Parafia p.w. Narodzenia Najświętszej Maryi Panny
ST. MARY’S POLISH PARISH
21 Wesley St., Sydney, NS, B1N 2M5
(meeting temporarily at Holy Redeemer Church
with thanks to our friends of Holy Redeemer Parish)
Tel.: (902) 564-4847
Fax: (902) 564-2260
www.StMarysPolishParish.ca
Witamy wszystkich! Welcome to all!
We are pleased to share our faith and rich traditions with the whole community.
Celebrating 100 years of faith and service (1913-2013)

PROBOSZCZ/PASTOR:  Father Paul Murphy 564-4355

MSZY/MASSES: Sunday at 9:30 a.m. (temporarily at Holy Redeemer Church)
Wednesday at 4:00 p.m. followed by Novena to Our Lady of Częstochowa. Praying of the Rosary begins prior to Mass at approximately 3:35 p.m.

SPOWIEDŹ:  Godzina do uzgodnienia z księdzem.
SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION: Anytime upon request to the priest.

SAKRAMENT CHRZTU ŚWIĘTEGO:  Prosimy o kontakt z księdzem conajmniej na 1 miesiąc przed planowaną datę.
SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM: Please contact the priest at least one month in advance.

SAKRAMENT MAŁZEŃSTWA:   Zapowiedzi powinny być ogłoszone conajmniej na 6 miesięcy przed planowaną datę.
SACRAMENT OF MATRIMONY: Intentions must be announced at least six months in advance.

______________________________________________________________________________ 

Druga Niedziela Adwentu / Second Sunday of Advent

TODAY’S MASS INTENTION is for Teofil Pierrynowski offered by  Mary Pierrynowski. Eternal rest grant onto him O Lord, and may perpetual light shine upon him. Wieczny odpoczynek racz Mu dać Panie, a swiatłość wiekuista niechaj Mu świeci na wieki wieków. Amen

The Vigil Candle this week is for Michael & Nellie Cleary offered by Peggy Ryba.

Eucharistic Minister for today: Janet Hawthorne

Ushers for collection today: Michael Melski, Toni Larusic

______________________________________________________________________________

NASTĘPNY TYDZIEŃ / THE WEEK AHEAD

WEDNESDAY MASS AND NOVENA TO OUR LADY OF CZESTOCHOWA – will not take place this week. We will be discussing future arrangements.

Sunday, December 14, 9:30 a.m. Third Sunday of Advent. The Mass intention will be for Jozef Ryba offered by Peggy Ryba & family (moved from November 30).
Lectors: Anna Wesolkowska, Elaine Tynski-Shipley                                                       
Eucharistic Minister: Suzanne Campbell
Altar Servers: Brianna, James and Frankie
Ushers: Robert Melski Sr., Larry Gniewek
Greeters: Marjorie Ardelli, Carolyn Kiley
Altar Society volunteers for December: (we will be asking for the Altar Society’s kind assistance to set up some special prayers and events in the coming weeks): Peggy Ryba, Ursula Melski, Catherine and Herb Tucker, Lynette Ryba                                 

MASS CARDS/VIGIL CANDLE: Contact Tom Urbaniak (563-1226)

IN MEMORIAM DONATION: To make an In Memoriam donation, please pick up one of the IMO cards/St. Mary’s Polish Church envelopes at the back or speak with Shauna McKay. These will be acknowledged in the bulletin. We also welcome donations to the Building Fund, as we continue with improvements and repairs.

“IMIENINY” (NAME DAYS) FOR THE COMING WEEK. Help to maintain a longstanding Polish Catholic tradition by acknowledging relatives, friends, and colleagues who are celebrating their “name day,” corresponding with the feast day of a saint of the same name.  Where there is more than one saint of the same name who has been assigned a day, your “name day” is the one closest to your birthday. It is customary in the Polish tradition to acknowledge the name day of a relative or friend:
December 7: Marcin, Ninomysł; Marcin, Ninomysł
December 8: Boguwola, Maria, Swiatozar
December 9: Joachim, Wielisława, Wiesław
December 10: Andrzej, Daniel, Judyta, Julia, Maria
December 11: Daniela, Julia, Stefan, Waldemar, Wojmir
December 12: Aleksander, Dagmara
December 13: Lucja, Łucja, Otylia
December 14: Alfred, Izydor, Sławobor

______________________________________________________________________________

OGŁOSZENIA / ANNOUNCEMENTS

PARAFIA P.W. NARODZENIA NAJSWIETSZEJ MARYI PANNY- WE WILL RISE AGAIN – A NOTE: Thank you so much for everything you are doing to provide solace following the devastating fire. Part of each of us died last Saturday. It is hard to put into words. We have been receiving prayers and support from across Canada and beyond. It’s been overwhelming. We know that we are not alone. The rebuilding will bring together so many friends near and far. St. Mary’s Polish Church will soon rise again. It will beautifully reflect our spiritual and cultural heritage and traditions, and be at the heart of our community, with doors open to all, caring for all. In the meantime, the parish has resolved to stay together as a welcoming and unique community of faith. For the time being, on Sundays at 9:30 a.m. we will have our Polish Mass at Holy Redeemer Church. Thank you to our friends at Holy Redeemer for sharing their home with us. And thank you to Father Paul. The liturgy, our Polish choir, the St. Mary’s Polish Parish bulletin, the collection for our parish, our committees and community service commitments – all of these will remain. Parish Christmas schedules will also be maintained. Everyone is welcome. As usual, our bulletins will include inserts to make Polish hymns and responses accessible to non-Polish speakers. Thank you again – for everything you are doing and sharing at this difficult time. Peace and best wishes. Pokój z wami.

After Mass today, we will gather at the Polish Village Hall, downstairs, to work on inventories of every item in our historic church. This has been requested by our insurance adjustor. We will need everyone’s assistance with this. Serdecznie dziekujemy. And thank you also to Tim Horton’s for donating coffee and donuts.

*OPLATEK (TRADITIONAL POLISH CHRISTMAS WAFERS) AND POLISH CHRISTMAS CARDS WILL BE FOR SALE IN THE POLISH MICRO-MARKET IN THE HALL – ALL PROFITS TO THE REBUILDING OF THE CHURCH.

MEETING WITH FATHER PAUL ABBASS: The Rada Duszpasterska (Parish Council), together with Father Paul, met on Thursday with Father Paul Abbass, the bishop’s representative. We conveyed our parish’s unshakeable determination that our church will be rebuilt, as provided for in the insurance policy and by the special-purpose trust under which the property is held, and as supported by people and organizations from across Canada and beyond. We will shortly be engaging architects to work with parishioners on a proposed design. We are hearing the strong view that it be a church in the traditional Polish style (the site is still a provincial heritage site, subject to design approvals), accessible to persons with various disabilities and with modern features, reinforcing our commitment to Catholic devotion, Polish customs, hospitality, and serving the community.

CATECHISM AND POLISH CULTURAL CLASS, for school-age children, led by Krista Ann Starzomski. Plans are underway to resume these shortly.

POLISH LANGUAGE CLASSES, led by Edyta Baczyk, will be resumed in the new year.

OUR FIRST RAFFLE DRAW FOR THE NEW CHURCH: Patsy Kiley’s beautiful quilt survived the fire because it was in the hall for display during the Polski Piatek social, the day before the fire. The draw date was today. So we will do the draw in the Polish Village Hall after Mass. Proceeds will go toward the Building Fund for the new church.

St. Mary’s Polish Parish collection envelopes for 2015 will be available shortly. If you or your family do not currently have envelopes, but would like to, please speak with Shauna McKay, Chair of the Finance Committee (samckay@ns.sympatico.ca; 902-539-4354). Building Fund envelopes were lost in the fire but will be printed this week, with those funds going toward the new church.

VISIT OF SWIETY MIKOLAJ (ST. NICHOLAS): Swiety Mikolaj normally visits our church on the Sunday closest to his feast day (Dec. 6), in keeping with the Polish custom. He will still visit this year – but a little later as there is no access yet to the site of our church. We hope to have there a tree-lighting and carol-singing, with the presence of Swiety Mikolaj. There will be more information in next week’s bulletin. St. Nicholas is known around the world as a friend and protector to all who are in trouble or need.

SALE OF POLISH MEAT PRODUCTS FOR CHRISTMAS – QUARTER OF PROCEEDS TO REBUILDING OF CHURCH: Andrzej  Rachfalski’s company from Halifax will be here next Sunday, December 14, after Mass – Polish Village Hall. He will have a number of items that are hard to obtain locally.

NOVENA TO ST. JOHN PAUL II -- Reflection for Day 8: “People are made for happiness. Rightly, then, you thirst for happiness. Christ has the answer to this desire of yours. But He asks you to trust Him. True joy is a victory, something which cannot be obtained without a long and difficult struggle. Christ holds the secret of this victory.”

PROPERTY COMMITTEE CHAIR – Jim Campbell. If you notice any repair/upkeep issues, please feel free to contact Jim at 565-8924 (cell) or 562-5837 (home).

THE RENOVATED AND REFURBISHED POLISH VILLAGE HALL is a comfortable, well appointed, modernized venue for events large and small. Please consider renting the hall for your events. Please call 564-8494.

PLEASE CHECK OUT OUR ON-LINE “VIRTUAL TOUR” AND AN 8.5 MINUTE PARISH WELCOME VIDEO ON OUR WEBSITE:  www.stmaryspolishparish.ca

Wishing you a blessed week! Bóg zapłać!

______________________________________________________________________________

TODAY’S HYMNS: Please note: Our hymnbooks were destroyed in the fire. New ones will be prepared, but we will provide texts and notes as inserts wherever possible.)
Entrance: Serdeczna Matko [Beloved Mother]
Offertory: Głos wdzięczny z nieba wychodzi [A Grateful Voice from Heaven Emerges]
Communion: Idzie wieczny Bóg [Goes Forth the Eternal God]
Post-Communion: Witaj święta i poczęta [Welcome, Most Holy and Immaculate]
Closing: Oto Pan Bóg przyjdzie [The Lord Cometh]

______________________________________________________________________________

DZIĘKUJEMY
We have received many hundreds of notes from across Canada and beyond, offering sympathy, prayers and help in the rebuilding. Here is just a sampling:
•Cape Breton elected officials from the three levels of government have written or called to express support.
•Support pledged from Polish Consul General Andrzej Szydlo
•Countless communities of faith, of all denominations, in Cape Breton have written or called to express sympathy and offers to help, including contributing items, places to meet, and labour to the new church.
•Teresa Berezowski, President of the Canadian Polish Congress, who visited our parish last year, has asked all of the Congress’s branches across the country to support us. Yesterday’s nationally broadcast Polski Studio (watched by Polish communities across Canada) had a special feature urging all Polish Canadians to lend a hand to the rebuilding.
•The Heritage Trust of Nova Scotia and the National Trust for Canada have offered their support.
•International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers promised to provide electrical, gratis
•MP Mark Eyking made a statement in the House of Commons praising our church, the “resilience of Polish Cape Bretoners” and giving us encouragement as we go forward.
•Prof. Joanna Pylat of Polish University Abroad (London, UK), who recently visited our church, has pledged any assistance from her colleagues.
•CBU administration have pledged their support, as has the Beaton Institute.
•Numerous individual pledges – such as masonry company, painting company – to donate their services.
•Numerous touching notes from relatives of parishioners or people from all over the world who have visited our church.

Here are a few random notes:
Jestesmy calym sercem z Wami i pamietamy w modlitwie w tak trudnym czasie.
Napewno pomozemy w czym bedziemy mogli.
Z Panem Bogiem,
Emilia Gondek z rodzina
****
Dowiedzialam sie, ze dzis splonal Wasz Kosiol Narodzenia NMP.
Jest mi bardzo przykro.
Widzialam zdjecia plonacego kosciola, ktore wywoluja wielki smutek.
Ciekawe, ze tablica tak dlugo nie zostala ogarnieta przez pozar.
Ogarniam Ciebie i wszystkich parafian modlitwa.
Niech Matka Boza tuli Was do swego Niepokalanego serca.
Z modlitwa
Kinga Fasciszewska
Catholic Family Radio
*****
My heart goes out to all of you on this sad day. I am so sorry ...
So many treasures you have lost. But thank God you have not lost the life of one of you.
You have been making so many efforts to keep your community alive and vibrant. Please continue to be there for one another.
I am hoping that you will be able to build again very soon. – Sister Agnes Burrows
***
Your forefathers started this with less than we all have now. I am sure that your community will gather, and reach not only in your hearts for wisdom and prayer, but the others in our community will stand beside you all and help rebuild – Joanne Horgan
***
I asked the people at St. Ann’s to pray for everyone at St. Mary’s in Sydney tonight at Mass and
I will do the same tomorrow at my 2 Masses.  I feel the sense of loss in many ways since it was the spiritual home for all of my dad’s family. Once things settle down, I would be happy to offer any input on rebuilding since I built an $8.2 million dollar church in Waterdown, Ontario 10 years ago and it was seen as setting the standard for church construction. Please send my personal words of support to the parish and perhaps a visit should be made in the coming year.
God Bless
Fr. Joe Durkacz, Pastor
St. Ann’s Church
Hamilton, Ontario
[Father Joe wrote again to say that his bishop, Douglas Crosby, offered a special Mass intention for our parish.]