The Fourth Sunday of Advent

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Mass IntentIons

Pray For Lists guidelines: • Have permission from the person to be listed. • Go through the Pastoral Home Ministry to list the names. • Names will be on the list for 3 months and then be removed. • Can request names to be continued after 3 months. Contact the Pastoral Home Ministry 650-494-2496 x22 or fongmt@hotmail.com

Sunday, December 20: 4th Sunday of Advent7:30 am STA . . . . . Chris McChristian †9:00 am SAG . . . . . Malachi Ku-Borden(SI)10:30 am OLR . . . . Alice McCarty †10:30 am STA . . . . Andrew & Frances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Galea † Readings: Micah 5:1-4a/Psalm 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19/Hebrews 10:5-10/Luke 1:39-45

Monday, December 21: St. Peter Canisius8:30 am OLR . . . . . All Souls † 12:15 pm STA . . . . Paul Chi-Yuan Lo †Readings: Song of Songs 2:8-14 or Zeph 3:14-18a/Ps 33:2-3, 11-12, 20-21/Luke 1:39-45

Tuesday, December 22 8:30 am OLR . . . . . Tom Simpkins †12:15 pm STA . . . . All Souls †Readings: 1 Samuel 1:24-28/1 Samuel 2:1, 4-5, 6-7, 8abcd/Luke 1:46-56

Wednesday, December 23: St. John Kanty12:15 pm STA . . . . Vince Giovannotto †Readings: Malachi 3:1-4, 23-24/Psalm 25:4-5ab, 8-9, 10 and 14/Luke 1:57-66

Thursday, December 24: Christmas Eve5:00 pm SAG . . . . . Tsung Chai Koo †Readings: 2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16/Psalm 89:2-3, 4-5, 27 and 29/Luke 1:67-79

Friday, December 25: Christmas Day9:00 am SAG . . . . . In Thanksgiving for the Encarnacion, Pedron, Mananes, & Viray Families 10:30 am STA . . . . For All Parishioners Readings: Isaiah 9:1-6/Psalm 96: 1-2, 2-3, 11-12, 13/Titus 3:4-7/Luke 2:1-14

Saturday, December 26: St. Stephen12:15pm STA . . . . . Mary Ann Trojak †Readings: Acts 6:8-10; 7:54-59/Psalm 31:3cd-4, 6 & 8ab, 16bc &17/Matt 10:17-22

Sunday, December 27: Holy Family9:00 am SAG . . . . . Malachi Ku-Borden(SI)10:30 am OLR . . . . Alice & Leo McCarty †10:30 am STA . . . . James Cesano, Sr. † Readings: 1 Sam 1:20-22, 24-28/Psalm 84:2-3, 5-6, 9-10/1John 3:1-2, 21-24/Luke 2:41-52

ZFor the sIck & hoMebound – Fr. Thierry Geris, Terry Flynn, Jen Kush, Tina Reyes,

Andrea Binger, Desmond Fitzgerald, Raissa Foka, Lydia Li, Della Scott, Joan Copenhagen, Tom Bednar, Renee Thompson, Leonard Jurgensen, Rosamila Agluba, Rodialo J. Nardo,

Romulo de Grano, Maria Merlitti, Helene McKelvey, Msgr. Eugene Boyle, Stephen Lee, John Bertussi, Hanadi Pratt, Scott Simon

For the recently deceased – Gearailt Cummins, Kay Donahoo, Alice Lundin, Ed Olsen,Ron Bednar, Juan A. de Leon, Carmen Santa Gadea, Henrietta Ferry, Clem Duerr, Kathy Gibbs,

Ed Lam, Jerry Feeley, Fred Carelli, Kate Church, Gary Stelle, Sr., Anne-Marie Kroeger, Jean Galvin, Gloria Carmichael, Alice McCarty, Marie Kieraldo, John Nittler

Please Pray

the JubIlee year oF Mercy

I wish that the Jubilee Indulgence may reach each one as a genuine experience of God's mercy, which comes to meet each person in the Face of the Father who welcomes and forgives, forgetting completely the sin committed. – Pope Francis

The Jubilee Year of Mercy--- features a very special plenary indulgence -- the complete remission of all temporal pun-ishment due to sin. Pope Francis is seeking to make the indulgence as widely available as possible. In the extraordi-

nary Jubilee Year of Mercy, a Holy Door is to be opened in every cathedral around the world, as well as in particular shrines to symbolize the blessings that God wants to give to anyone who asks. Bishop McGrath has established three Holy Doors in the Diocese of San Jose. These can be found at the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Joseph (San Jose) and at the churches of Our Lady of Guadalupe (San Jose) and Our Lady of Peace (Santa Clara). These doors will be formally opened on or shortly after December 13, 2015 so that the faithful can encounter God's mercy and be strengthened to be merciful to others as God has been merciful to them.

Conditions for Gaining a Plenary Indulgence:• Exclude all attachment to sin • Go to sacramental confession

• Receive Eucharistic Communion• Pray for the intentions of the Holy Father

• May only be obtained once per day.

You may receive the plenary indulgence for yourself or offer it for a person in purgatory. For more information on the Jubilee Year of Mercy, go to: www.im.va . . . . . . . . . . . Deacon Daniel Hernandez

an InvestMent In your ParIsh

For many years our Catholic parishes & schools have benefited from the charitable gifts of appreciated property from many good and generous peo-ple. Year-end giving becomes an important consideration for many people in these last weeks of the year 2015. If you are able to make a gift of appre-ciated stock, properties, or cash, while reducing your tax liability, please contact Chuck Tully (ctully@dsj.org) or (650) 494-2496.

holIday hours The Pastoral Center will close for the Christmas Holidays, December 23-28. We will be open again on Tuesday, December 29.

St. Thomas Aquinas ParishthIs Week’s hIghlIghts

PresIder schedule

St. Albert the Great1095 Channing Ave.

Sat 5:00 pm . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fr. LuongSun 9:00 am . . . . . . . . . . . . Fr. StanleySun 11:00 am (Byzantine) Fr. Hernandez

St. Thomas Aquinas 751 Waverley St.

Sun 7:30 am . . . . . . . . . . . . Fr. Hester Sun 8:45 am . . . . . . . . . . . . Fr. MariniSun 10:30 am . . . . . . . . . . . Fr. StanleySun 12:00 pm . . . . . . . . . . . Fr. Verelli, , O.P.

Our Lady of the Rosary3233 Cowper St.

Sun 9:00 am (Spanish) . . . Fr. MikalonisSun 10:30 am . . . . . . . . . . . Fr. Luong

Sunday, December 201:00 pm . . . . . Baptism (OLR)2:00 pm . . . . . Quinceañera (SAG)7:00 pm . . . . . Novena - Niño Jesús (OLRH)

Monday, December 217:00 pm . . . . . Novena - Niño Jesús (OLRH) 7:30 pm . . . . . TMC Spiritual Educ (THLib)

Tuesday, December 2212:00 pm . . . . Piano Tuning (OLR)7:00 pm . . . . . Novena - Niño Jesús (OLRH)

Wednesday, December 2310:00 am . . . . Piano Tuning (SAG)2:00 pm . . . . . Piano Tuning (STA)7:00 pm . . . . . Novena - Niño Jesús (OLRH)

Thursday, December 24Christmas EveCheck schedule to the right for Mass times

Friday, December 25Christmas DayCheck schedule to the right for Mass times

Saturday, December 269:30 am . . . . . Pageant Rehearsal (SAG)10:30 am . . . . Baptism Class (PC1st)11:00 am . . . . Cantonese Scripture (PC2nd)11:30 am . . . . Pageant Rehearsal (OLR)

The Holy Family – Dec 27, 2015chrIstMas PoInsettIas & FloWers

We need your help in making our churches look beautiful for the Christmas Season. Won’t you consider making a donation toward a poinsettia plant in remembrance of a loved one or just as a gift from you? Special Christmas Flower Envelopes are available in the vestibules or in the back of church. All of your gifts will be greatly appreciated.

sta kIds FaIth ForMatIon neWs

No classes December 20, 26, and January 3. We invite you to savor this holiday time with friends and family as we celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Classes will resume on January 10. If you have children between the ages of 4 and 10, it is not too late to register for our classes. Please join us as we help our children grow in their understanding of God and our Church and in their relationship with Jesus. Wishing all our fami-lies a very Merry Christmas and peace and blessings in the New Year.

Phase II solar uPdate

We are profoundly grateful for the generosity of the STA parishioners in both donations and assistance towards making the SAG-SESS solar project a reality. We have received $35,804 of the contributions and have 7 pledges remaining to be honored to reach our goal of $37,245. The project will be scheduled to begin installation on December 19 and we expect to be pro-ducing solar energy by the end of the year.

all lIturgIcal MInIsters InvIted

All Liturgical Ministers are invited to a gathering with renowned Liturgist, Composer, and Catechist, Janet Sullivan-Whittaker on January 9 from 9am-11:30am at St. Simon, 1860 Grant Rd, Los Altos. Please RSVP to Nora Lundin, nlundin@dsj.org or 650-494-2496, ext. 14.

st. vIncent de Paul collectIon - next sunday!The goal of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul is to offer tangible assistance to those in need on a person to person basis and to offer spiritual services. A key strength of the Society is in the personalized delivery of help. This aid may take the form of intervention, consultation or often through direct dollar or in-kind service. St. Vincent de Paul has thousands of vol-unteers all over the world, including St. Thomas Aquinas Parish. Your generosity in this Sunday’s 2nd collection will assist our own local confer-ence of St. Vincent de Paul to help our neighbors in need.

save the date

Mark your calendars and save the date for our annual day of reflection on Social Justice on February 20, 2016 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at St. Albert the Great. Details and registration forms coming soon.

WIdoW & WIdoWer's grouP outIng - save the date

The W (Wild Bunch) Widows and Widowers will will dine in the back room at Harry's Hofbrau in Redwood City on January 14th the second Thursday this month. Hospitality Time from 5:00 and Dinner from 5:30 till 7:30. Need a ride? Call Roland at 650-208-3684. For reservations, E-mail Helen Short at: helen5576@att.net

December 20, 2015

chrIstMas eve & chrIstMas day scheduleThursday, December 24, 2015 Christmas Eve Masses St. Albert the Great 5:00pm – Fr. Stanley St. Thomas Aquinas 6:00pm – Fr. Lavagetto, O.P. Midnight – Fr. Morgan (Latin) Our Lady of the Rosary

5:00pm – Fr. Luong 7:00pm – Fr. Mikalonis (Spanish)

*****************************************Friday, December 25, 2015

Christmas Day MassesSt. Albert the Great9:00am – Fr. Luong

St. Thomas Aquinas7:30am – Fr. Hester

10:30am – Fr. Stanley12pm – Fr. Ramelow, O.P. (Latin)

Our Lady of the Rosary10:30am – Fr. Mikalonis

2015 annual dIocesan aPPeal uPdate

Our ADA totals as of December 1, 2015 are:Total pledged: $158,143Total paid: $153,384Total Potential Refund: $30,747Number of Donors: 327Please redeem your pledge by December 31st. We have used much of our rebate to help us pay for unexpected repairs and improvements to our parish facilities. Thank you for your support of Bishop McGrath and our local Church.

Weekly steWardshIP rePort

December 13 (Week 24)Offertory by Mass:Sat, 5:00pm (SAG) . . .$1,114Sun, 7:30am (STA) . . $1,195Sun, 8:45am (STA) . . . .$704Sun 9:00am (OLR) . . $1,061Sun 9:00am (SAG) . . $1,376Sun 10:30am (OLR) . $1,276Sun 10:30am (STA) . . . $255Sun 12:00pm (STA) . $480Online Giving . . . . . . $2,000Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $334 Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $9,795Goal . . . . . . . . . . . . . $11,5002nd- St. Eliz. Seton $8,342

Thank you for sharing God’s Gifts!

KEY REFERENCESDC . . . Dermody CenterDCCh Dermody Center ChapelOLR . . Our Lady of the Rosary

ChurchOLRH OLR Church HallKC . . . OLR Kerry’s CornerPC . . . . Pastoral CenterSAG . . St. Albert the

Great ChurchSAGH SAG Hospitality Ctr.

SESS . . St. Elizabeth Seton School

SESA . SES AuditoriumSTA . . . St. Thomas Aquinas

ChurchTHB . . STA - Thomas House

Basement THD . . STA - Thomas House

Dining RoomTHL . . STA - Thomas House

Library

HOLY SACRAMENTS Please contact the Pastoral Center at 650-494-2496 for more information.

Anointing of the Sick: By request or every first Monday of the month after the 7:15 am Mass. Every first Friday at the 8:30 am and 12:15pm Mass.

Christian Initiation: Become a Catholic or renew your Catholic faith (Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation) as an adult, youth or child.

Funeral: Arrange for a Funeral, Memorial Mass or graveside service for a loved one.

Infant Baptism: Preparation may begin before or after the birth of your child.

Marriage: Arrangements need to be made at least six months prior to the proposed marriage date.

ADMINISTRATION, OFFICE STAFF, & COMMITTEES

Main Phone: (650) 494-2496

Business & Operations Manager: Chuck Tully ext. 20 ctully@dsj.org

Admin Assts: Cathy Miller ext. 24, camiller@dsj.org;Ron Aranha, raranha@dsj.org

Pastoral Stewardship Council: (every 2nd Wed. 7:00 pm OLRH) Chair: Steve Carter (SCarter@aslcpa.com); Vice-Chair: Anne Morrison (ahbert55@aol.com); Secretary: Gabe Kralik (gabekralik@thujaglobal.com)

Community Life: Anne Morrison (650) 493-2998

Green Committee: Katia Reeves (katia.reeves@sbcglobal.net)

Human Concerns Committee: Chair: Paul Chestnut (650) 493-8237

St. Vincent de Paul Society: (650) 424-8155For truck donation pickup(650) 871-6844

Parish Site Committees: STA: Kay Williams 650-270-4188; OLR: Chris Lundin clundin@stanford.edu; SAG: Pat Briggs (650) 856-0460; Kathleen Hart (650) 321-8399;

St. Elizabeth Seton School (Daughters of Charity): 1095 Channing Avenue (650) 326-9004 Principal: Evelyn Rosa Advancement Director: Danielle Ambler (650) 326-1258

STA Photography: (650) 493-2128, photography@paloaltocatholic.org http://www.shutterfly.com/pro/PALOALTOPHOTOG/SpecialR1

Stanford Hospital Chaplaincy: Catholic Chaplain: Fr. Robert McKay (650) 723-5101 rmckay@stanfordhealthcare.org

Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Chaplaincy: Rev. Diana Brady (650) 497-8538

Widows/Widowers Group: Lorraine Dabney (650) 494-6488

Welcome new parishioners to St. Thomas Aquinas Parish! We encourage you to register as members of our growing family. Please email your name, address, and phone to admin@paloaltocatholic.org. Current members please contact the Pastoral Center to update your information.