PARISH FAMILY OF ST. LEO, STAMFORD

SAT. (December 5)

5:00 PM Michael Mattiello

by Phil & Angela Valenzano

SUN. (December 6)

8:00 AM Steve Rigo

by Betty & George Joseph

10:00 AM Yolanda & Lucian Sclafani

by Marie Cordeiro & Fran Fogarty

and Armando Latorraca by wife & family

MON. (December 7)

8:30 AM Leonard Verrastro

by Joyce & Jack Pinto

TUES. (December 8)

8:30 AM Pasquale Iorfino

by wife, Maria

WEDS. (December 9)

8:30 AM Intentions of Parishioners

SAT. (December 12)

5:00 PM Lara Kavanagh

by Kumfer Family

SUN. (December 13)

8:00 AM Kathleen Gartner

by Matthew & Kimberly Kollar

10:00 AM Mary Cavaliero

by family

and Intentions of Parishioners

MON. (December 14)

8:30 AM Severo & Carmen Reynon

by Mary Ann Gascon

TUES. (December 15)

8:30 AM Lucy Mele by Reed Toth & family

WEDS. (December 16)

8:30 AM Sr. Daria Gencarelli Posc by CJ, Cristina, Matthew & Zachary Fioravanti

The Sanctuary Lamp will burn

in memory of

Leonard Verrastro by Paul & Savina Waldron

*All other scheduled Masses have been and will continue to be said privately, until the church is fully open again.

Tradition of Advent

Advent Season is a very special time of the year that sometimes get lost in the bright lights of the Christmas season it precedes. The first day of Advent is the first day of a new Liturgical (or church) calendar and begins a four week period of preparation in anticipation of the nativity of Jesus at Christmas.

The Advent Season is all about reflecting on how we can prepare our hearts and homes for Christ’s birth in the world as it is today. It is a time for faith Communities and families to remember, through prayer, reflections, special music, and good deeds what the true meaning of Jesus’ birth is. There are many different traditions associated with the four weeks of Advent.

The Advent season invites us to step away from what can be a frenzied time of parties and shopping to consider how we commemorate the birth of Jesus, one of the holiest times in Christian faith. It is also a time to reflect on the triumphant return of Jesus at the second coming.

The most significant tradition of the Advent season is the Advent Wreath. The wreath and candles are full of symbolism tied to the Christmas season. The wreath itself, which is made of various evergreens, signifies continuous life. The circle of the wreath, which has no beginning or end, symbolizes the eternity of God, the immortality of the soul, and the everlasting life we find in Christ.

The candles also have their own special significance. The four candles represent the four weeks of Advent and one candle is lit each Sunday. Three of the candles are purple because violet is a liturgical color that signifies a time of prayer, penance, and sacrifice.

The first candle, which is purple, symbolizes hope. It is sometimes called the “Prophecy Candle” in remembrance of the prophets, especially Isaiah, who foretold the birth of Christ. It represents the expectation felt in anticipation of the coming Messiah.

Continued

eGiving with Faith Direct Many of you are aware and take advantage of the convenience of electronic giving to our parish and we are grateful for that. We would like to continue to encourage other parishioners to join and enroll in Faith Direct, our new online giving option. You can go to faith.direct/CT1101 or simply go to our website StLeoStamford.org to enroll in Faith Direct.

Please pray for the

deceased members

and friends of our

parish who returned

to God in the past

month. May they

Rest in Peace.

IN SYMPATHY

William Moylan

Maria Russo

Dot Vakos

The following children were welcomed into the Roman Catholic family of faith, through the saving waters of Baptism.

September

Reagan Grace Caiolo

Carter Robert Canzone

Charles Ramsaver Perflaky

October

Jacob Cardona

Marcos Santiago Chacaliaza

Robert John Giordano

Bobbi Layla Horn

November

Stevie Gray Caldwell

Zachary David Dellacerra

John Jay Fiori

Colin Joseph Hobson

Please use the Christmas Flower envelopes in your packet. We are grateful for your donations for this task. You may place your Christmas Flower Envelopes in any regular collection.

Christmas Flowers

Continued

The second candle, also purple, represents faith. It is called the “Bethlehem Candle” as a reminder of Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem.

The third candle is pink and symbolizes joy. It is called the “Shepard’s Candle,” and is pink because rose is a liturgical color for joy. The third Sunday of Advent is Gaudete Sunday and is meant to remind us of the joy that the world experienced at the birth of Jesus, as well as the joy that the faithful have reached the midpoint of Advent.

On the fourth week of Advent, we light the final purple candle to mark the final week of prayer and penance as we wait for the birth of our Savior. This final candle, the “Angel’s Candle,” symbolizes peace. It reminds us of the message of the angels: “Peace on Earth, Good Will Toward Men.”

Second Sunday of Advent

On Thursday at 8 am each week the reservations site on our website

stleostamford.org

will be available to make a reservation to attend mass the following Sunday.

(You will need to repeat the process each Thursday to attend a weekend mass.)

December 6, 2020

SAINT LEO PARISH 24 Roxbury Road

Stamford, Connecticut 06902

REV. JAMES D. GROSSO, Pastor

PARISH SECRETARY: Mrs. Elizabeth Klemm REL.ED. DIRECTOR: Mrs. Eileen Towne

YOUTH MINISTER: Mrs. Holly Connolly

SUNDAY SCHOOL COOR. Mrs. Holly Connolly

REL.ED. OFFICE MANAGER: Mrs. Sue Manning

DIRECTOR OF MUSIC: Mrs. Denise A. Esposito

ORGANIST: Mrs. Alma A.J. Hamilton

BUILDING MGR: Mr. Michael Lombardo

(ext.223)

PARISH TRUSTEES: Marie Cordeiro

Joseph Baranowski

PARISH COUNCIL OFFICERS:

Mr. Michael Nicholson, President 203-357-7737

Mr. John Kennedy, Vice-President 203-329-8285

Mrs. Christine Green, Secretary 203-609-0188

PARISH FINANCE COMMITTEE: Mr. Peter McMullin, Chairman 203-326-5606 MASS SCHEDULE:

By reservation until further notice CONFESSIONS: Saturdays 4:00-4:30PM

BAPTISM: 2nd & 4th Sundays

of the month

(Pre-Baptism classes - for appointment,

call Eileen Towne at 203-348-0052)

MATRIMONY: By appointment, at least

ONE YEAR in advance

R.C.I.A. (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults):

Kathy Heslin (203-273-6910)

TELEPHONES:

Rectory: 203-322-1669

Fax: 203-461-9761

Religious Formation: 203-348-0052

OFFICE HOURS:

Rectory: Closed until further notice

ST. LEO WEBSITE: www.StLeoStamford.org

BULLETIN DEADLINE:

Articles are due two weeks before the date of the bulletin.

Parish Registration or change in Information

If you attend our parish on a regular basis, please consider registering with us. It is helpful, especially whenever the need arises for special sacraments, sponsor certificates, religious education classes, etc. Kindly fill in the form below and return it to the rectory either by mail or by dropping it in the collection basket.

Please Print

New:_____ Change:_____ Mr. ___ Mrs. ___ Mr. & Mrs. ___ Miss ___ Ms. ___ First Names:______________________________

Wife’s Maiden Name:________________________

Last Name:________________________________ Street Address:_____________________________ City:__________________ State:_____________ Phone:________________ Zip Code:__________ E-mail address:_____________________________ Name(s) of Children (under 18) & Birth Date(s): ____________________________________ ____________________________________

PRAY THE ROSARY ON YOUR LUNCH HOUR

On the 1st Tuesday of every month, the Rosary will be prayed in classroom #7 and will commence promptly at 12:15 pm and end at 12:45 pm. Temporarily discontinued. Please bring your written petitions/intentions (optional) to place before Our Lady’s statue. Instruction sheets will be available to those who want to learn to pray the Rosary.

ROSARY FOR WORLD PEACE Please join us on the 3rd Thursday of every month when a World Peace Rosary will be prayed after the 8:30 am Mass in English, Spanish, Italian, Polish, Hungarian, Korean and French. Temporarily discontinued.

ROSARY EVERY WEEKDAY AFTER MORNING MASS We look forward to seeing you and your loved ones. Any questions about either of the Rosary sessions, please call Katie Arnau (203-564-3626), or Ann Hogan (203-968-1486).