Salus Animarum Suprema Lex

Douglaston-Little Neck

www.stanastasia.info

saint nastasi church

A A 45-14 245th Street Douglaston, NY 11362-1135 Phone: (718) 631-4454 Fax: (718) 631-1774 Email: info@stanastasia.info

Rev. Msgr. George J. Ryan, Pastor Rev. William A. McLaughlin Rev. Chris J. Piasta, OFM Rev. Msgr. Michael J. Cantley, S.T.D., Pastor Emeritus

Rectory Office Hours: Monday to Friday 9:15 AM to 8 PM Saturday 9:15 AM to 1 PM

Mrs. Betty Harris, Secretary Mrs. Ann Larkin, Accounting Admin.

St. Anastasia School: 45-11 245th Street Mrs. Lucy Mihulka, Principal Mrs. Cindy Roma-McCann, Assist. Princ. Phone: (718) 631-3153; (718) 631-3155 Email: school@stanastasia.info

Religious Education & CCD Office: Mrs. Janine Kramer, Directress Phone: (718) 225-5191 Email: dre@stanastasia.info

Music Minister: Mr. Joseph C. Extejt

Weekend Masses: Saturday Vigil at 5:30 Sundays 8 AM, 10 AM, 12 PM & 5 PM

Weekday Masses: Monday thru Saturday at 8:30 AM

Sacrament of Reconciliation: Saturdays 4—4:30 PM

Holy Days and Special Liturgies: Mass schedules will be printed in the Bulletin at the appropriate time.

Devotions: Miraculous Medal Novena: Mondays after 8:30 AM Mass

PARISH MEMBERSHIP: All new families are welcome to the Parish and every family should be properly registered. Registration forms are available at the Rectory. Use of the electronic giving (Faith Direct) or envelope system is required if statement of contribution is sought for tax purposes. All parishioners should use either one of the do-nation forms. If you move or change your address, please notify the Rectory by mail. SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM: First Sunday of each month at 1:30 PM only. Parents should make arrangements by call-ing the Rectory no later than 2 weeks before the Baptism. Parents must attend the Baptism instructions before Baptism SACRAMENT OF MATRIMONY: Time available: Saturday 11 AM-3 PM; Sunday 2:30 PM-3 PM Couples must make arrangements six months prior to the selected date of their marriage and fully participate in the “Pre-Cana” Parish at home. R.C.I.A. (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) It is the process for adults wishing to become Catholic, complete their sacramental initia-tion, or attain full membership in the Church. For further information, please contact Ms. Janine Kramer

December 14, 2008

Third Sunday of Advent

■ ANNOUNCEMENTS December 14, 2008 ST. ANASTASIA BULLETIN

Help the Homeless

H omeless men living under Flushing Meadow

Bridges need clothing For a number of years now and thanks to the generosity of our parishioners; every Sunday morning during the winter months, we bring hot choco-late, a sandwich and some warm clothes to a group of homeless men living under the bridges and surrounding areas of Flushing Meadows Corona Park. These are men who for different reasons have given up on life and seen unable to cope with it. As the cold weather approaches, once again we are preparing to start our mission and we need clothing. If you have warm clothes and blan-kets that are clean and in good condition and would like to donate them please call us and we will pick them up. For more information call Jorge at (718) 224-8187 or (718) 423-5988. Annual Coat Drive

T he coats are dropped off to needy parishes in Queens

and Brooklyn, visiting Nurse Early Head Start program in Rockaway, St. John’s Bread and Life Ministry, and other spots that are in need of help. The coats can be left at my office at Bryce Rea Associates, or if you can’t come to me I will go and pick them up; just call my cell phone: Carolyn Meenan at (917) 796-2990. Thank you again for your gen-erous help by keeping someone warm this winter. Need a ride to Church?

C entury Car Service is of-fering a special rate to

parishioners who need a ride to Sunday Mass. This offer is only available to get to St. An-astasia Church for Sunday Mass. The fee is $5.00 plus any gratuity they choose to

give. (This is a 16% reduction in their usual rate. Just advise the dispatcher that you are go-ing to St. Anastasia Church in Douglaston in order to get the discount.) Century Car is lo-cated at Springfield Blvd and Union Turnpike in Bayside Call: (718) 740-6600 or (718) 428-1010. Christmas Giving Tree

T he Giving Tree which has gift tags is once again a

Reminder of the rapid ap-proach of Christmas. It is very important to remember that we would like to get the wrapped gifts back by Monday, Decem-ber 15th, so that all those peo-ple that you are helping will get the gifts before Christmas. Please remember that you are doing a good thing giving a part of yourself by shopping, wrapping, & returning back to us. You will be blessed for your kindness. The tree is lo-cated in the hallway next to the Church please stop after Mass to pick up your tag(s). Add a Soldier to your Christmas Card List

W hen doing your Christ-mas Cards this year,

take one card and send it to this address. If we pass this on and everyone sends one card, think of how many cards these won-derful, special people who have sacrificed so much would get. On your card list please include: A Recovering Ameri-can Soldier, c/o Walter Reed Army Medical Center, 6900 Georgia Avenue N.W., Wash-ington, DC 20307. Leisure Club News

T rip to Atlantic City on Monday, December 15th,

$30 pp., For more information, call Peg McKeon at (718) 428-2833.

Annual Catholic Charities Collection

B ishop DiMarzio invites all to join him in this year’s

Annual Catholic Charities Col-lection. The collection takes place at all Christmas Masses. Please return the special Catho-lic Charities Envelope from your envelope packet with your gift. If you did not receive a printed envelope we ask you to use your own blank envelope and mark it for “Catholic

Charities”. Bishop DiMarzio urges all to join in sharing God’s love with families and children in need by giving gen-erously to this year’s Charities Christmas collection.

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— Where do sick ships go? — To the dock.

T he annual Christmas Fair was a great success. Thank you to all who worked so hard to

make this event such a joyful way to begin the holiday season.

Report cards were distributed and the Honors Assembly for grades 5 to 8 was held on December 12th. Any student who achieved 90% or greater in each subject area with no special subject less than satisfactory was eligible for the 90% honors club. Congratulations to the following Honors students:

Grade 5: Daniella Colletti, Erica Cooper, Mary O’Byrne, Sophia Thompson, Carla Valenti, Gabrielle Vennitti, Rosemary Wolf and Bren-dan Zhang.

Grade 6: Angelica Carpenter, Joseph Mattone, Kathryn McCabe, Janet Narain, Erin Pellegrino, Jessica Russo and Robert Spitz.

Grade 7: Sophia Huber, Shana Mar-

ino, Danielle Morelli and Julia Ven-nitti.

Grade 8: Christina Coleman, Anas-tasia Gaspar, Benjamin Hong, Dan-ielle Martini, Brendan McCann, Daniel Song, Stefanie Wolf and Jas-mine Zhang.

The following students were recog-nized for their exemplary effort:

Grade 5: John Bekios, Victoria Mar-tini, Kimberly Mayo and Manuel Ritoe.

Grade 6: Jon Caballero and Tanina DiLeo

Grade 7: Sabrina Bekios and Yuji Choi.

Grade 8: Caroline Gawlik, Roisin Higgins, Nicholas Hurley, Deubola Lee, Angela Sirinic, Scott Stoner and Amy Yang.

Our second graders received the sac-rament of First Penance on Saturday, December 13th. Please keep them in

your prayers.

All are invited to the St. Anastasia Christmas Concert at the Church on Thursday, December 18th at 11:30AM. We are starting at an ear-lier time this year because our talent continues to grow each year! Mrs. Roccia and Ms. Izzo are directing this year’s Christmas Concert which is themed, “ Snowed in at St. A.’s”. Ms. Tracy Pratt will be directing the band’s performance. This show is a great Christmas treat for all.

Christmas recess begins at noon on Friday, December 19th. School re-opens on Monday, January 5, 2009.

The Faculty, Staff and Administra-tion of St. Anastasia School wish you and your families a very Merry Christmas and a happy and blessed New Year.

Good News from the School Principal

Honor Students and Christmas Concert By Lucy Mihulka, Principal

CHRISTMAS SCHEDULE 2008

SACRAMENT OF PENANCE Monday December 22, 2008

7:30 PM Communal Penance Service

CHRISTMAS EVE MASS Wednesday, December 24, 2008

4:00 PM 6:00 PM

CHRISTMAS MIDNIGHT MASS

December 25, 2007 Doors will open at 11:15 PM

St Anastasia Choristers will sing Christmas Music before Mass

CHRISTMAS DAY Thursday, December 25, 2008

8:00 AM 10:00 AM

12:00 Noon No Evening Mass

Saturday, December 27, 2008

5:30 PM Vigil

Sunday, December 28, 2008 8:00 AM 10:00 AM 12:00 PM 5:00 PM

NEW YEAR’S Eve

5:30 PM Vigil

NEW YEAR’S Day 9:00 AM

12:00 Noon No Evening Mass

CHRISTMAS POEM This poem was written by a Marine stationed in Okinawa Japan and submitted by Brother Jim Kelly a Korean Veteran: TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS, HE LIVED ALL ALONE, IN A ONE BEDROOM HOUSE MADE OF PLASTER AND STONE. I HAD COME DOWN THE CHIMNEY WITH PRESENTS TO GIVE, AND TO SEE JUST WHO IN THIS HOME DID LIVE. I LOOKED ALL ABOUT, A STRANGE SIGHT I DID SEE, NO TINSEL, NO PRESENTS, NOT EVEN A TREE. NO STOCKING BY MANTLE, JUST BOOTS FILLED WITH SAND, ON THE WALL HUNG PICTURES OF FAR DISTANT LANDS. WITH MEDALS AND BADGES, AWARDS OF ALL KINDS, A SOBER THOUGHT CAME THROUGH MY MIND. FOR THIS HOUSE WAS DIFFERENT, IT WAS DARK AND DREARY, I FOUND THE HOME OF A SOLDIER, ONCE I COULD SEE CLEARLY. THE SOLDIER LAY SLEEPING, SILENT, ALONE, CURLED UP ON THE FLOOR IN THIS ONE BEDROOM HOME. THE FACE WAS SO GENTLE, THE ROOM IN SUCH DISORDER, NOT HOW I PICTURED A UNITED STATES SOLDIER. WAS THIS THE HERO OF WHOM I'D JUST READ? CURLED UP ON A PONCHO, THE FLOOR FOR A BED? I REALIZED THE FAMILIES THAT I SAW THIS NIGHT, OWED THEIR LIVES TO THESE SOLDIERS WHO WERE WILLING TO FIGHT. SOON ROUND THE WORLD, THE CHILDREN WOULD PLAY, AND GROWNUPS WOULD CELEBRATE A BRIGHT CHRISTMAS DAY. THEY ALL ENJOYED FREEDOM EACH MONTH OF THE YEAR, BECAUSE OF THE SOLDIERS, LIKE THE ONE LYING HERE. I COULDN'T HELP WONDER HOW MANY LAY ALONE, ON A COLD CHRISTMAS EVE IN A LAND FAR FROM HOME. THE VERY THOUGHT BROUGHT A TEAR TO MY EYE, I DROPPED TO MY KNEES AND STARTED TO CRY. THE SOLDIER AWAKENED AND I HEARD A ROUGH VOICE, "SANTA DON'T CRY, THIS LIFE IS MY CHOICE. I FIGHT FOR FREEDOM, DON'T ASK FOR MORE, MY LIFE IS MY GOD, MY COUNTRY, MY CORPS." THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER AND DRIFTED TO SLEEP, I COULDN'T CONTROL IT, I CONTINUED TO WEEP. I KEPT WATCH FOR HOURS, SO SILENT AND STILL, AND WE BOTH SHIVERED FROM THE COLD NIGHT'S CHILL. I DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE ON THAT COLD, DARK, NIGHT, THIS GUARDIAN OF HONOR SO WILLING TO FIGHT. THEN THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER, WITH A VOICE SOFT AND PURE, WHISPERED, "CARRY ON SANTA, IT'S CHRISTMAS DAY, ALL IS SECURE." ONE LOOK AT MY WATCH, AND I KNEW HE WAS RIGHT, "MERRY CHRISTMAS MY FRIEND, AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT."

CHIRSTMAS TOYS FOR KIDS St. Anastasia Council #5911 will donate approximately 45 gifts for boys and girls to the Jamaica Outreach Program. The gifts were collected from the membership at the Annual Christmas Party. MEMBERSHIP DRIVE If anyone you know is interested in joining our Council, have them come to the Annex on any Tuesday evening at 8:00PM or call August Randazzo at 718-279-9096. We will be happy to discuss the benefits of membership. Visit us on the web: www.geocities.com/kofc5911.

Helpful travel tips to those who are traveling abroad (1) The most effective means of protecting yourself and your property is the liberal use of common sense reinforced with a high state of security awareness. Do not give anyone the opportunity to exploit vulnerabilities. Stay alert and exercise good judgment. Do research on the country you will be travel-ing to before you go. Talk with friends, family or business associates who have visited the country. They can usually give you some good tips for your trip. Also, for any travel warnings or other conditions that you should be aware of, check with the U.S. State Department, Bureau of Consular Affairs.

Travelers should discuss with their travel agents, which airlines, hotels and car rental companies are recommended. Obtain information from U.S. Customs regard-ing any special requirements for the country you are visiting.

Request from the embassy of the country you plan to visit a copy of any list or pamphlet de-scribing customs restrictions or banned materi-als. This is a hint designed to minimize the pos-sibility of an encounter with the local authori-ties. Choose an airline with a good safety and on-time record. Try to book a non-stop flight, as these have fewer takeoffs and landings. Try to make your stopovers in airports that have a high security standard and good security screen-ing. Choose a window or center seat. This will keep you away from any action that may be happening in the aisle.

Many U.S. corporations have hotels abroad that are owned by local businessmen and staffed by local workers but managed by first class U.S. hoteliers. You usually can expect levels of safety and security that are consistent with U.S. standards. Check with the Regional Security Officer at the U.S. Embassy for a list of hotels utilized by officials visiting the area. Kevin Devlin Kevin Devlin is St. Anastasia parishioner; he is re-tired Captain from the Port Authority Police De-partment and was commanding officer of the Port Authority’s Emergency Services and Canine unit.

MASS INTENTIONS

December 13—20, 2008

SATURDAY WEEKDAY

5:30 PM Michael St. John

SUNDAY THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT

8:00 AM 10:00 AM George Proto

12:00 PM Richard Lynch and Arthur & Madeline Guest

5:00 PM

MONDAY ADVENT WEEKDAY

8:30 AM Patrick Hagan

TUESDAY ADVENT WEEKDAY

8:30 AM Irene Krusziewski

WEDNESDAY ADVENT WEEKDAY

8:30 AM Anthony Cerulli and Timothy Larkin

THURSDAY ADVENT WEEKDAY

8:30 AM Anthony Orgera

FRIDAY ADVENT WEEKDAY

8:30 AM Irene Krusziewski and Marie Kurtz

SATURDAY ADVENT WEEKDAY

8:30 AM Raymond J. O’Connor and Sante & Adalgisa Scarapicchia

Bread & Wine Memorial

IN THANKSGIVING FOR

*** Dr. Robert Hard *** DECEMBER 14—20, 2008

{ Remember } Please remember in your prayers all the sick of our Parish Community, especially:

Ruth Marchese Annette Montello Mary Ann Inguagiato

and those who have died, especially:

Mary Cacciola Robert P. Roma Joseph Lacalamita

We’re Here Where Are You? Have You Heard

What We Do?

Need A Lift To The Doctor……… Call Outreach 347-481-5477

Need To Get To The Store……… Call Outreach 347-481-5477

Want Some Company…………….. Call Outreach 347-481-5477

Need A Ride To- You Name It…… Call Outreach 347-481-5477

We’re Here: Call Us – We’ll Be There!

The next recipe section will be published in the De-cember 21 edition of our Bulletin. This time we will focus on Christmas recipes. If you would like to share your “secret formulas”, leave them at the Rectory or email us at info@stanastasia.info by December 18.

This week:

■ Leisure Club on Tuesday

■ Spiritual Advent Reflections on Tuesday

■ Religious Education Classes on Wednesday

■ RCIA on Wednesday

■ Spanish Prayer Group on Thursday

■ Coffee & Donuts after 12 PM Mass

■ Youth Group on Sunday

■ Christmas Recipes in the next Sunday Bulletin