P O B O X 6 7 · I R E L A N D , I N 4 7 5 4 5 P H O N E : ( 8 1 2 ) 4 8 2 - 7 0 4 1 FA X : ( 8 1 2 ) 4 8 2 - 3 6 9 9

December 22 - Fourth Sunday of Advent

Parish Office Hours: Monday - Friday 8:00am to 4:00pm Website: http://stmary.irelandindiana.com

St Mary Church - 482-7041

Rev. Gary Kaiser, Pastor, Ext. 23 gkaiser@evdio.org Rev. Pascal Nduka, Associate Pastor, Ext. 33 pnduka@evdio.org Deacon John Huether jhuether@evdio.org Dianne Gogel, Secretary, Ext. 21 dgogel@evdio.org Sherri Hartley, Secretary, Ext. 22 chartley@evdio.org Stan Heim, Property Manager, Ext. 36 sheim@evdio.org Lauren Emerson, Preschool Director, Ext. 40 lemerson@evdio.org Martha Schmitt, DRE, Ext. 45 mjschmitt@evdio.org Gregory DuPont, Music Director gdupont@evdio.org Charlene Sermersheim, Music…482-7837 Annette Witte, Cleaning ….482-9699

Precious Blood Church - 482-4461

Rev. Gary Kaiser, Pastor Office…Ext. 128……….Rectory…...Ext. 650

Rev. Pascal Nduka, Associate Pastor Office...Ext. 137……….Rectory…...Ext. 650

Parish Contacts

Bereavement Meals, Sherri Hartley….482-7041 Church Decorations, Janet Schitter…..482-3500 Finance Council, Audrey Wehr………...639-3393 Ireland K of C, Grand Knight, Craig Greulich ……………………………..…………...…………...634-2302 Ireland K of C Building Rental - Allen Reckelhoff……………...…….…...482-4700 Meals for New Moms,Karen Fromme.482-5265 Parish Nursing, Deb Brescher………...…639-1882 Parish Council, Tom Schrader…………...482-3763 Prayer Line, Martha Stenftenagel..……482-4093 St. Anne’s Society, President, Jill Peter ………………………………………...…………......661-8253 St. John Bosco, Carly Knapp…………......481-2442

St. Mary’s Mission Statement: St. Mary Church is a community of faith united in Eucharist and committed to seeking God through prayer; sharing our gifts of time, talent and treasure; providing formation and education for children and adults; responding to the needs of people by sharing our faith and resources. We are dedi-cated to living and proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

St. Mary Church

Readings for the Week of December 22, 2013

Sunday: Is 7:10-14/Rom 1:1-7/Mt 1:18-24

Monday: Mal 3:1-4, 23-24/Lk 1:57-66

Tuesday: Morning: 2 Sm 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16/Lk 1:67-79

Wednesday: Vigil: Is 62:1-5/Acts 13:16-17, 22-25/Mt 1:1-25 or

1:18-25

Midnight: Is 9:1-6/Ti 2:11-14/Lk 2:1-14

Dawn: Is 62:11-12/Ti 3:4-7/Lk 2:15-20

Day: Is 52:7-10/Heb 1:1-6/Jn 1:1-18 or 1:1-5, 9-14

Thursday: Acts 6:8-10; 7:54-59/Mt 10:17-22

Friday: 1 Jn 1:1-4/Jn 20:1a and 2-8

Saturday: 1 Jn 1:5--2:2/Mt 2:13-18

Next Sunday: Sir 3:2-6, 12-14/Col 3:12-21 or 3:12-17/Mt 2:13-

15, 19-23

©Liturgical Publications Inc

2 Bulletin deadline is Monday at 9:00am

Weekend Masses at St. Mary Church: Saturday 5:00pm Sunday 7:00am, 9:00am, 10:30am

Weekend Masses at Precious Blood Church Saturday 5:30pm Sunday 8:00am & 10:30am

Weekday Masses at St. Mary Church Monday & Thursday at 7:30am Tuesday & Wednesday see revised schedule on page 4

Weekday Masses at Precious Blood Church Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday & Saturday 8:00am Go to website for this week’s Mass schedule (website: www.preciousbloodjasperin.com)

Sacrament of Reconciliation at St. Mary Church Saturday 4:00-4:50pm; 1/2 hour before weekday Masses

Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament 1/2 hour before weekday Masses

Anointing of the Sick: Available by request, especially before surgery and in case of emergencies.

Sacrament of Baptism: Call the Parish Office regarding Baptism appointments.

Sacrament of Marriage: Contact the parish office at least 6 months in advance. Marriage Preparation paperwork must be completed before the marriage can take place.

Homebound Parishioners: Communion calls are made on Monday mornings to parishioner’s homes. Call the parish office if you would like a visit from our Eucharistic Minister.

Mass Intentions

Sat-Dec 21 5:00 pm The Wilfred Gehlhausen Family Sun-Dec 22 7:00 am Members of the Parish

9:00 am The Leo Heim Family 10:30 am Luke Mehringer Mon-Dec 23 7:30 am Clemens & Mary Katherine Goeppner

Christmas Eve 4:00 pm Paul Stratman & Jason Meyer (Dec 24) 7:00 pm Herb Schwenk 12:00 am Lefty Stemle

Christmas Day 7:00 am Mass for Flower Donors (Dec 25) 9:00 am Victor Jr & David Bohnenkamper

Thurs-Dec 26 7:30 am Ralph & Joyce Knust

Sat-Dec 28 5:00 pm Larry & Jayne Mehringer Sun-Dec 29 7:00 am Members of the Parish

9:00 am The Raymond Stenftenagel Family 10:30 am Dick & Alvina Leinenbach Family

January

4: Teens Encounter Christ Christmas Dance in the gym at Pre-

cious Blood. Gather for Mass at 5:30pm followed by supper

and dancing. For more info call Lindsey at 639-0761 or lind-

saybarth92@gmail.com.

13: The Jasper D.O.I. Christmas party - new reservations and

cancellations needed. Dues for 2014 may be paid that night.

Call 482-5418 or 482-2994.

2013 Irish Sweepstake Winner for December 15

Congratulations to our $100.00 winner, Gavin Lichlyter.

Please pick up your 2014 tickets and return as soon as possible.

Wedding Banns

Luke Schnaus & Tara Sendelweck Pub I

Happy Anniversary to the following parishioners who will be celebrating their 50+ Wedding Anniversaries in the month of December: Joe & Viola Wagner, Dec 26; Gerald & Mary Hudson, Dec 27; and Gilbert & Marilyn Voelkel, Dec 28. May God bless you on your special day. Congratulations!!

We have been informed that the Schweinfurt Army Base in

Germany will be closing in 2014, and they request that we do not

send more coupons after December 2013. We will suspend our

Coupon Project until further notice. The Schweinfurt community

sends their appreciation for your overwhelming efforts and I want

to thank you and our project director, Helen Vonderheide, for your

generosity and loyal support of our military families.

Happy Holidays, Becky Beckman, TRI-CAP RSVP

St Mary Catholic Church, Ireland IN 3

Greetings:

Christmas is a special time for us. It is a time to recognize the love and goodness of God; a time to know that Christ has come among

us; a time to remember that God now shares the same joys and sorrows that we do; a time to rejoice in the hope of eternal life that

Jesus brings to each of us.

We pray that all of you have the opportunity to spend time with your loved ones and let them know you love them. Always know that

we love you at our linked parishes of Precious Blood and St. Mary.

As we reflect upon the new life Christ brought into our world, emotions of joy and gratitude well up within. We are so thankful to all

who helped decorate our churches. They look beautiful. We ask all of you to take a few moments and reflect upon the Manger and the

image of our Lord. May Christ bring peace into your lives through out 2014.

Thank you for all the kindness, support, encouragement and generosity you have shown to our parish during the year. All of you cer-

tainly help make our parishes to be the vibrant parishes they are today. We hope that this Christmas will be the most joyous you have

known. May the newborn Christ Child bless you, your families and your homes.

Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year to all,

Fr. Gary and Fr. Pascal

Catechist Corner

The “Twelve Days of Christmas” refer to the eight days of the Christmas Octave from December 25 to New Year’s Day, and the four

additional days up to and including the eve of January 6, the traditional date of the Epiphany. The point is don’t throw out the tree on

December 26. The birth of the Savior can’t be celebrated adequately in one day. Let the celebration continue through at least to the Feast

of the Epiphany.

The famous song about the “12 Days of Christmas” was written in England as a catechism song for young Catholics in the days when it

was illegal to practice or teach the Catholic Faith. It contains hidden meanings intended to help children remember lessons of faith. In-

stead of referring to an earthly suitor, the “true love” mentioned in the song really refers to God. The “me” who receives the presents is

symbolic of every baptized person.

There appears to be no conclusive historical evidence to prove the origin of this song. Nevertheless, the traditional association between

the gifts mentioned in the song and various spiritual gifts is a fun way to turn a seemingly secular Christmas Carol into a valuable

catechetical tool. So let’s have fun with it!

Partridge in a pear tree Jesus Christ, symbolized as a mother partridge that feigns injury to decoy predators from helpless

nestlings.

Two turtle doves Old & New Testaments

Three French hens Faith, hope, charity

Four calling birds The Four Gospels

Five Golden Rings The Pentateuch or Five Books of Moses (Genesis through Deuteronomy)

Six geese a laying Six days of Creation

Seven swans a swimming Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit

Eight maids a milking Eight Beatitudes

Nine Ladies Dancing Nine Fruits of the Holy Spirit

Ten Lords a leaping 10 Commandments

Eleven pipers piping The 11 faithful disciples

12 drummers drumming 12 articles of the Apostles Creed

May all of you have a Blessed Christmas Season!! Martha

St. Mary Preschool - Registration for 2014-2015 School Year

The St. Mary Preschool teaching team invites you to register your child for the 2014-2015 school year. Students eligible for the Year

One, 3-4 year old class, must be potty-trained and be 3 years old by August 1, 2014. Classes for the Year One students will be held on

Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8-11:00 or 12-3:00. Students eligible for the Year Two, 4-5 year-old class, must be 4 years old by Au-

gust 1, 2014. Class sessions for the Year Two students will be held on Mondays and Wednesdays from 8-11:00 or 12-3:00. St. Mary

Preschool is offering an optional third day for Year Two students. This will be held on Friday mornings with a class limit of 15 stu-

dents. Registration for Year One eligible parishioners will begin on Monday, January 13 at 9:00 A.M. by calling 482-7041.

Registration for Year Two eligible parishioners will begin on Tuesday, January 14 at 9:00 A.M. by calling 482-7041. Public

registration for all classes will be held on Monday, January 20 at 9:00 A.M. by calling 482-7041. For further information, please

call Lauren Emerson at 482-7041, ext. 40.

4

This Week’s Parish Events

Sunday [12/22]: Children’s Liturgy of the Word for grades 1 and 2

during the 9:00am Mass. No Sunday School - Classes will resume January 5

Monday [12/23]: Mass will be celebrated at 7:30am. Servants of the Holy Spirit at 7:00pm in the Library. K of C Meeting and 20/20 at 8:00pm. Tuesday - Christmas Eve [12/24]: Masses will be celebrated at 4:00pm, 7:00pm and

12:00am (midnight).

Wednesday - Christmas Day [12/25]:

Merry Christmas - Masses will be celebrated at 7:00am and 9:00am.

Thursday [12/26]: Mass will be celebrated at 7:30am.

Upcoming Parish Events

Jan 12: St. Mary’s Confirmation Jan 12: Ireland K of C Free Throw Contest Jan 13: Preschool sign up for Year 1 students (parishioners). Jan 14: Preschool sign up for Year 2 students (parishioners). Jan 25: Ireland K of C 20/20 Party. Contact Kevin Schnaus Feb 8 & 9: Ladies CRHP Feb 15-17: TEC (Teens Encounter Christ) here at St. Mary’s. Applications can be found in the back of church March 1 & 2: Men’s CRHP April 26 & 27: St. Mary’s First Communion June 14-16: TEC (Teens Encounter Christ) here at St. Mary’s. Applications can be found in the back of church. June 21: Ireland Knights of Columbus 50th Anniversary June 23-27: St. Mary Vacation Bible School

Bosco

The Bosco House will open again Wednesday, New Year’s

Day, from 8:00-10:00pm.

If you would like to go on the Ski Trip on January 3 and

have not signed up yet or need more information, please

call Carley at 630-3794.

We are accepting deposits to reserve your spot for Catholic

Heart Work Camp, which will be from June 1-6, 2014. The

deposit is $100.00

This coming year, we will have 2 CRHP weekends:

February 8 & 9, 2014 will be for the Women

March 1 & 2, 2014 will be for the Men

At any point, if you have questions or interest you can contact

your St. Mary CRHP representatives:

Stan Epple 634-1130 Rhonda Kellams 482-1199

Tara Sendelweck 630-8909 Phil Weisman 634-2604

Opportunity through December 2013

Making a Gift through an IRA Charitable Rollover

Normally, a distribution from your IRA is taxed as ordinary in-

come. However, the Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 included a

provision for the IRA Charitable Rollover that allows you to

make a charitable gift directly from your IRA while excluding

the amount of that gift from your income for 2013.

Individuals 70 1/2 or older, who are required to make an annu-

al distribution from their IRA, may direct a gift to a qualified

charity, such as our parish. Such qualified direct distributions

to a charity from your IRA are not subject to income tax

($100,000 limit). Required minimum distributions that you

wish to count as a charitable contribution should be sent di-

rectly to the charity before the end of 2013 to avoid any tax

consequences of this income.

The Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Mass times for St.

Mary and Precious Blood Churches.

Precious Blood will have Mass on Christmas Eve at

5:00pm and 10:00pm and on Christmas Day at 9:00am.

St. Mary will have Mass on Christmas Eve at 4:00pm,

7:00pm and 12:00am (Midnight Mass) and on Christmas

Day at 7:00am and 9:00am.

We will be needing lots of help: Sacristans, Servers, Lec-

tors, Ushers and Extraordinary Ministers. If you know of a

Mass you can help at, please call the office and volunteer.

This will help us save time by not calling you.

Sherri and Dianne

Liturgical Ministers for December 28 & 29

Servers: 5:00 pm Mitch Mehringer - Tanner Egbert 7:00 am Collin Bowlin - Connor Bowlin 9:00 am Kaleb Stenftenagel - Kyle Stenftenagel 10:30 am Grant Brescher - Zach Keusch

Extraordinary Ministers: 5:00 pm Julie Hopf - Ruth Small - Betty Gehlhausen Marvin Schepers - Marlene Goeppner 7:00 am Annie Voelkel - Susan Oeding - Linda Ackerman Jenny Hayes - Linda Giesler 9:00 am Larry Goeppner - Brian Gehlhausen Annette Witte - Julie Truesdale - Stan Heim 10:30 am Beth Gentry - Lisa Gehlhausen - Linda Schmitt Diane Brescher - Diana Mehringer

Lectors: 5:00 pm Ken Schnaus 7:00 am Doug Ackerman 9:00 am Jenny Clark 10:30 am Barb Leinenbach

Lectors Website: www.lectorsproclaim.org (Year A)

Ushers: 5:00 pm Greg Matheis - Don Nigg 7:00 am Jerry & Doris Stratman 9:00 am Danny Brescher - Pat Brescher 10:30 am P J & Jill Peter

Liturgy of the Word: 9:00 am Amy Heim

Sunday School: 9:00 am No Sunday School

Catholic Social Teaching

We are invited to see how the experience of those in the Christmas story is not unlike the experience of millions of refugees and displaced people in our world today, of chil-dren born into poverty, of the poor or unemployed in the U.S. who are losing their benefits, of those who are home-less, of those who are caught up in the events of war and terrorist acts. In U.S. culture we experience certain temptations to distort the central message of Christmas. What temptations do you experience most profoundly? How do these tempta-tions effect you and your family?

Reflection by: John Bucki, SJ, Education for Justice

“Thank You” to all who have donated material, batting, thread,

money and other supplies for the St. Anne’s sewing room.

Here is a list of items made in the last 6 years:

1371 blankets

738 surgery dolls

391 tote bags

43 bibs

27 pinafores

26 dolls

14 tag blankets

9 ornaments

9 coasters

6 pillows

5 pillow case dresses

1 table cloth

Donations are always accepted and appreciated!! Batting in a

roll, basic solid colored material, cut off ends of quilts or mon-

etary donations. Bring your donations to the parish office.