JOY TO THE WORLD

Celebrating Children at
St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church

Relax! God put the wiggle in children; don’t feel you have to suppress it in God’s House. Sit toward the front where it’s easier to see and hear.  Quietly explain the parts of the Mass.  Sing the songs, pray and say the responses.  Children learn liturgical behavior by copying you. 

Feel free to leave Mass with your child if you need to, but please come back!  The way we welcome children in church directly affects the way they respond to the church, to God, and to Jesus.  Let them know they are at home in this liturgical gathering.
To the members of the parish…

A smile of encouragement and a kind word are always 

PRISON MINISTRY  

Are you looking for a way to give back in time for Christmas? We need your help! This year, youth ministries at OLA, St. Stanislaus, St. Patrick’s, St. Vincent, and our parish are teaming up to collect items for the Harrison County Jail and the Stone County Regional Correctional Facility.
          Many incarcerated men and women need a touch from God, and we can be that connection! Please consider donating deodorant, shampoo, body wash, athletic socks (white), and hard candies, for both men and women to this ministry for Christmas this year. If you would like to leave a note of hope, that would also be appreciated.
There will be collection baskets in each foyer of the church and we will be collecting through Dec. 16^th.
Thank you! God Bless! Merry Christmas!
 
 

PRAYER FOR OUR PRIESTS

                    O Jesus, our great High Priest, Hear my humble prayers on behalf of your priests,  Give them a deep faith, a bright and firm hope and a burning love which will ever increase in the course of his priestly life.
 
In their loneliness, comfort them in their sorrows, strengthen them in their frustrations, point out to them that it is through suffering that the soul is purified, and show them that they are needed by the Church, they are needed by souls, they are needed for the work of
redemption.
 
O loving Mother Mary, Mother of Priests, take to your heart your sons who are close to you because of their priestly ordination, and because of the power which they have received to carry on the work of Christ in a world which needs them so much.
 
Be their comfort, be their joy, be their strength, and especially help them to live and to defend the ideals of consecrated celibacy.
Amen.

Weekly Calendar

Sun, Dec 16       10 am-11:30 am, Good Shepherd at Santa’s Workshop                                for SRE Pre-K thru 5th Gr, SRE Bldg
Sun, Dec 16       NO KofC Breakfast
Mon, Dec 17       9 am-12:15 pm, SVdP Society, SRE Bldg
Mon, Dec 17       7 pm, RCIA, 7 pm, Rm 222
Tues, Dec 18      9 am-1 pm, Quilters, Rm 222
Tues, Dec 18      7 pm, Liturgical Choir Midnight Mass Rehearsal,                                          Church/Rehearsal Rm
Wed, Dec 19      11 am, Anointing of the Sick Mass
Wed, Dec 19       Lunchkins immediately following Mass
Wed, Dec 19       7 pm, Penance Service
Wed, Dec 19       7 pm, Liturgical Choir Midnight Mass Rehearsal,                                          Church/Rehearsal Rm
Thurs, Dec20      9-10:30 am, Centering Prayer & Scripture, Church
Thurs, Dec 20     SVdP Society, CLOSED
Thurs, Dec 20     7 pm, Knights of Columbus, KofC Room
Thurs, Dec 20     7 pm, KofC Ladies Aux, Rm 203
Thurs, Dec 20     7 pm, New Wine, Rm 222
Fri, Dec 21          8 am-4 pm, Adoration, Chapel
 

OFFICE CLOSED NEXT WEEK, DEC 24 THRU 27

RECURRING AROUND THE PARISH…

St. Vincent de Paul Society….9:30 am-12:15 pm, Monday & Thursday, open to help

St. Joseph’s Helping Hands….Workday is every first Saturday of the month; the meeting is every 4th Thurs, 6 pm

Adoration in the Chapel….8 am-4 pm, Friday

Youth Gift Cards (SCRIP) sales…After all Masses & during office hours, 9 am-4:30 pm weekdays

Knights of Columbus, Council #4898….7 pm, every 1st & 3rd Thursday of the month (4th Degree mtg follows immediately after 1st meeting of the month)

Ladies Aux of the KofC #4898….7 pm, every 3rd Thurs of the month
 
Lunchkins….11:30am, for December will be held on Wed, 19th immediately after the Anointing of the Sick Mass, CC

Baptism Classes….9:30 am, Last Saturday of every month, Rm 222; contact person is Sue Hoffman at  228-864-5868

PETITIONS OF PRAYER

Beckett Clair McCafffery, Bernadette Levens-Tolson, Blakeley Quinn Hammons, Brenda Boney, Carol Armbrester, Catherine Carrubba, Catherine Woodward, Dominic Xuan (Wan) Pham,  Donna Wangerin, Evan Jones, Frank Vincent Reed, Frank Violanti, Gene Marie Mount, Geri Richards, George Sheridan, Irma Ladner, Jimmy Clark, Jimmy DiLorenzo, John Barnard, Joyce Stinziano, Kenneth Necaise, Kurt Vraun, Nancy Kurowski, Noreen Baker, Martita Pierce, Reece Bentz, Roberta Varvel, Sally Blake, Sally, James, Samantha Dumont, Suzanne Slade,
…..and all others in our parish and community who are in need of healing, physical or spiritual.  
 
Names appearing on Petitions of Prayer come from hospital visitation lists, and from telephone calls made to the Parish Office.

All of the requests for prayers remain on our list for four weeks.  If notified, we will extend the time frame.
 
Anyone needing to add someone to the electronic prayer group e-mail, send the information electronically to: prayer@saintthomaslb.org  or call the parish office at 863-1610.

HOSPITAL ADMISSIONS

   When you are admitted to the hospital please be sure that you are listed as a Catholic and a member of St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church.  If possible please have someone call the Parish office 863-1610 to let us know you have been admitted.  

NEWLY MARRIED 

Emily Booth and Nicholas Chapman
Julia Marie Lawson and Ty Neil Cadle
 

WE WELCOME TO OUR FAITH

Juliana Marie Arzabe
Daniel Douglas Williams

GONE HOME TO GOD 

†Fr. John McBrearty (St. Teresa Parish)
 
†Estelle Papania (Mother of Fr. Bernie Panania)
 
 

Events
Scrip Support
Life Teen
Knights of Columbus
             Society of St. Vincent de Paul