St. Anthony Catholic Church Diocese of Amarillo

Bishop: Most Rev. Patrick Zurek Pastor: Rev. Anthony (Tony) Neusch

Location: 114 Sunset Drive, Hereford, Texas 79045

Send bulletin articles to janiebanner1@wtrt.net by Monday morning of week prior Parish EMAIL: stanthonyshfd@wtrt.net Diocesan EMAIL: www.amarillodiocese.org

View monthly newsletter & weekly bulletin at www.herefordstanthonys.com

Parish Office is open Mon-Friday from 9-12, 1-5 with early closing on Fridays @4 pm

WELCOME NEWCOMERS: Please notify the church office of your arrival or if any changes in phone or address are made.

CONFESSION: Tues.@5:30-6:45pm. Weds.@6:30am-7am & 6-6:45pm. Thurs.@6:30am-7am. Fri.@7am-8am. Sat. @4-5:30pm. and

Sun.@7:45am-8:45am and after the 9 AM Mass until 11 AM. Any time by appointment. Call church office.

BAPTISM PREPARATION CLASSES: 3rd Thurs of each month. Pre-Register in church office.

WEDDINGS: Couples must be members of the Parish. To begin wedding preparation, please call for an appointment with the pastor at

least six months prior to planned wedding date.

SACRAMENT OF THE SICK: Call 364-6150 day or night. OR during office hours to schedule the Sacrament of Anointing prior to sur-

gery or if health is serious or an accident has occurred. It is a Sacrament of Healing/Comfort and not necessarily of the dying.

PARISH OFFICE: 364-6150 FAX: 364-0969 SCHOOL OFFICE: 120 W. Park Ave. Phone 364-1952.

THIRD SUNDAY of ADVENT

December 15, 2013

PROMISE FULFILLED

Today‟s readings address the faithful one, the one who waits on God but may not feel God‟s presence. Every per-

son who seeks God has at one time or another experienced the absence of God. Jesus himself cried out during his

dark night of the soul.

The Epistle of James speaks to this. The author says that we must be as patient as the silent, fallow earth that

awaits the slow, soaking rains of winter and the hard, necessary rains of spring. As the farmer is sure of the pre-

cious yield of the land, we can be sure of the precious yield of our patient waiting. God is never far away.

The messengers from John the Baptizer asked Jesus if he was the one whose coming John had announced. The

messengers wanted to

hear the answer that the

imprisoned John already

knew. Everything that

John said was finally

happening: because of

Jesus, light shines in

eyes; words of promise

are received; people leap

and dance.

The promise of Isaiah is

fulfilled in Jesus. Wob-

bly knees and feeble

hands are strong, the

desert blooms, the sa-

vanna and steppe

flower, the darkness is

chased away.

J.S. Paluch Co. / Year Cycle

A

MON 7:15AM MORNING PRAYER Tuesday 7:00 pm Tony Hoffman RIP Wed. 7:15 am Isabel Gonzales RIP Thurs. 7:15am Betty Gomez RIP Friday 8:15 AM Deceased Members of Catholic Life Ins. RIP Sat. 6 PM Raymond Schlabs Health Sun. 9 AM Frank Brorman RIP 11:15 AM People of the Parish

MINISTERS PLEASE LOOK AT DECEMBER MESSENGER TO SEE IF YOU ARE TO GIVE

COMMUNION DURING A CHRISTMAS LITURGY. PLEASE FIND SUBSTITUE IF NOT

ABLE. THANK YOU. COMMUNION SCHEDULE

DEC 21—6 PM: Barbara Yavornik, Farron Urbanczyk,

Janie Banner, Monica Hernandez, Glynn Yosten(L)

DEC 22 - 9 AM: Nadine Berend SC, Ronnie Fetsch SC, Charlene

Sanders SC, Claudia Smith, Elizabeth Vogel, Krynson & Daniel Jesko

(L) SICK CALL ONLY: Gary Kriegshauser, Sam Valdez

DEC 22—11:15 AM: Eileen Alley, Janie Lopez, Bridget Maldonado,

Elaine & Larry McNutt, Teresa Munoz, Claudia Smith, Aida Lemus (L)

Monday 7:15 am MORNING PRAYER Tuesday 7:00 pm Jaidyn DeLaCerda (offered sub) Nevaeh Nicely (offered to sub) Wednes. 7:15 am Nevaeh Nicely, Camila Casarez Thurs. 7:15 am Alexia Hernandez, Baron Buse Friday 8:15 AM Jaidyn Vigil, Elizabeth Flood,

Faith Diaz SAT. 6 PM Chloe Casarez, Madolyn George, Aleesia Mendoza SUNDAY 9 AM Tiffany & Erin Jesko, Larry McNutt SUNDAY 11:15 AM Trey Ledezma,

THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT DECEMBER 15, 2013

+ SECOND COLLECTION for RELIGIOUS RETIREMENT FUND + ++ COMMUNION MINISTERS COMMISSIONED at each Mass ++ 9 AM Mass Men’s Choir/Cheryl 11:15 AM Mass (Fowler / Kollin)

RCIA Dismissal from 9 o‟clock to Break open The Word of God

RCIA: “Confirmation” by Laurie Paetzold / „The Holy Spirit” by Elaine McNutt Vocations Crucifix is taken (for a week of prayer) at 9 o’clock Mass by Nancy Wallace or Sub; at 11:15 Mass by St. A’s 4th Grade Students 1 PM — Christmas Baskets prepared and delivered from the school 1-2 pm — Wade McNutt in Concert (FREE) at Hfd. Senior Citizen Cntr. Center. All are welcome to come and enjoy meditative piano music! 3-5 pm — Teaching on Gospel of Matthew by Dr. Joel Barstad: Church CHILDCARE AVAILABLE in the extended day care room at school.

MONDAY 6:30 pm – Boy Scout Meeting: School grounds

TUESDAY 7 am: Men’s Lectionary Study: Antonian WEDNESDAY 8-6 Adoration / 9:30 Lectionary Study / 7-8 F.F.C. 1:15 pm — Messenger Mail-Out in Church Office. Can you help? Call… 7 PM-PENANCE SERVICE at Immaculate Conception Church: Dimmitt

THURSDAY 10 am Dress rehearsal / 7 PM Christmas Program ALL ARE INVITED TO THE CHILDREN’S Program: Gym 7 PM—PENANCE SERVICE at San Jose Catholic Church NO Pastoral Council meeting / NO Baptism Preparation tonight

FRIDAY 8:15 AM Mass with school children / School out 12:35 Teacher work session 7 PM—PENANCE SERVICE: Hart Catholic Church

SATURDAY 6 PM LITURGY DECEMBER 21, 2013 2 PM—Wedding Liturgy for Marivel Perez/Ricardo Mendez GOD BLESS YOUR MARRIAGE WITH HIS LOVE!

Vocations crucifix taken by The Nielsen Family Beginning of Winter Season —>>>

FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT DECEMBER 22, 2013

9 AM MASS Mixed Choir 11:15 AM MASS Fowler-Kollin

9 AM Mass: NO RCIA DISMISSAL. NO RCIA topic.

A Vocations crucifix taken by Elvira Enriquez & Family

11:15 Mass: Aida & Dazzarei Lemus take a vocations crucifix.

ALL WELCOME TO “Live CHRISTMAS PAGEANT at Nazareth”

LITURGY

INTENTIONS

Have you thought

about remembering

the Church in your

will?

ALTAR

SERVERS

STEWARDSHIP of TREASURE

DECEMBER 8, 2013

79 Env. 35 Loose Cks.

Envelopes/Checks $5,958.00

Plates $ 1, 101. 43

Children’s $ 154. 62

TOTAL $7,214.05

2nd COLLECTIONS = $729.00 Total

Charity Black Bag $500.00

Immaculate Conception $229.00

Extra Collection

Christmas Flowers $255.00

Postage $ 55.00

TOTAL $ 310.00

TOTAL $8,253.05

WEEKLY BUDGET INTAKE NEEDS= $10,090.85

REGULAR INCOME THIS WEEK = $7, 214. 05

God loves a

cheerful giver.

THE ADVENT CANDLE we light this weekend is pink as we celebrate Gaudete Sunday or Rejoicing Sunday. We continue in a special a time of prayer and reflection as we prepare for the Lord’s coming (His birth more deeply into our hearts!)

Two strong themes leap out from the Gospel of Matthew. As stated, the question rises, “Are you the one…” The Lord re-

plies “tell…what you hear and see.” This repeats what we

have learned throughout this Advent — that is, we must be

alert and we must be willing to look at things in a new and refreshing way. This is our stewardship struggle on a daily

basis, to renew our lives and to embrace again and again the

love of Jesus and to share it with one another. Advent is one of the best times to do that. It is also good to remember, as

Advent reaches toward Christmas, that nothing humans have

to sell is as good as what God has already given.

Submitted by Danielle Bartels

St. Anthony, Patron of Lost Items:

WHERE O’ WHERE

COULD IT BE????

The Life Teen Projector Screen is

missing from the Antonian Room.

If you have it please return it im-

mediately. If you know of its where-

abouts, call Elaine @346-2736. WE

NEED IT!! Thank You.

FROM THE PASTORS’ DESK

CHRISTMAS FLOWER DONORS may use giving envelopes to HONOR or RE-

MEMBER loved ones. Please have your do-

nation in the church office by this week, TUESDAY. Thank you.

STORIES of GRANDPARENTS:

“She was in the bathroom, putting on her

makeup, under the watchful eyes of her young

granddaughter, as she‟d done many times before. After she applied her lipstick and started to leave, the little girl said,

“But Grand-ma, you forgot to kiss the toilet paper good-

bye!” I will probably never put lipstick on again without thinking about how it looked to that little girl . . . (what do

our grandchildren see us doing, and how do they interpret

it?)

AROUND THE DIOCESE

SAVE THE DATE: Bishop Patrick Zurek will

have Mass with the school children on JAN 27 at

9:30 celebrating Catholic School Week.

SAVE THE DATE: St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church

7th Annual Retreat Sat. Feb. 22, 8-2. Speakers Greg and Jenni-

fer Willits (The Catholics Next Door, on Sirius SM Radio)

Cost $20. Register by Feb. 16.

A LIVE CHRISTMAS PAGEANT at Holy Family Catholic Church Sun DEC 22 &/or Mon DEC 23 at 7:30 PM...FREE but Love offer-

ings will be accepted. SAVE THE DATE: Walk for Life JAN. 25 after 10 o‟clock Mass at St. Mary‟s Cathedral, with Bishop Zurek. 11:30 Peni-

tential Prayer and Walk begins. See poster on bulletin board.

LECTOR WORKBOOKS

Have Lectors picked up your workbook (in the Sacristy) and checked off your name? If unable to

proclaim as scheduled, please find your own substitute.

Thank you.

THANK YOU from Retirement Fund For Reli-

gious collection taken up last weekend. Your generosity

helps thousands of senior Catholic sisters, brothers, and reli-

gious order priests to have dignified care in their elder years.

The fund helps provide medication & nursing care.

GOT BLANKETS?

St. Anthony's YOUNG LIFE is collect-

ing gently-used or new BLANKETS

during this Advent Season for Catholic Charities to distribute to those in need.

A collection box is located in the bell tower entrance of

church. A group of refugees will come to speak to our youth on January 8th. All are invited to join in collecting

the blankets, and hearing their unique stories. Thank you!

2014 CALENDARS ARE HERE!

Watch for your family’s copy of

the 2014 Liturgical Calendar

to be available soon in one of

he church entryways One per

family, please—a gift from the

Parish for you!

WADE McNutt OFFERS a FREE

Piano Concert this Sunday from 1-2 at

the Hereford Senior Citizen Center. All are

welcome.

Pink, dusty rose, or roscescia, they are much the same color. The third Sunday of Advent and the Fourth Sunday of Lent

share the same color, the color of joy. The Rose Vestments

are one of the great extravagances that a church or priest

owns. They are used precisely twice a year, and only twice. They will last forever, if taken care of, due to their seldom

use. We can look at this in two ways as a waste and as a

grace. It is wasteful to spend money on something that will only be used twice a year! Or, how fortunate we are to be

able to honor Christ with special vestments twice a year!

I have a family member with two closets full of boxes of shoes. I have shelves full of books.. St. Basil the

Great wrote, “The bread in your box belongs to the hungry;

the cloak in your closet belongs to the naked; the shoes you

do not wear belong to the barefoot; the money in your vault belongs to the destitute.” What do we store up? Do we store

up joy or shoes? Do we save the hungry or bread bags?

Pope Francis has invited the entire world to end hunger by 2025. What will we go without so that the hungry may have

food? Our Good and Gracious God has created the world for

superabundance. Will we be hoarders of the great resources of creation, or by doing with less and without will we feed

the world? The colors of vestments seem a silly question in

comparison.

In Christ, Fr.Tonyn

SPEAKER to BRING The GOSPEL of MATTHEW in An ADVENT RETREAT

Sunday, DEC 15, 3-5 PM in Church—All are encouraged to attend.

Dr JOEL BARSTAD, an Associate Professor of Theology at St. John Vianney Theological

Seminary in Denver, Colo.—with a BA from Colorado College, an MA in Early Christian Studies Program at

Catholic University of America and a PhD in Medieval Studies from the University of Notre Dame. He and wife

Leslie have seven children. NO COST. FREE Childcare in extended day care room at school. ALL WELCOME!

Order Your Christmas SCRIP BY Dec 18th

to insure that your order is filled in time for Christmas.

We have Chili’s, Applebee’s, I-tunes, Walmart, & Amazon cards

available in the church office for instant gift giving.

SHOP CONVENIENTLY AND WITH LESS STRESS One-size fits all Lightweight Shipping Available

Helps St. A‟s School No parking hassles Avoid Holiday Traffic Tuition Credit Socking-stuffer

Size Short Lines LOTS of Choices in one place! Gift cards good ALL over the country! Purchase Christmas

SCRIP gift cards now for the holidays and select from a wide variety of gas, grocery, clothing and restaurant cards. It‟s as

easy as filling out the order form and returning it to the school or church office with your check made out to

St. Anthony PTO SCRIP. You may also shop for SCRIP at our school with your Credit Card!!!

Call Blandina at 236-4125 or Argelia Alaniz at 683-3834

GOD BLESS JENS BRORMAN for stepping up to bless our community at the holiday

meal (Saint Nicholas would be so proud of you!) THANKS to CARMEN FLOOD for

organizing and ALL the Table Decorators who filled the room with festivity, the

COOKS and Servers (delicious!) the set up and cleanup crew, especially ROBERT

ZEPEDA who went above and beyond in service. We are a blessed Family of Faith!

FUNERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

ANNETTE YAVORNIK, 90, mother of ED YAVORNIK, passed away at Hereford Nursing

and Rehab Center on Thursday, December 5 following a lengthy illness. Her funeral Mass was

celebrated Tuesday afternoon, December 10 here in her home parish, St. Anthony‟s, with burial

following in West Park Cemetery. Prayers go up for the family in this difficult time.

ISRAEL De La Cerda, 63, died in a recent house fire. He is survived by brothers RAMON, and SAMMY, who

often assists Robert Zepeda (our grounds & maintenance manager). Israel‟s funeral Mass was Monday afternoon at

St. Anthony‟s. Prayers are offered for the family in this very traumatic time.

PEACEMAKER NELSON MANDELLA, 95, died Dec 5 in Johannesburg, S. Africa. A hero and an icon for his

work for freedom, he kept Africa out of a civil war and was called “a master of forgiveness, a global symbol of sac-

rifice and reconciliation in a world jarred by conflict and division”. After a 27 year prison term he served as Presi-

dent of S. Africa. He said “no man is above the law”. Clergy sought his advice and the Church supported him in his

causes for justice. He fought AIDS and lost a son to the disease. May he enjoy his eternal reward for Gospel living.

GOD BLESS THREE LOVELY LADIES for carrying on the tradition of

D E C O R AT I N G A S P E C I A L TABLE FOR RCIA CANDIDATES

A N D C A T E C H U M E N S a n d leaving a small sweet GIFT OF Love

for each one at the parish holiday meal last Sunday. For your hospitable, wel-

coming acts of kindness, we APPRECIATE C L A U D I A M c B R A Y E R ,

THERESA ARTHO & LORETTA U R B A N C Z Y K s o v e r y

m u c h ! — RCIA, 2013-14

JAIL CHRISTMAS PARTY

ORGANIZERS FROM THE PARISH ARE SEEKING TEN (10) CAKES to take

and serve at the local Deaf Smith County Jail for a Christmas Meal for the inmates. Call

Tommy or Annette Albracht at 364-3433 to offer a cake. We join San Jose Parish members

to offer this annual meal to brighten the holiday for those incarcerated. Thank you!

GOD BLESS THE FOLLOWING FOR PROVIDING FOOD FOR RCIA

DURING THIS PAST MONTH: Brenda Yosten, Alice Hund, Cookie Tay-

lor, Tama Lassiter, Shelly Diller, Joyce Schlabs, Lisa Blakely, Farron

Urbanczyk, Charlene Sanders, Claudia Smith, Judy Detten, Doug Det-

ten, Thomas and Donna Kemp and again, Lisa Blakely. You are all such

generous, delicious and faithful friends. We love you! - RCIA 201-14

GOD BLESS ALICE HUND, who, behind the scenes recently, sewed

new collection bags for our charitable giving. Alice replaced some very

old and tattered bags and quite nicely improved the “collection situation”.

Thank you, Alice. — A Grateful Community of Faith @ St. Anthony‟s

Grand Prize: 2014 Ford F-150 Truck or

2014 Ford Fusion Sedan or $20,000

PrePd VISA Credit Card.

Secondary Prizes: (15) $1000 PrePd

VISA Credit Cards and (20) $500 PrePd

VISA Credit Cards & (20) $250 PrePd

VISA Credit Cards.

This is an opportunity for all of us to directly help benefit Saint

Anthony School (sponsored by Catholic Life Insurance Union).

Drawing is in January at the close of Catholic Schools Week.

Please help sell!! Thank You! Ques? Call Karen Hacker @344-7373

or Al & Pat Simnacher @364-6844. Tickets to buy or sell are avail-

able in the church & school offices and from St. Anthony

school students competing for TOP seller! ONLY $5 each.

WE GET FREE MONEY for

our school by saving LOWE’S

GROCERY RECEIPTS!

Please turn them in through the

collection basket or bring by the

church office or send them to

school with your children.

THANK YOU!

MORE FREE MONEY comes

our way through the Catholic School

Sweepstakes Raffle, where a $5 bill

gives multiple chances of winning one

of the following prizes:

“We don’t raise heroes, we raise sons and daughters. And, if we treat them like the sons and

daughters God has loaned to us, they will turn out to be heroes, evening if it’s just in our own eyes!”