The Parish of the Holy Cross

95 Nichols Road + Nesconset, NY 11767+ 631.265.2200 + www.pothc88.org

WE CELEBRATE EUCHARIST

Monday—Thursday: 9:00 A.M. (Chapel)

Saturday: 5:00 P.M.

Sunday:

8:00 A.M. + 9:30 A.M. + 11:30 A.M.

+ 5:00 P.M. (except holiday weekends)

WE CELEBRATE RECONCILIATION

Saturday: After 5:00 P.M. Mass

Mondays: 6:30-7:30 P.M. or call for an appointment.

WE CELEBRATE BAPTISM

Baptisms are celebrated on the second and last Sunday

of each month at 1 P.M. Please contact the Parish

Office for more information.

WE CELEBRATE WEDDINGS

Couples should contact the Parish Office at least six

months in advance of the proposed wedding date.

The Baptism of the Lord - January 13, 2013

LET ALL BE WELCOMED AS CHRIST!

Come and pray with us!

Christmas Season concludes

Photo by Susan Ribeiro

Mass Intentions Schedule

Week of January 13th, 9 AM Mass

Mon. Anastasia Brillis

Tue. Florence Giallorenzo

Wed. Walter Tafuri (deceased) &

Helen Tafuri (living)

Thu. Helen Dalamango

Saturday, January 19th, 5PM Mass

Ann Keena, Mark McGinley

Sunday, Jan. 20th, Second Sun. - Ordinary Time

8:00 AM People of the Parish

9:30 AM John McGuire

11:30 AM Charles Christopher Eberharter,

Juliana Eberharter, Felix Ruiz

We are here for you!

OUR PASTORAL TEAM AND PARISH STAFF

631.265.2200 + Fax 631.265.2229 + pothc@optonline.net Parish Office Hours: Monday - Friday 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM

(closed for lunch: 12:15 - 1:00 PM)

Rev. James M. McNamara, Pastor Mrs. Connie Calabro, Co-Coordinator of Parish Outreach

Ms. Denise Cortegiano, Youth Minister Deacon Owen E. Farley, Jr., Parish Deacon

Ms. Ellen Fox, Director of Religious Education Mrs. Mary Anne McCulloch, Co-Coordinator of Parish Outreach

Mr. James McManus, Director of Maintenance Mrs. Judith Pickel, Pastoral Associate

Mr. Brian Reich, Director of Music Mrs. Elizabeth Shea, Religious Education Secretary (hcreled@optonline.net)

Deacon Gerard K. Steffens, Parish Deacon Mrs. Loretta Tarter, Business Manager

Mrs. Jane Wirth, Parish Secretary (pothc@optonline.net)

Scripture Readings for January 19th/20th

+ Isaiah 62:1-5

+ 1 Corinthians 12:4-11

+ John 2:1-11

New Life in Christ

Celebrants for Next Weekend’s Masses

January 19th/20th

5:00 PM Fr. Jim

8:00 AM Fr. Bob

9:30 AM Fr. Bob

11:30 AM Fr. Jim

Congratulations Holy Cross! Due to the generosity of our parishioners, we have gone over our goal in pledges for the 2012 Catholic Ministries Appeal. If we receive payment on those pledges by January 31st, Holy Cross will receive a 20% rebate on our goal, and 80% rebate on the amount over goal. So, don’t forget to follow through on your pledges! Catholic Ministries Appeal helps your community and your parish. Thank you so much for your support!

CATHOLIC MINISTRIES APPEAL

With this feast of the Baptism of the Lord, the Christmas Season comes to an end and we return to Ordinary Time in our Church year. Today’s passage from the Gospel according to Luke marks a change in focus from the ministry of John the Baptist to that of Jesus. John himself knows his place; he is unworthy to help Jesus take off his sandals, and neither is he as strong. John also knows the difference

between the baptisms each can perform. John baptizes with water, a common practice at the time, but Jesus will baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire. (Fire was thought to be a cleansing medium.) Jesus’ baptism would be greater than John’s. The second part of the Gospel opens matter-of-factly with a statement about all the people John baptized, including Jesus. Jesus’ baptism appears to be just like everyone else’s. As the story continues, however, we see Jesus praying (as He frequently does in Luke’s account) and we hear of the Holy Spirit coming upon Jesus from heaven. Finally, a voice from heaven says “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” Jesus’ baptism by John was the same as everyone else’s, but it led to something entirely different. His baptism would mark the beginning of a new period in His life. Interestingly, Luke places the genealogy of Jesus immediately after His baptism. Following the genealogy is the story of Jesus’ temptation in the desert. Luke begins the temptation narrative noting that Jesus returns from the Jordan filled with the Holy Spirit. The Spirit never leaves Him throughout His journey to Jerusalem, and empowers Him to fulfill His mission. What is true of Jesus at His baptism is true of each of us. The Spirit we receive at Baptism does the same for us. Through the Spirit and through frequent prayer modeled on Jesus’ prayer, we draw closer to God and hear His voice, “You are my beloved sons and daughters, in you I am well pleased.”

Reflection from 2013 Workbook for Lectors

Baptism of the Lord

Father Jacob Onyumbe

Over the Christmas holidays Father Jacob Onyumbe stayed with us. I hope you had a chance to meet him. Father Jacob is from the Congo. He is the third of ten children. Through the good graces of Bishop Murphy, he studied for the priesthood at our Seminary in

Huntington. His native language is French and when he came to the Seminary he knew very little English. He is presently on a full scholarship to study Scripture at Duke University. He started there in September. He is a friend of Father John Sureau which is how I met him. With Father Jacob’s permission I am sharing with you his blog which, while dated, will give you a sense of his family and background. The address is: www.jacobonyumbe.org Let us keep Father Jacob in prayer as he returned to Duke University on January 8

th.

Father Jim

LIFE TEEN NEWS

A special note to our Parish! We are asking for donations of NEW gloves, hats and scarves

for our “Mitten Tree” to help those who are less fortunate.

The “Mitten Tree” will be in the corner of the Atrium. Help those who are cold this winter!

1/13/13 - 5pm Life Teen Mass followed by another awesome Life Night. Teens don’t forget

to spread the word about Life Teen to all your friends!

1/20/13 - NO Life Teen Mass or Life Night due to the Martin Luther King holiday

1/27/13 - 5pm Mass followed by a Life Night. Teens you don’t want to miss

this one!

Also note: On 2/3/13 following all Masses, all teens and core members of Life Teen will be

out with our pots asking for donations for our annual event: Souper Bowl of Caring.

All proceeds will be donated to our local church pantry and a local soup kitchen.

Anyone who follows the news knows that Haiti has seemingly insurmountable problems: recurring hurricanes, political upheaval, health crises, safety issues, homelessness, hunger and

a devastating earthquake that destroyed much of the country. Heifer International has committed to investing 18.7 million in a project called REACH: Rural Entrepreneurs for Agricultural Cooperation in Haiti, with the aim to work with farming families, aid organizations, producers, municipalities, public-private sector partnerships and others to rehabilitate and strengthen crop and livestock-based livelihoods. Through this initiative, some of the underlying problems in this country will be addressed.

REACH will build up four livestock sub-sectors (goats, cattle, poultry and pigs) using integrated farming to improve production. Haiti has a long history with livestock and agriculture, but both are sorely underutilized. With training in animal management and environmentally friendly crop production, there is great opportunity for success. This Heifer project will help to change the lives of 20,250 Haitian families through: Targeting Haitian youth by creating work opportunities that will revitalize them, give them reason to stay home and work on a productive, income-producing farm, and as a result, reverse the aging farm population. Starting family-run breeding centers that create jobs and wealth and that provide for improved livestock breeds, something that has never been done before in Haiti. Improving Haiti’s inefficient food-producing and soil protection systems. That will increase production, quality, outputs, and ultimately develop assets the farmers can use to create market opportunities and build businesses. Training Haitian farmers in disaster preparedness, such as identifying and mitigating risks and safeguarding their assets-their animals. Protecting the environment by using animals that are complementary to the crops, and using techniques such as zero grazing that protects groundcover and manure collection which provides organic fertilizer. Heifer’s REACH project will help more than 100,000 people overall – the largest animal project of its kind in Haiti’s history. We believe that this project can significantly transform lives in this devastated country that so desperately needs to find new ways to rebuild. Therefore, we are donating $1,000 of your “Kevin Bacon” dollars to this Project. Thank you for your quarters that make it possible for our parish to connect with the suffering people of Haiti. Parish Outreach

HEIFER HELP FOR HAITI

Our Parish of the Holy Cross is Celebrating its Twenty-fifth Anniversary!

Holy Cross parish was established on January 21, 1988.

On Sunday, January 20, 2013 we will have a special celebration at the

11:30 A.M. Mass.

We hope you will join us. Bishop Murphy, Father Bill, Father Joe, Sister Jane, and Father John

will all be here. It is a wonderful opportunity to come together for a reunion and

to give thanks to God for these wonderful years.

In addition, on Sunday, June 2, 2013 we are planning a huge picnic at the Gazebo and the Library grounds on Smithtown Blvd.

There will be games for the children, music, and lots of family fun!

We are presently forming committees to organize this great event. If you can give a little of your time and talent to this planning, please email

Father Jim at: jmcn4571@aol.com

CASH CALENDAR

Casino Night

The Nesconset Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring a Casino Night Fundraiser to

purchase additional decorative street lights along Smithtown Blvd.

Come down and play Blackjack, Craps, Roulette, Let It Ride and Money Wheel run

by professional dealers. At the end of the night, convert your chips into raffle

tickets to possibly win great prizes.

Your ticket purchase includes a buffet dinner, coffee/dessert, open bar, 1 raffle

ticket for the 55” HDTV, 1 raffle ticket for a 2BR suite 1 week stay at the

Wyndham Skyline Tower in Atlantic City and $200 in chips. The person with the

most chips at the end of the night will receive a $200 Apple Store gift

certificate.

Date: January 25, 2013

Location: Wind Watch Golf Club

1715 Motor Parkway Hauppauge, NY 11788

Time: 7:00PM – 11:00PM

Tickets: $100

Please contact the Nesconset Chamber of Commerce for information and ticket

purchases @631-724-2543

COMMUNITY NEWS

Saturday, January 12th 9:30 AM

WOMEN’S PRAYER Fr. Joe Room

JUNIOR LECTOR MEETING Sacristy

Sunday, January 13th 11:30 AM Mass

BAPTISM CELEBRATION Worship Ar./Atr BAPTISMS 1:00 PM Worship Area LIFE TEEN MASS 5:00 PM Worship Area

Monday, January 14th 4:30 - 5:30 PM

ONE-TO-ONE FJ,A,WA,S,C,CR

Tuesday, January 15th 10:30 AM

MAKING MUSIC PRAYING TWICE Fr. Joe Room

Wednesday, January 16th 7:00 PM

LEVEL 1 PARENT MEETING Atrium

Thursday, January 17th 10:00 AM

SCRIPTURE STUDY Fr. Joe Room

LEVEL 7 & LIFE TEEN 7:00-8:30PM Wor.Ar./Atrium

RCIA 7:00 PM Fr. Joe Room

Sunday, January 20th 9:30 AM Mass

RCIA DISMISSAL Worship Area 25TH ANNIVERSARY MASS 11:30 AM Worship Area RELIGIOUS ED. HOSPITALITY SUNDAY Atrium NO LIFE TEEN MASS

MEETINGS THIS WEEK

This weekend we will have a second collection for our Roof and Other Major Renovations (ROMR). This second collection takes place on the second Sunday of each month, and we track progress toward payment of our $136,000 Mission Assistance Loan. Thank you for your continued support!

ROOF COLLECTION

Check out our new parish website!

www.pothc88.org

We update the new website every week. So, we

encourage you to go on to the website each

week. You will find a lot of information there!

Date Amount Name

12/1/2012 $50 Grace VanEpps 12/2/2012 $50 The Emerson Family 12/3/2012 $50 Jane Armstrong 12/4/2012 $50 Connie Lipnicki 12/5/2012 $50 Nick Lombardo 12/6/2012 $50 Dominik Kulesza 12/7/2012 $50 Maria Meyer 12/8/2012 $50 Catherine Crouse 12/9/2012 $50 The Smith Family 12/10/2012 $50 Paul Calabro 12/11/2012 $50 Thomas Fahey 12/12/2012 $50 Laura Holst 12/13/2012 $50 Ellen Ferrara 12/14/2012 $50 John Leonardo 12/15/2012 $50 The Nastasi Family 12/16/2012 $50 Thomas Hough 12/17/2012 $50 The Knipper Family 12/18/2012 $50 Jane Armstrong 12/19/2012 $50 Joseph Campanelli Jr. 12/20/2012 $50 Theresa Greco 12/21/2012 $50 Connie Lipnicki 12/22/2012 $50 Irene Rodechko 12/23/2012 $50 Tom & Sophie Kecki 12/24/2012 $50 Kathy Donnelly 12/25/2012 $500 Ellen Ferrara 12/26/2012 $50 Joan Babino 12/27/2012 $50 Matthew Catania 12/28/2012 $50 Ellen Fraser 12/29/2012 $50 Tricia & Freddy Meyers 12/30/2012 $50 Lorraine Fahey 12/31/2012 $50 Peter Lambert

Date Amount Name

12/1/2012 $50 Grace VanEpps 12/2/2012 $50 The Emerson Family 12/3/2012 $50 Jane Armstrong 12/4/2012 $50 Connie Lipnicki 12/5/2012 $50 Nick Lombardo 12/6/2012 $50 Dominik Kulesza 12/7/2012 $50 Maria Meyer 12/8/2012 $50 Catherine Crouse 12/9/2012 $50 The Smith Family 12/10/2012 $50 Paul Calabro 12/11/2012 $50 Thomas Fahey 12/12/2012 $50 Laura Holst 12/13/2012 $50 Ellen Ferrara 12/14/2012 $50 John Leonardo 12/15/2012 $50 The Nastasi Family 12/16/2012 $50 Thomas Hough 12/17/2012 $50 The Knipper Family 12/18/2012 $50 Jane Armstrong 12/19/2012 $50 Joseph Campanelli Jr. 12/20/2012 $50 Theresa Greco 12/21/2012 $50 Connie Lipnicki 12/22/2012 $50 Irene Rodechko 12/23/2012 $50 Tom & Sophie Kecki 12/24/2012 $50 Kathy Donnelly 12/25/2012 $500 Ellen Ferrara 12/26/2012 $50 Joan Babino 12/27/2012 $50 Matthew Catania 12/28/2012 $50 Ellen Fraser 12/29/2012 $50 Tricia & Freddy Meyers 12/30/2012 $50 Lorraine Fahey 12/31/2012 $50 Peter Lambert

Date Amount Name

12/1/2012 $50 Grace VanEpps 12/2/2012 $50 The Emerson Family 12/3/2012 $50 Jane Armstrong 12/4/2012 $50 Connie Lipnicki 12/5/2012 $50 Nick Lombardo 12/6/2012 $50 Dominik Kulesza 12/7/2012 $50 Maria Meyer 12/8/2012 $50 Catherine Crouse 12/9/2012 $50 The Smith Family 12/10/2012 $50 Paul Calabro 12/11/2012 $50 Thomas Fahey 12/12/2012 $50 Laura Holst 12/13/2012 $50 Ellen Ferrara 12/14/2012 $50 John Leonardo 12/15/2012 $50 The Nastasi Family 12/16/2012 $50 Thomas Hough 12/17/2012 $50 The Knipper Family 12/18/2012 $50 Jane Armstrong 12/19/2012 $50 Joseph Campanelli Jr. 12/20/2012 $50 Theresa Greco 12/21/2012 $50 Connie Lipnicki 12/22/2012 $50 Irene Rodechko 12/23/2012 $50 Tom & Sophie Kecki 12/24/2012 $50 Kathy Donnelly 12/25/2012 $500 Ellen Ferrara 12/26/2012 $50 Joan Babino 12/27/2012 $50 Matthew Catania 12/28/2012 $50 Ellen Fraser 12/29/2012 $50 Tricia & Freddy Meyers 12/30/2012 $50 Lorraine Fahey 12/31/2012 $50 Peter Lambert

Congratulations to the following December

Cash Calendar Winners!

CASH CALENDAR