December 8, 2019

We the people of St. Mary Catholic Church,

commit ourselves in community to live the gospel, strengthen our

spirituality, and celebrate the sacraments. We invite others to join us!

PARISH CLERGY 928-3210 Rev. Jeffrey R. Lewis Pastor ext. 109 Rev. David Kuttner Priest in Residence 928-3210 Deacon Mike Miller 928-3210 Deacon Dan Glatt 928-3210 Emergency Anointing of the Sick: Sun & Mon 720-1460 Tues-Sat. 847-9093

PARISH OFFICE Office Hours Monday -Thursday 8am-4pm Closed for Lunch 12pm-1pm Friday 8am-12pm Closed Saturday & Sunday

Krista Furtney, Parish Secretary 928-3210 Marie Bricher, DRE & Faith Formation ext. 111 Sharon Greany, Business Manager ext. 107 Mark VanDriel, Maintenance ext. 213

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS Greg Hanson, Grand Knight (509) 638-8535 John White, Faithful Navigator (509) 994-1023

CHOIR DIRECTOR Diana Thomas (509) 385-2663

SOCIETY OF ST. VINCENT DE PAUL Victor Vera, President (509) 995-5987

ST. MARY SCHOOL 924-4300 Ben Walker, Principal ext. 202 Chelsea Weiler, School Secretary ext. 200 Terri Matsch, Advancement Director ext. 206

MASS SCHEDULE

Saturday Mass: 5:30pm Sunday Masses: 7:30am, 9:00am, 11:15am Daily Mass: 7:30am Monday through Friday Tuesdays during School Mass is at 8:15am

Reconciliation: Wednesdays at 4:30 & Saturday from 4:00 to 5:00pm First Fridays from 8am-9am

First Friday Adoration 8am - 12noon in the church Adoration Friday 6pm- 7pm with Confessions

Blessed Sacrament Chapel hours: 7am-10pm For after-hours access, please call the parish office.

Web page: stmaryspokane.org NEW PARISHIONERS Welcome to St. Mary Parish Community. If you would like to register with the parish please download a form from our website, stop by the Parish Office or call (509) 928-3210.

CARE OF THE SICK Communion is taken to the sick and elderly on a regular basis. Please call Karen Grewe (Homebound Ministry) at (509)927-4941, if someone is in need.

For the convenience of those with hearing difficulties, Masses at St. Mary can be heard on personal FM-band radios. Tune to 90.3 FM.

304 S ADAMS ROAD, SPOKANE VALLEY, WASHINGTON 99216

SACRAMENTS

Baptism: The family should be registered and active in St. Mary Parish. For arrangements call the Parish office, 928-3210.

Marriage: Couples must contact the parish at least six months prior to their desired wedding date.

Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) or RCIC (for children over 7) Have you thought about becoming a Catholic? Do you know someone who is thinking about it? Please call Marie Bricher at

928-3210 ext. 111 for more information.

St. Mary Catholic Parish

THIS WEEK AT ST. MARY MONDAY 12/9 Daily Mass 7:30am Prayer Shawl 10am Mass 6pm Dr. Howard Presentation 7pm Bible Study 6:30pm St. Vincent de Paul 7pm TUESDAY 12/10 School Mass 8:15am Exercise 9am RCIA 6:30pm WEDNESDAY 12/11 Daily Mass 7:30am Women at the Well 10am Confessions 4:30pm Choir Practice 6:30pm Religious Education 6-7:30pm Adult Faith Formation 6pm THURSDAY 12/12 Daily Mass 7:30am Youth Group Mass 7-8:30pm FRIDAY 12/13 Daily Mass 7:30am First Friday Adoration 8am -12pm Confessions 8-9am Phoenix Club 12noon Eucharistic Adoration 6-7pm with Confessions SATURDAY 12/14 Rosary 7:30am Men’s Prayer Group 8am Advent Retreat 4pm Confessions 4:00pm Mass 5:30pm Guatemala Used Book Sale 4-7pm SUNDAY 12/15 3rd Sunday Advent

Masses 7:30am, 9am & 11:15am Guatemala Used Book Sale 8-1pm Coffee & Donuts 8-11am

PRIESTS MASS INTENTIONS

12/9 MONDAY Mabel Bacca + 12/10 TUESDAY Ron Riel + 12/11 WEDNESDAY Kim Miller + 12/12 THURSDAY Paulette Lassaga 12/13 FRIDAY Mary Ilgen +

12/14 SATURDAY Pam Gigliotti + 12/15 SUNDAY

7:30am George & Jane Marshall + 9:00am Pro Populo 11:15am Mary Ellen Klepinger + To have a Mass offered by the priest for a deceased person or another intention, please call the parish office at (509) 928-3210.

SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT First Reading Isaiah 11:1-10 Responsorial Psalm Psalm 72:1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17 Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever. Second Reading Romans 15:4-9 Gospel Matthew 3:1-12 John the Baptist came as a preacher in the Judean desert: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” Many people flocked to him for baptism and conversion to prepare for the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire. THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT First Reading Isaiah 35:1-6a, 10 Responsorial Psalm Psalm 146:6-7, 8-9, 9-10 Lord, come and save us. Second Reading James 5:7-10 Gospel Matthew 11:2-11 John sent his disciples to ask Jesus, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?” Jesus answered them affirmatively, pointing to the blind who see, the lame who walk, the lepers who are cured and the poor who hear from him good news of hope.

Prayer Requests Cameron N., Leslie D., Kolton A., Darrold F., Roslyn G., Diana T.

To have a name listed in the bulletin call Krista at the parish office at 928-3210. Names will be listed for 3 weeks, then removed unless requested again.

If a member of your family is admitted to a local hospital, please call the parish office at 928-3210 if you would like a priest to visit.

To add someone to the prayer chain or to be part of the prayer chain ministry please join the Prayer Chain group in Flocknote or call the parish office.

STEWARDSHIP REPORT Amount needed per month $55,975.00 November 24, 2019 $10,996.03 November Total to Date: $51,438.31 December 1, 2019 $13,970.26 Year to Date Total: $273,421.22 Fiscal year (July - June) Year to Date Budget: $281,680.00 Fiscal year (July - June) (we need approximately $12,917.31 each week)

You may make a donation to any of our endowments. Please contact Sharon Greany.

Please pick up Advent Devotionals, calendars and St. Joseph Missals in

the gathering space.

Phoenix Club: The Seniors Phoenix Club will hold their Monthly Potluck lunch on Friday, December 13 at noon.

Bring a favorite dish and encourage friends to join us! We are also doing our annual sock collection for House of Charity.

Please gift wrap each pair and label if men’s or women’s. Any questions,

contact Karen (509) 927-4941.

Masses on Vacation: Leaving town for the weekend?

Did you know you can find out what time Masses are offered at your destination by

logging onto www.masstimes.org? It’s quick and easy,

so check it out!

Pastor’s Column St. Mary Catholic Parish December 8, 2019 ~ Second Sunday of Advent

Confessing to a Priest

As Advent continues, we find that there are many opportunities for confession coming up: penance services here at St. Mary, and also at St. John Vianney and St. Joseph; and our normal confession times as well (Wednesdays at 4:30 PM; Saturdays at 4 PM; and our new time each week, Fridays at 6 PM). But maybe we wonder: why such an emphasis on confession? Why so much time and so much effort on the part of the parish and the pastor to offer opportunities for the Sacrament of Reconciliation? And for that matter, why should we confess our sins to a priest? We should go to God directly. Short answer: we can and should ask the Lord directly for forgiveness, but Sacred Scripture also reveals that it is His will, in some cases, that we approach His appointed ministers in confession. Prayer might be sufficient for the forgiveness of daily, venial sins, but Jesus indicated that some sins are more serious by instituting the Sacrament of Reconciliation (commonly known as “confession”) to deal with them. After rising from the dead, Jesus told the disciples, “As the Father has sent Me, even so I send you.” Then, He breathed on them, and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.” (John 20:21-23) Previously, God had sent Jesus to forgive sins on Earth (see, for example, Matthew 9:6), and the people glorified God “Who had given such authority to human beings.” (Matthew 9:8) Now, Jesus shares this authority with His ministers. Notice that He gives them the power to forgive or retain (that is, not forgive) sins. The decision whether to forgive or retain a sin is serious, and Christ’s ministers must not make it in an uninformed manner. To perform their role, they need to be properly informed. In particular, ministers need to know two very important things: that we have committed a particular sin; and that we are genuinely repentant. Since they have no way of knowing these things apart from our informing them, we are obliged to confess. Thus, we have the Sacrament of Reconciliation. In John 20:21-23, we find the background that we need when reading the Gospel author’s affirmation that if we confess our sins, then “he is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from every wrongdoing.” (1 John 1:9) There is, as a matter of fact, a very strong biblical basis for this Sacrament, despite what we often hear from our non-Catholic Christian brethren. The biblical basis begins with acknowledging that Jesus does indeed have the authority to forgive sins (Matthew 9:1-8). We then proceed to Jesus giving that authority to His chosen disciples, the first bishops of the Church (John 20:19-23). These disciples were also known as “Apostles” as we know. Next, we consider the fact that Saint Paul was made an Apostle by Jesus after the Resurrection (Acts chapter 9), and Saint Paul recognizes that he has been given this new Christian dignity (see, for example, Romans 1:1). Then, we find that Saint Paul understands his apostolic ministry as having been handed down to him, and he in turn hands it on to those who come after him, and that ministry involves reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:11-21).

And finally, why confess? Because the Apostle Saint James instructs us to confess our sins to one another (James 5:16-18), and why would we confess our sins to others unless they had that God-given authority to absolve them (that is, bring about reconciliation)? Hence: the Sacrament of Reconciliation. ~Fr. Lewis

Advent Season at St. Mary Catholic Parish Advent Penance Service

St. Mary Catholic Parish, Thursday, December 19th, 7pm

Holy Hours of Eucharistic Adoration First Friday Adoration, December 6th, 8am to noon Every Friday, beginning December 6th, 6-7pm, during which time confessions will be heard

Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary December 9th Daily Mass 7:30am

6pm Mass followed by a snacks in the Gathering Space then returning to the church at 7:15pm to hear Dr. Peter Howard’s presentation on Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen - A Treasure in the Clay: The Life and Times of Fulton J.

Sheen. This talk introduces you to the life of Fulton Sheen and his rise to the most popular evangelizer of modern times. Through quotes and video clips, Dr. Howard shows why Sheen is so beloved as well his timeless recipe for

holiness. Concludes with Q & A.

We have three different organizations that need your help with supplies. There are two playpens in the gathering space. One is for PREPARES/Lambs Closet and the other is for St. Margaret’s Shelter. We also have two bins to collect PJ’s for St. Mary School to donate to Catholic Charities Christmas Bureau. Thank you for your generosity and support.

Advent/Christmas Supply Drives

Donations for Lambs Closet New Only: Disposable Diapers size 5 & 6 Diaper wipes Underwear sizes 2-5 Children’s socks Sippy cups Baby Wash or Shampoo

New or Gently Used: Children’s clothing size 2-5 Strollers Portable cribs Maternity Clothing

Please...NO: bumper pads, baby powder, used potty chairs, car seats, diaper pails or breast pumps

St. Margaret’s Shelter Needs:

Shampoo & Conditioner Towels

Toilet Paper Hygiene Products

Twin/Full Bedding Silverware

St. Mary Schools PJ Drive to Support Catholic Charities Christmas Bureau Donate NEW size infant to big kid pajamas

Our goal is 400 pairs! Please put in the bins in the gathering space labeled PJ Drive!

Confession Opportunities: Every Wednesday, 4:30-5:30pm Every Saturday, 4:00-5:00pm Every First Friday from 8am-9am

Saturday Morning Men's Prayer Group Bible Study and Fellowship for Catholic men of our parish. With a goal of helping men grow in their faith, allowing

them to be better husbands and fathers. Also, to increase their participation in the spiritual and social activities of the parish. Meet Saturdays from 8-9 am in the Adult Center. Please contact Jim Diehl at fivediehls@comcast.net or

(509) 993-2954 for more information.

Religious Education

Adult Faith Formation Presentation Series: On Prayer with Rev. Jeffery R. Lewis

Our final meeting is Dec. 11th 6-7:30pm in the Mary/Martha room

Prayer FAQs

RCIA Rite of Acceptance Next weekend at the 5:30pm Mass on December 14, our parish community will celebrate the Rite of Acceptance and Welcoming for those who are preparing to receive the Sacraments of Inititation at our Easter Vigil. We will pray for these Catechumens (those pre-paring for Baptism) and Candidates (those already baptized) and celebrate their desire to seek God’s will for their lives. Please pray for all those in the RCIA process. Religious Education for Grades 1-5 RE meets for a regular meeting on December 11 6-7:30pm. We invite anyone in our parish community to join us for a special Reli-gious Education Mass on December 18. The Mass will begin at 6:30pm (drop off for RE kids is still 6pm). Our children in grades 1-5 will help with the Mass - and they would love to have you come too! Youth Group - Middle School & High School We invite all parishioners to join us for a Youth Group Mass at 7:30pm on Thursday, December 12 for the feast of Our Lady of Gua-dalupe. We’ll conclude Mass with a brief time of Eucharistic Adoration and Benediction. Youth Group still meets at 7pm down in the Youth Room that evening. We hope you can join us! Youth Group members and their families will be decorating the church for Christmas on Monday, December 23rd starting at 11am. We will finish with a pizza lunch and Christmas party in the Youth Room. Let Marie know if you are coming to help and how many will be there for lunch. Sacramental Prep for Confirmation/First Holy Eucharist Our next meetings will be next Sunday, December 8 and December 15 from 10-11am. Kids will be in the Mary/Martha Room and parents in the Youth Room. We are beginning the part of our preparation focused on First Holy Communion. This is a great time to work on reviewing the 3 chapters about Confirmation. Contact Marie Bricher if you need copies of any of the chapters. Sacramental Prep for First Reconciliation Children aged 7 and above can begin preparing for First Reconciliation. Our meetings will begin January 19 and will be held from 10-11am in the Mary/Martha Room (for children) and the Youth Room (for parents). Children must be prepared for First Reconciliation before preparing for Confirmation and First Holy Eucharist. For more information or to register, you can find forms online, in the par-ish office or in the gathering space of the church. You can also contact Marie at mbricher@dioceseofspokane.org, or 928-3210 x 111.

Women’s Faith Sharing Group Are you seeking connection with other women who want to grow stronger in their faith and closer to other sisters in the Lord? Please consider joining us! We will gather in the Youth Room which is in the lower level of the parish office one Satur-day morning each month from 8-9am. We will share our faith journeys through reflection on the upcoming Sunday Gospel, conversation and prayer. Light snack and coffee will be available. Please contact Sue Harrell (991-2514) or Marie Bricher (928-3210 ext. 111 or mbricher@dioceseofspokane.org) with questions. Our next meeting is Saturday, December 14th.

Place The Society Of St. Vincent de Paul food donations in the white basket in the Gathering Space.

Pantry needs: Mayo, Canned Tomatoes, Canned Peaches & Pears, Mac & Cheese,

Cooking Oil, Cereal, Saltines, Toilet Paper, Paper Towels, Shampoo,

Dish Soap www.oursvdp.com

During the month of November, your Vincentians provided assistance to 12 families which included making six home visits to deliver

food, hygiene and paper products. A total of 16 adults and 18 children were assisted. Rental assistance was provided to seven of the families, utility to two families, as well as two other forms of assistance. We have begun purchasing Christmas gifts for a select-ed number of our neighbor families. We meet the second Monday of the month at 7:00pm in the Mary/Martha Room and the fourth

Sunday of the month at 10:15am in the Adult Center. All are welcome!

Immaculate Heart Retreat Center

Advent Silent Day of Prayer with Bishop Thomas Daly Monday, December 9th from 9am-3pm

$40 per person or $50 with use of a room for the day

Please register in advance for all retreats at (509) 448-1224 or visit www.ihrc.net

Family and Friends of Addicts - Meetings at ONE* Church 15601 E 24th Ave, Spokane Valley Wednesday evenings at 6pm

(509) 590-2422 Facebook: Family & Friends of addicts Spokane Valley or @findinghopeandpeace

Surviving the Holidays The holidays are known as happy, warm family times. For those who’ve experienced the death of a loved one the

holidays can trigger tough emotions. GriefShare’s “Surviving the Holidays” provides a solution of hope and practical guidelines of how to make it through the holiday season. Please join us for this helpful seminar on Sunday, November 10th

from 1:30-3:30pm at St. Peter Church, located at S. Freya and E. 18th (Parking lot is 1/2 block South of 18th). For more information please call: Arlette Popiel 979-2255 or Gloria Riedlinger 443-8030.

Around Our Area

Hearts on Fire Men’s Conference A Father’s Love - Received & Shared - Chris Padgett & Bishop Liam Carry

January 25th 8am to 4pm - Mirabeau Park Hotel & Convention Center| 1100 N Sullivan Rd Registration is now open! Text SpokaneMen to 84576 to stay up to date on details

Retrouvaille of the Inland Northwest Even Diamonds Start as Coal - Is your marriage or that of a relative or friend heading for divorce? Do you know how

to save that marriage? Or do you feel helpless? Retrouvaille is designed to help troubled marriages regain their health. It helps spouses uncover or awaken the love, trust and commitment that originally brought them together. The

program is highly successful in saving hurting marriages, even bringing reconciliation to couples who have already separated or divorced. Retrouvaille is for any couple who would like to rediscover their marriage and improve

communication. Visit www.Retrouvaille.org for emotional testimonials. For confidential information or to register for the February 14-16, 2020 Spokane weekend, call (509) 520-1148, (800) 470-2230 or visit the web site at

www.Retrouvaille.org

Catholic Charities Holiday Help: As we enter the season of giving, many people in our community want to give back! We have created a special holiday helper page for ways to get involved this holiday season. Please visit https://www.cceasternwa.org/holiday-help for more information. Make a House a Home: Please help us support people moving out of homelessness into our Haven properties by donating household items they will need to succeed in their new homes through our Make a House a Home Campaign! Please visit https://www.cceasternwa.org/make-a-house-a-home for more information or contact Aida Zeff at aida.zeff@cceasternwa.org. Catholic Charities Christmas Collection: This month, Catholic Charities kicks off our annual Christmas Collection! This is our biggest fundraiser of the year. Proceeds sustain operational costs for programs and services that help 70,000 people each year through crisis response, stability and housing and advocacy. Christmas Bureau: December 11-20 (excluding Sundays) Open daily from 10am-2pm, Spokane County Fair & Expo Center - provides books and toys for children and grocery store vouchers for individuals & families. For more info contact Brigid Krause at 335-4262 or bkrause@cceasternwa.org.

Sign up for Flocknote and chose which notifications you would like to receive. We send out weekly reminders and emergency notifi-cations (cancellations of Mass, or confessions due to weather etc.) to Everyone when there are events happening that you need to hear about. We also have several groups you may join including Weekly Bulletins, Prayer Chain, Respect Life and more. Fr. Lewis

also has his Pastor’s Column sent out weekly both in the Weekly Bulletin, and as a separate group if you just want to see the Pastor’s Column and not the whole bulletin.

Join by visiting:https://app.flocknote.com/stmarysspokane Or text STMARYSV to 84576.

We have an Advent Group for the season of Advent too!

St. Mary Quilters

The St. Mary Quilting Group meets the first and third Thursday of the month in the Mary/Martha Room from 12:30-4pm. Anyone is welcome to come, enjoy the company of fellow quilters & provide

something useful for those in need!! We meet every 1st & 3rd Thursday! Any questions, call Linda Johnson at (509) 928-3198 or Vicki Penna at (509) 924-9285.

Respect Life • The 2020 Walk for Life will be on Jan. 18, 2020. Mass will be at Our Lady of Lourdes Cathedral prior to the walk and the walk will

begin at Riverfront Park. Please put this event on your calendar and join us. We will have carpools from St. Mary.

• We will be praying at Planned Parenthood on Thursdays at 12:30pm. The address is 12104 E Main St., Spokane Valley. We would appreciate you joining us.

Watch the bulletin and Flocknotes for updates and activities.

Contact Rose Hays at 509 990 5708 if you have questions or want to join our group.

Knights of Columbus Council 4196

The Knights will be in the gathering space after all the Masses selling Christmas Cards.

Women at the Well

Wednesday, December 11th at 10am is when we will paint the Lady of Guadalupe. Remember to bring your lunch and a beverage. If you have any questions, contact Rosanne at 710-3647.

Our meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, January 8th at 10am in the Adult Center. Please join us!

Guatemala Mission: We will be holding our Used Book Sale/SERRV/Guatemala Weaving Sale on December 14/15 before and after each Mass in the Parish Hall. Saturday 4-7pm and Sunday 8am-1pm. Refreshments will be available with cider, wine, popcorn and cookies on Saturday, and coffee & donuts on Sunday. Come and browse the large collection of books and do a little shopping for Christmas. We have lots of delicious chocolate bars for sale! All proceeds will be directed to the medical mission. Thank you to all for the support of our latest sale Nov.30/Dec 1st!