SUNDAY MASS December 28, 2008 January 4, 2009

Father,
help us to live as the holy family,
united in respect and love.
Bring us to the joy and peace of your eternal home.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God for ever and ever.
Amen

Vigil Mass for New Year’s Day
December 31, 2008
6:00pm Mass

New Year’s Day
January 1, 2009
9:30am Mass

CHRISTMAS BLESSINGS!
“This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad”
Each and every day the staff of St. Patrick are continuously blessed with the many gifts of compassion, prayers and acts of charity we often receive from the many loving parishioners we have at St. Patrick. Thank you so much for your continued prayers, gifts of love and acts of charity. We “live” on these wonderful graces each and every day. May the blessings of the Christ Child be with each and every one of you! The staff of St. Patrick.

FATHER ON VACATION
Father John will be taking a few days off to rest from the holidays from Monday, January 5 through January 9, 2009. Father will be back in the Parish Office on Tuesday, January 13, 2009.

DAILY MASS
There will be no daily mass on the following days due to the Holidays and Fr. John’s Vacation. We will have a Communion Service instead:
Tuesday, December 30 & Friday, January 2, 2009
Tuesday, January 6 through Friday, January 9, 2009

HOLIDAY PARISH OFFICE HOURS
The Parish Office will be closed for the Holidays from December 29 through January 2, 2009. If you have an emergency please call our answering service at 503-829-6105 and they will get a hold of Fr. John or a staff member as soon as possible.

 

 

 

Reflecting the Gospel

How many of us haven’t seen someone with absolutely perfectly styled and groomed hair, and we have a wild urge to rumple it? Or we’re out for a walk and come across a perfectly manicured lawn-don’t we have the urge to kick off our shoes and shuffle through it? Or maybe we’ve heard ourselves utter this or a similar prayer: “ O God, please give [so and so] just one fault so I can relate!” Perfection is something we humans have a hard time with. Probably this is so because we know we’re not perfect-we are the children of the Fall. Yet how often don’t we equate holiness with perfection? Don’t we think we have to be perfectly good to be holy? No wonder this feast can be so difficult for some; after all, the Holy Family was made up of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. How can we ever be holy like they? Although our questions are natural, our tendency toward a narrow kind of answer that ultimately presumes we are surely not very holy shortchanges what God has begun in Christ Jesus and continues through us. God’s promise of salvation comes to fulfillment through the enfleshment of human life: the son born to Abraham and Sarah, the Child parented by Mary and Joseph and tenderly recognized by Simeon and Anna. This promise continues to be enfleshed today as we grow in holiness. As the gospel shows, the operative word here is “grow.” “The child grew and became strong. . .” This simple affirmation about the Child says something about the whole mystery of the Incarnation, about families, about each one of us, and about holiness. Mary and Joseph, no doubt, grew into their role as parents of Jesus, beginning with their fulfilling the prescriptions of the law when they took him to the Temple to “present him to the Lord.” The gospel tells us that the “child grew and became strong.” Even Jesus, the Son of God, grew-physically, as he grew from baby to child to adult, but also spiritually as he grew into taking up his saving mission. We grow as individuals and as a human family as we ourselves respond to the many different ways God calls us to holiness. This is the meaning of the Incarnation: growth in God’s ways. This the meaning of holiness: not perfection, but our willingness to be open to God’s promptings and grow in our relationships with God and each other. Holiness, then, is not a state of perfection to be achieved, but an openness to God’s presence and promptings.

Parish Community News

OUR PRIVILEGE, OUR RIGHT, AND OUR DUTY

As it is written ‘Even if these forget, yet I will not forget you.’ (Is 49:15):
We in the Catholic Church in the Community of St. Patrick remember, hold in our memory, and pray for the men and women who serve in the Armed Forces especially: Ryan Thomas Blackwood, Ryan Bridges, Lonnie Brown, Nathan Brown, Douglas Bower Jr., Carlos Bustamante, Adamm Creel, Isaiah Creel, David Davis, Brad Dunn, Brian Dykeman, Bill Ellis, Adam Ferrell, Andrew Gibby, David Hannon, April Kennedy, Mike Krzmarzick, Jessica Krzmarzick (wife of Michael Krzmarzick) Johnny Lugo, Alex Martin, Ryan McInnis, John Nguyen, Robert Selner, Tarl Spencer, Leah Sundquist, Kenneth Thorpe, CJ Trillo, Jonathan Tuner, William Walsh, Erik Wiesehan and Ivan Wilson, may they be servants of Christ through service to those in need, and may they be kept safe from all harm.

PARISH SUPPORT
Parishioners of St. Patrick through the Sacrificial giving program gave to God the gift: December 21, 2008
Building Fund $50.00
Cemetery $70.00
Envelopes’ $4960.00
Loose $135.01
Children’s $
Poor $570.00
Retirement Fund $50.00
Total $5835.01

We saw his star
at its rising
and have come to do him homage

CATHOLIC CALENDARS
Canby Funeral Home has once again graciously donated our 2009 Catholic Calendars for our parishioners. We ask that you please take one calender per family so we will have enough for every household. Please take a moment to send a word of thanks to Carlos, Randy and Lynn for their wonderful donation to our parish.

WINTER WEATHER POLICY
The winter weather is already here and it is a great time to be reminded of our winter weather policy here at St. Patrick Church. If the Canby School District closes all public schools in our area, then all activities for St. Patrick for that day are cancelled. If children are sent home in the middle of the day, then all activities for that day will also be cancelled here at St. Patrick.

ANNUAL KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS CRAB FEED
The 12 annual Knights of Columbus Crab Feed and Charity Auction will be held February 7, 2009. The location will be the main pavilion building at the Clackamas County Fairgrounds. Tickets are $30. Doors open at 5:00pm. Silent Auction 5:30-7:00pm; Crab Feed 7:00-8:00pm and Oral Auction 8:00-10:00pm. You can reserve a table for 8 people for $25 but you must also buy 8 tickets at the same time. Tickets are sold after the weekend Masses, or you can contact Mike Robert at 503-209-5569. We are always looking for additional auction items. If you have something that you would like to donate, please contact Mike Schmader at 503-266-1331.

SHELTER FROM THE COLD
Bethany Evangelical Church located at 450 S. Ivy Street here in Canby, has opened their doors to offer a hot meal, a safe warm bed and a shower for those who are without housing or shelter. There are beds available for single men, single women, and married couples. This is a free Warm Shelter available to anyone in need. The shelter is open after 5:00pm each evening during these freezing nights. If you see, here, or know of anyone in need of safety and a warm bed, please refer them to Bethany Evangelical.

VOCATIONS AWARENESS WEEK
January 11-16 is National Vocations Awareness Week. This is a time when all Catholics are asked to think about their vocation and especially, to encourage someone you think has the gifts to become a priest or religious. Locally, there is good news! There are 150 men studying to be priests at Mount Angel Seminary, the largest Catholic seminary in the western United States. Seven of these men are scheduled to be ordained to the priesthood in June. This is the largest class of priests to be ordained in the Archdiocese of Portland in over 20 years! Please keep praying for more men and women to respond to God’s call to enter the priesthood and religious life.

 

At the birth of the Son,
there was a great shouting in Bethlehem;
for the Angels came down,
and gave praise there.
Their voices were a great thunder:
at that voice of praise
the silent ones came,
and gave praise to the Son.
St. Ephraim the Syrian
Nineteen Hymns on the Nativity of Christ

 

 

 

 

Religious Education

GIVING TREE PRESENT
There is one gift in particular I would like to try to obtain - a very special request. . . Maybe someone has one they put away in the closet waiting for this special person! A left handed base guitar and music lessons! Call me if you find one! Connie Bilton-Smith 503-266-9626 or the Parish Office, 503-266-9411.

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
You must be registered for Religious Education unless you are in a Catholic School to be able to prepare for Sacraments. If you are receiving Sacraments this year you must provide a baptismal copy at the time of registration if you were not baptized at St Patrick. Registration forms will also be available in the Church vestibule.

Jesus Mary Joseph
pray for us

 

SACRAMENT PREPARATION Our classes for the Sacrament of Reconciliation are in progress. The date for First Reconciliation is January 24. First Eucharist classes will begin with Introduction Parent night, February 2 at 7pm. Enrollment for the sacramental classes are final for this year. Students wishing to enroll for next year may do so in the fall of 2009. All students receiving the sacraments must be enrolled in the religious education program one year prior to enrollment. For more information call Connie 503-266-9411.

WHAT HAPPENING

THERE WILL BE NO EUCHARISTIC ADORATION ON THURSDAY, JANUARY 1, 2009.

WE WILL RESUME ON THURSDAY, JANUARY 8.

IT’S ABOUT TIME CAPITAL CAMPAIGN UPDATE:
Dec. 31st is nearly upon us
Our goal of $400,000 by THIS WEDNESDAY is but a few days and $49,700 away! Have you made your commitment to repair and remodel our church? We have raised $350,300 with donations and pledges from 181 families. THANK YOU to those who have looked around at the stained carpets, dry rot, tiny bathrooms, and scorched beams and agreed that it is time to make some changes. Please make room in your budget for this important project; pledges do not have to be paid off until May 1st. If we make our goal of $400,000 by December 31st, Dave Muck, our project manager, will start getting new bids in January. Remember these are crucial repairs and will only cost us more if we delay. Your donation reflects your love and care for your parish home just as it does for your family home. Please pray on the matter and do your best. Drop your green envelope off at the Rectory, put it in the collection basket or mail it in. Everyone who has not yet pledged should have received a letter, pledge card and green return envelope in the mail this past week. If you did not receive a mailing and would like to make a commitment, please call Fr. John at the parish office at 503-266-9411. If you have any questions or concerns about your pledge please call Fr. John or Susan Gallagher at 503-263-6456.

NEW LECTOR’S WORKSHOP
A workshop for anyone interested in becoming a lector for Sunday Liturgies is scheduled for Saturday, January 10 from 9:00am to 12:30pm in the Parish Center. Anyone interested in attending is asked to call Sara Creel at the parish office 503-266-9411.

CHRISTMAS PAGEANT RESCHEDULED
We have rescheduled the Christmas Pageant for January 4 at 1:00pm in the Parish Center! Children will practice the play on the same day during class. We will have an Epiphany Party following the play - same as planned before - Hot chocolate and cookies. Please bring cookies for the sharing table. For questions please call Connie at 503-266-9411 or hm 503-266-9626. Thank you! May you all have a very Blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year.

CHOIR NEWS
There is one other wonderful opportunity for you to listen to and support our church choir. On Sunday, December 28, at 7:00pm, we will be sharing our music at the Grotto’s Annual Christmas Festival of Lights. If you’ve never attended this event, give yourselves a special treat and come on Dec. 28. The gates are open from 5:00pm-9:30pm for you to enjoy the lights, theatrical performances, petting zoo and puppet shows. Music performances take place in the Chapel of Mary which is renowned for its incredible acoustics, attracting 150 musical performances between Nov 28 and Dec. 30. Our choir members would be delighted to see as many parishioners as possible in attendance. Please come!
Where: The Grotto, NE 85th & Sandy Blvd; free parking
When: Sunday, December 28, 7:00pm
Cost: $7.50 general admission, $3.00 children 3-12; children 2 & under free.
Thank you for your support! For more information, contact Lora Heli at 503-263-3840.

What's Happening

December 28, 2008 - January 3, 2009
Sunday
4:00pm Faith in Action
5:00pm Hispanic Bible Study
Tuesday
7:00pm Communion Service
Wednesday
6:00pm New Year’s Eve Mass
Thursday
9:30am New Year’s Day Mass
Friday
7:00am Marian Prayer Group
7:00pm Hispanic Prayer Group

 

January 4 -10, 2009
Sunday
9:30am Men’s Club
9:45am Religious Education Grades 1-5
11:00am Preschool/Nursery
1:00pm Christmas Pageant
3:00pm Spanish RCIC
4:00pm Faith in Action
5:00pm Hispanic Bible Study
Monday
9:15am Bible Study
7:00pm Charismatic Prayer
7:00pm Sacramental Prep meeting
Tuesday
7:00pm Knights of Columbus
7:00pm Communion service
Wednesday
7:00pm Journey in Faith, RCIA & Adult Faith sharing
Thursday
12:00noon Eucharistic Adoration
6:30pm Spanish R.E.P., RCIA
7:00pm Bible Study
8:00pm Benediction
Friday
7:00am Marian Prayer Group
7:00pm Prayer Group
Saturday
9:00am-3pm Lector’s workshop

 

Forever I will maintain
my kindness toward him,
and my covenant with him stands firm.
Psalm 89:29

 

 

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