeth Charnecki: 508-252-5718Meets 1st Saturday

Senior Luncheon CommitteeK.C. Hess: 508-336-6841Jay Brennan: 401-829-6846Paco Pedro: 508-837-0614Luncheon held 2nd Tuesday.

Vocation CommitteeJoanna Young, 508-336-3473

FAITH FORMATION Telephone: 508-336-9015

DRE Grades 1-6: Maureen Brawley, m.brawley.olmc@gmail.comGrades 1-3: Sunday 10:20-11:35 a.m.Grades 4-6: Monday 5:30- 6:30 p.m.

DRE Grades 7-9: Christine Gregorek, c.gregorek.olmc@gmail.comGrades 7-8: Monday 7-8 p.m.

Grade 9: First Sunday of the month 1-4 p.m.

RITE OF CHRISTIAN INITIATION FOR ADULTS (RCIA)Coordinator: William Kearney, 508-400-2893

ALTAR SERVERS, EUCHARISTIC MINISTERS, LECTORSSchedules: www.olmcseekonk.org (Select Liturgy from the top bar, then “Litur-gical Ministries,” then “Schedules.”)For scheduling: Claire Creamer, dctlp@comcast.netTo become an altar server: Contact the parish office: 508-336-5549

SACRAMENTSConfessions are heard in the St. Joseph Adoration Chapel on Saturday from 3:15-4:15 p.m., in the rear of the church on Thursday from 5:15-6:15 p.m, and at any other time by appointment.Baptisms: Congratulations! Call when you are ready.Marriage: Congratulations! Please notify the parish office eight months in ad-vance of your wedding.Anointing of the Sick takes place on the first Friday at the 9 a.m. Mass.

MASSESMonday-Saturday: 9 a.m. (except Thursday 6:30 p.m.)

Saturday 4:30 p.m., Sunday 7:30 a.m., 9 a.m., 10:45 a.m. HOLY DAYS : 9 a.m., noon, 7 p.m. (Vigil 5:30 p.m.)

MUSIC MINISTRYDirector of Music: Jean Kusiak, 401-225-3700, JMKusiak@comcast.netChoir performs at 10:45 Mass and special liturgies. Rehearses on Tuesdays 7-8:30 p.m., September-June.Children’s Choir performs at special liturgies, 9 a.m. Mass. Rehearses the Sun-day before and Sunday of, 8:15-8:45, lower church.Songleader Ministry by audition. Rotating schedule, as needed.

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