Holy Martyrs Catholic Church 3100 OLD WEYMOUTH RD MEDINA, OH 44256

December 24, 2017

The Nativity of the Lord

~Christmas~

A very Blessed Christmas to you and those you love!

After all the preparations, we gather as God’s family to celebrate the birth of our Lord.

One of the most poignant moments in the Christmas story is when Mary and Joseph found no

room at the inn in Bethlehem and settled in a stable. In the humblest surroundings the birth of

Christ occurred. In the most unlikely of times and places, Christ comes to us.

To those who are far from home this Christmas, particularly those serving in our armed forces,

know that you are with us in our prayers.

To those who have lost a loved one, who this Christmas have an empty place at their table and an

empty space in their hearts, may you find in this sacred time the message of hope, that the God

who came to us in Jesus welcomes those we’ve loved to an eternal home.

For families dealing with hurts and disappointment, know that healing is possible, and that a

gesture of forgiveness can bring new life in this season of grace.

For all of us in this parish, Christmas is a time of welcome to loved ones, visitors and friends

who join us in our liturgies. We welcome everyone who shares this special season with us, and we

encourage those who are searching for a spiritual home to join us at Holy Martyrs throughout

the year. Father Stephen Dohner Father Mark Ott Janet Payton

Deacon Dino Paoletta Nancy Fiamingo Adam Nestor

Diane Bruce

Father Stephen Dohner

Pastor

Father Mark Ott

Weekend Associate

Father Robert F. Pfeiffer

Pastor Emeritus

Janet Payton

Pastoral Associate

Nancy Fiamingo

Pastoral Associate

Dino Paoletta

Deacon

Diane Bruce

Director of Faith Formation

Christopher Ilg

Director of Music

Libbie Radecky

Church Office

Adam Nestor

Youth Minister

Paula Phillips

Bookkeeper

Jane Levesque

Communications

Parish Staff

Holy Martyrs Catholic Church The Nativity of the Lord - December 24, 2017

There is a promise of marriage between:

II Wedding Announcement:

Richard Gow & Emily Rodgers

Mass Schedule & Intentions this Week

Sat 5:30 pm Aaron Graham

(Mom & Dad and Evan)

Sun 7:30 am Parishioners

9:30 am Ron & Mary Palya

(Palya Family)

11:30 am No Mass

The Nativity of the Lord Christmas Eve, Sunday, December 24

4:00 pm Steve Palsha (Kohanski Family)

6:00 pm John & Olga Holland (Jack Holland)

10:00 pm William & Helen Walton (Rich & Lori Ruh)

Christmas Day, Monday, December 25

10:00 am Parishioners

Tues No Mass - Office Closed

Wed 8:00 am Mary Lou Warren (Ed Warren)

Thurs 7:00 pm Ed Fox (Rich & Barb Lorius)

Fri 8:00 am Eric V. Sonnie Jr. (Family)

Sat 5:30 pm Alice Petro (Mike Petro)

Sun 7:30 am David Hepp& Dan Klubnik

(Klubnik Family)

9:30 am Parishioners

11:30 am Walter Kohanski (Family)

Feast of Mary, the Holy Mother of God Vigil 5:30 pm DeVona Johnson

(Laura, Dan, Kathleen & Lisa)

This week at Holy Martyrs

Sun 12/24 No Time Travelers

No Life Teen Mass, Life Night

Mon 12/25 Christmas Blessings !

Tue 12/26 Church Office Closed

Wed 12/27 Glory Bees - week 4

Intercessory Prayer Group 5:30 PM Chapel

RCIA Inquiry 7:00 PM Lounge

Choir Rehearsal 7:15 PM Worship Space

Thur 12/28 Centering Prayer 7:15 PM Kazel Room

Sat 12/30 Centering Prayer 9:30 AM Kazel Room

Sun 12/31 Time Travelers 9:00 Am Room 203

No Life Teen Mass, Life Night

Pray for those who have died in Christ:

Kasha Fonda

Gail Schindler Hastings

Parish News

The Nativity of the Lord

Daily scripture readings for this week can be obtained

on the USCCB website, where you can sign up to have

readings emailed to you.

You can also download one of these apps on your

phone: Laudate or The New Missal

Church Office hours: Monday - Friday:

9:00 am - 12:15 pm, 1:00 pm - 5:30 pm

330-722-6633

The office will be closed Dec. 25 and 26.

UNWRAPPING CHRISTMAS—Our Advent Small Group Series

GIVING JOY How do we thrive during the Advent and Christmas seasons? By being a person who extends joy and blessing to others. Our own attitude and demeanor can build others up or tear them down. Our words can speak life or death. It’s all about intentionality! We can set the mood like we set a thermostat. 1) How can you be more intentional in your interactions with people this Christmas? 2) What are some simple ways you can be a blessing to others? I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he

has covered me with the robe of righteousness. -Isaiah 61:10-11

RCIA Is Now Journey

RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) will now be known as “Journey” to better reflect the process of

learning to practice the Catholic faith. Journey is for people who are not Christian or were baptized but not

raised in the faith.

The journey of conversion is about discerning and finding Christ along the way. Journey is the process of

introducing people to Jesus Christ and helping them develop a relationship with Him while exploring what

that ultimately means for their lives.

In the first phase of Journey, people explore who God is and are introduced to the biblical stories. They look

back to see where God has been in their personal lives and reflect on God in their lives now.

The second phase of Journey involves teaching about sacraments, the church, scripture, and the wealth of

church teaching. This can take a full year. It’s not intended to be a classroom experience or program, but a

less structured process where people learn by experiencing and observing and then talking about it with

others. People walk alongside others who are sharing what they are going through on their journey.

The third phase takes place during the six weeks of Lent. This period is a time of spiritual preparation for

receiving the sacraments of initiation at the Easter Vigil and the weekly gatherings feel much more like a

retreat.

The fourth phase begins when people receive the sacraments of baptism, confirmation and communion at the

Easter Vigil for the first time. They then gather periodically throughout the next year reflecting on the

mysteries they have entered into in the Catholic faith.

If you or someone you know is interested in finding out more about the Catholic faith or the process of

Journey, please contact Janet Payton at jpayton@holymartyrs.net.

Parish News

Holy Martyrs Church December 24, 2017

Medina, Ohio

December LifeTeen Schedule

Dec 24 - No LifeTeen Mass/LifeNight

Dec 31 - No LifeTeen Mass/LifeNight

Returning January 7

Come join us, Sunday Nights!

LifeTeen Mass 5:00pm

LifeNight 6:00-7:30pm

Holy Martyrs LifeTeen

wishes you a

Merry Christmas!

For Text Updates about Holy Martyrs LifeTeen text “HMLT” to 84576

Or follow us on social media: HolyMartyrsLT

Discovering Christ is starting soon!

The next session of Discovering Christ begins

Tuesday, January 9, 2018!

Start the new year off right! Join us as we gather to share a

delicious dinner, listen to a dynamic teaching and join in a

small group discussion to talk about what you’ve heard, ask

the questions you’ve always wanted to ask and learn from

others.

We will explore topics that will not only touch upon the

basics of the Catholic faith through the initial proclamation of

the Gospel but also allow us to gain more insight into the

meaning of life!

Discovering Christ is an eight-week experience held at Holy

Martyrs Church. It includes a one-day retreat on Saturday,

Feb. 17. Childcare is provided for the evening sessions.

Sessions are on Tuesdays from 6:00 to 8:30 pm on Jan. 9,

16, 23, and 30 and Feb. 6, 20 and 27.

Sign up on our website!

OPPORTUNITIES FOR SHARING TIME,

TALENT, TREASURE

The Nativity of the Lord

SENIORS’ CORNER

Seniors of Holy Martyrs, please join us for

pizza and a movie!

Monday, Jan. 15 at noon

More details

to come!

Pastor’s Notes

Holy Martyrs is a remarkable community in many

ways. I am deeply grateful to the members of this

community who are a gift to me every day. I am

grateful to those who have worked so hard to make

this season special…our gifted parish staff who are

a blessing to our people, our choir and liturgical

ministers who make our liturgies so beautiful, those

who helped decorate the church so artfully; and

everyone who shares their time and talent to make

this parish all that it is.

May the coming of God’s gift in Christ remind us of

our blessings and our part in bringing Christ to

others every day of the year.

Christmas Blessings!

Father Steve

Grateful Giving Holy Martyrs Parish

Dec. 2 & 3

Weekly Offering $13,366.22

Number of Envelopes 365

Electronic Donations $9,600.00

Number of Envelopes 36

Weekly Total $22,966.22

Thank you!

Please Remember: Two Envelopes

at Christmas

Each Christmas, the people of Holy Martyrs

share their generosity in many ways. In

addition to the regular Sunday envelopes that

fund our parish programs through the year, we

rely on the extraordinary support of our people

at Christmastime to help support our many

activities, ministries and special needs. Both

are a vital part of what we do.

This year, Christmas falls on a Monday. Please

remember both our normal and extraordinary

needs in planning your giving. God bless you!

Parish School of Religion - 330-952-1466

Holy Martyrs Church December 24, 2017

Medina, Ohio

Mass Impact for Kids

For My Faith Challenge, each child received a booklet in class that has spaces for stickers given out after

Mass for eight weeks. Completed booklets may be turned in for a Holy Martyrs coloring book!

If your child missed any of the eight weeks, he or she may collect one of the missed stickers at a time. Just

go to the Welcome Center after Mass.

Service Project Competition

Families like the one pictured below are serving

and taking part in the “Father, Help Me to Serve”

competition!

The class with the highest percentage of

students who complete a service project by Jan.

8/9 will receive a prize.

For ideas, see a list of 100 service project ideas on

our website. Bring in a picture of your family

working on a service project!

Helping Women in the Name of Christ

A new outreach by the women of Holy Martyrs involves

working with our sister parish, La Sagrada Familia, to

provide a meal once a month during a support meeting for

women who are survivors of domestic violence.

You can help by providing part of a light meal, interacting

with the women or babysitting during their meeting.

(Confirmation candidates seeking service hours could

help with babysitting, too.) The groups are not large, but

the impact of your help will be enormous. A couple of hours

a month can help women rebuild their lives.

This is part of our expanding parish outreach to link our

parishioners to those in need. Please contact Diane Bruce at

dbruce@holymartyrs.net if you would like to help.

Reminders for Confirmation candidates:

Choose a Confirmation sponsor. Your sponsor

will need a letter from his or her parish.

Materials in the brown envelope are due at the

Jan. 30 meeting.

Thank you to our PSR families!

We’d like to thank those who donated gifts for the

less fortunate, presented the Advent Event

pageant, participated in the angel choir, or helped

with the gift brigade, cookies or welcoming.

We also want to thank the parents who support

and encourage their children to grow in faith

through service.

Throughout the Diocese

The Nativity of the Lord

Help for victims of domestic abuse

Victims of domestic abuse may call the BATTERED WOMEN’S SHELTER of Summit & Medina Counties’ confidential hotline

for help 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Medina County Hotline 330-723-3900; Summit County Hotline 330-374-1111;

Toll Free 877-414-1344 Toll Free 888-395-4357

For substance abuse resources, go to

www.greaterthanheroin.com.

Spiritual Opportunities

Jesuit Retreat House (www.jrh-cleveland.org)

New Year’s Eve Retreat, Dec. 31-Jan. 1, 6 p.m.-11 a.m.

River’s Edge (www.riversedgecleveland.com)

A Sacred Meditation for Body, Mind and Spirit,

Jan. 6, 9 a.m.

Loyola Retreat House (www.loyolaretreathouse.com)

Pre-Cana Day, March 11, 11 a.m.-7 p.m.

Retrouvaille Weekend

January 19-21, 2018

A Lifeline for Troubled Marriages

Thinking about a separation or divorce?

The Retrouvaille program may help.

RETROUVAILLE (rediscovery), which is supported

by the Catholic diocese of Cleveland, but open to

couples of all faiths, consists of a weekend

experience for couples and six follow-up

sessions.

A registration fee of $150 is required. For more

information or to register, please call Marce or Liz

Gliha at 440.357.6580 or 1.800.470.2230, or go

online to www.helpourmarriage.org.

Marriage Resources

www.foryourmarriage.org