Have you tried to call us today (Wednesday 12/15) and not gotten through? The phones at St. Patrick's have been down all day today, and we continue to wait on Verizon to address the problem.

This Sunday, December 19th,

Prepare our church and hearts

for the Christ Child

This 4th Sunday of Advent, bring and buy goodies for our bake sale to benefit outreach; contribute to the St. Phillip's Christmas Dinner Bags; help hang greens in the Nave, assemble luminaries for Christmas Eve, and most importantly, feast on spiritual food during our celebration of the Eucharist.

Bake and Bring Goodies to the Bake Sale this Sunday -

All proceeds benefit outreach and social concerns

Ready to bake to support the Outreach/Social Concerns Committee programs here at St. Patrick's? Ready to shop on Sunday, December 19th to buy fabulous cookies, cakes and other treats to wow family and friends into believing you worked for hours over a hot stove?

Mark your calendars to bring in baked goods for Sunday, Dec. 19th. All proceeds support our Outreach/Social Concerns Committee programs in Haiti, at St. Philip's, Samaritan Ministry, and more.

Already have an idea about what you're going to bake? We like to have a variety, so contact Sally Fowler at sallywfowler@verizon.net to let her know.

Invite friends from outside the parish - sale will begin at approximately 11:15 am in the Great Hall.

Last chance to Bring in Christmas Dinner Items THIS SUNDAY!

We will take our 100+ Christmas Dinners in a Bag and accompanying hams to St. Philip's, Anacost this Sunday. Please bring in your bags by then or to the service.

• Can't face the grocery shopping? We will shop for you if contribute $20 toward the effort! Make your check out to St. Patrick's with Christmas Dinners in the memo line.
• Can you help drive on Sunday? Call Karen ASAP.

St. Philip's Christmas Dinner Bag

• 3-lb Ham (these need to be refrigerated-please mark "St. Philip's Christmas Dinner" and place in refrigerator in church kitchen. Canned hams are also acceptable, but hard to find)
• Package of Rice or Instant Potatoes
• Canned Yams
• Canned Green Vegetable
• Biscuit Mix
• Canned Fruit or Fruit Cocktail
• Christmas Cookies

Help "green" the church for Christmas by either contributing trimmings from your yard - particularly holly, nandina, cedar, and magnolia branches - or by making a $25 donation to the Flower Fund. The flower guild also appreciates those who can help arrange greens or hang them. Find the flower guild in the Great Hall after the 10 am this Sunday.

We will list our donors to the Flower Fund in the Christmas Eve and Christmas Day bulletins, so send your checks made out to St. Patrick's with "Christmas flowers" in the memo line. Our flower fund is very low at this time of year, so please donate if you are able.

All children, Preschool through 6^th grade, are invited to participate in the Pageant, scheduled for 4:45pm, Christmas Eve. Casting is as follows:

3 & 4 Year Olds - Sheep

Kindergarten - 3^rd Grade - Shepherds OR Angels

4^th & 5^th Grade - Kings & Queens

6^th Grade - Speaking & Title Roles

If your child would like to participate in the Christmas Eve pageant, please plan to come to this Sunday's dress rehearsa, immediately following the 10 am service.

J.B. Loveland will reprise her role as Director.

If you would like to help J.B., we need adult volunteers at the rehearsal and on the 24th to help with cueing and costuming. If you can help on either date, please e-mail Andrea Martin, andrea@stpatrickschurchdc.org.

We pray for our Rector, The Rev. Dr. Kurt Gerhard, who is travelling in the Holy Land this week. We pray for him on the 10th anniversary of his priestly ordination (December 13) and pray for our parish on the 1st anniversary of his election to be our Rector, that together, we may discern and carry out the mission and ministry to which God calls us.

8:00am Server: Jane Byerley

Altar Guild: Monique Ploss

Lay Eucharistic Ministers: Marilyn Nowalk, Sandy Chamblee-Head, Shannon Small

Ushers: Keith Powell, Robert Vaughn, Needed

Greeters:

Readers: Janet Lee, Charlie Johnson IV

Intercessor: Charlotte Perry

Psalmist: Alison Davidson

Server: Henry McQueen

Crucifer: Phoebe Schmidt

Torches: Gabrielle Squitieri, Needed

Flowers: Advent

Refreshments: Craig & Shannon Small

Vestry Person of the Day: Needed

Brass Prelude 4:45pm before the Pageant Service

Drop your young angel or shepherd off to get into character for the Pageant and settle into your seat by 4:45 so you can hear our Brass Quartet play some terrific carol arrangements. Fred Irby, Vince McCool, Jim Vaughn and Allen Gardner have all played here at St. Patrick's for many years and if you haven't heard them, you are in for a real treat!

Christmas Eve Concert 9:30pm before the Candlelight Eucharist

We welcome Guitarist, William Feasley back to St. Patrick's to help with our late service on Christmas Eve. He will join us in the prelude choral concert, Silent is the Night, provide some lovely interludes during the service, and of course, accompany us on this beloved carol. The Cantoris Choir has been working on some wonderful new arrangements of carols of that cold winter night so invite friends and neighbors to spend Christmas Eve with us!

Many thanks to our Nova Lux Singers (busy 10^th-12^th graders who periodically join the Cantoris Choir to sing) who did a great job on Sunday.

~Adele Lynch 202-342-2823

How to Communicate When Someone You Love Has Dementia or Cognitive Impairment

TOMORROW Thursday, December 16th, Mary Wright Baylor, R.N., Pastoral Care Nurse at Washington National Cathedral, will be the featured guest speaker at St. Patrick's Caregivers' Group. Mary will offer strategies for communicating with loved ones who are non-verbal or struggling with language skills because of dementia or other cognitive impairment.

St. Patrick's Caregivers' Group meets in the Church Library every Thursday evening, 7-8 pm, for prayer and focused discussion. All are welcome.

For more information, please contact Andrea Martin, andrea@stpatrickschurchdc.org

As many of you know, Haiti's presidential election at the end of November have led to unrest in the capital city of Port au Prince. We are pleased to report that members of the Haiti Committee have received word from Manuel Santiliver, the headmaster of St. EtienneSchool. In his message, Manuel indicates that the violence and disruptions have not impacted our rural village, and the school year is proceeding normally.

At the Christ Redempteur School, you will remember that the school was a total loss due to the Jan 12 earthquake. Director Rene Dubic tells of the new, permanent structure that has been built (4 classrooms), with funds sent by the St. Patrick's community. Also built was a new wall to protect the school and students from the road outside the campus. Without a repaired wall, this busy tract (think Canal Road) caused danger to students, whose classrooms and playground were perched dangerously near to traffic. We hope to have photos of this construction to share soon.

Both schools send their thanks and prayers, and wishes for a blessed Christmas. The Annual Haiti Appeal is underway now give now for your 2010 tax deduction! To donate online, click here, or send a check to the Church Office with the word Haiti in the memo.

Marilyn Nowalk

Chair, Outreach/Social Concerns Committee