and

An Evening of Prayer in Anticipation of Our Parish Feast Day

As was mentioned in last week’s bulletin, there will be a special Prayer Service tomorrow (Monday) evening here in church. Mark your calendars for Monday, December 17th, at 7:00pm, when our parish will gather for a service on the Seven O Antiphons of Advent, verses that focus our attention on the Glory of Christ, the mystery of this wonderful gift, who is born to us at Christmas. Take an hour off from your Christmas rush to reflect on all that we are given through this feast, beyond the trees and the lights, the gifts and the food, and meditate on the Savior it honors –

who comes to us! Every Parish has a feast day? Just like people who are named after saints, schools, religious orders, church buildings, and even parish communities celebrate on the feast of their namesake, scriptural event, or mystery of our faith. Our Parish, Nativity of Our Lord, celebrates our feast day on December 25th, Christmas, of course. To prepare the way for the richness and joy of the celebration of Jesus’ birth, we invite you to Monday’s special evening of prayer and reflection.

Questions for personal reflection based on this Sunday’s Readings…

REJOICE!

“Brothers and sisters:

Rejoice in the Lord always.

I shall say it again: rejoice!

Have no anxiety at all, but in everything,

in prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God.” -Philippians 4:4,6

Am I a joyful person? Do I see the better side of

things, or the negative side? Am I a complainer or a “downer?”

More than good etiquette, saying “thank-you” is a primary

act for a Christian. Am I grateful for what I have in my life? Do I say it to God; to others? Do I allow myself

to become worried and anxious rather than be grateful for God’s Divine Providence?

THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT December 16, 2018

NATIVITY OF OUR LORD PARISH, DURYEA 127 Stephenson Street Tel: 570-457-3502 Fax: 570-451-3341 Office Hours: M-F, 8:30-4:30 unless otherwise noted in bulletin

E-mail: rectory@nativityduryea.org Web: www.nativityduryea.org / Nativity of Our Lord Duryea

Rev. John V. Polednak, V.E., Pastor Deacon André Kabacinski, Parish Deacon

Masses: Daily, M-F – 7:00 am ● Saturday (Vigil)- 4:00 pm ● Sunday- 8:00 am, 11:00 am and 7:00 pm

Confession: Daily, M-F~6:40-6:55 am ● Saturday- 3:15-3:45 pm, and anytime upon request.

CHRISTMAS CONFESSIONS Today (Sunday) ~ 5:30pm - 6:30pm Monday, Dec. 17 ~ 5:30pm -6:30pm

Thursday, Dec. 20 ~ 3:30pm - 4:30pm and Deanery Penance Service, Dec. 20 ~ 7:00pm, St John the Evangelist, Pittston.

LITURGICAL CALENDAR, DEVOTIONS AND INTENTIONS FOR THE WEEK OF DECEMBER 17-23, 2018

Sun

16 5:30-6:30pm Confessions

Mo

n

17 7:00am

5:30-6:30pm John and Regina Nowakowski (by Janice Nowakowski and Family) Confessions

Tu

e

18 7:00am Marie Chromey (by Cathy Polak)

Wed

19 7:00am Kimberly Kalina (by Terri Stocki)

Th

u

20

7:00am 3:30-4:30pm

7:00pm

Eugene Perrins (by the Family) Confessions Deanery Penance Service @ St. John’s, William Street in Pittston

Fri

21 7:00am Joseph Duszak (by the Family)

Sat

22 4:00pm Mary Ann Ryczak (by Helen Aston)

Sun

23

8:00am

11:00am

7:00pm

Irene Rostkowski (by Children)

Italio, Marie and Arnold Mascioli (by Shirley and Walter Perhalla and Family)

For the Intentions of Our Parishioners

Mo

n

24 4:00pm

12Midnight

For the Christmas Intentions of Our Parishioners

For the Christmas Intentions of Our Parishioners

Tu

e

25 9:00am

11:00am

For the Christmas Intentions of Our Parishioners

For the Christmas Intentions of Our Parishioners

VOTIVE CANDLE OFFERINGS

Sacred Heart of Jesus Carl, Sr. & James Witkowski (by E. Lillian Witkowski & Family)

Blessed Virgin Mary Aldona and Allen Morris (by Beverly and James Scalise)

St. Joseph Eugene Perrins (by the Family)

2 Week of December 17-23, 2018

DECEMBER CALENDAR 15 Saturday -Cookie Sale, Before/After Mass, Rectory 16 Sunday -Cookie Sale, Before/After Mass, Rectory - CCD Christmas Pageant/Party, K-8, 9:30-10:45 am, School Auditorium 17 Monday -Parish Advent Prayer Service, 7:00pm in Church 20 Thursday -Gift Certificates, 8:00-10:00am, Church Hall 23 Sunday -NO CCD 24 Monday–Christmas Eve--OFFICE CLOSED

25 Tuesday—Christmas—OFFICE CLOSED

26 Wednesday—OFFICE CLOSED

30 Sunday -NO CCD 31 Monday – New Year’s Eve OFFICE CLOSED JANUARY 2019 CALENDAR 1 Tuesday - Sol of Mary, Mother of God -OFFICE CLOSED 6 Sunday -CCD Classes resume

More events and details online at www.nativityduryea.org

~ FINANCES AND ONGOING STEWARDSHIP ~ for the weekend of December 8-9, 2018 $4,447.75 Sunday; $831 Secondary; $385.50 Loose; $844 Immaculate Conception; $129 ICC Loose; $301 Retired Religious

Online Giving: $365 Sunday; $86 Secondary; $20 Initial; $20 Christmas Flowers; $3 Care & Education of Priests; $23 Retirement for Religious; $13 Immaculate Conception; $15 Cemetery; $10 Christmas; $3 Sol. of Mary

Fish and Loaves: January – Hot Chocolate Mix

Air Conditioning repair additional Thanks to Regina Fredrickson. We are grateful to all those who contributed.

2019 Blessing of Homes Fr. John and Deacon André continue this beautiful tradition. If you would like

your home blessed, please fill out and return so that a schedule could be made.

Name_________________________________

Address_______________________________

_______________________________

Phone __________________or___________________

Times that might work best

for all or most of the family to be at home:

❑A Weekday = ❑Morning ❑Afternoon ❑Evening

❑Saturday Morning

❑Sunday Afternoon

Blessing of Homes Father Polednak and Deacon Kabacinski are continuing the custom of the Blessing of Homes after Christmas. Consider making this custom a part of your January to start the year off right, especially those in new or remodeled homes. If you wish a home visit, please indicate such on the reply form and return it by December 25. The blessing of a home is a blessing for the structure, but more importantly for those who dwell there. Ideally, everyone is home when the blessing takes place, though this is sometimes impossible. Please indicate what is a good time for the visit – this will be taken into account as Father is making the schedule.

20 + K + M + B + 19

PARISH CHRISTMAS COOKIE SALE before and after all the Masses this weekend in the RECTORY. Homemade cookies of all varieties are available for purchase right in time for the Christmas holidays.

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION NEWS – All parishioners are invited to the Religious Education Christmas PAGEANT today (Sunday) in the Holy Rosary School Auditorium starting at 10:00am. Light refreshments will be served afterward in the school cafeteria. Today is the final class until Sunday, January 6.

The GIFT CERTIFICATES that support Holy Rosary School and other diocesan schools may be purchased per the usual school-year schedule on Thursday from 8:00-10:00 am in the church hall.

TREE OF HOPE If you have not yet returned your gift for our parish’s Tree of Hope, please do so quickly. Please bring remaining gifts to the rectory early this week. Thank you to all those who have responded so generously so far.

ITEMS FOR THE END OF 2018… AND BEGINNINGS OF 2019

➢ BLESSED CHRISTMAS WAFERS (Opłatki) for use at your Christmas dinners and celebrations are still

available after Masses throughout the Advent season. We hope you can keep this tradition alive in your homes. A donation of $2 is asked to cover the cost of the wafers, and shipping and handling.

➢ CHRISTMAS CONFESSIONS There are Confessions today (Sunday) 5:30-6:30 pm; Monday, December 17, 5:30-6:30 p.m.; and Thursday, December 20, 3:30-4:30 pm. A complete Christmas and New Year’s Schedule was included in your Christmas letter – see below.

➢ 2019 PARISH CALENDARS are available. Please take one calendar per home; additional calendars may be taken after New Year’s. Thank you very much to the Piontek Funeral Home for their donation of the calendars! Kittens and puppys are cute, mountains and oceans show us the majesty and glory of God, and comics help us find humor in our daily lives, but a Catholic Home Calendar helps us to bring the Faith into our homes in a real and visible way. Please consider taking your calendar today.

➢ A PARISH LETTER with the Christmas/New Year’s Schedules has been mailed. Please read it carefully for the times in which Masses will be celebrated and confessions heard. If you did not receive a letter, your census information may not be up to date. Please call the office to make adjustments.

➢ NEW OFFERTORY ENVELOPE SYSTEM will begin in January as announced in last week’s bulletin and included in your Christmas Letter.

DIOCESAN ANNUAL APPEAL We are currently at just over 50% of our parish goal for the 2018 Appeal, at $23,780.00. Thank you to all who have contributed so far. A list will be published after Christmas. HOLY REDEEMER HIGH SCHOOL PRESENTS “SOUNDS OF THE SEASON” Today (Sunday), at 2:00 pm Holy Redeemer High School students, under the direction of Miss Ann Manganiello, will present a Choral Concert entitled, “Sounds of the Season.” The Royal Singers, Handbell Choir, soloists and instrumentalists will be featured along with an audience sing-a-long. Sacred, secular, traditional and popular works will be performed. Elementary instrumentalists under the direction of Mr. Mark Stransky and assistants will also be featured during the concert. The concert takes place in the Holy Redeemer High School McCarthy Auditorium. Ticket donation is $4 for adults and $3 for students and senior citizens and may be purchased at the door.

Third Sunday of Advent time

3

3

This Bulletin is printed in Loving Memory of. . .

John A., Theresa and

John Adamiak Jr.

Alfred & Judith Akulonis, Sr. Frank and Helen Amantea Jean Marie Ambrosavage

Mary Louise Bomber Peter and Victoria Biga Thomas and Stella Blasco

Edward and Margaret

Brostoski Frank Callis

Alan J. Celusniak

John and Mary Celusniak Richard A. Champi, Sr. Chilek and Hoover Families

Coyne and Wieczorek

Families

Louis Robert Cremard

Catherine and Louis Cremard

Irene DeAngelo

Rev. Andrew J. Marcinko

M/M Andrew Marcinko

Carmen and Idena DeBiasi

Deceased members of the

Louis and Dorothy Doxbeck

Family

Deceased members of the

Dolan and Roche Family Chester Draus

Dulny and Kapish Families Jack Fischer and

Zaladonis Family Helen S. Mattei Freas

John T. Freas

and Mary Matt

Fumanti and Rafferty

Families

Dominick “Beaver” Gigliello

and

Anthony & Mary Naida

Margaret & Leo Glodzik, Sr.

and Lea Glodzik

Gregorczyk and Negvesky

Families Martin K. Hastie, Jr.

Jasienski, Bozinko &

Lewandowski Families Judge and Antal Families Kundrat and Simko Families

Eugene Madrak Lottie and George Matrone Victoria, Stella and William

Maziarz

Thomas J. and Cecelia A.

McAndrew Henry B. McHale John and Mary Mikovitch

John, Michaline and

Joseph Milus Moskaitis Family

Mary Ann Namatka

Peter & Elizabeth Namatka

William & Josephine Sowa

Sophia & Walter Nestorick

and Peter Pocholonis, Jr.

Deceased members of the

Stanley & Josephine

Nowakowski Family

Bernard Olcheski,

Eileen Macuga and

William & Helen Dalton

Agnes and Peter Olsheski

Olszewski, Grudzinski and

Madrak Families

Zigmont, Lottie &

David Olszewski and

Anna Skowronski

Frank & Florence Orlowski Bernard J. Ostrosky Teresa Ramiza Pace and

Michael T. Haluschak

Charles & Julia Pernot and

Martin & Anna Dunay

and Family

Ruth Pernot Samuel & Genevieve Perrins

Eugene P. Perrins

Edward and Dorothy

Piorkowski

Mrs. Helen Rava

Sharon Rava Imbrogno

Stanley & Stella Rava

and Family

Rincavage and Billick

Families

Anthony and Helen Rincavage

and Anthony Singer Michael and Irene Rostkowski Jess L. & Beatrice Rutkoski

Victor L., Anna and

Victor J. Salidas

Thomas & Florence

Skowronski and

Wascavage Family

Joseph and Mary Solarchik

Margaret Stanavage and

Son, Ronnie

Carl Joseph Tucker, Butler

and Long Families Walter Urban

Ross A., Anna and Raymond

Vender

Jacob J. Vitek

Pauline M. Vitek

Theresa M. Vitek

Earl & Marion Vrabel and

Michael Larronde

Grant Larronde

Mike Wasko Vincent & Mary Waszczak

and Marion Waszczak Bryk Helen Yardchik

Margaret Yauk

and Romayne Solarchik

Zujkowski, Pribula and Klink

Families Helen and Adam Zuro

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