ST. THOMAS AQUINAS PARISH

MASS SCHEDULE

December 15, 2019 Third Sunday of Advent

Saturday, December 14: 4:00 PM Mass at St. John the Baptist 5:30 PM †Joan Mueller Sunday, December 15: 8:00 AM Living & Decease members of Robert & Margaret O’Reilly Family 9:30 AM Mass at St. John the Baptist Monday, December 16: 8:00 AM Mass at St. John the Baptist 6:30 PM Advent Penance Service at SJB Tuesday, December 17: 8:00 AM Mass at St. John the Baptist Wednesday, December 18: 8:00 AM For our Faith Formation Families 8:30-9:30 AM Adoration 10:00 AM †Jerry Hoerres at Cedar Landing Thursday, December 19: 8:00 AM Mass at St. John the Baptist 6:30 PM Advent Penance Service Friday, December 20: 8:00 AM For anyone that lost a loved one this year Saturday, December 21: 4:00 PM Mass at St. John the Baptist 5:30 PM For the People of STA & SJB Sunday, December 22: 8:00 AM †Ray Freimuth 8:00 AM †Kathy Kist 9:30 AM Mass at St. John the Baptist

The Parish family would like to extend our sympathy to the family of

Edna Pate who passed away on Thursday, December 5th.

A Funeral Mass was celebrated on Friday, December 13th. Please keep Edna

and her family in your prayers. Blessed are those that mourn,

for they shall be comforted (Matthew 5:4)

Liturgical Ministers Schedule

Saturday, 5:30pm December 14 Vigil: Third Sunday of Advent

Lector: Ron Nielsen

Ministers: LuAnn & Philip Schils, Randy Kulow, Ron Nielsen, Gerry Kulow, Christopher Donlon

Sunday, 8:00am December 15 Third Sunday of Advent Lector: Ariana Jelenc

Ministers: Mary Jo Jetzer, Bev Verhulst, Tatum Jelenc, Lori & Matt O’Connor, Red Platz

Saturday, 5:30pm December 21 Vigil: Fourth Sunday of Advent

Lector: Red Platz

Ministers: Jaci Hickmann, Duane Dippel, Lynn & Randy Kulow, Ron Nielsen, Judith Menne

Sunday, 8:00am December 22 Fourth Sunday of Advent Lector: Matt O’Connor Ministers: Dori Schmitz, Diane Slabe, Dennis & JoAnn Streblow, Katherine Suemnicht, Bev Verhulst

Third Sunday of Advent

Isaiah 35:1-6a, 10 James 5:7-10

Matthew 11:2-11

Monday...Matthew 21:23-27 Tuesday...Matthew 1:1-17

Wednesday…Matthew 1:18-25 Thursday...Luke 1:5-25 Friday...Luke 1:26-38

Saturday…Luke 1:39-45

Fourth Sunday of Advent

Isaiah 7:10-14 Romans 1:1-7

Matthew 1:18-24

December 7 & 8 Collection Stewardship Envelopes $3571.00

Loose Collection $616.17

Bldg. & Maint. Envelopes $160.00

Christmas Flowers Env. $480.00

Immac. Conception Env. $25.00

Thank you!

What’s In An Advent Penance Service? As we prepare for the coming of Christ at Christmas we want to be ready to accept his love and be able to do whatever he asks of us. In order to do so, the Church encourages the parish community to come together to hear the Word of God, to pray and to sing in a formal liturgy

called the Rite of Penance (Penance Service).

Monday, December 16th ~ SJB both at 6:30pm

Thursday, December 19th ~ STA

Pastoral Council Meeting: Tuesday, Dec. 17th 6:30pm

WEDDING BANNS ~ I

Elizabeth Ann Funk & Trenton David Schmidt

December 31, 2019

Third SUNDAY OF ADVENT ~ DECEMBER 15, 2019

Dear Parishioners:

How quickly time flies! It’s Gaudete Sunday already! Rejoice!!!

Well, Rediscover the Saints arrived this past week and will be put out for pick-up next weekend. Thanks to the generosity of Mike Fifrick, son of STA parishioner Jean Christianson, each of our parishes has received 350 copies of this latest, hot-off-the-press, offering of Matthew Kelly. It is an easy read – short chapters, each focusing on a saint (some well-known, some not) and detailing one facet of saintliness brought out by that individual. Each chapter concludes with a brief on-topic prayer. The book only runs 118 pages, divided into twenty-five chapters. Perhaps a book to be used for daily meditation – a chapter a day – during the month of January? Thank you, Mike!

As long as I’m in the “thank you” mode, it seems appropriate to offer a few additional notes of gratitude, both immediate and anticipatory:

Immediate:

-- Lynnette Jochmann (STA), Amy Albers (SJB) and Kathy Burch (SJB School) for preparing our current second grade classes for the celebration of the Sacrament First Reconciliation

-- Paige Katzfey for conducting the STA/SJB Advent Retreat at St. Fridolin’s last weekend

-- the SJB School Children (and their musical director, Mrs. Jen Erdly) for their wonderful Christmas Concert last Tuesday

Anticipatory:

-- SJB and STA Choirs, soloists and other musicians who will help us celebrate joyfully not only the liturgies of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day but other special occasions during the Christmas Season, as well

-- STA and SJB Lectors and Eucharistic Ministers who will give of their time and talent to help the rest of us pray well on Christmas and throughout the Christmas Season

-- STA and SJB Greeters, Ushers, Ministers of Hospitality, Servers, liturgical decorators and all the others who will help to

make our season bright! Father Phil

St. John the Baptist and St. Thomas Aquinas

WOMEN’S RETREAT: Facilitated by: Paige Katzfey January 4, 2020 10am - 3pm

Tree of Life Retreat Ctr (N6221 Kettle Moraine Drive, Plymouth)

Register by: December 22nd $20 Retreat Fee Space is Limited

Register: stthomasaquinasel.org or 876.2457

Christmas Eve Masses 4 & 6pm AND Christmas Day Mass 8am

ADVENT GIVING TREES:

Safe Harbor & Ronald McDonald House

We will be collecting gifts all during the Advent season. Please place your unwrapped

advent giving gift under the tree or in the baskets at the entrances!!

THANK YOU FOR YOUR THOUGHTFUL SUPPORT!!

MEMORY SCREENING TO BE HELD AT THE AGING & DISABILITY RESOURCE CENTER (ADRC) ON WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2019

The Aging & Disability Resource Center (ADRC) of Sheboygan County will offer Memory Screens on Wednesday, December 18, 2019 from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 Noon at the Aging & Disability Resource Center, 650 Forest Avenue, Sheboygan Falls, WI. A Memory Screen is a wellness tool that helps identify possible changes in memory or cognition. It creates a baseline of where a person is at so that future changes can be monitored. The free and confidential memory screens will be conducted on a first come, first serve basis and typically take about ten minutes to complete. The results will be immediate and participants may keep their results for future comparison and to share with their medi-cal team. Memory screens are not meant as a diagnosis, but rather as a tool to use when discussing any concerns with your doctor.

“The staff at the Aging & Disability Resource Center of Sheboygan County are pleased to be able to offer this service to the community,” stated, Marie Seger RN Supervisor. For additional information contact the ADRC at 920-467-4100.

This Months 5th Sunday Collection will be shared between Pathways and ZeruZeru, Inc.

Pathways to a Better Life... offers a 16 bed, co-ed, dual diagnosis, residential treatment center which is located in the rural part of Kiel, Wisconsin, on 38 beautiful, serene wooded acres. It is surrounded by four counties which include Manitowoc, Fond du Lac, Sheboygan, and Calumet. Pathways also

offers dual diagnosis residential treatment at it's 12 bed residential detoxification facility in Waldo, Wisconsin. Individuals are able to detox and continue their treatment in one supportive setting. Pathways strives to provide hope as well as individualized care without judgment to those adults recovering from alcohol and drug addiction. The primary goal of ZeruZeru, Inc., is assisting Sister Helena Ntambulwa with her self-sufficient, safe-haven campus for up to 100 children with albinism and some children with physical impairments. The center provides a safe, secure, healthy, educational environment. Helena and her wonderful staff are currently caring for nearly 70 children in a house in Lamadi village.

Please use your 5th Sunday envelope included with your stewardship envelopes.