S t . A n t o n i n u s C h u r c h 1 5 0 0 L i n n e m a n R d C i n c i n n a t i O H 4 5 2 3 8 D e c e m b e r 9 , 2 0 1 8

S E R V E R S D e c e m b e r 1 0 - 1 4 , 2 0 1 8 Monday & Wednesday

Michelle Hornsby, Paige Mullen Mia Gilday (Wednesday only)

Tuesday, Thursday, Friday Adult Servers

S E R V E R S D E C E M B E R 1 5 & 1 6 , 2 0 1 8 4:30PM Ava Mueller, Molly Espelage, Lauren Link 8:00AM Adult Server 9:30AM Brian Beiting, Hudson Forrester, Josh Steinhaus 11:30AM Carlos Brogan, Andrew & Austin Ruwe

EUCHARISTIC MINISTERS DECEMBER 15 & 16 4:30PM L. & E. Bohan, G. & O. Meyer, J. Gerstner 8:00AM C. Holloway, B. Bohan, F. Leicht, M. Lemasters 9:30AM C. Jacob, T. Wissel, J. Rudemiller, A. Heisel, L. Schroeder, J. Scott, J. Scheid, S. Tarvin, J. Burger, J. Burger, D. Burger 11:30AM E. Willig, N. Oehler, S. Morgan, K. Klaene, K. Burger, R. Burger, J. Ferguson, K. Hein, S. Gerhardt, H. Hughes, E. Foster THANK YOU to Excel Carpet Services for advertising in our bulletin. A L L S A I N T A N T O N I N U S S C H O O L A L U M N I are asked to call the rectory office at 513-922-5400, x 2, or see the official St. Antoninus Parish website, to register on the new Alumni form. Go to About Us, then click on the Alumni site. Fill in the fields, and click send.

R O S A R Y Saturdays after the 8 AM Communion Service and at 4:00PM. Sundays at 7:30AM. Monday thru Friday after the daily Mass. Mondays 7:00PM Fatima Prayer Group in the Chapel. Every evening at 7:30pm for the special Pro-Life intentions of Protection of our Unborn Children and the overturn of Roe v Wade.

Friday mornings at MaryAnn Baverman’s home for Moms and grandmoms and young children. We extend an invitation to join our group for prayer on Friday mornings from 10AM to 11:00AM. We will show you how to pray the rosary. Please call MaryAnn at 503-9537 for details.

St. Antoninus Prayer chain: To intercede for prayer requests, please go to www.saintantoninus.org/prayer-chain , or pick up a list in the back of the greeting room on the right side of the counter. Requests for prayers may be left there, or emailed to: staprayerchain@gmail.com, or you may mail requests to St. Antoninus Prayer Chain, 1500 Linneman Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45238.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 10 8:00AM MASS H. Gudwin Johnson—Bd. Rem.— Bob & Ginny TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11 Saint Damasus I 8:00AM MASS Franco Sauro—Giovanna Ciarla

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 12 Our Lady of Guadalupe 8:00AM MASS Antonio Santoro– Anniv. Rem.– Anna Bonavita

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 13 Saint Lucy

8:00AM MASS Jim Griffiths—Bd. Rem.- Family

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 14 Saint John of the Cross 8:00AM MASS Larry Klumb—Cindy & Ken Kemper

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 15 8:00AM MASS Intentions of Celebrant 4:00PM Rosary 4:30PM MASS Special Intentions of Marilyn & Dave Wempe—50th Wedding Anniv.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 16 Third Sunday of Advent 7:30AM Rosary 8:00AM MASS For the people of the parish 9:30AM MASS Tom Reilly—Family 11:30AM MASS Rosemary Schulte—Barb Huseman

E U C H A R I S T I C A D O R A T I O N

In Matthew 26:40, Jesus says to Peter [and to us], “Could you not, then, watch one hour with me?” Please consider joining your fellow parishioners for 30 minutes, or even one hour, at Eucharistic Adoration in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel on Fridays from 9:00AM until the Adoration ends at 10:00PM. Fatima Holy Hour with Exposition on Thursday evenings from 7PM to 8PM in the church with an opportunity for confession except for Thanksgiving Day, November 22.

C O N F E S S I O N S

Thursday, December 13, 6:30 - 8:00PM Saturday, December 15, 3:00PM - 4:00PM

L E C T O R S D E C E M B E R 1 5 & 1 6 , 2 0 1 8

4:30PM S. Ulmer S. Radziwon 8:00AM M. Braunstein 9:30AM D. Burger A. Bonavita 11:30AM B. Short

L E S S O N S I N C A R O L S Open your heart to the coming of Christ by attending Lessons In Carols on Monday December 17th at 7:00 p.m. at Saint Antoninus Church. This special evening of music and prayer provides an opportunity to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas. Music will be offered by the Giving Glory Contemporary Music Group, directed by Peg Delaney.

N O W A C C E P T I N G A P P L I C A T I O N S F O R T U I T I O N A S S I S T A N C E G R A N T S

The Catholic Education Foundation for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati is currently accepting applications for 2019-2020 elementary school tuition assistance grants. All grants are needs based and can be used at any Catholic elementary school within the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. Awards range from $250 to $1,000 per student. How to apply: www.catholicbestchoice,org Deadline: January 31, 2019 Amount: Up to $1,000 per child.

H O L Y S P I R I T P R A Y E R G R O U P The Jesse Tree has long been a way to prepare during Advent for the coming of Christ at Christmas. There are twenty-five different ornaments – one for each day of December up to Christmas Day itself. Each ornament represents a person or a time in salvation history. For instance, there is an ornament for Adam and Eve and also one for Noah, Jacob, Joseph, and many of the Old Testament patriarchs. The ornaments can be very simply made of felt with appropriate symbols to more sophisticated and detailed ones. We will conclude our journey through salvation history by reading and reflecting on the Scriptures related to the last group of ornaments on our Jesse Tree. Come and join us on Tuesday evening in Chapel at 7:00PM for this powerful and prayerful way of preparing our hearts for the Christ Child.

S A I N T V I N C E N T D E P A U L S O C I E T Y In today’s Gospel John the Baptist urges us to “Prepare the way of the Lord,” because this is what Advent is all about. We are called to help prepare the way of the Lord by making the real meaning of Christmas come alive in our own hearts, in our family and to reach out to those in need. Is there a family you know who needs assistance? Please call the Society of St. Vincent de Paul helpline #513-332-4600 so that together we can help the suffering and poor to celebrate Christmas.

Inclement Weather Policy for Weekday Mass During the winter season St. Antoninus Parish will cancel 8:00 am Mass during inclement weather for safety reasons. We will base this decision on the delay or closing of our parish school. St. Antoninus School makes its decision based on the Oak Hills School District. So, If Oak Hills Schools are on delay or canceled, the morning Mass will be canceled and the church doors will remain locked. This will allow for the proper removal of snow or ice and to apply salt. Mass intentions will then be rescheduled. Should these events occur on a Friday, then Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament is cancelled for the entire day. Should there be snow on Saturday morning, Saturday morning Mass is automatically cancelled. Saturday evening Mass and Sunday Morning Masses will take place as normal. ESAP, CATHOLIC EDUCATION FUND AND THE GEORGE HERBERT JR. FAMILY FOUNDATION will be matching gifts made to St. Antoninus. Please mark on the memo line on your check ESAP donation.

T R A V E L I N G C H A L I C E Now, more than ever, PLEASE consider taking the Traveling Chalice into your home and pray, either as a family or alone, for the intentions of our Holy

Church, for Vocations, Pope Francis, all Church leaders, our country, and for our persecuted brothers and sisters around the world. Call Debbie at 922-2414 to schedule the Traveling Chalice.

Y O U T H M I N I S T R Y S E R V I C E C L U B The Youth Ministry service club is seeking $1-$3 Christmas gifts for the upcoming service trip to Garden Park Nursing Home. The 7th and 8th grade students will deliver gifts to the residents, followed by hosting a bingo party. Gifts should be wrapped ahead of time and marked “man”, “woman” or “either” in order to be given to the appropriate residents. Gifts can be items such as socks, lotions or sprays, Christmas decorations/room décor, etc. Please drop off gifts after Masses thru December 16th, in the marked baskets. Thank you so much for helping us serve the community!

W I N T E R C O A T D R I V E

* * F I N A L E X T E N S I O N T H R U J A N U A R Y 4 t h ! * * Thanks to your generosity, we have extended the deadline until January 4th for you to donate your new or gently used winter coats! The Saint Antoninus Conference of St. Vincent DePaul Society has already collected over 175 coats to help our neighbors in need stay warm this winter, especially their children. Place your coats in the blue barrel in the greeting room, or drop them off in the school office. Thank you for your continued support!

S T . A N T O N I N U S N E T W O R K O F C A R E A network of volunteers is prepared to serve the St. Antoninus Parish Family by providing a meal

after hospitalization, surgery or medical treatments, transportation to medical treatments or to Mass, prayer for the intentions on the St. Antoninus Prayer Chain, and A Listening Ear to parishioners facing difficulties. For more information, please leave a message on the Network of Care Phone Line at 922-5400, ext. 8, and someone will return your call.

V I S I T S T O T H E S I C K A N D H O M E B O U N D If you know of a relative, friend or neighbor who is homebound and who would like to receive Holy Communion and/or the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick, please call the St. Antoninus Network of Care (922-5400, ext. 8), or Deacon Bob Schroeder (922-2500, ext. 2031).

R O S A R Y G A R D E N For more information about memorial stones for purchase, please contact Norb Guetle at 451-1227.

T he St. Antoninus Building and Grounds volunteers would like to coordinate their

volunteer work with the newly formed St. Joseph’s Crew volunteers to help maintain the Church and School campus and grounds. This would be a great

“service” project for our students and high school students. PLEASE call Mark Braunstein at 205-5520 or email: pmbsteen@yahoo.com to sign up.

D I N N E R W I T H C H E F F R . H A F T Benefits the Saint Antoninus Parish 75th Anniversary Fund

Cost: $5.00 per ticket or six tickets for $25.00 Drawing is on December 30, 2018

Dinner for six (6) adults, cooked and served by our own Chef, Fr. Haft, in the Rectory. Tickets can be purchased at bake sales, by mail, on the greeting room shelf or by calling Sue and Lee at 284-1522. Please send your tickets, cash or check in an envelope marked “Dinner with Chef, Fr. Haft”, to the rectory office before December 26,2018.

7 5 T H A N N I V E R S A R Y F U N D B A K E S A L E D e c e m b e r 1 5 & 1 6

Volunteers are needed to bake and assist in selling. Baked goods can be dropped off on Saturdays between 12:00-1:00 PM, or before Masses. A sign-up sheet is available in the Greeting Room, or call Sue & Lee at 284-1522. This sale is a bakers dozen (13 cookies) for $3 or two baker’s dozen for $5. Wide variety of cookies. Cookies are donated by school families and other parishioners. Use these as gifts for shut-ins, Thank you’s, and hostess gifts. Thank you for your support!

MAIN A VENT CHARITABLE SUPPORT,

DONATION AND SPONSORSHIP FORM

Donor Name/Company:____________________________

Address:________________________________________

Phone & Email ___________________________________

_______________________________________________

Charitable Gift of $_________(enclosed)

Item or Service Donation for raffle of $__________

Description of donation for catalog:

________________________________________________

________________________________________________

If pick-up is necessary—please specify the place/date

for donation pickup:

Date:____________________________

Address:________________________________________

Gift Certificate: Type:___________________________

Amount $:_________________________

Sponsorship Opportunity Please circle your level.

Website/Social Media Advertisement in Event Program On-Site Signage at Event Recognition by Emcee During Event

The printing deadline to be included in the event catalog is January 18, 2109. Detailed donation information must reach the rectory office by close of business day at 3:00PM, or by mail to 1500 Linneman Rd. Cincinnati Ohio 45238. E-mail to donations @mainAvent.org. Thank you for your support. Jenee Ferguson & Jenny Melillo 2019 St. Antoninus Main A Vent Chairs.

Diamond Level

Gold Level

Black Level

$1,000 $500 $250

X X X

Full Page 1/2 Page 1/8 Page

X X X

X

P A R I S H ’S 7 5 t h A N N I V E R S A R Y C O O K B O O K F E E D I N G F A M I L Y , F A I T H A N D F E L L O W S H I P

The Cookbook will be on sale on Sunday December 9th, from 3pm-5pm at the Santa's workshop in the undercroft and before and after weekend Masses on Dec. 15th and 16th in the Greeting room. THANK YOU to everyone who contributed to this successful cookbook. We hope you will enjoy cooking and baking this Christmas! If you have any questions please call Monica Kleimeyer at 451-3575.

Join the Greeters Ministry and help make all those who enter the doors of St. Antoninus Church know that we are a welcoming, caring community. Contact Marianne Roedersheimer

at 922-1525 for further details.

Please print clearly:

Name:________________________________

Phone:________________________________

Tickets $5.00 each / 6 for $25.00.

Drawing on December 30, 2018

Checks payable to:

* * St. Antoninus 75th Anniversary Fund * *

Mail to: Sue Horn / 5269 Leona Drive / Cincinnati, OH

45238

Please print clearly:

Name:________________________________

Phone: _______________________________

Tickets $5.00 each / 6 for $25.00.

Drawing on December 30, 2018

Checks payable to:

* * St. Antoninus 75th Anniversary Fund * *

Mail to: Sue Horn / 5269 Leona Drive / Cincinnati,

OH 45238

Please print clearly:

Name:________________________________

Phone:________________________________

Tickets $5.00 each / 6 for $25.00.

Drawing on December 30, 2018

Checks payable to:

* * St. Antoninus 75th Anniversary Fund * *

Mail to: Sue Horn / 5269 Leona Drive / Cincinnati, OH

45238

Please print clearly:

Name:________________________________

Phone:________________________________

Tickets $5.00 each / 6 for $25.00.

Drawing on December 30, 2018

Checks payable to:

* * St. Antoninus 75th Anniversary Fund * *

Mail to: Sue Horn / 5269 Leona Drive / Cincinnati,

OH 45238

Please print clearly:

Name:________________________________

Phone:________________________________

Tickets $5.00 each / 6 for $25.00.

Drawing on December 30, 2018

Checks payable to:

* * St. Antoninus 75th Anniversary Fund * *

Mail to: Sue Horn / 5269 Leona Drive / Cincinnati, OH

45238

Please print clearly:

Name:________________________________

Phone:________________________________

Tickets $5.00 each / 6 for $25.00.

Drawing on December 30, 2018

Checks payable to:

* * St. Antoninus 75th Anniversary Fund * *

Mail to: Sue Horn / 5269 Leona Drive / Cincinnati,

OH 45238

Shop for wedding and shower gifts, birthdays, Christmas, etc. at http://smile.amazon.com, and Amazon donates to St. Antoninus Church. Thank you for your participation. You may sign up at any time for OnLine Giving, even for a one

time donation, to a particular fund. To start, go to the official Saint Antoninus Parish website at www.saintantoninus.org, click About Us,

then click Giving, click on the Our Sunday Visitor button, then click the green Create New Account button. If you want this service but do not have a computer, or if you have any questions, please call Beth at the rectory office at 922-5400, x 2. NOTE: If your credit card company is changing, or your card expires, please update your account with your new credit card number, so your gift giving is not interrupted. If you have a problem texting your donation, please call OSV at 1-800-348-2886, ext. 2, then ext. 1. Or, call Beth at 922-5400, ext. 2.

T E X T T O G I V E Your support during the summer helps sustain our parish year-round. Parishioners and visitors can text a donation dollar amount to 513-952-8338, and your transaction will be processed through the Online Giving account associated with the phone number above. $ amount, single space, then fund name. See examples: 100 sunday or 25.75 maintenance If you do not include a fund name, the default fund is Sunday contributions. These fund names are not case sensitive. Fund Names Text to Give Fund Names Parish 75th Anniversary parishanniv Sunday contributions sunday Maintenance maintenance School Parish Support schoolparish Arleene Vallejos Tuition Assistance avtap School Endowment Fund endowment St. Antoninus Conference of St. Vincent de Paul Society stvdpconf St. Antoninus School Youth Ministry youthministry Fr. Donald McCarthy Memorial Stone dmcstone Dr. Albert C. Niedhamer Scholarship Fund Niedhamerfund

T e l l y o u r s t o r y Schedule your professional photography session today! Two additional days have been added which are December 28 & 29. Go to our Saint Antoninus website at www.saintantoninus.org, look on the right hand side of the home page, and click on the link. Or call the rectory office at 922-5400 ext. 2.

Volunteers are needed to check-in individuals and families who come for their photograph appointments. Please call Beth at 922-5400 x 2 to volunteer.

P A R I S H C O N T R I B U T I O N S Collections for the week ending December 2, 2018

Sunday Collections $18,981.57 Maintenance $ 314.00 School Parish Support $ 677.00 St. Antoninus Conference of St. VdePaul $ 275.00 Youth Ministry $ 312.00 Christmas $ 53.00 Christmas Flower Fund $ 462.00 Memorials $ 150.00 75th Parish Anniversary $ 20.00 All Saints $ 20.00 Immaculate Conception Holyday $ 18.00 Retirement Fund for Religious $ 80.00

Thank you for your continuing support of the parish and school. Please remember Saint Antoninus in your will. Gifts of stock can also be made to St. Antoninus Church. If you currently work for, or are retired from, a company that has a Matching Gift program, you can make your contributions to Parish School Support, and have those contributions matched by your company. If you have questions, please call Mr. Dennis Tepe at 922-5400 x 3.

YOUR ORGANIZATION NUMBER HAS CHANGED TO NC077

The Kroger Co. Family of Stores is committed to bringing hope and help to the local neighborhoods we call home. Our stores are on a mission to be not just a part of, but to help create a stronger community. We recognize that every community has unique causes that need support. Thank you for being such an important organization in our community. We have recently upgraded our system, and as a result your Non-Profit Organization (NPO) has a new account number. We encourage you to ask your supporters to link their rewards card to your organization. Community Rewards is easy to use. The more your supporters shop with us, the more money your organization will earn! We are committed to carefully protecting our customer's personal information. In order to meet their expectation of privacy, we have adopted a simple policy to never share a customer's personal information. Our privacy policy applies to Community Rewards participation as well. Thank you for being such an important organization in our community, Community Rewards Staff

I N L O V I N G M E M O R Y F O R C H R I S T M A S A special section on the back of the bulletin will be available to list the name of your deceased loved one. The cost is $52.00 per name, and their name will remain in the bulletin for one year. This will help defray the cost of printing our bulletin for the entire year. If interested, please cut and fill out the slip, make check payable to Diocesan, put it in an envelope marked “Bulletin”, drop it in the rectory mailbox OR mail it to the parish office: St. Antoninus Church, 1500 Linneman Rd., 45238.

“In Loving Memory” (Please print clearly)

Loved One’s Name _______________________________ Your Name ______________________________________ Phone Number___________________________________ Billing Address:___________________________________ _______________________________________________ _______________________________________________

F L O W E R S F O R T H E A L T A R If you wish to dedicate the placing of flowers for one week at the altar in memory of a loved one, or to honor a person or special

occasion, please send $50 (check made out to Saint Antoninus Church, with Altar Flowers in the memo line) to the rectory office with your name, phone number and the week you would like to reserve. More than one family may reserve the same week. There will be no flower arrangements during the Advent and Lent seasons. If you have questions, call Beth Bollin, at 922-5400, x 2.

S T . F R A N C I S S E R A P H G I V I N G T R E E

Please wrap it, and return it to the greeting room on Sunday, December 9 th only. Thank you for your kindness and your generosity! COFFEE AND DONUTS WILL BE SERVED after all morning Masses on Sunday, December 9.

The Pulsera Project sends us the bracelets and we sell them on behalf of the artisans at fair trade prices. It is a wonderful organization and

their website is www.pulseraproject.com. We will be selling them after Masses on Sunday December 9th and 16th. Please consider purchasing a bracelet or two and give a gift to a loved one and also give the gift of hope to an artisan and their family this Christmas season. Any questions please contact Julie Tolbert at Tolbert@saintantoninus.org .

We recently had some special guests in the building! The Mt. St. Mary's Seminary basketball

team, the Minor Prophets, played the 8th grade boys in a 4-quarter basketball game. During halftime our seminarian intern, Scott Morgan, spoke to the students about vocations.

The Minor Prophets won 43-40 in a hard fought game! Special thanks to our referee, Ms. Fightmaster, and to Mr. Wood who coached our 8th

graders and to the Minor Prophets for visiting St. Antoninus School.

F a m i l y A d v e n t S u n d a y , D e c e m b e r 9 3 to 5PM - LIVE NATIVITY with Animals to pet (sponsored by our Girl Scouts) in Church upper parking lot. 3 to 5PM SANTA'S WORKSHOP (kids can purchase gifts for parents, other family members and pets... shhh)

ADULT SOCIAL GROUP LUNCH will be on Monday, December 10. Chapel service at 12:30PM. Lunch at 1:30PM. If you wish to participate in the gift game, please bring a $10 gift in order to receive a gift. Call Bob Brown at 451-4842. ST. ANTONINUS WIDOWS GROUP is inviting all the widows in the parish to a Christmas luncheon at the Western Hills Country Club on Wednesday, December 12, at 12 Noon. The lunch includes a salad, entrée, dessert, beverage, plus tax and tip. Any questions call Rose Fazio at 922-4668.

D E C R E E O N C H I L D P R O T E C T I O N O F T H E A R C H D I O C E S E O F C I N C I N N A T I

VIRTUS MEETINGS WILL BE HELD IN THE HOLY FAMILY ROOM IN THE ST. ANTONINUS UNDERCROFT. Call Deacon Bob Schroeder at 922-2500 x2031. ALL EMPLOYEES AND REGULAR VOLUNTEERS ARE REQUIRED TO ATTEND ONE VIRTUS TRAINING MEETING. YOU MAY ATTEND HERE OR AT ANY OTHER LOCATION WITHIN THE ARCHDIOCESE. PRE-REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED AT: www.virtus.org. MAKE SURE THAT THE “USER’S LOCATION” YOU CHOOSE DURING REGISTRATION IS ST. ANTONINUS – EVEN IF YOU ATTEND VIRTUS AT ANOTHER LOCATION. PLEASE BE SURE TO WRITE DOWN YOUR VIRTUS USER- ID AND YOUR PASSWORD. YOU WILL NEED TO USE THEM MONTHLY. EACH SESSION IS LIMITED TO 15 PARTICIPANTS. Please register early to be assured of a spot in the session you wish to attend.

PASSION PLAY—OBERAMMERGAU, GERMANY 2020 This play began in 1634 and is an epic drama performed once in-a-decade. Our travel benefits the Friends of Elder Travel Scholarship Fund for the young

men of Elder HS. For information call Norb Guetle at 451-1227.

Reading I: Baruch 5:1-9: The main source of information about the prophet Baruch, himself, comes from the book of Jeremiah. The book of Jeremiah features a Baruch as a scribe, helper, and confidant of Jeremiah. Baruch was charged with writing down Jeremiah’s prophecies so they could be read in the temple. The book of Baruch is a bridge between the prophetical books and the wisdom writings. After the fall of Jerusalem, Baruch accompanied Jeremiah into Egypt. In the passage for this weekend, Baruch seeks to console the Jewish people living in exile with promises of everlasting happiness with an eschatological (or end times) tone. Baruch urges the exiles to shed their mourning and instead rejoice. This is to be in response to their salvation which is at hand. God will not forget His people. He highlights the splendor of the salvation by using terms such as joy, glory, peace, mercy, and justice.

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 126:1-2,2-3,4-5,6,(3): Psalm 126 is a psalm in which the memory of return from exile becomes a prayer. It begins by describing the joy they feel to be back in the city, thanks to the Lord and then it asks Him to bring back exiles to have them share in that joy. The psalmist asks the Lord to restore their fortunes in much the same way that a good rain changes the appearance of the dry wilderness. The psalmist is saying that even positive things can come from times of suffering when we turn to the Lord.

Reading II: Philippians 1:4-6, 8-11: This is a joyful message to the Philippians; the good spirits of the Church in Philippi have made St. Paul quite happy. He tells them he thanks God for their faithfulness to the Gospel and prays that they persevere in this way helping them grow in charity, righteousness, and discernment. St. Paul mentions “the one who began a good work in you” which, of course, is God. It is God who initiated the work of salvation by giving Christians the gift of faith and filling them with sanctifying grace and who will continue to enrich them with His grace until they at last encounter Jesus in heaven. St. Francis de Sales tells us to “place all of our trust in God and in His help, for with our cooperation, He will complete in us the good work of our salvation which He has already begun”. To this divine help must be added personal individual effort and it is this effort for which St. Paul is praying for the Philippians to have, so they will be blameless when they meet Christ. As St. Augustine wrote “God who created you without your cooperation will not save you without your cooperation”.

Gospel: Luke 3:1-6: Luke uses a rather elegant sentence to mark a new stage in God’s unfolding plans. Luke gives us the reigns of important leaders in order to date events or to give us a historical reference point. He announces the year and the political and religious context in which the “word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the desert”. John of course is John the Baptist, who would prepare the way for the Lord. He prepared the way of the Lord by proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. John’s baptism of repentance is a fulfillment of what is written in the book of the prophet Isaiah. In Isaiah’s prophecy the way is prepared for the Lord God to use as He leads His people back to Jerusalem. John will prepare the way for the Lord Jesus. Isaiah’s prophecy ends with the promise that the human race will see the salvation of God, (the saving act of rescuing the Israelites from exile). John the Baptist announces a salvation that is a rescue not from exile but from sin; salvation ultimately means being baptized with the Holy Spirit.

Reflection: John the Baptist is Jesus’ precursor, the one sent to announce His coming and to get people ready to welcome Him. He plays a central role in the liturgy of Advent, the season during which the Church recalls Christ’s first coming, readies itself to welcome Him at His new spiritual coming each Christmas, and looks forward to His definitive second coming at the end of history. Luke emphasized the importance of Christ’s coming by pointing out how Isaiah had prophesied not only the arrival of Jesus, but even the appearance of the precursor, John. God had long been preparing this pivotal moment in the world’s history, and wanted to do everything possible to alert His people of its imminence. Although Christ has come to the earth and although He has come to dwell in many human hearts, many more have still not heard of Him or welcomed Him. The Lord has His eye on those people and is planning advents for each one of them. Continued on the next page...

B R E A K I N G O P E N T H E W O R D w i t h K a t h y O ’ C o n n o r S e c o n d S u n d a y o f A d v e n t

Continued from the previous page.. With each person, He continues to use this same methodology: He sends His heralds ahead of Him. We are those heralds. Every Christian is another John the Baptist, boldly drawing others’ attention to the truth and grace of Christ and His words, deeds, and example. Among the many responsibilities each of us has, none is greater or more rewarding than teaming up with the Holy Spirit to prepare hearts for the Lord. Perhaps this week we might reflect on the following: 1) What mission has God given me? How did He make me aware of His call? 2) How might I prepare the way for the Lord? 3) Am I a good messenger for the Lord? Lord, do my interactions with others clear the way for your grace? Life is so busy, Lord. Can I be your ambassador in the midst of my busy-ness? Of course I can if you will show me the way. You teach me so clearly that the drama of salvation history is played out in the mundane reality of my life and the lives of those around me. Tune me into this drama. Open my eyes. I want to see you in every event and every person. I want to seize every opportunity to love you and make you known. You are my hope, my light, my Lord….

S t . A n t o n i n u s P a r i s h P a s t o r a l C o u n c i l M e e t i n g M i n u t e s N o v e m b e r 2 6 , 2 0 1 8 – 7 p m

Guests – Jason Corcoran, Athletic Club President; Lisa Hinton, Athletic Club Treasurer; Dennis Tepe, interim Parish Business Manager; Lauren Ulmer, Youth Minister

1. Opening prayer – Fr. Haft

2. Mark made a motion to approve the minutes from the October 22, 2018 meeting. Mike seconded. Minutes were approved.

3. Lauren Ulmer presented an overview of Youth Ministry at St. Antoninus. All activities are open to school students and non-school parish students. Students are eligible to participate in “Spark” beginning in the 2nd semester of 6th grade. 7th and 8th grade students may participate in either “Rooted” (youth group) or “Anchor” (service club) or both. 7th graders who participate in Anchor may apply their service hours toward the service requirement for Confirmation. Rooted highlights from last school year include a Fall Fest and an overnight retreat. Youth Ministry goals for the future include establishing a program for students younger than 6th grade and a program for high schoolers. Lauren also is working on a plan for a retreat for high school students and a YM summer mission trip.

Jason Corcoran and Lisa Hinton presented an overview of Athletic Club monies and how they are allocated. The Athletic Club sponsors boys’ and girls’ teams in 7 sports. The Club holds 3 major annual fundraisers: the basketball tournament in November, the golf outing in April, and the festival in June. The Club budget is prepared each April. The bulk of monies in the budget are allocated for capital improvements. The maintenance and upkeep of Schott Field is the largest expense. Even though the Field is rented from the Schott Memorial Foundation, the Athletic Club is responsible for every aspect of it. Currently, capital monies in the Club account total approximately $43,000. There are plans for how to use that money.

The Club also is responsible for maintenance and upkeep of the school gym, which is inspected every year. The floor of the gym currently is being evaluated on an ongoing basis now that the school children gather in the gym every morning before classes begin.

In response to a question from Mark, Jason explained that the Athletic Club annual dues and the pay-to-play fees paid by every family with children who participate in athletics are allocated toward paying referees/officials, facility rental, etc. The monies for capital improvements are generated by the 3 annual fundraisers. Fr. Haft suggested investigating whether putting the Club money in a short term note with the Archdiocese would generate a higher interest rate.

Dennis Tepe presented an update on parish finances. He completed a review of the “books” from Fiscal 2018, which was approved by the Archdiocese. The accounting practices in the parish have been significantly upgraded. Notably, responsibility for FACTS was moved to the school, and Assistant Principal Angie Heisel handles it, assisted by Erica Steinbeck. With jurisdiction now in the school, another layer of examination has been added, which serves as an additional safeguard.

Father Ron Haft Pastor present

Tom Burger Chair, SVDP present

Mike Neville Vice Chair, Scouts present

Bob Brown Adult Social present

Mary Meyer Secretary, Advancement, Network of Care present

Mark Braunstein Pro-Life, Worship present

Tricia Wiltshire Education, PTO present

Dave Bengel Building & Grounds, Athletic Club present

School tuition is now being reported at a gross amount, which helps decision making because “real” dollars are being used in the process. Special awards also are being tracked in gross dollars. A new procedure for awarding tuition assistance was instituted this past spring.

Fiscal 2018 ended with a $204,000 deficit. The budget for Fiscal 2019 is complete and reflects a $56,000 deficit. A surplus of $43,000 is projected for Fiscal 2020. Tuition for the 2018-19 school year totaled $1.209 million, which is a $75,000 increase from last school year. A large 8th grade class will be graduating in May 2019. There is a cash balance of $220,000 in operating funds as of October 30, 2018.

Fr. Haft commented that the wording for the posting of the combined business manager/facilities manager job was approved by the Archdiocese and the position will be posted tomorrow, Tuesday November 27.

4. Pastor’s Report – Advent begins on Dec. 2. Saturday December 8, is the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. This is a holyday of obligation. Masses at St A will be Friday December 7, at 7 pm (vigil Mass) and Saturday December 8, at 8 am. In response to a question, Fr. Haft explained that even though the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception falls on a Saturday this year, Mass is obligatory because this feast is the patronal feast day of the United States.

Masses for Christmas and January 1 are as follows: Christmas Eve – 3 pm and 5 pm; Christmas Day – 10 am; December 31 – 4:30 pm; January 1 – 10 am.

5. Commission Reports

Adult Social Group- The November luncheon was a Thanksgiving meal enjoyed by about 30 attendees, including Frs. Haft and Pancras and Deacon Bob Schroeder. The December luncheon on December 10 will feature the same meal and will include an optional gift exchange. The school Children’s Choir has been invited to attend to entertain.

Advancement- no meeting – no report. Stephanie Streit has stepped down as chair of this Commission

Athletic Club- no report

Buildings and Grounds- Parish cleanup 2 weeks ago was well attended. Most recent meeting was October 23. Norb Guetle and Jim Landers have been assisting Chuck Whelen with daily maintenance. The driveway gate near the gym is now closed regularly. A painting plan was discussed. Fr. Haft noted that Shelly Kahny has indicated that several ceiling tiles in the school are damaged and need to be replaced. She is hoping this work will be completed before Catholic Schools’ Week at the end of January.

Education- Most recent meeting was November 15. The teachers participated in an in-service program presented by Solution Tree. The thrust of the program was building a sense of community among the teachers. 2nd grade teacher Lisa Jones will be out of town for the Christmas Eve Mass during which the 2nd grade children act out the gospel story of Jesus’ birth. She is looking to parent volunteers to assist with this at Mass.

Network of Care –no report.

PTO- 5 water bottle filling stations/water fountains were installed in the school during Thanksgiving break. Robert Jones Plumbing did the installation work and donated one unit. Mr. Lou Nie took a position with Cincinnati Public Schools. Ms. Katie Fightmaster is the new physical education teacher.

Pro-Life/Pro-Family - Attendees are needed to fill the bus that is headed to Washington DC for the March for Life in January. Frs. Haft and Pancras and seminarian Scott Morgan all are attending the March. Their expenses have been covered by generous donors.

Scouts- December campout is coming up at Miami Whitewater. The scouts donated $1,284 to St. A from the Fish Fry.

SVDP- No report

Worship Commission- Deacon Bob continues to work on this. Lessons in Carols to be held on December 17.

6. Old/New Business –

7. Closing prayer (Fr. Haft) and Meeting Adjourned Next meeting – January 28, 2019 at 7 pm in the rectory

Parish Council Member Position Term Ends Group Represented

Mary Meyer Secretary 2018 Advancement, NoC

Dave Bengel 2018 B & G, Athletic Club

Tom Burger Chair 2019 SDVP

Mike Neville Vice-Chair 2019 Scouts

Mark Braunstein 2020 Pro Life, Worship

Tricia Wiltshire 2020 Education, PTO

Bob Brown 2020 Adult Social