For Mercy's Sake - November 2003

EDITOR'S NOTE

Newsletter Change

Excuse me for this unusual introduction, but irs very likely that you're wondering why the For Mercy's Sake cover page appears to be on the back of our newsletter. The Post Office has informed us that our publication kept getting stuck in and stopping their automated scanner. Many of our copies were also damaged in the process. So until we can determine a way to meet postal requirements and use our current publisher program, we will be using the format you see today. Thank you for your patience.

ADVENT-CHRISTMAS ACTIVITIES

Advent Season:

Confession Schedule:

Christmas Schedule:

LITURGICAL CELEBRATIONS

Parish Thanksgiving
On Thanksgiving Day, November 27, our parish Liturgy at 9 a.m. will be a celebration of both our national and Christian traditions. Because the good things we have are blessings from our God, you are asked to bring forth non-perishable items or financial contributions since the Food Pantry will be a part of the Liturgy. Please plan on beginning your holiday in a special way this year, joining together as a parish community for Eucharist (which means thanks-giving).

Celebrations of the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick
      Our Parish Community will celebrate the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick at all Masses on the Feast of Christ the King, November 23, 2003. Jesus spent the greatest amount of his time healing both spiritually and physically. It is said that we spend our time on those things which are most important to us. If this is true, then healing must have been a very important value to Jesus. Our Mission Statement reminds us that we are a community that lives the values of Jesus Christ. Our celebration is not just for the sick. The faith community gathers with them to show their concern for the sick of our community, and to pray with and for the sick of the community.
      Who may celebrate this Sacrament? Those who are suffering any serious physical or mental illness; those who are suffering any chronic illness; those who are about to undergo surgery; the elderly who cannot get around as well as before.

Advent Gift
In the busy-ness of the Advent season, a special gift awaits you: a time of quiet reflection regarding the season of Advent This time of ritual and prayer will be offered at our parish on Tuesday, December 2 beginning at 7:00 p.m. Why not set aside this time as an Advent gift to yourself?

Memorial Mass
As a community we gather together for Masses on many different occasions, and one of these is our special Mass of Remembrance, which is hosted by members of the Bereavement Ministry and will be held on Saturday, December 6, 2003 at 10:00 a.m. All members of Our Lady of Mercy Parish are invited to attend this annual memorial Mass for the families of our parish who have lost a loved one during the past year. This special celebration of Mass provides each of us an opportunity to share with one another a promise of hope and support During this service votive candles will be lit for our deceased family members. Immediately following Mass, a social gathering will be held in Sperry Hall with refreshments served by members of the Funeral Meal Committee.

Barb and Bill Schwartz, Bereavement Coordinators

PASTORAL MINISTRY

Helping Hands Needed
The Hands of Mercy ministry exists to help parishioners in need. Members of the parish will; visit the homebound regularly; take Eucharist to those who can't make it to Sunday Liturgy; visit parishioners in the hospital; distzibute food to the needy pray for special needs; give rides to church, shopping or appointments; help with maintenance, yard work, snow removal, minor auto or home repairs, or emergency home help of cleaning, laundry, meal preparation, and childcare.

Please pick up a "Hands of Mercy Request for Help" form (similar to the mini-model below) from a table in the church Gathering Space. Provide the needed information for yourself or someone you know, then drop it in the collection basket, deliver or mail it to the parish office. Label your envelope "Attention: Donna Clark," or call Donna at 899-5342. Additional request forms are in the baskets near the doors of the church.

The Call to Discipleship: Sharing Our Gifts
Through the grace of our baptism, we are called to be Disciples of Christ. Rev. John Hurley, CSP, in his presentation at the 2003 Parish Ministries Conference said, "Discipleship is walking on the 'Holy Ground' of peoples lives and encountering God." We exercise our discipleship by putting ourselves at the service of one another. In January 2004 we will once again call on members of Our Lady of Mercy Parish to offer their talents to the community by signing up for different ministries or committees.

Now is the time to start your discernment. Is our Lord inviting you to continue in your current ministry? Do you feel called to put your gifts to use on a different committee? Are you comforable being present to people in need? Are you drawn to take a public role in our parish liturgies? Have you been gifted with leadership skills? Perhaps you know someone who would do well in one of these ministries. Let them know. Please pray about this for the next few months.

The Hands of Mercy needs three leaders to step forward. The Transportation Coordinator fields requests for rides (emergency and non-emergency), then assigns the job to the driver who is available at that time. The Visitor to the Homebound Coordinator assigns specific visitors to homebound parishioners as the requests come in. A Hands of Mercy Major Coordinator supports and advises section coordinators, occasionally helps solve problems, and plans for "Sharing Our Gifts Sunday" in January. These leadership positions would start February 2004 and run for a year. For more information about the time commitment call Donna Simoneau, Pauline Drozeski, or Donna Clark (899-5342).

We Welcome These Newcomers To Our Parish Community:

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Congratulations To Our Newly Confirmed Parishioners!

Youth News
Newly Confirmed Students! Come attend an Advent Party sponsored by the Youth Ministry at OLM, Sunday, December 14th from 4-6 p.m. We will gather at Irene Lucas' new house. Come, eat, hang out, talk about your future, maybe even pray a little bit. Call Donna Clark (899-5342) with questions.

COMING SOON...

NEWS AND NOTES

Sister Parish Writes
The following letters were received from members of our Sister Parish, Our Lady of the Assumption, in Peto, Mexico. If anyone would like to correspond with our friends in the Yucatan, please contact Bill or Janet Conway.

A letter from Catalina A Yam y Perez:
Peto Yucatan, March 2003
Parish of the Assumption

It is a pleasure to greet you. When I think of you, I imagine the distance, but then I see the stars and imagine that you also see them, and I think of God, how great and marvelous God is; and it makes me feel so close to the love of God.

I hope that you write us soon as you can to tell us how you are. Also, I ask God to help us in our world problems, especially for all of you. Here, we are working with our pastor, Father Melchor. I work in the Christian Cursillo. In February we had a group of 10 who finished in Peto, another 23 in Tekax, and 12 in Akil. The closing ceremony was very nice.

Thanks be to God that I am fine along with my family.

Until my next letter,
Catalina A Yam y Perez

A letter from Jorge and Katy:
Peto, March 17, 2003

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

With the blessing of God, we hope that when you receive this letter, you are united in Christ. Peto, your Sister Parish, unites with you to pray for world peace. We finally had the opportunity to send you a cordial greeting and would llke to tell you what has been happening in past months.

Last December we celebrated the Queen of the Americas on the 12th. There was a food fair, the antorchistas (torches) were blessed, and a mariachi group sang the mananitas, a celebration song. It was a wonderful party.

At the end of the year we celebrated the annual feast dedicated to the Patroness of the Parish, Our Lady of the Assumption. We began the new year with the conclusion of the annual fair. After that it was the birthday of our pastor Melchor King. We had a fun patty where we shared an enormous Rosca (bread).

We would love for you to write and send us photos of your parish fiestas.

Jorge and Katy

Knight News

The announcement was made by the Knights of Columbus intemational headquarters located in New Haven, Connecticut. Mark Urban, District Deputy of the Erie area, presented the engraved plaque award to the council at a special ceremony held on September 5, 2003.

Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson, president of the international organization, in recognizing our council, said, "Please accept my sincere congratulations upon attaining the prestigious award. The dedication to the principles and aims of the order shown by your officers and members is exemplified by the high standard of excellence you have achieved. At the same time, I encourage you to carry forward this enthusiasm to meet the challenges that will face the Knights of Columbus in the years ahead. May this award be a reminder and an inspiration to the members of the council to promote the ideals of Columbianism for the good of the Church, your community and the Order."

In accepting the award, Grand Knight Dave LeFaiver, said, Receiving this award is quite an honor. We were very pleased with this accomplishment"

The Knights of Columbus is a Catholic, family, fraternal service organization with nearly 1.6 million dues-paying members worldwide. In 2002 they gave more than 60.8 million hours of volunteer service and donated $128.5 million to charitable and benevolent causes.

OLM Knights Celebrate 10th Anniversary
The Knights of Columbus, Council 11144, recently celebrated their 10th year serving Our Lady of Mercy Parish. On October 5, the Knights and their Ladies participated in the 9:30 Mass by filling the roles of lectors, Eucharistic Ministers, and ushers. Following the Mass, a reception of coffee and doughnuts was held in Sperry Hall.

The Knights once again would like to thank Msgrs. Ritchie and Sperry and all parishioners for their support over the years in the Knights efforts to raise funds and supply manpower hours for the benefit of the youth program, as well as other parish needs.

Any genllemen in the parish who may be interested in learning more about the Knights or in becoming one may leave your name and phone number at the parish office, and a Knight will contact you.

Community News
The Community Blood Bank will sponsor a blood drive at Our Lady of Mercy Gym on January 14, 2004 from 3 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. We need a minimum of 30 prescheduled people. The next drive will be March 10th. Call Donna Clark at 899-5342 if you have any questions.

2003 Crop Walk Update
Congratulations Our Lady of Mercy and Thank You!
On Sunday, September 28th, the following OLM walkers (along with many, many supporters who pledged and/or prayed) helped to help feed the hungry. We are very grateful to all who contributed their energy, time, money, support and prayers to make this year's walk a success. Thank you for making our newly appointed job easier.

Ladies Christmas Party
This year's Ladies Christmas Party is planned for Sunday, December 7 from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. It will be at the Waterfall Restaurant with a buffet dinner, Chinese Auction, door prizes and optional gift exchange. The price is the same as last year, $11. Tickets wilt be available after the November 22, 23 Masses and again after the November 29, 30 Masses. Make arrangements with your friends, come, and enjoy a good time!

Special Notice
Marie Bebko, the wife of Joseph Bebko died on October 28, 2003. Joe and Marie were founding members of Our Lady of Mercy Parish. They moved to their son Donald's home in Texas six months ago. Joe's address is:

4415 Woodland Park Blvd.
Arlington, Texas 76013

Thank You
To the Priests and Parishioners of Our Lady of Mercy Church:
     I would like to take a few lines to thank Msgr. Ritchie and Msgr. Sperry for their concern about my wife Mary in the last days of her life. Their work at Our Lady of Mercy cannot be over looked. They treat all parishioners as one, which is commendable.
      The ladies of the parish also treated me so beautifully. They came and sat with Mary to allow me to get to church every Sunday for the 7:30 Mass. Sister Rosemary approached the ladies to ask if they would help me out, and they volunteered their time, which was beyond my realization. A very special "thank you" from my heart to Marilyn Massaro, Kay Kaeberlein, Florence Kobylinski, and Yolanda DiRaimo.
      Also I'd like to thank the Bereavement Committee for the luncheon they prepared the day of the funeral. The community cannot be denied; members will help if asked and will respond all the time.

Sincerely with love,                               
Marion "Bart" Bartnik                             

A Note of Gratitude and Appreciation to Pat Urmann
      After 13 years of dedication to the Community of Our Lady of Mercy as parish Secretary, Pat Urmann is retiring. You may know Pat as the one who answers the telephone or takes care of your needs in the office, but to the parish staff and to the pastor, she has been an indispensable source of help and support. We wish her the best for her retirement, and we thank her for always being there and for all she has done for our parish. God Bless!

Saint Nicholas Night Parish Celebration Your family is invited to join our parish family Sunday December 7 fron 4:00 --6:00p.m Share Advent prayer, family activities and cookies. Honor St. Nicholas, the patron Saint of children. Light the parish Christmas tree. See you there!