December 30th, 2007 
TRANSFIGURATION/STS. PETER & PAUL PARISH
WEST HAZLETON, PENNSYLVANIA 
HOLY FAMILY 

NEXT SUNDAY’S READINGS: As a way to prepare for Mass next Sunday, you may pray with the readings for next Sunday’s Mass: Isaiah 60:1-6; Ephesians 3:2-3, 5-6;
Matthew 2:1-12 

HOLY DAY MASS SCHEDULE - 
** PLEASE NOTE THAT JANUARY 1ST IS A HOLY DAY OF OBLIGATION AND ALL CATHOLICS ARE REQUIRED TO ATTEND MASS.

DECEMBER 31st (Vigil Mass for Holy Day, Solemnity of Mary) 
- 4 PM (TR)
JANUARY 1st - Solemnity of Mary
- 7 AM (TR)
- 9 AM (STS) 

FRIENDLY REMINDER - In July of this year, changes to our Mass schedule for 2008 were announced. BEGINNING IN JANUARY 2008, ALL WEEKDAY MASSES SHALL BE CELEBRATED AT 7:00 AM IN TRANSFIGURATION CHURCH. IN THE EVENT OF A FUNERAL, THE MASS SCHEDULED FOR THAT DAY SHALL BE CANCELLED AND RESCHEDULED FOR A LATER DATE.

YOUTH CHOIR INFO. & UPDATES….
PRACTICE will always be the first Sunday of each month at 9 AM in Transfiguration Church
YOUTH CHOIR WILL SING the third Sunday of each month during the 11 AM Mass in Transfiguration Church.
All young men and women are welcome!!!! 

ORGANIST NEEDED - Transfiguration Church is looking for an organist to play at the 11 AM Mass. Please contact Fr. Mark at the rectory at 454-3933 if you are interested.

ON THE HORIZON IN JANUARY ……..
Jan. 5 - 4 PM Mass at TR - Installation of New Officers for St. Theresa’s Society & Dinner for members following at Casamato’s
Jan. 5 & 6 - Drop off used postage stamps at churches
Jan. 7 - 7 PM - Youth Group Advisory Board Meeting - Pastoral Center
Jan. 13 - Youth Group Breakfast in Transfiguration School 7:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Jan. 17 - 6 PM - St. Theresa Society Meeting - Rectory Dining Room

PLEASE PRAY FOR THE SICK OF OUR PARISH AND ALL OUR HOMEBOUND PARISHIONERS. 
HAZLETON GENERAL HOSPITAL
TR - Antoinette Schlack


PLEASE PRAY FOR: Rose Marie Tomko (TR), Anthony Novitsky (TR), Agnes Kopec (TR), Gertrude Sypeck (TR), Theresa Baradziej (TR) and Betty Majko (TR) 

NOTE - If you or your loved one is hospitalized, especially when transferred from a nursing home, or admitted to a surrounding area hospital, please call the rectory and we will gladly include their name on our visitation and weekly prayer list. 

THANK YOU to SMITH FLORAL CO. in West Hazleton, for placing an ad in our bulletin. Please remember to support the businesses that support our Parish Bulletin.

CCD DIRECTOR:
CHERYL KRIEGER
454-2094

December 30 - NO CCD Class
January 6, 2008 - CCD Class
January 13 - CCD Class
January 20 - CCD Class
January 26 - Penance Retreat 12 noon - 2 PM -Pastoral Center
- 1 PM - Parent Meeting - Transfiguration Church
January 27 - CCD Class
February 2 - 1st Penance - 12 noon

ADVENT - CHRISTMAS - EPIPHANY HOUSE BLESSINGS - Sunday, December 2nd began our new church year and with that our “Annual Blessing of Homes”. In order to visit those who work through the day, evening times are available. If you would like Fr. Mark to bless your home this year, please fill out the slip below and return it to the rectory. Homes will be blessed between December 3rd, 2007 and January 4th, 2008. Fr. Mark is looking forward to visiting with you….Click Here for a Print Version

NEW PARISH MISSALS - This is the last weekend for our parishioners to memorialize our Annual Parish Missals which are used for the liturgy of the Mass. These Missals will be kept in the Church. You may memorialize a Missal in memory of a friend or a loved one. The donation is $10.00 
There will be a special bookplate (label) placed on the inside cover of the Missal with the name of the person(s) being memorialized along with the name(s) of those donating the Missal. PLEASE SPECIFY DESIRED CHURCH…...
If you are interested in memorializing a Church Missal, please fill out the form below, and return it, along with your donation, by mail or you may drop it in the collection basket in a plain white envelope marked “Church Missal”. We are putting the Memorial Labels in the books as they come in - beginning in the front of the church and working our way back. 
Donations will be accepted until the end of 2007 only.
Click Here for a Print Version



CONFESSION - The Byzantine Franciscans of Holy Dormition Monastery in Sybertsville are available for the Sacrament of Reconciliation on THURSDAYS and FRIDAYS from 3:00 - 4:30 PM and 7:00 - 8:00 PM in the Monastery Chapel (all year round). All are welcome to come!

PARISH PASTORAL COUNCIL - Volunteers are invited to serve on our Parish Pastoral Council. Please contact Fr. Mark to get involved. 

TRANSFIGURATION CENTENNIAL COMMEMORATIVE BOOKS - Our Centennial Books are available at the Rectory for a cost of $15.00 per book. Please call the rectory as soon as possible to reserve your copy at 454-3933. We will hold the book for 3 days so that you can pick it up when you have time throughout your busy schedule.

USED POSTAGE STAMPS - Please remember to save your used postage stamps and drop them off at Church NEXT WEEKEND, JANUARY 5th & 6th. With your help, the Catholic Diocese of Northern Alaska will benefit from these stamps. We will make sure the stamps will be delivered to one of our parishioners in a nursing home where she will package them up and send them to Alaska. Any help you can give them will be greatly appreciated.

FYI - CATHOLIC POPULATION & NUMBER OF ACTIVE PRIESTS (report of November 28, 2007)
The CARA report had an average increase of 359 + 1 to the Catholic Population each year from 2000 to 2010, including their projected data.
The actual 2007 statistics are:
The Catholic Population (from the Kennedy Directory for Scranton) is 340,390
The number of active diocesan priests is 188
2007 priests per Catholic people = 1 per 1,811
Estimated for 2012:
The Catholic Population (CARA’S estimated 2010 number)
is 359,030
Our estimated number of diocesan priests is 147
2012 priests for Catholic people = 1 per 2,442
Estimates for 2017:
The Catholic Population, adding their average + 1 per year is 360,855
Estimated number of diocesan priests starting with 147 and estimating two ordinations per year and the loss of three per year by unexpected death or inactive status - changed from a history of five per year because of the lower numbers is 112
2017 priests per Catholic people = 1 per 3,222

COME TO THE MOVIES - On January 6th at 1:00 PM, the Cinema Drafthouse will be showing the movie, SAINT JOHN BOSCO: Mission To Love, the moving, amazing portrayal of this kindhearted loving apostle of youth. Don’t miss this opportunity to gather for fellowship, entertainment, refreshments and to be inspired by the incredible life of Saint John Bosco., seen for the first time on the “big screen”. Ignatius books and DVD’s will be available and proceeds will benefit the youth attending the 2008 March For Life. Admission is $5.00. For tickets, please stop by St. Gabriel’s Rectory or call 454-0212.

THE PARISH OFFICE will be closed on 
MONDAY, DECEMBER 31ST
and
TUESDAY, JANUARY 1ST 
for the Holiday.
The office will reopen on Wednesday, January 2nd at 
8 AM.

ATTENTION MEMBERS OF ST. THERESA’S SOCIETY - All members are invited to attend the formal installation of the new officers at the 4 PM Mass on SATURDAY, JANUARY 5th. All members will sit together in the front pews. Last month, the membership elected the following officers: Susan Houseknecht, President; Helen Fellin, Vice President; Teresa Serafini, Treasurer and Kathy Middleton, Secretary. Our parish is very grateful to these ladies for assuming leadership roles for this fine organization.
Following the Mass, a gathering will be held for all members at CASAMATO’S RESTAURANT (217 E. Diamond Avenue). Please call Judy Piscura at 582-8573 if you plan to attend no later than Tuesday, January 2nd. Everyone will pay for their own meal and order from the menu. Members only please. If you need a ride, please let Judy know. 

THE NEXT ST. THERESA SOCIETY MEETING is scheduled for Thursday, January 17th at 6 PM in the Rectory Dining Room. All ladies of our parish are invited to come join the Society.

LIFELINE: I appeal to political leaders not to allow children to be considered as a form of illness, nor to abolish in practice your legal system’s acknowledgment that abortion is wrong. I say this out of a concern for humanity. But that is only one side of this disturbing problem. The other is the need to do everything possible to make European countries once again open to welcoming children. Encourage young married couples to establish new families and to become mothers and fathers! You will not only assist them, but you will benefit society as a whole. 
Pope Benedict XVI, Address to Authorities and Diplomatic Corps, Vienna, September 7, 2007

CHURCH CLEANERS - We’re looking for more good men and women to help clean Transfiguration Church every other Wednesday. If you have an extra hour or two, please come and lend a hand and help keep your place of worship clean.

“CHEF LOU” - Our area’s well known “Chef Lou” will present a cooking demonstration at the Holy Rosary Parish Auditorium on SUNDAY, JANUARY 6th from 2-4 PM. There will be a free food raffle and a tricky tray raffle. The first 50 people to arrive will receive a special gift! Tickets are $10.00 each and can be purchased in advance or at the door. For advanced tickets, please call Holy Rosary Rectory at 454-6693. The auditorium is fully accessible for the handicapped.

DUE TO THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY, THE BULLETIN WAS SENT FOR PRINT BEFORE THE COLLECTION WAS COUNTED. THEREFORE, THE DEC. 23RD & DEC. 30th COLLECTION WILL APPEAR IN THE NEXT BULLETIN. 

THANK YOU to all of our parishioners and friends who remembered me throughout the Christmas season through their cards, food, cookies and other gifts. I certainly appreciated all of your thoughtfulness. May God Bless! - Fr. Mark
THANK YOU to an anonymous donor for donating 4 new tree tops for our Christmas trees in Transfiguration Church.

SPOUSE’S PRAYER - Lord Jesus, grant that I, and my spouse, may have a true and understanding love for each other.
Grant that we may both be filled with faith and trust…
Give us the grace to live with each other in peace and harmony.
May we always bear with one another’s weaknesses and grow from each other’s strengths. Help us to forgive one another’s failings and grant us patience, kindness, cheerfulness and the spirit if placing the well being of one another ahead of self.
May the love that brought us together grow and mature with each passing year. Bring us both ever closer to you through our love for each other. Let our love grow to perfection. Amen.

FAMILY SUPPORT BULLETIN ANNOUNCEMENT - A New Year’s Resolution! Make 2008 the year you keep the promise to grow closer with your spouse. Worldwide Marriage Encounter will help you keep this resolution. This is a time where you can have a face-to-face, heart-to-heart encounter with the one you’ve decided to spend your life with. The next weekend will be held in Bethlehem, February 15-17, 2008. For more information or to register, please call 1-800-787-7679 or you can visit the web at www.wwme.nepa.org 

5 KEYS TO A HAPPY LIFE:
Treat everyone as you want to be treated.
Be tender hearted.
Keep your promises.
Be the first to say “Hello”
Don’t waste an opportunity to tell someone you love them.

IN SYMPATHY - Please remember in your prayers the souls of AGNES NOVITSKY (STS) and MICHAEL SYPEK (TR) who recently passed away. May they rest in peace and their families be comforted in their loss.

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