PASTOR

Rev. Msgr. Robert J. Williamson

RECTORY

5771 Buell Street

P.O. Box 168

Akron, NY 14001

(716) 542-9103

Fax: (716) 542-2444

Office Hours: Monday–Friday

8:30 AM–12:30 PM

E-mail: stteresasofakron@verizon.net

Website: www.stteresasofakron.com

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION DIRECTOR

Sr. M. Ruth Warejko, CSSF

PARISH TRUSTEE

Richard L. Campbell

C. Douglas Whelan

BUSINESS MANAGER

Melissa Sanford

CONVENT

5773 Buell Street

(716) 542-9717

PARISH HALL & OFFICE OF

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

5775 Buell Street

(716) 542-5777

MISSION STATEMENT

We, the Catholic faith community of St.

Teresa of Avila parish, guided by the

Holy Spirit, commit ourselves to

proclaim and follow the Good News of

Jesus Christ. Basing our lives on faith,

hope and love, we seek to meet our

needs and the spiritual and corporal

needs of those around us. It is our

humble prayer that our lives will be

visible signs of His presence in the

world as we celebrate Christ in His

Word and Sacraments.

JANUARY 3, 2016 • THE EPIPHANY OF THE LORD

MASS SCHEDULE

Sunday Liturgies ..................................................................... 8:00 AM, 10:15 AM Saturday Vigil................................................................................................. 4:30 PM Weekday Liturgies Daily.........................................................8:00 AM, except Wednesday 5:30 PM Saturday ...........................................................................................................9:00 AM Vigil of Holy Days ......................................................................................... 4:30 PM Holy Days ..................................................................................... 8:00 AM, 7:30 PM

SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION

Saturdays 3:45 to 4:15 p.m. First Saturday 8:15 to 8:45 a.m. Vigil of Holy Days 3:45 to 4:15 p.m. or anytime by request.

SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM

As preparation for Baptism, parents are asked to contact the parish office to make an appointment with the Pastor.

SACRAMENT OF MARRIAGE

Arrangements to be made at the Rectory 6 months in advance.

NEW PARISHIONERS

Please register at the Rectory as soon as you move within the parish. Note: If you are moving out of the parish, please notify the Rectory.

LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION

These letters needed for Baptismal and Confirmation sponsors are issued gladly to those who have been registered for 6 months, attend Mass regularly, have been confirmed, if married, have done so in conformity with the Church laws, and children attend Religious Education.

St. Teresa of Avila Church E s t . 1 8 6 8

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Due to the holiday deadlines for the Bulletin, the Mass times and Intentions were not available in time for print. Please see the insert included in today’s b u l l e t i n f o r t h i s information.

Scripture Readings for the Week Monday - 1 John 3:22-4:6; Matthew 4:12-17, 23-25

Tuesday – 1 John 4:7-10; Mark 6:34-44 Wednesday - 1 John 4:11-18; Mark 6:45-52 Thursday - 1 John 4:19-5:4; Luke 4:14-22a Friday – 1 John 5:5-13; Luke 5:12-16 Saturday - 1 John 5:14-21; John 3:22-30 Next Sunday - Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11; Titus 2:11-14, 3:4-7; Luke 3:15-16, 21-22

The 2016 Mass Book is Here! There are a number of openings in the daily and weekend Mass schedule during the upcoming months. If you would like to take the opportunity to have a Mass offered for your loved ones or intentions, please contact the rectory any weekday morning.

ST. TERESA OF AVILA CATHOLIC CHURCH � AKRON, NEW YORK

Experience tells us that if you wake up expecting that you’re going to have a bad day, then you’ll

most likely have a bad day. But if you wake up looking forward to the day, there’s a good chance your day will turn out well. It’s a simple illustration of how our attitudes can affect our behaviors, which then affect the way we deal with all kinds of situations. Today’s Gospel gives us a striking example of how powerful our predispositions can be. First, we meet King Herod, who is “greatly troubled” by news of Jesus’ birth (Matthew 2:3). Then, we meet the magi, who are “overjoyed” by the exact same event (2:10). Both grasp that a new king has been born, and both are eager to see Him, but for different reasons. Herod, insecure about His grasp on power, sees Jesus as a threat and uses deception to try to destroy Him. The magi, seekers of wisdom, are excited by the news and hurry to offer royal gifts to the child. We all can point to ways that fear, envy, or some other negative emotion has colored the way we approach a situation. Instead of remembering that Jesus is always seeking to do us good, we think that He has forgotten us or, worse, that He is punishing us. But if we can face each situation with an open heart, ready to find God’s presence, fear and doubt will begin to melt away. We’ll find Jesus in unexpected, unlikely places—just as the magi found almighty God in the modest home of Mary and Joseph. So when you are in a moment of fear or doubt, pause, and ask the Holy Spirit to help you find God’s presence. Ask Him to help you take on a more open, trusting attitude. As you do, you’ll discover the kind of joy and even awe that the magi felt. Taken from The Word Among Us, January 2016 edition

Our Special Prayer Intention this Week: That the peace proclaimed by the angels to the shepherds will come to rest upon us and be spread throughout the world; we pray to the Lord…

Please pray for the sick of the parish and their family members particularly; David Hahn, Joan Piechocki, Paul Coleman, Shirley Lantz, Philip Morris, Donald

Little, Lucas Lowe, Laurie Puffpaf. Please also continue to pray for our troops who are serving in the military in Afghanistan, Iraq and around the world.

Religious Education: Traveling nowadays can be as easy as a wonderful plane ride or as difficult as getting stuck in the snow. Many factors come into play when we want to reach our destination. Consider the line in today’s gospel, “magi from the east arrive in Jerusalem.” Without GPS or a AAA Triptik these “wise men” traveled to find Jesus. Jerusalem, by the way, is some distance from Bethlehem. Re-read the rest of today’s gospel. May our faith draw us closer to Jesus also.

Parenting Perspective: “A mother’s soul should always stand ajar, ready to welcome the ecstatic experience.” (Emily Dickinson) Although written by a woman about mothers, could this same sentiment be said about fathers? Hopefully, yes. Check your language and family life for unnecessary gender stereotypes this week.

• Sunday, January 3 -

Religious Education Classes Resume - 9:00 - 10:00 am and 11:15 am - 12:30 pm

• Tuesday, January 5 - Women’s Guild Monthly Meeting - 7:00 pm in the School Meeting Room

• Saturday, January 9 - First Saturday - Rosary before the 9 : 0 0 am Ma s s a n d Confessions from 8:15 - 8:45 am and 3:45 - 4:15 pm

• Sunday, January 10 - Religious Education Classes - 9:00 - 10:00 am and 11:15 - 12:30 pm

Prayer For Priests and Religious

God our Father, we thank you for calling men and women to serve in your Son’s Kingdom as priests, deacons, and women religious. Send your Holy Spirit to help us respond generously and courageously to your call. May our community of faith support vocations of sacrificial love in our youth. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

None of us are without gifts to share for the good of God’s king-dom. Could it be that your gift is a vocation to the priesthood or religious life? If God is calling you, call Father Andrew Lauricella at 716-847-5535.

THE EPIPHANY OF THE LORD * JANUARY 3, 2016

St. Teresa’s Women’s Guild would like to thank all of the parishioners for their generous outpouring of donations of

hats, mittens and scarves to our annual parish mitten tree collection. The items were donated to the Akron/Newstead Food Pantry.

Members of St. Teresa’s Women’s Guild, along with some of our parishioners, meet every Wednesday at 9:30 am at the C. Dee Wright Center on Church Street in the village and work on lap sized quilts. Then on the 2nd weekend of each month the quilts are tied by parishioners before and after each Mass. All you need to do is tie a knot and say a prayer for the person the quilt is going to. Since its inception in August 2014, almost 70 quilts have been delivered to parishioners and members of their family as well as members of our community. The quilts are for home bound, the sick, and those facing a difficulty or crisis in their life. The people who have received the quilts have been grateful for the prayers of our parish. Please remember to tie a knot and say a prayer and let us know if you know of someone who would like to receive a quilt. You can also join the group on Wednesday mornings. For more information, call Mary at 542-2081, Mary Ellen at 542-1124 or Debbie at 542-2219.

Find Good Within Open hearts follow Jesus’ lead - Last year through the generous support of donors throughout Western New York, Catholic Charities of Buffalo was able to positively impact the lives of children, families and seniors in our community with basic needs like food, clothing and shelter, to mental health counseling and educational services. Bishop Richard Malone has announced our goal of $11 million and St. Nicholas as the patron saint of the 2016 Appeal. St. Nicholas provided for the poor and the sick, and was known for his secret gift-giving. When you support the Appeal, you are “finding good within” and offering the gift of comfort and relief to people in need. Find out more at www.ccwny.org.

Save the Date: LPCiminelli is sponsoring a benefit concert for Catholic Charities of Buffalo on June 30, 2016. The FORTE TENORS (3rd runner-up on America’s Got Talent) will be performing live at Kleinhans Music Hall at 7:00 pm. All proceeds raised will advance the services and programs offered through Catholic Charities. Tickets are on sale now and can be obtained by contacting the Kleinhans Box Office at 716-885-5000.

Everyday there are things that remind us of our experiences of loss. Grief never takes a vacation! A free 2016 packet, “Coping with Seasons of Loss” is filled with resources, insights, prayers and scripture support. For your packet, please contact the Office of Family Life Ministries at 716-847-2210 or email their office at familylife@buffalodiocese.org.

Weep and Snuffle: Husband: Why do you weep and snuffle over a TV program and

the imaginary woes of people you have never met? Wife: For the same reason you scream and yell when a man you don’t know makes a touchdown.

BOTTOM LINE:

Be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love.

Ephesians 5:1,2