Parish Newsletter December 2020
Dear Brothers and Sisters,

On Thursday, November 19, 2020, Archbishop Schnurr sent a letter to all the priests and deacons. What follows is an exerpt from his letter.

"Unlike governors in some states, Governor DeWine has never asked the Catholic Bishops of Ohio to lock churches or discontinue the public celebration of Mass. He has kept the Bishops apprised of the seriousness of this pandemic in the State of Ohio, and we have instructed our people to comply with the Governor’s mandate to wear masks and practice social distancing. Compliance with the mandate is an expression of love and concern for the health and well-being of our neighbor.

...The dispensation from the Sunday obligation remains in place, and the Bishops have encouraged Catholics to attend Mass on any day of the week when the mandate for social distancing (along with wearing a mask) can be followed.

...The Bishops have no intention of suspending the public celebration of Mass as we did in March. In the last months, much has been learned about the spread of the virus and what cautions can be taken to curtail the spread. As long as the guidance of public health offices is followed – wear masks, social distance, sanitize hands and churches on a regular basis, maximize fresh air exchange within buildings, etc. – the Bishops of Ohio are of the opinion that public Masses can continue to be celebrated. We must be concerned about both the spiritual and physical health of our people."

We remind you that Guardian angels has installed a GPS system that purifies the air, attacking and killing viruses, mold spores and bacteria, leaving us with clean air in our church, school, rectory and Business Office.

Sincerely,
Father Thomas M. King
Advent & Christmas Schedule

Immaculate Conception
Not a Holy Day of Obligation
Tuesday, December 8          7:30 & 9:00 a.m.
9:00 a.m. Mass will be live streamed

Sacrament of Reconciliation
Penance Service
Thursday, December 10          7:00 p.m.
 No confessions on December 26

Masses for Christmas
Not a Holy Day of Obligation
Thursday, Christmas Eve        3:00; 5:00 & 11:00 p.m.
Friday, Christmas Day               9:00 & 11:00 a.m
Information is below about how to RSVP for these Masses.
3:00 p.m. Christmas Eve Mass will be live streamed

Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God
 Not a Holy Day of Obligation
Thursday, December 31          5:00 p.m.
Friday, January 1               9:00 a.m.
9:00 a.m. Mass will be live streamed

Parish offices will be closed starting at noon on December 23 - 28 and from December 31 - January 3.
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Christmas Masses

If you plan to attend a Christmas Mass in person, and have not done so already, please make sure you RSVP as soon as possible. Committing in advance allows us to plan accordingly and still follow current health guidelines. We will be closing our online sign-up on December 10th. This allows our staff time to plan accordingly. After the 10th, those who has RSVP’d will receive specific information about seating, parking, and other procedures for attending Mass in-person. If your group needs to make changes, please contact Kay Froehlich at kfroehlich@gaschool.org by December 10th.
 
Many of our Masses are at capacity but we still have availability at the Christmas Eve 5pm Mass in the PC Gym and the 11pm Mass in the Church. There are also openings for Christmas Day Masses at 9am and 11am . You can RSVP by clicking here. You do not need to RSVP if you plan live stream Mass. The 3pm Christmas Eve Mass from Church will be streamed on our YouTube Channel and our Facebook page. That Mass can be played back any time after 3pm on December 24th.
 
Volunteers Needed
All of our Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Masses will need extra volunteers for their success. We are looking for parking assistants, additional ushers, greeters, and more. Please consider volunteering for either the Mass you are attending, or even helping with an additional Mass. If you are able to help, please click here to choose a volunteer opportunity. Thank you in advance for the gift of your time!
Transform Your Home This Advent

The Offices of Religious Education and Youth Ministry are encouraging families to start this new liturgical year in the right way by fulling celebrating the weeks of Advent! Do you know why one of the Advent candles is pink? How do you bless a Christmas tree? All of these questions and more will be answered with weekly installments in an ebook that you and your family can follow through the season of Advent. Start by picking up a Holy Water bottle and guidebook in the Gathering Space. Weekly reflection pages are being made available on the Religious Education and Youth Ministry web pages and are full of great info, activities, and links to wonderful Catholic resources.
Thank You To Everyone Who Participated In Giving Tuesday
 
We had 223 donors give $51,825 in the one-day online fundraiser!

One of our goals was that this effort could replace our Servathon this year. Due to current health guidelines, we have no plans to hold our annual Servathon, which is the only fundraising event our school holds each year. Our Giving Tuesday campaign well surpassed our previous Servathon efforts. So thank you! These funds will help offset budget shortfalls we’re seeing due to decreased tuition revenue due to lower enrollment, a reduction in state financial support, and unplanned expenses related to the Covid-19 pandemic.    

Guardian Angels is Family. We are a Parish deeply committed to growing Angels through our unique school ministry that started in 1895. This mission is our inheritance, our responsibility, and our legacy.
GA Garden Club Update
 
Our Garden Club has received some very generous donations in order to re-landscape the front of the Beechmont entrance to our church. The work was completed in mid-November using the donations received. Thanks to those who contributed!

The club has had a good number of both men and women join in cleaning up other areas of our campus. The landscaping around the front and side of the Rectory has been cleaned up with ivy being pulled out and grass planted as needed. The ivy under the fir tree in front of the Rectory has all been pulled up. Hedges have been trimmed, hardy mums have been planted, Our Lady’s grotto has been winterized. Work will continue as weather permits.
The club looks forward to the spring to continue beautifying our campus. If you are interested in joining the Garden Club, please contact Anne Kron, 231-0814 or Eileen Jarrold, 232-7283.  
Save the Date: Camp GAudeo, June 21-25

As we begin a new liturgical year, we’re hoping that you can mark your family’s calendar for our 7th annual middle school camp called “Camp GAudeo.” A global pandemic couldn’t stop the great things that Jesus had in store for our young people this past summer, and we’re so excited to see what He has in store for 2021. Registrations will open in late January, but we are hoping that families can mark their calendars and fit this week of ministry for current 5th-8th grade students into their future planning. We are also looking for adults and high school students who are interested in helping to plan this event, even in these very early stages. Contact Bradley Barnes at bbarnes@gaparish.org for more information.
Masses Continue to Be Streamed Each Sunday

As the COVID numbers rise in Hamilton County, we would like to remind you that watching Mass through our YouTube and Facebook live stream continues to be an option. We stream the Sunday 10am Mass, which can also be played back on either channel at a later time.
Make An Online Offertory Donation

We've seen a larger number of parishioners switching their offertory giving to our online donation platform in recent months. These gifts have been crucial this year! If you are interested in establishing a one-time or recurring gift through our online platform, just click the button below. Once you have an account setup, you can make any changes to your giving yourself through the website.
School News
School Masses
Due to Covid-19 and the additional measures we are taking to protect our students and staff, all school Masses are held privately and for students and staff only this school year. Students are socially distanced in church and required to wear a mask throughout the Mass. Thank you for keeping our children in prayer!
365 Lotto Tickets On Sale Now
365 Lotto tickets are on sale now! Each ticket gives you a chance to win money every day of the year in 2021. Drawings begin on January 1st, 2021. 

  • $1,000 winners on Easter, July 4th, & Christmas
  • $500 winners on all First Mondays
  • $100 winners on all Sundays
  • $40 winners on ALL remaining days of the year
Over $26,000 in prize money is up for grabs!

Tickets are $20 each and can be purchased in the Parish Office and School Office, or after Masses this weekend.

The ticket sales conclude on December 16, 2020. More information is attached.

All proceeds this year will go toward the new playground for our school.
Shop Boon Supply to Support the PTA
Attention Guardian Angels School PTA Friends and Family!

We are hosting an online fundraiser with Boon Supply, which sells a curated collection of products across home, office, on-the-go and more. Forty percent of every purchase you make goes back to our PTA. Click here to go directly to the GA PTA Boon Supply page. If you are on the general Boon Supply website, you will need to enter our fundraiser code which is 968780. We would love your help!
 
All proceeds from this fundraiser benefit the GA School Playground Project.
Shop Chipotle Fundraiser on December 9th
Forget cooking dinner on December 9th! Join us at Chipotle instead. Stop in to the Chipotle in the Anderson Town Center from 5:00-9:00pm on Wednesday and mention our GA fundraiser and 33% of your sale will come back to our 8th Grade Fundraiser. You can dine-in, carry-out, or order online to pickup. You do need to use the promo code FL83PNE if you order online. A flyer with more information is attached.
Other GA News
Shop On AmazonSmile To Support GA
If you plan to shop on Amazon this Christmas season, please consider shopping through AmazonSmile. You can shop AmazonSmile online or through the app. If you shop on Amazon, you can sign-up to have a portion of your purchase come back to Guardian Angels. Now when you make purchases through the AmazonSmile app OR page, and have GA selected as your beneficiary, the AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the purchase price of eligible products back to GA. 
Resources Available on FORMED.org

If you are looking for different ways to build your faith, there are a number of free resources available to our parishioners through Formed.org.

If you are new to the website:
  1. click on sign-up
  2. Choose I belong to a Parish or Organization
  3. Search Guardian Angels Parish (make sure you select the one on Beechmont in Cincinnati)
  4. Then create your own account
Stay Connected with GA on Social Media
Stay up-to-date with all things GA by following us on social media. 
Guardian Angels is active on several social media channels, including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Facebook serves as our primary social channel to keep parishioners informed about upcoming events, news, and other information regarding our school and parish.  If you want to make sure you see information posted through the Guardian Angels page, please make sure you go to our Facebook page, click Following (just under the cover photo), and then choose See First. This way anything we share will still be seen in your newsfeed.

You can also follow us through our Twitter page and our Instagram account.

You will also be able to find links to our social media channels at the bottom of every parish newsletter.
Have News to Share?
If you are part of a parish organization and have news you would like to share with our community, please email Tiffany Strah. To be included in next month's newsletter, your information must be received by the last Monday of this month.
Community News
Wreaths Across America

Gate of Heaven Cemetery invites you to join them in celebrating Wreaths Across America on December 19th. There will be seven wreaths layed in the Veteran’s Garden to show a united front of gratitude and respect across the United States of America as we REMEMBER the Fallen, HONOR those who serve and their families, and TEACH the next generation the value of freedom. You can find more information on the Gate of Heaven website.