.

4:30 pm Cathy Zajaczkowski (Fr. Tim Plavac)

8:00 am Agnes and Steve Zendarski (Daughter)

10:00 am Salvatore and Maria Daina

(Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Siracusa and Family)

12:00 pm Butch Adams (Wife and Daughter)

7:30 am Donna Stubljer (Family)

7:30 am Caroline Fiore (Family)

0

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

4:30 pm Cecelia Carey (Family and Friends)

8:00 am Ed Czech (Czech Family)

10:00 am Leonard Glinka, Jr.

(Diana Derbin, John and Vern Wroblewski)

12:00 pm Stanley Sadowski

(Klamar and Schiavoni Family)

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, 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, Jordyn Sansavera, Catherine Schiffbauer, Daniel Sholz, Julia Tomaselli, Jean Toth, Stanley Trojanowski, Michael Tustan and Linda Yovanno.

And the recently deceased: Frank Roth.

The craft show and bake sale will be held in the school on Saturday, December 7, 9:00 am-4:00 pm.

We are having a Bake Sale along with our Craft Show. All parishioners are asked to help make the Bake Sale a huge success by donating their favorite pastry, cookie, pie, cake, candy or bread. Please bring your treat to the school on Friday, December 6, 3:00-5:00 pm. For more information call Betty at 216-662-6564 or Andrea at 440-439-8616. Sign-up sheets are in the back of the church.

The next scheduled class will be on Sunday, December 8, at 1:30 pm. This class is for expectant parents and for parents of a newly born baby who have not yet participated in any Baptismal Class. Attendance at this class is a must as part of the preparation for the Baptism of your child. If you are planning a Baptism during the winter months, please call the rectory at 216-475-4300.

Dear parishioners,

Advent is here; hard to tell isn’t it? Our stores have been decorated for Christmas since Halloween. How easy it is for us to neglect the liturgical season of Advent, which helps us to prepare for the ‘Coming of the Messiah.’ Ask yourself how you will prepare yourself spiritually for Christmas. What practice will you adopt? Coming to mass during the week? Reading the Bible? Giving the Lord time in prayers? Contributing to the needy with money, food, or other materials? Serving a meal at a hunger center? How will you decorate and prepare yourself for Jesus?

Last week, on the feast of Christ the King, we heard the gospel reminding us of Jesus being present in the poor, the hungry, the homeless, the imprisoned, the sick, the elderly. As Catholic Christians we have a mandate, an obligation to reach beyond ourselves and our own to see and serve the broader community. If we haven’t considered the plight of the many around us living in poverty and misery because of the bearish economy or because of the hassle and hustle going on in our daily living, then this is the time to make a break away from doing things as usual. Sure, it will require a conscious effort each day to remember and act upon those things we know that our faith calls us to. Sure, there is sacrifice involved. But, there is also great joy. For when Jesus comes into the world, we will already have met, served, and loved in as we have found him present in our sisters and brothers in need.

Let this Advent 2002 be a joyful time because of the way we went outside of ourselves to recognize the ‘God-who-is-with-us.’ For when we recognize Emmanuel in others, we will see his reflection within our very own selves.

Yours in Christ,

Fr. Jamie

Sr. Cheryl Saucier, SSJTOSF, a Marymount nun and a parishioner here at St. Martin’s, will speak to us at this weekend’s masses on behalf of retired religious women and men. You will notice an envelope in your packet for use in the collection on the following weekend, December 8.

The next meeting of the VPL committee will be on Monday, December 2, at 7 pm in the school.

Hundreds came to St. Pius X for our annual pasta dinner. Lots of folks, the young, teens, middleagers, and the young-at-heart, had big smiles on their faces because they enjoyed the meatballs and pasta with old and new friends. It was a great community-building experience. What a marvelous blessing that so many contributed their time to plan, organize, and work at the dinner; so many contributed goods and prizes to add to the enjoyment of the afternoon; so many joined together from St. Pius and St. Martin’s to show the spirit that exemplifies what vibrant parish life is all about.

Bishop Pilla continues his writing of his convictions in the Vibrant Parish Life document:

"I am very concerned about the increased burden upon fewer priests, the effect on priestly morale of being ‘over-stretched’, the burden upon lay ecclesial ministers having insufficient priestly and sacramental support, and the burden upon our institutions to recruit, train, and maintain lay ecclesial ministers with just compensation. These aspects of our present dilemma bring urgency to the discussion. We need to move more quickly in planning for the future in order to honor, encourage and preserve the treasure we have in our parish ministers because these challenges strike them most significantly every day.

Solutions to the issues of growth and decline must safeguard the role of the ordained ministers. I look for solutions that are respectful of the proper role of all in ministry. They must include encouragement, training, and the just compensation of lay ecclesial ministers. The best solution will be those that strive to create collaborative leadership groups that employ the full complement of all the Church’s ministries."

Vibrant Parish Life will come about when all parishioners and in involved in the parish community in some way to "Build the City of God" right here in Maple Heights and the surrounding communities. The first step in doing this is to evaluate our parish. The diocese has provided us with a survey form, which all parishioners are asked to complete. The kick-off for this step will occur on the third Sunday of Advent. The VPL committee will peruse these surveys and then forwarded them to the diocese for their assessment and computer tabulation. It is very important that these survey forms be completed in a prayerful and thoughtful manner. Your involvement is an absolute necessity.

We are still in need of Altar Ministers for Masses on December 24 —Christmas Eve, December 25-Christmas Day and December 31 and January 1. Sign-up sheets are on the door of the Usher’s Room. If you are available to minister at any of these Masses, please sign-up. "Thank You" to all who have already volunteered. Your ministry is truly a gift to our parish.

Monday, Dec. 9 7:00 pm Communal Penance Service

Saturdays of Advent 3:30 pm Individual Confession

Saturday, Dec. 21 3:00 pm Individual Confession

One payday an employee received an unusually large check. She decided not to say anything about it. The following week, her check was for less than the normal amount. She confronted her boss.

"How come," the supervisor inquired, "you didn’t say anything when you were overpaid?"

Unruffled, the employee replied, "Well, I can overlook one mistake–but not two in a row!"

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

Let us not overlook the truth Isaiah reminds us of–that all of us have become like unclean people. Yet, he reminds us that God the potter and we are the clay. When Jesus came to us as one like us, he made it possible for us to throw away the mold of sin and to be re-formed into the image of the Father into the likeness of the Son. May our Advent desire open us to the power of the Holy Spirit to shape us up.

Ladd’s Sherwood Forest Party Center

Menu:

Breaded Pork Chops, Stuffed Cabbage

Mashed Potatoes with Gravy

Green Beans with Mushrooms and Onions

Tossed Green Salad, Rolls and Butter

Coffee, Tea and Punch, Assorted Pastry

Reservations required —call 216-475-4985

Members $7.00 (2002 dues paid)— Guests $18.00

Tickets on sale thru December 7^th

Door prizes — 50/50 raffle — Bingo — Music

ST. MARTIN OF TOURS SCHOOL NEWS:

Preview of 2003 suggested Trips:

Detroit’s Greektown Casino

Mountaineers

Motor City or Casino Windsor

Their are some good deals for overnight Casino Trips.

Amish Country–Walnut Creek, Holmes County Amish

Lolly the Trolley West Side Market Street

Carousel Dinner Theater, Wooster Light Opera, Marietta River Cruise

We need 30 for Lolly the Trolley, we need 35 and up for the other trips, especially if you want your own bus.

Dee Kriz

Martineers Chairman of Travel