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December 14th, 2003

3rd Sunday of Advent

Schedule of Masses Week of December 15th - December 21st, 2003
Day	Time	Requested for	Requested by
Mon 12/15	7 A.M.	John Nadolny	Son, John Nadolny
Mon 12/15	9A.M.	Victor Pianese	Marie Pianese
Tues12/16	7 A.M.	Mildres & Eugenio Salati	Salati Family
	9 A.M.	Liv Frances Spazian	Theresa
Wed 12/17	7A.M.	Mary Cohn	Nephew, John Nadolny
	9A.M.	Thomas O'Rielly	Burke Family
	7 P.M.	Elizabeth Krohn	Patricia Hogan
Thurs 12/18	9AM.	Samuel Wilkins Jr.	Family
	9A.M.	Frances Muzikar	Theresa
Fri. 12/19	7 AM	Helen Wilkins	Family
	9A.M.	Liv Frances Spazian	Frances M.
Sat. 12/20	9 A.M.	Liv Angie Maccini	Frances M.
	6P.M.	Michael Bis	Theodore Bis
	7:30 PM	For the People of the Parish
Sun. 12/21	7:30AM	Albert Muzikar	Frances Muzikar
	9 AM	Liv/Dec Members of Hanley Family	Family
	10:30AM	Vaccarella Family	Romilda
	12 PM	Tim Guy	Family

Sanctuary Gifts December 14th - December 20th, 2003
Gift	In Memory Of	Requested By
Altar Wine	John & Kiara Pekar	George & Nicholas Pekar
Altar Bread	John & Kiara Pekar	George & Nicholas Pekar
Sanctuary Lamp	Roseann Midolo	Steve & Frances Kearns
Altar Candles	Carmine DeSomma	Debbie Bagnato & Family

Let Us Pray For Those Seriously Ill
People will remain on the sick list for 2 weeks unless otherwise notified:

Maureen Lacey, Anthony Tuzzo, Margaret Ng, Angelo Polcari, and Richard Carlson.

Vocation reflections

The people asked John the Baptist, “what should we do?” They wanted to know how they should live their lives. John gave answers that led people to Jesus and the way of faith. People today still ask questions; they still want to know how they should live their lives. Will you lead them to the One who has the answers? Will you lead them to Jesus as a priest, deacon, or religious?

If so, please contact the Vocations Office at 973-497-4365 or by e-mail at platebri@rcan.org or visit our website at www.rcan.org.

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SCRIPTURE REFLECTION

Rejoice in the Lord always! Great in our midst is the Holy One of Israel, a mighty savior. It is he whom John foretold; it is he who will baptize in the Holy Spirit. .

Our Weekly Offering
December 2003
December 6/7	$ 3,816.
Month’s Total	$ 3,816.
Month’s Average	$ 3,816.
Mailed in, thank you	$ 180.

MONTHLY AVERAGE COMPARISONS:
Month	‘02 Monthly Avg.	‘03 Monthly Avg.
November	$5,281.	$5,314.
December	$5,330.	$3,816.

HOLY HOUR

Every Tuesday, the Blessed Sacrament is exposed in the church from 3 to 4 p.m. It is an hour of prayer for the priests, DIVINE MERCY and religious men and women of the church. Prayers are also said for an increase of vocations to the priesthood and religious life.

We invite you to come and spend time with the Lord for these intentions and for your personal requests. The Holy Hour closes with Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. If you cannot join us in church, we ask you to join us from a quiet spot in your home and pray with us, asking the Lord to guide and protect our priests.

Church Website

A reminder that St. Anne’s Church website is: HTTP://STANNESJC.COM . Log on to view our current parish activities.

Church Decorations

Our Church will be beautifully decorated with fresh trees and Poinsettias for the Christmas Season. If you would like to make a donation in memory of a loved one or a friend while also helping to defray the cost of the decorations, please put your donation in your “FLOWER” envelope and deposit it in the Christmas Decoration Depository located in front by the altar.

Second Collection

Next weekend will be the collection for the Retirement Fund for Religious. Embedded in The Rule of St. Benedict and The Way of St. Francis of Assisi is a plea for mercy in human affairs. Religious women and men thank you for each merciful action you take on behalf of others and pray for your spiritual peace and simplicity of heart. Retirement Fund grants are awarded to more than 560 religious institutes in 47 states, Washington, D.C., Guam and Puerto Rico. Please give generously.

Candlelight Carol Sing

The 33rd annual Candlelight Carol Sing will be held at the Cathedral Basilica on Thursday, December 18th at 8 p.m., doors open at 7 p.m. Free-will donation.

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READINGS FOR THE WEEK

MONDAY Nm 24:2-7,15-17a Ps 25:4-9 Mt 21:23-27

TUES. Zep 3:1-2,9-13 Ps 34:2-3,6-7,17-19,23 Mt 21:28-32

WED. Gn 49:2,8-10 Ps 72:1-4,7-8,17 Mt 1:1-17

THURS. Jer 23:5-8 Ps 72:1-2,12-13,18-19 Mt 1:18-25

FRIDAY Jgs 13:2-7,24-25a Ps 71:3-6,16-17 Lk 1:5-25

SATURDAY Is 7:10-14 Ps 24:1-6 Lk 1:26-38

NEXT SUNDAY - FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT Mi 5:1-4a Ps 80:2-3,15-16,18-19 Heb 10:5-10 Lk 1:39-45

St. Anne Seniors

For more information on events below, contact Peggie Riscoe at 201-659-3930: (Open to all, sorry NO children.)

· Dec. 31 - New Year’s Luncheon at Empire Club cost $29 (open bar, champagne, family-style dinner)

· Senior Christmas Party has been moved to December 17th at the request of the Fiesta.

CCD News

· Dec. 14th - New Confirmation Parent Meeting 10-11:15 am. in Library.

· Dec. 21st - Happy Birthday Jesus Celebration in auditorium with stuffed animal raffle - .50 cents for small & $1 for large. If you would like to donate cupcakes, call Mrs. Quinn 201-798-3042 or Sr. Alberta 201-659-1794.

· Christmas Plant Sale - Dec. 21st after all Masses; also during week of Dec. 15th at Simbang Gabi in auditorium.

Sew What?

We are in need of ten (10) seamstresses to assist with two Centennial projects. If you can sew and can spare a few hours, please call Judy Waddleton at 201-659-4641.

Centennial Grand 50/50 Raffle

Could make a great Christmas Gift!!?

To Celebrate the 100th Anniversary of St. Anne Church, the Centennial Committee is having a Grand 50/50 Raffle with the opportunity to win up to $50,000 (based on the sale of 1,000 tickets). They are now available for purchase at the rectory and will be available up to the day of the raffle.

· Only 1,000 Tickets Will Be Sold

· One Winner Only!

· Win Up To $50,000!

· Raffle Date: January 11, 2004 at 5 p.m.

· Place: St. Anne’s Auditorium

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Spiritual Bouquet

As we get ready to celebrate our Centennial year, our Centennial Committee is inviting all parishioners to set aside the year 2004 as a Jubilee year of prayer. The tradition of a jubilee year comes from OLD TESTAMENT ORIGINS. The ultimate derivation of the word jubilee is disputed, but it is most probable that the Hebrew word jobel, to which it is traced, meant "a ram's horn", and that from this instrument, used in proclaiming the celebration, a certain idea of rejoicing was derived. Further, passing through the Greek iobelaios, or iobelos, the word became confused with the Latin jubilo, which means "to shout", and has given us the forms jubilatio and jubilaeum, now adopted in most European languages.

For the Israelites, the year of Jubilee was, in any case, preeminently a time of joy, the year of remission or universal pardon. "Thou shalt sanctify the fiftieth year," we read in Leviticus 25:10, "and shalt proclaim remission to all the inhabitants of thy land: for it is the year of jubilee."

With this in mind, as pastor and Spiritual Shepherd of St. Anne’s, I am calling for a year of prayers during our Centennial. I ask that we pray for the continuing conversion of our parish and the world around us, to a life open to Christ. I ask that this take the form of a spiritual bouquet to be offered during our Centennial Year. Let it be a time of forgiveness and healing; a time filled with rejoicing and shouting for joy, the great love God has for his people and the desire he has for us to be healed. Let us pray, that at the conclusion of jubilee year, the words of Micha the prophet. “You have been told, O man, what is good, and what the LORD requires of you: Only to do right and to love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God.” Mi 6:8, will be witnessed in our parish.

The Spiritual Bouquet is found in pews of the church. Please fill out and place in the collection basket or drop at the rectory. These will be brought up in the Offertory Procession of the January 11th opening Mass, and kept before the Blessed Sacrament during the Centennial Year

Monthly Memorial Mass

At the request of many parishioners, we will begin a monthly memorial mass on the first Saturday of each month. Those who are enrolled, will have their names recorded in our Parish Prayer Request Book located near the Blessed Sacrament.

Each month, this book will be brought up in the Offertory Procession and all will be invited to pray for these special intentions. These intentions can be for the living or for the deceased. Our Parish Family of St. Anne's wishes to share in your sorrow and in your prayer. We are calling this “Our Lady of Fatima Society”. Each person enrolled on a yearly basis, will share in the spiritual benefits and good works of the St. Joseph’s Morning Prayer Group, and in a monthly Mass and Rosary shared on the First Saturday of each month in honor of the Blessed Mother.

These Memorial Mass cards will be available at the rectory. You may see an example already set up in the Parish Prayer Request Book.

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Annual Gift Giving Tree

Here’s how it works:

· Take a tag from the tree. Purchase the gift listed on the tag and return it during the month of December up to Christmas Eve.

· Return wrapped gift (with tag taped to it) in basket located in church vestibule. Gift will be carried in Offertory Procession and placed under tree.

· This tradition is a wonderful way to share your blessings with those less fortunate. During the Holiday Season, just a little caring goes such a long way to bring a smile to someone’s face.

· Many organizations benefit from this Gift Giving. Some are: St. Anne’s parishioners who are in need, Anthony House, St. Joseph Home For The Blind, Hoboken Shelter for Men and Women, Babyland, Aides Patients, etc.

If you are available to help sort or distribute gifts during the week before Christmas, please contact Sister Alberta at 201-659-1794.

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