The Cornerstone
December 20, 2020
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Dear Friends in Christ,
The Fourth Sunday in Advent brings us to the beautiful Gospel of the Annunciation of the Lord. It is here that the Blessed Virgin Mary willingly becomes the “handmaid of the Lord” and says to the Archangel Gabriel with great faith, “May it be done to me according to your word.” What great faith! The narrative is one to ponder during this final week of Advent, and I invite you to spend some time with Luke 1:26-38 this week.
Jonathan Roumie, who plays Jesus in The Chosen, recently posted on social media the following reflection and poem from a Methodist minister, Jan Richardson. It’s a perspective of the Annunciation from that of the Archangel Gabriel. While written by a Methodist, it’s very Catholic. Enjoy!
Gabriel’s Annunciation
When Mary says let it be to the archangel, it is an act of radical surrender. She offers her yes not with the meek passivity that history has so often ascribed to her; this kind of surrender is born not of weakness but of a daring strength within her and a stunning grace that shows up to sustain her. Mary’s surrender is deliberate, the choice of a woman ready to give herself to the sacred with such abandon that she agrees, with intention, to give up every last plan she had for her life.
Mary’s audacious yes propels her onto a dark way. She sets out on a path almost completely devoid of signposts or trails left by others; she chooses a road utterly unlike any she had ever imagined for herself. What must it have been like to walk a way she could hardly perceive, while carrying within herself—in her heart and womb and bones—a light unlike any the world had ever seen?
What must it have been like for the archangel who witnessed Mary’s yes?
Gabriel’s Annunciation
For a moment
I hesitated
on the threshold.
For the space
of a breath
I paused,
unwilling to disturb
her last ordinary moment,
knowing that the next step
would cleave her life:
that this day
would slice her story
in two,
dividing all the days before
from all the ones
to come.
The artists would later
depict the scene:
Mary dazzled
by the archangel,
her head bowed
in humble assent,
awed by the messenger
who condescended
to leave paradise
to bestow such an honor
upon a woman, and mortal.
Yet I tell you
it was I who was dazzled,
I who found myself agape
when I came upon her—
reading, at the loom, in the kitchen,
I cannot now recall;
only that the woman before me—
blessed and full of grace
long before I called her so—
shimmered with how completely
she inhabited herself,
inhabited the space around her,
inhabited the moment
that hung between us.
I wanted to save her
from what I had been sent
to say.
Yet when the time came,
when I had stammered
the invitation
(history would not record
the sweat on my brow,
the pounding of my heart;
would not note
that I said
Do not be afraid
to myself as much as
to her)
it was she
who saved me—
her first deliverance—
her Let it be
not just declaration
to the Divine
but a word of solace,
of soothing,
of benediction
for the angel
in the doorway
who would hesitate
one last time—
just for the space
of a breath
torn from his chest—
before wrenching himself away
from her radiant consent,
her beautiful and
awful yes.
~Jan Richardson
Blessings to you all in the week to come!
Fr. David Mulholland
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OFFICES CLOSED
Due to the recent Washington State emergency order to stop the spread of COVID-19 our parish offices are closed. Staff are working remotely. Call or email us and we will get back to you promptly. Email can be sent to parish@saintpats.org and voicemail can be left at 253-383-2783. Messages are checked regularly and will be routed to the appropriate staff person. If you need the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick, call 253-383-2783, extension 4102.
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O Antiphons
Want to go a little deeper in the final week of advent? Want to know what the “O Antiphons” are and why they comprise the most famous advent hymn, O Come, O Come Emmanuel? Learn how the sacred liturgy shapes this special time from Abbot Jeremy Driscoll OSB from Mount Angel by clicking the play button.
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Christmas Mass
As reservations are full for each of our Christmas Masses, we have opened up limited seating in the church hall for the 5 pm Christmas Vigil on December 24.
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Doors will open 45 minutes before Mass begins. We encourage you to arrive early so our ushers can seat everyone before the start of Mass. If your reservation is for the church hall, please enter from the basement near the elevators.
If you find you are unwell or otherwise unable to attend Mass, please CANCEL your reservation so someone else may attend.
Advent & Christmas Masses
Simbang Gabi Celebration
December 20 | 11 am* | St. Patrick Church
*only the 11 am Mass will be livestreamed on our YouTube Channel; not the 9 am Mass
CHRISTMAS EVE & CHRISTMAS DAY
St. Patrick Church
December 24 | 5 pm* & 9 pm
December 25 |Midnight & 10 am
*Mass will be livestreamed on our YouTube Channel
only seating in Church Hall is available; all other masse are full
Holy Cross Church
December 24 | 5 pm
December 25 | 9 am
St. Rita of Cascia Church
December 24 | 7 pm
Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God
January 1 | 9 am
St. Patrick Church* & Holy Cross Church
*Mass will be livestreamed on our YouTube Channel
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The dispensation for Mass is still in effect.
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Funeral Mass for Florence Marx
mother of Sherree Gause
December 22 | 11 am
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Sunday Mass
Simbang Gabi Novena Day 8
December 20 | 11 am
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Livestreaming Change
Mass will be livestreamed at 11 am from St. Patrick Church this Sunday, December 20 and not 9 am. Mass is also livesteramed on Holy days, all-school Masses at 9 AM on a few Fridays each month and Mass on the first Friday of each month at 11 AM are also livestreamed, and some funerals.
THANK YOU for subscribing to our YouTube Channel and helping us reach our 1K goal. Subscribing to our YouTube Channel is not necessary to attend Mass virtually, however it allows you to set reminders to tune in. Check-in on Facebook and invite your friends and family to attend Mass on the livestream. Remember to make your weekly offertory gift via Online Giving.
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Simbang Gabi
On each of the nine mornings leading up to Christmas, Catholics in the Philippines gather in the pre-dawn hours for Simbang Gabi, a novena of Masses that anticipates the celebration of Christmas. Experience the spirituality of the season, the anticipation and expectation of the birth of our Lord and the fellowship with Pierce Deanery faith community.
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Contemplative Mass
Join us on Sunday evenings at St. Patrick Church for a contemplative chant Mass at 7 pm. The lights are low and the candles are lit for a reflective, prayerful celebration.
On the 4th Sunday of each month the 7 pm Mass is reserved for Youth Group and Confirmation Prep students and their families. Registration is required.
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Year-End Giving
As we come to the end of the year, we want to thank you for your generous gifts throughout the year! Every year people ask how they can help as the year comes to a close. Here are a few ways and some do not involve giving money!
Ways to make a year-end gift which doesn't involve money:
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Write a review. Wherever you’ve encountered our content—Facebook, Yelp, Niche.com, GreatSchools.org, Google— write a review! Your positive reviews help make our school and parishes more visible to others.
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Follow, Like, Subscribe to us on social media— Facebook – St. Patrick, Facebook – St. Rita of Cascia, Facebook – Holy Cross, Instagram, YouTube Channel.
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On social media like our posts, leave comments and share our stories! These actions increase our reach and engagement.
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Share your testimony. Strengthened your faith because of ALPHA? Converted through RCIA? Came back to the Church? Let us know!
Have you considered making a donation by year-end for tax purposes? Stewardship pledge payments or new gifts need to be received or postmarked by December 31 to be credited to the 2020 calendar year for tax purposes. Choose to make your extra year end gift using Online Giving. Scroll up to find your parish link.
Other ways to make a monetary year-end gift:
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Stock— donating stock to a non-profit can save you from paying capital gains tax on the appreciated value if you’ve held the stock for at least a year.
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IRA— If you are 70½ or older, there are potential tax benefits when you transfer funds from your IRA. Contact your IRA plan administrator.
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Scrip— Purchase Scrip gift cards or give them as the gift that always fits.
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AmazonSmile— Another way to shop and give is to enable AmazonSmile. When you designate St. Patrick School as your beneficiary, Amazon donates a percentage of your purchase to Saint Patrick Catholic School— our largest ministry.
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Treasure Renewal
We are very grateful to the many parishioners who have returned a Treasure Commitment Card to our parishes. Your generosity supports our many ministries. We thank you for being good stewards of all that God has given you.
Fr. David signed and mailed over 1500 letters and asks everyone who has not yet made their 2021 commitment to prayerfully evaluate their giving to the parish and community. Need a little more inspiration? Listen or re-listen to Todd and Kim Ward's recent witness talk.
After discernment, click on your parish link below and make your pledge. How will you know whether you have pledged the right amount? You will feel comfortable and at peace with your gift.
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Registered Households: 898
2021 Pledges: 295
Total Pledged: $668,551
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Registered Households: 295
2021 Pledges: 115
Total Pledged: $226,689
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Registered Households: 142
2021 Pledges: 36
Total Pledged: $81,546
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Weekly Offertory
An offertory collection basket is located at the back of the sanctuary during Mass for contactless giving. If you are unable to attend Mass in person, please mail in your gift or give online with Online Giving, — Fr. David gives this way! It is safe and easy. If you are already an Online Giving subscriber, please remember to update your giving profile if you have taken a step up for your 2021 Stewardship of Treasure pledge.
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particularly during a the pandemic when mass attendance was restricted.
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Corporate Matching Gifts
Want to double your gift for the Annual Catholic Appeal? Corporate matching gifts are a type of philanthropy in which companies financially match donations that their employees make to nonprofit organizations. When an employee makes a donation, they'll request the matching gift from their employer, who then makes their own donation. It is as easy as filling out a form. Talk to the benefits coordinator at work to learn how to participate. Learn more
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December 22 | 9 am
for the repose of the soul of
Pat Cleary
December 23 | 9 am
for the repose of the soul of
Gina Slavich
December 24 | 9 am
Christmas Eve
December 25 | 10 am
Christmas Day
December 26 | 5 pm
December 27 | 9 am, 11 am, 7 pm
for the people of the parish
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December 21 | 9 am
for the repose of the soul of
Leon Timmerman
December 23 | 5 pm
for the repose of the soul of
Milica Yerkovich
December 24 | 5 pm
Christmas Eve
December 25 | 9 am
Christmas Day
December 26 | 5 pm
December 27 | 10 am
for the people of the parish
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Marriage Blessings!
We are blessed to have these two couples among our us! Jane and John McDonough celebrated their 66th wedding anniversary with a recommitment of their marriage vows during a recent daily Mass. Penny Melton and Dan Skeldon were recently married, in the presence of our daily Mass attendees.
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Adoration
Archbishop Etienne began Year of the Eucharist on the Feast of Corpus Christi for the Archdiocese of Seattle and asked us to spend this time pondering the true presence of Jesus's Sacred Body and Blood in the Eucharist. Read his pastoral letter, "The Work of Redemption." Join us for Adoration. Click the parish links below to view adoration schedule and sign up to keep watch for an hour.
Youth Group and Confirmation Prep students are invited to register for a special night of Adoration on the 3rd Thursday of each month at 7 pm.
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Available on your phone, tablet, laptop or TV for FREE as our gift!
To sign up:
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Click HERE to get started, then...
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Enter zip code 98403 or parish St. Patrick [regardless of your parish affliation]
- Enter your email and your in!
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Advent Service Projects
Traditionally, Saint Patrick Catholic School students participate in Advent service projects and this year is no different. Our Intermediate School Division made scarves and delivered warm clothing to Operation Keep 'Em Warm & Fed for our
unhoused brothers and sisters. Many of our neighbors will be nourished with the non-perishables donated to the St. Leo Food Connection collected this month. Our Middle School Division made sure that Next Chapter mothers and their children had gifts in abundance this year.
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REACH Auction Every Day Heroes
WINE DONATIONS
Shopping for wine for the holidays? Pick up a special bottle and donate it to the Wine Buy. It's that easy. Wine Donation Form
TICKETS
Reserve your tickets today. They make great stocking stuffers for family. Everyone is welcome. Need not be a school family. Join us virtually for an incredible program celebrating Catholic Education.
For three consecutive nights superheroes around the area and from across the universe will unite to form a forcefield for Catholic Education. Your support is essential to the success of St. Patrick Catholic School and our students.
PROCUREMENT
SPONSORSHIP
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Now Enrolling
Do you know a family exploring options for learning and education? Maybe you are considering Catholic Education for your children. St. Patrick Catholic School is now enrolling for the 2021-2022 acaedmic year.
For a glimpse into how St. Patrick Catholic School has navigated in-person, remote and hybrid learning during the pandemic; held on to traditions—albeit a little differently, and continues a legacy of educating the leaders of tomorrow, watch a few of our short videos.
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Washington State Catholic Conference
ACTION NEEDED A bipartisan group of Senators and House members have revived the COVID relief talks, just this week, and we need your help to ensure Catholic schools are included in this new legislation.
Read more
www.wacatholics.org
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Be social, while physically distancing!
Get connected. Stay connected.
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