Week of February 14, 2010

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Dear Parishioner,

The 40 days of Lent which begin this Wednesday are a special time for prayer, charity and spiritual growth. I have listed below the opportunities which our parish is providing for you to celebrate this season profitably.  

• This Wednesday is Ash Wednesday; a Service of the Word with ashes will take place at noon. Evening Eucharist with ashes will be celebrated at 7:00 p.m,

• On Wednesday, March 16th at 7:30 p.m. we celebrate together the Sacrament of Penance.

• Every Friday of Lent at 7:30 p.m. there will be an opportunity to pray the Stations of the Cross.

• Plan on attending the Passion Play “Reflections From St. Peter on the Love of Jesus” by our Cluster Youth Ministry to be held at Divine Word on Palm Sunday, March 28th at 6:30 p.m.

• I also encourage you to pray the Stations personally. During Lent, the church is open all day from 7 p.m. until the last meeting ends. Booklets to use in praying the Stations can be found in the kiosk. Making the Stations on a regular basis during Lent is a beneficial Lenten practice. The Stations begin in the area close to the baptismal font and continue around the church. The walking from one Station to another imitates Christ’s Way of the Cross and is itself a means of prayer within this devotion.

• We will be collecting bags of items for Forbes House (the Lake County women’s shelter), Project Hope (the Lake County homeless shelter), Birthright, and St. Augustine Hunger Center. Tags indicating the items needed for each agency can be found in the narthex. Please use a plastic bag for your items, closing it with the yarn and tag provided. If you do not have your own plastic bags, please help yourself to the plastic bags which are also on the table. Return filled bags to the right-hand bin in the food pantry area

• Next weekend our parishioner, Matt Jarkewicz, who is working toward toward becoming an Eagle Scout, will speak before the Masses. He will make an appeal for items for the Women’s Re-Entry Network which has been one of the agencies that has been part of our Lenten bag projects in the past.

• Lenten “Rice Bowls” are also available. Placing change into these bowls on a regular basis during Lent will help feed many in the third world countries and support projects promoting agricultural, nutritional, and educational programs to encourage self-sufficiency. When the bowls are filled, they can be returned to the Parish Office.

• Catholics are asked to abstain from meat on all the Fridays of Lent. On Ash Wednesday and Good Friday adult Catholics are also asked to fast – that is, limit their food to a simple full meal and two lesser meals.

• Our parish GIFT program will cover a topic particularly fitting for the Lenten Season on Sunday, March 7th at 12:30 p.m. and Wednesday, March 10 at 6:00 p.m. Sr. Mary McCormick of St. Mary Seminary will lead us on a Reflection of God’s gracious love. The session is titled “God’s Free Invitation to Grace: You’re on the Guest List.”

• If you missed the Daytime Retreat earlier this month, join us for “Transform Yourself in Lent – Be Reborn by Easter” on Sunday, February 28, from 12:30 to 3:00 p.m. Led by Marianne Slattery, we will be challenged to transform our lives in Lent by making a 21-day commitment to change the habit of complaining, gossiping, or criticizing. A $6.00 donation is recommended to defray expenses (including lunch). Sign up on the kiosk or call the parish office(440-946-0887).

• Our Social Justice Ministry invites you to participate in a 4-week series on Christianity and Islam. This series which will occur on four Monday evenings (March 1, 8, 15, 22) at 7:00 p.m. will explore the similarities and differences between the two religions. You must sign up prior to the series in order to receive preparatory materials. This can be done by writing your name on the list on the kiosk or by contacting Alice (440-946-0887). The deadline for sign up is February 24th.

• On Wednesday, February 24th at 6:30 p.m. our Cluster Social Justice Committee will be hosting an evening program “Simple Living for Generous Giving.” The evening will include prayerful reflection upon our resources, a free simple Lenten meal, and a thrift store fashion show by children, youth and adults, as well as a short presentation on repurposing household items. Please sign up on the kiosk by February 17th, indicating how many from your household will be present so we can adequately prepare for the meal.

• Finally, we ask your participation in our Lenten fish fries on each Friday of Lent (excluding Good Friday) from 4:30-7:30 p.m., beginning February 19th. These fish fries are an important fund raiser for our parish, and they are possible only through the generosity of parishioners willing to help with serving and cleanup. Please sign up on the kiosk to help.
  
  

Each Lenten season invites us to grow in our faith as we prepare to celebrate the great Feast of Easter. Please consider including one or more of the opportunities above as part of your Lenten observance. 

                                                        Fr. George Smiga

THANK YOU to all who contributed to the Catholic Relief Services for the Haiti Earthquake victims.  Our contributions totaled $8,249.90

IPM TRIP TO ITALY- International Partners in Mission (IPM), through whom St. Noel has collaborated in supporting our El Salvador Partnership, is announcing a trip to Italy this spring (May 17-28). The title of the trip is: “Southern Italy, A Road Less Traveled: History, Caravaggio, and Social Justice. The trip will be co-led by Mr. Joseph Cistone, the executive director of IPM, and Fr. George Smiga, pastor of St. Noel. The trip will visit Rome, Naples, Sicily, and the island of Malta. It will visit several unique ancient sites of Greek and Roman heritage, view several masterpieces by Caravaggio who painted extensively in Southern Italy, and interact with IPM partners who are working for social justice. Further details can be found on the flyers in the kiosk.

BAPTISM DAY – will be held on Sunday, March 14th from 12:15 – 3:30 p.m. Parents who are planning to present a child for Baptism in the next six months, or already have done so and have not previously attended such a day, are expected to attend. Please call the parish office (440-946-0887)

MIDDLE SCHOOL YOUTH GROUP – Our next meeting is on Tuesday, February 16th, from 7:00-8:30 p.m. at the St. Noel Banquet Center. Let’s get ready for Lent. Bring your Bible and your binder.

PRIME TIME NEWS - All teens and their parents are invited to a potluck supper on Sunday, February 21st at 6:00 p.m. at Divine Word. We will have a guest facilitator to help us communicate with each other in fun and creative ways, but always with love.

All high school teens, please mark your calendars for a weekend away from your hectic life. Join us for a Spring Retreat on March 12th-14th in the mountains of Pennsylvania. and learn to “Survive” the pressures of today’s society. We will join with teens from another youth group and share challenges to help us develop our leadership qualities as well as our faith life. Please contact Dotty Smitley (440-256-1224) or Stephanie Skrout at St. John Vianney (440-255-0600). Registration forms are online and in the kiosk at St. Noel.

CONSTANTINE’S SWORD - Our Social Justice Ministry will be showing the documentary “Constantine’s Sword” in the Resurrection Room on Sunday, February 21st at 12:15 p.m. 

ESPECIALLY FOR WOMEN IN CHILDBEARING YEARS - Elizabeth Ministry is an outreach of our parish community to women during the joys and sorrows of their childbearing years. If you or someone you know struggles with issues around pregnancy, please contact the Elizabeth Ministry through the parish office (440-946-0887). Elizabeth Ministry also offers flowers for prayer every other month (watch for announcements in the bulletin). We enjoy welcoming new babies to our parish at their baptism with a Bible and blessing.

CATHOLIC CAMPAIGN FOR IMMIGRATION REFORM – Did you know that the Catholic Church has historically held a strong interest in immigration and how public policy affects immigrants seeking a new life in the United States? Based on Scripture and Catholic social teaching, as well as her own experience as an immigrant church in the U.S., the Catholic Church is compelled to raise her voice on behalf of those who are marginalized and whose God-given rights are not respected. Watch the bulletin for upcoming details about a postcard campaign to legislators that our bishops are sponsoring. To learn more, visit www.justiceforimmigrants.org

AN EVENING OF MAGIC AND A DINNER BUFFET will take place in the St. Noel Banquet Center on Saturday, February 27th at 6:30 p.m. Magician Rick Smith Jr. will be performing. Rick is in the Guinness Book of World Records for throwing a playing card 216’ 4”. He has also appeared on “The Ellen Degeneras Show,” “The Wayne Brady Show,” and “Ripleys Believe It or Not Show” to name a few. This show can be enjoyed by people of all ages. Please call the Banquet Center (440-946-6635) for reservations and more details.

BLOOD DRIVE – The Red Cross Blood Drive will take place in the Banquet Center on Sunday, February 21 from 9:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. Please consider giving the gift of life. Those attending will need to bring a Photo ID or Donor Card. Sign-up sheets can be found on the table in the narthex. Thank you!

Something to think about from the St. Noel Endowment Board…  If you have included St. Noel in your estate plan or would like to know how, please contact the office and leave a message for the Endowment. One of our trustees will confidentially contact you.  We are making progress toward our goal of "50 Wills for the Future of St. Noel", but we need to know of YOUR plan.

ST. NOEL FELLOWSHIP – All meetings are held on Thursdays at 12:00 noon in the St. Noel Banquet Center Small Hall. Activities are: February 18th meeting followed by the luncheon including chicken marsala, mashed potatoes & gravy, broccoli/cauliflower, rolls & butter and carrot cake. The cost is $6.00. Please call the parish office (440-946-0887) for more information. The deadline for tickets and payment is February 15th. On February 25th we’ll have a reverse raffle, birthdays & anniversaries. Please bring something for the Food Pantry. Everyone is welcome!

BENEDICTINE HIGH SCHOOL will hold an entrance exam on Saturday, March 20th, 9:00 a.m.-12:00 noon.  Register on line at www.cbhs.net  Use the admissions page.

LAKE COUNTY JOB SEEKERS – Looking for employment? See the Social Justice section of the kiosk for information on the Lake County Job Seekers – additional fliers in the pocket below the posting.

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