OUR LADY OF PROMPT SUCCOR CATHOLIC CHURCH 2120 Elliott Street, Alexandria, Louisiana Tel: (318) 445-3693 Fax (318) 445-8471
E-Mail Address: olpsc@bellsouth.net Website Address: www.olpschurch.org U
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DECEMBER 18, 2011
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Vol. XVII No. 4
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CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR’S MASS SCHEDULE Christmas Eve, Saturday, Dec. 24 4:00 P.M. (Mass with Children’s Choirs and Children’s Story) 6:00 P.M. 12:00 Midnight Our adult choir will begin singing Christmas Carols at 11:45 P.M. Christmas Day, Sunday, Dec. 25 7:00 and 9:00 A.M. (No 10:30 A.M. or Evening Mass on Christmas Day) Saturday, Dec. 31 4:00 P.M. (Vigil Mass for Sunday) Solemnity of the Motherhood of Mary, Sunday, Jan. 1 (Holy Day of Obligation) 7:00, 9:00, 10:30 A.M. and 5:30 P.M. WWWWWWW PARISH PENANCE SERVICE will be this Wednesday, Dec. 21 at 6:30 P.M. in the church. Please take advantage of this opportunity to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation as part of our spiritual preparation for the birth of Christ at Christmas. HOLY COMMUNION will be brought by our priests and sisters to our parishioners in the nursing homes on Wednesday, Dec. 21 and to the homebound on Thursday, Dec. 22 for Christmas. Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion need not bring Communion this week. THANKS TO EVERYONE who donated food, money and/or gifts to help provide a Merry Christmas for some of our community’s neediest families. Your participation through our parish in the Shepherd Center’s Christmas Cheer Program has blessed those who would otherwise do without during this holiday season. It has also blessed the needy and homebound in our own church parish. May God grant you peace and joy this Christmas. – Jennifer Stevens, OLPS Christmas Cheer Coordinator
WEEKLY PARISH EVENT CALENDAR Monday, Dec. 19 10:00 A.M. Outreach Prayer Group (L) 6:00 P.M. Rosary (Church) Tuesday, Dec. 20 9:00 A.M. OLPS School Pre-K Christmas Program (Church) 10:15 A.M. OLPS School Student Christmas Concerts (Church) 11:00 A.M. OLPS serves Manna House 3:00 P.M. St. Cecilia Choir (Music Room) 6:30 P.M. RCIA Pre-catechumenate (Life House) 7:00 P.M. Adult Choir (Music Room) Wednesday, Dec. 21 9:00 A.M. Priests/Sisters bring communion to nursing homes 12:00 P.M. OLPS School dismisses at noon for holidays 4:00 P.M. Youth Band (ND) 5:00 P.M. NO Parish Supper (OH) 5:45 P.M. NO Joyful Noise Choir (Music Room) 6:30 P.M. NO CCD (School) 6:30 P.M. Advent Parish Penance Service (Church) Thursday, Dec. 22 9:00 A.M. Priests/Sisters bring communion to homebound 9:00 A.M. Altar Society/Church Decorating 10:00 A.M. Rosary (Church) 12:00 P.M. High School Youth Christmas Party (Life House) Friday, Dec. 23 7:00 A.M. Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament (Church) Saturday, Dec. 24 3:00 P.M. Confessions (Church) Sunday, Dec. 25 MERRY CHRISTMAS 9:15 A.M. NO ‘Sunday Morning Lagniappe’ Bible Study (L) 10:30 A.M. NO Children’s Liturgy (L) 2:30 P.M. NO Divine Mercy Chaplet and Rosary (Church) 4:15 P.M. NO ‘Sunday Evening Lagniappe’ Bible Study (L) 5:30 P.M. NO Children’s Liturgy (L) 7:00 P.M. NO High School Youth (OH)
Madonna Room (MR) Lourdes (L) Fatima (F) Olinger Hall (OH) Notre Dame (ND) DECORATING FOR CHRISTMAS: Altar Society members and their families will decorate the church for Christmas on Thursday, Dec. 22 beginning at 9:00 A.M. You are welcome to join us for this OLPS tradition as we prepare the church for the celebration of Christ’s birth. THERE WILL BE no 8:00 A.M. Mass on Thursday or Friday this week and next while OLPS School is out for the Christmas holidays. The school Masses will resume on Friday, Jan. 6.
Registration forms can be found by the church doors or online at www.cenlaacts.org. Please consider this opportunity to deepen your relationship with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
OLPS SCHOOL BULLDOG BYTES OLPS School Christmas Holidays will begin at noon on Wednesday, Dec. 21. School will resume on Thursday, Jan. 5, 2012. On Wednesday, Dec. 21: • • •
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8:00 Mass for Grades 1-6 Brunch will be served to all students. Class Christmas parties will begin after 10:30 A.M. Your child’s Room Mother should be in touch with additional details about the class party. Dismissal will be at noon. (Early car riders at 11:40, Olive Street car riders at 11:45, bus riders at 11:50, everyone else at 11:55) There will be NO after school care.
THE FLOWERS ON EACH SIDE OF THE TABERNACLE for this weekend are given in loving memory of CHARLES BOURG by Mark and Peggy Wilson and Family. THE FLOWERS ON EACH SIDE OF THE TABERNACLE for the weekdays are given FOR THE INTERCESSION OF ST. MONICA FOR FAMILIES by Lili Courtney. THE ALTAR CANDLES will burn this week in loving memory of BILL SANSING by his family. bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb ST. ANTHONY SCHOOL RAFFLE: Father Jack Michalchik offers an opportunity to help St. Anthony School in Bunkie through a raffle offering 50 chances at $500.00. Tickets are $50.00 each, only 1,000 tickets will be sold. The raffle is based on the Pick 3 lottery on Saturday nights. One can win multiple times. Makes a great Christmas gift! Please send $50.00 per ticket (checks made payable to St. Anthony School) with your name, address and phone number to: Father Jack Michalchuk, P.O. Box 719, Bunkie, LA 71322. You will receive your ticket(s) by return mail. For more information, call (318) 2403929. – Father Jack Michalchuk REGISTRATION FOR MEN’S ACTS RETREAT February 23-26, 2012 will begin Dec. 17 and run through Jan. 15.
CHRISTMAS MEMORIAL DONATIONS: Memorials must be received in the church office no later than Wednesday, Dec. 21 to be printed in the Christmas bulletin. Envelopes may be placed in the collection basket or sent to the church office. Donations will be used to decorate the church during the Christmas season.
OLPS YOUTH HIGH SCHOOL YOUTH BAND rehearses on Wednesdays from 4:00 to 5:00 P.M. The band is open to anyone in ninth through twelfth grades. Come join us in the Lourdes Room. JUNIOR HIGH: Our Junior High group (seventh and eighth graders from all schools) meets on Wednesday from 6:30 to 7:30 in the Life House. For more information, contact Kristine Antoon at 445-8473 or jrhigh@olpschurch.org.
HIGH SCHOOL YOUTH NEW S YOUTH GROUP: High School youth meet after the 5:30 P.M. Mass this Sunday. Contact John Lyons at 445-8473, ext. 213 or youth@olpschurch.org. The High School youth Christmas Party will be Thursday, December 22 at noon in the Life House. ‘CHILDREN OF HOPE’: The next First Friday holy hour will be Friday, Jan. 6 from 3:00 to 4:00 P.M. in church. The program includes Eucharistic Adoration, prayers, music, rosary and meditations for children especially in grades two through six. OUR SEMINARIANS: Brian Seiler, Pontifical College Josephinum, Columbus, OH; Dutch Voltz, Notre Dame Seminary, New Orleans, LA OUR CANDIDATES FOR THE PERMANENT DIACONATE: Benny Broussard, Todd Marye, Mike Young PLEASE PRAY for all our service men and women serving in Afghanistan and other parts of the world, and here at home, among them Peyton Abbott, Bill Aldridge, Paul Arbour, Chris Armstrong, Jesse Barth, Chad Bordelon, Beau Bradford, Chaplain Father John Brocato, Shawn D. Bryant, Gregory Carbo II, Orlando Carnales, Ray Constantino, Thomas Cooper, John V. Daigle, Mike Deville, Scott Deville, Dirk Erickson, David Fields, Chaplain Father John Gabriel, Christian Griffiths, Joseph Anthony Gonzales, Jr., Jesse Karinsny, Derrick Kozielski, Stephen Lee, Brandon McNamara, Christopher Nuss, Ledena Piper, Seth Sibley and Jared Slay. If you know someone serving whose name is not on our list, please contact the church office. OLPS PARISH SUPPERS are held every Wednesday from 5:00 to 6:30 P.M. in Olinger Hall. The Knights of Columbus Council 8029 hosts and prepares the suppers. Meals are $4.00
per plate. Eat in or take out; you are encouraged to stay and eat in the Hall and visit with other members of our church family. You may check the bulletin online at www.olpschurch.org for weekly updates on the parish supper. OUR COOKS WILL TAKE A BREAK FOR THE HOLIDAYS. WEDNESDAY NIGHT SUPPERS WILL RESUME ON JAN. 11, 2012. CHURCH VOCATIONS: Traditionally at all Christmas Masses, a second collection is taken throughout our diocese for the education and formation of our future priests. Through the Church Vocations collection, your generosity and prayers allow the church to continue to provide priests, sisters and brothers to serve our spiritual and physical needs. – Bishop Ronald Herzog
OUR LADY OF PROMPT SUCCOR
Mailing Address: 401 21st Street, Alexandria, La. 71301 Church Office/Rectory Telephone: 445-‐3693 Choir Director/Organist Telephone: 487-‐8528 Life House Telephone: 445-‐8473 Fr. Daniel P. O’Connor, V.F., Pastor Fr. Emmanuel Chinaka, Associate Pastor Fr. Chris Nayak, In Residence Mary Floyd, Parish Manager Annette Curley, Accountant/Margaret Shiver, Receptionist Sr. Virginia Lee Vanderlick, C.D.P., President of OLPS School Jo Tassin, Principal of OLPS School Sr. JoAnn DeLoach, M.S.C., Pastoral Associate Paul Hood, Director of Religious Education Linda Perot, Director of Music Ministry Josh Blakesley, Associate Director of Music Ministry John Lyons, Coordinator of High School Ministry Kristine Antoon, Coordinator of Junior High Ministry Sarah Duncan Mealer, Church Nursery Coordinator Brandon Callahan, Maintenance Supervisor Michael Upton, Finance Council Chair + Bill Aldridge, Pastoral Council Chair Mark Lemaire, School Council Chair SACRAMENTS/LITURGY/DEVOTIONS Mass: Saturday 4 PM Sunday 7, 9 & 10:30 AM; 5:30 PM (Nursery Available for 9, 10:30 AM & 5:30 PM for Newborns through 3 yrs.) Weekdays: 6:30 AM & 5:30 PM Holy Day of Obligation: Vigil -‐ 5:30 PM Holy Day: 6:30 AM; 12:05 P.M. & 5:30 PM Children’s Liturgy of the Word (For ages 4 -‐ 8 yrs.) Sundays at 10:30 AM Sacrament of Penance: Saturdays 3:00 -‐ 3:50 PM and Weekdays before Mass Sacrament of Matrimony: Please contact the Priest no less than four months in advance in order for marriage preparation to begin. Sacrament of Baptism: Baptismal Preparation Class quarterly. Register in advance by calling the Church Office (445-‐3693). Baptisms are ministered by appointment. Sacrament of Holy Eucharist: For the sick and homebound. Contact Sister JoAnn DeLoach, M.S.C. at 445-‐3693. Anointing of the Sick: Please contact our Parish Priests at 445-‐3693. Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament: The Blessed Sacrament is exposed from 9:00 AM -‐ 5:00 PM every Friday in the Church. RELIGIOUS FORMATION PROGRAMS CCD -‐ Wednesdays during the School year, 6:30 -‐ 7:30 PM Junior High -‐ Wednesdays during the School year, 6:15 -‐7:30 P.M.
VOLUNTEER NURSERY SCHEDULE FOR DEC. 25: 10:30 A.M. Mass: No nursery on Dec. 25. Merry Christmas! READINGS FOR DEC. 24: Isaiah 62:1-5; Psalm 89; Acts 13:16-17, 22-25; Matthew 1:1-25 READINGS FOR DEC. 25: Isaiah 52:7-10; Psalm 98; Hebrews 1:1-6; John 1:1-18 SUNDAY LAGNIAPPE TOPICS ON DEC. 25:
Sunday Evening Lagniappe will meet this Sunday, Dec. 18, then take two weeks off (Dec. 25 and Jan. 1). It will begin meeting again on Jan. 8. IN MEMORY: LUCIEN ‘DAVID’ BRANCH Please pray for Mr. Branch and those of our parish who have recently died and for the consolation of their families.
PLEASE PRAY FOR THE SICK: Owen Anderson; John Aymond; Ruth Bergeron; Doug Broussard; Debbie Butler; Thomas Cain; Larry Carbo; Verna Carbo; Maci Callahan; Theresa Cataldie; Sophie Chestovich; John Finley; Chuck Hardy; Josie Kelso; Josey King; Bruce LaBorde; Levi Locicero; Robert Maddox V; Maxine Meadows; Shannon Carter Mitton; Doris Monroe; Jerry Moreau; Linda Pratt; Willard Price; Jeffrey Riggs; Geneva Scarbrock; Eason Searcy; Steve Tatum; Jo Ann Hebert Taylor; Barbra Vincent; Ruth Wallace; Father Bernard Zagst; and all the shut-ins of our parish.
MASSES OF THE WEEK SUN., DEC. 18: 7:00 A.M. 9:00 A.M.
Joseph Marien, Jr. Margaret Brasher; Lee and Inez Jeansonne, Sr.; Archie Brodnax; Tony Fiorenza; Bertha Bonnell; Dena Flynn; Al Beach; Howard B. Gist, Jr.; Nancy Ford Drury; Gordon Ducote; Myrthlee Vanhoof; Kenneth W. Heldt, Mary E. Heldt, Patricia A. Heldt; Living/deceased members of the Gueringer/Gagnard Families Mary Jane Osterberger Our Parish Family
10:30 A.M. 5:30 P.M. MON., DEC. 19: 6:30 A.M. Winifred Richard 5:30 P.M. Intention of Jim Curley TUES., DEC. 20: 6:30 A.M. Charles Collins, Sr. (anniv.) 5:30 P.M. Allen Naus WED., DEC. 21: 6:30 A.M. David Ezernack 8:00 A.M. James Nelson 5:30 P.M. Intention of Michael Upton THURS., DEC. 22: 6:30 A.M. Chris Duplechain 5:30 P.M. Bill Sansing (anniv.) FRI., DEC. 23: 6:30 A.M. Lorraine Normand 5:30 P.M. Peter Lorio SAT., DEC. 24: CHRISTMAS EVE 8:00 A.M. Lois Campo 4:00 P.M. Priest’s Intentions 6:00 P.M. Priest’s Intentions SUN., DEC. 25: CHRISTMAS DAY 12:00 A.M. (Midnight Mass) Our Parish Family; Priest’s Intentions 7:00 A.M. Priest’s Intentions 9:00 A.M. Priest’s Intentions
OLPS M INISTRY COM M ISSION OPPORTUNITIES BUILDINGS/MAINTENANCE: Chair – Steve Gauthier, 487-0309. COMMUNICATIONS: Chair – Katie Flynn Vanderlick, 792-1939. COMMUNITY SERVICES: Chair – Susan Harrison, 201-1177. HOSPITALITY: Chair – Jenny Tassin 792-3953. LITURGY: Chair – Chris Armstrong, 641-9916. PARISH AND FAMILY LIFE: Chair – Stacey Besselman, 794-5807. SPIRITUALITY/EDUCATION: Chair – Paul Mathews, 619-9406. STEWARDSHIP COMMITTEE: Michael Young, 308-3004. GIFTS REPORT – CHURCH SUPPORT
Income needed for Dec. (four Sundays) 70,000.00 Gifts on previous weekends in December 20,872.00 Gifts given last weekend 15,563.00 Amount still needed for December 33,565.00 THANK YOU FOR YOUR GENEROSITY ‘WHERE WE BELONG’ CAPITAL CAMPAIGN Campaign Goal 5,300,000.00 Pledged to Date 3,381,690.00 Collected to Date 1,654,495.00