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Volume 3, Issue 1 Fall 2017

Dear Parishioners and Friends… Happy Fall! It’s hard to believe that I’m wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving, a Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year in this newsletter – all our best for a wonderful and blessed Holiday Season. This issue of our newsletter will highlight our activities from the summer and early fall. The purpose of our newsletter is to enlighten and inform everyone about the many functions that our Rosary Altar Society performs. There will be informational pieces highlighting the purpose and function of the Altar Rosary Society as well as upcoming events, faith formation articles and more. It is hoped that this will enhance your knowledge of this ministry and encourage you to grow in faith. We hope you enjoy it!

Inside this Issue

Dear Parishioners and Friends pg. 1 Summer 2017 Events pgs. 2-3 Communion Breakfast pg. 4 Did You Know? pg. 5 Upcoming Marian Feasts pg. 6 Upcoming Events pg. 7 Calendar pg. 8 Christmas Novena In Memorian

The Rosary Altar Society's main mission is:

To honor our Blessed Mother and to promote devotion to the Rosary and regular reception of the Holy Eucharist in corporate communion on the first Saturday of each month.

To encourage a spirit of friendliness and cooperation among its members.

To provide ways and means of raising money for projects initiated by the Society and to assist in major Parish activities.

All women of our Parish are welcomed to join our Society. You won't be disappointed. It's such a special way to honor our Blessed Mother. You are always welcome to attend our monthly meetings. Fall and spring meetings are held the first Thursday of each month, after Benediction, at 7:30 p.m. in the Meeting Room off the Narthex. Winter meetings take place after the 8 a.m. Communion Service and First Saturday Devotions every first Saturday of the month in the Parish Hall.

Check the Weekly Bulletins for actual dates.

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Rosary Rally – Wednesday, May 31st was the Feast of the Visitation. The Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary celebrates the visit of Mary, the Mother of God, with the child Jesus in her womb, to her cousin Elizabeth. The visit took place when Elizabeth was herself six months' pregnant with the forerunner of Christ, Saint John the Baptist. Many Rosarians and parishioners gathered to offer reparation for the sins and offenses committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary and to pray for the United States. Thank you to all who joined us and continue to pray the rosary for peace.

On June 1st Father Richard installed four new Rosary Altar Society members: Eileen Ambrose, Jenny Chen, Mary Granahan and Elaine Tirella. Each new member was presented with a blest Miraculous Medal and a red rose. We welcome them and look forward to

installing more new members next June.

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August Rosary Rally

The Rosary Altar Society invited all parishioners to join us for our annual “Rosary by the Sea.” This event took place on Thursday, August 10th after Benediction. Recitation of the Rosary was said in the picnic area of the Sun Rise Beach boat ramp at 7:30 p.m. Our Lady of Fatima said, “Pray the Rosary daily.” Thank you to all who attended this special event. A blessed time was held by all!

September’s Day of Prayer - On September 11th, the day before the Feast Day of the Most Holy Name of Mary, The Rosary Society, through the work of Joan Carville, organized a “Day of Prayer” which took place at St. Alfonso’s in Long Branch. It is truly a place to experience the presence of God and to reflect on the action of God in one’s life. Another “Day of Prayer” is being planned for Lent and a weekend retreat will take place in May. Please check the weekly bulletin for details.

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October 8th Communion Breakfast Many thanks to Father Richard, Ana Chanik, Robin Caroselli, Fran Kopack, John Brennan, Suzanne Snyder, all of our parish office staff and all Rosarians who assisted in making our annual Communion Breakfast a huge success! Our guest speaker, Father Peter Stravinkas, gave a wonderful Marian talk and provided all in attendance with a copy of the Catholic Response magazine. All proceeds from this event go towards altar supplies and flowers. The Rosarians are grateful to all who

support our events.

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Why October is the Month of the Holy

Rosary?

The Catholic Church dedicates the entire month of November to the Holy Souls in Purgatory. During this entire month we pray for the souls of the faithful departed, especially those whom we have known and loved. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC), purgatory is a “final purification” (CCC 1031) which is afforded to “all who die in God’s grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified” so that they might “achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven” (CCC 1030). Those who die in the love God but fall short of holiness due to habitual sinful clingings must be pure before being admitted to the beatific vision, that is, the vision of God that the saints in heaven enjoy for all eternity. This is why the souls in purgatory are called “Holy Souls” . . . they have died in God’s grace and they will attain heaven and the beatific vision of God after their purification is complete. Essentially this means that purgatory is a sort of temporary purifying punishment which is typically thought of as a cleansing fire (see 1 Cor. 3:15).

Why November is Dedicated to the Holy Souls in Purgatory?

November 2 – All Souls Day

Those in purgatory cannot pray for themselves, this is why they are also called “poor” souls. They can no longer merit anything for themselves (their opportunity for increasing in merit was during their earthly lives) and they must rely entirely on others to pray and make sacrifices on their behalf. As they are nevertheless part of the Communion of Saints, they depend upon us to help ease their suffering and quickly advance them through their purification so that they can join the saints in heaven. Prayers for the faithful departed pleases God, who makes use of our prayers to help purify these souls that He loves. Here are some ideas for praying for these suffering (and often neglected) souls, especially during the month of November dedicated to their memory:

1.Offer up your Holy Communions for the souls in purgatory. 2.Have Masses said for your departed loved ones, especially on the anniversary of his/her death. 3.Pray the special Holy Souls Rosary. After the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, the Holy Rosary is the most powerful prayer. 4.Pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet for the intention of the Holy Souls. 5.Prayer of Prayer of St. Gertrude for the Holy Souls: this prayer is attributed to St. Gertrude the Great and was the prayer by which she obtained the release of many souls from purgatory. 6.When passing by a cemetery, pray the short Eternal Rest prayer. This prayer carries a partial indulgence applicable to the poor souls.

https://www.catholiccompany.com/getfed/20-ways-to-pray-for-the-holy-souls-in-purgatory/

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Upcoming Marian Feast Days: ➢ November 21 - Presentation of the Blessed Virgin

Mary The Feast of the Presentation of Mary is celebrated in both the Eastern and Western Churches. It recalls the day in the life of the Jewish girl named Mary (Maryam) when her parents, Joachim and Anne, presented her to the Lord in the temple and dedicated her life to Him. This Feast emphasizes our response to God's gifts. We remember the response of Mary's mother and father in their decision to present her in the temple for dedication to the Lord. All parents are called to imitate their response by presenting their children for Baptism.

➢ December 8 – Feast of the Immaculate Conception (Holy Day of Obligation)

When the archangel Gabriel greeted Mary at the Annunciation, he called her “full of grace.” This fullness of grace indicates an absence of sin in Mary. To be “full of grace” means there is no room for anything else in Mary’s soul. A glass that’s full can contain no more water, but if you kept pouring it would overflow. Pope Bl. Pius IX proclaimed the Immaculate Conception as a dogma of faith in 1854: “The most Blessed Virgin Mary was, from the first moment of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of almighty God and by virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, Savior of the human race, preserved immune from all stain of original sin.”

➢ December 12 - Our Lady of Guadalupe Our Lady of Guadalupe is the patroness of the Americas, unborn children, and the New Evangelization. For nearly 500 years, millions of people have shown great devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe, struck by her words to Juan Diego, “Am I not your Mother?” From her first appearance at Tepeyac in 1531, she has bestowed on humanity a tender motherly concern, and this remains an important part of her message today. If we approach Our Lady of Guadalupe as our mother, then she is not only a mother to us, she is a mother to everyone. That means that we are all one family, despite our different countries and cultures. Our Lady of Guadalupe is unlike any other apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary. First, it is the only apparition where Our Lady left a miraculous image of herself unmade by human hands. Second, it is the only universally venerated Madonna and Child image where Our Lady appears pregnant instead of holding the Infant Jesus. For more information visit: https://www.catholiccompany.com/getfed/our-lady-of-guadalupe-feast-day-facts-celebration-ideas/

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Rosary Rocks

As you walk around the parks and streets of Lacey be on the lookout for our Rosary Rocks. Their true magic lies in the way they touch the heart. Words written on these rocks, by our Rosarians, are meant to inspire, motivate, and heal. This wonderful idea was initiated and brought to fruition by our own Suzanne Fay. Through her efforts, Clayton’s Masonry donated 300 rocks which were painted and decorated over the last few weeks.

Finishing touches were added during November’s Rosary Society meeting. Our society thanks Clayton’s, as well as our Lacey Shoprite for donating the bags to carry all of these rocks! Our plan is to spread love and to promote good throughout our town and beyond our Church.

Altar Rosary Society December’s Meeting and Christmas Party

Our annual Christmas Party will be held on Thursday, December 7th at 7:30 p.m. in the Parish Hall. This year’s celebration will feature hors d'oeuvres and appetizers made by the great cooks of the Rosary Society who will be bringing some of their favorite recipes. Everyone is welcome to bring their beverage of choice to lend to the festive occasion. If you would like to participate in the “Gift Exchange” please bring a $10.00 gift. The evening will start with a recitation of the Rosary at 6:30 p.m. in the back of the main church. This will be followed by Benediction in the Chapel at 7:00 p.m. Once this concludes we will proceed to the Parish Hall for a brief meeting and the festivities will follow! Hope to see all of you!

Cookie Walk and Poinsettia Sale – December 16/17

All are invited to our annual Cookie Walk and Poinsettia Sale scheduled for the weekend of December 16th and 17th after all Masses. You can pick your own cookies from an assortment of sweet, gooey, nutty, chewy, delectable treats! If you would like to bake some cookies to contribute we welcome your offer. Please label your cookies and indicate if they contain peanut butter or nuts of any kind. You can bring the cookies to the Parish Hall starting at 3 pm on Saturday, Dec. 16th or before any Mass on Sunday Dec. 17th. Also, available will be a beautiful array of Poinsettias to decorate your home for the holidays or to purchase as a gift for someone special. Please remember - the money we raise through various fundraisers goes to purchase things for the parish that benefits every parishioner, either directly or indirectly.

The Rosary Society wishes everyone a Holy Advent and a Joyous Christmas as we remember the

true gift of love Mary gave to the world.

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Meetings for the months of

January, February and

March are usually held the

First Saturday of every month

after the 8:00 a.m. prayer

service held in the Chapel.

The Prayer Service is followed by recitation of the

Rosary as dictated by Our Lady who asks one to

confess and receive Communion on five

consecutive first Saturdays; to say five decades of

the Rosary; and to meditate 15 minutes on the

mysteries of the Rosary for the purpose of making

reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary in

reparation for the sins of men. We then have our

formal meeting in the church’s Parish Hall at 9

a.m. You are welcome to join us at any time.

Rosary Altar Society Calendar

DATE EVENT

Thurs, Dec 7 Christmas Party in Parish Hall

Sat/Sun, Dec 16/17

Cookie Walk & Poinsettia Sale

Sat, Jan 6 Birthright Baby Shower & Meeting – after 8 am service

Sat, Feb 3 Valentine Tea

Sat, March 3 Meeting

Sat/Sun, March 23/24

Easter Flower Sale

Thurs, April 5 Meeting

Sat, April 21 Gift Auction @ 6 pm– Parish Hall

Sat/Sun, April 30 – May 1

Weekend Retreat at Saint Alfonso’s

Thurs, May 3 Meeting – Prepare for Mary’s Crowning

Sun, TBD Crowning of Mary – 10 am Mass

Thurs, June 7 End of year meeting; Installation of New Officers and Rosarians

1st Saturday Devotion Rosary said after 8 am Mass

1st Sunday, after 10 am Mass – Recite one decade of the Rosary with our youth

Patricia McBride

While a novena is normally a nine-day prayer, the term is sometimes used for any prayer that is repeated over a

series of days. That is the case with one of the most beloved of all Advent devotions, the Saint Andrew Christmas Novena.

CHRISTMAS NOVENA FOR A SPECIAL INTENTION

Say this prayer 15 times a day, from Nov. 30, The Feast of St. Andrew, through Dec. 25. "Hail and blessed be the hour and the moment in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary at midnight in Bethlehem in the piercing cold. In that hour, vouchsafe, Oh my God, to hear my prayers and grant my desires through the merits of our Savior, Jesus Christ and of His Blessed Mother. Amen." State your request. This novena is extremely powerful. If followed faithfully, it never fails if the request is in accordance with God’s will. If said for multiple intentions, say the prayer 15 times for each individual intention.

Current Officers

President: Peggy Snyder Vice President: Robin Caroselli Secretary: Mary La Bruna Treasurer: Sandra Maldonado Chaplain: Deacon Anthony Martucci