Parafia p.w. Narodzenia Najświętszej Maryi Panny
ST. MARY’S POLISH PARISH
21 Wesley St., Sydney, NS, B1N 2M5
Tel.: 564-4847
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.
Wednesday at 4:00 p.m. including Novena to Our Lady of Częstochowa

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.

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Chrzest Chrystusa/Baptism of the Lord

TODAY’S MASS INTENTION is for John Paruch offered by Stella Paruch. 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.

TODAY’S RESPONSORIAL PSALM: Pan ześle pokój swojemu ludowi. / The Lord will bless His people with peace.

The Vigil Candle this week is for Walter Ryba offered by Frania & family.

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NASTĘPNY TYDZIEŃ/THE WEEK AHEAD:

Wednesday, January 16, 4:00 p.m.: Mass followed by Novena to Our Lady of Czestochowa. The Mass intention will be for Isobel Vassallo offered by Sue Tucker.

Sunday, January 20, 9:30 a.m.: The Mass intention will be for Hugh McMullin offered by the choir of St. Mary’s Polish Church
Lectors: Tony Melski, Paul Tynski
Eucharistic Minister: Marilyn Gillis
Altar Servers: Caleigh and Nikolas

Collection receipts for Sunday, January 6: $899.45 (broken down as follows: $475.60 weekly contribution, $235.00 monthly supplementary contribution, $61.85 candles, $55.00 initial offering, $30.00 New Year’s Day offering, $42.00 building fund). Thank you very much for your support of St. Mary’s Polish Parish.

MASS CARDS/VIGIL CANDLE/MASS INTENTIONS: Please call Paul Tynski (562-1716)

“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:
January 13: Bogumił, Bogusława, Weronika
January 14: Feliks, Radogost
January 15: Aleksander, Dąbrówka, Dobrawa, Domasław, Paweł
January 16: Marcel, Włodzimierz;
January 17: Antoni, Jan, Rościsław
January 18: Bogumił, Jaropełk, Krystyna, Małgorzata, Piotr
January 19: Andrzej, Bernard, Erwin, Henryk, Mariusz, Marta, Racimir, Sara
January 20: Dobiegniew, Fabian, Sebastian

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OGŁOSZENIA/ANNOUNCEMENTS

CHANGE IN WEDNESDAY MASS TIME FOR THE WINTER MONTHS: 4 p.m.: Our Wednesday evening Mass is at 4 p.m. Novena to Our Lady of Czestochowa follows as usual. Father Paul has effected this change out of consideration for people who may find it difficult to drive in the dark, especially in inclement winter conditions.

A FEW WORDS FROM THE PASTOR’S PEN: As our Christmas season draws to its close I want to take this opportunity to express my thanks to all those who made our Christmas liturgies so beautiful and meaningful. The Church looked spectacular and the comments were very positive. To all those who helped in any way with the liturgies – sincere thanks. And I also want to say how happy I am to be going around to your homes for the special Christmas Blessing. These have been a very busy few weeks for me but it is well worth the effort. It is a great way for me to find out where all the parishioners live and to spend at least a few minutes in your homes. Finally, I am sorry to say that I won’t be present for your Sunday Opłatek gathering. I am leaving for my ‘Christmas’ break. I’ll be back next week – hopefully with a tan!! May God continue to bless St. Mary’s Polish Parish with many more years of life and service. – Father Paul

PLEASE NOTE: The Christmas decorations will be taken down and the church cleaned beginning tomorrow (Monday) at 10 a.m. If you can spare an hour or two, we would be most grateful! Bóg zapłać!

USHERS’ SCHEDULE (TO TAKE COLLECTIONS) FOR THE NEXT MONTH (if you would like any changes, please contact Tom Urbaniak in advance – 563-1226; tom_urbaniak@cbu.ca):
Jan. 13: Toni LaRusic, Joe Gillis
Jan. 20: Michael Melski, Robert Melski Sr.
Jan 27. Steve Melnick, Joe Gillis
Feb. 3: Toni LaRusic, Michael Melski
Feb. 10: Joe Gillis, Robert Melski Sr.

ALTAR SOCIETY/CLEANING/DECORATING SCHEDULE: The schedules for the next six months for Altar Society/cleaning/decorating volunteers are on the table at the back of the church. (A copy can also be e-mailed to you – tom_urbaniak@cbu.ca). Attached is a list of tasks prepared by Janet Hawthorne.

MASS INTENTIONS: No individual Mass intentions will be taken for Sept. 8 (100 years to the day since our founding). The intention will be for all parishioners, living and deceased.

PREPARING FOR THE JANUARY 27 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING: In keeping with the new by-laws for the Rada (Pastoral Council), a call for nominations to the Rada was issued in two editions of the bulletin, with a deadline of January 6th (responses were collected by Janet Hawthorne on behalf of the Statutes/Policies Committee). Since October, when the By-laws were adopted, the Parish Planning Team has been serving as the Acting Rada. Its members have now been nominated to serve as the Rada for the next year. They are: Marjorie Ardelli, Carolyn Kiley, Toni LaRusic, Shari McKay, Tony Melski, Krista Ann Starzomski, Elaine Tynski-Shipley, Tom Urbaniak. (The By-laws provide for a Rada of up to eight members, and eight have been nominated. If there are more nominees than seats, an election will be held.) Under the By-laws, there are not nominations from the floor (because there has to be an orientation and verification by the Pastor), but there is one final opportunity for nominations, in writing to the Pastor within four days of this bulletin and signed by three parishioners. (Please note that the Finance Committee selections are made at a later date, by the Rada and Pastor.) Thank you, everyone, for assisting with the smooth adjustment to the new By-laws. By all accounts, it has been a constructive process

BLESSING OF ST. BLAISE: On Wednesday, Feb. 6th, at the 4pm Mass, throats will be blessed here at St. Mary’s Polish Church for those who so wish.

PLANNING TEAM MEETING MINUTES are posted on the parish bulletin board.

HEALING MASS: On Monday, February 11th, at 6:30pm, Holy Redeemer Parish will be holding a special ‘Healing Mass’. This date is also the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes and World Day of the Sick. A number of priests will be present to pray over any who so wish and to anoint them with Blessed St. Joseph’s Oil from St. Joseph’s Oratory in Montreal. This is not the sacrament of Anointing of the Sick. However, it is an opportunity to be prayed over by your priests. Any and all are welcome. You do not have to be seriously ill or sick to receive this special blessing

A limited number of 2013 POLISH-LANGUAGE MISSALS/PRAYER BOOKS (PAN Z WAMI SERIES) are available at the back of the church, for use in the church only, please. Dziekujemy!

100th ANNIVERSARY EVENTS: Last Sunday’s special bulletin insert outlining events this year for the 100th anniversary of our parish is now posted on the parish website: www.stmaryspolishparish.ca

PLEASE CHECK OUT OUR ON-LINE “VIRTUAL TOUR” www.stmaryspolishparish.ca

UROCZYSTOŚĆ CHRZTU PAŃSKIEGO/FEAST OF THE BAPTISM OF THE LORD: “Coście wyszli oglądać na pustyni? (...) Proroka zobaczyć? Tak, powiadam wam, nawet więcej niż proroka. On jest tym, o którym napisano: Oto ja posyłam mego wysłańca przed Tobą, aby Ci przygotował drogę. Zaprawdę powiadam wam: Między narodzonymi z niewiast nie powstał większy od Jana Chrzciciela.”-Jesus describing John the Baptist as an inspirational individual.
Previously celebrated at the same time as Epiphany, this Feast marks Jesus’ baptism in the River Jordan by John the Baptist, a holy man and cousin of Jesus, who led a general movement of repentance. John urged his students and associates to follow Jesus. John was murdered by King Herod around AD 30. We reflect today on the significance of Baptism – as an act of cleansing, of membership to our spiritual community, of our call to holiness. We renew our baptismal vows. To demonstrate the importance of Baptism, Pope John Paul II initiated on this day the practice of baptizing babies in the Sistine Chapel. This day is also the end of the Christmas season, an occasion that we will mark this evening at our Parish Opłatek Supper.

WEEK OF PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY, January 18-25: This special week of prayer and reflection was initiated in 1908 and involves the World Council of Churches to promote more dialogue and solidarity. Every year, the Christian denominations identify, together in preparation for the week, common prayers, themes, and reflections. This year’s question is: “What does the Lord require of us?” We are invited to pray as follows: Gracious God, may your Holy Spirit fill our communities with joy and celebration, so that we can cherish the unity we already share, and zealously continue in the search for visible unity. We rejoice in the faith and hope of peoples who refuse to allow their dignity to be diminished, seeing in them your wonderful grace and your promise of freedom. Teach us to share in their joy and learn from their faithful endurance. Rekindle our hope and sustain our resolve, that in Christ’s name we may walk together in love, raising a united voice of praise, and singing together one prayer of adoration. God of life, lead us to justice and peace. Amen.

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TODAY’S HYMNS:
Entrance: #191 in the coil-bound hymnal
Offertory: #145
Communion: Daj Mi Jezusa (not in hymnal)
Post-Communion: Idę Już Po Krótkim (this is a memorial hymn taught to the choir many years ago by Sisters with an association with the parish)
Closing: Wieczny Odpoczynek Racz Mu Dać Panie (in memory of John Paruch).