St. Joachim’s Liturgical Gathering Mass: Dec. 17th, 12:30 pm– Gary Wood (A) Christmas & New Years Schedule Dec. 24th: 12:30 Mass - 4th Sunday of Advent (Children Participation) 6:00 pm - Christmas Eve Mass Dec. 31st: 12:30 pm - Mass Jan. 1st: 12:30 pm - New Year’s Day Mass

St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church 360 Newcastle Boulevard, Miramichi, NB E1V 2J9

Email: stmarys@nb.aibn.com Facebook: St. Mary’s Miramichi Website: www.stmarysrcmiramichi.com

Rev. Antonio Reyes, Pastor Sheryl Vanderbeck, Office Administrator Office Telephone: 622-5720 Fax: 622-7031 Office Hours: Mon–Thurs 9 am to 1 pm Cindy Diotte, Religious Education Coordinator: 622-5723 Email: smaryrel@nb.aibn.com

December 10th, 2017 Second Sunday of Advent

Welcome to all who are with us today; our regular parishioners, visitors, and faith seekers, you are always

welcome here at St. Mary’s and St. Joachim’s.

Marriages: Six months notice required Baptisms: Contact parish office to schedule. Confession: Saturdays 3:30 to 4:00 pm and upon request.

Sunday Offering: $291

MEMORIALS Celebrated December 16th, 4:30 pm: Souls in Purgatory; Spec. Int. (PM); Dec. Mem. of the Morrison’s and their Spouses’ Families, Dec. Mem. of the Gorman and Galley Families, Spec. Int. (WF), Dec. Mem of the Edward & Lillian Morris Family, Agnes Morrison, Spec. Int. (TG) and Family, Spec. Int. (Brenda Goguen), Louis Gallant (A), Tim & Molly Foley & dmf, Ronald & Lillian Morrison & dmf, Sr. Constance Foley (A), Wilfred & Edna Robichaud & dmf, Margaret Mironenko, Perry McKinley, Johnny Daley, Geraldine Godin, Max & Molly Houlston, Clayton & Irene Manderson & Peggy, Frank & Peter Bowes, John & Margaret Bowes & dmf, Vincent & Margaret McNamara, Don & Lois Lee, Brian & Peggy McNamara, Bill & Mae McNamara & Hal & Danny, and Mike Mitchell & Moira.

In the charity of your prayers, please remember all those who have died, especially Msgr. Joseph Woods, Patricia Robichaud, Greg Dalton, and Elizabeth Dunn Godin

Wednesday 12:05 pm † Frances Hubbard

Thursday 12:05 pm † Alice Craik (A)

Friday 12:05 pm † Helena & William McCombs

Saturday 4:30 pm Memorial Mass

Sunday 10:00 am † Alyre Allaiin (A)

Masses December 13th to 17th

Music Ministry: Jacqueline Allain 626-0822

St. Mary’s News & Events:

Fr. Antonio will hold a Celebration of Penance at St. Mary’s on Tuesday evening at 6:30 pm, he will be joined by some other priests from our region.

All are invited to join us for Holy Rosary before mass, weekdays 11:35 am , Saturdays at 4 pm and Sundays at 9:30 am in the Fr. McGrath Chapel. All are welcome!

THANK YOU to Susan Butler and all who assisted with last weekend's Christmas Craft /Bake Sale and Tea Room, which made a profit of $2332 which goes to repair the statue in the cemetery.

Christmas Flowers: Anyone wishing to make a donation in memory of loved ones are asked to please submit the following information in an envelope: 1.) List the names of people to be remembered, 2.) write your name and envelope number on the outside of the envelope and 3.) Please have them in to the office by December 18th. Thank you.

Christmas Hamper Update: We have received our list from the Salvation Army (57) and some other requests bringing our number to 70. The mitten tree is in place at the back of the church for donations of ADULT SIZED knitted items, and there are boxes at the church entrances for non perishable food items (see list at back of church) Pick up date is Dec. 21st with a storm date of Dec. 22nd. Thank you to all who support this wonderful endeavor, physically demonstrating the hope, joy, peace and love of Christmas.

The offering envelopes for 2018 are at the back of the church for pick up. If you currently don’t use envelopes and would like some please call the office. E-giving sets of envelopes for special collections will be out next week. Thank you

St. Mary’s Prayer Shawl Ministry meets each Thursday from 10 am to 12 noon in room 120.

Epiphany Prayer Group meets each Monday at 7:30 pm at St. Mary’s in room 120.

We have been asked by Bishop Robert Harris to ask for your support for the Sunday for Life collection, Dec. 9/10th. Please see the letter on the bulletin board at the back.

Community Events: Move it or Lose it at the Golden Hawk: Young at Heart” Functional Fitness by Peak

Performance- December 15, 2017 The goal of this class is to improve functional fitness, increase independence and strengthen the activities of daily living. We will be performing body weight exercises, light cardio activities and gentle stretching for the mature adult.

Sanctuary Lamp This week, the Sanctuary Lamp burns in loving memory of

Oland & Sarah Dupuis & dmf., and Edward & Ruby Manderson & dmf. Placed by the family.

Dec. 16th & 17th Readers Eucharistic Ministers Hospitality

Saturday 4:30 pm Donald O’Neill, Bill Martin

Rick Gorges, Lucy McCray, Phyllis Cooling

Team 9

Sunday 10:00 am Janice Salome, Emily Matheson

Sandra McKay, Albert Malley, Frank Harris

Team 10

Religious Education News

December 17th Parish Christmas Party December 24th Christmas Eve Family Mass January 14th Religious Ed. Classes Resume

Third Annual Keep Christ in Christmas Contest– hosted by The Father Dixon Knights

of Columbus Council # 4886, open to all religious education students in the Miramichi region. Contest rules available at rel. ed. classes.

St. Mary’s Stewardship Sunday $3,547; Restoration $1377, Christmas Hampers $230, Christ the King $95. November E-Giving: Sunday $$6241.50; Rest $823.50; Cem 631.50; Mem Mass $44; November’s 50/50 ($430) was won by Melvin Waye. Congratulations!

St. Mary’s Christmas & New Years Schedule Dec. 23rd: 4:30 pm - Mass Dec. 24th: 10 am Mass - 4th Sunday of Advent 4:00 pm - Christmas Eve Family Mass & Pageant, Folk Choir 8:00 pm - Christmas Eve Mass, Senior Choir Dec. 25th: 10:00 am - Christmas Day Mass Dec. 31st: 10:00 am - Mass Jan. 1st: 10:00 am - New Year’s Day Mass

Revitalization & Realignment - Continuing the Conversation #4 What happens to the various programs, activities and committees of newly merged communities? When parishes merge, each of them brings its resources to the new merged community. That is all its people resources, physical resources and its financial resources (and its debts) now be-long to the new parish community. The former parishes’ Pastoral Councils, Finance Councils and committees will be dissolved. There will be a need to create new councils and committees with members drawn from all the communities that were merged to create the new parish. The many people who had served in ministries in the former parishes now will be called to collaborate in the new merged one. For example, there will be a new music ministry (choirs, instrumentalists, cantors etc.) drawn from the whole merged community. The religious formation programs (children, youth and adult) will be built upon the many talents and energies of the people from the whole new parish community. Other programs will also benefit from the increase in the number of gifts and talents that can be available in the new merged parish. In short, where there are more gifts and resources it is possible to provide fuller, more exten-sive pastoral service. The priests and people who are in these new merged communities will be called upon to assess the needs of the parish as they do now. With this, they can determine where best to use the increased talents and gifts available for the service of all. In the new parish commu-nity, the gifts of all can be the way of revitalization in the coming years.

On behalf of all women who build peace in their communities, DEVELOPMENT AND PEACE-

CARITAS CANADA thanks you for your continued support. During the Fall Action Campaign, 178

Action Cards were signed and forwarded to the office of the Prime Minister. In addition 39 membership

cards were signed in support of the Mission of D & P. Without your action, there’s no change, no jus-

tice. For more information, please go to: devp.org/membership. THANK YOU! Thank you also to

Fr. Antonio for his support!

Revitalization & Realignment Continuing the Conversation #3– If we merge several commu-nities, which “church sites” do we use? Merging Parishes to Become New How do we do this? Our revitalization & realignment process has an important aim. Its aim is to better use our limited resources, financial, physical and especially our human resources (lay & clergy). In doing so, our goal is to help grow as disciples of Jesus ready to share the good news to others (evangelize). One aspect of the process is to merge communities in a way that they can better use the resources for this goal. Keeping in mind that “church” refers to the building in which the “parish” community gath-ers, these new “parish” community will not need all the buildings currently held by the communi-ties that come together. The question is, how do we decide what church buildings to use, and what builds not to use? This of course generates much pain and questioning – “Why is our Church building not needed?” or “Why do we need to keep another building?” Many factors were and will continue to be considered in determining which church and other buildings will be used and which will not. Among the factors are: the seating capacity and condition of the building, the location of the building, the potential patterns of population growth in the area, general travel patterns in the area, proximity to other parish communities, historical significance and many others. Obviously in making such decisions more than one factor plays a determining role. During the workgroup discussions last winter and during the last few months of listening to

feedback from the regional consultations, much information has been considered. Painful as it is,

however, not all buildings can be retained and it is certainly not easy to make such a decision.

Please feel free to submit any suggestions that might help those making the decisions.