St Anthony Church Newsletter |
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Drive By Blessing of
your Advent Wreath
Father Gregory will bless Advent Wreaths this Sunday beginning at 12:30 pm in front of the church. Bring your Advent wreath and pull up in front of the church, entering from route 68 and keeping the church on the driver’s side, close to the sidewalk.
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It is never too late to start over and make up for lost time with our loved ones and with our God.
As we begin the four weeks of preparation leading up to the feast of Christmas. The festivities of the coming month will keep us very busy. But if we are not preparing our hearts with as much care as we are preparing our homes and our tables, then we are wasting our time. These weeks provide us a precious opportunity to re-center our lives on God by focusing on love, on holiness, and on pleasing Him in whatever we do. May God strengthen us to cut out of our lives those things that are keeping us from Him so that this Christmas will be a time of life-changing grace unlike any we have ever known.
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The 11:15 Mass will continue to be live-streamed for the time being.
Therefore St Anthony Church will broadcast on Facebook LIVE Sundays at 11:15 am .
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This weekend:
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Advent Church Decorating - We will decorate our church tomorrow at 8 am. If you spare an hour or two to help please come by!
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Commitment Weekend for the Archbishop’s Annual Appeal. Please Appeal website
- Drive By Blessing of your Advent Wreath, Sunday at 12:30 pm
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Join us next Friday,
December 4th
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Christmas 2020
Next weekend, December 5th&6th, after all Masses, tickets will be given out to those attending Mass to reserve your space at a particular Christmas Mass.
On December 7th, tickets will be available to all others at the parish center, please call first, 203-758-4056. Our capacity is 100 per Mass.
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Keep Christ in Christmas
- We are having a “Keep Christ in Christmas” themed drawing contest!
- Winner will be the cover of the bulletin the week of December 19/20
- All are welcomed to submit a drawing.
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The DEADLINE is December 4th.
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Entry pages, with instructions, at the entrances of the church or can be downloaded HERE
- All entries will be displayed on the website.
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Entries can be put in the collection basket, brought to FF class, the Parish Center or emailed to stanthonychurchcc@gmail.com
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Giving Tree Information
Our Giving Trees are up in vestibule of the church for those who attend Mass to chose a tag.
This year we will have a smaller tree here in the parish center, for those who want to participate but are unable to attend Mass. Please call the 203-758-4056 and we will pull a tag for you!
- The red tags on the “Bags of Hope” Giving Tree are for gifts we are donating to children who are in the care of the Department of Children and Families (DCF). We are asking for donations of duffel bags and essential items to fill these bags to help these children during their transitions from home. Gift ideas are hanging on the tree.
- The multi-colored tags on our second tree are for donations we are seeking to help our local families.
Please remove a tag, purchase your gift and return it unwrapped to the Parish Center with the tag securely taped to it no later than Wednesday, December 16th.
Thank you in advance for your generosity. Please call Tara Smith at 203-758-4056 with any questions
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New Missalettes
Our new Breaking Bread issues are in! Anyone wishing to have their own Missalette can call the parish center to pick one up.
We are asking for a $5.00 donation to offset the cost for when we need to purchase replacements to fill the pews. We get closer to that day every minute!
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Volunteers Needed:
- We need ushers at all Masses, some of the duties include opening and closing the inner doors and helping people to find a place to sit. Help with collection boxes.
- Additional cleaners to assist those who have been doing it every week after every weekend Mass since July. This consists of removing sticky notes and spraying the church pews with a pressurized spray bottle. Cleaning the door handles.
- A carpenter who can rebuild/repair 2 porches at Father Gregory’s home. Supplies will be paid for.
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Thank You to LaBonne’s
Through their Cash for Charities program, we received our second rebate check of $160.08 which is from $32,000.00 worth of grocery receipts submitted to us by our parishioners. Keep those receipts coming!
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Bingo is cancelled until further notice.
Unfortunately, BINGO will not be reopening as previously thought due to the state of Connecticut reducing gatherings to 25 people indoors.
Thank you for all who have supported us in the past and we look forward to when we can have a HUGE Jackpot again
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Guidelines for Attending Mass
While some might feel these guidelines are stringent, it is important that guidelines are followed, that we respect all parishioners and be sure that everyone feels comfortable attending Mass.
- Please bring a face mask to wear, as it is required as you enter, while inside and as you exit. Please be sure to cover your mount and nose with the mask, not just your mouth.
- Pews will be marked off to assist with social distancing. Please use the side aisles to move from the front of the church to the back.
- Please use the center aisle to move from the back of the church towards the sanctuary.
- Singing has been shown to increase the spread of COVID-19. However, please feel free to hum to the music during Mass.
- Hand sanitizer is currently available, please have your own as well.
- We ask that you mark where you sit with a post-it-note, which will be available at the entrances.
- Missalettes will be removed from the pews, if you would like to take one home and bring it back with you each time you come to Mass, you may do that.
- The tape on the seats is not meant to be sat on. Every other pew is marked with either 2 spots in the middle or several spaces on the ends. Please only sit where there is no tape. (See photos below)
- When leaving, please leave in one direction down the side aisles or in one direction up the center aisle, towards the sanctuary, following the arrows. Please leave space between each other, allowing a little extra time to exit.
Collection Procedure:
- One of the guidelines is that we cannot have the ushers passing the basket to receive your offertory envelopes.
- Three collection boxes will be available inside the church and they will be emptied in the presence of 2 ushers, after every Mass, into a secure bag.
- If there is a second collection, please put your donation for that collection into a separate envelope. If it is a plain envelope, please mark it with the specific collection that it is for.
- If you put loose cash in the box, it will be recorded under the weekly offering. Thank you.
Communion Procedure:
- Please use the markers for distancing while in line. Families can stay together.
- Once in front of Father or Deacon, please extend your hands out flat to receive the consecrated host, as you walk away, pause at the X on the floor, lower your mask, consume the host, put your mask back on and return to your pew down the side outside aisle.
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When shopping Amazon, you can choose to use Amazon Smile* and a percentage of your order will be donated to St. Anthony Church, specifically for the refurbishing of the Church hall.
Click on the photo to get started!
*We encourage supporting local businesses, direct trade and fair trade partners as well as environment considerations when making purchases. If you do choose to use Amazon Smile and you don’t need your item immediately, please don’t choose overnight/rush delivery because this often forces people to work on Sunday.
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Labonnes Cash for Charities Rebate Program
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Please save your Labonne's cash register receipts. (Keep an envelope in your car to easily save them)
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Every couple of months submit them to St. Anthony Church, via the mail or by dropping them off at the parish center. We will receive 1/2% back.
- Thank you to everyone who has been sending in their slips, keep them coming!
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Please consider using online giving for your financial support.
The consistency from online giving is very helpful over vacation periods. You may still use your envelopes and mark “I gave online”.
Thank you and God bless you for all you do for St. Anthony Church!
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St. Anthony Church
4 Union City Road – Prospect, CT 06712
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