1738 W. University Ave, Gainesville, FL 32603-1839

catholicgators.org | (352) 372-3533 | Fax (352) 378-9010

Parish Office Hours : M-F 10am-5pm

WEEK OF

December 18, 2016

Home of the

MASS TIMES

Sunday 9:00am Family Mass 11:30am 1:30pm (Spanish) 5:30pm 7:30pm

Mon.-Fri. 12:00pm | 5:30pm

Saturday 5:30pm Vigil

RECONCILIATION:

M-F 4:30pm-5:20pm

EUCHARISTIC ADORATION:

Monday Wednesday Friday

6:00-7:00pm 4:30-5:20pm 8:15-9:15am

FIRST FRIDAY:

5:30pm Mass of the Sacred Heart and Eucharistic Adoration

ROSARY:

Monday-Friday 11:25am

Welcome

New Members: To be a member of our parish re-quires registration and participa-tion in worship, sacraments, the life of the parish, and regular financial support of the parish. This is a basic consideration when requesting marriage, baptism, or to act as a godparent/sponsor. Register in the parish office or on-line.

The fourth Sunday of Advent

Congratulations

to our

Fall 2016

Graduates

2

Mass Intentions AND SCRIPTURE READINGS

FOR THE WEEK OF December 18, 2016 Parish CALENDAR FOR THE WEEK

Pastor Father Marek Dzien

Parochial Vicar Father Benjamin Romero, CMF

Administrative Assistant to the Pastor Gail Fitzsimmons

RCIA & Young Adult Ministry Coordinator Sabrina Sy

Liturgy & Music Co-Directors Doug Ghizzoni Matthew Kuizon

Religious Education Coordinator Elena Melendez

Facilities & Operations Manager Mary T. Wise

Bookkeeper Sara Geiser

Parish Secretaries Brian Gulig Cecile Sands Clara Aziz

Housekeeping Rosa Nakamatsu

Director of the Catholic Student Center Father David Ruchinski

Campus Ministers - Ashley Hemingway and Sandy DeTeresa

Campus Ministry Assistants - Anna Gugliemino and Sr. Ana-Luisa Galvan

Alumni Outreach Coordinator - Lauren Troncoso

Seminarian - Michael Kieler

FOCUS Missionaries (Fellowship of Catholic University Students}

Katelyn Miller | Ariadna Ruiz | Joseph West | Drew Decker

Clergy & Staff Members

The Catholic

Studen

t Cen

ter

St. A

ugu

stine Church

RCIA

Contact Sabrina Sy at sabrina@catholicgators.org

SACRAMENTAL PREPARATION

Call the office for information on First Reconciliation/First Com-munion, High School Confirmation, & Adult Confirmation preparation.

SACRAMENT OF MARRIAGE

Couples should meet with a priest at least eight (8) months prior to the wedding. Contact Gail Fitzsimmons at (352) 372-3533 ext. 113 or

gail@catholicgators.org for an initial consultation.

SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM

Baptism Preparation is required and both parents should attend our monthly preparation class and coordinate with the parish office.

Please call the parish office to arrange for Baptism and preparation, preferably before the baby’s birth.

The Tabernacle Candle is being sponsored this week in memory of Shigehiro Nakamatsu by Rosa and Gabriel Nakamatsu

The deceased are indicated by a cross in front of their names. Masses said for the living are for their special intentions.

Sunday, December 18– Fourth Sunday of Advent Is 7:10-14 | Rom 1:1-7 | Mt 1:18-24 9:00am Richard Bucciarelli by Lynda Bucciarelli 11:30am 1:30pm Sergio Gonzalez Mangual by Socorro Gonzalez 5:30pm For the Parish 7:30pm Monday, December 19– Late Advent Weekday Jgs 13:2-7, 24-25 | Lk 1:5-25 12:00pm Rosa Rabell by Paco Rabell 5:30pm Mass Suspended Tuesday, December 20– Late Advent Weekday Is 7:10-14 | Lk 1:26-38 12:00pm 5:30pm Mass Suspended Wednesday, December 21– Late Advent Weekday Sg 2:8-14 or Zep3:14-18 | Lk 1:39-45 12:00pm Harold Wise by Maris Wise 5:30pm Mass Suspended Thursday, December 22– Late Advent Weekday 1 Sm 1:24-28 | Lk 1:46-56 12:00pm Birthdays/Anniversaries for staff, clergy, and friends 5:30pm Mass Suspended Friday, December 23– Late Advent Weekday Mal 3:1-4, 23-24 | Lk 1:57-66 12:00pm 5:30pm Mass Suspended Saturday, December 24-Late Advent Weekday Morning: 2 Sm 7:1-5, 8-12, 14, 16 | Lk 1:67-79 7:00pm Fiona A. by Marina A. 10:30pm Antonia Contreras by the Rosales family

Sunday, December 18– 4th Sunday of Advent 9:00am Children’s Liturgy of the Word 2:30pm Cafecito 3:00pm Spanish Bible Study 3:00pm Hispanic Baptism Preparation 3:00pm Spanish RCIA 5:00pm Novena Divino Nino Monday, December 19 12:00pm Noon Mass **5:30 Mass suspended** 7:00pm Hispanic Charismatic Prayer Tuesday, December 20 12:00pm Noon Mass **5:30 Mass suspended** 7:00pm Spanish Bible Study Wednesday, December 21 12:00pm Noon Mass **5:30 Mass suspended** 6:00pm Adult Confirmation 7:00pm Cursillo Thursday, December 22 12:00pm Noon Mass **5:30 Mass suspended** 6:00pm Upper Room 6:30pm Choir Rehearsal 7:30pm Spanish Choir Rehearsal

Friday, December 23 12:00pm Noon Mass **5:30 Mass suspended** Saturday, December 24 7:00pm Children’s Christmas Eve Mass 10:30pm Midnight Mass

Around the parish,

greater Gainesville and

the diocese

WEEK OF

December 18 2016

3

IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF JOHN PAUL II

POLAND, MAY 2017

Duration: Eight days Accommodation: Hotel in Kazimierz There’s still time to learn more and sign up!

INTERESTED? PLEASE CONTACT FR. MAREK .

WOMEN’S BOOK GROUP

The Learning Committee and the Women’s Book Discussion Group invite you to join us in the lounge at 10:00 a.m. January 22 for a book signing and discussion by Kate-lin Maloney. She will discuss her novel, Drowning, which raises awareness of domestic violence through its powerful story that allows the reader to witness an abusive relation-ship and ‘walk on eggshells’ along with the victim. Aching to see the resolution, most readers claim Drowning is a book they cannot put down. Books will be available on the 22nd but if you would like to read it in advance contact Janet allenjm@cox.net. Katelin donates a portion of the pro-ceeds to Peaceful Paths shelter. Everyone is invited and encouraged to attend.

Advent/Christmas Appeal

November 27, 2016 – January 8, 2017

The Lord God keeps faith forever. Psalm 146:6 (Third Sunday of Advent)

Thank you for your gifts during the first two weeks of the Advent/Christmas Appeal.

All donations are tax deductible. Every gift is important. Every gift counts. As the Lord keeps faith forever, so must we.

FUNDRAISING FOR BURKINA FASO WITH FAIR TRADE

Please consider fair trade gifts for the holidays. Proceeds from all fair trade sales go to fund Stop Hunger Now--providing 20,000 meals to the hun-gry in Burkina Faso in 2017. This is our parish's third meal packaging program, and our goal has

doubled this year. See our catalogue online (link at catholicgators.org) or at the church office. Please do not place your order online - orders should be

given to the office with the payment.

Please make checks payable to St. Augustine - write fair trade in the memo line. No sales tax is collect-ed. Group orders over $300 ship for free. Ques-

tions? Email service@catholicgators.org

For easy access to the catalogue, visit www.crsfairtrade.org

CHRISTMAS

EVE

WORKDAY

Saturday,

December 24

In the

Church

10:00am …

until ...we’re

finished

4

Stewardship in the

parish

The fourth Sunday

of advent

STEWARDSHIP SPOTLIGHT - THE FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT

For the past three weeks of Advent, the first readings have been uplifting promises of goodness, peace, hope, and healing from the prophet Isaiah. The Gospels have challenged us for the expectation of Emmanuel – God is with us – in the incarnation and public ministry of Jesus. So, my question to myself and all who read this, which I must admit only recently dawned on me while meditating on these readings, is "What is Advent all about, anyway?" Just like every other aspect of this holiday season, we can travel down a familiar path on auto-pilot and not even think about the significance of what we are supposed to be doing.

Is Advent Season just the Church cashing in on all of the pre-Christmas hype, like the malls and television spe-cials? Is it just a warm-up, like a movie trailer, to build expectation for a heightened Christmas Eve or Christmas Morning experience? Is it to instill suspense or expectation for the birth of Jesus, as if He is being born again as some kind of surprise?

I arrived at the answer being "No" to all of these questions. There may be an element of truth or rele-vance to some of them, but Advent is aimed at us preparing our lives for the Real Presence of Jesus in our very beings. Sure, we experience the Real Presence at every Eucharist, but we have this annual opportunity to reflect on it, since being creatures of habit, we become acclimated to significant matters and forget their real meaning.

Are the readings from Isaiah and the Gospels merely historical, intended only for the people back then? No. They are meant to challenge us today, right now. How does Isaiah's beautiful prophecy become real? Does God zap the world and force people to live a certain way? No. We have free will. So we must act on His inspira-tion to us through the Holy Spirit and change ourselves, to become the vehicles of goodness, peace, hope, and healing. This is serious work for us during this busy season! Maybe reading this has caused the realization like just happened to me. Now it's the Fourth Sunday of Advent; Christmas is just one week away. Well, then get to work and pray for guidance and strength! And don't forget, these changes are not just for Christmas Season. They are for forever, so we all have plenty of time to work on this.

One last stewardship note. This year is that every-seventh-year that pastors hate - Christmas falls on a Sunday. That means that many people, who would have otherwise made their Sunday offering plus a special Christmas offering, may elect to just give one or the other. This seriously impacts the parish's bottom line for the year. Even if you're not going to be here for Christmas, please make your special Christmas offering to the parish on top of the regular Sunday offering. You can do this online at www.catholicgators.org/make-a-donation. Remember, the offertory is not a fee for service or admission for attendance. It is our support of our parish and its mission to bring Christ to the campus and the campus to Christ. Have a holy and blessed Fourth Week of Advent.

Paul A. Gulig, Chair of Stewardship Committee

Masses on December 11, 2016 Collection totals were not available at press time.

Catholic student

center and young

adult ministries

WEEK OF

December 18, 2016

5

T his Christmas, we will have a limited number of red poinsettias for the Sanctuary. We are accepting donations from those who would like to honor friends and/or family members by placing one of these beauti-ful plants in the church. Donations may be made at catholicgators.org or by completing the form below and returning it to the parish office or dropping it in the offertory baskets. Your Name____________________________________________ Honoring ______________________________________________ Number of plants_____________________________________ Your donation ________________________________________

Please make checks payable to St. Augustine Church and write Poinsettias in the memo line.

For more information and to register, visit www.dcfl.org/MarchForLifeYA.

Miinisterio hispano The fourth Sunday

Of advent

6

Estudio Bíblico En la biblioteca Domingo, 3:00pm– 4:00pm Martes, 7:00pm– 8:00pm RCIA en Español Domingo, 3:00pm-4:30pm Liturgy Conference Room

Ultreya primer Lunes de Mes, 7:00pm-10pm Lounge

Y los próximos Cursillos de este año son: Febrero 16-19, 2017 por Hombres Marzo 2-5, 2017 por Mujeres

Cursillo de Cristiandad

Cursillo, en espan ol quiere decir “curso pequen o” o “corto.” Es de tres dí as para hom-bres y mujeres de cualquier edad. ¿Deseas tener un encuentro real con Cristo? Es una experiencia maravillosa. ¿Deseas ser parte de una comunidad Cristiana comenzando

desde tu propio hogar?

Y los pro ximos Cursillos de este an o son:

Febrero 16-19, 2017 por Hombres Marzo 205, 2017 por Mujeres

Para mayor informacio n comunicarse con:

Awilda Merced (787) 448-7968 o A ngela Chiriboga (352) 331-7616.

Cafecito y dulces Se les invita a pasar al salo n de la iglesia cada domingo despue s de la Misa de la 1:30 p.m. para compartir amistad y cafecito. Vengan y conozcan mejor a sus hermanos en

Cristo. Si desean, pueden traer donaciones de galletas o bebidas.

greater Gainesville, catholic

schools, the Diocese and The

parish

WEEK OF

December 18, 2016

the St. Vincent de Paul Society

December 18– Fourth Sunday of Advent

In today’s Gospel, we hear that Jesus will be named Emmanuel, which means “God is with us.” The mystery of the birth of Jesus is supremely a mystery of love. May each Christmas find us more and more like him: more humble, more

holy, more happy and more full of God. Last month, through your generous gifts and donations, the Socie-ty of St. Vincent de Paul could assist families in our community by providing 163 lbs. in food and help with GRU and rent bills. Special thanks to all those who made donations to our Thanksgiving Basket Pro-gram. Because of your generosity, we gave 607 lbs. of food to 46 families for their traditional Thanksgiving meal. Thank You and God Bless!

7

Want to Join the Knights?

Our college council is right here at St. A’s parish, Pope John Paul II -13900 Council, and you can become a member if you are a practicing Catholic male over 18 years old. Alt-hough our council is a “college council”, we have members representing all age brackets. Since our student members move on upon graduating, we are always looking for non-student members to provide permanence to our council. To join, or if you have any questions about the Knights of Columbus, please contact our Grand Knight, Bradley Nar-towt at bjnartowt@gmail.com.

Knight’s Corner

Angel cards The Angels in our sister parish in Ecuador have sent handmade Christmas cards to us this year. Please pick an Angel-card from the tree in the vestibule and place your donation in the Sister Parish donation envelopes located by the tree. Make your 2016 Angel-card a new decoration for your family’s Christmas tree.