St. Paul's Church, Candia, NH

November 30, 2008
1st Sunday of Advent

Weekend Mass Intentions
Saturday, November 29
   6:00 PM For Parishioners of St. Paul
Sunday, November 30
    9:30 AM For Corey Worsham by his mother
Saturday, December 6
   6:00 PM For Julien Marion by Jeannine & Normand Fraser
Sunday, December 7
    9:30 AM For Parishioners of St. Paul

Parish News and Notes

Parish office hours
    Our parish office is open Monday through Thursday from 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM. The Pastoral Associate is in most afternoons until 4:00 PM. If you need to come in the PM please give us a call to make sure someone is here. Messages can always be left on the answering machine.

Are you registered?
     Are you new to our parish?   If you are, please pick up a registration form in the vestibule of the church. Registration is very important. Just drop it in the basket or mail it to our office. Thanks! We are always happy to receive new parishioners. We welcome you and pray you will be happy here with us.

Please use church envelopes
    Envelope users provide the bedrock of our financial support. Please consider using them. New packets of envelopes are mailed every three months. If you would like to receive some but you are not yet on the mailing list, please call Jeannine to give her your name and address. Thank you!

Envelope Request Form

____ I want to support our parish on a regular basis. Please add me to the envelope list.

Name ______________________________
Address___________________________
Town ________________,NH Zip ________

Update on Parish Income

Weekend of Nov. 23, 2008
St. Paul, Candia
Envelopes   $
Loose
Credit
Total

Last Weekend’s report was not available at the time of bulletin printing
Last weekend envelope users contributed % of our income.

(Amount tithed for the poor and needy: $0)
Thank You so much for your Generosity.

Our Giving Tree: The 1st Sunday in Advent ushers in the annual gift giving tradition that St. Paul Parish has had for many years. We begin by choosing a tag of the giving tree in the front of the church. We have names for some Seniors who are at the Wellstone House and at the Inn at Deerfield. These tags are marked with the person’s first name. This is an important ministry for our parish since many of these elderly people no longer have family members who can provide gifts for them. All of them are always very appreciative. If you choose one of these tags, please wrap the gifts and bring them back to the church with the tag on the gift by Dec. 14th.
The other tags are labeled with the gender and age of a child. These children are often in great need of almost anything and everything. If you choose one of these tags, please do not wrap the gifts. We have a wrapping “party” for all gifts. Please return these gifts to the church with the tag attached by Dec. 15th.
Thank you so very much for your kindness and generosity for these children and the elderly in our parish.

Holy Apostle Paul, help me at the beginning of this new day to offer my body and the whole of my life as a living sacrifice to God. Do not permit me to conform myself to this age but rather, by your intercession, may I be transformed by the renewal of my mind. Through this renewal help me to judge what is God’s will, what is good, pleasing, and perfect. For the one whom I seek and serve is Jesus Christ who is the Lord, now and forever. Amen.

Electronic Offering:

Our Parish is now able to take your offertory donations through Credit or Debit card. If you wish to make you contribution in this manner, simply fill in the following and return to our office.
*****************************************
Name on Card___________________________________
Address________________________________________
Please Check: ______MasterCard ______Visa
______Debit MasterCard _____Debit Visa
Card Number:___________________________________
Expiration:_________________Amount:_______________
How often do you want this transaction to occur?
____One time _____Weekly_____Bi-Weekly ______Monthly

Signature:________________________________________
Email___________________________________________

Christian Formation News

Class Schedule (click here)

All children from k – 10 must register for Religious Education each year. The registration does not roll over from one year to the next. We will be mailing a registration form through e-mail in the near future. If you have not received a form by mid-August it is because we do not have your e-mail address or perhaps you are not yet registered in the parish so we do not have any pertinent information related to you family. You can call the office between Monday –Thursday at 483-8481 to update your e-mail info or you can pick up a registration in the entrance of the church.

Grades K- 3 The children in grades K – 3 attend classes during the weekend liturgies. We use a Lectionary Catechesis which is based on the Gospel of the week. Kindergarten students are not obliged to attend regularly. However beginning with grade 1, students must attend classes on a weekly basis during the Mass, as the program for 1st Communion is a two year program. The program for the school year 2008-2009 will begin on the weekend of September 20th and 21st. Classes are held during both weekend Masses.

Grades 4 – 10 +, Generation of Faith    This program is designed for both parents and children. Parents who have children in grades 4 - 10 are asked to attend these monthly sessions. The adult session gives them an opportunity to refresh their memory on important matters of the faith as well as giving them the chance to share with other adults on pertinent issues of faith. The next class for parents and children in this program will be December 14, 2008 at St. Peter Parish in Auburn. All GoF classes are held on Sundays from 4 – 6 pm.

Confirmation Program:
    The Confirmation students will begin their two year program on Sunday, October 5, 2008. Classes are held from 11:00 am to 12 noon. Students must be registered in the program and must be registered members of the parish. If you have not yet registered your child for classes please call the office to speak to Lorette.

             Schedule of Classes

Question of the Week
1st Sunday of Advent
Theme: (Staying Watchful)
Reading I: Isaiah: 63: 16-19, 64:2-7 (we Are the Clay)
Reading II: 1 Corinthians 1: 3-9 (God is Faithful)
Gospel: Mark 13:33-37 (Be Alert)

Question for Adults: What does “wait wisely and watch vigilantly” mean for you? Waiting is not a virtue that is well developed in the American culture of the 21st century. However, as we mature we come face to face with the reality that there are some things worth waiting for. The healing of our spirit is often at the top many people’s priority list. The question is how do we do this wisely? There are probably several valid answers to this question but one answer could be to wait for God to with a spirit of Trust. Our present world is one that could easily instill fear and trepidation rather than Trust. For example, we are quickly developing an aversion to trust in our politicians. How else could you wait wisely and vigilantly?

Question for Children? How can you best prepare for Christmas this year? Waiting for Jesus to be born in our hearts is often easier said than done. If Jesus is going to come, (and he will,) will we be ready for him. Will there be a place in our hearts for him or is our heart too filled with what “we want” for Christmas.

What is the real Liturgical color for Advent? Advent is the season when Christians wait for the coming of Christ in their lives. The liturgical color that is used is a bluish purple which symbolizes the fact that we are waiting for God to enter our lives. The bluish purple (as opposed to the reddish purple of Lent), which is often called Royal Purple, was originally used for kings so the Church believes this is an appropriate color for the coming of Christ. Also, the season is one of Hope. The life of Mary, the mother of Jesus, was filled with Joy and Hope as she waited for her child to be born. Blue, of course, is the traditional color associated with Mary.
The purplish tint of the vestments relates to the time we take to reflect on those things we should change and improve. We are saddened by our sinfulness and we pray that we will be well prepared to receive the God who loves us so deeply and intimately.

Community News

Food Pantry for December     This month our pantry shelves continue to be in need of Tuna, Cereal, Instant Rice, Ravioli, Beef Stew, and any kind of Soup except Ramen. We are also always in need of juices and instant milk. Thank you very much for all you do for those less fortunate.

RCDC (Dept. of Corrections, Rockingham County) is looking forward to the joyous celebration of Christmas in anticipation of the hope that Christ will bring to the men in detention. In addition to your continued prayers for the inmates, the DoC is asking for your generous contributions of unwrapped gifts in the form of various card and board games. The acceptable games are as follows:
Checkers    Backgammon    Chess   Triominos
Skipto         Battleship         Phase 10   Risk
Puzzles and Playing Cards.
    Please bring your gifts to the church by December 20th. Thank you and God’s blessings for a very merry Christmas.

The Wellstone House , located at 125 Langford Rd in Raymond, is an Assisted Living facility with a total of 12 beds. There are single and double rooms. It has a homey atmosphere with 24 hours staffing which provides cooking, oversight of medications and assistance with daily care. If you are looking for a home for a loved one, please consider this facility and contact Ginny at 895-9303.

The Pregnant Women Support Act
    The USCCB has worked closely with lawmakers to seek passage of the Pregnant Women Support Act. Establishing a toll-free number to direct women to places that will provide support during and following their pregnancy;
-    Funding collection of accurate data on abortion
-    Providing child care to low income and student parents
-    Providing parenting education in maternity group homes
-    Making the Adoption Tax Credit permanent.
This bill did not pass in the present Congress but will be re-introduced in the next congress. The NH diocesan council of Catholic Women will let you know when the bill gets re-introduced so that we can support the bill by contacting our representatives.

A Look at Upcoming Events

Lights on the Hill Celebration
    Come and experience the true light that came into the world which is the celebration of Christmas! Join us for the Annual candlelit celebration (walk or ride the bus) in a country setting. Enjoy music, crafts, caroling, baked goods, a campfire, live nativity, and Christmas traditions.
    The event will take place on Saturday and Sunday, December 13 & 14, 2008 from 4:00 – 8:00 p.m. at the Candia congregational Church on High St. here in Candia. Admission is free. If you can, please help us with a donation of winter hats or gloves for a local outreach program.

Mike Livingston in Concert
St. Lawrence Parish on 51 Main St. in Goffstown, will be sponsoring a concert by Mike Livingston on Sunday November 30th at 4p.m. Tickets can be purchased for $15.00 in advance. Tickets bought at the door will be $20.00. All proceeds will benefit the St. Lawrence Roof fund.
Mike Livingston is a singer/songwriter, producer, and arranger who has been performing in the New England area for over two decades. He brings a larger than life stage personality to every show but has always considered himself a “pub musician”. He peppers his concerts with his own compositions along with selections from artists such as Neil Diamond, Paul McCartney, Jimmy buffet. . .to name a few. Mike’s show is an entertaining blend of varying emotions.

The VNA Child Care & Family resource Ctr. The largest, non-profit childcare center in the state is offering a four-week training. Sessions will be hold Fridays, Jan. 9, 2009 from 10 am to 11:30 am. Volunteers are needed to provide support and act as positive role models to children and parents.   Some of the topics of the training include: child Development, Cultural Diversity and communication Skills. Interested members of the community including homemakers, retirees, and professionals are encouraged to explore this opportunity. Pre-registrationis required. To receive an application or for more information please contact Linda Krisch, Coordinator of Volunteer Resources at 663-4008 or lkrisch@elliot-hs.org.

CURRENT PRAYER REQUESTS

Please remember the following people and intentions in your daily prayers:

Our sick parishioners and friends…

Please pray for the following people: Frank Huard, Betty Lintz, Cecile Gendron, Lori Aguilera, Kimberly Mirolo, Rita Sullivan, Kathy Gauthier, Jean Swindler, Roger Plante, Joseph Gesel, Jacob Desrocher, Cindy Huard, Deborah McGovern, Ethel Thomas, Gordon Gladden and Carol Sheperd.

For peace in the world, especially in the Middle East…
For those serving in the armed forces...
For families experiencing stress due to financial, emotional or relational problems
For our sister parish in Haiti...
For vocations to full-time ministry, especially the priesthood, the deaconate, religious life lay ministry...

If you would like to add a person or intention, please let us know. If people on the sick list are no longer in need of prayers, please let us know.