Feast of The Holy Family

of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph

A Catholic Faith Community Since 1908

St. Rita of Cascia

December 30, 2012

MASS TIMES
SUNDAYS: Sat. 5:30 pm (Vigil), 7:30 am, 10 am & 12 N WEEKDAYS: Mon., Tues., Fri, and Sat. 8 am (Wed. & Thurs. 8 am Communion Service) HOLY DAYS: (eve of) 5:30 pm; (day of) 8 am & 6:30 pm

SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION
(Confession) Saturdays 4-5 pm or by appointment DEVOTIONS Our Lady of Perpetual Help: Saturday 7:50 am ADORATION First Friday 8:30 am5 pm, Rectory Oratory

Msgr. Richard Krekelberg, V.F.Pastor Deacon Manuel Valencia Deacon John Hull 318 North Baldwin Avenue, Sierra Madre Mailing Address: 50 East Alegria Avenue, Sierra Madre, CA 91024 Phone: 626/355-1292 FAX: 626/355-2290 www.st-rita.org

FEAST OF THE HOLY FAMILYDECEMBER 30, 2012

Msgr. Richard Krekelberg, V. F.Pastor
626.355.1292 x. 228 revkrek@st-rita.org Dcn. Manuel & Chela Valencia deaconmanuelvalencia@gmail.com 626.355.1292 Dcn. John Hulljohnhull65@gmail.com 626.355.1292 Weekend Presiders: 10 am MassFr. Chris Thiel, OFM Capuchin 12 Noon MassRev. Msgr. John Morales

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Parish Ministries and Organizations

Liturgy & Worship
Lectors and Eucharistic Ministers: David & Jill Muhs 355.9810 em@st-rita.org Altar Servers, Youth: Kathy Ganino: 626.398.9302 Altar Servers, Adult: Bill Cosso Eucharistic Adoration: Marylyn Barnes Rosary Prayer Group: Susan Day: 355-3835 Sacristans: Sat. Vigil: Gary Fidone/Bill & Patti Huber Sunday Masses: 7:30-Bill Cosso/David Banis; 10:00-David Muhs; 12N-Bernie Grace Weekdays: John Bigley, Margaret Duran Porter: (Evening Church Lockup) Sheila Palazzolo Environment: Barbara LeVeque /Gil Lazo 355.1292

How to Contact Us
Parish Office/Mailing Address 50 East Alegria Ave., Sierra Madre, CA 91024 Hours: Mon.-Fri. 9am to 6pm; Sat. 9 am to 1 pm. Office Email: ParishAdmin@st-rita.org Director of Administration
Mary Lou Butler: mlbutler@st-rita.org 355.1292

Ministries & Organizations

Bereavement Ministry: Call Parish Office: 355.1292 Christian Family: Sheila Pierce 355.8332 Greeters & Ushers: Erny Henry: 626.289.3504; 626.446.6715 Mens Club: Nick Sotis: 358-2495 nick.sotis@pro-sites.net New Members/Welcome: Contact the Parish Office St. Rita Guild: Patty Sullivan: 355.3707 psullivan514@gmail.com Senior Ministry: Marilyn McKernan, marilyn@st-rita.org Shawl Ministry: Mary Taillac 355.3179 Marilyn Delgatto 355.8717

Pastoral Council Vice Chair

George Landis: 626.792.0445

Finance Council Chair

Bill Sullivan: 355.3707

St. Rita SchoolOffice: 626.355.6114

Principal: Joanne Harabedian jharabedian@st-rita.org

Other Contacts
Archivist: Marilyn McKernan, marilyn@st-rita.org Bulletin Submissions: bulletin@st-rita.org or drop off at Office Public Relations: ParishAdmin@st-rita.org Registration Information: rc@st-rita.org 355.1292 Webmaster: Ralph Seymour: seymour@seymourmedia.com

Director of Liturgy & Music Paul Puccinelli: mm@st-rita.org Director of Religious Education Cristina Cullen: 355.3841 dre@st-rita.org Director of Youth Ministry/Confirmation Theresa Bui Costanzo: 626.590.8828 ym@st-rita.org RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults) Team: Deacon Manuel and Chela Valencia; Susan Blakeslee: rcia@st-rita.org

Let Saint Rita Be There For You . . .

Communion for Sick and Homebound Parishioners
St. Rita ministers provide Communion home visits. Contact the Parish Office (355.1292) or Jill Muhs 355.9810 em@st-rita.org.

For Information about the

Sacrament of Baptism
Baptismal Preparation for parents and godparents: 7 8:30 pm the last Monday of the month. Call for Reservations. Baptisms are usually the first Sunday of the month. Preparation for children who have attained the age of reason (usually during 2nd grade) is arranged either through the Office of Religious Education or St. Rita Elementary School.

Anointing of the Sick

Please notify us (355.1292) as early as possible for the Anointing of the Sick, the sacrament intended for the seriously ill or dying. It is Our Lords special presence and companionship in serious time of need. Anointing may take place in the home, at the hospital or elsewhere and as often as once a month. If someone should die without anointing, remember that the desire to receive is sufficient and the Lord cares!

Sacraments of Reconciliation and first Eucharist

If You Should Experience the Loss of a Loved One

Please call us at 355.1292 If you feel you will be in need, or your loved one has passed, we will assist in making arrangements with your chosen funeral directors; refer you to our liturgy and music directors; and offer you helpful guidelines and a book that will aid in the selection of readings for the Mass or Memorial Service. Areas we can help you with prior to the passing may help in the planning of funeral services. We know that this can be a tough time and we want you to know that your parish is there for you. PLEASE UNDERSTAND we only have one resident priest, sometimes arrangements for another priest may be needed.

Sacrament of Matrimony
Contact the Parish Office upon engagement; at least six months is needed for preparation of this joyous sacrament!

Sacrament of Confirmation

A two-year program for freshman/sophomore age teens. Apply through the Office of Religious Education.

NOTE: Adult applicants for the sacraments should contact the Parish Office.

Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick

See adjoining column.

SAINT RITA
REV. MSGR. RICHARD KREKELBERG

OF

CASCIA CHURCH

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PASTORS CORNER

Dear Parishioners,
Today, the Gospel passage from St. Luke tells the story of a teen Jesus found by his parents in the temple. The words of discovery are:

When his parents saw him, they were astonished, and his mother said to him, Son, why have you done this to us?
I dont get it. This all could have been avoided if the loving Heavenly Father would have just had the cell phone invented a couple of thousand years earlier! Oh, well But isnt that it? Isnt that exactly what we often accuse God of: not making out heart-wrenching situations easily avoidable if not impossible? Yet later on, St. Paul, in his Letter to the Romans (8:32), will refer to God as he who did not spare his own son, but gave him up for us all. So we never get to understand the complete why of Gods allowing evil to happen, but we do know that threats and violence were indeed part of the way, the truth, and the life of his own son. As we celebrate the Feast of The Holy Family this year, I find myself thinking of St. Joseph, who tends to get very little press as the Christmas story is told. What comes to mind about him is that he is described as a holy and righteous man. He was holy because he lived his life as God had ordered it and thus lived his life as a vocation. He was righteous (not to be confused with the dysfunction of being self righteous) by living his relationships as also holy, filled with meaning, and God-given; he was also righteous in that all around him were treated with the dignity of creation in Gods own image and likeness. Do we really get how important this kind of personal righteousness is in our own lives? Righteousness that smacks of having an inflated ego is totally misconstrued and actually deprives others of the dignity due them. Gods righteousness in us iswellHOLY. We pray this Sunday for every family (no matter its makeup), that it receive the grace of righteousness that comes from The Righteous One born to us this Christmas. The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph was completely and totally dependant on God, our Heavenly Father, for its identity and mission on this earth. They began their lives with mutual love and trust, which protected them against the murderous threats of the day. They welcomed kindly and humbly the help of others when they were homelessness. They practiced with faith and devotion their religion and they shared that faith with eagerness. In other words, in all things, they were given gifts and they placed those gifts in Gods mission to redeem and save. Msgr. Richard And this is what we pray for every family this Feast of The Holy Family 2012.

FEAST OF THE HOLY FAMILYDECEMBER 30, 2012

PARISHIONERS WHO REQUEST OUR PRAYERS FOR HEALING AND RETURN TO GOOD HEALTH

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SATURDAY, DECEMBER 29
8:00 AM 5:30 PM

7:30 AM For All Parishioners 10:00 AM Elizabeth Keogh INT 12 NOON Diane Didwee INT

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 30

Brian Lord RIP Edward Driscoll INT

Bob Wolf, Katherine Haderlein, John J. McCoy, Andy Heller, JoAnn E. Douglass, Kathleen Ramsey, Tonyja Blakeslee, Addie Marshall, Alice Feeney, Joanna Singleton, Jackie Bagnuolo, Mary Ellen Isoard, Tim Stanley, Antoinette Wassef, Theresa Morcos, Aspet Herapetian, Rose Mary Taquino, Selma Tuffs, David Duran, Paul Viger, Julie Meyer, Zdenka Czerny, Cliff Hancuff, Wendy Wolf Fadel, Dorothy Van Gordon, Hal Finney, Louise Bigley, Christa Owen, Ailey Gardner-Ybarra, Cathy Hundshamer, Eva Bernejo, Laurie Larkin Masella, Edith Olah, Matteo Begnoche, Lancelot Loera, Fred Mycroft, Clare Marquardt, Brian Eck, Alex Arranaga, Anna Mary Hession, Mildred Vocelka, Joseph Moore, Effie DeGroot, Ned Vento.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 31
8:00 AM 8:00 AM 8:00 AM 8:00 AM 8:00 AM

AND

TUESDAY, JANUARY 1

Jean Leming INT Virginia Almond RIP

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 2 THURSDAY, JANUARY 3 FRIDAY, J ANUARY 4

8:00 AM 5:30 PM

Communion Service Communion Service

Spiritual Growth
Friday, January 4, Adoration
After the 8 am Mass until 5 pm Rectory Oratory

SATURDAY, JANUARY 5 SUNDAY, JANUARY 6

Carol Alcorn INT Mark Peters RIP For All Parishioners

Tuesday, January 8, RCIA

7:30 pm Parish Office Meeting Room Contact Deacon Manuel for information.

7:30 AM William & Frances Cosso RIP 10:00 AM Dorothy Mueller RIP 12 Noon Charles Day RIP

Wednesday, January 9, Evening Prayer

5:30 pm Meditation 6 pm Prayer Rectory Oratory Contact Deacon John Hull for information. Watch future Bulletins for more information.

Thursday, January 17, Bible Study Resumes

FEAST DAYS Tuesday, January 1Mary, the Holy Mother

Thursday, January 3The Most Holy Name

of God

of Jesus Friday, January 4St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Saturday, January 5St. John Neumann

Why not make a New Years Resolution to take advantage of some of these extra credit opportunities! Los Angeles Religious Education Congress 2013 February 21 (Youth Day), February 22-24, 2013 This years Congress theme Enter the Mystery, bids us to look with new eyes and discover Gods creative presence woven into our rich faith story: our beliefs, our rituals and our great spiritual traditions. Join us at the Anaheim Convention Center. (Please see page 5, Youth Ministry, for information about Youth Day.) If you have never before attended Congress, you are assured of a wonderful experience. All are welcome! Register now for this spirit-filled and enriching weekend. RECongress.org. To obtain a Registration Guidebook contact the Information line 213/637-7348

TODAYS READINGS
First ReadingHannah conceived, and at the end of her term bore a son whom she called Samuel (1 Samuel 1:20-22, 24-28). PsalmBlessed are they who dwell in your house, O Lord (Psalm 84). Second ReadingSee what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called the children of God (1 John 3:1-2, 21-24). GospelThe boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. They found him in the temple, in the midst of the teachers (Luke 2:41-52).

SAINT RITA OF CASCIA CHURCH

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St. Rita Giving Tree Report

Youth NiteWednesday, January 9, 7 pm, Gara Edge Monday, January 7, 4 pm, Gara Year 1 ConfirmationSaturday, January 5, 4 pm, Gara Youth MassSaturday, January 5, 5:30 pm Fundraiser: Goodwill Donation Drive Saturday, January 26, 9-3 pm The Youth Ministry wants your old toys, clothes, even furniture to help send teens to summer service trips and/or leadership camp. If we fill at least one container we receive funds from Goodwill, so please save now and then drop off your donations at the Church parking lot. Thank you!

St. Anthony CenterThank you once again for generously supporting our sister parish in San Gabriel. The Giving Tree provided 108 books, 141 toys and games, 15 puzzles, 76 scarves and mittens, 101 lotions and make-up, 25 sports balls, and clothing47 items for adults, 86 items for children, and 65 items for infants! Plus gift cards whose value exceeded $800. Plus an abundance of ribbon, wrapping paper (over 88 rolls!), gift tags and tape. We filled a pick up truck and two SUVs with gifts for a happy caravan to St. Anthony! St. Francis CenterThis report does not include the actual number of the toys received at the Christmas Eve Vigil Masswe didnt have time to count them! The drivers from St. Francis Center in downtown Los Angeles loaded the gifts while our Vigil Mass was still being celebrated so Santa could be downtown in time to distribute the toys to waiting and excited children!

Youth Day Registration

This spirit-filled all-day youth conference for 15,000 Catholic high school teens is on Thursday, February 22 at the Anaheim Convention Center. St. Rita will take 30 teens this year on a first-come basis. To register, please email Theresa.

Theresa Costanza ym@st-rita.org 590-8828

Knit for Kids

Calling all ladies who knitted and crocheted sweaters for this ministry. Please attend the 5:30 pm Vigil Mass next Saturday (Jan.5). We will present the sweaters to Monsignor Richard to bless them before they are distributed.

St. Rita Guild Meeting

Our St. Rita Guild regular meeting will be Friday, January 4th at 9 am in Gara Hall. Save Saturday, February 9th for the Annual Guild Card Party. This is a fun day for Bridge and Bunco players alike, and the lunch is always delicious! More details to follow soon. Patty Sullivan 355-3707 psullivan514@gmail.com

Save-a-Life Sunday

Thank you to those who helped coordinate deliveries to both Centers; to the volunteers who helped deliver the gifts; and to Patty Sullivan and the St. Rita Guild for the beautiful decoration and replenishment of tags for The Giving Tree.

Sunday, January 6, 2013 8:30 am - 2:30 pm, Gara Hall

You may make an appointment by contacting:

Marilyn McKernan Marilyn@st-rita.org 355-1292 or Www.redcrossblood.org (enter the Sponsor Code: strita)

Thank you for making a joyous Christmas 2012 for so many!

A Suggestion for a New Years Resolution
Looking for something to change your life in 2013? Consider joining a Ministry at St. Rita! See page 2 of this Bulletin to check out the many opportunities listed under Parish Ministries and Organizations. You will receive

Deadline for Bulletin articles is Thursday, 10 days before desired publication date. bulletin@st-rita.org or bring to the Parish Office.

much more than you giveand make new friends in the process! Try it and see what Parish Life is about!

FEAST OF THE HOLY FAMILYDECEMBER 30, 2012

Meetings, Ministry & Special Events

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This Week at St. Rita

Parish OfficeClosed for the holidays
Re-opens: Wednesday, January 2 at 9 am

Thank you to the Community Chorus of Redlands

We were treated to an incredible afternoon on December 9th by the Chorus with their celebratory presentation of Our Lords birthLessons, Carols, and Readings. The 80+ chorus and orchestra, directed by Jeffrey Rickard, sang many familiar songsand many we had not heard before. The congregation couldnt help tapping their feet during the Jamaican ballad! This fourth annual appearancebecoming a tradition now at St. Ritaalmost filled the Church. The Chorus has already promised to return next Decemberwith the added hint that our own Music Director, Paul Puccinelli, may be a featured part of the orchestra! As Monsignor Richard promised, all who attended gave themselves a truly wonderful Christmas gift!

Tuesday, January 1Feast of Mary, Holy Mother of God Not a Holyday of Obligation
8 am Mass

Friday, January 4St. Rita Guild Meeting

See page 5 for more information.

Friday, January 4Adoration

After the 8 am Mass until 5 pm Parish Office Oratory

Saturday, January 5Knit for Kids

5:30 pm Mass See page 5 for more information.

Opportunities for Spiritual Growth

(See page 4 for more information.) Tuesday, January 8, RCIA Class
7:30 pm Parish Office Meeting Room

Catholic Community & Local Events

Thursday, January 10St. Lucys Priory High School 9:30 am1 pm. Prospective students and their families may visit the campus. Info? 626/253-9388 krossi@stlucys.com Saturday, January 12St. Francis High School Open House. Noon-3 pm. Campus tour, meet students, teachers, and coaches, etc. Info? 818/790-0325 www.sfhs.net Saturday, January 12Damien High School Open House. Campus tour, meet students, teachers and coaches. Info? 909/956-1946 outreach@damien-hs.edu Interested in joining a Catholic singles organization? The Catholic Alumni Club provides social, cultural, civic, and spiritual relationships. Info? Steve Valko valksr@yahoo.com LaSalle & Alverno Alumni (1960-1992)DeJaVu Social, Saturday, February 2, 2013 from 7-10 pm at La Salle. More information on Alvernos Alumnae Facebook Event pageDeJa Vu Social. Volunteer Opportunities at Santa TeresitaYou can help in a variety of ways such as transporting residents on campus to their activities, assisting in the resident dining room, praying with the residents, assisting in the Gift Shop, etc. Adult volunteer program is open to both men and women. The Junior program is open to girls and boys from ages 13-17. For more information, please call Sr. Rosario Therese 626/408-7822 outreach@santa-teresita.org

Wednesday, January 9, Evening Prayer Pray the Rosary

Weekday mornings after the 8 am Mass

5:30 pm Meditation 6 pm Prayer Rectory Oratory

Thursday, January 17, Bible Study Resumes

7 - 8:30 pm Parish Office Meeting Room

Save the Date

Sunday, January 6Blood Drive
See page 5 for more information.

Sunday, January 6Baptisms

In the Church, 1:30 pm

Saturday, January 26Youth Ministry Fundraiser

Goodwill truck will be here from 9am - 3 pm See page 5 for more information.

ST. RITA OF CASCIA CHURCH

Are you a registered Member at St. Rita?
Registering in a parish is a declaration of your desire to be part of a Catholic community and a commitment to the life of the parish family. Being a registered parishioner is a requirement for infant baptism, school registration, weddings, when asked to be a baptismal or confirmation sponsor, and even funerals. Additionally, if you are not registered, a yearly tax receipt cannot be issued since any donations you make to the parish throughout the year are entered as 5002/visitors since you have no unique ID number in our database.
Registration forms available in the Vestibule or please contact the Parish Office 355-1292 rc@st-rita.org

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2012 Tax Donation Acknowledgments

If you are a registered parishioner you may request a letter to acknowledge your total 2012 donations to St. Rita for tax purposes. PLEASE NOTE: Registered parishioners are those who have filled out a Registration Form and have been assigned an ID number. You may request a letter by sending your full name, address, and parish ID number (if known) to rc@st-rita.org

or fill out the form below and drop it in the Sunday Offering or mail to the Parish Office, Attn: RC. NO requests will be taken over the telephone.
Request for 2012 Donations for Tax Purposes ID# Full Name Address

St. Rita WebsiteTake a Look!

Our website has descriptions and contact information for parish organizations and ministries; plus monthly calendars for events, Youth Ministry and altar servers. The current Sunday Bulletin is posted online every Monday.

www.st-rita.org