Third Sunday of Advent, December 16
Zephaniah 3:14-18a, Philippians 4:4-7, Luke 3:10-18
All three readings speak joyfully of the good news. Zephaniah encourages us to leave fear behind in favor of joy. Paul emboldens us to replace all anxiety with thanksgiving. John the Baptist challenges us to exchange collecting with sharing. All this because the Lord, our God, “is in our midst,” “is near,” “is coming.”

• How do I heighten my joy in the Lord’s nearness?

• How do I make my kindness known to all?

• How can I make use of Advent time to share all I have and be satisfied?
   

Church Carpeting Project Complete
Thanks to the generosity of of time, talent, and treasure of our parishioners, our church space and narthex are getting new carpeting installed. On November 12, a dozen and a half volunteers came together to move the pews into Hughes Hall and tear out the old carpeting. Workers then applied a skim coat and sealer to the floors. The carpeting in the church and Narthex has now been installed.

   

   

Christmas Cheer Cookie Project
If you know of anyone who could use a gift of homemade cookies for the holidays, we invite you to share their name for this special parish activity. Please submit them on the Narthex sign-up sheet in by Sunday, December 2. Or you may contact Sr. Joyce Schreiber or Jane Kennedy through the Parish Office (330-274-2253 or parishoffice@stjosephmantua.com).

Donating Cookies
Each baker is asked to donate
5 dozen homemade cookies
weekend of December 15/16

Assembling Boxes
Monday, December 17
10:00 a.m. Parish Center

Making Deliveries
Week of December 18-23
 
Please sign-up in the Narthex or contact the Parish Office (330-274-2253) to
participate in the various aspects of this project as we spread some Christmas cheer.

Christmas Environment
To remember a loved one at Christmas you may wish to make a donation to the Christmas Flower Fund. Please use the special Christmas Flower envelope included in your contribution envelope packet (or a plain envelope). Be sure to PRINT the names of those you wish memorialize and indicate whether your contribution is “in memory of” (deceased) or “in honor of” (living). Online givers should enter the names in the “Other Comments” section of their ConnectNow donation page. We ask that your intentions be turned in by Monday, December 17, to be included on the Christmas bulletin insert. These donations not only help provide our beautiful Christmas environment but also assist with church environment expenses throughout the year.

Christmas Wafers (Oplatki)
The people of Central Europe have had oplatki as part of their Christmas Eve meal 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. Generally the eldest member of the family will begin the ritual by breaking off a piece of the wafer and passing it to another family member with a blessing. This blessing can simply consist of what you desire for your loved one in the upcoming year – whether it be good health, success, or happiness. The purpose of this act is primarily to express ones unconditional love and forgiveness for each member of his or her family. Just as we share in the Eucharist as one family in Christ and receive Christ’s love through the Eucharist, the Oplatki allows for one’s immediate family to come together and share the love they have for one another. Oplatki is available in the Narthex beginning the second weekend of Advent for those who would like to celebrate this tradition of unity. Your donation to help defray the cost is appreciated. (FYI - Leftover Oplatki from last year may be used for the current year. Each person receives a very small piece so the large wafer should be ample for many people).

Mitten Tree
PSR is accepting donations of hats, gloves, and scarves of all sizes for Catholic Charities in Ravenna. Place your donations on the Christmas Tree in the hallway. Items will be collected from Sunday, December 30 through Sunday, January 13.
 

Portage County Dinner & Doctrine 
Who Do You Say That I Am: Abrahamic Traditions

As this series has looked at our Catholic connection to the Islam and Jewish faiths our next speaker, Dr. Tom Sauline, will continue the topic “Who Do You Say That I Am: Abrahamic Traditions, United in Christ.” He will focus on how Lutherans and Catholics are our neighbors in faith. This event will take place on Tuesday, January 15, 6:00–8:00 p.m. at “The Overlook” (formerly Twin Lakes Country Club) in Twin Lakes. Tickets are available for $25.00 in the Parish Office. Included in the evening is a buffet dinner (cash bar) at 6:00 p.m. followed by the speaker's presentation at 7:00 p.m.
Tom Sauline has spent many years as a Consultant for Religious Education at Diocese of Youngstown. He is currently a Pastoral Associate at St. Joseph Parish in Austintown. He is a representative for the Northeast Ohio Synod and Ecumenical and Interfaith who have entered into a Lutheran-Catholic Covenant. He is also a published author.
This series is presented by the Portage County Catholic Parish Ministers Association. The last day to make your reservations through the Parish Office is Monday, January 7. For more information, please contact Sr. Joyce Schreiber or the Parish Office (330-274-2253). Makes a great Christmas gift!

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.

Feast of 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."

Our Vigil Masses are held on Monday, December 24, at 5:00 and 10:00 p.m. (5:00 p.m. Mass includes a children's choir). There is no midnight Mass at St. Joe's. On Tuesday, 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. Rev. James-Peter Trares, O.P., will be presiding at all of our Christmas Masses. All are welcome.

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.
 

Feast of the Solemnity of Mary, The Holy Mother of God - January 1st
The Octave Day of the Nativity of the Lord

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"! Masses will be held at 5:00 p.m. on Monday, December 31, and at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, January 1.
 

Women's Auxiliary of K of C Offering Scholarship
The Women's Auxiliary of Mantua Knights of Columbus Council #3766 is sponsoring a $500.00 scholarship for a Catholic female that is graduating in 2019 and planning on attending either a two or four year college or a vocational-technical school. Please encourage anyone you know in the area to apply. You can obtain the eligibility rules and application on the Women’s Auxiliary page , by clicking here, or from Annette Carlisle at annette.carlisle.7258@gmail.com. Deadline date is January 30, 2019.

Bishop's Appeal for Catholic Charities and Church
The 2018 Bishop’s Appeal for Catholic Charities and Church continues through Pentecost. This important annual fund raising campaign unites Catholics throughout the six counties of our diocese in a spirit of compassion and charity to serve the needs of others. In 2017, Catholic Charities provided help and hope to over 11,000 people in Portage and Stark Counties. Your generosity and support for the Bishop’s Appeal helps to change lives . . . one family at a time. As of November 15, St. Joseph Church has 172 households contributing $37,305.00 in support of the 2018 Bishop’s Appeal — that’s 118% of our goal of $31,601.00! Bishop Murry has approved a 25% rebate to all parishes that exceed their goal (in cash received) for this year’s collection. To make your gift to the 2018 Appeal online, visit www.doy.org. Thank you for helping Catholic Charities change lives one family at a time through the Bishop's Appeal.

St. Joseph Church now has a new system, called My Own Church, for updating your family information! All you need to do is hit the blue "Update Your Info" button and create an account. Then, someone in the church office will approve your account, and you’ll be able to update all of your family information, including names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses. Your family members' sacrament information is also among the information available. You’ll be able to view the St. Joseph Church pictorial directory (photos from the 2008 and 2014 Parish Pictorial Directories are already loaded into the database). You’ll be able to upload your favorite family photo and chose whether you want that photo (or other information) to be visible to other members who’ve logged in—or you can keep some information private and available only to church administrators. If you’re involved in ministries here at St. Joseph Church, the information you put into My Own Church will help us schedule your ministry. You’ll be able to update your preferences and availability. For more details including FAQs and how to videos, click here.

Please remember to check out My Own Church soon! 

Parish Business Directory & Directory of Talents
St. Joseph Church is creating a Parish Business Directory of parishioner-owned businesses and professional services in an effort to help the parish provide economic support within our own community.  This new Business Directory is intended to be an online resource that gives current information such as contacts, links to websites and other descriptions of these businesses. In addition, we're putting together a comprehensive list of talents and services. There will also be a printed edition created as the lists develop. Click here to learn more.

ParishSOFT Giving (formerly ConnectNow Giving)
We’re pleased to announce that St. Joseph Church now provides online giving through software called ParishSOFT Giving (formerly ConnectNow Giving). This is a convenient and safe way to make a one-time or recurring donation. It replaces the WeShare Online Giving that we previously used. ParishSOFT Giving is part of our parish database. It is less expensive for the parish and contributions are automatically entered into the database (rather than the secretary printing out a report and manually entering them). Getting started is easy! - just click on the ParishSOFT Giving button (on the right hand column under Links). To learn more about this convenient way to donate to St. Joseph Church, please visit our ParishSOFT Giving webpage.