Church of St Anthony Newsletter |
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Thank you to these ladies who gathered all the donations for the "Bags of Hope" and made 26 bags to be distributed to children who are in the care of the Department of Children and Families.
Thank you to all who donated to this project and other gifts to our giving tree. We are extremely grateful that the recipients will have a Merry Christmas!
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Share with us how you and your family will be celebrating the Birth of Jesus this year!
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Thank you to Abigail, Emma, Faye, Gia, James, Jimmy, Joey, Josie, Kevin, Julia, Kathleen, Lucas-John, Martha, Molly, Mia, Micah, Nathan, and Riley for contributing drawings to our Keep Christ in Christmas contest!
Congratulations to Micah, whose drawing was chosen by Father Gregory.
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Mary’s example of accepting God's Will gives us Advent hope that the coming of Jesus into the manger of our hearts can be a reality of daily faith, not just the annual sentimental commemoration of a religious tradition or holiday cheer. During these last few days of Advent, we are invited into the heart of the Christian faith.
Let us ask for the grace to be awakened and accept the arrival of the greatest mystery of all: the birth of a baby, who is the salvation of mankind.
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- We will be decorating the church for Christmas this Sunday at 12:30 PM. If you can offer some time to help it will be greatly appreciated.
- Due to Covid restrictions, anyone intending to attend Mass at St. Anthony’s this Christmas will be required to have a ticket for admission. Tickets are available at the Parish Center. There will be only 100 tickets available for each of the Mass.
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The 3:00 pm and 5:00 pm are at full to capacity. Tickets are still available for the Midnight Mass on 12/24, and 9:00 am on 12/25.
- The Parish Center offices will be closed on Wednesday, December 23rd and we will return on Monday, December 28th.
- There will NOT be an 8 am Masses on Thursday, December 24th.
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Church Seating Change
Beginning on Christmas Eve, the seating in the church will change.
- Every 3rd pew will be completely open and there will be no tape on the seats. This will allow for large families to sit together without sitting on tape.
- Please enter through the center doors of the front of the church, (with the exception of those that cannot use stairs you may enter through the Angel doors and proceed up the side aisle), proceed up the center aisle and when you enter a pew, move to the far side aisle, allowing other people to sit in the pew.
- There are 20 pews open and with the capacity of 100, that leaves plenty of space for those attending.
- We expect that every individual or family will keep a 6 foot distance between them and the next person/family.
- The center aisle is meant to be used for walking toward the sanctuary and the side aisles are meant for walking away from the sanctuary
- Also, We will no longer use stickie notes to mark the pews on the weekend, only during the week.
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In the darkness of the grotto of Bethlehem, the Messiah was born; the Messiah who would save humanity affected by doubt and sin.
On Christmas Eve, the light from the star of Bethlehem will continue to inflame our hearts and fill us with hope and love. We can, and must, still celebrate the enduring love of God; such love that has never left us. Christmas is a season when our faith is strengthened by re-affirming hope amid defeat, gratitude amid suffering, and compassion amid tragedy.
Christmas is a graced occasion that translates the faith we profess in words. This makes for a more meaningful Christmas that is not only confined to gift-giving, but also in ourselves becoming God-sent gifts to every person we meet.
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The Work of Christmas
When the song of the angels is stilled,
When the star in the sky is gone,
When the kings and the princes are home,
When the shepherds are back with their flock,
The work of Christmas begins:
To find the lost, To heal the broken,
To feed the hungry, To release the prisoner, To rebuild the nations,
To bring peace among brothers,
To make music in the heart.
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At 4 pm on Christmas Eve and 10 am on Christmas day, The Archdiocese of Hartford will be live streaming Masses from the Cathedral of Saint Joseph, celebrated by Archbishop Leonard Blair on CHRISTMAS MASSES.COM
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Dear Parishioners,
Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones, and may your homes be filled with peace, joy and love during this beautiful season. As you gather with family and friends, allow the light of Jesus to penetrate deep into your hearts and souls so that you will truly enjoy this joyous season.
Time certainly passes so quickly and it is hard to imagine that this is the fifth Christmas that I will be celebrating with all of you wonderful people. My heart is full of gratitude to God for all the blessings He has bestowed upon me and our parish community during this challenging year.
Although our lives have changed dramatically as the year progressed, I want to thank you for your true commitment to our parish in spite of the sadness and personal discomfort many of you experienced due to the pandemic. I am particularly proud of all the work we have been able to accomplish and of the many ministries we offered help to.
I am grateful for the major project in the hall that has begun and I appreciate the support you have personally given me. Your talents and gifts of dedication, sacrifices, and hard work mean so much to me, no matter how large or small they may be. St. Anthony Parish is a beacon of God's love.
While violence is occurring all over our country and the world, celebrating the Nativity of the Lord Jesus gives us the opportunity to focus on the true spirit and joy of this blessed season. It is important that we focus on peace and hope.
It is my wish that the Infant Child Jesus and His most Blessed Mother grant you the joy and peace of this holy season and keep you and your loved ones safe.
On behalf of Deacon Domenic and the parish staff we wish you a blessed Christmas.
In Christ,
Father Gregory , Pastor
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St. Anthony Church
4 Union City Road – Prospect, CT 06712
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