Clergy Reverend Raymond Smialowski, Pastor

Deacon Robert A. Berube, Deacon

Staff Sandra DeBlois, Bookkeeper

Jo-Ann Blanchette-Silverio, Administrative Assistant

Jeanne Gionfriddo, Director of Religious Education & RCIA

Eric Hoffman, Organist and Music Director

Robert DeBlois, Maintenance

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Plainville, Connecticut 06062-2799

Celebration of the Holy Eucharist Vigil of Sunday (Saturday): 4:00p

Sunday: 8:30a & 10:30a Daily Mass: 8:00a

(No morning Mass on Wednesdays)

Confession (Sacrament of Reconciliation) Saturday Noon or by appointment

Rosary Devotion before daily Mass

A Roman Catholic Community of Faith & Good Works Born as a Mission of Bristol in 1864 & Established as an Independent Parish in 1881

Parish email: olmct@sbcglobal.net Parish website: www.olmct.org Facebook®: OurLadyOfMercyChurchCT

“Do whatever He tells you.” - Mary, to the disciples of Jesus (John 2:5)

December 2, 2018

Parish & Cemetery Office

19 South Canal Street Tel: 860-747-6825 ● Fax: 860-747-5407

Hours: 9:00a to 4:00p (Weekdays)

Welcome to Our Lady of Mercy Church! If you are new to the area or just visiting, please stop and introduce yourself. We are pleased to have you share in our celebration of the Eucharist. We

invite you to become part of our parish family. To register, or to update your address, please complete this form and mail it to the Parish Office or place it in the collection basket.

_____ New Parishioner / Address Change _____ Name ________________________________________________ Phone __________________ Address _______________________________________________________________________

Street/ City / Zip

We are called to witness to the presence of Jesus Christ in our lives through sharing and

celebration of faith and a life of Christian service.

PARISH MISSION: We, the people of Our Lady of Mercy Church in Plainville, Connecticut are committed to journey together as a community of faith, hope, and love within the Catholic tradition.

Sunday December 2, First Sunday of Advent,

Children’s Liturgy

8:30a For the Intentions of the People of Our Parish

10:30a Rosina Lucente Req. Daughter-in-Law

Monday December 3, St. Francis Xavier, Priest 8:00a Elizabeth “Betty” Boukus Req. Family

Tuesday December 4, St. John Damascene, Priest and Doctor of the Church 8:00a Sydney Symolon Req. Daughter Lorraine

Wednesday December 5, Advent Weekday 8:00a No Mass

Thursday December 6, St. Nicholas, Bishop

8:00a Robert Yankovich Req. Costello Family

Friday December 7, St. Ambrose, Bishop and Doctor of the Church

8:00a Mary Jean Pisani Req. Joyce Jones & Brien

Morrissey

Friday December 7, Vigil of The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

6p For the Intentions of the People of Our Parish

7:30 – 8:30p Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament

Saturday December 8, The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary 8:00a Daniel Smith Month Anniversary

Shirley Cavaliere 1st. Anniversary

Barbara C. Crowley 1st. Anniversary

Saturday December 8, Vigil of Second Sunday of Advent 4:00p Antonio Biello Req. Bryan Knorr

Sunday December 9, Second Sunday of Advent 8:30a For the Intentions of the People of Our Parish

10:30a Pam Nightingale Req. Family

$5,835.50 Weekly Envelopes for November 17/18

-$431.82 Cathedraticum to the Archdiocese

$5,403.68 Total that stays in the parish for our

use

$4,533.50 Weekly Envelopes for November 24/25

-$335.47 Cathedraticum to the Archdiocese

$4,198.03 Total that stays in the parish for our

use

Thank you for your generosity! Next week the

Second Collection is for the Retirement Fund

for the Religious.

The Tabernacle Lamp is lighted for the Greater Glory of God and in

recognition of the Real Presence of Christ. This week the candle is flickering in the memory of the Veronica

Evans. The Tabernacle Lamp is available as a Memorial for a $5 donation per week.

We welcome all who gather here to worship with us. You enter this House of God, our

Father, not as a stranger but as His child. Come into your

Father’s presence with joy in your heart and thanks on your lips, offering your love, devotion and service. Be

grateful to all who came before you who, in the Name of Jesus Christ, built this place of worship. You are most

welcome if you are visiting with us today. If you are new to our parish and wish to become a member of OLM, we

invite you to introduce yourself to our pastor, Fr. Raymond Smialowski, and to register. Registration can be completed by stopping by the parish office or completing a short registration form which can be found on our home page at www.olmct.org under the heading “New to Our

Parish?” Please return the form to the office by dropping it in the collection basket or mailing it to 19 S. Canal St.,

Plainville.

Sunday December 2

10:30a Men’s AA Meeting, Rm 107

6 – 8p JOLT, Parish Center

Monday December 3

9:30a Legion of Mary, Parish Center

Tuesday December 4

6:30 – 7:30p Middle School, Parish Center

Wednesday December 5

4 – 5p Reconciliation Class, Parish Center

5 – 5:45p Older Children Sacrament Class, Parish

Center

7 – 8:15p Confirmation Year I & II, Parish Center

7p NA Meeting, Rm 107

Thursday December 6

1 – 2:30p Atrium, Parish Center

6p RCIA, Parish Center

6 - 9p Farmington BB, Gym

Friday December 7

6 – 7:30p The Star, Movie, Rm 106

Saturday December 8

9:15 – 10:15a Religious Ed. K, 1, 4, 5, Parish Center

9:15 – 10:15a Reconciliation Class, Parish Center

10:15 – 11:15a Eucharist Class, Parish Center

Noon Confession, Church

Sunday December 9

8 – 10:30a Breakfast with Santa, Parish Center

10:30a Men’s AA Meeting, Rm 107

11:30a – 12:30p Practice for Advent Drama, Church

Children’s Liturgy We are grateful to the children in Grade 2 as well as our Children’s Choir for their participation in the 10:30am

Mass today.

Sacrament of Baptism

We look forward to welcoming you

and celebrating the Sacrament of

Baptism of your child. You may

begin preparation even before your child is born. To

begin the process, call Sue at 860-747-5451. The date of

the Baptism is scheduled after attending the Parent

Preparation Program. Please note that Godparents

must be confirmed and obtain a Sponsor Certificate

from their own Catholic parish. Baptisms normally take

place Sundays after the 10:30am Mass.

The Star - The Story of the First Christmas

Please join us at the parish center THIS Friday, December 7th, for popcorn and the

movie - The Star at 6pm. Bring along your family and friends. The movie is 1 hour and 26 minutes in length. It is a Sony Picture animation about a small but brave donkey named Bo who yearns for a life beyond his daily grind. Bo and his friends follow

the star and become accidental heroes in the greatest story ever told - the First Christmas. The

movie will be shown in room 106. Children are welcomed to bring a blanket, pillow or a sleeping

bag and their favorite stuffed animal with them. A trailer for the movie can be found on YouTube.

Christmas Story Pageant

Our Lady of Mercy Parish is providing a wonderful opportunity for your child(ren) to participate in during our

up-coming Advent and Christmas season. Sunday, December 23rd we will be celebrating the Fourth

Sunday of Advent and would like to invite children ages 4 and above to act out the Christmas story after the 10:30am

Mass. Children will be needed for the roles of Mary, Joseph, Angels, Shepherds and

Narrator. There are speaking and non-speaking parts. Knowing just how busy the Advent season is for everyone, there

will only be two rehearsals: Sunday, Dec. 9th and Monday, December 17th

from 6:00pm to 7:00pm at the church. A pizza party will follow the play in the gym on December 23rd. Please

contact Jeanne at the parish center by Dec. 6th if your child or grandchild would like to participate.

Men’s Retreat at Holy Family* No Ordinary Path:

Holiness in Everyday Life, Jan. 18 – 20, 2019

God has called all of us to lives of holiness. No

Ordinary Path will explore ways that we can be

attentive, intentional, and cooperative with God’s

grace in serving the world. Together we will take a

journey, with the hope of discovering that who we

are and what we do matters. We’ll reflect on how

living an ordinary life of holiness can lead to

extraordinary happiness and peace. The retreat

begins with a buffet dinner on Friday evening and

concludes with the celebration of Sunday Eucharist

at 10:45am, followed by a hot brunch at noon.

Families of retreatants are most welcome to attend

the Sunday Mass and brunch at no extra charge.

Offering: $325, more if you can, less if you can’t.

For more info or to register, please call

860.760.9705 or check the website at

holyfamilyretreat.org.

Giving Tree

The Giving Tree is set up in the

Gathering Space. Please plan to stop

by the Tree, choose a tag of the gift

you wish to donate, follow the

directions on the tag and return your purchase by

NEXT Sunday, December 9th. The tag will state if

you should wrap the gift or not. Your participation in

this community outreach project will bring much joy to

those in need. Thank you!

Christmas Flowers

Donations to help defray the costs of

Christmas flowers are gratefully

accepted. Please use the flower envelope

found in your envelope donation packet.

If you do not use parish envelopes, flower

donations can be placed in a plain envelope

placed in the offertory basket. If you

wish to make a flower donation in memory of loved

ones, please indicate their names on the envelope. A

listing of those in whose memory Christmas flowers

have been donated will be printed.

Best Advent Ever Dynamic Catholic is offering a free email program

entitled BEST ADVENT EVER. Each day you’ll receive an email with short inspirational videos, practical tips for everyday life and real-life stories

to encourage you in your faith journey. All you have to do is sign up at BestAdventEver.com.

There are also Advent booklets available in the gathering space free of charge. Please take one! A

daily Advent reflection video by Bishop Barron will also be displayed on the home page of our

website at www.olmct.org.

Inclement Weather

Please remember that in the case of

late openings or school closures due to snow, the weekday 8am Mass

will not be celebrated. Also, if school is closed on a Friday, GIFT will be cancelled that same day. This long-standing policy here at OLM is to insure the

safety of those attending Mass and GIFT.

Breakfast with Santa The Breakfast will be held NEXT Sunday, Dec. 9th from 8 – 10:30AM in the Parish Center. Please disregard the PM on the flyer. All other information is correct.

Please bring your children and grandchildren for some holiday fun!

St. Anthony Society

The Society will be joining the Knights at the December Breakfast by having a Christmas Boutique. A variety of crafted items such as

wreaths, ornaments, & gift items will be available for purchase. Join us for your last-minute shopping before and after the Sunday Masses on December 9th in the parish center.

Advent Thought for the First Week Spend more time than usual during this first

week conversing as a family. Try to see and

enjoy the light in one another’s eyes.

Support the Retirement Fund for Religious A donor writes, “Your flyer touched my heart – seeing the retired religious, such memories surfaced.” Do you

remember the sisters, brothers, or religious order priests who made a positive difference in your life? Today many are elderly and need assistance. Their religious communities struggle to meet retirement needs while continuing to serve the People of God.

Please give to next week’s second collection.

Thank You! Duksa Family Funeral Homes along

with the Connecticut Veteran’s Administration would like to thank Our Lady of Mercy Parish for their generous outpouring of support for Operation Sweaters for Vets. Because of the more

than 300 items OLM collected this year veterans from across the state will be warm this winter. Thank you,

thank you!

Walking in the Word GIFT 2018 – 19 SUNDAY GIFT TIME CHANGE

To allow for easier attendance at Mass on Sunday, Fr. Ray has

decided to change the time we offer GIFT on Sundays. Beginning in December,

Sunday GIFT will begin at 11:30am, following the 10:30am Mass. If you were

attending Sunday at 10:30am and feel that you’d like to switch to Friday at 6pm (to 8pm), please let us know. If you were attending on Friday and would now prefer

to switch to Sunday at 11:30am (to 1:30pm), let us know. Please call Jeanne at the office, 860.747.6825 and leave a message giving your name and day you

plan to attend. Thank you.

Dynamic Catholic Dear Brother and Sister Parish Members, December’s book from Dynamic Catholic is "Holiness Revolution.”

It awakens us to the need for change in our world.

Jesus was a radical, as we should be, and the book starts with challenges to us as His disciples. It continues to

teach us how to take action in our own lives, to change the world, and to become more Catholic. The need for the message of Christ is more urgent now than it was in

the first century. This book helps us to share

2019 March for Life The Pro-Life Ministry at the Franciscan Life Center in

Meriden is sponsoring a Pilgrimage on Jan. 17 – 18, 2019 to Washington D.C. for the March for Life. For

details call 203.694.4189.

Christmas Wafers (Oplatek) are available on

weekends on the table behind the Lectern. A free-will donation to

help defray the costs can be left in the designated basket. Many

families with roots in Poland or other Central and Eastern

European countries take a few minutes before sitting down to

Christmas Eve dinner to break and share the unleavened Christmas Wafer with wishes of a long life, good health, joy and happiness; not only for the

Christmas Season but for the coming year and for many years to come.

Holy Day December 8th is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception

under the title of The Immaculate Conception, The Blessed Virgin is the patron of the United States. This is a

major feast – in fact a Holy Day of Obligation. Mass Schedule for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception is

Friday, Dec. 7th at 6pm as a Vigil Mass and Saturday, Dec. 8th at 8am. Please join us.

NEW DAY PROGRAM FOR BEREAVED

St. Thomas Parish of Southington will offer a

bereavement seminar beginning November 28, 2018.

We have received permission from Dcn. Raby to allow

parishioners to start the program one week late.

Anyone grieving the death of a loved one is encouraged

to enroll and participate at no cost. The New Day

process, developed by Sr. Mauryeen O’Brien, OP, will be

used. Participants will meet 9 times from 6 – 8 pm.

The winter dates will be Nov 28, Dec 12, 19, Jan 2, 10,

16, 23, 30 and Feb 6. During each meeting, participants

work through one element of the grieving process using

prayer, reflection, sharing and journaling. Everything

that is shared during the meetings is held confidential.

For more information or to enroll please call Deacon

Raby 860-628-9425 or the Parish Office 860-628-4713.

How to Read the Bible Are you intimidated by your Bible? Unfortunately, many of us are! And

that’s a shame because the Bible can be a wonderful source of comfort and

guidance. Join your fellow Catholics in learning to become friends with your Bible. The Catholic Biblical School of the Archdiocese of Hartford is offering a free and fun one-night class on how to read the Bible. You

don’t need to know anything about Scripture, or Church teaching. Just bring a Bible and we’ll help you

open a door to a whole new view of the story of salvation. The class is Thursday evening, Dec. 13th

from 6:30 to 9pm in LaPenta Hall at our Lady Queen of Angels, 109 Goodwill Ave. in Meriden. RSVP to

Dcn. Don Smith at DeaconDon@snet.net or 203.238.3660.

Is a Vocation Right for You? Jesus announces his return to our world. The Lord is near. He used signs that anticipate His arrival. Am I

able to read these signs? What is God asking of me? If He is asking you to consider a vocation as a priest or

religious, call Fr. Michael Casey, Director of Vocations, Archdiocesan Pastoral Center,

860.761.7456, vocations@aohct.org or visit the web at www.hartfordpriest.com.

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