christmas 2014 - Sacred Heart Church

Sacred Heart Church
Founded in 1910
1307 - 14th Street S.W.,
Calgary, Alberta T3C 1C6
Telephone: (403) 244-2741
Fax: (403) 244-1446
Email: secretaries@sacredheartcalgary.ca
Website: http://www.sacredheartcalgary.ca
NATIVITY OF THE LORD
Weekend Masses
Saturday
5 :00 pm (Vigil Mass)
Sunday
7:30, 9:00, 11:00 am, 5:00 pm
Weekday Schedule Monday to Friday
Rosary
11:40 am
Angelus
12:00 noon
Mass
12:05 pm
Wednesday
10:30 am Mt. Royal Care Center
Friday Exposition follows the 12:05 pm Mass
Adoration for Vocations 1:30 pm
Benediction
2:45 pm
Morning Prayer Sunday, 8:30 am
Sacrament of Reconciliation
Saturday 4:00 pm. (Confessions may also be
arranged by request).
Office Hours: Monday to Friday: 9 am - 3 pm
Closed 12 noon to 12:30 pm
Stewardship Corner: A light will
shine on us this day: the Lord is
born for us. The Lord is king! Let the
earth rejoice; let the many
coastlands be glad! Clouds and thick
darkness are all around him;
righteousness and justice are the
foundation of his throne. Light
dawns for the righteous, and joy for the upright in
heart. Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous, and
give thanks to his holy name! (Psalm 97) How
often do we give thanks to God for all the
wonderful things in our lives?
CHRISTMAS 2014
TODAY IS BORN OUR
SAVIOUR, CHRIST THE LORD
Is
there
anything
more
defenseless
than
a
tiny
newborn? Totally dependent on
others for every need, a baby is
the
perfect
image
of
vulnerability. How amazing it is,
then, that God should choose
to come to us as a helpless
infant, born into the humblest of
circumstances. But why? Why
would God do such a thing?
Because… God loves us.
Beyond
reason,
beyond
imagining, God loves us and
wants to share in the smallest and most ordinary
happenings of our lives. God doesn't want merely to exist
alongside us but to be a part of everything that we are.
And so God became one of us, to love each of us
intimately, passionately and without limits.
And while it is good and right to bask in that love, today’s
feast also calls us to something greater. God became one
of us not only to make evident God’s great love for us, but
also to show us how to live out of that love. Christmas is
not just for one day: it’s for the whole year. Learning to live
each day with patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness
and self-giving - this is the true gift of Christmas.
Teresa Whalen Lux, Regina, SK
We are a welcoming and caring community dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus,
helping each other discover who God is calling us to be.”
Pastor Rev Edmund Vargas Associate Pastor Rev Colin O’Rourke Deacon/Business Manager Deacon Paul Kennedy Parish
Secretaries Teresa Gill/Agnes Apostol Pastoral Assistant Karen Howells Music Director Barbara Orlowska Pastoral Council Claire
Hagel Finance Council Michael Walsh Liturgy Committee Deacon Paul Kennedy Arts & Environment Committee Carmelita Farinha
Children’s Liturgy Linda Mackie Pastoral Health Care Marilyn Wallace Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion Lisa Gilead/
Patricia Tsang Lectors Lisa Hanslip Weekday Liturgy Addie Dedio Altar Servers Monica Magbanua Hospitality Ministry Glen Lilly
Stewardship Contact the Office Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) Karen Howells Inn from the Cold Mike Swanson/Red
Armstrong Society of St. Vincent de Paul Maria Gartner Annual Bishop’s Appeal Ed Marchand CWL Anna Marinelli
Reception Stephanie Hugo Knights of Columbus Lorne Gartner Fire in the Rose Jane Oxenbury Marriage Preparation
Peter & Leah Lavoie Building Committee Terry Allen In-residence Rev Gilles Le Blanc.
WELCOME! Registration as well as volunteer forms are available
at the Hospitality Desk or online. Have them completed and
placed in the collection basket. Donation envelopes are also
available at the Hospitality Desk.
METAPHORS
from a priest
efvargas@shaw.ca
God’s Rebirth
As the Word takes flesh and is born into our world,
we ask that we too can be born again into Christ’s
presence in the world. His rebirth happens when we
find ourselves extending a generous hand to one in
need. It happens when we grow in understanding of
those different from us and welcoming those who are
outsiders and interrupt our plan for the day.
The implications of the first Christmas are profound,
affecting all aspects of our Christian life. Christ’s
becoming human has made us share his divinity,
making us children of God and heirs of his kingdom.
As a Church, we share the God’s gift of mercy and
compassion. Christ’s divine action in our life and in
our world is made possible through the sacraments
and through other activities that we do in his name.
Christ’s becoming human has made it possible for
Christ to be present in so many special ways,
including his presence in the Eucharist and his
presence as we gather in his name.
Christ’s becoming human also requires us to be part
of human family, redeemed through his death and
resurrection. It requires us to be part of a community
where we experience his love and forgiveness. It
requires us to be “incarnated” into a local community
we call our own. It requires us to become involved
and participative in the various activities of our
community, helping us in our journey of faith. Christ’s
becoming human is the reason we are saved not
alone but in the context of community.
Just as Christ shares our human nature, we are
invited to become “incarnate” or incorporated into our
community of faith, sharing the same gift of reaching
out to the divine through our human experiences. As
we celebrate Christmas, let us remember that our life
has been transformed by the great event of God
becoming human in Jesus Christ. Let us share Christ
with one another, by letting Him use of our hands, our
feet and our whole being in the ministry of love and
forgiveness.
May the Christmas spirit of love and forgiveness be in
our hearts today and every day of our lives.
Fr Edmund, Fr Colin,
Deacon Paul and all the
staff at Sacred Heart
Church wish you a Merry
& Blessed Christmas and
a Joyous New Year!
BAPTISMS are celebrated outside of Mass every fourth Sunday at
12:15 pm and during Mass on other weekends, that, first Sunday
at 9:00 am, second Sunday at 11:00 am and third weekend on
Saturday at 5:00 pm, Baptisms are discouraged during the Lenten
season. Please call the office to set up an appointment to
register .
WEDDING ARRANGEMENTS are arranged only after an initial
interview with a Priest or Deacon.
THE PASTORAL HEALTH CARE TEAM welcomes the
opportunity to visit and bring the Eucharist to our housebound
parishioners. Please call the Parish office to schedule visits.
SACRAMENTAL PREP DATES: Confirmation: February 22 to
April 11, 2015 and First Eucharist: May 10 to June 7, 2015.
Brochures and registration forms will be available two weeks
before each course is offered.
OUR WEBSITE. www.sacredheartcalgary.ca is our domain name.
Check it out and forward your comments. For more information,
please call the Parish during office hours (9:00 am - 3:00 pm).
CHILDREN’S LITURGY. Program runs from September through
May at the 9:00 am Mass. Please call the office for details.
NEW LIFE CATHOLIC CHARISMATIC COMMUNITY holds
Worship & Praise Service every Sunday, 2-4 pm, in the church.
For details, call Joseph Gingco at (403) 390-0724.
CWL (Catholic Women’s League) invites all ladies of the parish
over 16 years of age to join them. For details, contact Anna
Marinelli at 403-245-1654.
RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults) is offered
year-round for those thinking about becoming a Catholic or
completing sacraments of initiation. Please call Karen at 244-2741
ex.234.
Holy Days of Obligation: In addition to
Sundays, January 1, the solemnity of
Mary, Mother of God is to be observed
as a holy day of obligation in the
Canadian dioceses.
Receptionist Positions Required. Must be 18 years of
age, excellent communicator and organizer, 25 WPM
keyboarding skills. Tasked with receiving parishioners &
visitors as well as monitoring the premises… Please
submit resume through the office. Work starts in the new
year. Receptionist 1 works 2:30-6:30 pm on weekdays.
Receptionist 2 works 10:30 am-6:30pm on weekends.
Christmas Office Hours: The Office will be
closed December 26th. We will be open
December 29th and 30th from 9 am to 3 pm
and closed from Noon December 31st
through January 1st. We will be open once again on
Friday, January 2nd.
Fire in the Rose.
Survivors of abuse have found the
world to be an unsafe place. Part of
the process of healing involves
finding safe spaces where they can
share their story and find a community that can
foster their healing. Abused people are often
traumatized.
Many survivors struggle with post-traumatic stress
disorder. For children being abused, and for most
women who are abused by their partners, life goes
on even as the abuse is happening. This period of
disjuncture – when people at work, at school and at
church are treating you normally and yet you are in
crisis inside – is very damaging. There can be a
profound disconnection between the community and
the survivor; a lack of trust, a feeling that they are
not safe.
Many survivors feel profoundly alienated from God.
Many survivors leave the church because they feel
God abandoned them. They feel anger that God did
not prevent the abuse and/or they feel despair, that
God does not care. Survivors in the church are often
encouraged to draw on their Christian faith to
restore their sense of safety. However basic
theological tenets can be problematic for survivors.
Yet some survivors are persistent, and keep coming
to church. They are hopeful that the church will be a
home for them, where they can discover new
relationships that are trustworthy.
As we begin a new year, let’s remember those
around us who may be suffering from abuse and
feeling isolated at Church.
2008, Adapted by Jane Oxenbury, M.Ed., R.Psych. from Healing
Waters: Churches Working to End Violence Against Women by
Carol Penner (Women’s Inter-Church Council of Canada, 2004).
For more information about Fire in the Rose or for
resources to help you, contact Jane Oxenbury at 403-255
-7004/ jmoxenbury@shaw.ca.
PLEASE PRAY FOR HEALING
Johanne
(Names will appear for three weeks. You may request an
Baptisms celebrated in December
Andreas George Salieb, Gaveriel-Xyrus
Manapat, Andrew Michael Venini, Elliott
John Venini, Gabriel Angelo Buenavista,
Alexandre Guillaume Speidel, Luciano
Petrillo, David Olivares Stoll, Gabriel Jombart
Lemay, Sebastien Jombart Lemay, Felix Sebastian
Butler, Savannah Marie Huda
Congratulations & Welcome!
You have been blessed with a wonderful new life!
New Year’s Schedule
Dec 31, Wednesday
New Year’s Eve Mass
5:00 pm
Jan 1, Thursday
New Year’s Day Mass
Mary Mother of God
7:30, 9 & 11 am
Serving the Homeless – Rising to the Challenge.
“Among our tasks as witnesses to the love of Christ is that of
giving a voice to the cry of the poor.” (Pope Francis)
Sacred Heart’s Parish Pastoral Council is looking at
what we can do as a Parish faith community to respond
to our Holy Father’s and Bishop Henry’s call to do more
in love and service of the poor. We are exploring the
feasibility of hosting a second monthly Inn From the
Cold. To ensure we do not ‘burn out’ our existing Inn
team, we are looking at setting up “Sacred Heart Inn
Team 2” of volunteers and sponsors. Our goal is to build
Sacred Heart Inn Team 2 from within our Parish
volunteer and financial resources – to further build on
our Welcoming and Caring faith community.
How can you help? Volunteers needed (*screening/
police check required): Coordinators*, Overnight
Supervisors*, Setup (cots, bedding, etc.), Kitchen (food
prep., dishes, etc.), Servers*, Takedown, Laundry.
Donor sponsors needed: to cover direct costs such as
catering a simple wholesome dinner and for food
supplies for continental breakfast and bag lunches for
approximately 20 guests per monthly Inn, and added
janitorial service expenses. Our goal is to have a
pledged sponsor per month (could be an individual,
family, or group within the Parish).
It’s up to you - For the next few weeks we will be taking
names of potential volunteers and donors, and based
the Parish’s response will determine if Sacred Heart Inn
Team 2 is a go. If you can help or have questions
please contact Karen Howells at the office or email
pastassist@sacredheartcalgary.ca .
“We do much, but we are perhaps called to do more, welcoming
and sharing decisively that which Providence has given us to
serve" (Pope Francis)
2015 CONTRIBUTION ENVELOPES are
available in the narthex area. They are
placed alphabetically by SURNAME.
Envelope numbers over 1000 have been
mailed out. Any questions please call
Deacon Paul extension 231 or email to
busmgr@sacredheartcalgary.ca.
Mass Intentions can be set up at the Hospitality
Desk or at the parish office. We need to assign
intentions to our scheduled Masses.
In and around the Parish 2014
Dec. 28
NCCC
4:00 & 6:00 pm
Jan. 5
Inn From the Cold
4:00 pm
Jan. 6
K of C Meeting
7:00 pm
Jan. 7
Diocesan Transition Program
6 pm
Jan. 10
Columbarium Mass
9:00 am
Sacred Heart Columbarium The year 2014 was very
important for the Sacred Heart Columbaria. We have
interred the remains of 129 loved ones in our facility in
three years. The value of sales to date are in excess of
$1,270,000 and virtually all double space niches are
sold in the central area of the Holy Land Columbarium.
We thank you for your support and remind you that a
special memorial Mass is held monthly on the second
Saturday at 9 AM in the Church.
Celebrations & Intentions
Thur, Dec.
25
7:30 am Betty Duff
9:00 am Aneta Switzer
11:00 am Parishioners
RIP
RIP
SI
Fri, Dec. 26
12:05 pm Larry Rider
RIP
Sat, Dec. 27
5:00 pm
Daryl Desa
RIP
Sun, Dec. 28
7:30 am
9:00 am
11:00 am
5:00 pm
Cecilia, Ralph & Raymond
Joyce & James McCone
Parishioners
Special Intention
RIP
RIP
SI
SI
Mon. Dec. 29 12:05 pm Special Intention
SI
Sacred Heart Columbarium:
Tue, Dec. 30 12:05 pm Daniel Lopez
RIP
Holy See and Holy Land Columbaria.
Wed, Dec. 31 10:30 am Christopher Akinnuoye
12:05 pm Special Intention
5:00 pm Special Intention
RIP
SI
SI
Open daily: 11 am to 6 pm - Holidays 11 am to 1 pm.
A reminder the next Columbarium Memorial Mass will
be on Saturday, January 10, at 9:00 a.m.
For
more
information
about
Sacred
Heart
Columbarium, or you would like to book a tour of our
beautiful and peaceful facility, please call the office:
(403) 244 – 2741 extension 232.
email: shcolumbarium@sacredheartcalgary.ca or
website: www.sacredheartcalgary.ca – then click on
the Columbarium heading.
Thur, Jan. 1
Fri. Jan. 2
Sat. Jan. 3
7:30 am Deceased Members of the
Adams & Tucking family
9:00 am Deceased Members of the
Desa Family
11:00 am Parishioners
12:05 pm Special Intention
5:00 pm Rumzia Arraf
Sun. Jan. 4
7:30 am
9:00 am
11:00 am
5:00 pm
Joseph Akinnuoye
Laszlo Funtek
Parishioners
Lourdes & Anastacio Derama
Mon. Jan. 5
12:05 pm Ben Luttikhuis
RIP
RIP
SI
SI
RIP
RIP
RIP
SI
RIP
RIP
Together In Action - Thank you for your generous
contributions to the Together in Action Campaign on
behalf of the Diocese. We have
surpassed our goal
with particular thanks to the Knights of Columbus and
a few very generous parishioners (You know who you
are!). This is a new milestone for Sacred Heart Parish.
Women's Weekend Silent Retreat: Jan. 30 - Feb1 at
Mount St. Francis, Cochrane. A weekend to foster
prayerful listening & responding to our God. Silent
Retreat theme: The Beatitudes in Luke's Gospel.
Please call Simone 403-284-1702; Margaret 403-6890358; Dayna 403-460-7381 or Dianna 403-680-0358
A SPECIAL THANKYOU TO ALL VOLUNTEERS!
At this busy time of year we are especially mindful and
grateful for all the work our amazing volunteers carry
out with love, skill and dedication. In addition to regular
outreach, liturgy, and education commitments, our
volunteers have been generously stepping forward to
help with the extra Advent and Christmas activities
such as Parish and Children’s Christmas parties,
Simbang Gabi, Christmas Hampers, decorations and
Christmas Eve masses music and other liturgical
ministries. We also wanted to highlight our dedicated
weekday volunteers, who day in and day out, are busy
behind the scenes with many tasks such as looking
after the sacristy supplies, keeping holy water fonts
clean and filled and replacing all the hymnals.
Our volunteers are truly at the “heart” of our “welcoming
and caring” parish community – and we thank God for
all our volunteers. Merry Christmas and a healthy and
happy New Year to you all!