Jesus is the beloved Son of Father. He is the light of the nations and Lord of all creation. To him be all glory and praise!

4:30 pm Joseph Grigolis (Family)

9:00 am Vera Amrich (Jeannie Banci)

11:00 am Caroline Fiore (Family)

7:30 am John Machen, Jr. (Family)

7:30 am No Mass

7:30 am Communion Service

0

7:30 am Intention of Jessica Kickham

7:30 am John Bender, Jr. (Peggy Sua)

4:30 pm Chester Zendarski (Sister)

9:00 am Lillian Wasielewski (Husband, Stanley)

11:00 am Chester (Butch) Adams (Wife and Daughter)

Please note: $10,500.00 is needed weekly

to pay our bills and avoid going into debt

And the recently deceased: Mary Culkar and Regina Zielachowski.

The Vincentian Sisters welcome you to come and enjoy their Bethlehem Scene featuring over 1000 angels. Throughout January you are welcome to the Motherhouse at 1160 Broadway Ave., Bedford. Hours are Monday–Friday 9:00 -11:00 am; 1:00-4:00 pm; 6:00-7:00 pm; Saturday–Sunday 1:00-4:00 pm. Groups are asked to call 440-232-4755 to make arrangements.

Dear Parishioners,

At the conclusion of the masses for the celebration of the Baptism of the Lord this weekend, the Christmas season ends and Ordinary Time begins. Ordinary Time occupies thirty-three to thirty-four weeks of the fifty-two weeks of the church year. We will be in Ordinary Time until Lent.

To keep the spirit of Christmas alive in our hearts, may I suggest a four-step process, which I have found helpful. First, spend at least ten minutes daily in personal prayer, inviting the Holy Spirit to reveal Jesus to you. Second, examine your conscience each day, so the Holy Spirit will help you repent of things that separate you from God and from others. Thirdly, spend ten minutes or more daily praying with the Bible, the Sacred Scriptures. Lastly, develop a plan to help your faith grow, a plan which includes your spiritual reading and a more active participation in the life of the church and our parish.

Developing a plan is helpful. Following through on it is even more helpful. Both are essential to help our parish and to help us all to use our gifts for the kingdom. The Vibrant Parish Life initiative in our parish should be a great aid to developing and following through on our plans.

In addition, over the next months, Fr. Tom Mahoney, pastor of St. Pius X in Bedford, and Fr. Clyde Foster, pastor of St. Wenceslas in Maple Heights, will participate with me in a pulpit exchange. We will preach and preside at masses at each other’s parishes with the hopes of unifying our efforts and unifying our parishes in strengthening the Catholic presence of our Lord within our communities, particularly since we have heard about the distinct possibility of the closing of St. Wenceslas Day School at the end of this school year.

These are times that call us to turn toward the Lord, to ask for an increase of faith, and to use our talents, gifts, and ministries for the building up of God’s kingdom. Together, united by God’s Holy Spirit, we make a more vibrant church.

Yours in Christ,

Fr. Jamie

Because we are now a one-priest parish, we have a new mass schedule. We now have daily mass at 7:30 am on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday; on Tuesdays there will be a liturgy of the Word with Holy Communion at 7:30 am. The weekend looks like this. Saturday remains the same, with confessions from 3:30-4:00 pm and mass at 4:30 pm. Sunday now has two masses, one at 9 am and one at 11 am.

On Monday, January 6, St. Martin’s began its new weekday office hours. On weekdays, Monday through Thursday, the rectory office is open from 8:30 am to 6:00 pm; on Fridays, the office is open from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. On the Saturdays of January, the parish office will be open from 9 am until 1 pm. Thereafter, beginning with Saturday, February 1, the parish office will no longer be open on Saturdays. So, if you need keys to open a building or room for a meeting, you will need to make those arrangements in advance. If you have business or desire an appointment with the pastor, please make the necessary phone call to secure the appointment.

"I ask that each pastor, staff and pastoral council begin to consider the needs of an area broader and wider than the traditional territory of the parish. Likewise, these parish leaders must consider the gifts that their individual parish can offer to that same surrounding area. The goal of this re-visioning will be the collaborative use of resources and personnel, the combining of gifts and creativity, and the building up of and just distribution of parish life so that all peoples are exposed to the fullest expression of Church life and ministry."

Contact the rectory office if you would like to help with serving at coffee and donuts, to be resumed on Sunday, January 26, after the 9 am mass.

Eighth graders enrolled in St. Martin’s Day School or in the PSR program will be receiving information in their classes.

Next Sunday, January 19, we (Team A) will serve our monthly dinner at St. Augustine’s Hunger Center. Please bring your aprons and a gallon of milk. Anyone interested in feeding the hungry please call Bob or Darlene at 216-328-0121.

The cloak fund supports our monthly dinner at St. Augustine’s Hunger Center as well as our fellow parishioners in need of emergency assistance. Please help us to continue these important ministries by volunteering and through your financial support. Envelopes can be found in the back of the church.

The St. Martin of Tours CYO and Men’s Club is hosting their annual "Night at the Races." This supports the children of our parish. The horses are set to leave the starting gate on Saturday, February 22, 2003 at the Birchwood Party Center, Northfield Road, doors open at 6:00 pm. For information or to reserve tickets or horses please call Kathy Chmura at 440-232-3096.

(from READER’S DIGEST LAUGHTER, THE BEST MEDICINE, 1997)

How fortunate we are to be baptized into Jesus Christ. In baptism we receive the touch of God that can turn us from sinners into saints. On this day of the Lord’s baptism, let us keep in mind the destiny that each of us shares, namely, that we are all called to be saints.

Students in grades 4-8 here at St. Martin’s have been working very hard to prepare the opera The Tales of Hoffmann. On January 14 and 15 they will be joined by professional opera singers form the Cleveland Opera to rehearse before they present performances for the school and community on January 15 at 1:30 and 7:00 pm. Students in grades K-3 will be our first audience at the 1:30 performance, in addition to any family or community who can’t make it to the evening performance. The entire school and church community is than invited back for the finale performance at 7:00 pm in the church.

If you wish to receive a statement of your 2002 Contributions, please fill in the information below and drop it in the collection basket. Statements may be picked up at the Rectory on Thursdays only beginning January 23. If you wish to have your statement mailed, please attach a self-addressed stamped envelope.

Name_____________________________________________

Address___________________________________________

City___________________________Zip Code____________

Envelope #__________________

Come and see what St. Martin of Tours School has to offer your child! Join other parents at an information session held in the school on Monday January 13, 2003 at 7:00 pm.

Applications for registration for kindergarten children for the 2003-2004 school year may be picked up in the school office January 14–March 3, 2003. These forms must be returned to school by March 3, 2003.

St. Martin is again participating in the Giant Eagle Apples for the Students Program. Giant Eagle provides the opportunity for students to get FREE computer and educational related equipment into our classrooms. Register for the program at www.gianteagle.com or call 1-800-474-4777. Our School ID Number is 2866. Supporters who registered last year are automatically registered for this year’s program. The program runs until March 22, 2003. Help us earn these needed resources by spreading the word to co-workers, family and friends.

Winners for the week ending December 31, (Week #10) are:

Points Name

112 John Barran

111 Donna Vance

110 Stanley Wasielewski

110 Ray Mervar

109 Elizabeth Banasiak

109 Lisa Dean

109 Ann Cegonko

6 Debbie Hocevar

7 David Rembowski

9 Ron Romito

9. Ruth Blazek

All are welcome and encouraged to join us to mark the 30 years since the infamous Roe v Wade Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion:

Sunday, January 19 Prayer and Inspiration 2:00-4:00 pm Church on the Rise, 3550 Crocker Rd.

For Bus reservations call Regina at 216-581-4122

Wednesday, January 22 12:00 (Noon) Public Square

To