JANUARY 1: SOLEMNITY OF MARY, THE MOTHER OF GOD & WORLD DAY OF PRAYER FOR PEACE
January 1 is the Solemn Feast of Mary as Mother of God and the World Day of Prayer for Peace. This is a Holy Day of obligation to attend Mass. There will be a Vigil Mass on December 31 at 4:30pm; Mass on New Year’s Day will be at 10am, with Coffee Hour following.

EPIPHANY FEST THIS SATURDAY
Our annual Epiphany Celebration will take place Saturday, January 5, beginning with Prayer & Song about 6pm in church; a festive supper with our Metanoia friends in the hall will follow! A main dish will be provided; please bring a side dish to share — no desserts, please!

2013 CHURCH ENVELOPES
2013 offertory envelopes are at the church doors. Please pick up a new box of envelopes; St. Malachi does not assign envelope numbers or mail envelopes to parishioners. Please put your name on the envelopes, so that your contributions can be recorded accurately. St. Malachi records
donations given in church envelopes & by check.

ANOTHER GIVING OPTION: FAITH DIRECT
Not an envelope user? Don’t write checks anymore? Prefer to pay online? Consider using Faith Direct for your St. Malachi church contributions! You can use the signup form (at the church doors) or online: www.faithdirect.net. to sign up with Faith Direct to give automatically according to your wishes. You decide how much to give for regular weekly collections, special (second) collections, Christmas, Easter or special one-time gifts. You choose
whether contributions come from your checking account or credit card. You can change your giving or discontinue at any time. The St. Malachi church code is: OH337.

NEWS FROM THE LITTLE BROTHERS AND SISTERS OF THE EUCHARIST
This Thursday, January 3, Bishop Roger Gries will celebrate Mass at Fr. Jim O’Donnell’s home on E. 35 St. near Central at 7 pm. All are welcome to attend.
Please join us at the 14th annual Visitation Home Reunion Dance to benefit the Community of the Little Brothers and Sisters of the Eucharist on Friday, January 25, from 8 PM—Midnight at St. Clarence Hall, 30106 Lorain Rd, North Olmsted. Music by the Andy Cooney Show band.  Tickets are $25 each and include light refreshments. For further information & tickets, please call (216) 251-4075.

FIRST FRIDAY CLUB OF CLEVELAND
Margaret Lyons, Secretary for Catechetics and Superintendant of Schools for the Diocese of Cleveland will speak on “Framework for Catechetical Education” at the First Friday Club of Cleveland at 11:30am, Thursday, January 3, at the Cleveland City Club, 850 Euclid Ave., 2nd floor. Discount parking is available at Huntington Garage for $5 or Euclid-Prospect Gateway Garage for $3, with First Friday Club stamp. Lunch is $20; call Sue
Gaughan for reservations at (440) 390-0172

PANCAKE BREAKFAST BENEFIT FOR MALE SPIRIT MEN’S GROUP — SAVE THE DATE!
The Male Spirit Men’s Group will hold a benefit Pancake Breakfast on Sunday, January 13, after the 9:30 & 11 am Masses in the hall to support the Scholarships to help men attend our upcoming retreat in February. Cost is $5 for adults and $2.50 for children under 12. We hope you can join us & support our program.

PARISH GATHERING! SAVE THE DATE
You are invited to a Parish Gathering on Tuesday, February 5 at 7pm in the hall. During our time together, we will review the process of Affirming, Welcoming, Engaging & invite you to offer your wisdom & voice regarding our challenges. We also hope to meet parishioners who we do not know yet. ALL ARE WELCOME.

EPIPHANY FEST
Our annual Epiphany Celebration will take place Saturday, January 5, beginning with Prayer & Song about 6pm in church; a festive supper with our Metanoia friends in the hall will follow! A main dish will be provided; please bring a side dish to share — no desserts, please!

FIRST FRIDAY CLUB OF CLEVELAND
Margaret Lyons, Secretary for Catechetics and Superintendant of Schools for the Diocese of Cleveland will speak on “Framework for Catechetical Education” at the First Friday Club of Cleveland at 11:30am, Thursday, January 3, at the Cleveland City Club, 850 Euclid Ave., 2nd floor. Discount parking is available at Huntington Garage for $5 or Euclid-Prospect Gateway Garage for $3, with First Friday Club stamp. Lunch is $20; call Sue
Gaughan for reservations at (440) 390-0172

NEWS FROM THE LITTLE BROTHERS AND SISTERS OF THE EUCHARIST
On January 3, 2013 Bishop Roger Gries will celebrate Mass at Fr. Jim O’Donnell’s home on E. 35 St. near Central at 7 pm. All are welcome to attend.
please join us at the 14th annual Visitation Home Reunion Dance to benefit the Community of the Little Brothers and Sisters of the Eucharist on Friday, January 25, 2013 from 8 PM—Midnight at St. Clarence Hall, 30106 Lorain Rd, North Olmsted. Music by the Andy Cooney Show band.
Tickets are $25 each and include light refreshments. For further information & tickets, please call (216) 251-4075.

ST. MALACHI OLD TIME ANGLERS’ 50/50 RAFFLE
St. Malachi is discontinuing the monthly 50/50 Raffle as of December 30, 2012. The raffle has been used as a means of raising funds for the operating expenses of the church for many years. However, proceeds have dwindled considerably and it is no longer feasible to continue this raffle. We want to thank all of the sellers and patrons who for many years supported and nurtured the 50/50 Raffle.

SCRIPTURE STUDY
In this Year of Faith part of growing in faith is growing in understanding of the Scriptures upon which our faith is based. You are invited to attend two, new, 10-week Scripture classes at St. Brendan Parish. On Tuesdays, January 15-March 19, a study of the Gospel According to John will be offered both at 9:30-10:30am & at 7-8pm. On Wednesday evenings, January 16-March 20, there will be a class delving into the Old Testament Prophets held at 7-
8pm. The classes will be taught by Susan Gemperline who has an MA in Theology with a concentration in Biblical Studies. The cost for each class is $25 (checks made out to St. Brendan). To register please contact the St. Brendan parish office at (440) 777-7222. When registering please indicate which class you wish to attend.

Who Am I?

I am part of  an echo of love & hope  throughout  eternity for all who have come before me & for those yet to be. Each generation is another chapter in our Creator’s” Book of Human Life”. I try daily to have an attitude of gratitude and enjoy the present moment as I believe and trust that my Creator, who is known by many names, guides me daily on my journey!

What Am I Here For?

To share my Creator-Given gifts, to be a channel of love & hope to all peoples with compassion, understanding  and kindness. To speak and act for justice & peace, not only for today but for the future of my children, grandchildren and onward. To be aware not to exercise control or impose my will on others, but to respect the presence of the Creator’s Spirit in everyone. To support  the just rights for all, including women, immigrants, gays, or cultural/religious/racial differences. Also for those trapped in crisis, the discouraged, all those  who thirst for comfort and healing. Their struggle is my struggle! Love comes from needing each other.

How Will I Accomplish This?

I have hopes and dreams. I trust my Creator will provide me the strength and faith to fulfill them and help me to see that the fruit of love is joy in the hearts of everyone. I will treasure and celebrate life.

Where Will I Find This Strength & Faith?

In restful prayer. In listening to nature, in flowers, the earth and space. In finding humor in life. In walking humbly with my Creator, the Beacon of love’s  light for my journey in body, mind and spirit.

What Is My Future?

I will practice ” Stewardship For Life”, and work to be a dream maker for others,  while giving love, devotion & glory to my Creator whose blessings never cease! By saying daily, for all that has been “Thank You”;  for all that will be “Yes”!

Yet the Scripture readings assigned for this Sunday, Third Sunday of Advent, Year C, are insistent: “Brothers and Sisters: Rejoice in the Lord always! I shall say it again: rejoice! Your kindness should be known to all. The Lord is near” (Philippians 4: 4-6). How can this make sense in light of what has happened?

God’s Word challenges us to look deeper at tragedy, to see it through the eyes of faith. “The Lord is near.” God is a merciful God; God is a saving God. Almost 17 years ago, on March 13, 1996, a gunman walked into another elementary school, in Dunblane, Scotland and proceeded to kill 16 children and one adult before killing himself. With the eyes of faith, John Bell and Graham Maule wrote a song, “There is a Place:”

There Is A Place

There is a place prepared for little children,
those we once lived for, those we deeply mourn,
those who from play, from learning and from laughter,
cruelly were torn.

There is a place where hands which held ours tightly
now are released beyond all hurt and fear,
healed by that love which also feels our sorrow,
tear after tear.

There is a place where all the lost potential
yields its full promise, finds its lost intent;
silenced no more, young voices echo freely
as they were meant.

There is a place where God will hear our questions,
suffer our anger, share our speechless grief,
gently repair the innocence of loving
and of belief.

Jesus who bids us be like little children
shields those our arms are yearning to embrace.
God will ensure that all are reunited.
There is a place.

John L. Bell and Graham Maule in conjunction with the Iona Community in Scotland

© WGRG / The Iona Community

The title, There is a Place, is a reference to John’s Gospel (14:1-6), in which Jesus promises his disciples that he is “going to prepare a place for them” and then he will come back and take them to himself, so that they can be with him. The song poetically expresses what we believe in faith:

·         there is life beyond this life, a life with God;

·         in love and compassion, God immediately welcomes and brings children who die into eternal life and is with them;

·         eternal life is a life of joy, peace and happiness in which God heals every hurt, restores all that was lost and gives the fullness of life;

·         God is near us, understands and shares our anger, grief and tears;

·         we are destined for eternal life at the end of this life and we will be united with all the people who have gone before us.

and our faith can be a source of both consolation and hope.

The readings of the Third Sunday of Advent also call forth a personal response. The Gospel of Luke (3: 10-18) recounts people coming to John the Baptist with the question, “What should we do?” John responds very practically: “Whoever has two cloaks should share with the person who has none, and whoever has food should do likewise.”

So, what should we do?

·         Grieve and support those who are grieving – but, as St. Paul reminds us (1 Thessalonians 4: 13-13) as people with faith and hope.

·         Pray for the children, for the families, for those who are traumatized, for the safety forces, for the clergy and counselors working with people – and especially for those who are tempted to violence

·         Connecticut Governor Dan Malloy said “Evil visited this community today.” Each time we pray the Lord’s Prayer, we pray, “Deliver us from evil.” Let us be mindful of what we are praying.

·         Cherish our children. Do everything in your power to keep every child safe.

·         Commit to live peacefully and nonviolently. Reflect on your “consumption” of violence on TV, in movies, video games, sports, music, everyday language. Consciously make choices to see and listen to media that presents peaceful solutions and invites a peaceful response. Practice driving courteously and patiently, never aggressively or impatiently. Learn not to speak in anger; practice speaking respectfully, gently and compassionately. Learn ways to defuse confrontations, mediate disagreements and reach consensus.

·         Believe “we can do better” and that these challenges are “beyond politics.” Insist on and participate in conversations and efforts to lessen the level of violence in our society (neighborhood, city, country), to provide better access and more effective treatment for persons with mental illness, to remove the stigma still associated with seeking help for mental problems, support for parents and parenting, restore civility in public life and discourse.

·         Follow John the Baptist’s counsel: help feed the hungry, share clothing with the needy, shelter the homeless (many of whom struggle with addictions and mental illness), live simply and honestly.

·         Lift up all that is good, decent, compassionate and caring in others. See in this the sign of God’s love and compassion, as the inbreaking of God’s kingdom. Rejoice.

All children & young people are invited to a sneak preview of next summer’s castle-themed VBS “Kingdom Rock” on December 27, 10am-2pm in the school. Multiple age groups welcome; teens needed to help with crafts & snack. Contact Stephanie Pritts.

EPIPHANY FEST — SAVE THE DATE!

Our annual Epiphany Celebration will take place Saturday evening, January 5, beginning with Prayer and Song around 6pm in church; a festive supper with our Metanoia friends in the hall will follow!

CHURCH DECORATING NEXT SUNDAY

Each year, many people admire how beautiful St. Malachi church looks at Christmas. You can be part of creating that beauty — next Sunday, December 23, following 12:30 Mass.

WEDNESDAY PRAYER GROUP

Join us this Wednesday at 7pm for Bridges to Contemplation – We use Thomas Merton’s writings as a starting point for silence, contemplation, and discussion.

SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION MEETING

There is a Spiritual Development Commission meeting Monday at 7pm in the rectory. All are invited and welcome to help continue support opportunities to learn about Spirituality and prayer.

PARISH GATHERING! SAVE THE DATE

You are invited to a Parish Gathering on Tuesday, February 5 at 7pm in the hall. During our time together, we will review the process of Affirming, Welcoming, Engaging & invite you to offer your wisdom & voice regarding our challenges. We also hope to meet parishioners who we do not know yet. ALL ARE WELCOME.

Next Sunday, December 9, St. Malachi parish will again deliver more than 700 fruit baskets to the residents at Lakeview & Riverview apartments after the Masses. This unique St. Malachi tradition is a opportunity for families & individuals to share a gift and a smile with our neighbors during the Christmas Season. Please plan on joining the Social Action Commission in this effort. Many hands make the load lighter! We are looking for personal shopping carts to carry fruit baskets to the apartments. If you have one or more, to donate or to lend for the day, it would be a great help. Contact Linda Kennard, (216) 661-7130, linken22@yahoo.com for more information.

IMMACULATE CONCEPTION HOLY DAY

This Saturday, December 8, is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is our country’s patronal feast; the United States is dedicated to Mary under the title of “The Immaculate Conception.” The Holy Day Vigil Mass is Friday at 5:30pm (note: there is no Noon Mass Friday.) The Holy Day Mass on Saturday is at 10 am.

MEN’S MINISTRY GATHERING

This Saturday, December 8, men from St Malachi, St. Patrick & St. Colman are invited to attend a webcast & discussion by Fr. Richard Rohr:  Immortal Diamond. Searching for the True Self. Pizza & drinks will be provided. Gather: 11:30am; Live webcast at Noon, discussion after at John Knox Presbyterian Church 25200 Lorain Rd, North Olmsted. Contact: Chuck Rihm rihm@compuserve.com (440) 503-8021 or Jeff Barbalics (St.Malachi) 216-631-3343 jbarbalics@cgginc.com

ADVENT POETRY WITH KIM LANGLEY

Join us next Sunday, December 9, from 1:30-3:30pm in the school. Lunch of soup, bread and tea will be served. No cost, but please call to register at (216) 861-5343.

LITURGY COMMISSION MEETS TUESDAY EVENING

All are welcome to attend the Liturgy Commission meeting this Tuesday, December 4, at 6:30 pm in the rectory. We will continue preparation for the Christmas Season & beyond. For information, call Charlene McElwee at the rectory

GIVING CRÈCHE PROJECT

During Advent, the St. Malachi Social Action Commission invites you to participate in the Giving Crèche Project to benefit the St. Malachi Center’s Christmas party for the homeless. Select a gift tag from the Crèche in the front of the church. Purchase one or more of the gifts written on the tag and bring the gift back to the Crèche by Sunday, December 16. Individuals and families are encouraged to participate. Your gifts will bring a smile and a bit of comfort to those in need this Christmas. Contact Linda Kennard, (216) 661-7130, linken22@yahoo.com for more information.

Monday, October 29, 5:10 PM

The electricity goes out throughout the St. Malachi campus. The wind is powerful.

Tuesday, October 30, 2 AM

There is a tremendous crashing sound; the rectory is shaken. Two trees in the front have broken and crashed into the porch.

The morning light reveals that the trees have knocked over the fence, knocked down the pillar on the porch, and torn off the facia and crown molding. The wind has stripped off the facia and flashing on the north and west side of the rectory.

Shingles from the school building roof litter the ground; some are found on the sacristy roof and the south side of the church.

Water is leaking in the sacristy. Water is leaking from the bell tower into the choir loft.

The electricity is still off.

Wednesday, October 31

Electric power is restored about 6 AM.

Thursday, November 1

The trees are removed. Water draining and drying out the bell tower begins.

Saturday, November 3

Shingles on the school roof are replaced.

Last week of November

The facia and crown molding – all custom work on a historic house, such as at St. Malachi – should arrive; rectory repairs can then be completed. The bell tower continues to dry out.

St. Malachi:

Monday, October 29, 5:10 PM

When the electricity goes off, volunteers are gathering for the Monday Night Meal. Fortunately, Al Francis and the group of volunteers that come early have warmed up everything, so there will be a hot meal. The emergency exit lights go on; they run on batteries and will give some light in for a couple of hours. The volunteers move the shades so as to bring in as much of the fading natural light as possible. Because of the lack of power, John Delzani, the meal coordinator, decides there will be only one serving line. Although serving takes twice as long with only one line, people remain patient and cheerful. The Monday Night Meal is served successfully, as usual.

Tuesday, October 30, 2 AM

A few people come for the 7AM Mass, which is celebrated by flashlight and candlelight.

Immediately after Mass, Jim Schlect from Care Alliance (and the Metanoia Project Board) stops at St. Malachi. Because the power is out, it will be difficult to serve at the Backdoor. We decide to open up the hall (despite the lack of electricity) and serve from the hall, so that people can get out of the weather. We ship pastries and sandwiches over to hall, which serves all day. Jim is able to contact the core staff from the Metanoia Project and the decision is made to open up for the first “emergency weather” night of the season (though the Metanoia Project isn’t scheduled to open officially for a couple more weeks. Despite the power being off, there are 70 people who stay the night.

There is a funeral scheduled for 9:30 AM. To provide light, we place candelabra on each side of the altar and a candelabra stand near the ambo, for the readings. Candles are hung near the windows and on the heaters to provide some light around the church. A half-dozen members of the Resurrection Choir come, despite the continuing storm, to sing. Afterwards, they comment how beautiful the funeral was … perhaps they should request candlelight for their own funerals!

Despite the weather and the closing of the Shoreway due to the water flooding the freeway, Steve Greshem, our custodian, makes it in and begins assessing damage, cleaning up the debris and making emergency repairs.

Wednesday, October 31

With power restored, the daily Masses and the scheduled funeral were able to go forward normally.

The Backdoor Ministry was able to open and function normally.

Kimberly Tatro, our Office Manager, took picture of the damage and forwarded them to the Diocesan Insurance Office. Steve Greshem began working with the people sent out by the Diocese to coordinate tree removal and essential repairs.

 “Superstorm” Sandy had a profound affect on St. Malachi; repair of the damages is still underway. It will be decades before trees planted to replace those that were lost will have reached the size of those that were lost (as of this writing, nothing has been done to replace the trees). However, the greater story of “Superstorm” Sandy and St. Malachi is the story of how, despite the damage and the loss of electricity, we were able to continue to our ministry because of the great dedication of our staff, volunteers, and ministers.