The one who began a good work in you will continue to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus. (Phil 1:6)
Second Sunday of Advent
My dear friends,
The second week of Advent always focuses on Saint John the Baptist and how he prepares us for the Coming of Jesus Christ. We as human beings are never meant to be fixed in ways of sin, but to be converted, to turn back to God and to find mercy and forgiveness. Each IHM household in the Christmas envelope mailing will receive an examination of conscience to prepare for Confession. Please take advantage of this Sacrament and gift of Jesus.
It is also during Advent that we find wonderful devotion to our Blessed Mother. This Wednesday, December 8, is the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, a Holy Day of Obligation like Christmas. What do we celebrate this day, but namely that to an older childless couple, Joachim and Anne, God began the definitive work of our salvation. For they conceived a child, Mary, in their old age, but one so very different from the rest of humanity. Blessed Mary from the first moment of her existence was never touched by Original Sin. Or to put it positively, she always had what all of us lack at conception and birth - being holy and filled with God’s grace.
The second week of Advent always focuses on Saint John the Baptist and how he prepares us for the Coming of Jesus Christ. We as human beings are never meant to be fixed in ways of sin, but to be converted, to turn back to God and to find mercy and forgiveness. Each IHM household in the Christmas envelope mailing will receive an examination of conscience to prepare for Confession. Please take advantage of this Sacrament and gift of Jesus.
It is also during Advent that we find wonderful devotion to our Blessed Mother. This Wednesday, December 8, is the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, a Holy Day of Obligation like Christmas. What do we celebrate this day, but namely that to an older childless couple, Joachim and Anne, God began the definitive work of our salvation. For they conceived a child, Mary, in their old age, but one so very different from the rest of humanity. Blessed Mary from the first moment of her existence was never touched by Original Sin. Or to put it positively, she always had what all of us lack at conception and birth - being holy and filled with God’s grace.
On this Solemnity, the the Patronal Feast of the Church in the United States, we celebrate how God is preparing Blessed Mary to be the Mother of His Son. It is also a gift of hope to us, that what we lacked due to Original Sin, we may share in God’s grace through the gift of restoration through Jesus Christ and His Body, the Church.
A blessed Sunday and Immaculate Conception to all!
In this Edition:
- Christmas Caroling Event - Saturday, December 5th following the 5:30PM Mass
- Christmas Flower Memorials
- Second Collection next weekend: Retired Religious
- Catholic Charities Thank You
- The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception is a Holy Day of Obligation -December 8th Mass Schedule
- Giving Tree at IHM - by Sunday, December 12th
- WeShare Donor Matching Program through December 31st
- Be a Knight Before Christmas
IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY PARISH & SCHOOL
cordially invites you to our
CHRISTMAS CAROLING EVENT
Saturday, December 4th
Immediately following the 5:30PM Mass
Join us for Christmas carols in the Church
All attendees will receive a Christmas craft to create at home.
This is a free event brought to you by the IHM One Community Committee.
All are welcome. No RSVP needed.
WORD ON FIRE | ENGAGE
Hope in the Waiting!
Hope. Hope may sound to our ears like simple optimism, but as Catholics, we believe that hope is about something deeper.
Hope is a theological virtue, hope is a GIFT that God grows and cultivates in us, especially during this Advent season that emphasizes waiting in times of darkness. Even in situations of suffering and evil, we can ask for an increase in and grow in the virtue of hope.
“Prepare the way of the Lord!” John the Baptist declares in our Sunday reading. To prepare the way is to internally take stock of what habits, sins, and behaviors we’re trying to keep in the dark away from the transforming power of Christ.
We don’t have forever to respond to God’s call.
Have hope in the God who wants abundant life for you and wants you running in true freedom, for our God is faithful.
Hope is a theological virtue, hope is a GIFT that God grows and cultivates in us, especially during this Advent season that emphasizes waiting in times of darkness. Even in situations of suffering and evil, we can ask for an increase in and grow in the virtue of hope.
“Prepare the way of the Lord!” John the Baptist declares in our Sunday reading. To prepare the way is to internally take stock of what habits, sins, and behaviors we’re trying to keep in the dark away from the transforming power of Christ.
We don’t have forever to respond to God’s call.
Have hope in the God who wants abundant life for you and wants you running in true freedom, for our God is faithful.
"God had no need to become man; man was already made through Him. It was we who needed God to become man and dwell among us."
Questions for Additional Reflection:
- How would you define "hope" to a friend?
- How does the Christian understanding of hope differ from the understanding of the world?
- Going deeper: read the Catechism's writings on the power of the theological virtue of Hope
MASS SEATING
1. Striving to best accommodate all seating preferences at our Masses: the School side of the church has no seating restrictions on distance and masks are optional, most of the Carman Road side offers social distancing and we ask all to wear masks on that side of church, and the Adoration Chapel offers an environment for those who are uncomfortable being in the main body of the church with unmasked individuals, therefore social distance and required masks are in order.
2. During the School Year until the Sunday before Memorial Day 2022, the Sunday Mass schedule is as follows: 7:30 AM (no music), 9:00 AM (Family Mass), 10:30 AM (Adult Choir Mass) and 12:00 noon.
IHM DONATIONS
If you plan to contribute online using WeShare for your recurring IHM contributions, and would like to discontinue receiving mailed envelopes, or if you have any questions or comments about envelopes or WeShare, please use the simple contact form above.
The initial requests for the 2022 Book are being processed. After these are completed, another opportunity will be given for more requests. Stay tuned!
CHRISTMAS FLOWER MEMORIALS
Please use the envelope provided in your envelope packets for donations for our Christmas flowers. Your donation can be made in memory of a deceased loved one. Please print clearly. Additional envelopes are available at the doors of the Church or the rectory and should be returned before December 24th.
CLICK HERE if you would like to make your donation through WeShare.
Second Collection Next Weekend:
Retired Religious
The Second Collection next weekend is the Annual Appeal for the Retired Religious. Our parish will take up the annual archdiocesan collection for the thousands of retired Catholic sisters and brothers whose hard work, prayers, and sacrifices helped build our Catholic schools, hospitals, and charitable agencies. These dedicated women and men gave- and give- their lives in extraordinary and exemplary service to the archdiocese, and now, as they move into their senior years, we are able to offer them in return our love and support through this annual collection that helps to provide for their needs. Please do whatever you can to assist our retired religious. Please be as generous as possible. Thank You!
Catholic Charities “Thank You”
Thank you for generously supporting the Catholic Charities Campaign for Charity and Justice! As a parish we raised $2,227.00 to support parish and community-outreach to those on the margins. If you missed the collection, it’s not too late to give! To donate, visit: www.catholiccharitiesny.org
The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception
The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception is celebrated on Wednesday, December 8th. It is a Holy Day of Obligation.
THE MASS SCHEDULE IS AS FOLLOWS:
Tuesday, December 7th - 5:30PM Vigil Mass
Wednesday, December 8th - 6:45AM, 9:00AM, 12noon, & 7:30PM
Wednesday, December 8th - 6:45AM, 9:00AM, 12noon, & 7:30PM
We congratulate the following children who were baptized in the month of November, 2021. We also extend congratulations to their families!
Lila Mary Frank
Benjamin Paul Graham
Austin Michael Kelley
Eva Gioia Pollaro
Lily Grace Roda
William John Slattery
Christopher Anthony Vaccaro
GIVING TREE AT IHM
Please take a gift tag, purchase a new gift and return it unwrapped under the Giving Tree by Sunday, December 12th. Gifts are for the Dominican Sisters Family Health Agency in the South Bronx; Paradise House, a residence for people with AIDS on the Grand Concourse, HOPE Community Services, a food pantry, soup kitchen and social service agency in New Rochelle and some local families.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
We will be sorting Giving Tree items in the Rectory on Monday, December 6th and December 13thh after the 9AM Mass. Much help is needed!
ADOPT A FAMILY
There are several local families in need this Christmas. If you would like to adopt one of these family and provide gifts, please email Dotty Meehan at dotmeehan@aol.com.
WESHARE DONOR MATCH PROGRAM
The holiday season is one of the largest giving seasons for our church. Our online giving provider WeShare is generously providing a donor match program to help us increase recurring giving. Online gifts help reduce costs and our time spent handling other forms of payment.
For every first gift from a new recurring donor that is added between November 1 and December 31, 2021, WeShare will match that first gift, up to $50, with a maximum match of $1,000 for our church. To be eligible for the matching gift, more than one installment must be set up and the first recurring gift must be transacted by December 31, 2021.
We appreciate your generosity and your support of our church. We prayerfully ask that you consider helping us meet this goal by creating your recurring online gift today.
Visit our WeShare site, ihm-parish.churchgiving.com, to set up your donation. If you need any help regarding WeShare or you have any questions, please use the button below to let us know. Someone from the IHM Rectory will contact you to assist.
It’s finally here! Christmas time is here!
Or is it?
While Christmas is getting close, it isn’t here quite yet. Instead, we are in a period of waiting, a time of preparation and longing. We are in the Advent season.
So before you jump into your favorite Christmas playlist, try as a family to listen to some beautiful Advent carols and songs, to really prepare your hearts for the coming of Jesus at Christmas. Here are a few you can enjoy:
‘O Come, O Come Emmanuel’ - LISTEN or LISTEN in LATIN
‘Light of the World’ - LISTEN
‘Come Thou Long-Expected Jesus’ - LISTEN
‘Love Comes Down’ - LISTEN
‘O Come, Divine Messiah’ - LISTEN
‘You’ll Come’ - LISTEN
‘Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence’ - LISTEN
‘Breath of Heaven’ - LISTEN
What is your favorite Advent song to listen to as a family?
Leave a comment to let us know!
Leave a comment to let us know!
Catholic Men: Be a Knight Before Christmas
Attention busy Catholic family men, professionals and students: The Knights of Columbus online membership program allows Catholic men (ages 18+) and their families to enjoy the benefits of the world’s largest Catholic fraternal organization at their own convenience. In addition to many web-based spiritual resources, online members have access to the top-rated Knights of Columbus life insurance program as well as the option (but not the obligation) to transfer their membership to a local Knights of Columbus council.
Contact Bob Maffucci at 917-319-5525 orrobert.maffucci@kofc.org for a special promo code on kofc.org/JoinUs that will unlock a special no-risk offer of one full year of FREE online membership for those men who join in the month of December. Bob can also connect men interested in traditional membership with the officers of a nearby Knights of Columbus council.
- High School of Religion: The IHM High School of Religion (HSOR) meets in the Lower Church on Wednesday evenings from 7:30-8:45PM. We invite all high school students to come and see the HSOR is "A night out in the middle of the week!" Some of our activities are: prayers and pizza, scavenger hunt, annual Christmas Party, faith on film & more! Basketball will now be available in the gym after meeting!
- The Centering Prayer Group meets every Wednesday in the Church Library from 1-2PM. Newcomers are welcome. For more information, contact Elise Kuhn at 914-725-4728.
- The College Evenings: The next gathering will take place in the Rectory after the 7:30PM Mass on Wednesday, December 8th, the Immaculate Conception Holy Day! Please contact the group's Coordinator, Daniella Ashman, or the Co-Coordinator, David Pereira for more information (ihmchurch@ihmscarsdale.org). CLICK HERE to sign up for the email list.
- Forming a new parish young family group: Any father or mother of a young one who would be interested in some weekly prayer and socializing with other parents of young child(ren), please contact the rectory (ihmchurch@ihmscarsdale.org or 914-723-0281).
- Spread the word! IHM Class of 1976 Reunion: The Class of 1976 is starting to plan a class reunion for Saturday, April 23, 2022. The tentative agenda is to hold a Mass followed by a dinner/cocktail party with music and lots of reminiscing. If you or a loved one graduated IHM in 1976, please email Kathy LiCalzi Catanzariti or Theresa Vaccaro Nicholson through ihmchurch@ihmscarsdale.org.
RESPECT LIFE CORNER
Pray for Dobbs
We continue invite you to pray and fast for the upcoming Supreme Court decision concerning Dobbs v Jackson on the 22nd of each month for the next nine months as part of a nationwide prayer campaign. For more information about how your parish can get involved see the ADNY website. In 2018 Mississippi passed a law protecting unborn children after 15 weeks of gestation. The law was challenged and the case, known as Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization, was heard by the Supreme Court on December 1, 2021. This is truly a landmark case that could potentially overturn the decision of Roe v Wade. The possibility for future laws protecting the unborn hangs in the balance.
A decision is expected by June 2022. For an excellent analysis of the case, see Ed Mechmann's blogpost.
IHM Parish will host a night a prayer for our parish.
It will take place on Wednesday, December 8th,
from 8:30PM - 10:00PM in the church.
"The so-called right to abortion has pitted
mothers against their children and women against men. It has sown violence and
discord at the heart of the most intimate human relationships. It has
aggravated the derogation of the father’s role in an increasingly fatherless
society. It has portrayed the greatest of gifts–a child–as a competitor, an
intrusion and an inconvenience...”
- A Catholic Social Widows and Widowers Group, meets on the fourth Monday of the month, at Church of St Pius X, 91 Secor Rd, Scarsdale to honor our deceased spouses with a Mass at 7:00PM in the main church, followed by a social meeting with refreshments, masks are required regardless of vaccination status. We plan activities and have meals at local area restaurants. We welcome all Catholic Widows/Widowers. For inquiries, call 914-715-5817 or email: cww10583@gmail.com.
- The Saint John Vianney Clergy Residence, a home for retired Archdiocesan priests, provides care to our clergy after a lifetime of service to you and the Church. You are invited to support the priests and the Residence by remembering/honoring someone who has had a positive impact on your life through sponsoring a leaf on the Tree of Life located within the Residence. It can be anyone living or Lord: a priest, nun, teacher, family member, or friend. To sponsor a leaf or leaves, please complete the attached form and mail it to 1011 First Avenue - 14th Floor, New York, NY 10022. If you have any questions, call 646-794-3268 or email anthony.piscitiello@archny.org.
Parishioners who attend DAILY MASS, can sign up to receive an email each day for the readings of the day. If you would like to subscribe to the emails for the daily readings, Click HERE
For THIS SUNDAY's Readings, December 4/5, 2021, Click HERE
Please be advised that you can print them out at home or you can use your phone or tablet to follow along with the readings in church or at home.
SUNDAY, December 5, 2021
Second Sunday of Advent
7:30AM - The People of Immaculate Heart of Mary
9:00AM - Theresa Sullivan
10:30AM - Michael Anthony Magardino
12:00PM - Brother Timothy Murphy, FSC
10:30AM - Michael Anthony Magardino
12:00PM - Brother Timothy Murphy, FSC
MONDAY, December 6, 2021
St. Nicholas
6:45AM - Inez Riccomini
9:00AM - Frank Casey
TUESDAY, December 7, 2021
St. Ambrose
6:45AM - The Hyland Family
9:00AM - The Deceased Members of the Carrea Family
5:30PM - Tom Murtagh (Vigil of the Immaculate Conception)
WEDNESDAY, December 8, 2021
Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
6:45AM - Vincent dePaul Corio
9:00AM - Giovanni Mastronardi
12:00PM - Madeleine Barry
7:30PM - The People of Immaculate Heart of Mary
THURSDAY, December 9, 2021
St. Juan Diego
6:45AM - Santo Quintessenza
9:00AM - Margaret & Pat Roche
FRIDAY, December 10, 2021
6:45AM - Kevin Healy
9:00AM - Anne & Anthony Carrozza
SATURDAY, December 11, 2021
St. Damasus I
8:30AM - Christopher J. Murphy
5:30PM - The Kuhn & Otto Families
Please Remember in Your Prayers
The Sick of Our Parish
Fr. Thomas Lynch
Fr. Patrick Curley
Sr. Danielle Baran
Louis Ranucci
Jason Bergen
Christopher Kesicke
Barbara Grossberg
Thomas Cori
Rose Kelly
Phil Pinto, Jr.
Suzie Irwin
Ven & Priscilla Parameswaran
Angela Cerrato
Ven & Priscilla Parameswaran
Angela Cerrato
Marine Corps Sgt. Tyler Andrews
Laura Hernandez
Joanne Keating Thompson
Kelly Clark
Fabiola Rincon
For all those suffering from the Virus
The Deceased of Our Parish
Marie Donat
Christopher Terry
Joanne Keating Thompson
James Burns
All Victims of the Virus
- As part of the Communion of Saints and members of the Body of Christ, it is important for us to pray for our sick members and for those who have died.
- If you wish to be included by name, please contact the Rectory (ihmchurch@ihmscarsdale.org or 723-0276).
- If you are calling for another person, please ensure his/her permission.
- Our parish will keep the name of a deceased parishioner or loved one for 2 weeks on our bulletin and Sunday Mass lists.
KIDS KORNER
Please see this week's "Kids Korner"
prepared by our bulletin publisher, Bon Venture.
EMAIL: IHMCHURCH@IHMSCARSDALE.ORG
914-723-0276
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