HouseKeeping
1. This Week
Marian Night: As this Tuesday will fall between the Feast of The Immaculate Conception and the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, I hope you will come to the church at 6PM on that evening (Tuesday the 10th) for a Holy Hour in honor of Our Blessed Mother, which will include music, preached Solemn Vespers, and Benediction. Come, celebrate the wonders of Our Blessed Mother.
Ongoing Education and Formation: The Mens Roundtable will meet on Wednesday at *6:30 (please note the different time) in the Family Center. And Mark Trolio will be offering a class on the Infancy Narratives at two different times on Thursday, the 12th, at 10AM and 7PM. I do hope you will avail yourself of the chance to learn about the Gospels according to our Mark!
2. Liturgy
The Bells: Ringing the bells 3 single times (at the calling down of the Holy Spirit, again at the elevation of the Sacred Host, and again at the elevation of the chalice) is another way of drawing our attention to the consecration taking place during the Eucharistic Prayer.
A little before the Consecration, if appropriate, a minister rings a small bell as a signal to the faithful. The minister also rings the small bell at each elevation by the Priest, according to local custom. (from the General Instruction of the Roman Missal #150)
The Image of The Virgin Mary: In the vestibule of the church, there is a framed image of Our Lady of Guadalupe. On December 12th, 1531, in Mexico City, that image appeared on the garment of Saint Juan Diego as he stood before the bishop who was asking for proof of her apparitions. The sash that Our Lady is wearing indicates that she is pregnant with Jesus in this image.
On December 12th, she made her fourth appearance, ordering Juan Diego to collect roses from the hill and bring them to the bishop. Miraculously, there were roses blooming on the hill, despite it being winter. Moreover, the roses were native to Castile, a region in Spain that was the homeland of the bishop. In his audience with the bishop on that day, Juan Diego opened his tilma (cloak), letting dozens of roses fall to the floor and revealing the image of Mary imprinted on the inside of the cloak.
Music: We have the loveliest Director of Music here at the parish. Thérèse (pronounced: TEH-REZ) has brought new life to the staff, our liturgies, the choirs, and to the community as a whole - and it would be impossible to understate how blessed we are by her warm and inviting voice! At the same time, she is also bold in her willingness to introduce new things, while remaining faithful to the mind of the Church. She is a hard worker, a strong person, and good company.
Christmas Masses: We’ll have a full house, of course, as we do every year, but we want you all to be aware that, this year, the “overflow” seating (for the 4PM Christmas Eve Mass) will be in the Parish Hall for simultaneous viewing of a livestream of the Mass being celebrated in the church. Communion will be brought from the church to the parishioners in the Hall.
3. DRVC Settlement
From the Diocese: On December 4th, the court confirmed the Plan that resolves the Bankruptcy Case for the Diocese of Rockville Centre and all our parishes. As you know, to compensate abuse survivors and resolve all parish lawsuits, the Diocese and every parish made a contribution to the settlement. To further protect the parishes from any past liability, it was necessary for every parish to enter into an abbreviated Chapter 11. That process is also completed, and now all parishes on Long Island are free from the cloud of bankruptcy and historical lawsuits.