Parafia p.w. Narodzenia Najświętszej Maryi Panny
ST. MARY’S POLISH PARISH
21 Wesley St., Sydney, NS, B1N 2M5
(meeting until our rebuilding at Holy Redeemer Church
with thanks to our friends of Holy Redeemer Parish)
Tel.: (902) 564-4847
www.stmaryspolishparish.ca
Witamy wszystkich! Welcome to all!
We are pleased to share our faith and rich traditions with the whole community.
Established in 1913. Our second century of faith and service … WE WILL RISE AGAIN

PROBOSZCZ/PASTOR:  Father Paul Murphy 564-4355

MSZY/MASSES: Sunday at 9:30 a.m. (temporarily at Holy Redeemer Church)
Wednesday Masses on hold until we rebuild our church.
Novena to Our Lady of Częstochowa will now be said before Sunday Masses.

SPOWIEDŹ:  Godzina do uzgodnienia z księdzem.
SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION: Anytime upon request to the priest.

SAKRAMENT CHRZTU ŚWIĘTEGO:  Prosimy o kontakt z księdzem conajmniej na 1 miesiąc przed planowaną datę.
SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM: Please contact the priest at least one month in advance.

SAKRAMENT MAŁZEŃSTWA:   Zapowiedzi powinny być ogłoszone conajmniej na 6 miesięcy przed planowaną datę.
SACRAMENT OF MATRIMONY: Intentions must be announced at least six months in advance.

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Pierwsza Niedziela Adwentu / First Sunday of Advent

TODAY’S MASS INTENTION is for Józef Ryba offered by Peggy Ryba. Wieczny odpoczynek racz Mu dać Panie, a swiatłość wiekuista niechaj Mu świeci na wieki wieków. Amen

Eucharistic Minister for today: Janet Hawthorne

Ushers for collection today: Joe Gillis, Toni LaRusic

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NASTĘPNY TYDZIEŃ / THE WEEK AHEAD

WEDNESDAY MASSES are on hold while we rebuild. Please note that Father Paul leads the Novena to Our Lady of Czestochowa every Sunday before Mass (starting at about 9:10 a.m.). Copies of the Novena are at the back of the church.

Sunday, December 6, 9:30 a.m. The Mass intention will be for Teofil Pierrynowski offered by Mary Pierrynowski.
Lectors: Edyta Baczyk, Janusz Wawrzyszyn                                                                      
Eucharistic Minister: Suzanne Campbell
Altar Servers: Caleigh, Nicholas, and Matthew   
Ushers: Tony Gniewek, Robert Melski Jr.
Greeters: Victoria Aucoin, Stephanie Black

Collection receipts for Sunday, November 22: $5162.10 (broken down as follows: $960.00 general collection,$45.00 regular building fund (IMO's), $2657.10 in Canadian funds for rebuilding fund, $1500.00 in US funds for rebuilding fund). In addition, the net proceeds (after expenses) to the parish rebuilding from the Christmas bazaar were $2,561.15 and from pierogi sales: $1,555. This does not include CD, Polish apron, etc sales at the bazaar, which are still ongoing. Thank you very much for your generous support of St. Mary’s Polish Parish. Dziekujemy bardzo.

MASS CARDS/VIGIL CANDLE: To reserve Mass Intentions or Vigil Candle intentions, please call 902-563-1226. Please note that any 2015 Mass intentions recorded before the fire were lost and we would be most grateful if parishioners could check in again.

IN MEMORIAM DONATION: To make an In Memoriam donation, please speak with Shauna MacKay. These will be acknowledged in the bulletin. Building Fund contributions will go toward the new church. To contribute to the Rebuilding Fund, if you do not have an envelope, you can write on your regular envelope or cheque “Designated to the Rebuilding of St. Mary’s Polish Church.”

“IMIENINY” (NAME DAYS) FOR THE COMING WEEK. Help to maintain a longstanding Polish Catholic tradition by acknowledging relatives, friends, and colleagues who are celebrating their “name day,” corresponding with the feast day of a saint of the same name.  Where there is more than one saint of the same name who has been assigned a day, your “name day” is the one closest to your birthday. It is customary in the Polish tradition to acknowledge the name day of a relative or friend:
November 29: Fryderyk
November 30: Andrzej, Justyna, Konstanty
December 1: Blanka, Długosz, Edmund, Iwa, Natalia
December 2: Aurelia, Balbina, Bibiana, Ludwina, Paulina
December 3: Franciszek, Kasjan, Lucjusz
December 4: Barbara, Hieronim, Krystian, Piotr
December 5: Gerald, Krystyna
December 6: Emilian, Jarogniew, Mikołaj

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OGŁOSZENIA / ANNOUNCEMENTS

FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF THE FIRE: On this first anniversary of the fire, we pray for God's continued mercy and protection for our rebuilding (a prayer by Harold Confer): To you, O God, from whose hands comes the work of creation so artfully designed, we pray that this work we have set out to do may be done in companionship with you. May the work we have begun sing praise to you as do songbirds. May the work we have begun add to the light of your presence because it is done with great love.
May the work your volunteers have begun be a shimmering mirror of your handiwork in the excellence of its execution, in the joy of doing it for its own sake, in our poverty of ownership over it, in our vulnerability to failure or success in our invitation for others to share in it and its bearing fruit for the world. May we be aware that through this work we draw near to you. We come to you, O God, with ready and willing hands. Amen.

LUNCH AFTER MASS TODAY AT THE POLISH VILLAGE HALL: AN OPPORTUNITY TO MEET AND ACKNOWLEDGE THE CONSTRUCTION WORKERS AND TRADESPEOPLE WHO ARE REBUILDING OUR CHURCH . Everyone is welcome. There is no charge. If you brought items for Loaves and Fishes today, please leave these near the hall entrance during lunch. Dziekujemy!

ST. NICHOLAS DAY TEA (Herbata z  z okazji Dnia Świętego Mikołaja) – SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2-4 P.M. – POLISH VILLAGE HALL: St. Mary's Polish Parish cordially Invites you to a St. Nicholas Tea in support of the rebuild of St. Mary's Polish Church. Come celebrate St. Nicholas Day with a cup of tea, delicious sandwiches and sweets. Enjoy the beautiful sounds of St. Mary's Polish choir singing traditional Christmas carols. Swiety Mikolaj (St. Nicholas) will be making an appearance with a small gift for the children. Tickets are $10 and children under 12 are free. Reserve your ticket by calling Nicole Baker: 902-371-5088. We would be most grateful to anyone who can make plates of sweets or sandwiches for the tea. Please, if possible, deliver to the hall downstairs after 6 p.m. on Saturday, December 5. Thanks so much!

The St. Michael's Polish Benefit Society meets this evening at 7 p.m.

NEW YEAR'S EVE AT THE POLISH VILLAGE HALL: DJ Robin Krszwda. Tickets Tony Melski 537-1417

THANK YOU to everyone who attended last Sunday’s presentation of the Zmartwychwstanie (Resurrection) banner at Christ the King Anglican Church. Their kind gesture was very gracious and much appreciated.

RECENT IMO (IN MEMORY OF) CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE REBUILDING FUND:
IMO Peter Stephenson from Edward & Donna Ryba
IMO Sis MacDonald from John & Janet MacPherson

PLEASE NOTE: We will gather for lunch and a cake after Mass on Sunday, December 13, to recognize our members who are celebrating their First Holy Communion that day.

THANK YOU to our participants in the latest series of Polish-language classes, and to Edyta for her great job as teacher. We will announce another round of classes in the new year.

REBUILDING UPDATE:Work is about halfway now and remains on budget. Phase One (church plus shell of reception area) should be done in early spring at a cost of about $1.350 million, which will allow us to move into the church. Phase II (completion – including reception/meeting area) will cost about $150,000-$200,000. The core budget from insurance is a capped $1.288 million, plus some of the professional fees (which come out of a separate insurance envelope).  Tenders for drywalling have recently been issued and were advertised in the Cape Breton Post. The Rada has approved an option for a fiberglass steeple, to be made at a boat-building facility in Port Morien. Donations continue to be kindly encouraged. A 13-minute update on Polish Studio was scheduled to air yesterday, though as per the bulletin note on November 9 they still need us to do some more work before a full telethon can be done (hopefully in the new year). Thank you so much, everyone, for your hard work, prayers, and valued support.

ASSIGNMENTS IN VARIOUS MINISTRIES FOR ADVENT:
Eucharistic Ministers:
December 6: Suzanne Campbell
December 13: Marilyn Gillis
December 20: Janet Hawthorne

Lectors:
December 6: Edyta Baczyk, Janusz Wawrzyszyn
December 13: Elaine Tynski-Shipley, Andrzej Cebula
December 20: Anna Wesolkowska, Robert Lewandowski

Altar Servers:
December 6: Caleigh, Nicholas, and Matthew
December 13: James Campbell, Matthew Pellerine, James Clarke
December 20: Brianna, Rudy, Nicholas

Ushers:
December 6: Tony Gniewek, Robert Melski Jr.
December 13: Larry Gniewek, Joe Gillis
December 20: Robert Melski Sr., Toni LaRusic

Greeters:
December 6: Victoria Aucoin, Stephanie Black
December 13: Marjorie Ardelli, Carolyn Kiley
December 20: Mary (Micka DiPenta), Teresa Fagan

Thank you so much to all who serve in different ministries for our parish. God bless. Bóg zapłać!

FEAST OF ST. BARBARA (the day known as Barbórka in Poland): We pray for Miners, living and deceased. Just like Cape Breton, Poland has a long history of mining, and there is a special place in the national consciousness for miners. Polish miners have special ceremonial uniforms – the same ones we presented to the Men of the Deeps.  There are many outstanding miners’ choirs. Whenever the official miners’ hymn (“Niech żyje nam górniczy stan”) is sung, people rise out of respect for miners, especially those who have lost their lives in accidents. On December 4, the Feast of St. Barbara, patron saint of miners, there are “Miners’ Balls” across the country, especially in the Śląsk region. The exact year of St. Barbara’s martyrdom – her punishment for following her Christian faith – is not known, but is usually dated to the third century. It is believed that the death sentence was carried out by her own father, who was subsequently struck by lightning, and so St. Barbara’s special role as interceding to protect those who must work around explosives. She is considered one of the Church’s Fourteen Holy Helpers.

TO CONTRIBUTE ON-LINE TO OUR REBUILDING, PLEASE GO TO OUR PARISH WEB HOME PAGE (www.stmaryspolishparish.ca) and please click the link to our Canada Helps donation page. It’s a secure system and you’ll receive your charitable tax receipt promptly. Thanks for your support! Please spread the word.

REBUILDING FUND ENVELOPES are at the back of the church. Thank you for your support.

REBUILDING FUND CONTRIBUTIONS: Building Fund contributions will go toward the new church. To contribute to the rebuilding if you do not have an envelope, you can also write on your regular envelope or cheque “Designated to the Rebuilding of St. Mary’s Polish Church.”

THE RENOVATED AND REFURBISHED POLISH VILLAGE HALL is a comfortable, well appointed, modernized venue for events large and small. Please consider renting the hall for your events. Please call 564-8494.

PLEASE CHECK OUT OUR ON-LINE “VIRTUAL TOUR” AND AN 8.5 MINUTE PARISH WELCOME VIDEO ON OUR WEBSITE:  www.stmaryspolishparish.ca

Życzenia na miłego nowego tygodnia / Wishing you a blessed week! Bóg zapłać!

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TODAY’S HYMNS: Please see bulletin insert for the words.
Entrance: Archanioł Boży Gabriel [Gabriel, Archangel of God]
Offertory:Głos wdzięczny z nieba [A Grateful Voice from Heaven]
Communion: O mój Jezu w Hostii skryty [Oh My Jesus, Shrouded in the Host]
Post-Communion: Witaj święta i poczęta [Greetings, Holy and Immaculate]
Closing: Oto Pan Bóg Przyjdzie  [Thus Will Come the Lord God]