Second Sunday In Ordinary Time January 17, 2016

SACRAMENTS

Baptism

Baptisms are normally celebrated on the Third

Sunday of every month during or following the

12 noon liturgy. Baptisms may be arranged at

other times when necessary. Parent and

Godparent preparation occurs two Sunday

evenings each month at 5:00 PM at St. Gregory

and Our Lady of the Snows rectories. Please call

for an appointment.

Anointing of the Sick

Please contact the rectory at anytime for the

celebration of this sacrament.

Marriage

Arrangements should be made six months prior

to the desired wedding date. Please contact

Father Lapera.

MUSIC MINISTRY REHEARSALS

Spirit Song Ensemble: Wed. 6:00 p.m. | Voices of

Faith: Wed. 7:15 p.m. | Genesis Children’s

Choir: Wed. 4:00 p.m. or Thurs. 2:45 p.m.

RELIGIOUS FORMATION

Our Religious Education program takes place

every Sunday Morning at 11:00 AM in Our Lady

of Peace School for Grades 1 through 8. Our

Kindergarten Class is held in the Early Childhood

Center.

ROSARY GROUP

Every Tuesday morning at 10:00 AM

ST. JOSEPH’S OUTREACH

Our parish partners with St. Joseph’s school in

Uganda. Donations are always welcome in

support of student tuition.

ST. GREGORY EARLY CHILDHOOD

Our program is held five days a week and takes

place in the Early Childhood Center.

Kindergarten from 8:30 AM until 2:30 PM;

570.587.4808.

HOLY CROSS SCHOOL SYSTEM

OUR LADY OF PEACE SCHOOL—410 N. Abington

Road, Clarks Green, PA | 570.587.4152 | Mrs. M.

Colleen Jumper, Principal

www.OLPClarksSummit.com

HOLY CROSS HIGH SCHOOL—501 E. Drinker

Street, Dunmore, PA 570.346.7541 | Mr.

Benjamin D. Tolerico, Principal |

www.holycrosshs-dioceseofscranton.org

WOMEN’S GUILD

Guild meetings take place the first Thursday of

every month from September through May, with

the exception of January. Meetings begin at 7:00

PM and are held in the rectory.

saintgregoryswomensguild@gmail. com

PRAYER SHAWL MINISTRY

The Prayer Shawl Ministry meets the second

Thursday of every month at 7:00 PM in the

rectory.

HOSPITAL VISITATION

If anyone has a family member, relative or friend

in any of the area hospitals and would like them

to have a visit, please call the rectory.

FOOD PANTRY

Donations may be left near Church entrances or

in the cabinet in the hallway near the restroom.

See page 5 for a list of items we are collecting

this week.

MONDAY, JANUARY 18

Mercy holds all things together

Pope Francis continually invites us to consider mercy

as the guiding principle of actions and decisions.

Often his challenging words of change are met with

confusion or resistance. Yet as Irish writer Brian

McKee, director of Seedlings, a program for pastoral

renewal, points out: “Every tenth line in the New Testament demands that

we reach out to the physically poor; in the gospel of Luke it is every sixth

line; in the epistle of James it is every fifth line. Without a lived commitment

to the poor, the Bible, and the church, falls apart.” Find the courage to

commit to the poor for all of our sakes.

TODAY’S READINGS: 1 Samuel 15:16-23; Mark 2:18-22

(311). “No one sews a patch of unshrunken cloth on an

old cloak.”

TUESDAY, JANUARY 19

Get happy

“We all want to live happily,” Saint Augustine wrote. “How is it, then, that I

seek you, Lord? Since in seeking you, my God, I seek a happy life . . .” For

the answer, look to the Beatitudes—a word that means “ultimate

happiness” or “bliss”—in the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus explains how to

be comforted, shown mercy, filled, even to inherit the earth and see God.

Happiness doesn’t come from money or power or fame, as tempting as

they might be, but from humility, purity of heart, faithfulness—all the virtues

Jesus extols. When happiness eludes you, it can be recovered by recalling

the words of Saint Thomas Aquinas: “God alone satisfies.”

TODAY’S READINGS: 1 Samuel 16:1-13; Mark 2:23-28

(312).

“. . . the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath.”

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20

FEAST OF FABIAN, POPE, MARTYR; SEBASTIAN, MARTYR

Find your own way to serve heroically

Fabian was a pope who died a martyr in 250, the first layman to be elected

pope (no, you do not have to be a priest or bishop). We also remember

Sebastian, a Roman soldier who kept his faith secret so that he could more

easily be of assistance to persecuted Christians. But his love for Christ

broke through and he himself was martyred in 288. A Roman soldier who

was a secret Christian, a layperson who became pope. Do something

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Worship

Now’s a great time to join the choir!

Our music ministry is “off”

this week and will resume

rehearsals next week on

January 27 and 28. Please

consider joining our parish

musicians as they prepare for Lent and Holy Week!

Voices of Faith (our adult choir) rehearses on

Wednesday evenings at 7:15 p.m.

Genesis (our children’s choir for grades 1 through 5)

rehearses on Wednesdays at 4:00 p.m. or

Thursdays at 2:45 p.m.—you can choose the time

that is better for you!

Our Spirit Song ensemble rehearses on

Wednesdays at 6:00 PM.

Sunday Readings Gather Hymnal: 1097

We believe Eucharist is the source & summit of our faith and the center of our parish life and mission!

Coffee is brewing every Sunday from 8:00 AM to Noon &

Wednesday mornings after Mass in St. Joe’s Café.

R emembering Our Loved Ones at Mass

January 18—January 23

MONDAY

7:00 AM (G) †Sean McAvaney The Family

12:10 PM (S) †Onysym Boyko The Lapi Family

TUESDAY

7:00 AM (G) †Mildred Sefchick M/M Chris Calvey

12:10 PM (S) †Simon J. Shivock Mary Lou Heron

WEDNESDAY

7:00 AM (G) †Paul Milani Dr. Frank Milani

12:10 PM (S) †Mary Sheehan Matthew Armstrong &

Cynthia Zujkowski

THURSDAY

7:00 AM (G) †Florence A. Jenkins Peter Loftus

12:10 PM (S) †David Gallagher The Family

FRIDAY

7:00 AM (G) †Cynthia Gresh Ward The Family

12:10 PM (S) †Nicholas Scandale Linda Brodbeck

SATURDAY

5:00 PM (G) †Dorothy Dougherty The Dougherty Family

The gift of bread

and wine this

week is offered in

memory of

Marge Kelly

From: Mary Jean Curtin

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Anniversary Mass

The Whole Church Celebrates with You

When a wedding is celebrated in church, there is another level of

relationship beyond family and friends, and that involves God

and the church. In their exchange of vows, the couple offers a

visible sign of God’s presence and love. It is an act of worship

that takes place in the midst of a Christian community. In living

out their vows, husband and wife share in Christ’s paschal

mystery by dying to their own desires so as to live for each other

and their children. Their marriage reflects Christ’s relationship

with the church and creates a new family within the community

of the church. A church wedding touches the couple, their families and friends in an especially intimate way, but it also

pertains to the local parish and to the larger church.

In honor of this special relationship, we are delighted to celebrate Eucharist with couples having a Wedding Anniversary

ending in “5 or 0,” (5, 10, 15, etc.) this year. The liturgy will be held on Saturday, February 13 at the 5:00 PM Mass with a

reception to follow. If you have a special anniversary and would like to participate, please telephone the rectory at your

earliest convenience. Our Community Coordinating Team is offering support and direction for this special moment of

blessings. We thank them for their help. So spread the word and welcome family and friends to join us!

Community We believe that our Baptism forms us into a family joined together to love God and one another.

Abington Catholic Youth Ministry

Meetings are held every Thursday at 6:30 p.m. in the

Gathering Room of Our Lady of the Snows. All high school

students are welcome to attend anytime.

Upcoming Events:

MARCH FOR LIFE—January 22 & 23 is the annual

March for Life trip. Come and join as we stand up for

the sanctity of life along with half a million people

from all over the country!

This amazing journey will feature an evening prayer

service and morning rally featuring Mark Hart, Jackie

Francois, I AM THEY, and Josh Blaksley Band. Oh yes,

and Chick-fil-A. For details, please contact Steve Wallo at

Our Lady of the Snows, 570.586.1741.

HIGH SCHOOL FAITH FORMATION

All students in Grades 9-12 can sign up for this great

series to learn more about their faith. The next will be

held this evening, January 10, from 6:00 until 8:00 PM in

the Gathering Room at Our Lady of the Snows. Join us as

we explore why faith and God’s love are so important to

us! If anyone is interested in volunteering for any of the

events, please contact Steve Wallo at 570.586.1741.

Young Adult Ministry

Young adults aged 18-32, are welcome to join us for our

new discussion and fellowship series happening each

Sunday evening from 7-9pm at Duffy’s Coffee House. If

interested contact Steve Wallo at (570)586-1741 ext. 229.

Ecumenical Celebration

The Diocese of Scranton will participate in the worldwide

Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, celebrated each year

in January. The Diocese will host the celebration of God’s

Word on Monday, January 25, 2016 at 12:10 PM in the (Continued on page 7)

Catholic Schools Are Thriving

Catholic schools offer academic excellence and faith-filled

education for students nationwide. National test scores, high

school graduation rates, college attendance and other data

show that Catholic schools show ongoing excellence and

promise for growth in our country's Catholic schools. Thirty-

two percent of Catholic schools in our nation have waiting lists

for admission and new schools are opening across the country.

Locally, we see a strong

support and renewed

enthusiasm for Catholic

schools. We encourage you

to check out the following

information regarding our

wonderful Holy Cross School

System.

Catch our Spirit…

Celebrate Catholic Schools Week

January 31—February 6, 2016

Celebrate Catholic Schools Week by attending one of our

Catholic School open houses! You are invited to come

experience our communities of faith and academic excellence.

From Kindergarten through 12th grade, our students live

their faith, challenge their minds, serve their communities,

and build lifelong friendships. For specifics about the open

houses and for more information about our Diocesan Catholic

Schools, including tuition assistance opportunities, please

visit www.DioceseofScranton.org/CatholicSchools.

Our Lady of Peace School Open House

Our Lady of Peace School will hold an open house on Sunday,

January 31, from 1:00 until 3:00 PM. Registration will take

place during the Open House and on Monday, February 1

during school hours. If you

plan on registering, a birth

certificate, baptismal

certificate, immunization

records and a $100.00 deposit

are required.

St. Gregory’s Early Childhood Center Registration

Registration will take place on February 4 at 7:00 PM in the

Early Childhood Center classrooms. Pre-school children must

be age 4 by August 31 and Kindergarten children must be age

5 by August 31. To register please bring a copy of child’s birth

certificate, copy of his or her immunization records and a

$100.00 deposit. In addition, you may register for St.

Gregory’s Pre-School at the OLP open house on January 31.

Weekly Offering

We are very grateful for

your Sunday offering on

the weekend of

January 10, 2016

$12,724.00

Give Online

Consider scheduling a recurring

contribution today. It’s very convenient.

You will no longer need to write out

checks and prepare envelopes every week.

Even when travel or other circumstances

prevent you from attending services, your

electronic contributions will continue to

be received on an uninterrupted basis.

sign up at :

www.TheChurchOfStGregory.com

Finance Council

Bill Burkavage

John Devine — Veronica Dende

Paul Gerega — Deacon Bob

Yvonne Cronkey — Father John

Warmth Drive

The Service Commission’s

Warmth Drive concludes

this weekend, January 16

& 17. We are collecting new hats, gloves, mittens, scarves,

ear muffs, and socks for men, women, and children. Bins for

the collection are located in the back of the church. Items

will be donated to the McAuley Center, United Neighborhood

Center, St. Joseph’s Baby Pantry, St. Francis Commons,

Leahy Clinic, Catholic Social Services, and Abington Heights

School District. As always, we are grateful for your

wonderful generosity.

… Sorting

TODAY, January 17, after the 12:00 Noon Mass, the Service

Commission would greatly appreciate any volunteers who

would like to help in sorting the items collected for the

Warmth Drive. All donations will be sorted, packed and

distributed to designated locations. If you would like to

help, we will see you this Sunday, January 17 at 1:00 PM.

You Can Still Make a Difference- Give Today!

Congratulations to the parishioners of Saint Gregory’s. We

not only met our goal, but have gone over the top for the

fifth straight year in a row. Thank you for your wonderful

support and generosity in

making the Diocesan Annual

Appeal such a success! Your

faithfulness in supporting the

Appeal not only helps Saint

Gregory’s but also the many

organizations in the diocese

which benefit from the great

program. A special note of thanks to Mr. Tom Durbin who

serves as our parish coordinator.

If you have not already made a gift, please consider doing so

today. It is not too late. You will be helping our diocese as

well as our parish. 75% of gifts received over goal will be

returned to the Church of St. Gregory.

Service We recognize God’s call to serve our parish family and neighbors near and far.

Cereal...

This week we are collecting cereal.

This donation will be delivered to

Saint Patrick’s Food Pantry.

Thank You!

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DAA 2014 Goal: $79,000.00

Total Raised:

$101,198.44

Jubilee Year of Mercy

January 17, 2016

Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

Mary, whom

Catholic tradition names

“Mother of Mercy,” at

Cana intercedes with her

Son to show mercy

toward the bridal couple:

“Son, they have no

wine.” But he does more! Jesus’ transformation of water into

wine is a “sign” (John’s term for “miracle”) that God’s

marriage with the whole human race has begun in Jesus’

person and ministry, a marriage that will be consummated

on the cross: “It is finished”—we are saved! But before Jesus

acts, Mary instructs the servers to prepare the way for

Jesus’ miracle of mercy: “Do whatever he tells you.” During

this Jubilee Year of Mercy, Mother Church, like Mother

Mary, instructs us to share the Spirit’s manifold gifts—some

of which Paul lists in today’s second reading—in generous

service to the human family. Thus we prepare the way for

Jesus’ new miracles of mercy, transforming life’s sometimes

stagnant water into the refreshing wine of God’s mercy. —Peter Scagnelli, Copyright © J. S. Paluch Co., Inc.

Religious Formation

The Sunday Morning Religious Formation classes for the

second semester continue this Sunday at 11:00 AM in Our

Lady of Peace School.

Come, Pray the Rosary

The Pilgrim Statue of Our Lady of

Fatima from St. Mary of Mt. Carmel

Church, Dunmore will be at the home of

Trudy Stroney, 313 Crest Drive, Clarks

Green from January 27 until February 3.

Rosary recitation will take place at 7:30

PM each evening. All are invited to

attend, children, grandchildren and

prayer groups as well.

Day of Reflection

The Annual Day of Reflection sponsored by the Church of

Saint Gregory’s Women’s Guild will take place on

Wednesday, March 2, 2016 at Saint Gabriel’s Retreat house,

631 Griffin Pond Road. The conference leader this year will

be Msgr. Joseph Quinn, Pastor, Our Lady of the Snows

Church. Registration will take place at 9:00 AM and will

conclude at 3:00 PM For further information or to make a

reservation please call Nancy at 570.586.9227 or Martha at

570.587.2491. The cost is $30.00 per person and the day is

open to men and women.

New Pastoral Council Member

Meet Donald Broderick

Donald W. Broderick,

longtime executive director

of The Arc of Northeastern

Pennsylvania, has joined

the Church of St. Gregory

Pastoral Council. A

Maryland native, Don

attended the University of

Scranton where he earned a

bachelor’s degree in

psychology and a master’s degree in rehabilitation

counseling.

Don has been involved in numerous local and statewide

organizations and projects, including the United Way of

Lackawanna County, Coalition of Services for the

Disabled, Right to Education Taskforce, Leadership

Lackawanna, Kiwanis Club of Scranton, the

Lackawanna Valley Conservancy and the WVIA TV/FM

Board of Directors.

Don’s work with these and other agencies and causes has

brought him a number of awards and distinctions,

including The Chapel of the Four Chaplains-Legion of

Honor Award, the prestigious “Arc Award” presented by

The Arc of Northeastern Pennsylvania Board of Directors

for 40 years of visionary service to the organization, and

special recognition from the WVIA Board of Directors for

28 years of dedicated service to the public broadcasting

affiliate.

Don’s hobbies include Civil War and World War II

history, crabbing, fishing, hunting, traveling, working on

conservation projects and financial investments. Don

and his wife of 43 years, Rosemary, have two children,

Stephen, 27 and Sara, 24.

Word We cherish our relationship with Jesus and strive to make the gospel relevant to our daily lives!

Michelle Musheno

Gemma Chuff

Paul Mullisky

Scott Pettinato

Marjorie Barlow

Jim Fleming

Joe Hogan

Bill Donovan

Jane Farr

Dan Haggerty

Donald Broderick

Ted Tomaszewski

Mary Ann Morgan

Theresa Robinson

Zoe Haggerty

Logan Lombardo

Deacon Bob

Fr. John

:

heroic for Christ today.

TODAY’S READINGS: 1 Samuel 17:32-33, 37, 40-51; Mark

3:1-6 (313). “They watched Jesus closely to see if he

would cure him on the Sabbath so that they might accuse

him.”

THURSDAY, JANUARY 21

FEAST OF AGNES, VIRGIN, MARTYR

Take a stand for interfaith tolerance

According to legend, Saint Agnes was born into a wealthy Roman family

and was so beautiful that many young men wished to marry her. Agnes,

however, was totally devoted to her faith and refused to consider marriage.

This angered her suitors. They told Roman authorities that she believed in

Christianity, a religion whose followers were being persecuted at that time.

Consequently, Agnes was treated brutally, resulting in her death. Although

Agnes lived many centuries ago, the great need for understanding and

respect across religions continues today. In the spirit of Agnes, let us pray

for interfaith dialog and peace.

TODAY’S READINGS: I Samuel 18:6-9; 19:1-7; Mark 3:7-12

(314). “In God I trust, I shall not fear.”

FRIDAY, JANUARY 22

Disagree without being disagreeable

Our faith as well as our common humanity calls us to treasure and protect

all of life, from womb to tomb. Yet our country remains deeply divided and

unable to agree on how to protect the gift of new life, the life in the womb. In

a culture in which dialogue is rarely attempted, let alone achieved, how do

we bring people together to listen to one another and then work

collaboratively to ensure a consistent ethic of life? On this Day of Prayer for

the Legal Protection of the Unborn, let’s renew our efforts to listen with

generosity to those with whom we differ, seeking common ground and

calling them not enemies, but friends who disagree.

TODAY’S READINGS: 1 Samuel 24:3-21; Mark 3:13-19

(315). “May the Lord reward you generously for what you

have done this day.”

(Continued from page 2)

Service

Julie Nastasi

Brian Palmiter

Carol Strauch

John Devine

Kate Sebring

Chrissy Jacoby

Matthew Newton

Susan Scanland

Judy Burkavage

Meg Hambrose

John Hambrose

Deacon Bob

Jane Farr*

Community

Tracy Bannon

Saul Rigau

Lisa Rigau

Delia Coppola

Yvonne Cronkey

Bridget Walsh

Bill Durdach

Danelle Hogan

Molly Johnson

Judy Walsh

Joe Hogan*

Word

Bob Barry

Ruth Fried

Jack Rubano

Connie Sheils

Patti Staples

David Coppola

Fr. John

Ted Tomaszewski*

COORDINATING TEAMS

PASTORAL COUNCIL

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Cathedral of Saint Peter. The Most Reverend Joseph C.

Bambera, D.D, J.C.L., Bishop of Scranton, will preside, and

Bishop Jeremiah Park of the Susquehanna Conference,

Methodist Church will deliver the homily.

Wedding Anniversary Liturgy

His Excellency, the Most Reverend Joseph C. Bambera,

D.D., J.C.L., Bishop of Scranton, and the Office for Parish

Life wish to invite couples celebrating their 25th or 50th

wedding anniversary in 2016 to a diocesan Wedding

Anniversary Mass on Sunday, June 5. The event includes

a 2:30 PM mass at the Cathedral of St. Peter followed by a

reception. If you are celebrating a special Anniversary this

year, please telephone the rectory and have your name and

address placed on the invitation list.

Financial Statements

The weekly offerings for the year 2015 are in the process of

being completed. If you have an email address, your

financial statement for the year 2015 will be sent via email.

All others will be sent through the postal system.

Offices Closed

Our offices will be closed Monday, January 18, 2015. Our

staff returns on Tuesday morning for regular hours.

Thanks for your cooperation!

(Continued from page 4)

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