7:30 am For the Parishioners

What a beautiful church interior we had during the Christmas season! The use of reds, whites, golds and greens in streamers, candles, poinsettias, fir trees, wreaths, and bunting set the tone for the wonder of the birth of the Christ-child in Bethlehem. Many, many thanks to the members of the decorating committee for the special ministry you do to enhance our worship space and our worship services.

If you would like to join in on this ministry, please contact the rectory.

Please note: $10,500.00 is needed weekly

to pay our bills and avoid going into debt

PLEASE PRAY

Please keep in your prayers the sick and the homebound of our parish, Elizabeth Baroni, Ellen Blados, L.C., Mary Cala, Maria Carriero, John Cegonko, Josephine Centrobi, Geraldine D’Amico, Eleanor Dembowski, Rita Downey, Dominic Fabrizio, Angelo Farace, Robert and Cheryl Gecik, Edward and Evelyn Globokar, Virginia Harley, John Husack, Jessica Kickham, Millie Kulchar, Rosemarie Lawrence, Don Lubecki, Elizabeth Miller, James Neitzel, Judith Nagorski, Helen Plewacki, Josephine Radic, Clara Rocco, Eleanor Sabo, Rachel Salvaggio, Jordyn Sansavera, Catherine Schiffbauer, Daniel Sholz, Julia Tomaselli, Jean Toth, Stanley Trojanowski, Michael Tustan, Ronnie Waclawik, and Linda Yovanno.

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.

Fr. John Gerrity was ordained 67 years on December 8, 2002; erroneously, last week, we printed that he was ninety-two years of age on that date. His actual birth date is March 9, 1911. Fr. Gerrity was founding pastor of St. Martin of Tours Church and ministered here for twenty years before his retirement. He now lives at Little Sisters of the Poor Home, 4291 Richmond Road, Warrensville Heights, Ohio 464-1222. Please keep Fr. Gerrity in your prayers.

Contact the rectory office if you would like to help with serving at coffee and donuts. Our intention is to start up again on Sunday, February 2, after the 9 am mass.

The Parish Office will be closed, on Monday January 20 , in observance if Martin Luther King, Jr.

Dear Parishioners,

Today, we begin the Week of Christian Unity (January 19-25). A scandal that affects the church greater than the one involving sexual abuse is the scandal that has broken up the Body of Christ into parts. The scriptures tell us that there is "one faith, one Lord, one baptism," yet we Christians have divided up Jesus into different groups and denominations throughout salvation history. Oh, how we need to repent of our attacks on each other, and how we need to repent of our ‘holier than thou’ attitudes. All those who believe in Jesus as the Son of God possess, at least, to some degree the truth of salvation, which Jesus gave us. We Catholics believe that we possess the fullness, or are closest to, that which Jesus established for our salvation.

The Catholic Church condemns the position that "there is no salvation outside the Catholic Church." The truth is that there is no salvation apart from Jesus Christ. The Church is the instrument Jesus gave us to help us to be saved. Instead of picking each other apart over differing practices and beliefs, we should look at what we hold in common, without denying that there are differences between Christian churches.

All Christians profess the Lordship of Jesus Christ and have a central place for the Word of God (the Bible). Not all Christians accept the hierarchical structure of authority in the Catholic Church, her sacramental system, the role of Mary in salvation, and the truth that God uses tradition to reveal himself to us. Yet, many Christians agree on the sanctity of life, from womb to the tomb. But, even so, there are differences. Some deny personhood to the child in the womb and OK abortion. We believe that human life and personhood begin at conception. Here is one area where we can truly pray for Christian unity, since it affects Christians and non-Christians alike.

Unity will come to us when we lay down our weapons of self-righteousness and sinful anger and pick up, instead, the tools of the Holy Spirit—that we approach one another with compassionate hearts, recognizing our needs for healing and forgiveness from the brokenness we experience in life.

This week, pray for Christian Unity.

Yours in the one Christ,

Fr. Jamie

If you would like to schedule a Mass Intention for the year 2003, please call the parish office at 216-475-4300.

Fr. Clyde Foster, pastor of St. Wenceslas, Maple Heights, will preside here at 4:30 pm mass on Saturday, February 1, while Fr. Jamie, our pastor, presides at the 5:00 pm mass at St. Wenceslas. Fr. Tom Mahoney of St. Pius X Church, Bedford, will join in the mix of pulpit sharing to communicate mutual concerns and blessings in our three parishes.

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 8:00 am to 6:00 pm; on Fridays, the office is open from 8:00 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.

"When the self-study and catechetical steps are complete, I ask you to turn to at least one parish, ideally one that touches your parish boundaries. Enter into study and dialogue with them. Look at your various ministries and share the results of your self-studies. Recall the history and founding of each parish. Examine the rich ethnic, racial, liturgical and spiritual variety. Identify the similarities, the duplications and even the contradictions that exist between the parishes. The goal of this shared consultation is for each parish to identify the parishes (typically no more than three) with whom they can cooperate most naturally and begin to develop collaborative initiatives. In some cases, these clusters will simply build upon existing relationships and successful collaboration already in place. In other cases, new relationships will be formed."

Thank you to all who helped administer the VPL survey and to all of you who carefully completed the questions. We have been working on submitting the data to the Diocese of Cleveland and are nearly complete. This information should help us to learn how we fit the one body of Christ as a parish community. Again, many thanks to all!

VIBRANT LIFE BULLETIN BOARD,
Thank you to all who put their names on the "houses" on the bulletin board. There is still time to put your name on a house.

You are the "buildings" of the New City of God. In recognition for all that you do, we would like to have you put your organization’s name on a building on the bulletin board and some information about your ministry:
          Organization or ministry

          Description of what you do

          Meeting dates or a contact person 

          What kind of help you may need

We would like everyone to get an idea of all the wonderful work going on at our parish. Thank you for all that you do for St. Martin of Tours!

A hunter was carrying his gun from his cabin to his car, getting ready for the drive home. A friendly looking man ambled up and asked, "Any luck today?"

Our parish mission will be held on the evenings of March 30, 31, and April 1. Mark your calendars and plan to attend this Mission experience of singing, prayer, and Scripture. Share in this journey of mission and celebrate who we are as a parish faith community.

"I am confident that the spirit is moving among and will renew our local church"

(Vibrant Parish Life Pastoral Letter)

Adults and young adults who have not been confirmed and who wish to receive the sacrament in May should call the religious education office 216-475-3455 for important information.

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

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.

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.

All are welcome and encouraged to join us to mark the 30 years since the infamous Roe vs. 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

Next weekend. January 25 and 26 will be our monthly St. Vincent de Paul Food Collection. All non-perishable food items would be greatly appreciated to help those in need.

On Saturday, February 8^th SMT Youth Ministry will be going Tubing at Brandywine. We will begin this event by attending 4:30 pm Mass together. Then after Mass we will carpool to Brandywine to go Tubing from 6:00—10:00 pm. The price for tubing is $15.00 for 4 hours. Your parents will need to pick you up from Brandywine, (or they are welcome to stay and go Tubing with us.) If you have any questions, please call Jim Ryba at 216-524-3203.

In celebration of Christian Unity Week, January 19 through 24, the community of Garfield Heights invites you to a Prayer Service, Sunday, January 19 at 3:00 p.m. at St. Therese Church, 5276 E.105^th Street. This year’s theme is "Who is your Neighbor?" Please help to bring our community together by participating and by passing the word on to your neighbor.

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.