Holy Cross News
December 12, 2023
Please reserve Christmas Flowers for the church in honor of your loved ones. Order forms in Commons and below under "Worship."
Christmas Food Bags and Jesse Tree gifts will be packed and delivered this Saturday starting at 9am.
Thank you to all who donated food and gifts, served and will help this weekend!
‘Make straight the way of the Lord.’”
Upcoming Calendar Events
This week
Dec 13 Rosary Prayer after Mass, 9:30am
Dec 13 St Joseph of Arimathea meeting, 10am in Commons
Dec 13 Pastoral Council meeting, 5:30pm
Upcoming
Dec 15 NO Holy Hour at 5pm due to Simbang Gabi
Dec 15 Simbang Gabi Mass 6pm, fellowship and refreshments to follow
Dec 16 Delivery Day for Christmas food bags and Jesse Tree Gifts, 9am
Dec 17 Third Sunday of Advent, Sunday Formation 9:30 Christmas Pageant
Dec 17 Decorate the Church for Christmas, after 2pm Mass
Dec 17 Knights of Columbus Christmas Party, 2pm-4pm
Dec 18 Our Lady of Solace, Bag lunch in Commons, noon
Dec 19 Men of Cross, 4pm
Dec 21 Knights of Columbus Round Table, 7pm
Dec 23 Daily Bread volunteer opportunity, 9:30am -12:30pm
Dec 23 Vigil Mass for Sunday of Advent, 4pm
Dec 24 Fourth Sunday of Advent Mass, 9am (ONLY ONE AM MASS)
Dec 24 Christmas Eve Masses, 4pm and 7pm
Dec 25 Christmas Day Mass, 9am
Dec 25-29, Church Closed after Christmas day Mass through week
Dec 31 Mass for Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, midnight
Jan 1 Mass for Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, 9am
Worship
Mass Intentions for this week
Dec 13 Special Intention for K.N. Family
Dec 14 +Paul Stuart Robertson
Dec 15 Souls in Purgatory
Dec 16 +Mimi Eisenmenger 4pm
Dec 17 +Felgence Jude Schroeder 8am
Dec 17 +Rodriguez and Torres Families 11am
Dec 17 +Margaret Miska 11am
Dec 17 The Intentions of the Pasrishioners of Holy Cross 2pm
Dec 18 Living Intention for Kate Makuc
Dec 19 No Mass, Fr Sal's day off
Parishioners to keep in prayer
Due to the graphic nature of some scenes, parental guidance is suggested.
Please pray for...
Todd Beck
If you would also like to be added to our Prayer Line of prayer warriors, or if you'd like strickly confidential prayer,
contact Irma Campbell at mincampbell@yahoo.com.
Mass Count
Dec 9/10
4pm 183
8am 152
11am 242
2pm 250
Total 827
Altar Flowers
We will have a beautiful Advent wreath displayed in our Sanctuary during this preparatory season.
Advent Happenings at Holy Cross!
Advent Evening, Interfaith Outreach Concert Tour with Simbang Gabi, Our Lady of Guadalupe Celebration, and Jesse Tree Sorting day!
Holy Cross is busy preparing the Way for the Lord!
Reserve your Christmas Flowers for the Church!
Would you like to make a donation in honor or memory of a loved one with a beautiful poinsettia?
We will have the flowers in the sanctuary in front of the altar for the 12 days of Christmas!
Open the file to fill out the form and return it with your donation to the Holy Cross Office or collection basket in the Commons by Sunday, Dec 17th.
Questions? Contact Kaky Bowden at kbowden@holycrosslynchburg.org
Holy Cross will have our 3rd Annual Simbang Gabi Celebration here at our parish on Friday, December 15th. We will have Mass at 6pm with Fr Sal as the celebrant followed by food and fellowship. We anticipate a great number of Filipinos and the Catholic faithful to be part of this wonderful celebration.
Please plan to join us!
The “Simbang Gabi” is a long treasured Philippine tradition originally known as a series of “dawn masses” for nine consecutive days before Christmas Day. Its liturgical significance emanates from the Season of Advent, being the time of spiritual preparation and purification to worthily welcome and receive the Child Jesus in our midst. The Mass at Dawn, Simbang Gabi, is a nine-day novena to the Blessed Mother. It starts every December 16th and is one of the longest and most important religious celebrations in the Philippines that has lasted over 600 years.
Did you know that Jesus is present each and every day in our tabernacle in the Blessed Sacrament? That you may come and pray before our Lord? Jesus is also present in a profound way when we worship him in Adoration.
At Holy Cross, we have many opportunities to worship in Adoration::
- Each Thursday evening before the First Friday of the month at 7pm
- Each First Friday of the month with Mass and Confession from 9am-11am
- Each First Sunday of the month after the 2pm Mass at 3pm
- Each third Friday of the month for Holy Hour at 5pm
We will also have:
- A 40 hour Adoration Offering in February 2024
- An Eucharistic Procession on the Feast of Corpus Christi in June 2024
Come adore Jesus Christ, your healer, Savior, and best friend, in the Holy Eucharist. He longs to be with you, and to bring you peace, joy, and His unending love.
You're invited to be part of a historic event: The first Corpus Christi Eucharistic Procession in living memory at Holy Cross!
If you're interested in being part of planning this event,
please reach out to Barb Hoyer babhoyer@gmail.com or
Cathy Wills cathywills99@comcast.net.
Parish News
Spread Christmas Cheer by writing Military Christmas Cards!
Please help spread holiday joy and keep Marines stationed in Okinawa, Japan included in your prayers! We have a parishioner, Alex Enriquez, son of Teresa and Jose Enriquez, who is stationed there and will not be home for Christmas. He and others would appreciate a note! Cards can be written in Spanish too.
Please address letters and cards to these following groups of servicemen and servicewomen:
Dear…
-7th Comm Bn
-Alpha Company
-Jump Platoon
-1st Platoon
-2nd Platoon
-Headquarters
-Radio operators
-Data/Networkers
-Satcom
Letters will be collected in a basket in the Commons and sent as a batch or can be mailed to:
Cpl Enriquez, Alejandro
7th Comm Bn, A Co, Jump Plt
Unit 35608
FPO AP 96385
Faith Formation
This Sunday is the Third Sunday in Advent, also called Gaudete Sunday.
What does that mean?
Questions about the Church or our Catholic Faith?
Our apologists from "My Neighbor Said" can give you the answers!
My Neighbor Said:
“How was Mary related to her kinswoman Elizabeth?"
Ministries
St Joseph of Arimathea Cemetery Ministry continues good work...
Local Boy Scouts helped by resetting and/or removing 75 old markers in the Holy Cross Cemetery this past Saturday. They worked hard using gravel and dirt to repsosition or fill holes.
Six new concrete benches will be placed throughout the cemetery to add available seating when visiting loved ones.
Needed!
Volunteer Sewers!
Holy Cross is in need of several 4 x 4 ft altar linens to adorn our altar.
If you like to sew and desire to help beautify our worship space, please consider this ministry. We will provide the fabric and pattern for you to complete the piece in your time frame.
If interested, contact Cathy Wills,
Chair of the Ladies of the Altar, at cathywills99@comcast.net or
St Paschal's Food Pantry
Thank you to all who donated food for our Christmas bags and helped with packing the bags! Many families will benefit from your generosity!
We are extremely low on the following items due to our Christmas efforts:
Spaghetti Sauce
Spaghetti
Mac and Cheese
Canned Tuna
Canned Chicken Masa
Canned Fruit Coffee
Cocoa
Tea bags
Dry Beans
Jelly
SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO THE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS!!
DEC.17TH 2-4 P.M.
SANTA VISIT 2:30-3:30
201 SWEENEY CIRCLE, FOREST
SANTA VISIT 2:30-3:30
201 SWEENEY CIRCLE, FOREST
COME CELEBRATE JESUS BIRTHDAY,
CRAFTS, SNACKS, TREATS AND CHRISTMAS STORIES
ALL ARE WELCOME!!
Support Interfaith Outreach ministries and purchase raffle tickets below!!
To learn more and purchase raffle tickets,
click HERE.
Financial News
Collections for Weekend of
Dec 9/10
Mail 3,915.00
Online 5,071.00
Env/loose 6,970.00
Total $ 15,956.00
To Give online, click HERE
Contingency Fund
$887.00
Jesse Tree Donations
$935.00
Immaculate Conception
$1,170.00
Christmas Flowers
$610.00
Joy Fund
$750.00
Have you signed up with Kroger Rewards Program???
Holy Cross earns money each time you shop at Kroger and use your card. Connect your Kroger card to Holy Cross if you have not already!
Diocesan and Universal Church News
Click here to learn more about Twin River Outfitters.the rto see the
Click here to learn more about Twin River Outfitters.
Fr Sal will be installed as the Pastor of Holy Cross on Sunday, September 19th at the 11am Mass by The Most Reverend Bishop Barry Knesout. All are invited!
We have a New Confession Schedule!
See under "Parish News".
The Feast of our Lady of Sorrows follows the Exaltation of the Cross Why? Read HERE
Holy Cross website click HERE
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”It is easier for a camel to pass through the needle’s eye than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” -Gospel of Mark 10 : 25
Gus Lloyd is coming to Holy Cross this Saturday!!
Join us for a day retreat on Magnetic Christianity!
Saturday, October 16, 8:30am-3:30pm
Light breakfast and lunch included
Retreat is FREE but there will be an opportunity to make a good will offering to cover costs of the retreat.
The blind eyes but seeing heart of Bartimaeus. Mark 10:46-52
Veterans Appreciation Lunch! See below under "Fellowship".
Veterans Day Lunch on Sunday, Nov 7th at 12 noon. See below under fellowship to sign up.
To see the schedule and how you may become involved, see below.
To see the schedule and how you may become involved, see above left.
The Book of Life is in the Santuary for names of our faithful departed. Please add your loved one's name if not in it yet. We will pray for them this month.
The
Come participate in these Mexican Traditions during Advent!
There will be sign up sheets to help at the Food Pantry table in the Commons or by contacting Catherine Madden: cmadden105@gmail.com to sign up
Mass Count
Dec 11/12
The Christmas Masses
are at 4pm and 10pm on Christmas Eve and 10am on Christmas Day.
2021 Jesse Tree Ministry
Elves Delivered! This past week Jesse Tree gifts, food, and even stockings for the younger children, were distributed to 77 households in our area. Families came from our parish community, as well as those referred to us by Interfaith Outreach Association, Lynchburg Social Services, Miriam’s House and McGurk House.
Thanks: Many thanks to all those who made the 2021 Jesse Tree Ministry a success!
We will resume distributing the monthly bags in the Commons the first weekend in February.
SYNOD group sessions available to share and listen about how we are Church. See below to sign up!
What is the Transfiguration?
Please return any books or videos checked out from The Holy Cross Library. It will be c losed for 2 weeks for "spring Cleaning" and reorginization.
Thank you!
We are so blessed to have Cathy as she is a committed parishioner and is involved in many ministries such as the Altar Guild, Greeter ministry, Fellowship to name a few. Welcome Cathy!!
To learn more about Diocesan YA activities, Click HERE.
Nurses will be available to take blood pressures after Masses the weekend of August 13th and 14th.
To learn more about the Orchard, click HERE.
The Diocesan Synodal Synthesis Report is available to review. Please click HERE to read it.
Our Lady of Guadalupe Procession, Mass and celebration is this Sunday at 2pm. All are welcome!
Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is this Thursday, August 3 at 7pm and First Friday Mass, Confession and Adoration will be on Friday, August 4th. All are welcome.
Please come worship our Lord in Adoration this Thursday pm and Friday am. All are welcome.
New Job Posting for Holy Cross.
See under "Parish News."
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, click
2024 Altar Flower Sign-ups in the Commons this weekend.
SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO THE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS!!
DEC.17TH 2-4 P.M.
SANTA VISIT 2:30-3:30
201 SWEENEY CIRCLE, FOREST
COME CELEBRATE JESUS BIRTHDAY,
CRAFTS, SNACKS, TREATS AND CHRISTMAS STORIES
ALL ARE WELCOME !