Flocknote

This message includes the following:

Mass Schedule
Week at a Glance
Office Closure and Religious Education Classes
Books Available for Advent
Deacon John Paul McGuire
Advent Mission
Igive Catholic
Blood Drive
Youth Group
Sisters in Faith
Parish Leader Meeting
Adult Formation Volunteers Needed
Wreaths Across America
Marian Consecration
Formed
Bake SaleThank You
Prayer Vigil
Care of Creation
Angel Tree Program

Calendar

Weekday Communion Service and Mass Schedule
Thu: 10AM Mass (Thanksgiving Day)
Fri: No Mass/Communion Svc.

Saturday, November 27:

Blood Drive 12:00- 5:00
4:30 Vigil Mass

Sunday, November 28:

8:30 Mass
11:00 Mass
1:00 Spanish Mass

Monday, November 29:

9:00 Mass and Adoration
10:00 Bible Study in Person
10:15 Online Rosary
6:00 Advent Mission
7:00 Bible Study Online

Tuesday, November 30: Final Day for Igive Catholic Donations

10:15 Online Rosary
12:00 Mass
6:00 Advent Mission

Wednesday, December 1:

10:15 Online Rosary
11:50 Litany of St. Joseph
12:00 Mass and Adoration
12:40 Ministry Prayer
1:00 RCIA
1:30 Catechism in a Year
6:00 Advent Mission

Thursday, December 2:

9:00 Mass
9:45 Discipleship Group
1:00 Care of Creation
2:00 Koffee Klatch
7:00 Advent Penance Service

Friday, December 3:

9:00 Mass and Adoration
10:15 Online Rosary
4:00 Grace Force

On behalf of the Parish Staff, we would like to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving! We hope you have a wonderful day celebrating with family and friends!

Office Closure and Religious Education Classes

Office Closed
In observance of Thanksgiving, the parish office will close at 2PM on Wednesday, November 24, and remain closed until Monday, November 29.

No CCD Classes , Youth Group, or Confirmation Class
There will be no CCD Classes or Youth Group next Sunday, November 28,

Books Available for Advent

There are 3 free books available to the parish for this Advent season. The books are located on a table in the narthex of the church. The first book is a book of 365 reflections by the Venerable Fulton Sheen called "The Wisdom of Fulton Sheen". The second is by Matthew Kelly, the founder of Dynamic Catholic called, "Life is Messy". The third is the Little Blue Book for Advent. All are highly recommended and free for the taking. Please be sure a pick one up this weekend

Deacon John Paul McGuire News

Deacon John Paul and Dawn McGuire moving to Florida. They will reside in Stuart and be attending St Joseph Parish there. JP and Dawn will be at all Masses on the weekend of December 4 and 5. They are looking forward to seeing as many of the parishioners as possible. Stop to see JP and Dawn after Mass, wish them well, and thank them for their many years of dedicated and loving service to our parish. Godspeed, Deacon John Paul and Dawn!

Advent Mission

Advent is one of two times during the liturgical year that we are in preparation for an incredible event. It is that time of year that we prepare for the coming of the Messiah. The prophets foretold of the coming and every first century Jew knew the time was near. They were expecting a priest, a prophet, and a king to save them. What they didn't know was they would get all three in one God- made- man, Jesus Christ. They weren't prepared. Their hearts weren't open and their minds were closed, too. Now we are preparing for His second coming. Are you prepared? Take an extra step in your preparations by attending the Advent mission on prayer. Prayer is the foundation of being prepared. Prayer is our own personal way of connecting with God. Three evenings are being offered to help you to grow in closeness to God through prayer. Please join us as we sing and pray and learn and grow in closeness to God.

1. Evening 1--Introduction to Prayer, the nuts and bolts and a whole lot more, with Linda McKnight. 6pm Nov. 29th
2. Evening 2--Contemplative Prayer and Praying with Confidence, with Cricket Aull. 6pm Nov. 30th
3 Evening 3--Praying with Scripture, with Colleen Orchanian and Prayers and Living with Suffering, with Jerry Rousseau. 6pm Dec. 1st
Evening 4--Penance Service, 7pm Dec. 2nd.

Igive Catholic:Funding our Parish Youth Programs

We are excited to announce that we can now accept Donations for our Igive Catholic campaign! You can give now up until November 30th. Donations can be made via a link found on our website or by using the button below. Cash or check donations can also be given directly to the parish. (Be sure to mark any direct donations as an “iGiveCatholic” donation.)

Not all of us are called to work directly with youth, but this is a means for all parishioners to support the youth of St. Francis in their faith journey. Thank you, in advance, for your support! If you have any questions, please call Rita Baker or Caroline Lucas in the office.

Donate Now!

Blood Drive

There is always a need for blood, and that need increases during the holiday season. On Saturday Nov. 27, 2021 the Knights of Columbus will sponsor an American Red Cross Blood Drive in Marian Hall between noon and 5:00 PM. Reserve a spot by going to redcrossblood.org! Save a life. Give blood.

Youth Group : No Classes

There are no Youth Group or Religious Education Classes this weekend.

Sisters in Faith

(Date of meeting – December 10)

The December Sisters of Faith gathering is on Friday, December 10 from 10:00-12:00 in Marian Hall. The topic for this month isWaiting on Jesus– how can we prepare for the coming of Jesus at Christmas and at His Second Coming? Each month we come together from different churches to share our faith, grow in relationship with God, and love and pray with each other. Bring a friend or come alone and make a friend. Contact Colleen Orchanian for more information (drecolleen@gmail.com).

Parish Leader Meeting

Parish Leader Meeting (Date of meeting - Thursday, December 2)

Are you a leader of a parish group or do you facilitate a class in the parish? The Parish Leader Meeting is for you. Each month we meet to grow spiritually and as small group leaders to better serve the people of St. Francis. Our next meeting is Thursday, December 2 from 9:45 until 11:15 in Room 6. The topic under discussion is how to do a year-end “examen” of our small group as preparation for the coming year. Contact Colleen Orchanian for more information (drecolleen@gmail.com).

Adult Formation Class Volunteers

Calling all adult catechists (and anyone interested)! Volunteers are needed to help with the adult faith formation class that will begin January 9th. Each Sunday, from 9:30 to 10:30, a new topic will be discussed with a focus on the Bible and the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Topics will be relevant to what's going on in our culture, our nation, and the world. Each facilitator (depending on how many) will direct a meeting once a month (or every 2 months). Please contact the Faith Formation office for more information.

Wreaths Across America

As we have in the past, the Knights of Columbus is again participating in the Wreaths Across America program.

On Saturday, December 18, Wreaths Across America will conduct a coordinated wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery as well as over 2,100 additional locations in all 50 states, at sea and abroad.

The Knights are sponsoring wreaths and will participate in the actual wreath-laying ceremony at our nearby Georgia National Cemetery in Canton, GA.

You can sponsor a wreath also for $15 by going online to our Knights of Columbus Assembly account with Wreaths Across America: click on “Sponsor Wreaths”.

https://www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/GA0153

Thank you for honoring and remembering our nation's veterans during this upcoming Christmas season.

Marian Consecration

Marian Consecration will be starting January 6th at 10am. The consecration will be in Feb. 11th at the 9am Mass. That is the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes! The cost is $25 for the books. We need to know in advance how many people will need a book so if you are interested, please answer the survey below.

Marian Consecration:

I am interested, and need the book!

- View Details

Join via livestream for a four-part Pentecost Mission that will celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit and help participants welcome Him more deeply into their lives! Each session will include dynamic preaching and teaching, followed by a time of worship and prayer for greater activation of the workings of the Holy Spirit.We look forward to journeying with you closer to the heart of Christ, through the power of the Holy Spirit! You can Register through:

https://www.renewalministries.net/pentecost-mission/

.

Formed

As we head into the winter months where you may be spending more time at home or traveling away from your home Parish here at St. Francis, we wanted to remind you about the program that we can offer you called Formed. Formed is a free program that offers bible studies, movies and various formation programs that can be used in your home. This program can be accessed online and through apps on IOS, Android, and ROKU. We hope that these programs can provide you and your families with continued participation in our faith community. Programs can also be done and discussed over video conferences for those who find themselves separated from their parish family and friends during this season. Below are written instructions on how to create an account. We hope that you will take advantage of this program to assist you in your faith formation journey.

Go to https://formed.org/
Click Sign up
Click I belong to a Parish or Organization
This will take you to Create a New Account. You will need to find our Parish to register under. Our Parish information is (you will need the location information to find our parish as there are many St. Francis parishes to pick from) St. Francis of Assisi 3717 Hwy 515E, Blairsville GA 30512
From there you will be taken to a page that invites you to put in your name and email.
You will be emailed a link that you need to click to activate the account.
You have successfully completed the registration and should be able to enjoy the website's content!

Bake Sale : Thank You!

Thank you! Thank You!! Thank You!!! Our Committee would like to thank our very generous Bakers and Donors for our very successful Bake Sale on October 21 & 22. Our goal to replace the Life Chain Signs was $1100 to replace all our signs. We are looking to find a less expensive venue but that is our present cost. Thanks to your generous donations, we just about doubled that goal, raising $2109 for this purpose. Our new signs will be laminated so the rain will never destroy them again! Thank you so much! Any overage received will go to our programs such as “Life Chain” (flyer printing costs), “Walking with Moms In Need,” “Crisis Pregnancy Website/Ads Campaign,” “Celebrate” (a monthly social event for individuals with disabilities), our weekly Koffee Klatch (for all parishioners, Thursdays, 2-4 p.m.), “Sing- alongs for Seniors” (If the Nursing Homes let us back in after COVID), and, hopefully, some new programs for Adoption/Foster Parenting and Human Trafficking that we hope to explore in the coming year. Bless You All for being so generous with your talents (baking) and your treasure (financial donations and baking/packaging costs). You make all this happen for these projects happen!

Prayer Vigil

You are invited to our monthly Prayer Vigil at the Abortion Clinic on Dec. 11th !
Our Monthly Prayer Vigil will always be on the second Saturday of the month. Our next Vigil:
Date: Saturday, Dec. 11th
Time: 5:30 a.m., carpooling from St. Francis (Please call/email to let us
know if you are coming so we have enough cars to carpool to the
clinic. Parking is sparse.)
Distance/Travel Time: 90.8 miles (1 hour, 58 minutes)
Abortion Clinic: Planned Parenthood Gwinnett Health Center, 798 Lawrenceville Rd., Lawrenceville, GA 30043.
Prayers at the Clinic: 7:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Return to St. Francis: 12:30 p.m.
Parking: The parking lot is common to the Abortion Center and other
stores. You may park by the Abortion Center as long as your car is
in the second set of parking spaces away from the Abortion
Center.

Questions? Contact Maryjane at 321-960-6351 or
MaryjaneWysocki@gmail.com

Care of Creation: Firewise Information

Due to the positive response to the Firewise display which we held at St Francis the weekend of November 6 and 7, the Care for Creation Team would like to let everyone know that the Towns County Firewise Coalition will be meeting on December 14 at 12 noon at Brothers Restaurant in Young Harris. Anyone who is interested in learning more about the Firewise Program and how it can be applied to their residence or community should plan on attending this meeting. Since the Towns County Coalition has graciously agreed to pick up the tab for your lunch, please let Michael Courey know if you plan on attending. There will be many experts in attendance who can answer your questions. For more information or to RSVP please contact Michael at 813-486-8997 or email michael@courey.net

Angel Tree Program

Each year, the parishioners of St. Francis generously support local, needy children by joining in the Angel Tree program. Our Angel Tree volunteers are ready to begin receiving your donations of cash and gift cards. A box has been set up in the narthex for your cash or gift card donations. We are starting early this year, as the need will be great and supplies in stores are low. The best way to give monetary donations is by gift card to Walmart, Ingles, or a local pharmacy. If you prefer to select angel from the tree and shop for a gift yourself, the Angel Tree will be set up in the vestibule on Thanksgiving weekend. Whether placing cash or gift cards in the box or buying a gift to place under the Angel Tree, all donations need to be received by December 12. Thank you!

Covid precautions remain unchanged at this time. Please use your best judgment in decerning your ability to be at Mass.

"Prayer begins by talking to God, but it ends with listening to Him." --Venerable Fulton Sheen

There will be a Motorcycle Ride and Retreat on Monday, October 4 (weather permitting) beginning at 10:00. We will meet at the church at 10:00 for a short talk and then ride to Dahlonega for lunch and conversation. Then we'll take a leisurely ride back to Blairsville. Total distance for the ride is about 80 miles. Contact Colleen Orchanian for more information at drecolleen@gmail.com or 706.400.9580.

How many people will be attending?

- View Details

Why Go to Adoration

Did you know we have a Parish Facebook Page? You can follow us at https://www.facebook.com/sfablairsville as another way to stay up to date and engaged with the parish!

Any questions about flocknote? Need help updating your information or being added/removed from groups? Please email communications@stfrancisblairsville.com for assistance!