PASTOR

Rev. David Baker

RECTORY

5771 Buell Street

P.O. Box 168

Akron, NY 14001

(716) 542-9103

Fax: (716) 542-2444

Office Hours: Monday–Friday

8:30 AM–12:30 PM

E-mail: stteresasofakron@verizon.net

Website: www.stteresasofakron.com

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION DIRECTOR

Sr. M. Ruth Warejko, CSSF

PARISH TRUSTEE

Richard L. Campbell

C. Douglas Whelan

BUSINESS MANAGER

Melissa Sanford

CONVENT

5773 Buell Street

(716) 542-9717

PARISH HALL & OFFICE OF

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

5775 Buell Street

(716) 542-5777

MISSION STATEMENT

We, the Catholic faith community of St.

Teresa of Avila parish, guided by the

Holy Spirit, commit ourselves to

proclaim and follow the Good News of

Jesus Christ. Basing our lives on faith,

hope and love, we seek to meet our

needs and the spiritual and corporal

needs of those around us. It is our

humble prayer that our lives will be

visible signs of His presence in the

world as we celebrate Christ in His

Word and Sacraments.

DECEMBER 25, 2016 • THE NATIVITY OF THE LORD

MASS SCHEDULE

Sunday Liturgies ..................................................................... 8:00 AM, 10:15 AM Saturday Vigil................................................................................................. 4:30 PM Weekday Liturgies Daily.........................................................8:00 AM, except Wednesday 5:30 PM Saturday ...........................................................................................................9:00 AM Vigil of Holy Days ......................................................................................... 4:30 PM Holy Days ..................................................................................... 8:00 AM; 7:30 PM

SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION

Saturdays 3:45 to 4:15 p.m. First Saturday 8:15 to 8:45 a.m. Vigil of Holy Days 3:45 to 4:15 p.m. or anytime by request.

SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM

As preparation for Baptism, parents are asked to contact the parish office to make an appointment with the Pastor.

SACRAMENT OF MARRIAGE

Arrangements to be made at the Rectory 6 months in advance.

NEW PARISHIONERS

Please register at the Rectory as soon as you move within the parish. Note: If you are moving out of the parish, please notify the Rectory.

LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION

These letters needed for Baptismal and Confirmation sponsors are issued gladly to those who have been registered for 6 months, attend Mass regularly, have been confirmed, if married, have done so in conformity with the Church laws, and children attend Religious Education.

St. Teresa of Avila Church E s t . 1 8 6 8

-

Monday, December 19 8:00 Intentions for Mothers

Tuesday, December 20 8:00 Departed Souls

Wednesday, December 21 - St. Peter Canisius 5:30 Ed Buekers by family

Thursday, December 22 8:00 Alfred Strollo by family

Friday, December 23 - St. John of Kanty 8:00 Intentions for Fathers

Saturday, December 24 4:30 Henry, Adeline and Michael Raykowski by son and brother 8:00 Parishioners of St. Teresa’s

Sunday, December 25 - The Nativity of the Lord 8:00 John and Helen Capan by daughter 10:15 Deceased Family and Friends of the Shimmel Family by Ron and Sherry Shimmel

Scripture Readings for the Week Monday - Judges 13:2-7, 24-25a; Luke 1:5-25

Tuesday – Isaiah 7:10-14; Luke 1:26-38 Wednesday – Song of Songs 2:8-14; Luke 1:39-45 Thursday - 1 Samuel 1:24-28; Luke 1:46-56 Friday – Malachi 3:1-4, 23-24; Luke 1:57-66 Saturday - Isaiah 62:1-5; Acts of the Apostles 13:16-17, 22-25; Matthew 1:1-25 Next Sunday - Isaiah 62:11-12; Titus 3:4-7; Luke 2:15-20

Masses for 2017 are available now! Call the Rectory any weekday morning to get your preferred dates!

ST. TERESA OF AVILA CATHOLIC CHURCH � AKRON, NEW YORK

O come let us adore Him -- Christ the Lord! Today we make the switch from singing "O

Come Emmanuel" to "O Come All Ye Faithful." For four weeks we've been imploring God to come among us. Now we implore each other to come close to Him. In this spirit, as the new pastor here, I want to invite all who read this to come worship with us regularly. We're doing new and exciting things at St. Teresa's, and there is vibrant energy in our community. Come and be a part of it all! Christmas is a time for new birth and fresh starts. The Twelve Days of Christmas begin tomorrow and take us to Epiphany, the arrival of the Magi on January 6th (we celebrate this on Sunday the 8th). Kids and teens, I'm sorry to hear that you only get 6 days off for Christmas this year. If it were up to me, I'd give you twice as much vacation for Jesus' birthday. I do have a feeling, though, that this will be a year of several snowdays! Snowdays... what good memories that word brings back! This is the time of year for us grownups to remember the innocent fun of our childhood, and how special Christmas was. Jesus is born again, and we can be too. Christmas is still the same, and we really can return to that innocent joyfulness. This is my goal in prayer over the next couple weeks, and I invite you to make that inner transformation too. All along, I will be "counting my blessings" as Andy Williams used to sing. God has given me more good things than I deserve. He is so generous! Life and health, a close family, beautiful friendships, and a wonderful parish for my first pastorate. Thinking of you all as I light the white candle of rejoicing. Christ has come, and everything is made new. Blessed be God forever!

~ Fr . Dave

Our Special Prayer Request for the Week: That all who have held Jesus at arm’s length might draw Him close this Christmas; let us pray to the Lord…

Please pray for the sick of the parish and their family members particularly; David Hahn, Shirley Lantz, Lucas Lowe, Noah Schubbe, Michael Nanni, Jim

Schmatz, June Hoffman, Keith Bergman, Lorraine Sylvester, Rosemary Haberer, Madisyn Ross, Norma Hackbush, Arlene Scheeda, Adolph Bassanello and for the happy repose of the soul of Msgr. Paul Stengel. Please also continue to pray for our troops who are serving our country in Iraq, Afghanistan and throughout the world.

Join us for a special night of silent prayer and Christmas singing on Friday, January 13th at 7:30 pm - Fully Alive

• Sunday, December 25 - No Religious Education Classes - Merry Christmas!

• Sunday, January 1 - No Religious Education Classes - Happy New Year!

Bible Study Class #5 January 23/26

Reading: Joshua, Judges, 1 & 2 Samuel

Prayer For Priests and Religious

Heavenly Father, please grant to Your faithful servants, the grace and strength to carry out Your mission for the church each day. Keep our priests close to You and continue to inspire them to serve others in Your holy name. Please help to inspire men who are called to a priestly vocation to answer Your call and participate in the fullness that You have planned for them. Amen.

As the family of God’s children, we are to help each other in doing God’s will, which may be a vocation to priesthood or religious life. Let us not stand in the way of those whom God has called. If God is calling you to a Church vocation, call Father Walter Lauricella at (716) 847-5535.

NATIVITY OF THE LORD * DECEMBER 25, 2016

The Saturday, December 31st Vigil Mass will be offered for our parishioners and family members who were called to the Lord in 2016

May perpetual light shine upon them . . . Joseph Nicosia Richard Kasperek Marilyn McCormick Donald Little Stan Victor Patricia Litfin Dottie Mueller Gertrude Zelma Braelyn Smythe John Burkhardt Natalie Mattioli Philip Morris Richard Witnauer Celia Matusek Donald Geddes James Bardol Edward Buekers Shirley Wight John Romance Mae Hoestermann Veronica Surman Joseph Koch Palma Casseri Jenae Macleod Richard Garlock Mary Abraham Marvin Scroger Freddie Luchterhand Tammy Haberer Dr. David Fish Elizabeth Suranni Laurie Puffpaf Lynn Dubbison Ken Delzer Lawrence Stock Robert VanSickle Dorothy Flanders Deceased Clergy & Religious of the Diocese - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Masses for the Solemnity of Mary, which is a Holy Day of Obligation, will be held on Saturday, December 31st at 4:30 pm and Sunday, January 1st at 8:00 and 10:15 am. Ministers, Lectors, Altar Servers and Ushers are needed for all Masses. Please sign up on the bulletin board in the vestibule if you are available.

Religious Education: Christmas peace and joy be with you today and always! These wishes come to you from the catechists and aides who welcome the children and youth of the parish for class on Sunday mornings. We have a little custom on those mornings . . .as class is about to dismiss, parents who are picking up their children gather in the foyer of the school building at five to ten to say hello and get to know each other. Welcome! Classes resume for all grade levels on January 8, 2017!

St. Teresa’s Women’s Guild would like to thank all of the parishioners for their donations of hats, mittens and scarves to our annual parish mitten tree collection. The

items were donated to the Akron/Newstead Food Pantry. Also a great big thank you to all who generously donated pillows and pillow-cases to the Response to Love Center. Over 200 pillows were taken down to the center a few weeks ago. Sister Johnice and the rest of her staff were so grateful for all that St. Teresa’s Parishioners always do for the needy of our area.

Ministers for January Lectors: 4:30 pm - Mary Prentice; 8:00 am - Brian Bogart; 10:15 am - Ron Konieczny; Altar Servers: 4:30 pm - Brian, Christopher and Andrew Bergman; 8:00 am - Anthony and Cydney Brandl and Emily Mruk; 10:15 am - Katy Geiger and Tiffany Judge

As a little girl climbed onto Santa's lap, Santa asked the usual, "And what would you like for Christmas ?" The child stared at him open mouthed and horrified for a minute, then gasped: "Didn't

you get my E-mail?"

What does Santa clean his sleigh with? Comet Where does a snowman keep his money? In a snow bank

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK:

“O come let us adore Him,

Christ the Lord.”