The rhythm of the liturgical seasons reflects the rhythm of life
with its celebrations of anniversaries and
its seasons of quiet growth and maturing.

ADVENT • IMMACULATE CONCEPTION • CHRISTMAS SEASON
HOLY FAMILY •MARY, MOTHER OF GOD • EPIPHANY
ORDINARY TIME (Mon. following Baptism of Our Lord to Ash Wed.)
ST. BLAISE • ST. JOSEPH • LITURGY DAY
LENT • HOLY WEEK • EASTER TRIDUUM
50 DAYS OF EASTER • ASCENSION • PENTECOST
ORDINARY TIME (Pentecost Mon. to First Sun. of Advent)
TRINITY • CORPUS CHRISTI • ASSUMPTION OF MARY
ALL SAINTS • ALL SOULS • ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI
THANKSGIVING • PARISH EVENTS & ACTIVITIES

ADVENT
The Christian's version of "New Year's Day" is the First Sunday of Advent, when we begin again the entire cycle of the year. Advent begins four Sundays before Christmas and ends on Christmas Eve. Even as the secular culture around us blares its songs of reindeer and tinsel, as if Christmas were already here, the Christian calendar sets aside four weeks of quiet preparation.
Advent has a two-fold character: as a season to prepare for Christmas when Christ's first coming to us is remembered; as a season when that remembrance directs our mind and heart to await Christ's second coming at the end of time. Advent thus is a period of devout and joyful expectation.

The Jesse Tree
Through the Jesse Tree, we recall God's love through salvation history. In addition to the Advent Prayer and Reflection pages below, additional resources for Jesse Tree information and activities can be found online. We encourage you to visit the following websites:

www.stmichaelonline.org/LiturgicalYear/Jessetree.htm
www.cresourcei.org/jesse/html
www.domestic-church.com/index.dir/index_fridge.htm
www.eriercd.org/jessetree.htm

Click here for weekly Jesse Tree Advent Prayer and Reflection pages:

1st Sunday of Advent (November 27, 2011) ~ Ye Watchers and Ye Holy Ones
Advent begins iwth an urgent call to keep an eye on the future as we deal with the present. World events, personal difficulties, and our moral failures can overhwelm us. By watching for the Lord, we remain a people of hope and trust that the Lord who comes can save us.
Copyright © 2011, World Library Publications. All rights reserved.

2nd Sunday of Advent (December 4, 2011) ~ Roadwork in Progress
Preparing for Christmas is onve way we remind ourselves that we are always in a state of preparing to celebrate the coming of Jesus Christ. Opening up a roadway for the Lord to come into our lives is a never-ending process. The heart can be resistant to expansion.
Copyright © 2011, World Library Publications. All rights reserved.

Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary - December 8th
A Holy Day of Obligation in the United States, this is the day on which we celebrate the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin, the conception of Mary in the womb of her mother. This feast intensifies our preparation during Advent, remembering how God prepared for Christ's birth by creating Mary free form original sin at conception. What makes her conception immaculate is not that she was conceived by the Holy Ghost of a virgin, as was Christ Our Lord, but that from the very moment of her conception, she was filled with grace by God, Who knew, in His omniscience, that she would say "yes" to the Angel Gabriel and become the Mother of the Savior. Chosen by God, Mary reverses the sin of Eve. Because of her obedience, God's Salvation is made know to all the nations.
St. Joseph's will have liturgies at 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. on this feast day.

3rd Sunday of Advent (December 11, 2011) ~ Rejoice Always
Paul's words to the Thessalonians signal today's message: "Rejoice always." How is this possible? Because the God of peace can "make you perfectly holy" and "preserved blameless" for the day when Christ comes again. We cannot do this, but God can. "The one who calls you is faithful, and he will accomplish it."
Copyright © 2011, World Library Publications. All rights reserved.

4th Sunday of Advent (December 18, 2011) ~ The Best Dwelling Place
In the Old Testament God's desire to dwell among the Chosen People took many forms: a burning bush, a pillar of cloud by day and of fire by night, the tent of Mt. Sinai, the Ark of the Covenant, the temple built by Solomon, and the second temple built after the Exile. Then along came Mary.
Copyright © 2011, World Library Publications. All rights reserved.

Advent Reconciliation Opportunities for 2011
Several opportunities to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation before the Christmas Holidays will be offered throughout the month of December. Confessions will be heard the following dates and times.

• Private Reconciliation - Saturdays, 4:00-4:30 p.m.
  (before 5:00 p.m. Mass)
• Communal Penance Service - Tuesday, December 6 - 7:00 p.m., at St. Joseph Church in Randolph with members of parishes in the Portage County Deanery
• Communal Penance Service - Monday, December 12 - 7:00 p.m., at Immaculate Conception Church in Ravenna with members of parishes in the Portage County Deanery
• Communal Penance Service - Wednesday, December 14 - 7:00 p.m., at St. Joseph Church in Mantua with members of parishes in the Portage County Deanery
  
• Or By Appointment (please contact Fr. Garvey at the Parish Office)
  

Annual Giving Tree
This venture begins in late November or early December and will be now handled by St. Joseph parishioners Dan and Wendy Nuti (in the past it was coordinated by the school). Portage County's Catholic Charities provides the names of families in our area for which your donation may be their only gift this Christmas. To help make this holy season a treasured memory for those in need, parishioners are encouraged to select a tag from the tree in the narthex, sign the sheet, purchase and wrap your gifts, and return them by designated day. Be sure the tag is clearly visible for distribution purposes. Thank you.

Christmas Wafers (Oplatky)
The people of Central Europe have had oplatky as part of their Christmas Eve supper for many generations. The wafer bears an image from the Christmas story and the bread signifies the "Bread of Life", Jesus, who is among us in the Eucharist and in our lives. Oplatky is available in the narthex for those who continue the custom of breaking and sharing bread as a symbol of love, unity and fraternalism. Your donation to help defray the cost is appreciated.

BACK TO TOP

CHRISTMAS SEASON
Next to the yearly celebration of the paschal mystery, the church holds most sacred the memorial of Christ's birth and early manifestations. This is the purpose of the Christmas season which typically begins with a worship service or a Vigil Mass on Christmas Eve and ends on the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord on the Sunday after January 6.

The Nativity of the Lord - December 25th
The Feast of the Nativity is a most joyous one that celebrates the incredible reality that the Second Person of the Trinity was born of a Virgin. The mood is summed up by Luke 2:14, "Glory to God in the highest: and on earth peace to men of good will."

For 2011 Vigil Mass will be held on Saturday, December 24, at 5:00 and 10:00 p.m. (the 5:00 p.m. Mass includes a children's choir). There is no midnight Mass at St. Joe's.
On Sunday, December 25, there will be a 10:00 a.m. Mass for Christmas Day. Prayers of the Faithful for all Christmas Masses will be for our Christmas Flower Fund Intentions.

Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary & Joseph
Formerly it was celebrated on the Sunday after Epiphany, but since 1969 the feast falls on the Sunday after Christmas, or December 30 if Christmas falls on a Sunday. This Feast is celebrated after Christmas because in Old Testament Law, a child wasn't a son of Abraham or a true part of the family until his circumcision at 8 days of age, an event of Christ's life that we celebrated on January 1 (from December 25 to January 1 are 8 days). We ask for the grace that our families too may live as the holy family united in respect and love.

The Octave Day of Christmas
The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God - January 1st
On this Holy Day of Obligation, we focus on the divine motherhood of Mary whom we proclaim to be the mother of Christ and the mother of the Church. We seek God's blessings as did Mary. Because of her Son, we can confidently call God, "Abba"!
In 2012, falls on Sunday. Masses will be held at 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 31, 2011, and at 8:30 and 11:15 a.m. on Sunday, January 1, 2012.

Feast of the Epiphany - January 8, 2012
This is a great and very important Feast remembering the journey of the three wise men, Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar, who followed the star that showed all nations and peoples that Jesus was sent by God for all. Epiphany has become the day we traditionally bless our homes and families. After Mass, each family receives a piece of blessed chalk. We offer you this blessing and encourage you to use it and your chalk to bless your family and home.

A BLESSING OF HOMES
The three wise men, Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar followed the star of God's Son who became man two thousand and eight years ago (write 20 + CMB + 12 over the door with chalk). Bless, O Lord, this household and family, and allow all of us who live here to find in it a shelter of peace and health. Make our house a haven for us all and a place of warmth and caring. May all who come and go through here know that Christ both dwells and enters here. We pray through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
From the front door, the family may process through the house, blessing each room with water (an evergreen sprig may be used). Singing verses of "We Three Kings" may be added to make the procession through the house more festive.

BACK TO TOP

ORDINARY TIME
Ordinary Time is celebrated in two segments: from the Monday following the Baptism of Our Lord up to Ash Wednesday; and from Pentecost Monday to the First Sunday of Advent. This makes it the largest season of the Liturgical Year.
This first installment of Ordinary Time has anywhere from four to nine Sundays, depending on how early or late Easter falls in a given year. Its season's focus is Jesus' manifestation of Himself as God during His public ministry.

How is the Date of Easter Determined?
Easter falls on the first Sunday after the first full Moon that falls on or after March 21 (not, as commonly believed, the first Sunday after the first full Moon in Spring). The earliest possible date for Easter is March 22, and the latest possible date for it is April 25. Future dates for Easter are listed below.

Feast of St. Blaise - February 3 (Blessing of Throats)
St. Blaise (also spelled Blase and Blasius) was a 3rd century physician who became Bishop of Sebaste, Armenia. This was the time of persecution under Licinius, so St. Blaise hid out in a cave on Mt. Argeus. He was captured and imprisoned, and from prison cured a boy who was choking to death on a fish bone. St. Blaise was beaten, had his flesh torn by wool combs, and was beheaded, martyred along with seven women. Because of the cure of the boy's throat when the boy was choking, St. Blaise is patron against troubles of the throat, and today our throats are blessed at Mass. St. Blaise is also the patron of veterinarians and against attacks of wild animals. He is represented in art as a Bishop holding two crossed candles, with wool combs, or in a cave surrounded by wild animals. Prayer & Blessing of Throats typically takes place as we pray through the intercession of St. Blaise that God delivers us from throat ailments and from every other evil. The parish will have the opportunity for blessings the weekend of February 4/5, 2012 at the end of each Mass.


LENT
This season, also called "Quadraegesima," meaning "Forty," is a somber, penitential Season lasting from Ash Wednesday to the Thursday before Easter. It recalls Christ's 40 days in the desert, and the Israelites' wandering in the desert for 40 years. Per the everyday calendar, Lent lasts 40 days plus the six Sundays, but the Sundays aren't counted as "Lent" because Sundays are always about the Resurrection and are joyous.
The annual Lenten season is the fitting time to climb the holy mountain of Easter. The Lenten season has a double character, namely to prepare both catechumens and faithful to celebrate the paschal mystery. The catechumens, both with the rite of election and scrutinies, and by catechesis, are prepared for the celebration of the sacraments of Christian initiation; the faithful, ever more attentive to the word of God and prayer, prepare themselves by penance for the renewal of their baptismal promises. This season prepares all of us for the celebration of Easter, the most important feast of the Church year. St. Joseph Parish has a number of different and unique opportunities planned this year to make our season of Lent a holy and spiritual time of renewal for all of us.

Ash Wednesday, 2012 - February 22
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of our Lenten journey towards Easter and eternal life. Now truly is our time to be healed and reconciled to God and to one another. The mark of ashes on our foreheads reminds us of our sinfulness and our turning back to God for forgiveness, healing and mercy. The ashes are made by the burning of palms from last year's Palm Sunday -- palms that were waved in victory and praise. After the priest sprinkles the ashes with holy water and incenses them, he puts them on our foreheads in the shape of a Cross to remind us of our hope, and as he does so, he says the words of Genesis 3: Remember, man, that thou art dust, and unto dust thou shalt return. We make no response to these words; we simply return to our pews. After we leave the church, we leave the ashes on our foreheads until they wear off naturally from the course of the day's activities. They are a public witness to those things our society does not wish to embrace: the reality of death, and the hope of resurrection in Our Lord, Jesus Christ.
Ash Wednesday Mass will be at 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. You are welcome to attend either service.

Lenten Fasting and Abstinence
Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are days of Fast and Abstinence - limit of one full meal and two smaller meals for persons 18 through 59 years of age; no meat for persons 14 years of age and older. All Fridays during Lent are days of Abstinence - no meat for persons 14 years of age and older. There is no obligation to fast during the weekdays of Lent. However, voluntary acts of self-denial are encouraged.

BACK TO TOP

Lenten Soup Suppers 2012
A wonderful St. Joseph tradition continues with our Soup Suppers during Lent (Tuesday, February 28, March 6, 13, 20, 27 - please note: no Soup Supper held April 3). The Soup Suppers will take place in Hughes Hall from 6:00 to 6:45 p.m. "Family-size" pots of soup and/or breads are needed (simply bring them to the kitchen just prior to the supper). All are welcome.

"Soup, Song & Soul Stirrings"
Lenten Presentations following Soup Suppers, 6:45 p.m. in the church:

• Tuesday, February 28 ~ TBA
• Tuesday, March 6 ~ TBA
• Tuesday, March 13 ~ Taize with Carmen Roebke, Pastoral Association at Kent Newman Center
• Tuesday, March 20 ~ Tibetan Bowls & Evening Prayer with Kathleen Calby
• Tuesday, March 27 ~ TBA

Stations of the Cross
Join our parish family for Stations of the Cross each Friday evening of Lent at 7:00 p.m. We pray the Scripture Stations of the Cross as we meditate on the Passion and Death of Jesus and the significance they hold for contemporary Catholics. All are welcome.

Lenten Reconciliation Opportunities 2012

• Portage County Deanery Communal Penance Services - TBD
• Private Reconciliation - TBD
  or By Appointment (please contact Fr. Garvey at the Parish Office, 330.274.2253)

ST. JOSEPH FEAST DAY - March 19th
The principal feast day of Saint Joseph is March 19, Saint Joseph's Day (for Joseph the Husband of Mary). On this day we ask for the strength to serve Christ as Joseph did. Saint Joseph's Day always falls during Lent, and Saint Joseph's Day altars and feasts have no meat. However, since the feast day is classed as a solemnity, the requirement of abstinence from meat is technically abrogated, according to Canon Law, even if it falls on a Friday. If the feast day falls on a Sunday, the previous Saturday (March 18) is observed instead or the Monday following (March 20), and if it falls during Holy Week or Easter week, it is moved to the Monday after Low Sunday, or eight days after Easter (prior to 1970 the Tuesday after Low Sunday was used as the alternate date). Watch for details on our parish's celebration to honor our patron saint.

Click here to learn more about Saint Joseph, our patron saint.

BACK TO TOP

PASSIONTIDE
This is the last two weeks of Lent, from Passion Sunday (the 5th Sunday of Lent) to the day before Palm Sunday. The second week of Passiontide is called "Holy Week." The last three days of Holy Week -- i.e., Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday -- are called the Sacred Triduum

HOLY WEEK
Holy Week has as its purpose the remembrance of Christ's passion, beginning with his Messianic entrance into Jerusalem.

Palm Sunday, April 1, 2012
5:00 p.m. Saturday Mass
8:30 and 11:15 a.m. Sunday Masses

Monday, April 2, 2012
No Liturgy

Tuesday, April 3, 2012
8:00 a.m. Mass

Wednesday, April 4, 2012
8:00 a.m. Mass

HOLY WEEK TRIDUUM (trid-yoo-um, meaning 3 days)
Christ redeemed us all and gave perfect glory to God principally through his paschal mystery: dying he destroyed our death and rising he restored our life. Therefore, the Easter Triduum of the passion and resurrection of Christ is the culmination of the entire liturgical year. These are not three separate liturgical celebrations but one which takes three days to celebrate. Thus, the solemnity of Easter has the same kind of preeminence in the liturgical year that Sunday has in the week. The Easter Triduum begins with the Evening Mass of the Lord's Supper, reaches its high point in the Easter Vigil, and closes with evening prayer on Easter Sunday.

Holy Thursday, April 5, 2012
7:00 p.m. Mass of the Lord's Supper
[Operation Rice Bowl Collection]

The Mass of the Lord's Supper features
the distinctive action of the Washing of the Feet,
just as the Lord did for his disciples
and we do for one another.

Private Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
8:00-11:00 p.m.
Solemn Night Prayer
11:00 p.m.

Good Friday, April 6, 2012
12:00-3:00 p.m. Church Open for Prayer
3:00 p.m. Stations of the Cross
7:00 p.m. Full Liturgy with Veneration of the Cross,
Petitions, Scriptures & Communion Service
[Holy Land Collection]

This liturgy features the Adoration of the Cross
as the holy cross is in our midst and
we come forward to do reverence
with a kiss or a bow or a genuflection.

Holy Saturday, April 7, 2012
Noon Blessing of the Food
Followed by Parish Easter Egg Hunt
?8:30 p.m. Easter Vigil Mass

Blessing of Easter Food
Several ethnic groups have kept alive the tradition of blessing food on Holy Saturday. The staples for the Easter Sunday meal (or, in some cultures, the Saturday vigil meal) - bread, wine, the colored eggs, the ham - are all placed in a basket and brought to the church to be bless. Everyone is invited to place your food items in a basket and gather in the church at noon for the Blessing of Food on Holy Saturday.

Easter Egg Hunt
The Parish Family Life Committee is sponsoring an Easter Egg Hunt for the children of the parish up to age 9 on Holy Saturday, immediately following the noon Blessing of Food. Teens are invited to help.

Easter Vigil
The high point of the liturgical year!
This moving liturgy consists of
The Service of Light, Liturgy of the Word,
Baptism of new Christians and
renewal of Baptismal vows, and the Eucharist
takes place after nightfall on Holy Saturday.

The third and consummating rite of the RCIA process,
the Sacraments of Initiation, also takes place
at the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday.
The Elect culminate their long journey to initiation
in the waters of Baptism -- then, with the candidates,
the newly baptized are sealed with the oil of Confirmation
and share the bread and wine of the Eucharist
as full members of the Roman Catholic community.

Easter Sunday, April 8, 2012
8:30 and 11:15 a.m. Masses

Easter Sunday is a day all about seeking. The early Christian communities gathered around the Apostles, seeking more about the life and ministry of the Lord Jesus. Saint Paul told the baptized Colossians to "seek what is above." Mary of Magdala went to the tomb, seeking to find the Lord's body so that she could anoint it. We come to church on Easter Sunday, seeking many things. For some of us, this is a once-a-year journey, when we seek connection with the foundations of the Christian faith. For others, this day is the culmination of a long journey of Lenten repentance. For the newly baptized, this is the first day of a new life filled with promise and expectation. Whatever it is that we seek, let us be inspired by the disciple whom Jesus loved who, when he saw the wrappings of cloth inside the empty tomb, "saw and believed."
©Copyright, J.S. Paluch Co.

Click here to view Easter Photos

HOUSE BLESSING FOR EASTER
As we continue this great Easter Season of joy and celebration, new life is all around us. Our world and lives are coming alive to Spring and so is our faith as we celebrate the Resurrection of the Lord and the gift of eternal life! As mentioned at Mass, below is an Easter blessing for your home. Easter Holy Water is available to take home. During the Easter Season you are welcomed to take some holy water from the Baptismal font home and bless your home with the following prayer. Please bring a small container and take some holy water home. Gather your family in each room and offer the following prayer of thanksgiving to God for your family and home. Move from room to room sprinkling the holy water in each room. (Click here for a printable blessing)

Easter Home and Family Blessing Prayer

Lord, our God, You whose home is in heaven and on earth, surround this shelter with Your Holy Spirit. Encompass our home with the power of Your protection so that no evil or harm will come near. May Your blessing and protection shield our Home and family from destruction, storm, sickness and all that might bring evil to those who live here. (Members may take turns praying the following and sprinkling water in each room)

Blessed be this doorway. May all who come to it be treated with respect and kindness. May our comings and goings be under the seal of God's loving care.

Blessed be this living room and family room. May we truly live within it as people of peace. May prayer and playfulness never be strangers within its walls.

Blessed be this dining room. May all our meals be reminders of the presence and love of God in our home, lives and world.

Blessed be this kitchen. May our meals remind us always of the many blessings of this life, and may the ill-seasonings of anger and bitterness never poison the meals prepared here.

Blessed be this bathroom. May the spirits of health and healing abide here and teach us to honor and love our bodies and minds.

Blessed be these bedrooms. Here we shall find rest, refreshment and renewal. May the spirits of love and affection together with the spirits of the angels touch all who shall use these rooms.

Blessed be all the rooms of this home. May each of them be holy and filled with the spirit of happiness.

May our door be always open to those in need and may the holy light of God's presence shine brightly in this home. May it be a blessing for all who live here and for everyone who shall come to our door.

May God's holy blessings rest upon us all; in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. AMEN!

50 Days of Easter
Easter Day is certainly the most important day of the church year. The celebration of Easter begins during the Easter Vigil after nightfall on Holy Saturday, continues through Easter Sunday and into the Easter season, a full 50 days, until Pentecost (the day that the Holy Spirit was given to the Church). The Great 50 Days of Easter are a wonderful opportunity to explore and celebrate Easter more fully than we can possibly squeeze into a single day. These fifty days can be a time of learning to live the way of Easter in our everyday experience.

BACK TO TOP


The Ascension of the Lord (40 Days after Easter) - May 17, 2012
This Holy day of Obligation, 40th day of Easter, commemorates Christ's Ascension into Heaven from Mount Olivet 40 days after He rose from the dead (Mark 16:14-20) . After the Gospel is sung, the Paschal Candle, lit from the New Fire of the Easter Vigil, is extinguished to symbolize the departure of Christ.
[Many dioceses in the United States celebrate the Ascension on Sunday following rather than on Ascension Thursday]

Pentecost - May 27, 2012
Also known as "Whitsunday," Pentecost is the second greatest Feast of the liturgical year -- the first being Easter -- and takes place 50 days (7 weeks) after Easter. The fiftieth day after Easter, this day celebrates the coming of the Holy Ghost upon the disciples and Our Lady, and is regarded as the crowning close to the Easter season. This day is considered a sort of "birthday" for the Church.

ORDINARY TIME
The second part of Ordinary Time begins after the Easter Season, on the Monday after Pentecost, and ends on the Saturday before the First Sunday of Advent and is devoted to the mystery of Christ in all its aspects. This Season's focus is the Holy Spirit in the Millennium, the Church Age that we now live in, and Christ's Reign as King of Kings -- the time between the Age of the Apostles and the Age to Come.

Trinity Sunday - June 3, 2012
The first Sunday after Pentecost, Trinity Sunday celebrates the Christian doctrine of the Trinity, the three persons of God: the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Trinity Sunday also represents the beginning of the Church part of the liturgical year, continuing until Advent.

The Feast of Corpus Christi (Body & Blood of Christ) - June 10, 2012
As on Maundy Thursday, we celebrate the Body of Christ -- but this time without the sense of impending doom of knowing what would come on Good Friday. This feast has an interesting history. Its inspiration is due to two things: the first is the Miracle of Bolsena, which happened in A.D. 1263. Peter of Prague, a German priest, during a pilgrimage to Rome, stopped at the Church of St. Christina there to offer Mass. While he was a holy and devout man, he harbored doubts about the Real Presence -- doubts which were completely resolved when the Host he consecrated during that Mass began to bleed. He rushed to meet Pope Urban IV in Orvieto, bringing the Host with him. The miracle was declared, and the Host is still on display at the Cathedral of Orvieto today. The second source of inspiration was an Augustinian nun, a Belgian named St. Juliana of Mont Cornillon (A.D. 1193-1258). She had a vision of the Moon that was full and beautiful, but marked by a black spot that signified that there was no joyous celebration of the Eucharist in the entire Church calendar.


The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary - August 15th
Because she belonged to Christ, Mary, our queen, is raised on high, a great sign for all who believe in her Son. On this day, a Holy Day of Obligation, we recall Our Lady's being assumed into Heaven and crowned Queen.

BACK TO TOP

Blessing of Pets
The Feast of St. Francis of Assisi is October 4. Here at St. Joseph's we will have our annual Pet Blessing on Saturday, October 6, 2012 at 10:00 a.m. in the pavilion. Everyone is encouraged to bring their pets for this special blessing in honor of our patron saint of animals.

All Saints - November 1st
This is a Holy Day of Obligation on which we celebrate the Church Triumphant -- all the Saints in Heaven, canonized or unknown. Let us rejoice in all the men and women, blest in the eyes of the Lord, who celebrate the heavenly liturgy. They stand in God's holy place and sing of the love the Father has bestowed upon them through the blood of the Lamb. All Saints Masses will be held at 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, November 1, 2012.

All Souls Day - November 2nd
During the entire month of November we remember in a special way all those parishioners and loved ones who have passed away during the past year. The Feast of All Saints is November 1 and the Feast of All Souls is November 2. These two feasts at the beginning of November stress the reality of death, resurrection, punishment, or reward. All Souls Day Masses will be held at 8:00 a.m. and ?7:00 p.m. on Friday, November 2, 2012.
On the weekend nearest to the Feast of All Souls, the parish typically holds a special remembrance for all of our deceased parishioners at Mass. The Book of Remembrance is placed in the sanctuary beginning the first weekend of October for everyone to write the names of loved ones. All deceased of the parish and our families will be remembered throughout the month of November at all of our parish's weekly celebrations.

Christ The King - November 25, 2012
On this day, we pray for the conversion of all to Christ, and for all governments to recognize Him as King and conform their laws to His teachings. This is the only way to peace!

THANKSGIVING CELEBRATIONS
The Crestwood area typically has an annual Mantua Community Thanksgiving Service the Sunday before Thanksgiving hosted my area churches on a rotating basis (watch for 2012 service details). The service invites congregations from the area's churches with several of the clergy, choirs, and musicians participating. People from all faiths are invited to come give thanks for their many blessings and to help those less fortunate in this beautiful community tradition (collection will be taken for 4C's). A reception will follow.
On Thursday, November 22, 2012, there will be a 9:00 a.m. Mass. We come to give thanks for our many blessings in this seasonal tradition.

PARISH EVENTS, ACTIVITIES & HAPPENINGS

SOUP, SONG & SOUL STIRRINGS
St. Joseph's 2012 Lenten Series begins on the first Tuesday of Lent, February 28, and runs for five consecutive Tuesdays. Soup Suppers begin at 6:00 p.m. in Hughes Hall and are a long standing tradition at St. Joe's. Parishioners are invited to bring a pot of soup or a loaf of bread to share. Don't have time this week to make soup? That's OK-come anyway! There's always plenty!

At 6:45 p.m. following Soup Suppers there will be a different musical group leading prayer and song. Each week will feature a different style of inspirational music to enhance our prayer. From soul stirring, up beat Latino music, or high energy, clap your hands Gospel to the calming, reflective chant of Taize or the meditative sound of Tibetan music bowls, this Lenten series will have some stirring sound for everybody. (What's a Tibetan music bowl? Come and hear the enchanting sound!)

Soup, Song & Soul Stirrings is an interactive musical prayer series, not a weekly performance. Each week will be different from the next. Parishioners will be refreshed and excited with each soul stirring weekly musical group. This series is free. Bring a friend or bring yourself. This is a Lenten series not to be missed.