Parafia p.w. Narodzenia Najświętszej Maryi Panny
ST. MARY’S POLISH PARISH
21 Wesley St., Sydney, NS, B1N 2M5
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.
Celebrating 100 years of faith and service (1913-2013)

PROBOSZCZ/PASTOR:  Father Paul Murphy 564-4355

MSZY/MASSES: Sunday at 9:30 a.m.
Wednesday at 4:00 p.m. followed by Novena to Our Lady of Częstochowa. Praying of the Rosary begins prior to Mass at approximately 3:35 p.m.

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 Teofil Pierrynowski offered by Mary & family. Eternal rest grant onto him O Lord, and may perpetual light shine upon him. Wieczny odpoczynek racz Mu dać Panie, a swiatłość wiekuista niechaj Mu świeci na wieki wieków. Amen

TODAY’S RESPONSORIAL PSALM: Idźmy z radością na spotkanie Pana [Let us go with joy to meet the Lord.] Pronunciation: ee-ch-mi / z / rad-osh-cho / na / spo-tka-nee-e / Pa-na

The Vigil Candle this week is for all miners who have gone to their eternal rest. December 4th is the Feast day of St. Barbara, patron saint of miners, a day of special significance in the Polish tradition.

Eucharistic Minister for today: Marilyn Gillis

Ushers for collection today: Steve Melnick, Toni LaRusic

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NASTĘPNY TYDZIEŃ / THE WEEK AHEAD

Wednesday, December 4, 4:00 p.m. Mass followed by Novena to Our Lady of Częstochowa. Praying of the Rosary prior to Mass beginning at approximately 3:35 p.m. The Mass intention will be for Celia Jockemeck offered by her children .  

Sunday, December 8, 9:30 a.m. The Mass intention will be for Hugh McMullin offered by Patsy Kiley.
Lectors: Stephanie Black, Anne Marie Campbell   
Eucharistic Minister: Janet Hawthorne                  
Altar Servers: Brianna, Nicholas       
Ushers: Michael Melski, Bernie LaRusic
Greeters: Marjorie Ardelli, Carolyn Ardelli
Altar Society volunteers for December:  Catherine Tucker, Herb Tucker, Marjorie Ardelli                   

Collection receipts for Sunday, November 24:  $1483.35 (broken down as follows: $630.00 weekly contribution, $360.00 monthly supplementary contribution, $44.10 candles, $13.25 loose, $100.00 fuel, $325.00 Christmas flowers. Thank you very much for your support of St. Mary’s Polish Parish. Dziękujemy serdecznie!

MASS CARDS/VIGIL CANDLE: Contact Tom Urbaniak (563-1226)

IN MEMORIAM DONATION: To make an In Memoriam donation, please pick up one of the IMO cards/St. Mary’s Polish Church envelopes at the back or speak with Shauna McKay. These will be acknowledged in the bulletin. We also welcome donations to the Building Fund, as we continue with improvements and repairs.

“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 1: Blanka, Długosz, Edmund, Iwa, Natalia, Sobiesława
December 2: Aurelia, Balbina, Bibiana, Budzisław, Budzisława, Ludwina, Paulina, Sulisław, Sylweriusz, Sylwery, Wiktoryn, Zbylut                           
December 3: Franciszek, Kasjan, Lucjusz, Unimir
December 4: Barbara, Hieronim, Krystian, Piotr
December 5: Gerald, Krystyna, Pęcisława
December 6: Emilian, Jarogniew, Mikołaj
December 7: Marcin, Ninomysł
December 8: Boguwola, Maria, Światozar

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OGŁOSZENIA / ANNOUNCEMENTS

SPECIAL COLLECTION TODAY: The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops has asked that a special collection to aid the victims of the recent typhoon in the Philippines be taken up today. Please make your cheques payable to St. Mary’s Polish Parish but mark ‘Philippines’ on it as well. All donations will then be sent to the Diocesan Pastoral Office and forwarded to the appropriate charitable agencies. Please be generous as we come to the aid of our brothers and sisters in the Philippines

LUNCH AFTER MASS DOWNSTAIRS TODAY. Everyone is welcome. Also, thank you to everyone who brought a non-perishable food bank item.

PRAYING OF THE ROSARY – Every Wednesday before the 4 p.m. Mass (beginning at approximately 3:35 p.m.).

CATECHISM AND POLISH CULTURAL CLASS, for school-age children, led by Krista Ann Starzomski, downstairs after Mass.

PLEASE NOTE: Short meeting for December Altar Society volunteers after Mass today in front of altar.

ADVENT HOLY HOURS:
During the Sundays of Advent we will be holding afternoon Holy Hours from 2-3 pm. Please plan to attend. Thank you!
Dec. 1st - St. Mary’s Polish Parish
Dec. 8th - Holy Redeemer Parish
Dec. 15th - St. Mary’s Polish Parish
Dec. 22nd - Holy Redeemer Parish
This Holy Hour will be offered for your family intentions and for vocations to the Priesthood. It will consist of hymns, Scripture readings, Chaplet of Divine Mercy, Adoration and Benediction. There will also be time prior for confessions. Please plan on joining us in Prayer and Worship.

OPŁATEK AND POLISH RELIGIOUS CHRISTMAS CARDS CAN BE PURCHASED DOWNSTAIRS AFTER MASS TODAY. We would be grateful if you could place $3 per envelope of Opłatki (plural for Opłatek) that you take home and $2 per Christmas Card in the basket on the table downstairs. Thank you. The custom of breaking and sharing unleavened wafers (embossed with holy images) at family and community gatherings during the Christmas season (beginning with Christmas Eve) originated in Poland in the 17th century – and is today a primarily Polish, Lithuanian, and Slovak tradition. The large majority of families of Polish heritage continue to follow this custom. It is also traditional for Polish families who send Christmas cards in the mail (even to non-Polish friends) to put a piece of Opłatek inside the card. When sharing the Opłatek, it is customary to say something like the following: “I wish you much health, happiness and the Lord's bountiful blessings as well as the fulfillment of all your plans and everything you wish for yourself.”

OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD RESULTS: A total of 81 boxes were prepared and collected through our parish from our parishioners and people to whom our parishioners reached out. This is an excellent result. Many thanks and God bless. Thank you to Suzanne Campbell for coordinating our efforts.

PARISH CENTENARY EXHIBIT ITEMS that have not been claimed are being transferred to the hall’s downstairs back room for an eventual longer-term exhibit profiling our parish and our heritage. Any items unclaimed by December 8th we will assume can be utilized in this longer-term exhibit. Thank you to everyone who has allowed items to remain!

NEXT WORLD YOUTH DAY IN KRAKÓW, POLAND -- 2016: Father Paul and the Rada have discussed sponsoring some of our youth to attend this major gathering with Pope Francis – and we are all eager to go forward with it. Also, some people have expressed interest in a parish pilgrimage to Poland at the same time, with a welcome for others in the diocese to join us as well. We welcome any expressions of interest and assistance.

POLISH AND ENGLISH MISSALETTES: With this being the first Sunday of Advent, we begin a new year for our missalettes. The new Polish and English missalettes are in the pews. If you would like one to take home, there are additional copies on a table downstairs after Mass today. There is a basket on the table, and we would kindly ask that you leave $10 per copy for the Polish version (which is a larger book) and $5 for the English. Thank you.

A GREAT GIFT! Gift Certificates for the Polish Village Hall: For the first time, you can give a gift certificate that can be redeemed by the recipient for a hall rental (upstairs or downstairs). Both areas have been totally refreshed, and there are facilities for large events and small gatherings/receptions. So please consider giving one to friends or family, or local organizations that may be planning parties and events. The certificate is on card stock, artfully designed. If you would like to purchase one, please speak with Bernie LaRusic.

PARISH CENTENARY COOKBOOKS have sold out, but more will be printed based on orders received. Please speak with Shari McKay or Shauna McKay or see the form in today’s bulletin.

OUR BOOK PRZEZ POKOLENIA: Prayers and Customs of St. Mary’s Polish Church also makes a great gift ($10 each). Please speak with Tom Urbaniak or see the form in today’s bulletin.

AT THIS WEDNESDAY`S MASS (4 P.M.), IN KEEPING WITH THE FEAST OF ST. BARBARA (the day known as Barbórka in Poland), WE WILL 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 this year as part of our parish’s Centenary celebrations.  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.

The front page of the paper copy of the bulletin included a picture of an Advent wreath and the words that presently appear on our altar banner – “Raduj Sie – Pan Jest Blisko!” Translated, this is “Be Joyful for the Lord is Near!”

The paper copy also included an order form for the two books released to mark our 100th anniversary (please see link on website home page) and posters promoting our parish St. Nicholas Day event on Sunday, December 8 (see link on website home page) and the violin concert at our church on Saturday, December 14, at 2 p.m. by Jola Cebula’s students.

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

Wishing you a blessed week! Bóg zapłać!

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TODAY’S HYMNS:
Entrance: Archanioł Boży Gabriel (Gabriel, Archangel of God) – 17 in the coil-bound hymnal
Offertory: Głos wdzięczny z nieba wychodzi  (A Grateful Voice Emerges from Heaven) – 20
Communion: Chwalmy Niewysłowiony  (Praise Ineffable)– 104
Post-Communion: Witaj święta i poczęta (Greetings, Immaculate) – not in hymnal
Closing Hymn: Oto Pan Bóg Przyjdzie (Behold, the Lord Cometh) – 25