St. Matthew Parish 19 Dora Lane, Limerick, Maine 04048-3527

Tel. 207-793-2244 Website: www.stmatthewlimerick.org

Email: StMatthew@portlanddiocese.org Diocese of Portland Diocesan website: www.portlanddiocese.org

We welcome you to the Catholic Community of St. Matthew and the celebration of the Eucharist.

ST. MATTHEW PARISH STAFF:

V. Rev. Wilfred Labbe, Pastor

V. Rev. Jack Dickinson, Parochial Vicar

Deacon Paul Lissandrello, Pastoral Associate

Heather Silva, Administrative Assistant

Deacon Paul Lissandrello, P.C.L.

Deacon Paul Lissandrello Altar Server Coord.

Gail Libby, Music Director, 207-423-5998

FINANCE COMMISSION:

Kevin LaFreniere

Theressa Harrigan

LaurieJane Kelley

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS:

Jon DiCentes, Grand Knight, 247-8875

BIRTHPLACE HELPLINE:

Abortion Alternatives/Project Rachel,

1-800-227-3002

WEEKEND MASSES:

Saturday at 4:00 p.m.

Sunday at 8:00 and 10:30 a.m.

WEEKDAY MASSES:

8:00 a.m. - Monday Prayer Service

8:00 a.m. - Tuesday*, Thursday*, Friday*

7:30 a.m. - Wednesday* *Check weekly bulletin for possible time changes.

BAPTISMS: Parents who want to have their child(ren) baptized are

asked to please call the parish office (793-2244).

WEDDINGS: Anyone planning to get married must call the parish

office at least SIX MONTHS PRIOR to the proposed wedding date.

CONFESSIONS: Saturday at 3:00 p.m., AND ANYTIME BY APPOINTMENT.

NEW PARISHIONERS: Welcome to St. Matthew Parish. Please fill out the Par-

ish Membership Form below and drop it in the collec-tion basket or mail to the parish office.

DOMESTIC ABUSE HOTLINE: 324-1802 or 1-800-239-7298

PROTECTING GOD’S CHILDREN: www.portlanddiocese.org/protecting-gods-children

We joyfully welcome back to the Church any of our brothers and sisters who may have been away. PARISH MEMBERSHIP: Name ______________________________________________ Address ___________________________________________ City _______________________________________________ Zip Code ___________________________________________ Phone No.___________________________________________ Email Address________________________________________ Check _____New Registration _____Updating Info. _____Change of Address _____Moving out of Parish

MASS INTENTIONS THIS WEEKEND Saturday 4:00 p.m. Corbett Snyder by The Snyder & Dow Families

Sunday 8:00 a.m. Intentions of the Parishioners

10:30 a.m. Alivia Welch by the Lamontagne Family

MASSES FOR THE WEEK

Monday Miraculous Medal Novena & 8:00 a.m. Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament

Tuesday 8:00 a.m. Rev. Louis Fourtier by Constance Cote 4:00 p.m. Intentions of the People

Wednesday 7:30 a.m. Christopher Lucier by Deacon Paul & Pat Lissandrello

Thursday 8:00 a.m. Msgr. Robert Lavoie by Constance Cote

Friday 8:00 a.m. Alice Allen by Doreen & Family

MASS INTENTIONS NEXT WEEKEND (Jan. 4 & 5)

Saturday 4:00 p.m. Henry & Annie McKeown by the Estrella Family Sunday 8:00 a.m. Franklin Peters by Mark & Debbie Francis 10:30 a.m. Sylvia Gasiewski by Brenda Santerre Schnieder

Readings for the Week of December 29, 2019

Sunday: Is 35:1-6a, 10/ Ps 146:6-7, 8-9, 9-10 [Is 35:4]/Jas 5:7-10/Mt 11:2-11 Monday: Nm 24:2-7, 15-17a/Ps 25:4-5ab, 6 and 7bc, 8-9 [4]/Mt 21:23-27 Tuesday: Gn 49:2, 8-10/Ps 72:1-2, 3-4ab, 7-8, 17 [cf. 7]/ Mt 1:1-17 Wednesday: Jer 23:5-8/Ps 72:1-2, 12-13, 18-19 [cf. 7]/Mt 1:18-25 Thursday: Jgs 13:2-7, 24-25a/Ps 71:3-4a, 5-6ab, 16-17 [cf. 8]/Lk 1:5-25 Friday: Is 7:10-14/Ps 24:1-2, 3-4ab, 5-6 [cf. 7c and 10b]/ Lk 1:26-38 Saturday: Sg 2:8-14 or Zep 3:14-18a/Ps 33:2-3, 11-12, 20- 21 [1a; 3a]/Lk 1:39-45 Next Sunday: Is 7:10-14/ Ps 24:1-2, 3-4, 5-6 [7c, 10b]/Rom 1:1 -7/Mt 1:18-24

Would you like to have the Sanctuary Lamp burn in the church for your loved one? There is a list in the Narthex you can sign up for the weeks you want. Donations of $10 for 7 Days and $20 for 14 Days.

Sanctuary Lamp burning:

December 2nd - December 29th - Kenneth Gagne December 30th—January 5th—AVAILABLE

St. Matthew Church Limerick

TODAY IS THE THE HOLY FAMILY OF JESUS, MARY AND JOSEPH. THE READINGS BEGIN ON PAGE 40 OF THE MISSALETTE.

Pastor’s Pondering Can we be serious for a moment...Are we seriously thinking about making resolutions for the new year again? More precisely are we going to make the same old resolutions that we make eve-ry year? You know the ones I am talking about, dieting, exer-cise, being more patient, and the like. These are certainly resolu-tions worth making but perhaps this year we should try some-thing new. Perhaps in 2020 we should commit ourselves to mak-ing resolutions that will change our lives and has the potential to change the lives of our friends and neighbors. So, for 2020 how about we all resolve to be more generous in sharing our faith. Let’s resolve to being open about our rela-tionship with Jesus. Let’s not be afraid to share with friend and family how Jesus gives us courage and hope. Let’s not be afraid to share with others how Jesus is the rock on which we lean when times are tough. Let’s be joyful in proclaiming Jesus as our best friend, a friend who never lets us down and who shows us the way to holiness and happiness. In 2020 let’s commit to inviting people to come back to church and back to Jesus. Let’s do away with trying to guilt or shame people into coming back to church, and instead let’s share our joy with them. Let’s be so joyful in our relationship with Jesus, so secure in our knowledge of Jesus’ love for us that peo-ple are just naturally attracted to what we have. When people ask us why we are always happy, why we are so hopeful, let us not hesitate to say because of Jesus, because we are Catholic. How about for 2020 we each commit to becoming more involved in the life of our parish. There is always need of volun-teers in our parishes. Whether its teaching in our religious educa-tion programs, greeting people at Mass, or cleaning up after an event, all these acts of charity bring vibrancy to our parish. All these acts of charity make our parish attractive to those who are looking for a spiritual home. As the year draws to a close, we are once again faced with the tradition of making resolutions. We can do the same as we always have, or we can resolve to live our faith more deliberately and intentionally. We can resolve to heed the teaching of Jesus and see this teaching as the best and most effective way of ob-taining the happiness we so desire. As beloved children of God we can resolve to acknowledge and to share with one another that Jesus is our best friend and allow this reality to make all the difference in our lives. As we sit down to consider our resolutions for next year let’s be bold and let’s do something that may indeed be more frightening than anything, we have ever done…lets resolve to give our whole lives to Jesus who from the crib and from the cross gave his whole life for us… On behalf of Fr. Jack and myself let me extend a huge word of gratitude for your very kind and generous Christmas gifts, greet-ings, and goodies. We are truly blessed to be at your service, to pray with and for you, and to be invited into the most precious moments of your lives. Let me also extend a word of gratitude for all those who made our Christmas liturgies fitting celebra-tions for the commemoration of the birth of our Savior. Wherev-er I have been I have always been overwhelmed by the amount and variety of talent in our parishes. May God continue to bless us with all these talents, and may the new year be filled with an abundance of God’s peace, grace, and joy. ~ Fr. Bill Labbe

Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph

Knights of Columbus: The K of C will have a meeting on January 2 at 7pm. EUCHARISTIC ADORATION: Will be on First Friday, January 3rd, beginning after the 8:00 a.m. Mass - 5:00 p.m. Please sign up in the narthex to come and be with the Lord. Jesus will give you all the graces you need to be happy! “The Lamb on the throne will shepherd them. He will lead them to the springs of life-giving water.” (Rev 7:17)

Respect Life Committee: The Respect Life Committee is scheduled to meet on Saturday, January 4th at 2:30pm. All Welcome.

Community Luncheon: The next community luncheon will take place on Tuesday, January 7th at 11:30am in the parish

hall. Those that had planned to participate in a yankee swap in December, which was cancelled, may bring their gifts to swap this month. Those attending are asked to bring a salad, casserole or dessert. BINGO games for prizes are held after the luncheon.

ARMED FORCES OUTREACH GROUP: The Armed Forces Outreach Group will be meeting on Saturday, January 11 at 2:30 PM.

WE NEED YOU!!! We are in need of someone who would be willing to chair the bean supper in January, would be January 18th. This is the supper that represents the towns of Cornish,

Baldwin, Hiram, Kezar Falls, Parsonsfield & Porter. If you are interested in gathering some friends and organizing this supper, please contact Heather in the office at 793-2244. Without a volunteer, there will be no Bean Supper in January. The St. Matthew Parish is extremely grateful for the gift donated to us by Charles E. Craven through his estate. This gift will support us in the good works of the Lord. Charles was from Lynn, MA and passed on June 6, 2013. He was formerly a member of the Limerick Lakes Association.

THE BOTTLE RELIEF FUND, sponsored by the

Knights of Columbus, has gotten even easier.

While spending time with family and friends

this New Years, please save your bottles and

cans. For the convenience of parishioners, you

can drop your bottles and cans off at JD’s Package

Store & Redemption, 13 Sokokis Trail, E. Waterboro

(across from Hannaford). Let them know they are for

“St. Matthew Bottle Relief Fund”. Those who wish to

continue dropping off at the Bottle Shed here at

church, may continue to do so. Thank you!

PARISH FINANCES Amount needed weekly to operate parish $ 4,200.00 Offertory 12/15/19 $ 2,990.00 WeShare 12/9—12/20/19 $ 1,011.50 DECEMBER 2019 OFFERTORY $ 11,750.50 Below December Offertory Goal $ (651.00) Retired Religious Collection 12/8/19 $ 1,657.33

WHAT SHALL I BRING TO THE LORD, THE GOD OF HEAVEN, WHEN I COME TO WORSHIP HIM? - Micah 6:6

WEEKEND OF JANUARY 11 & 12: The collection for the weekend of January 11 & 12 will be for Capital Improve-ments

MITTEN GIVING TREE: The Food Pantry is asking for mittens and hats to fill their Mitten Giving Tree. If you knit, crochet, or would like to purchase new ones, to help keep hands and heads warm during the winter months, we would be most grateful. Items may be left in the narthex. Thank you.

ST. MATTHEW CHURCH FOOD PANTRY

THE PANTRY SCHEDULE IS AS FOLLOWS:

***PLEASE NOTE OUR PANTRY IS IN GREAT NEED OF DONATIONS RIGHT NOW.***

1st Monday of the month: 6-7pm EVERY Tuesday 10am-12pm

**Serving residents of Limerick, Newfield, Parsonsfield or parishioners.

St. Matthew Food Pantry is always in need of a few items they have a hard time purchasing from Good Shepherd. Would you be willing to donate these items? A collection container can be found in the Narthex under the tables.

Pasta* Hamburger Helper* Condiments* Canned Meat Spaghetti Sauce* Chef Boyardee* Cranberry Sauce Jelly & Jams* Soups* Stuffing Cereal Oatmeal* Canned Veggies Holiday Baking Items Mac & Cheese

*These items we have a real shortage of.

THANK YOU IN ADVANCE!!

Plastic & paper bags are needed for the Food Pantry. You may leave them in the narthex in the Food Pantry bin.

IN CONNECTION WITH THE PROGRAM “PROTECTING GOD’S CHILDREN”

In the interest of children’s safety, we ask that children not be allowed to leave Mass to use the restrooms downstairs, unless they are accom-panied by an adult. Because we are a public building, doors are required to be unlocked, allowing entrance to all.

December 29, 2019

Please include the following priests serving in our diocese in your daily prayers this week:

Dec 28 Rev. Kyle Doustou/Msgr. Richard Sniezyk Dec 29 Rev. John Dickinson/V.Rev. Daniel Greenleaf Dec 30 Rev. Robert Pecoraro SJ/Rev. Steven Cartwright Dec 31 V. Rev. Richard Malo/Rev. Paul Coughlin Jan 01 ALL PRIESTS Jan 02 ALL PRIESTS Jan 03 ALL PRIESTS

We thank Father, for those who have responded to your call to priestly ministry. Fill your priests with the knowledge of your love. Open their hearts to the power and consolation of the Holy Spirit. O Mary, Mother of Christ guard maternal to these chose ones. Intercede for our priests.

“Out of Egypt I called my son.” Do you hear the Lord calling you to the priesthood or religious life? If so, call Father Seamus Griesbach at (207) 773-6471 or write: sea-mus.griesbach@portlanddiocese.org.

St. Matthew Church

Saturday: 4:00 PM Sunday: 8:00 AM

10:30 AM

Monday: Prayer serv. 8:00 AM

Tue, Thur, Fri: 8:00 AM*

Wednesday: 7:30 AM*

*Subject to priest availability.

St. Therese Lesieux Parish

Saturday: 4:00 PM Holy Family, Sanford

Sunday: 7:30 AM Notre Dame, Springvale 9:00 AM & 11AM Holy Family, Sanford

MTF 7:30 AM Holy Family W 9:00 AM Holy Family TH 6:00 PM Holy Family

Check often for Daily Mass Changes

December 29, 2019