Parafia p.w. Narodzenia Najświętszej Maryi Panny
ST. MARY’S POLISH PARISH
21 Wesley St., Sydney, NS, B1N 2M5
Tel.: 564-4847
www.StMarysPolishParish.ca
Preparing for our 100th anniversary (2013).
Witamy wszystkich! Welcome to all!
We are pleased to share our faith and rich traditions with the whole community.

PROBOSZCZ/PASTOR:  Father Paul Murphy 564-4355
MSZY/MASSES: Sunday at 9:30 a.m.
Wednesday at 4:00 p.m. including Novena to Our Lady of Częstochowa

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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Druga Niedziela Adwentu/2nd Sunday of Advent

TODAY’S MASS INTENTION is for Georgia LaRusic offered by the family. Eternal rest grant onto her O Lord, and may perpetual light shine upon her. Wieczny odpoczynek racz Jej dać Panie, a swiatłość wiekuista niechaj Jej świeci na wieki wieków. Amen.

From today’s 2nd reading: “And this is my prayer: that your love may increase ever more and more in knowledge and every kind of perception, to discern what is of value so that you may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God.”

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NASTĘPNY TYDZIEŃ/THE WEEK AHEAD:

Wednesday, December 12, 4:00 p.m.: Mass followed by Novena to Our Lady of Częstochowa (Please note time change) For Irene Melnick offered by Steffie & family.

Sunday, December 16, 9:30 a.m. The Third Sunday of Advent. The Mass intention will be for Brenda Joseph offered by Wayne & sons.
Eucharistic Minister: Marilyn Gillis
Altar Servers: Nikolas & Noah

Collection receipts for Sunday, December 2: $1400.30 (broken down as follows: $745.55 weekly contributions, $235.00 supplementary monthly, $62.75 candles, $200.00 fuel, $100.00 Christmas flowers, $20.00 additional donation). Not included in the above total is Graveyard upkeep $10.00 Sincere thanks for your support of St. Mary’s Polish Parish! Dziękujemy bardzo!

OPLATEK/MASS CARDS/VIGIL CANDLE/MASS INTENTIONS: Please call Paul Tynski (562-1716)

“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:
December 9: Joachim, Wielisława, Wiesław
December 10: Andrzej, Daniel, Judyta, Julia, Maria
December 11: Daniela, Julia, Stefan, Waldemar, Wojmir
December 12: Aleksander, Dagmara
December 13: Lucja, Łucja, Otylia
December 14: Alfred, Izydor, Sławobor
December 15: Celina, Iga, Ignacy, Krystiana, Nina, Wolimir, Żegota
December 16: Alina, Zdzisława

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OGŁOSZENIA/ANNOUNCEMENTS

CHANGE IN WEDNESDAY MASS TIME FOR THE WINTER MONTHS: 4 p.m.: Our Wednesday evening Mass is at 4 p.m. Novena to Our Lady of Czestochowa follows as usual. Father Paul has effected this change out of consideration for people who may find it difficult to drive in the dark, especially in inclement winter conditions.

PASTERKA (MIDNIGHT MASS) AND CHRISTMAS DAY MASS IN OUR CHURCH: There will be traditional kolędy (our beautiful Polish carols) about a half hour before midnight on Christmas Eve. The Mass will begin at midnight. Pasterka literally translates as “shepherd’s mass.” On Christmas Day, Mass will be celebrated at our church at 9:30 a.m. In the Polish tradition, it is customary to attend both the Midnight Mass and the Christmas Day Mass. There will be Mass on Wednesday, December 26 at the usual 4 p.m. time followed by Novena to Our Lady of Częstochowa . Our neighbouring parish, Holy Redeemer, will have Christmas Eve masses at 4 and 8 p.m. and Christmas Day at 11 a.m. Also, the Special Advent Sunday devotions (Holy Hour) continue this week at Holy Redeemer at 3p.m.

CORRECTION: Last Sunday’s bulletin incorrectly reported that there would be no Mass on Wednesday, December 26. In fact, there will be Mass on Dec. 26 (at the usual 4 p.m. Wednesday time) and Novena to Our Lady of Czestochowa. This is the Feast of St. Stephen the Martyr, an important day in the Catholic calendar. Everyone is encouraged to attend.

CATECHISM/POLISH CULTURAL CLASS for school-age children (about 30 minutes long) will be held after Mass today downstairs, led by Krista Ann Starzomski.

ŚWIĘTY MIKOŁAJ (ST. NICHOLAS) VISIT: Thank you to everyone who participated last week in the visit of ŚWIĘTY MIKOŁAJ (St. Nicholas) and for the parishioners who kindly prepared lunch.  It was a happy gathering of all the generations in our parish

NEW YEAR’S EVE DANCE AT THE POLISH VILLAGE HALL: The net proceeds will support the hall and the St. Michael’s Polish Benefit Society. For tickets, please speak with Tony Melski (537-1417).

For Mass intentions for next year, please speak with Paul Tynski (562-1716).

Mr. Rachfalski from Halifax will be in town next Sunday (Dec. 16), as he is a couple of times per year, to sell Polish sausages at the Polish Village Hall. He will be there after Mass.

YOUR CHANCE TO OWN ONE OF JOHN TYNSKI’S SPECIAL WORKS OF ART: St. Michael’s Polish Benefit Society is selling tickets on a professionally framed depiction of Santa Claus created by John Tynski and donated in loving memory by his family. His Santa Claus drawings were created entirely in waxed crayon and for decades have been a cherished gift from the Tynski’s to many family and friends throughout the years. This particular drawing from 2006 is one of the last pieces of original artwork completed by John (at the age of 90!).  All proceeds from ticket sales will go directly to the continued support of the Polish Village Hall. Tickets are $2 each or 3 for $5 and may be purchased from Paul or Elaine after Mass. Draw date will be December 23rd.  Thank you for your support

“VIRTUAL TOUR” AND PANORAMA OF OUR CHURCH ARE NOW ON-LINE! If you have not done so, please check out our parish website’s new “Virtual Tour” and panorama and please don’t hesitate to suggest any improvements and corrections: www.stmaryspolishparish.ca.

VISITORS/EXTRA TIME IN THE CHURCH: You are most welcome to show our collective, sacred, historic home to visitors or guests, or to spend extra time here for prayer. If you would like to access the church outside normal Mass/open hours please call 563-1226; email: tom_urbaniak@cbu.ca and everything will be done to try to accommodate.

PARISH VOLUNTEER SIGN-UP: Przypomnienie/A FRIENDLY REMINDER: Last week, the Parish Planning Team circulated a volunteer sign-up form for various roles/tasks where some additional assistance is required. Thank you to those who filled out the forms. We will be contacting you shortly. It’s not too late! There are yellow sign-up forms at the back of the church. Thank you for taking a moment to look over the form. Please rest assured that everything you do for the parish is valued and appreciated. Dziękujemy i Bóg zapłać!

CANADIAN POLISH CONGRESS: The St. Michael’s Polish Benefit Society has recently been welcomed as a member of the Canadian Polish Congress, the only member organization in Atlantic Canada. Membership is accorded to organizations that have demonstrated a longstanding dedication to the preservation of Polish heritage and culture. (The Canadian Polish Congress was very active in encouraging organizations from coast to coast to write letters and sign our petition to ensure our parish stays open. They identified with us because, across Canada just as here in Cape Breton, a Polish parish and the life of the Polish community are inextricably intertwined.)

SOME CHRISTMAS GIFT SUGGESTIONS: For Christmas, you may wish to consider giving one of the many excellent Polish films with Catholic and strong ethical themes (on DVD through Amazon and other on-line booksellers – usually with English subtitles). Some popular choices include: Popieluszko (2009), about the murdered Polish priest; Karol: A Man Who Became Pope (2005); Faustina (1995), about the life of St. Faustina Kowalska; Potop (The Deluge – 1973), based on the Henryk Sienkiewicz novel and set in part during the 1655 defense of Czestochowa; Man of Iron (1981), which interweaves fictional and real characters involved in the famous Gdansk shipyard strike. There are also some very fine television series on DVD, including Decalogue (10 shows, each with a profound moral dilemma); Sprawiedliwi (The Righteous), set during World War II; Ojciec Mateusz, a humorous and good-natured series about a priest who solves crimes – the action is set in the beautiful medieval town of Sandomierz.

THE POLISH OBSERVANCE OF “BARBÓRKA” – HONOURING PAST AND PRESENT MINERS ON THE FEAST OF ST. BARBARA: 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.  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 adhering to 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, hence 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.

RECENT NATIONAL DAY OF REMEMBRANCE AND ACTION ON VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN (December 6): This day was instituted by the Parliament of Canada in 1991 to solemnly commemorate the massacre of 14 young women at Ecole Polytechnique de Montréal and to mobilize all of society to end violence and abuse. On this occasion, we pray that this crucial goal may be achieved and we commit ourselves to work toward it in our community.

INTERNATIONAL VOLUNTEER DAY (December 5): We sincerely thank the volunteers of St. Mary’s Polish Parish and all those who give their time and talents for a more caring community.

The following is a special prayer for this occasion: I thank Thee, Lord as a volunteer for the chance to serve another year. And to give of myself in some small way, to those not blessed as I each day. My thanks for health and mind and soul, to aid me ever toward my goal. For eyes to see the good in all, a hand to extend before a fall.  For legs to go where the need is great, learning to love—forgetting to hate. For ears to hear and heart to care, when someone's cross is hard to bear. A smile to show my affection true, with energy aplenty—the task to do. And all I ask, dear Lord, if I may, is to serve you better day by day. (From Pulpit Helps magazine 1992)

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OUR OPENING HYMN TODAY (DECEMBER 9, 2012 – SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT)
Hejnał Wszyscy Zaśpiewajmy
Jan Siedlecki (1829-1902) 

Hejnał wszyscy zaśpiewajmy, Cześć i chwałę Panu dajmy, Nabożnie k'Niemu wołajmy Mocny Boże z wysokości, Ty światłem swej wszechmocności, Rozpędź piekielne ciemności. Jużci ona noc minęła, Co wszystek świat ucisnęła, A początek z grzechu wzięła. Na to Boży Syn jedyny By ciemności zniósł i winy, W żywot zstąpił świętej Panny. Temu Bóg dał nas w opiekę, By czartowską zniósł z nas rękę, I piekielną odjął mękę. Ten łaskawie nas przyjmuje, Z wiecznych ciemności wyjmuje Światłość zbawienną gotuje.

Bugle call, we all sing, Honour and glory we give to the Lord Let us call devoutly to Him Mighty God from on high, You light the way with your eternal power, You drive away the infernal darkness. It already passed through the night, What the whole world beheld, Which took its beginnings from sin. For it is God's only Son Who took away the darkness and guilt Who came to the land of the living through the Holy Virgin. This God gave us in his care, Through the darkness He lifted us And relieved us from hellish ordeal. He graciously accepts us, The enternal darkness He removes To bask in the light of salvation.

 

Our other hymns today will be as follows:
Opening: Hejnał Wszyscy Zaśpiewajmy
Offertory: #26 in the coil-bound hymnal
Communion: BÓG TAK UKOCHAŁ ŚWIAT (God So Loved the World) – not in the hymnal
Post Communion: #30
Closing: #25