.

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)

7:30 am Gene Kosturko (Elsie Vance)

7:30 am Julia Rondini (Family)

0

7:30 am Mary Dvorak (Eugene Vercek)

4:30 pm Leonard Emrhein (Family)

8:00 am For the Parihsioners

10:00 am John and Anna Hrusovsky

(Daughters, Helen and Agnes)

12:00 pm William Ponikvar

(John and Stella Hnanicek)

The feast of the Immaculate Conception moves to Monday, December 9, this year. It is not a holy day of obligation, because the Second Sunday of Advent, Sunday, December 8^th, takes precedence. The mass of the day on December 9 will be at 7:30 am.

to pay our bills and avoid going into debt.

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.

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.

On Sunday, December 29 after the 10:00 am Mass, a farewell party will be held in the school for Fr. Matt. Please bake your favorite dessert to share at his going away party. Maybe you have a great cookie, cake or cheesecake recipe. Or, maybe you can make that famous ribbon jello. We need your help; whatever you whip up will surely make this a memorable party for Fr. Matt. Please bring your goodies to the school between 4:00-6:00 pm, Saturday, December 28 or before the 10:00 am Mass, Sunday, December 29. Bring items in disposable containers. Thank you in advance, for your generosity.

Peterson Nut Orders will be ready for pick-up on Friday, December 12, from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm in the school library. Please call the school at 216-475-3633 with any concerns. Thank you.

Dear watchers and waiters,

Advent is indeed a time of watching and waiting for the ‘comings of Christ.’ In truth, we await three comings of Christ. First, we prepare for the annual coming of the Christ Child, the babe born in Bethlehem. Secondly, we are to get ready for the Second Coming of Christ, the King of the universe, who will come again at the end of the world. The third coming of Christ is the one that, if we properly prepare for it, we experience Jesus as Emmanuel, God-with-us every day from his first coming to his final coming. None of us was present for his birth and none of us will likely be around for his return; yet, all of us can know his daily presence among us.

Let me share with you some pointers that may help your watching and waiting as well as realizing how real Christ is among us.

Pray daily for the Holy Spirit to bless you with joy. Select Bible readings emphasizing joyful aspects of our faith. Act joyfully, even if your mood is otherwise. Surely, any darkness in your soul will yield to a dawn of a brighter outlook. Share your good mood. Share joyful news. Joy is contagious. Write upbeat letters. Make upbeat phone calls. Speak well of others in their presence and when they are not with you. Cultivate friends who share your philosophy. Avoid the nay-sayers; seek out the joy-givers. Imagine yourself in joyful company. Let the Spirit of joy, the Spirit of the Messiah, lift the spirit of those around you.

Watching and waiting this Advent can be for each of us a wonderful gift of Christmas presence, ministering the joy of the Christ who is with us always.

Your fellow watcher and waiter,

Fr. Jamie

"How the Prophets Prepare us for the Coming of Christ" begins this Wednesday, December 11, as the first of a two-session bible study. All are welcome in the school library from 7 to 8:15 pm. Bibles are provided

We try to appropriate the number of church bulletins to have enough for each mass. On Saturday, the ushers place approximately twenty-five bulletins in each of the racks so that they are available for your reading prior to mass. More bulletins are put in place at the end of mass. We want all to have the availability of our weekly bulletin.

Next weekend we will hear much more about Vibrant Parish Life in the homily at mass. The following weekend we will all have the opportunity to participate in the parish survey, an instrument to assist our parish in knowing her blessings, gifts, and needs are to help in setting goals for our church.

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

"My fourth and final conviction is that vibrant parish life is best achieved through the collaborative efforts of several ministries and communities in an area, and that these ministries will often permeate parish boundaries. Such collaboration will utilize and preserve the different gifts of each parish; it will relieve the burdens of some; and it will promote the faith and the life of all the Christian faithful.

"In my experience there are wonderful examples of collaboration that have increased the vibrancy of parish life for all concerned: programs which are done jointly or regionally such as RCIA, youth ministries, Pre-Cana Days, Separated and Divorced ministry, elementary schools, adult education/speaker series, and community outreach-programs and ministries that a single parish might find difficult or impossible to do alone or whose quality is greatly improved when done collaboratively; one or more parishes sharing a pastoral minister (which neither parish could support by itself); and coordinated Mass schedules in an area (which eliminates duplicate times and liturgies.) Many of our parishes have been enriched through THE CHURCH IN THE CITY partnerships in which worship, social, educational and outreach experiences are shared."

Next meeting will take place Saturday morning December 14. Coffee at 7:30 am in the church lobby, prayer and discussion from 8:00 to 9:00 am.

This month’s theme will be "Handing On the Faith, Sacred Tradition". We will explore answers to question, what can we do as Catholics to transmit our faith to the next generation?

The St. Martin of Tours Men’s Fellowship Group would like to wish all of our parishioners a very Merry Christmas and Blessed New Year in 2003. We will continue to meet on the second Saturday of each month through out the New Year. All men of the parish are welcome!

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

A man went into a bar and ordered four shots of the most expensive thirty-year-old Scotch whiskey, drinking them one after the other. The bartender said, "You look like you’re in a hurry." "You would be too if you had what I have," said the guy. "What have you got?" asked the bartender. "Fifty cents."

(A PRAIRIE HOME COMPANION PRETTY GOOD JOKE BOOK, 2000)

A man wasn’t prepared to pay for his drinks. Like the Baptist, we are to prepare the way for the coming of the Messiah. How? By making straight the way of the Lord, filling in the valleys. It is not a matter of words, but of loving deeds coming from the center of our heart.

The students at the day school are supporting the West Side Catholic Center by bringing in a can of soup and $1.00 to dress down. Four Tuesdays during the Advent Season have been designated as Mission Days. December 10 and December17. The soup that is being brought in is Tomato, Chicken Noodle, Vegetable, and Chicken Rice. If you would like to join the day school in their efforts to support the "Soup Kitchen" you may send in your donations to the school office. We will gladly accept soup or monetary donations to support the West Side Catholic Center. All gifts will be taken to the West Side Catholic Center, December 18^th. If you have any questions about the center or how you can help, contact Lois Cellura at the school. Thank you for all the support you have given to our efforts in the past.

The St. Martin’s Christmas Gift and SVdP Food collection will take place at all Masses on the weekend of December 14 and 15. Please note that the collection is a little earlier than usual this year, however, we need the extra time in order to get everything delivered before Christmas.

We thank you in advance for your kindness and generosity

Warm hands, warm heart!! Once again, the St. Vincent de Paul Society is asking for your support of the "Mitten Tree." Please bring gloves, mittens, scarves and hats for the sharing tree located in the vestibule. Your generosity will keep many heads and fingers toasty warm this winter (and you’ll feel warm all over for giving to others). Thank you for your generosity!

Have you selected your "Secret Santa" person or anyone you are gifting this Christmas season and are in a quandary over what to give? We have the perfect gift idea: a certificate from St. Martin’s!! Your choices are limited only by your imagination. We have gift certificates for major department and discount stores, restaurants and even grocery stores. Your purchase not only makes someone’s Christmas a little merrier, but also helps St. Marin’s coffer as well! Thank you for your support.

Points Name

120 John Puskar

112 Barbara Radomski

112 Rita Phipps

112 Scott Smith

111 Robert Wulf

111 Dolores Hutson

110 Ken Wood

18 Arthur Medasr

19 Judith Simon

20 Dominic Palumbo

20. Jeff Roberecki

The winners for the week ending December 3, (Week #6)

Points Name

114 Joseph Semsak

112 Janet Zimmerman

111 David Dalton

111 Joseph Stanoszek

111 Steve Smigelski

110 Dominic Siciliano

110 Wendy Godbey

12 Vera Shafer

13 Grace Rosa

15 Charles Haire, Jr.