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Our Faith
Silent Night, Holy Night
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Advent begins on Sunday, December 3rd.
Join us for
Mercy Mondays
starting December 4th.
Take some time away from the noise and distractions of the busy season.
Come spend an hour in prayer, confession, conversation with one of our friars, or quiet reflection.
Every Monday during Advent,
7-8pm at St. Paul Church
: Dec. 4, 11, 18.
This special time in our parish includes one of the
most beautiful aspects of our faith: Eucharistic Adoration
.
What is Adoration?
It is a practice of our Catholic faith that calls us to be still, to be silent, to sit before the Blessed Sacrament and to be present with Jesus.
For those who aren't familiar with Adoration, here are some links and a video.
Take a moment to find out more.
Saint Mother Theresa said that time spent with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament is "the best time you will spend on earth."
"Be still, and know that I am God."
Psalms 46:10
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Our Spiritual Lives
'Tis the Season
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Here are some other ways to truly make Advent a time of
spiritual preparation...
Best Advent Ever
Sign up to receive daily emails
that will help you focus on what matters most during this busy season. You'll experience Advent in a whole new way
leading to the best Christmas of your life!
Advent Dinner every Sunday
. Make an extra effort once a week to sit down to a special dinner as family or invite friends over for a Sunday evening meal.
And light the candles on an Advent Wreath at the dinner table!
The Advent Wreath represents our waiting in spiritual darkness for the coming of the Lord.
Embrace the Colors of Advent!
Be bold and use the Advent colors of Purple and Rose (pink) to decorate your home or to wear to special events during the Advent season.
Attend Mass on a Weekday
Mass is celebrated every weekday at 7am and 5pm at St. Paul Church. There are plenty of seats. Few distractions. Many blessings.
Sony's animated movie, The Star,
was recently released in theaters. Bring the kids to see the birth of Jesus through a whole new set of eyes. Click here for the movie's website that includes activity pages, videos and more.
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"The best way to show my gratitude to God is to accept everything,
even my problems, with joy." Saint Mother Theresa
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Our World
Peace on Earth, Goodwill Toward Men
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Please Join Us in Prayer!
A Day of Prayer for Persecuted Christians
Sunday, November 26, 2017
Please watch this video and pray for persecuted Christians on Nov. 26th.
A week of awareness continues from Nov. 26th through Dec. 2nd.
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"Prayer is the best weapon we possess."
Saint Pio
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Our Daily Lives
Joy to the World
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Just for fun....
'Happy Dance' by
MercyMe
[Photo: happy student
at Saint Paul School]
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"
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
Philippians 4:6-7
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Our Ministries
Deck the Halls
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Our Ministry featured in this issue is our Decorating Committee.
Many thanks to Fr. Raymond and the small group of parishioners who take time to decorate the altar at St. Paul Church for holidays and special events!
The altar is
always decorated beautifully and respectfully
in the spirit of each season.
Thank you to Fr. Raymond, Linda, Amy, Donna, Pam,
and
staff members Carl & Gabriel for your time and talent!
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Our Community
Do You Hear What I Hear?
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We are blessed to have a very busy and active parish.
Stay in the loop and make sure you hear about all of our events, opportunities and activities!
Click Here to have our Parish Bulletin sent directly to your inbox each week!
Friend us on Facebook!
myParish
 app. Search for "myparish" (one word) in the app store or text "app" to 88202 and you'll receive a link to download.
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Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances,
for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
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Our Staff
Laughing all the way
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This section of the newsletter aims to help you put names with faces and allow everyone in our parish family to get to know each other better.
Father Timothy Lyons, OFM Conv.
Fr. Tim is the fourth of seven children of the 'Lyons Pride'. A Connecticut native, (born in Baltic and raised in Bridgeport), he was accepted by the
Franciscan Friars at age 18 to begin a 10 year journey of study and learning to live the Franciscan way of Life.
Fr. Tim was ordained in 1981 and has
continued his Franciscan journey spending the majority of his time in parishes in Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Maryland, Georgia and Connecticut.
One of his many responsibilities at our parish is teaching religion to the third grade students at Saint Paul School, preparing them for their first communion and confession.
This is his 40th year teaching sacramental preparation.
Fr. Tim also coordinates The Elijah Cup program that allows parishioners to take a Chalice and Patten into their homes to pray for vocations.
Some things our parishioners might not know about Fr. Tim: he played basketball in high school, coached later on as well. He's an avid reader. He also has a quick wit and great sense of humor. The kids love to ask him questions...
Fr. Tim, what's your favorite holiday? My birthday.
Fr. Tim, what's your favorite color? Pizza.
When we asked Fr. Tim if he could send us a photo of himself for this bio.... we got this:
Thank you Father Tim for your vocation, for all of the holy and sacramental work you do in our parish, and for making us laugh.
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Parish Calendar
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...
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For a complete listing of all of the great things happening at our parish,
Here's a preview of some upcoming events:
Monday, November 27
Elderly Care presentation at 7pm, sponsored by the
Culture of Life ministry
Saturday, December 2
Christmas on the Parish Green!
Join us for the First Annual Lighting of the Parish Green.
*Luminaries * Hot Chocolate * Cookies * Sing-a-long *
Festivities begin immediately following 4:00pm Mass.
Sunday, December 3
'
Coffee And' after morning Masses at St. Paul Church
Sponsored by the Family of Faith Committee
Christmas Concert
Join us at St. Paul Church - Concert begins at 5:00pm
Friday, December 8 - Feast of the Immaculate Conception
Vigil Mass on Thursday, December 7th at 5pm (St. Paul)
Holy Day Mass on Friday, Dec. 8th at 7am and 5pm
Sunday, December 10
Breakfast with Santa sponsored by the Knights of Columbus
8:30am-11:30am in the Saint Paul School Gym
Angel Tree gifts - please return by 12:00pm on Dec. 10th!
Sunday, December 17
EDGE Youth Ministry Event (Middle School)
4:00pm in the school gym
Christmas Eve Vigil Mass
Sunday, December 24th
4:00pm, 6:00pm and 10:00pm at St. Paul
Christmas Day Mass
Monday, December 25th
9:00am, 10:30am and 12:00pm at St. Paul
9:30am at Sacred Heart
Save the Dates!
January 1, 2018 - Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God
9:00am Mass at St. Paul
January 28, 2018 - Start of Catholic Schools week
Book Fair, Pancake Breakfast, and more.
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The Epistle Online
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We hope this newsletter will be a helpful resource for you, providing information about what's
going on in our parish and sharing content on both spiritual and practical matters related to our Catholic faith.
The Epistle
is so named as a tribute to our patron, Saint Paul, whose letters to the earliest Christians still guide and inform us today.
As always, w
e value you and your opinions. Feel free to share your thoughts with us.
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PASS IT ON
Please forward this Newsletter to a family member or friend so they too will have an opportunity to learn something new and to see all the great things that are happening at
Saint Paul Parish.
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"For it is in giving that we receive."
-Saint Francis of Assisi
A Ministry of the Conventual Franciscan Friars,
Our Lady of the Angels Province
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