Welcome to Saint Virgilrsquos

Mass Intentions for the Week Sat Dec 17 500pm June Bosackimdash1st Anniversary Sun Dec 18 730am Msgr James Fallon 900am Humbert Scipone 1030am Anna Russo

Gerard Palumbo June Bosacki Harold Benz

1200noon William Stearle Ella amp Joseph Picone Lester Resh amp Phylis Resh-8th Anniversary

Mon Dec 19 630am Paul Glanville Srmdash30th Anniversary Jordan Krakauer

1210pm Evelyn Rizzo Tues Dec 20 630am Robert Miele 1210pm Patrick McCormack Wed Dec 21 630am Roberta Austin 1210pm Elvira Caroselli Thurs Dec 22 630am John Weidner 1210pm Mary Ellen Mulholland and

daughter Katherine Sooy Joseph Cirellamdash1st Anniversary Margaret Courtet

Fri Dec 23 630am Macario Toscano 1210pm Fr Charles Parr Sat Dec 24 800am Arduino Magliocchetti 400pm Ed Zinckgraf

Alma Thrum Clara amp Robert Zinckgraf

600pm Joe Kowalski Craig Jacobs

1100pm Jack OrsquoBrien Gerard Palumbo

Sun Dec 25 730am Jordan Krakauer 900am Decrsquod Members of the Conforti

amp Carvagno Families 1030am John Keating

Johanna Eckardt 1200noon Antonio amp Angela Gabriel

Robert Gerhold Frances amp Michael Marinaccio

This Week at St Virgilrsquos

Sunday December 18 PREP K ndash Gr 4 1015-1145am School

Jr High PREP 100-315pm School 2nd Year Confirmation 630pm School

Monday December 19 Jr High PREP Make Up Class 700-815pm School

Menrsquos Cornerstone 730pm TC Wednesday December 21

Arbor Terrace Senior Winter Solstice Celebration 100pm TC (See ad on page 5 of Bulletin)

Childrenrsquos Choir Rehearsal 400-430pm SMR Childrenrsquos Jr Choir Rehearsal 430-500pm SMR

RCIA 700pm CMR Womenrsquos Bible Study 700pm TC

Thursday December 22 Bible Study 1030am TC

Divine Mercy Novena 630pm Church Bible Study Genesis 700pm Library

Parish Choir 730pm CR Friday December 23

Eucharistic Adoration following the 630am Mass

Christmas Mass Schedule Saturday December 24 Christmas Eve Masses 400pm 600pm 1100pm Sunday December 25 Christmas Day Masses 730am 900am 1030am 1200noon

The Altar Flowers honor the memory of Barbara Caroselli amp Elvira Caroselli

Through the waters of baptism we welcome to the parish family John Christopher OrsquoConnor son of Sean amp Mary Kate and Christopher Joseph Gannon son of Christopher amp Maighdlin

Through your generous support the collection for the weekend of December 1011 was $8862 Contributions made through Faith Direct for the month of December were $5155 Donations for Immaculate Conception were $2225 and for Religious Retirement were $2384 We are very grateful for your continued kindness

Bulletin Deadline BonVenture Publishing requests submission for the Christmas Day bulletin on Tuesday December 20 Please have your submissions in by noon time on the 20th Thanks for your help

Please remember our family and friends in your prayers especially

Maria Xocoy Marie Welby Dave Errickson Eileen Langan Joe Barrett Larry Colasurdo Ann Carton Sue Cattano Marie amp Carl Reasor Olinda Carvalho Anthony Soriano Jeff Miller Dorrien Hughes Marisa Smith Domenico amp Teresa

Procopio Daniela Cardamuro Linda Ripkey David Brager Denise Pedrotty Helen Underhill Barbara Bock Kara Gullo Kamisha Redhead Stephanie Morgan Pam Antonaccio Theresa Mohr Christopher Mohr Gene McGuinness Jean Ruth Warrick Glenda Bellanca Doris Biache Dorothy OrsquoNeill Bob Roche A Logan Annalyse LaHood Baby Emma Scannelli Michael OrsquoConnor Mary Maffeo Louise Gibilico Eileen Gibilico Rose Marie Warrick amp Eric Rotella

Ministry Schedule for the Weekend of December 2425

December 24 400pm 600pm 1100pm Lector S Zebick M amp L Connor Cantor N Rangel Youth Choir Parish Choir Altar Servers I amp J Gringeri

C Urriola A Tonini

Extraordinary Ministers T Avella J Diamond B Fisher A Rangel D amp R Richenaker H Salerno M Tufaro

K Burrows T amp K Gopon P Manser June Sambrowski

L Marcantonio H Pinto Joan Sambrowski

December 25 730am 900am 1030am 1200noon

Cantor Ric Perez L Stevens J Qvotrup Lector M Contreras R Lillie F Kelly W McGregor Altar Servers B Kelly L amp N Dyer Extraordinary Ministers S Fleury E Fogleman

K Sisler JTrombetta

F Miller C amp B Zebick

M Aloia J Flynn

To the right of our Tabernacle and Altar the statue of St Joseph stands crowded behind our choir and decorations Yet this Joseph is offered to us on

this last week of Advent as a model and guide He observed and concluded that Mary the one he was engaged to was already with child Joseph honestly knew that it was not his child As his mind searched for the options allowing him to separate himself from Mary and the Child an angel told him that the Child conceived in Mary was Godrsquos doing Joseph was asked to welcome Mary and the Child as his own Joseph followed the angelrsquos instructions

Clouded by so many distractions with things people and tasks packed into our minds we are asked to come awake and take Mary and the Child into our lives We have a whole week to make this request by the Lord Himself a reality in our lives Make room for the Mother and the Child in your life Prayer quiet time Reconciliation detachment from the extras that take us away from God this is for the last week of Advent Be like Joseph and welcome the Lord

We will be decorating our church after the 1200 noon Mass If you can come to church and assist our decorators you will feel part of welcoming Jesus Thank you in anticipation for your valuable help

This Sunday evening at 700 PM St Virgil Parish has been selected to host one of the ldquonine-day novena Massesrdquo which is a beautiful tradition of the Filipino Community We are grateful to Rosalita Gordon who

is our Filipino liaison coordinator in our Paterson Diocese We also have quite a few Filipinos in our Parish and will welcome the many guests from other parishes This ldquoSimbang Gabirdquo could be for us a novel way of preparing for Christmas Welcome

This year Christmas falls on a Sunday Kindly select a Mass you want to attend with family and friends either on Christmas Eve or on Christmas Day Just a thought it wasnrsquot a lonely shepherd who came to visit with Jesus and it was definitely a group of Wise Ones who came all the way from the East to worship Try your best to bring family friends and neighbors to church Your personal invitation to them with make our Christmas all the brighter

May God bless us all this Advent week and keep us safe - Fr Lance

FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT Matthew 118-24

We hear very little about St Joseph in the Gospels but here Matthew puts him front and center subtly telling us the story of Joseph of the Old Testament with whom those of the Jewish faith are quite familiar and can easily relate and with whom we can relate since Judaism is part of our heritage

Joseph in the Old Testament is a major character He is favored by God but not so much liked by his 10 brothers Joseph had dreams and interpreted them himself His brothers found this so obnoxious that they sold Joseph into slavery Yet in this Old Testament story all worked out according to Godrsquos plan not his

Fr Lancersquos Letter

brothersrsquo plans For after having worked his way out of slavery Joseph became a successful and powerful leader in Egypt and saved his whole family during such a drought they likely would have perished but for him In the New Testament St Joseph also has dreams interpreted for him by an angel Because of this St Josephrsquos people were saved He protected the child Jesus and his mother Mary by escaping to Egypt saving Jesus from the Slaughter of the Holy Innocence Thus as did Joseph of the Old Testament our St Joseph found safety for the Holy Family in Egypt

Another important message is conveyed in todayrsquos reading St Joseph is clearly said to be of the house of David the most beloved prophet and King of the Jewish people The Old Testament Prophets make it very clear that the ldquoMessiahrdquo was to be from the house of David With St Joseph being of the house of David he bestows on Jesus this lineage which in the Jewish tradition always came through the father making Him eligible according to the Jewish tradition to meet the criterion of being the promised Messiah

In their writings Matthew and Luke each try very hard to give us reasons to believe that Jesus was that ChildMessiah In this last week of Advent they still have a lot to say Let us pray that the Holy Spirit who is clearly mentioned as the agent in these events is working overtime to help us unpack these readings

O Come O Come Emmanuel

NEW GROWTH IN FAITH Name your stump Isaiah 111-10 contains that often-quoted sometimes sung prophecy in Isaiah about the coming of the Messiah a new branch growing from the dead stump of the tree of Jesse Jesse was the great King Davids father Out of this family tree Jesus was born

The tree of Jesse was a healthy fruitful family because of their faith in God which inspired them to be good servants his kingdom David became a servant-king 1100 years before the human birth of Jesus His reign was strong and branched out into the whole nation of Israel

During much of his son Solomons reign the tree continued to flourish but then it became diseased Israel cracked in two divided and weakened by a civil war after Solomons death Foreign enemies came and cut down the tree taking the Israelites into captivity The Jews never again had a king as great as David

Through the prophet Isaiah God promised that the tree of Jesse would spring back to life In the midst of suffering and loss God was offering a reason for hope based on faith in him Think of a chopped-down tree in

your own life What relationship has been cut off What ministry has died Has a job been axed Has a dream withered Name your stump

The Jews thought that when the new shoot finally grew from the stump of Jesses tree it would be a new king like David and he would rescue them from their human enemies Of course we know that Jesus was the Messiah that Isaiah had prophesied and he was quite a different sort of king

The branch of Christ grew into Christianity and its many branches of Christ-rooted ministries Jesus rescued us from the spiritual enemy and its weapons of sin Faith-filled followers serve Gods kingdom producing many good fruits

Now think of your own tree stump If we watch for our stumps to come back to life and grow the same old tree we will fail to see our Messiah

A cut-off relationship cannot be restored unless Christ becomes the center of it and each persons heart is converted and healed from the cut

A dead ministry will take new shape only when Jesus resurrects it the roots will be the same but the new growth will be surprisingly different

Christs life is springing forth from the axed job as he points the way down a path that will glorify God The withered dream will pass through the cross of Christ to be resurrected into a glorified new goal that will be empowered by a Pentecost of the Holy Spirit

When we allow Isaiahs prophecy to come true for us in our current situations we hear Jesus say as we read in Luke 1021-24 Blessed are the eyes that see what you see Do you have faith to see Fertilize your tree stump by increasing your prayer time scripture reading other spiritual reading and participation in parish programs Jesus himself is the new growth that will be born in you but you have to nurture your soil

Simbang Gabi ldquoAdvent Masses of the Nightrdquo

Filipino Mass Sunday December 18 at 700 PM

Schedule for Christmas

Christmas Eve December 24

Childrenrsquos Mass at 400pm Family Mass at 600pm

Christmas Vigil at 1100pm

Christmas Day December 25

Evangelization Corner

THE COUNTDOWN HAS BEGUN

We are entering the fourth week in Advent 2016 However everywhere you turn you

hear about how many days we have left to shop before Christmas The more important message is How many praying days do we have to prepare for His coming

Advent is the season of preparation for the coming of Christ at Christmas It should be a time for families to come together in prayer and devotion The whole purpose of Advent is to help us find intimacy with God in the midst of our everyday lives And in this final week of Advent we are called to prepare to ready our hearts to wait to hope to watch and to pray to come into contact with our longing and our desire for Him We must watch be vigilant and energetic to become empty free and unhindered in our progress toward union with God

Today we relight the first three candles of the Advent Wreathmdashthe candles of Hope Faith and Joy as well as the fourth candle of Advent the candle of Peace or Love The message of Advent is Christrsquos coming into this world to life us from the darkness of death and bring us into His lightmdasheverlasting life with Him And we are called to welcome that light of Christ into our lives

Advent is also a time for kindness thinking of others and sharing with others It is a time to love as God loved us by giving us His most precious gift His son However if we look around the world we can see how tragically only a few people feel hopeful peaceful joyful andor loved

But as Christians we have been made responsible for sharing Jesusrsquo message of love to all who need to hear it the message of salvation through Him and His promise that He would one day return

The questions then is how do we take the message of Jesus out from the confines of our Churches and into our homes workplaces and schools How can we give a loved one or friend the supreme gift of knowing Christ this Christmas

While we may not be able to evangelize to crowds we can meet people in everyday life those who the formal bricks and mortar church cannot reach During this season we can transmit to them with gentleness our reasons for hope

God bless and may His grace be with each of us as we continue on our journey with Christ

St Virgilrsquos Evangelization Ministry

Oplatek Christmas Wafers

Oplatek the special Christmas wafers will be available for your Holiday celebrations again this year You can pick them up at the Parish Office between 9am ndash 4pm Monday thru Friday A free-will donation will be

accepted

Faith Formation

Menrsquos Cornerstone Retreat

Save the Datehellip

February 17-18 2017 at

Loyola House of Retreats

Thursday Evening Bible Study Winter Topic The Book of Genesis

700pm in the School Library

Every Sunday in the Nicene Creed we say of Jesus that ldquoThrough Him all things were made This is an abbreviation of what St John says about Him in the beginning of his gospel But is there evidence of Jesus in the Old Testament Join our study of the first book Genesis and find the answer to this and other questions

PREP DecemberJanuary Schedule

PREP Calendar Grades K-4 December 18 January 8 amp 22

Junior High Calendar December 18 (December 19 make up class) January 22 amp 29

FISHmdashYouth Ministry Calendar 1st Year Class Meeting December 11 2nd Year Class Meeting December 19 1st Year Class Meeting January 22 2nd Year Class Meeting January 29

Youth Masses December 24 (6pm) January 8 amp 22

Ministries ~ Outreaches ~ Community

Yankee Candle Fund Raiser

Thank you to those who have been doing their Christmas shopping at

Yankee Candle online The Yankee Candle Fundraiser to support SAINT VIRGIL PARISH

continues through December 31 at wwwyankeecandlefundraisingcom To date we have raised $26720 Enter lsquoGroup Numberrsquo (990036689) in the lsquoStart Shoppingrsquo section Saint Virgil Parish will earn 40 profit on every product sold Contact Lynn Kelly LynnNJ28optonlinenet with questions Some brochures are also available in the parish office

Boot Drive

Straight and Narrow a Catholic Charities Agency is having a boot drive this holiday season They are requesting gently used or new winter or all-weather

boots (no fashion boots please) in Womenrsquos sizes 7 ndash 11 and Menrsquos sizes 8 ndash 14 (wide would be nice) The boots will be distributed to the residents of Straight and Narrow for the winter season You can drop off the boots to the large Christmas wrapped box by the Baptistry or to the Parish Office We will be collecting boots through Christmas week so if Santa Claus were to bring you new boots wersquoll be happy to take your old ones

Ornament Sale

St Virgilrsquos Ornaments and Sun Catchers make great gifts Or complete your own set Ten keepsakes were issued starting in the Fall of 2009 and we have stock of most of them All the pieces are made with images from our own stained glass windows How about the ldquoTeaching Christrdquo sun catcher for a teacher or student Therersquos a ldquoWedding in Canardquo

ornament for a young couplersquos first Christmas together A sun catcher of our ldquoBlessed Motherrdquo would be cherished by anyone with a special devotion to Mary All the pieces would be welcome in any Christian home Check your listhelliptwice All proceeds go to the Mary Byrnersquos Organ Restoration Fund which is supporting our upgrade and repair of the churchrsquos 16-rank pipe organ Available pieces will be sold behind the altar after Masses on December 1718 or at any time during the week at the Parish Office

Arbor Terrace of Morris Plains

Invites you to a Winter Solstice Celebration on Wednesday December 21 at 100pm Join us as we welcome winter with a celebration of music folklore and seasonal treats All are welcome to join If you are interest

in coming RSVP to Mary Beth Kane mkanearborcompanycom or call 973-718-3636

Simbang Gabi ldquoAdvent Masses of the Nightrdquo Continues

A Filipino tradition of a nine-day novena of Masses during Advent (December 15 ndash 23) in preparation for the Nativity of our Savior Jesus

You are cordially invited to join our Diocesan and parish-sponsored ldquoMass of the Night or Evening) celebration here at St Virgilrsquos on Sunday December 18 Eucharistic Mass to begin at 700pm with Main Celebrant Rev Lancelot Reis This nine-day novena is coordinated by the Diocesan Commission for Catholic Filipino Ministries of the Diocese of Paterson Refreshments immediately follow Mass For more information or if you wish to help please coordinate with Rosalita Gordon at (973) 267-7034

The remaining schedule of Masses for the Novena are at 700pm at the following churches

Dec 18 St Virgil Morris Plains Dec 19 St Vincent DePaul Sterling Dec 20 Corpus Christi Chatham Dec 21 Our Lady of Mercy Whippany Dec 22 St Joseph Lincoln Park Dec 23 St Peter the Apostle Parsippany

St Virgil Rosary Society

Tuesday January 3 2017 7pm in the Tracy Center Movie Night Featuring

My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 Starring NiA Vardalos amp John Corbett

We have rescheduled this movie to January 3 because weather conditions were unfavorable in December

The recession has taken a toll on Toularsquos trvel agency as well as the family dry cleaning business All that remains is her fatherrsquos restaurant where she still works She and Ianrsquos daughter Paris will soon head for college Paris not at all enjoying the constant close family interaction plans to attend college a good distance away Meanwhile because Toula has invested so much time trying to mend her parentrsquos problems it has kept her from spending much-needed time with Ian straining their marriage It is a funny crazy family romantic comedy Bring a friend

A donation of $1 may be given to purchase food Pantry items in lieu of a canned good

Ministry Schedule for the Weekend of December 2425

December 24 400pm 600pm 1100pm Lector S Zebick M amp L Connor Cantor N Rangel Youth Choir Parish Choir Altar Servers I amp J Gringeri

C Urriola A Tonini

Extraordinary Ministers T Avella J Diamond B Fisher A Rangel D amp R Richenaker H Salerno M Tufaro

K Burrows T amp K Gopon P Manser June Sambrowski

L Marcantonio H Pinto Joan Sambrowski

December 25 730am 900am 1030am 1200noon

Cantor Ric Perez L Stevens J Qvotrup Lector M Contreras R Lillie F Kelly W McGregor Altar Servers B Kelly L amp N Dyer Extraordinary Ministers S Fleury E Fogleman

K Sisler JTrombetta

F Miller C amp B Zebick

M Aloia J Flynn

To the right of our Tabernacle and Altar the statue of St Joseph stands crowded behind our choir and decorations Yet this Joseph is offered to us on

this last week of Advent as a model and guide He observed and concluded that Mary the one he was engaged to was already with child Joseph honestly knew that it was not his child As his mind searched for the options allowing him to separate himself from Mary and the Child an angel told him that the Child conceived in Mary was Godrsquos doing Joseph was asked to welcome Mary and the Child as his own Joseph followed the angelrsquos instructions

Clouded by so many distractions with things people and tasks packed into our minds we are asked to come awake and take Mary and the Child into our lives We have a whole week to make this request by the Lord Himself a reality in our lives Make room for the Mother and the Child in your life Prayer quiet time Reconciliation detachment from the extras that take us away from God this is for the last week of Advent Be like Joseph and welcome the Lord

We will be decorating our church after the 1200 noon Mass If you can come to church and assist our decorators you will feel part of welcoming Jesus Thank you in anticipation for your valuable help

This Sunday evening at 700 PM St Virgil Parish has been selected to host one of the ldquonine-day novena Massesrdquo which is a beautiful tradition of the Filipino Community We are grateful to Rosalita Gordon who

is our Filipino liaison coordinator in our Paterson Diocese We also have quite a few Filipinos in our Parish and will welcome the many guests from other parishes This ldquoSimbang Gabirdquo could be for us a novel way of preparing for Christmas Welcome

This year Christmas falls on a Sunday Kindly select a Mass you want to attend with family and friends either on Christmas Eve or on Christmas Day Just a thought it wasnrsquot a lonely shepherd who came to visit with Jesus and it was definitely a group of Wise Ones who came all the way from the East to worship Try your best to bring family friends and neighbors to church Your personal invitation to them with make our Christmas all the brighter

May God bless us all this Advent week and keep us safe - Fr Lance

FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT Matthew 118-24

We hear very little about St Joseph in the Gospels but here Matthew puts him front and center subtly telling us the story of Joseph of the Old Testament with whom those of the Jewish faith are quite familiar and can easily relate and with whom we can relate since Judaism is part of our heritage

Joseph in the Old Testament is a major character He is favored by God but not so much liked by his 10 brothers Joseph had dreams and interpreted them himself His brothers found this so obnoxious that they sold Joseph into slavery Yet in this Old Testament story all worked out according to Godrsquos plan not his

Fr Lancersquos Letter

brothersrsquo plans For after having worked his way out of slavery Joseph became a successful and powerful leader in Egypt and saved his whole family during such a drought they likely would have perished but for him In the New Testament St Joseph also has dreams interpreted for him by an angel Because of this St Josephrsquos people were saved He protected the child Jesus and his mother Mary by escaping to Egypt saving Jesus from the Slaughter of the Holy Innocence Thus as did Joseph of the Old Testament our St Joseph found safety for the Holy Family in Egypt

Another important message is conveyed in todayrsquos reading St Joseph is clearly said to be of the house of David the most beloved prophet and King of the Jewish people The Old Testament Prophets make it very clear that the ldquoMessiahrdquo was to be from the house of David With St Joseph being of the house of David he bestows on Jesus this lineage which in the Jewish tradition always came through the father making Him eligible according to the Jewish tradition to meet the criterion of being the promised Messiah

In their writings Matthew and Luke each try very hard to give us reasons to believe that Jesus was that ChildMessiah In this last week of Advent they still have a lot to say Let us pray that the Holy Spirit who is clearly mentioned as the agent in these events is working overtime to help us unpack these readings

O Come O Come Emmanuel

NEW GROWTH IN FAITH Name your stump Isaiah 111-10 contains that often-quoted sometimes sung prophecy in Isaiah about the coming of the Messiah a new branch growing from the dead stump of the tree of Jesse Jesse was the great King Davids father Out of this family tree Jesus was born

The tree of Jesse was a healthy fruitful family because of their faith in God which inspired them to be good servants his kingdom David became a servant-king 1100 years before the human birth of Jesus His reign was strong and branched out into the whole nation of Israel

During much of his son Solomons reign the tree continued to flourish but then it became diseased Israel cracked in two divided and weakened by a civil war after Solomons death Foreign enemies came and cut down the tree taking the Israelites into captivity The Jews never again had a king as great as David

Through the prophet Isaiah God promised that the tree of Jesse would spring back to life In the midst of suffering and loss God was offering a reason for hope based on faith in him Think of a chopped-down tree in

your own life What relationship has been cut off What ministry has died Has a job been axed Has a dream withered Name your stump

The Jews thought that when the new shoot finally grew from the stump of Jesses tree it would be a new king like David and he would rescue them from their human enemies Of course we know that Jesus was the Messiah that Isaiah had prophesied and he was quite a different sort of king

The branch of Christ grew into Christianity and its many branches of Christ-rooted ministries Jesus rescued us from the spiritual enemy and its weapons of sin Faith-filled followers serve Gods kingdom producing many good fruits

Now think of your own tree stump If we watch for our stumps to come back to life and grow the same old tree we will fail to see our Messiah

A cut-off relationship cannot be restored unless Christ becomes the center of it and each persons heart is converted and healed from the cut

A dead ministry will take new shape only when Jesus resurrects it the roots will be the same but the new growth will be surprisingly different

Christs life is springing forth from the axed job as he points the way down a path that will glorify God The withered dream will pass through the cross of Christ to be resurrected into a glorified new goal that will be empowered by a Pentecost of the Holy Spirit

When we allow Isaiahs prophecy to come true for us in our current situations we hear Jesus say as we read in Luke 1021-24 Blessed are the eyes that see what you see Do you have faith to see Fertilize your tree stump by increasing your prayer time scripture reading other spiritual reading and participation in parish programs Jesus himself is the new growth that will be born in you but you have to nurture your soil

Simbang Gabi ldquoAdvent Masses of the Nightrdquo

Filipino Mass Sunday December 18 at 700 PM

Schedule for Christmas

Christmas Eve December 24

Childrenrsquos Mass at 400pm Family Mass at 600pm

Christmas Vigil at 1100pm

Christmas Day December 25

Evangelization Corner

THE COUNTDOWN HAS BEGUN

We are entering the fourth week in Advent 2016 However everywhere you turn you

hear about how many days we have left to shop before Christmas The more important message is How many praying days do we have to prepare for His coming

Advent is the season of preparation for the coming of Christ at Christmas It should be a time for families to come together in prayer and devotion The whole purpose of Advent is to help us find intimacy with God in the midst of our everyday lives And in this final week of Advent we are called to prepare to ready our hearts to wait to hope to watch and to pray to come into contact with our longing and our desire for Him We must watch be vigilant and energetic to become empty free and unhindered in our progress toward union with God

Today we relight the first three candles of the Advent Wreathmdashthe candles of Hope Faith and Joy as well as the fourth candle of Advent the candle of Peace or Love The message of Advent is Christrsquos coming into this world to life us from the darkness of death and bring us into His lightmdasheverlasting life with Him And we are called to welcome that light of Christ into our lives

Advent is also a time for kindness thinking of others and sharing with others It is a time to love as God loved us by giving us His most precious gift His son However if we look around the world we can see how tragically only a few people feel hopeful peaceful joyful andor loved

But as Christians we have been made responsible for sharing Jesusrsquo message of love to all who need to hear it the message of salvation through Him and His promise that He would one day return

The questions then is how do we take the message of Jesus out from the confines of our Churches and into our homes workplaces and schools How can we give a loved one or friend the supreme gift of knowing Christ this Christmas

While we may not be able to evangelize to crowds we can meet people in everyday life those who the formal bricks and mortar church cannot reach During this season we can transmit to them with gentleness our reasons for hope

God bless and may His grace be with each of us as we continue on our journey with Christ

St Virgilrsquos Evangelization Ministry

Oplatek Christmas Wafers

Oplatek the special Christmas wafers will be available for your Holiday celebrations again this year You can pick them up at the Parish Office between 9am ndash 4pm Monday thru Friday A free-will donation will be

accepted

Faith Formation

Menrsquos Cornerstone Retreat

Save the Datehellip

February 17-18 2017 at

Loyola House of Retreats

Thursday Evening Bible Study Winter Topic The Book of Genesis

700pm in the School Library

Every Sunday in the Nicene Creed we say of Jesus that ldquoThrough Him all things were made This is an abbreviation of what St John says about Him in the beginning of his gospel But is there evidence of Jesus in the Old Testament Join our study of the first book Genesis and find the answer to this and other questions

PREP DecemberJanuary Schedule

PREP Calendar Grades K-4 December 18 January 8 amp 22

Junior High Calendar December 18 (December 19 make up class) January 22 amp 29

FISHmdashYouth Ministry Calendar 1st Year Class Meeting December 11 2nd Year Class Meeting December 19 1st Year Class Meeting January 22 2nd Year Class Meeting January 29

Youth Masses December 24 (6pm) January 8 amp 22

Ministries ~ Outreaches ~ Community

Yankee Candle Fund Raiser

Thank you to those who have been doing their Christmas shopping at

Yankee Candle online The Yankee Candle Fundraiser to support SAINT VIRGIL PARISH

continues through December 31 at wwwyankeecandlefundraisingcom To date we have raised $26720 Enter lsquoGroup Numberrsquo (990036689) in the lsquoStart Shoppingrsquo section Saint Virgil Parish will earn 40 profit on every product sold Contact Lynn Kelly LynnNJ28optonlinenet with questions Some brochures are also available in the parish office

Boot Drive

Straight and Narrow a Catholic Charities Agency is having a boot drive this holiday season They are requesting gently used or new winter or all-weather

boots (no fashion boots please) in Womenrsquos sizes 7 ndash 11 and Menrsquos sizes 8 ndash 14 (wide would be nice) The boots will be distributed to the residents of Straight and Narrow for the winter season You can drop off the boots to the large Christmas wrapped box by the Baptistry or to the Parish Office We will be collecting boots through Christmas week so if Santa Claus were to bring you new boots wersquoll be happy to take your old ones

Ornament Sale

St Virgilrsquos Ornaments and Sun Catchers make great gifts Or complete your own set Ten keepsakes were issued starting in the Fall of 2009 and we have stock of most of them All the pieces are made with images from our own stained glass windows How about the ldquoTeaching Christrdquo sun catcher for a teacher or student Therersquos a ldquoWedding in Canardquo

ornament for a young couplersquos first Christmas together A sun catcher of our ldquoBlessed Motherrdquo would be cherished by anyone with a special devotion to Mary All the pieces would be welcome in any Christian home Check your listhelliptwice All proceeds go to the Mary Byrnersquos Organ Restoration Fund which is supporting our upgrade and repair of the churchrsquos 16-rank pipe organ Available pieces will be sold behind the altar after Masses on December 1718 or at any time during the week at the Parish Office

Arbor Terrace of Morris Plains

Invites you to a Winter Solstice Celebration on Wednesday December 21 at 100pm Join us as we welcome winter with a celebration of music folklore and seasonal treats All are welcome to join If you are interest

in coming RSVP to Mary Beth Kane mkanearborcompanycom or call 973-718-3636

Simbang Gabi ldquoAdvent Masses of the Nightrdquo Continues

A Filipino tradition of a nine-day novena of Masses during Advent (December 15 ndash 23) in preparation for the Nativity of our Savior Jesus

You are cordially invited to join our Diocesan and parish-sponsored ldquoMass of the Night or Evening) celebration here at St Virgilrsquos on Sunday December 18 Eucharistic Mass to begin at 700pm with Main Celebrant Rev Lancelot Reis This nine-day novena is coordinated by the Diocesan Commission for Catholic Filipino Ministries of the Diocese of Paterson Refreshments immediately follow Mass For more information or if you wish to help please coordinate with Rosalita Gordon at (973) 267-7034

The remaining schedule of Masses for the Novena are at 700pm at the following churches

Dec 18 St Virgil Morris Plains Dec 19 St Vincent DePaul Sterling Dec 20 Corpus Christi Chatham Dec 21 Our Lady of Mercy Whippany Dec 22 St Joseph Lincoln Park Dec 23 St Peter the Apostle Parsippany

St Virgil Rosary Society

Tuesday January 3 2017 7pm in the Tracy Center Movie Night Featuring

My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 Starring NiA Vardalos amp John Corbett

We have rescheduled this movie to January 3 because weather conditions were unfavorable in December

The recession has taken a toll on Toularsquos trvel agency as well as the family dry cleaning business All that remains is her fatherrsquos restaurant where she still works She and Ianrsquos daughter Paris will soon head for college Paris not at all enjoying the constant close family interaction plans to attend college a good distance away Meanwhile because Toula has invested so much time trying to mend her parentrsquos problems it has kept her from spending much-needed time with Ian straining their marriage It is a funny crazy family romantic comedy Bring a friend

A donation of $1 may be given to purchase food Pantry items in lieu of a canned good

brothersrsquo plans For after having worked his way out of slavery Joseph became a successful and powerful leader in Egypt and saved his whole family during such a drought they likely would have perished but for him In the New Testament St Joseph also has dreams interpreted for him by an angel Because of this St Josephrsquos people were saved He protected the child Jesus and his mother Mary by escaping to Egypt saving Jesus from the Slaughter of the Holy Innocence Thus as did Joseph of the Old Testament our St Joseph found safety for the Holy Family in Egypt

Another important message is conveyed in todayrsquos reading St Joseph is clearly said to be of the house of David the most beloved prophet and King of the Jewish people The Old Testament Prophets make it very clear that the ldquoMessiahrdquo was to be from the house of David With St Joseph being of the house of David he bestows on Jesus this lineage which in the Jewish tradition always came through the father making Him eligible according to the Jewish tradition to meet the criterion of being the promised Messiah

In their writings Matthew and Luke each try very hard to give us reasons to believe that Jesus was that ChildMessiah In this last week of Advent they still have a lot to say Let us pray that the Holy Spirit who is clearly mentioned as the agent in these events is working overtime to help us unpack these readings

O Come O Come Emmanuel

NEW GROWTH IN FAITH Name your stump Isaiah 111-10 contains that often-quoted sometimes sung prophecy in Isaiah about the coming of the Messiah a new branch growing from the dead stump of the tree of Jesse Jesse was the great King Davids father Out of this family tree Jesus was born

The tree of Jesse was a healthy fruitful family because of their faith in God which inspired them to be good servants his kingdom David became a servant-king 1100 years before the human birth of Jesus His reign was strong and branched out into the whole nation of Israel

During much of his son Solomons reign the tree continued to flourish but then it became diseased Israel cracked in two divided and weakened by a civil war after Solomons death Foreign enemies came and cut down the tree taking the Israelites into captivity The Jews never again had a king as great as David

Through the prophet Isaiah God promised that the tree of Jesse would spring back to life In the midst of suffering and loss God was offering a reason for hope based on faith in him Think of a chopped-down tree in

your own life What relationship has been cut off What ministry has died Has a job been axed Has a dream withered Name your stump

The Jews thought that when the new shoot finally grew from the stump of Jesses tree it would be a new king like David and he would rescue them from their human enemies Of course we know that Jesus was the Messiah that Isaiah had prophesied and he was quite a different sort of king

The branch of Christ grew into Christianity and its many branches of Christ-rooted ministries Jesus rescued us from the spiritual enemy and its weapons of sin Faith-filled followers serve Gods kingdom producing many good fruits

Now think of your own tree stump If we watch for our stumps to come back to life and grow the same old tree we will fail to see our Messiah

A cut-off relationship cannot be restored unless Christ becomes the center of it and each persons heart is converted and healed from the cut

A dead ministry will take new shape only when Jesus resurrects it the roots will be the same but the new growth will be surprisingly different

Christs life is springing forth from the axed job as he points the way down a path that will glorify God The withered dream will pass through the cross of Christ to be resurrected into a glorified new goal that will be empowered by a Pentecost of the Holy Spirit

When we allow Isaiahs prophecy to come true for us in our current situations we hear Jesus say as we read in Luke 1021-24 Blessed are the eyes that see what you see Do you have faith to see Fertilize your tree stump by increasing your prayer time scripture reading other spiritual reading and participation in parish programs Jesus himself is the new growth that will be born in you but you have to nurture your soil

Simbang Gabi ldquoAdvent Masses of the Nightrdquo

Filipino Mass Sunday December 18 at 700 PM

Schedule for Christmas

Christmas Eve December 24

Childrenrsquos Mass at 400pm Family Mass at 600pm

Christmas Vigil at 1100pm

Christmas Day December 25

Evangelization Corner

THE COUNTDOWN HAS BEGUN

We are entering the fourth week in Advent 2016 However everywhere you turn you

hear about how many days we have left to shop before Christmas The more important message is How many praying days do we have to prepare for His coming

Advent is the season of preparation for the coming of Christ at Christmas It should be a time for families to come together in prayer and devotion The whole purpose of Advent is to help us find intimacy with God in the midst of our everyday lives And in this final week of Advent we are called to prepare to ready our hearts to wait to hope to watch and to pray to come into contact with our longing and our desire for Him We must watch be vigilant and energetic to become empty free and unhindered in our progress toward union with God

Today we relight the first three candles of the Advent Wreathmdashthe candles of Hope Faith and Joy as well as the fourth candle of Advent the candle of Peace or Love The message of Advent is Christrsquos coming into this world to life us from the darkness of death and bring us into His lightmdasheverlasting life with Him And we are called to welcome that light of Christ into our lives

Advent is also a time for kindness thinking of others and sharing with others It is a time to love as God loved us by giving us His most precious gift His son However if we look around the world we can see how tragically only a few people feel hopeful peaceful joyful andor loved

But as Christians we have been made responsible for sharing Jesusrsquo message of love to all who need to hear it the message of salvation through Him and His promise that He would one day return

The questions then is how do we take the message of Jesus out from the confines of our Churches and into our homes workplaces and schools How can we give a loved one or friend the supreme gift of knowing Christ this Christmas

While we may not be able to evangelize to crowds we can meet people in everyday life those who the formal bricks and mortar church cannot reach During this season we can transmit to them with gentleness our reasons for hope

God bless and may His grace be with each of us as we continue on our journey with Christ

St Virgilrsquos Evangelization Ministry

Oplatek Christmas Wafers

Oplatek the special Christmas wafers will be available for your Holiday celebrations again this year You can pick them up at the Parish Office between 9am ndash 4pm Monday thru Friday A free-will donation will be

accepted

Faith Formation

Menrsquos Cornerstone Retreat

Save the Datehellip

February 17-18 2017 at

Loyola House of Retreats

Thursday Evening Bible Study Winter Topic The Book of Genesis

700pm in the School Library

Every Sunday in the Nicene Creed we say of Jesus that ldquoThrough Him all things were made This is an abbreviation of what St John says about Him in the beginning of his gospel But is there evidence of Jesus in the Old Testament Join our study of the first book Genesis and find the answer to this and other questions

PREP DecemberJanuary Schedule

PREP Calendar Grades K-4 December 18 January 8 amp 22

Junior High Calendar December 18 (December 19 make up class) January 22 amp 29

FISHmdashYouth Ministry Calendar 1st Year Class Meeting December 11 2nd Year Class Meeting December 19 1st Year Class Meeting January 22 2nd Year Class Meeting January 29

Youth Masses December 24 (6pm) January 8 amp 22

Ministries ~ Outreaches ~ Community

Yankee Candle Fund Raiser

Thank you to those who have been doing their Christmas shopping at

Yankee Candle online The Yankee Candle Fundraiser to support SAINT VIRGIL PARISH

continues through December 31 at wwwyankeecandlefundraisingcom To date we have raised $26720 Enter lsquoGroup Numberrsquo (990036689) in the lsquoStart Shoppingrsquo section Saint Virgil Parish will earn 40 profit on every product sold Contact Lynn Kelly LynnNJ28optonlinenet with questions Some brochures are also available in the parish office

Boot Drive

Straight and Narrow a Catholic Charities Agency is having a boot drive this holiday season They are requesting gently used or new winter or all-weather

boots (no fashion boots please) in Womenrsquos sizes 7 ndash 11 and Menrsquos sizes 8 ndash 14 (wide would be nice) The boots will be distributed to the residents of Straight and Narrow for the winter season You can drop off the boots to the large Christmas wrapped box by the Baptistry or to the Parish Office We will be collecting boots through Christmas week so if Santa Claus were to bring you new boots wersquoll be happy to take your old ones

Ornament Sale

St Virgilrsquos Ornaments and Sun Catchers make great gifts Or complete your own set Ten keepsakes were issued starting in the Fall of 2009 and we have stock of most of them All the pieces are made with images from our own stained glass windows How about the ldquoTeaching Christrdquo sun catcher for a teacher or student Therersquos a ldquoWedding in Canardquo

ornament for a young couplersquos first Christmas together A sun catcher of our ldquoBlessed Motherrdquo would be cherished by anyone with a special devotion to Mary All the pieces would be welcome in any Christian home Check your listhelliptwice All proceeds go to the Mary Byrnersquos Organ Restoration Fund which is supporting our upgrade and repair of the churchrsquos 16-rank pipe organ Available pieces will be sold behind the altar after Masses on December 1718 or at any time during the week at the Parish Office

Arbor Terrace of Morris Plains

Invites you to a Winter Solstice Celebration on Wednesday December 21 at 100pm Join us as we welcome winter with a celebration of music folklore and seasonal treats All are welcome to join If you are interest

in coming RSVP to Mary Beth Kane mkanearborcompanycom or call 973-718-3636

Simbang Gabi ldquoAdvent Masses of the Nightrdquo Continues

A Filipino tradition of a nine-day novena of Masses during Advent (December 15 ndash 23) in preparation for the Nativity of our Savior Jesus

You are cordially invited to join our Diocesan and parish-sponsored ldquoMass of the Night or Evening) celebration here at St Virgilrsquos on Sunday December 18 Eucharistic Mass to begin at 700pm with Main Celebrant Rev Lancelot Reis This nine-day novena is coordinated by the Diocesan Commission for Catholic Filipino Ministries of the Diocese of Paterson Refreshments immediately follow Mass For more information or if you wish to help please coordinate with Rosalita Gordon at (973) 267-7034

The remaining schedule of Masses for the Novena are at 700pm at the following churches

Dec 18 St Virgil Morris Plains Dec 19 St Vincent DePaul Sterling Dec 20 Corpus Christi Chatham Dec 21 Our Lady of Mercy Whippany Dec 22 St Joseph Lincoln Park Dec 23 St Peter the Apostle Parsippany

St Virgil Rosary Society

Tuesday January 3 2017 7pm in the Tracy Center Movie Night Featuring

My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 Starring NiA Vardalos amp John Corbett

We have rescheduled this movie to January 3 because weather conditions were unfavorable in December

The recession has taken a toll on Toularsquos trvel agency as well as the family dry cleaning business All that remains is her fatherrsquos restaurant where she still works She and Ianrsquos daughter Paris will soon head for college Paris not at all enjoying the constant close family interaction plans to attend college a good distance away Meanwhile because Toula has invested so much time trying to mend her parentrsquos problems it has kept her from spending much-needed time with Ian straining their marriage It is a funny crazy family romantic comedy Bring a friend

A donation of $1 may be given to purchase food Pantry items in lieu of a canned good

Evangelization Corner

THE COUNTDOWN HAS BEGUN

We are entering the fourth week in Advent 2016 However everywhere you turn you

hear about how many days we have left to shop before Christmas The more important message is How many praying days do we have to prepare for His coming

Advent is the season of preparation for the coming of Christ at Christmas It should be a time for families to come together in prayer and devotion The whole purpose of Advent is to help us find intimacy with God in the midst of our everyday lives And in this final week of Advent we are called to prepare to ready our hearts to wait to hope to watch and to pray to come into contact with our longing and our desire for Him We must watch be vigilant and energetic to become empty free and unhindered in our progress toward union with God

Today we relight the first three candles of the Advent Wreathmdashthe candles of Hope Faith and Joy as well as the fourth candle of Advent the candle of Peace or Love The message of Advent is Christrsquos coming into this world to life us from the darkness of death and bring us into His lightmdasheverlasting life with Him And we are called to welcome that light of Christ into our lives

Advent is also a time for kindness thinking of others and sharing with others It is a time to love as God loved us by giving us His most precious gift His son However if we look around the world we can see how tragically only a few people feel hopeful peaceful joyful andor loved

But as Christians we have been made responsible for sharing Jesusrsquo message of love to all who need to hear it the message of salvation through Him and His promise that He would one day return

The questions then is how do we take the message of Jesus out from the confines of our Churches and into our homes workplaces and schools How can we give a loved one or friend the supreme gift of knowing Christ this Christmas

While we may not be able to evangelize to crowds we can meet people in everyday life those who the formal bricks and mortar church cannot reach During this season we can transmit to them with gentleness our reasons for hope

God bless and may His grace be with each of us as we continue on our journey with Christ

St Virgilrsquos Evangelization Ministry

Oplatek Christmas Wafers

Oplatek the special Christmas wafers will be available for your Holiday celebrations again this year You can pick them up at the Parish Office between 9am ndash 4pm Monday thru Friday A free-will donation will be

accepted

Faith Formation

Menrsquos Cornerstone Retreat

Save the Datehellip

February 17-18 2017 at

Loyola House of Retreats

Thursday Evening Bible Study Winter Topic The Book of Genesis

700pm in the School Library

Every Sunday in the Nicene Creed we say of Jesus that ldquoThrough Him all things were made This is an abbreviation of what St John says about Him in the beginning of his gospel But is there evidence of Jesus in the Old Testament Join our study of the first book Genesis and find the answer to this and other questions

PREP DecemberJanuary Schedule

PREP Calendar Grades K-4 December 18 January 8 amp 22

Junior High Calendar December 18 (December 19 make up class) January 22 amp 29

FISHmdashYouth Ministry Calendar 1st Year Class Meeting December 11 2nd Year Class Meeting December 19 1st Year Class Meeting January 22 2nd Year Class Meeting January 29

Youth Masses December 24 (6pm) January 8 amp 22

Ministries ~ Outreaches ~ Community

Yankee Candle Fund Raiser

Thank you to those who have been doing their Christmas shopping at

Yankee Candle online The Yankee Candle Fundraiser to support SAINT VIRGIL PARISH

continues through December 31 at wwwyankeecandlefundraisingcom To date we have raised $26720 Enter lsquoGroup Numberrsquo (990036689) in the lsquoStart Shoppingrsquo section Saint Virgil Parish will earn 40 profit on every product sold Contact Lynn Kelly LynnNJ28optonlinenet with questions Some brochures are also available in the parish office

Boot Drive

Straight and Narrow a Catholic Charities Agency is having a boot drive this holiday season They are requesting gently used or new winter or all-weather

boots (no fashion boots please) in Womenrsquos sizes 7 ndash 11 and Menrsquos sizes 8 ndash 14 (wide would be nice) The boots will be distributed to the residents of Straight and Narrow for the winter season You can drop off the boots to the large Christmas wrapped box by the Baptistry or to the Parish Office We will be collecting boots through Christmas week so if Santa Claus were to bring you new boots wersquoll be happy to take your old ones

Ornament Sale

St Virgilrsquos Ornaments and Sun Catchers make great gifts Or complete your own set Ten keepsakes were issued starting in the Fall of 2009 and we have stock of most of them All the pieces are made with images from our own stained glass windows How about the ldquoTeaching Christrdquo sun catcher for a teacher or student Therersquos a ldquoWedding in Canardquo

ornament for a young couplersquos first Christmas together A sun catcher of our ldquoBlessed Motherrdquo would be cherished by anyone with a special devotion to Mary All the pieces would be welcome in any Christian home Check your listhelliptwice All proceeds go to the Mary Byrnersquos Organ Restoration Fund which is supporting our upgrade and repair of the churchrsquos 16-rank pipe organ Available pieces will be sold behind the altar after Masses on December 1718 or at any time during the week at the Parish Office

Arbor Terrace of Morris Plains

Invites you to a Winter Solstice Celebration on Wednesday December 21 at 100pm Join us as we welcome winter with a celebration of music folklore and seasonal treats All are welcome to join If you are interest

in coming RSVP to Mary Beth Kane mkanearborcompanycom or call 973-718-3636

Simbang Gabi ldquoAdvent Masses of the Nightrdquo Continues

A Filipino tradition of a nine-day novena of Masses during Advent (December 15 ndash 23) in preparation for the Nativity of our Savior Jesus

You are cordially invited to join our Diocesan and parish-sponsored ldquoMass of the Night or Evening) celebration here at St Virgilrsquos on Sunday December 18 Eucharistic Mass to begin at 700pm with Main Celebrant Rev Lancelot Reis This nine-day novena is coordinated by the Diocesan Commission for Catholic Filipino Ministries of the Diocese of Paterson Refreshments immediately follow Mass For more information or if you wish to help please coordinate with Rosalita Gordon at (973) 267-7034

The remaining schedule of Masses for the Novena are at 700pm at the following churches

Dec 18 St Virgil Morris Plains Dec 19 St Vincent DePaul Sterling Dec 20 Corpus Christi Chatham Dec 21 Our Lady of Mercy Whippany Dec 22 St Joseph Lincoln Park Dec 23 St Peter the Apostle Parsippany

St Virgil Rosary Society

Tuesday January 3 2017 7pm in the Tracy Center Movie Night Featuring

My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 Starring NiA Vardalos amp John Corbett

We have rescheduled this movie to January 3 because weather conditions were unfavorable in December

The recession has taken a toll on Toularsquos trvel agency as well as the family dry cleaning business All that remains is her fatherrsquos restaurant where she still works She and Ianrsquos daughter Paris will soon head for college Paris not at all enjoying the constant close family interaction plans to attend college a good distance away Meanwhile because Toula has invested so much time trying to mend her parentrsquos problems it has kept her from spending much-needed time with Ian straining their marriage It is a funny crazy family romantic comedy Bring a friend

A donation of $1 may be given to purchase food Pantry items in lieu of a canned good

Ministries ~ Outreaches ~ Community

Yankee Candle Fund Raiser

Thank you to those who have been doing their Christmas shopping at

Yankee Candle online The Yankee Candle Fundraiser to support SAINT VIRGIL PARISH

continues through December 31 at wwwyankeecandlefundraisingcom To date we have raised $26720 Enter lsquoGroup Numberrsquo (990036689) in the lsquoStart Shoppingrsquo section Saint Virgil Parish will earn 40 profit on every product sold Contact Lynn Kelly LynnNJ28optonlinenet with questions Some brochures are also available in the parish office

Boot Drive

Straight and Narrow a Catholic Charities Agency is having a boot drive this holiday season They are requesting gently used or new winter or all-weather

boots (no fashion boots please) in Womenrsquos sizes 7 ndash 11 and Menrsquos sizes 8 ndash 14 (wide would be nice) The boots will be distributed to the residents of Straight and Narrow for the winter season You can drop off the boots to the large Christmas wrapped box by the Baptistry or to the Parish Office We will be collecting boots through Christmas week so if Santa Claus were to bring you new boots wersquoll be happy to take your old ones

Ornament Sale

St Virgilrsquos Ornaments and Sun Catchers make great gifts Or complete your own set Ten keepsakes were issued starting in the Fall of 2009 and we have stock of most of them All the pieces are made with images from our own stained glass windows How about the ldquoTeaching Christrdquo sun catcher for a teacher or student Therersquos a ldquoWedding in Canardquo

ornament for a young couplersquos first Christmas together A sun catcher of our ldquoBlessed Motherrdquo would be cherished by anyone with a special devotion to Mary All the pieces would be welcome in any Christian home Check your listhelliptwice All proceeds go to the Mary Byrnersquos Organ Restoration Fund which is supporting our upgrade and repair of the churchrsquos 16-rank pipe organ Available pieces will be sold behind the altar after Masses on December 1718 or at any time during the week at the Parish Office

Arbor Terrace of Morris Plains

Invites you to a Winter Solstice Celebration on Wednesday December 21 at 100pm Join us as we welcome winter with a celebration of music folklore and seasonal treats All are welcome to join If you are interest

in coming RSVP to Mary Beth Kane mkanearborcompanycom or call 973-718-3636

Simbang Gabi ldquoAdvent Masses of the Nightrdquo Continues

A Filipino tradition of a nine-day novena of Masses during Advent (December 15 ndash 23) in preparation for the Nativity of our Savior Jesus

You are cordially invited to join our Diocesan and parish-sponsored ldquoMass of the Night or Evening) celebration here at St Virgilrsquos on Sunday December 18 Eucharistic Mass to begin at 700pm with Main Celebrant Rev Lancelot Reis This nine-day novena is coordinated by the Diocesan Commission for Catholic Filipino Ministries of the Diocese of Paterson Refreshments immediately follow Mass For more information or if you wish to help please coordinate with Rosalita Gordon at (973) 267-7034

The remaining schedule of Masses for the Novena are at 700pm at the following churches

Dec 18 St Virgil Morris Plains Dec 19 St Vincent DePaul Sterling Dec 20 Corpus Christi Chatham Dec 21 Our Lady of Mercy Whippany Dec 22 St Joseph Lincoln Park Dec 23 St Peter the Apostle Parsippany

St Virgil Rosary Society

Tuesday January 3 2017 7pm in the Tracy Center Movie Night Featuring

My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 Starring NiA Vardalos amp John Corbett

We have rescheduled this movie to January 3 because weather conditions were unfavorable in December

The recession has taken a toll on Toularsquos trvel agency as well as the family dry cleaning business All that remains is her fatherrsquos restaurant where she still works She and Ianrsquos daughter Paris will soon head for college Paris not at all enjoying the constant close family interaction plans to attend college a good distance away Meanwhile because Toula has invested so much time trying to mend her parentrsquos problems it has kept her from spending much-needed time with Ian straining their marriage It is a funny crazy family romantic comedy Bring a friend

A donation of $1 may be given to purchase food Pantry items in lieu of a canned good