Week of January 28, 2007

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Dear Parishioner,

Recently the music ministry completed our long-awaited and much-anticipated pilgrimage to Rome and Assisi. Over two years of planning and fund raising came to beautiful and poignant fruition as we spent eight days sharing experiences to enrich our relationships with God, ministry, and one another. With great joy and gratitude, I would like to share with you some highlights of our journey.

We began our pilgrimage in the small, rustic mountain community of Assisi where we walked in the footsteps of St. Francis. Often relegated to the role of lawn ornament, it is easy to forget that St. Francis worked tirelessly for peace in a time when the city-states of the Italian peninsula were constantly at war. We visited the tiny chapel where Francis first received his calling, and only a few feet away, the chapel that marks the place of his death. Both are now surrounded by the enormous and beautiful Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels. We prayed before the miraculous crucifix from which Jesus spoke to Francis to guide his ministry and we viewed the incorrupt remains of St. Clare, one of Francis's first followers and foundress of the Sisters of the Poor Clares. For many, the highlight of our time in Assisi was celebrating a private liturgy in the small, plain Chapel of the Tomb, located underground beneath the Basilica of St. Francis. Joining our voices in song as we celebrated the Eucharist before the simple stone sarcophagus of St. Francis brought tears to many of our eyes as we felt the simple and palpable presence of God in this place where Francis has lain for nearly nine centuries.

From the simplicity of Assisi, we headed to Rome where we began the new year with awe and wonder at the grandeur and splendor of God. On January 1 we arose early and were bussed past security into the heart of Vatican City. There we were lead through a back entrance of St. Peter's Basilica to sing along with the Sistine Chapel Choir and the Vatican Scola for the Papal Mass celebrating the Feast of Mary the Mother of God. It is hard to describe the majesty and overwhelming beauty of St. Peter's. Also beyond words is the feeling, the thrill of singing the sacred liturgy celebrated by His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI. At once, one experiences the universality of our Church as many languages, traditions, and cultures are unified by the sameness of Christ in the Eucharist. We were filled with pride at representing our parish and our country, and filled with humility as we offered our gift of music to God before the Holy Father and the world. It was a similar feeling as we participated in the general audience with Pope Benedict two days later.

These experiences, along with the full concert we sang at the Church of St. Ignatius attended by nearly 700 people, singing as the featured choir for the January 3 weekday Mass at St. Peter's, visiting sites of ancient Rome, and simply sharing meals, photographs and stories with one another are memories that we will cherish forever. But more than that, they are inspiration from which we will draw energy and enthusiasm for our ministry and our service to this parish. All of this was possible in large part because of your prayerful and generous support. For this, we offer humble and heartfelt thanks.

Dr. Marc Weagraff

COMING SOON !  Mark your calendars now for the weekend of February 24 & 25 and plan to attend the Stewardship Open House being held after all masses in our banquet center.  Learn about ways to put into action the gifts of time and talent, which God has given to you.  Yummy refreshments will be provided, too.

SIGNED LITURGY- On Sunday, February 4 th the 11:00 a.m. Mass will be signed for the hearing impaired. Reserved seating can be found in the first two rows of chairs by the Eucharist Chapel.

2007 ST. NOEL MARDI GRAS – Fun-Fun-Fun at St. Noel Mardi Gras Carnival, February 17 th . Fabulous food, cash bar, sideboards, 50-50 Raffle, prizes and dancing until midnight. Stop by the table in the narthex to view the menu and other festivities planned. Tickets are only $30 each and are available after Mass.

“THE WAR, THE SURGE & PEOPLE OF FAITH” - Tom Allio of our Diocesan Social Action office has written a reflection on the war in Iraq, the surge in troops and the role of people of faith in this matter.  Copies of his letter can be found in the Social Justice section of the kiosk.

PRACTICAL SUPPORT FOR CAREGIVERS -– Family Caregivers provide 80% of care to our nation's older adults. Although caregivers take on the role wholeheartedly and often derive great spiritual blessings from this important work – they still need support. A terrific source of caregiver information can be found at www.icaregiver.org . This free, non-commercial web resource offers:

•  Information on issues and topics of relevance to caregivers;

•  Guides, worksheets and educational materials to assist families in successful planning;

•  Direct links and descriptions of other age-related websites and glossary of terms and jargon that everyone can understand.

In addition to your prayers, appreciation and support, the caregivers you know could really benefit from this helpful web site.

PARTNERSHIP NEEDS HELP – Mujer y Comunidad, the women of Zaragoza, El Salvador who we have been assisting in their efforts to operate a small business, has a serious need.  Unfortunately, they were robbed twice within several weeks toward the end of 2006.  All of their sewing machines, materials and products were stolen.  We have been in conversation with International Partners in Mission, the agency that coordinates our partnership, and have been assured that the women have found a new, secure location for their business.  In addition there will be a guard on duty at night when they are closed. But in order for Mujer y Comunidad to resume operation they need $5000 .  Our usual collection for our Social Justice Ministries which is taken up on this weekend will be dedicated to the women this month.   Whatever you can contribute to this effort will be very much appreciated! 

SOCIAL JUSTICE/ST. AUGUSTINE- On January 28th our volunteers will be serving the meal at the St. Augustine Hunger Center. After all the Masses on January 27 th & January 28th, we will be collecting for Mujer y Comunidad, the women of Zaragoza, El Salvador.

SOCIAL JUSTICE FUND – In December we collected $10,450.00. Our expenses for December were:

We thank you for your support.

RITE OF ELECTION USHERS NEEDED – On the first Sunday of Lent, February 25, 2007 the Diocese is conducting the Rite of Election for those being received into the Church this Easter Vigil.  This celebration takes place at Cleveland Public Hall, downtown Cleveland.  Ushers would need to arrive at 1:30 p.m.  Please call Alice at 440-946-0887 if you would like more information or if you are able to help.

HOSPICE MINISTRY – As an outgrowth of Bishop Pilla's Vibrant Parish Life initiative which began in 2003, the parishes of the Lake/Geauga District will be partnering with Hospice of the Western Reserve to bring a Catholic caring presence to those who are dying in our communities and seek our care and support at this significant point in their life's journey. Volunteers will be recruited from the parishes in our district. The goal is for a community to care for community. Volunteer training begins January 29 th and runs through March 12 th from 6:00-9:00 p.m., on Monday evenings at Divine Word Parish. Stop in the parish office to pick up a packet of information if you are interested.

CLASS OF NON-VIOLENCE – SOLUTIONS TO VIOLENCE - Beginning Monday, February 5, at 7:30 p.m. and continuing for 8 weeks through Lent, members of the “Let There Be Peace” Prayer Group will be leading discussions of lessons on non-violence developed by Colman McCarthy of the Center for Teaching Peace in Washington, D.C.  Each lesson consists of 5 or 6 short readings (approximately 15 pages total) that are classics in peace and justice literature.  Check the kiosk for more information and to sign up. Mark your calendars and plan to attend one or more of the discussions. Please sign up this weekend so you can receive your materials in time for the first class.  Those who have already signed up can pick up the materials for the first several classes in the office.

WOMEN'S PRAYER BREAKFAST – Warm-up with us at our winter prayer breakfast on Saturday, February 10 th , from 8:00 a.m. until 10:00 a.m. in the Banquet Center/small hall. Our St. Noel parishioner, Sharon Waltermire, will present an interactive program in preparation for the Lenten season entitled MASTERPIECES LOST AND FOUND ALLOWING GOD'S LOVE TO TRANSFORM US. Please come for a morning of self-reflection, fellowship, and prayer. As always we will enjoy a delicious breakfast. The suggested donation is $3.50. Please sign up on the kiosk by Tuesday, February 6 th if you plan to attend. Please call the parish office at 440-946-0887 with any questions.

WEDDING MUSIC – We will have an Evening of Wedding Music on Tuesday, January 30, 2007 at 7:00 p.m. in the church. This workshop is for engaged couples who will be getting married this year, and will feature over an hour of music appropriate for liturgy, as well as a chance to hear parish soloists and instrumentalists. To better assist you in making choices, you are strongly encouraged to bring a tape recorder and tape the sessions. See you there!

PARISH POT LUCK AND GAME NIGHT – join us following the 5:00 p.m. Mass on Saturday, February 3 rd , for a relaxing evening of food, fellowship, and fun. Bring along a dish to share and any table or board games you might like to play (we'll have some, too). After dinner, we will we will set up games like Trivial Pursuit, Pictionary, Chronology, chess and checkers, pinochle, Chutes and Ladders (and many more). All you have to do is decide what game you want to play and we'll spend the rest of the evening table hopping from game to game (or stay put if your luck is holding out)! Make plans now to join us in the Banquet Center/large hall for this fun evening of food and entertainment. We will provide pasta and meatballs for the main course, but please sign up on the kiosk with the number of people from each household attending and what you think you might bring as a side dish. If you have any questions or suggestions, please call Marianne Slattery at 440-946-1128 X 21.

STEWARDSHIP SNAPSHOTS – Get to know the vast variety of ministries offered here at St. Noel through the experiences of people directly involved! Hear their personal stories of why they got involved, how they feel they've made a difference and what keeps them motivated. These inspirational stories of good stewardship are sure to ignite the fire under all of us. Coming soon to www.stnoel.org !

SPIRITUAL READING GROUP  - Plan ahead for our Feb. 13th meeting by calling Kathy at 440-943-1805 regarding obtaining a copy of Sue Monk Kidd's When the Heart Waits .

ST. NOEL FELLOWSHIP – Activities for February are as follows: – February 1 st -Bingo - February 8 th – Reverse Raffle – February 15 th - socializing, meeting, and then at 12:30 p.m. we will have our luncheon of ½ chicken, scalloped potatoes, green beans, mixed salad, rolls, butter and peach pie. Cost is $6.00 per person. Deadline for tickets and payment is February 12 th .

February 22 nd –Bingo and we will celebrate birthdays and anniversaries. Also, please remember to bring your food donation for the food pantry to this meeting. Everyone is welcome to attend the Senior Fellowship on Thursdays.

PARISH RETREAT - will be held on Wednesday, February 7th from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. The retreat theme will be “In The Footsteps of St. Francis.” The retreat will be facilitated by Billie Kamis. Sign up is on the kiosk. (A $5.00 donation is suggested for the lunch). Eucharistic Adoration will be at 9:00 a.m. until 10:00 a.m. in the Nativity Room.

PRIME TIME – Stop in tonight at 6:30pm (we need a little more time) for Fun, Film & Fellowship. We'll watch a movie together and have some great discussion and food. Don't forget about the PRIME TIME Bowl on Super Bowl Sunday!!

JUNIOR HIGH YOUTH GROUP – Our next session is January 31 st at 7:00pm in the lower level. Bring your bibles. The youth group is open to all 6-8 grade students.

ALTAR SERVERS – We are in need of servers at all our Liturgies. Both children (4 th grade and older) and adults are welcome to serve. Please call Anthony for more information. This is a wonderful opportunity for parents and children to serve together!

CLARK BARS – The bars are here!! Thanks to all who have helped. To date, St. Noel has raised over $1100 to add to the total for the Clark family. We're selling Clark bars to support Terry Clark, a junior at Wickliffe and our parishioner, who is battling Leukemia. Candy bars sell for $1.00. Please place your donation in the box near the candy bars and please pray for Terry and his family.

PANCAKE BREAKFAST – Bring your sweetheart for pancakes on Sunday, Feb 11 th . All proceeds benefit PRIME TIME. Mark your calendar today!!

CONFIRMATION – Those in 6-12 th grade interested in celebrating the Sacrament of Confirmation need to call Anthony (946-1128) to register for preparation. Sessions begin the 1 st Sunday of Lent and all candidates must pre-register. Confirmation is scheduled for Saturday, May 5, 2007 with Bishop Roger Gries, OSB.

SUMMER SERVICE – One spot remains for our Young Neighbors in Action trip to Washington DC the week of July 8-14. We can reserve more, if needed. This is a unique opportunity for high school teens to live and learn about their Catholic faith. Call Anthony for more information (946-1128 x20).

DIVORCE RECOVERY FOR CATHOLICS - an 8-week support group program designed to meet the needs of those who are divorced or separated will begin Thursday, February 1 st at St. Gabriel Church, 9925 Johnnycake Ridge Road, Concord, from 7-9:00 p.m... For more information or to register, please call Catholic Charities at 440-352-6191 or 1-800-242-9755.

SHOUT BAND AND PASTA BUFFET - Tickets are now being sold for the Mo-town Show at St. Noel on March 10 th from 6:30 – 11:00 p.m. Cash bar available. Tickets are only $20.00 per person and are going fast. Please call and reserve a ticket at 440-946-NOEL (6635). If you have never had the pleasure of eating at St. Noel or have never been entertained by Shout before, do yourself a favor and plan on attending this event.

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