Pastor Reverend Christopher J. Papa

Weekend Assistant Reverend John T. Kelly, S.J.

Permanent Deacons

Deacon Thomas P. Fitzpatrick Deacon Michael J. Kubiak

Deacon Francis B. Burke, Retired

Director of Religious Education Marykate Murphy

School Principal Thomas L. Tobin, Ed.D.

Parish Business Manager Robert J. Helmig

Administrative Secretary Helen V. Kraus

Parish Music Coordinator Dorothy Toomey

Saint Bernadette of Lourdes Parish “Where Miracles Happen”

1035 Turner Avenue Drexel Hill PA 19026 Phone: (610)789-7676 Fax: (610)789-9539

www.stbl.org January 1, 2017 — The Solemnity of Mary, Holy Mother of God

____________________________________________________________________________ Mass Schedule

Sunday Masses Holy Day Masses Saturday Vigil: 4:30pm Vigil Mass: 7:00pm — Holy Day: 8:30am Sunday: 7:00am, 9:00am and 11:00am Weekday Mass Sacrament of Reconciliation Monday—Thursday 8:30am Saturday: 3:30pm — 4:15pm Friday—4:00pm __________________________________________________________________________________________________________

0234 Page Two January 1, 2017

Parish Information

NEW FAMILIES Welcome to St. Bernadette Parish! To register in the parish, please come to the rectory on Sunday mornings between 9:00am and 12:00noon. We are eager to greet new members of our parish community and look forward to meeting you.

RECTORY OFFICE HOURS The rectory office hours are Monday through Friday from 9:00am to noon and 1:00pm to 5:00pm. During the summer the rectory will close at 3:00pm on Fridays. Items for the Sunday newsletter must be at the rectory by Monday at noon for publication the following Sunday.

BAPTISMS

Baptisms are held at 12 noon on the 2nd and 4th Sundays of the month. Parents must attend a Pre-Jordan class held in the Wright Center at 12 noon on the first Sunday of every other month (please refer to the bulletin for exact dates). Registra-tion for the class is required. In order to arrange for a baptism, the parents must be active members of the parish for six months. To register, please call the rectory office at 610/789-7676. Godparents should be practicing Catholics, confirmed and at least 16 years of age. If not from this parish, sponsors must have a letter of eligibility from their parish stating that they have been actively participating for six months. St. Ber-nadette Parishioners must be registered and actively participat-ing for six months to receive a letter of eligibility.

MARRIAGES We request that couples contemplating marriage call the recto-ry to make an appointment with the priest. At this initial inter-view, the date and time of your request will be recorded and you will receive a copy of the Parish Wedding Guidelines.

SACRAMENT OF THE SICK/COMMUNION CALLS A priest will administer Holy Communion to parishioners who are unable to come to Church. If you desire, Eucharistic Minis-ters can bring Communion each week. Please contact the Rec-tory to be placed on our Sick List. Parishioners who are to undergo serious surgery at a hospital are encouraged to make an appointment at the Rectory before going to the hospital.

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION St. Bernadette School offers sessions for Pre-School and Kin-dergarten and conducts full-time classes from first through eighth grades. CCD classes are held in the parish school for all students attending public school. CCD classes are held on Monday evenings at 6:45pm. Adults seeking religious instruc-tion should call Marykate Murphy, Director of Religious Edu-cation at (610) 789-7676 ext. 212. The RCIA Program begins in October.

SAINT BERNADETTE PARISH ON FACEBOOK We can be found at “Saint Bernadette of Lourdes Parish”. Check out the page and “like” us to keep up with the latest par-ish news.

VISITS TO THE MOST BLESSED SACRAMENT can be

made in the Chapel. The chapel is open for visits Monday through Friday from 7:30am - 5:30pm.

RECITATION OF THE ROSARY takes place every Monday

through Thursday at 8:00am in the church and on Wednesday evenings along with the Miraculous Medal Novena at 7:00pm in the Chapel.

NOVENA TO ST. LEONIE AVIAT takes place every Tues-

day at 7:00pm in the Chapel.

FLAME OF LOVE PRAYER CENACLE takes place every

Thursday at 7:00pm in the Chapel.

HOLY HOUR FOR LIFE takes place in the chapel on the last

Sunday of the month at 7:00pm.

RESPECT LIFE GROUP information can be obtained by call-

ing Doris Hurd at 610-789-2708.

MEN’S PRAYER GROUP meets in the chapel every Tuesday

at 7:30pm - call Tom Fitzgerald at 610-446-3667.

MUSIC MINISTRY is open to all who wish to share their

time and talent in praise and thanksgiving to God – call Dottie Toomey at 610/449-4013 for rehearsal times.

ST. BERNADETTE MARTHAS AND A JOSEPH are a ded-

icated group who clean the church every Thursday after the 8:30am Mass; new volunteers always welcome—call Pat Ly-ons at 610-789-2516.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS meetings are held ever

Thursday at 9:30am in O’Brien Hall.

ST. JOHN’S HOSPICE Casseroles to feed the homeless, sponsored by St. John’s Hos-pice in Philadelphia, are collected in O’Brien Hall before the weekend Masses that precede the first Tuesday of the month. Casserole pans are available in the main entrance of church. Call Mary at 610/789-6206.

FOOD PANTRY Non-perishable food items for the Food Pantry can be place in bags and left in the vestibules of church. Any monetary dona-tions or donations of gift cards should be sent to Fr. Papa. If you have a question, call the Food Pantry at 610-789-7676 ext. 213.

SOLEMNITY OF MARY, HOLY MOTHER OF GOD Today is the church’s oldest celebration of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is also designated as the World Day of Prayer for Peace. There can be no better way to start the New Year than to honor our Blessed Mother and pray with her for peace in our world. As we pray together today at God’s invi-tation, let us be mindful of how the Holy Mother of God cares for the Church and the world that her Son died to save.

0234 Page Three January 1, 2017

MASS INTENTIONS FOR THE WEEK

Saturday, December 31 Thursday, January 5 - St. John Neumann 4:30pm Chuck Neill 8:30am Dora DiFiore

Sunday, January 1 Friday, January 6 7:00am Living & Deceased of St. Bernadette 4:00pm Martina & Gabriel Martella 9:00am Gerald Peter Kowalski 11:00am Gerald Peter Kowalski

Monday, January 2 - SS. Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen Saturday, January 7 8:30am John J. Jones 4:30pm Luigi & Theresa Presenza

Tuesday, January 3 Sunday, January 8 8:30am Jeanne Freas 7:00am Thomas Contino 9:00am Dec’d of Johannesson & Grace Families Wednesday, January 4 - St. Elizabeth Ann Seton 11:00am James J. Travers 8:30am Joseph Burke

FOR YOUR SPIRITUAL REFLECTION This week’s readings are: First Reading - Numbers 6:22-27 Second Reading - Galatians 4:4-7 Gospel - Luke 2:16-21

Next week’s readings will be:

First Reading - Isaiah 60:1-6

Second Reading - Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6

Gospel - Matthew 2:1-12

January 11 School Mass

29 Catholic Schools Week Begins

BERNADETTE SOCIAL CLUB

The St. Bernadette Seniors meet for lunch in the Wright Center on the 2nd and 4th Fridays of the month at 12:30pm (doors open at 12noon). We are an over 55 group, and new

members are always welcome. Our regular meetings will resume on Friday, January 13. Please call Annette Pauswinski at 610-246-8506 for more in-formation about the Social Club. A Merry Christmas and Hap-py New Year to all! ___________________________________________________

WELCOME TO THE NEWLY MARRIED Mark & Jennifer (Pietrzak) Redding

SYMPATHIES AND PRAYERS We extend our sympathies and prayers to the family and friends of Loretta Block who was recently buried from our church.

As we start a New Year untouched and unmarred, unblemished

and flawless, unscratched and unscarred, may we try to do bet-

ter and accomplish much more and be kinder and wiser than in

the year gone before. – Let us wipe our slate clean and start

over again, for God gives this privilege to all sincere men who

will humbly admit they have failed many ways but are willing

to try and improve these “new days” by asking God’s help in

all that they do and counting on Him to refresh and renew their

courage and faith when things go wrong and the way seems

dark and the road rough and long. – What will you do with this

year that’s so new? The choice is yours – God leaves that to

you!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

DO YOU KNOW YOUR TRIBUNAL? The Tribunal is a group of specially qualified priests, sisters

and lay persons whose responsibility is to come to the help of

people who have experienced divorce.

When a divorce occurs, the Catholic Church always seeks to

balance two realities. One is the unbreakableness of the bond

of marriage. This is God’s law. It cannot be broken by human

intervention. On the other hand, the Church is concerned about

the spiritual welfare of the people involved. Was this a true

marriage? Even though a Catholic marriage was celebrated,

perhaps there was some weakness in the consent of the parties

involved? The Annulment Procedure addresses this problem

without affixing blame on either party.

If you are divorced or married outside the Catholic Church,

please telephone the Tribunal Office at 215-587-3750. Have

no fear — all interviews are private.

0234 Page Four January 1, 2017

FINANCIAL FACTS

Envelopes Mailed Out in December, 2016 -- 1,276 Sunday, December 18, 2016 Sunday, December 20, 2015 Envelopes Used: 298 Envelopes Used: 343 Weekly: $12, 185 vs Target of $15,000 (a) Weekly: $12,427 vs Target of $15,000 (a) $10,532 Collection + $1,653 Parish Giving (16) $11,510 Collection + $917 Parish Giving (5) Mass Attendance: 835 Mass Attendance: 984 Poor Box: $208 Poor Box: $327

(a) Weekly target necessary to fund Parish operating expenses and avoid operating deficit. As followers of Christ Jesus, we are reminded that all things including life itself are a gift from God. What matters to God is not the gift, but the giver. Giving is God’s invitation to a way of life. It helps us to overcome our selfishness and love of things. What we do with what we have been given is a sign to God and to the world of the depth and meaning of our commitment. By recalling that all is gift, we therefore must strive to be generous with the financial gifts, both great and small, that God has be-stowed upon us. Thank you for your support and your generosity to God and to St. Bernadette Parish. St. Bernadette Parish has enlisted Parish Giving to provide its parishioners and supporters with the opportunity to use Electronic Funds Transfer as an alternative method for giving. The Program is free of charge for parishioners. More information about Parish Giving is available on our Parish web site: www.stbl.org on the “Parish Giving” page.

$$ FINANCIAL FACTS $$ Financial facts for December 25 and January 1

will be included in the January 8 bulletin.

ST. BERNADETTE GROCERY CLUB AND NATIONAL SCRIP PROGRAMS

Scrip is a way to save money on St. Bernadette School tuition, CCD registration and high school tuition. For Grocery Scrip, 4% is returned on every dollar spent at Acme, FreshGrocer, Giant, Pathmark, SuperFresh, Kohl’s, Swiss Farms and Coloni-al Village and can be purchased by anyone. Grocery scrip is available daily for purchase from the home sellers: - Megan Kearney 610-446-4219 - Karen Rollo 610-789-1531 - Carolyn Frank 610-220-8716 - On Monday from 6:30pm – 8pm in the school gym (When CCD is in session) Our National Scrip Program includes gift cards to hundreds of retailers, airlines & restaurants providing a 3% tuition voucher for every dollar spent. This scrip is ordered through Megan Kearney. For a complete list of participating companies, go to www.st-Bernadette-org. If you have any questions, call Megan Kearney at mbkearney95@verizon.net or 610-446-4219. ___________________________________________________

STEWARDSHIP APPEAL The 2016 Annual Stewardship Appeal is now underway. This appeal is most important to the strength, vibrancy and health of St. Bernadette Parish, and we ask that you please be as gener-ous as your means permit. Please return your census form and your donation to the rectory or put it in the Sunday collection basket. Thank you for your continued support of St. Berna-dette Parish.

ST. BERNADETTE CYO

3rd & 4th Grade Boys and Girls Basketball Clinics

The Boys and Girls 3rd and 4th grade Basketball Clinics will start the first week of January. The clinics run for approximately six weeks. Please visit www.stbernadettecyo.org to register prior to 12/31/16. If you have any questions please contact Ed Quintus, AD-Basketball at insurance@edquintus.com.

JV Girls Head Softball Coach St. Bernadette CYO is looking for a Head coach for the JV Girls Softball team. All interested candidates should contact Tom Kelly, AD-Spring Sports at tckelly@burnswhite.com.

Varsity Girls Head Softball Coach St. Bernadette CYO is looking for a Head coach for the Varsity Girls Softball team. All interested candidates should contact Tom Kelly, AD-Spring Sports at tckelly@burnswhite.com.

Spring Sports are starting soon Online Registration is now open for the Spring sports. JV and Varsity Baseball, JV and Varsity Softball and Track. Please visit www.stbernadettecyo.org and register thru our online sys-tem prior to 2/28. Any questions please reach out to Mark Yuknek, Treasurer at mark.yuknek@verizon.net.

Eligibility Requirements In order to be eligible to play CYO sports for St Bernadette you must be a registered member of the parish who attends our school or attends CCD thru 8th grade or is a registered member of the parish who attends a private Catholic school.

0234 Page Five January 1, 2017

May our Lord grant you inner peace, inner joy and inner happi-ness. May He grace you with the ability to share that peace, joy and happiness with everyone you meet along the road of life this coming New Year. Here are three phrases, nine words, that deepen our commitment to family, to community and to parish family — I LOVE YOU! I AM SORRY! I FORGIVE YOU! Peace be with you for the New Year 2017 and may God bless you always! __________________________________________________

BERNIE’S BIG BUCKS Drawing moved to the month of March! Just in time for Christmas: our annual Bernie’s Big Bucks Raffle Tickets are back. One $20 ticket gives you 31 chances to win! Drawings begin March 1st for daily prizes ranging from $100 - $2,000. Winners are determined by the three-digit Pennsylvania Even-ing Daily Number during the month of March with the final drawing on March 31st. SPECIAL NOTE: March 17 is the “Luck of the Irish Drawing” for $1,000.

These tickets make great stocking stuffers, gifts for teachers, mail carriers, newspaper deliverers, and hair dressers. They make great host/hostess gifts for Christmas parties. Tickets will be sold at the back of church beginning December 15. Can’t wait until then? Contact Ciaran Bellwoar, Director of Advancement, at cbellwoar@stbl.org to get your tickets. If you have a favorite number, don’t delay buying your ticket!

Come and watch the best CYO rivalry in DELCO help destroy cancer.

St. Bernadette/St. Dorothy

Coaches vs. Cancer Challenge Saturday, January 7 at

Bonner & Prendergast High School

JV Girls - 1:30pm Varsity Girls - 2:45pm

JV Boys - 4:00pm Varsity Boys - 5:15pm

Free admission

Snack Bar, Souvenir Stand, Contests, Prizes

All proceeds go directly to the American Cancer Society

WORLDWIDE MARRIAGE

ENCOUNTER

Looking for that special gift? If you want some-thing that brings lasting joy, why not consider giving each other a Marriage Encounter Week-end? The world we live in seems to get busier

each year, so taking the time to focus on each other and to grow in our understanding and love is so important. The next Weekends in this area are February 10-12 at Our Lady of Czestochowa in Doylestown and March 31-April 2 at the Sher-aton Great Valley. Early registration is highly recommend-ed. For more information visit our website at: www.wwme-philly.org. You can also contact Mary Liz Heumann at 610-449-1859.

ACE THE SAT WORKSHOP Monsignor Bonner and Archbishop Pren-dergast High School will host a one-day “Ace the SAT” workshop on Saturday, January 14 from 8:30am to 12:30pm.

Get great tips and tricks from SAT test experts and targeted insights on the Reading, Language, Writing, and Math skills necessary for top scores on the redesigned SAT. Students tak-ing the Spring SAT or ACT will benefit the most from this program. Space is limited. Early registration discount available. Check www.bonnerprendie.com, their Facebook page or call 610-449-6311 for information and registration forms.

THE JOURNEY

As you journey through life, choose your des-

tinations well, but do not hurry there. You

will arrive soon enough. Wander the back

roads and forgotten paths, keeping your destination in your

heart like the fixed point of a compass. Seek out new voic-

es, strange sights, and ideas foreign to your own. Such

things are riches for the soul. And if upon arrival you find

that your destination is not exactly as you had dreamed, do

not be disappointed. Think of all you would have missed

but for the journey there, and know that true worth lies not

in where you came to be at journey’s end, but in whom you

came to be along the way.

0234 Page Six January 1, 2017

WE PRAY FOR THE SICK - Joe Anderson, Dennis Annelli, Lorraine Baldwin, Tommy Bellenghi, Pamela Bower, Joseph Bradley, Marie Bree, Jarod Callan, Theresa Caputo, Michael Carroll, Dennis Conway, Patricia Cooley, Dave

Costella, Charlie Craig, Barbara Cunningham, Ann Davis, Laurel Dee, Michael DeEmilio, Avery Mae Dill, Christopher DiMarto, Gabriella DiSaverio, Julia Donohue, Darrin Dougherty, Dawn Dougherty, Michael Dougherty, James Drumm, Jeff Dudley, Jason Durkee, Jeffrey Edwards, William Egbert, Marie Feola, Patrick Flanigan, Emily Flynn, Jerry Flynn, Joe Flynn, Sherry Fon, Toni Fonzo, Tom Forester, Sr., Rose Foulk, Larry Gallow, Greg Garcia, John Gavin, Christine Grosso, Joan Grycewicz, Rachel Hagan, Christian Hampton, Mildred Hart, Kim Hayman, Lizzy Hennessy, Judy Holmes, Baby Lila Holmes, David Kasella, Edward Killian, Brooklyn & Madelyn Kulinski, Fr. Larry Kozak, Thomas Laskey, Betsy Long, Paula Lumi, Michael Marino, Dalton Martin, Kathy Martin, Larry Martin, James Maynard, Kathleen McGinley, Theresa Merlini, Janice Molluro, Robert Molluro, Bridget Morris, Charlie Morris, Michael Muscarella, Sydney Nihill, Sr. Eleanor O’Connell, SJ, Maria Perno, Carmen Pettin, Tara Polto, Sharon Pozzuolo, Patricia Prosser, Frances Randazzo, Michele Re, Rita Reavey, Dan Rock, Jim Roden, Mimi & Rich Rogge, Anna Rokos, Kathi Rosenberry, Evelyn Runk, Michael Russo, Michael Shane, Bridget Sharpe, Rob Smith, Kristin Sorrentino, Patricia Stanton, Caroline Tamaccio, Mario Turchiarolo, Carol Tyson, Gavin Tyson, Jim Tyson, Wes Tyson, Charlie Uebele, Sean Williams and those suffering from serious illnesses & incurable diseases. HOSPITAL SICK CALLS - Emergency sick calls may be made to the rectory at any time. If surgery or admission to the hospital is scheduled, please call the rectory ahead of time to make arrangements to receive the Sacrament of the Sick. Due to the privacy act, if you are in the hospital and wish to see a priest while you are there, you must register as a Catholic when admitted or make sure a family member does so for you. This is the only way to assure a visit by a priest or Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist.

NEW YEAR TRADITIONS

By Theresa Smith

Many of our New Year’s traditions actually come from centuries old traditions and other countries. Because America is a melting pot of nationalities, we have adopted traditions and customs that have been brought over by our ancestors and other settlers. See how many traditions you recognize and maybe find new ones to start in your family! Making noise is a tradition that has been around for a long time. From fireworks to banging pots and pans, noise has been used to welcome the New Year and bid farewell to the old. It is also said to chase away evil spirits so the year can begin free of those bad guys.

In ancient Thailand, guns were fired to frighten off demons.

In China, firecrackers routed the forces of darkness.

In the early American colonies, the sounds of pistol shots rang through the air.

Traditions using food have also played a part in celebrat-ing the start of a new year. These traditions symbolize good fortune and are hoped to bring luck in the New Year.

In the southern US, eating black-eyed peas is thought to bring prosperity.

Eating any ring-shaped treat (such as a donut) symbol-izes “coming full circle” and leads to good fortune.

The tradition of eating 12 grapes at midnight comes from Spain. Eat one with each strike of the clock to bring prosperity.

In Greece, they smash a pomegranate on the floor in front of a door to break it open and reveal the seeds. The more seeds that are on the floor, the better the new year.

The Swiss drop dollops of whipped cream on the floor to symbolize the richness of the year to come.

Champagne flows freely at the New Year celebrations around the world but there are other traditions involving bever-ages to welcome the New Year.

Wassail, which means “good health”, is a hot, mulled cider which is served in some parts of England.

In Holland, toasts are made with hot, spiced wine. Making New Year’s resolutions is a tradition in which many people take part. They are a way to make plans and changes in the New Year to make our lives better, healthier and more prosperous. The custom of making resolutions is said to have begun as early as 2600 B.C. The Babylonians made reso-lutions as a way to reflect on the past and plan for the future.

GOD ALWAYS ANSWERS OUR PRAYERS Does God always give us what we ask for in prayer? Sometimes His answer is no. He knows what we do not know. He knows everything and His negative answer is part of His plans for our lives.

My life is but a weaving, between my God and me. I do not choose the colors, He worketh steadily.

Oftimes He weaveth sorrow, and I in foolish pride, Forget He sees the upper, and I the underside.

Not till the loom is silent and the shuttles cease to fly, Will God unroll the canvas and explain the reason why.

The dark threads are as needful in the skillful Weaver’s hand,

As the threads of gold and silver in the pattern He has planned.

Lord, it is hard to accept a negative answer, but keep us humble enough, patient enough, faithful enough to trust. Thank You that You always answer our prayers in Your way with a yes or a no. How good it is to know that You never make a mistake.