Week of August 21, 2005

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Dear Parishioner,

It's time to celebrate. This weekend we mark our 25 th year anniversary as a parish. It has been an amazing quarter of a century. When St. Noel began in 1980 with 300 families, the foundation was well laid. Today we stand with 1550 households and over 50 ministries promoting the Gospel of Christ. We have much for which to be thankful.

Please come and join us this Sunday for the anniversary event taking place on our parish grounds and Roemish fields. The schedule follows below. You can stop in for any part of the day. We are prepared for both rain or shine. Throughout the day in the Resurrection Rooms we will have a display of the parish history. We have also prepared “A Prayerful Tour of St. Noel” book of our church building which will be available at no cost. Drawings from those books have been used to create attractive note cards which you can purchase for $5.00 for a pack of ten – with the proceeds going for the benefit of our partnership with Women and Community in Zaragoza, El Salvador. Holiday ornaments commemorating our parish anniversary will also be available.

Those who have not yet picked up their parish photo directory may also do so this weekend. Our music ministry has produced an audio CD for the anniversary and we will be taking orders for those who wish to purchase copies to benefit the music ministry's travel fund.

All through the afternoon and evening we will have special guests: former staff members, civic officials, and neighboring church and school staffs. Sr. Kathleen Flannery, who served on the staff of St. Noel in our early years, will preach as part of the evening prayer service. I would like to thank the many committees of parishioners who worked over the last year to plan and execute this event. I look forward to seeing you at this important celebration of our parish life.

Fr. George Smiga

OUTDOOR MASS – Our Tuesday morning Mass on August 23 rd at 8:45 am will be in our outdoor chapel (weather permitting).

MARK YOUR 2006 CALENDAR TODAY!!! The 2006 Vacation Bible School program will be the week of July 17 th – 21 st . Watch the bulletin in the Spring for volunteer opportunities and registration dates.

ST. NOEL FELLOWSHIP – Activities for the month of August are as follows. August 25 th – anniversaries and birthdays, horse races. Bring something for the Food Bank. All meetings are held on Thursdays at 12:00 Noon in the small hall, everyone welcome.

PARISH 25 TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION

3:00 P.M. Co-ed, slo-pitch softball game

Children's Craft Tables

(at Roemish Pavilion)

  History of St. Noel on display, Tour

Books, note cards, music CD's and

Holiday ornaments in Resurrection Room

4:00 p.m. Games for all ages/Clowns/Balloons/

  50/50 raffle/Chinese Auction

4:30 p.m. Pie Baking Contest – Will Dorothy

Badger continue her reign as St. Noel   Pie Baking Champion? Winner

receives ribbon, bragging rights, and

recipe is placed on our web page.

All pies should be to the large hall by

4:30 p.m.

5:30 p.m. Potluck supper, BBQ ribs and chicken,

hot dogs, and beverages provided.

  Please bring a salad, side dish and/or a

dessert to share. Dine in large hall

or outside on the grass.

7:00 p.m. Concert

8:00 p.m. Prayer Service; Sr. Kathleen Flannery,

former pastoral minister at St. Noel will

  provide a reflection.

Ice Cream Social following Prayer Service.

WOMEN'S FELLOWSHIP & BIBLE STUDY – Women of all ages are invited to join our study group on Tuesdays from 9:30-11 a.m. beginning September 13 th . We meet in the basement meeting room each week to discuss our bible study (we are starting a new book on Acts) and enjoy the fellowship of other Christian women. Childcare is provided in the nursery--free of charge. We encourage you to join our growing group and look forward to seeing you. Please contact Anthony at 440—946-1128 x20 for more information.

HARVEST FOR THE HUNGRY – If you've been blessed with an abundant vegetable garden, please consider sharing the wealth. Bring your bounty to the St. Noel coatroom by 5:00 on Friday evening during harvest season and it will be delivered to St. Augustine's Hunger Center. Please be sure to call Howard or Nancy (440-975-9753) if you drop off anything, otherwise it will not be picked up and may rot. If leaving items early in the week, mark with St. Augustine Hunger Center, and put in the refrigerator in the kitchenette (and leave a message for Howard).

HOSPICE- Hospice of the Cleveland Clinic is looking for special people to provide compassionate support to patients. We offer training, in-services, recognition, volunteer newsletters, camaraderie, and a sense of accomplishment for helping someone in need. The next training begins in September. For an interview, please call Ann Catanese at 216-636-8666.

WANT TO EXPLORE BECOMING A CATHOLIC?   Join us for our next RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) Inquiry session on August 30 th in the Resurrection Room 1 & 2 at 7 p.m.  Please call Alice Hinkel at 440-946-0887 to register if you have not attended before. 

NEWS FROM EL SALVADOR – We have a report from “Women and Community – Mujer y Comunidad”, our partnership with the women in El Salvador who are operating a small business to help sustain themselves and their families. The report is in a pocket in the Social Concerns section of the kiosk on gold paper. Please take a copy. As you will see they are engaged in many activities to help improve the

quality of their lives.

JUSTFAITH - The twenty-four JustFaith participants from last year would like to extend an invitation to you to consider being a part of our second year of JustFaith. This thirty week program is both a challenging and rewarding experience. Learning and formation in Catholic Social Teaching takes place through prayer, reading, discussion, videos, guest speakers and field trips. The actual JustFaith course will begin on Sunday, September 18 th and continue through Sunday, May 7 th . We will gather on these Sunday evenings from 6:00 to 8:30 pm. Meet our facilitators for this year, Kathy Benda and Marilyn Wright, when you attend one of the information and registration meetings which will be held on Saturday, August 27 th at 6:15 pm; Sunday August 28 th at 12:15 pm and Thursday, September 1 st at 7:30 pm .

HEALTH CARE TASK FORCE – After a bit of a hiatus, our Health Care Task Force will be resuming its work. Our next meeting will be Monday evening September 12 th at 7 p.m. We will gather in the Resurrection Room. Any interested parishioners are invited to join us! The Bishops of the United States remind us, “Every member of the human family has the right to life and to the means that are suitable for the full development of life. This is why we insist that every human being has the right to quality health services, regardless of age, income, illness, or condition of life.”

SOCIAL CONCERNS/ST.AUGUSTINE – On August 28 th our volunteers will be serving the meal at the St. Augustine Hunger Center. There is a sign-up sheet on the kiosk if you are able to lend a hand. After all the Masses on August 27 th & 28 th , we will be collecting for our Social Concerns fund. Also, if anyone would like to bake cookies please bring the cookies with you when you come to volunteer at the Hunger Center or they can be dropped off at church before Mass on Saturday or before 8:00 a.m. only on Sunday. Please place the cookies on the table in the kitchenette.

SOCIAL CONCERNS FUND – In July we collected $798.00. Our expenses for July were:

We thank you for your support.

SOCIAL JUSTICE GEM – Many people credit the phrase, “God helps those who help themselves”, to the Bible. You may be surprised to learn that Ben Franklin is the author of this advice. Biblical injunctions are much more apt to urge us to help each other, love our neighbor and, yes, to do good to those who hate us.

MAKE A DIFFERENCE – Catholic Charities Services of Lake County is seeking volunteers to serve as Volunteer Visitors for the Lake County Probate Court. As a volunteer, you will spend time with individuals who have had a guardian appointed and act as an extra set of “eyes and ears” for the Court. Full training will be provided. An informational meeting is being held at St. Noel's on Tuesday, September 6 at 7 p.m. Please plan to attend to learn how your time can make a difference. If you have any questions, please call Sally DeLong at Catholic Charities (440) 352-6191.

FIRST COMMUNION – All families who plan to present their children for the sacraments of Confirmation and First Communion in April, 2006 are asked to begin the process by attending a Family Information and Interview Gathering. You may join us on either Sunday, August 28 or September 11 in the large hall at 12:15 (following the 11:00 Mass). From Saturday, August 6 through Sunday, August 21, there will be a table in the Narthex where your family can sign up for one of these gatherings. Parents and the child preparing for these sacraments (generally second graders) should plan to attend together. The whole family is welcome; however, babysitting for younger children will be available if you prefer. If you have any questions, please call Marianne Slattery at 440-946-1128 x21.

Children who are older than second grade and have received first communion but have not yet been confirmed, please watch in late summer or early fall for information regarding the sacrament of confirmation.

PRESCHOOL PARENTS – If you did not receive a mailing recently with registration information, please call Marianne Slattery at 440-946-1128 x 21. Our traditional Preschool program and Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program will begin September 18 th .

ANNIVERSARY AUCTION – during CAMP YAC this summer, the campers designed and painted wooden furniture. Some turned out beautiful; others only a mother could love. All pieces will be auctioned off next weekend, and all money raised will be given to a St. Noel family in need. Happy bidding!!

NOEL MOVERS – The moving business is booming!! Hundreds of people have received couches, beds, appliances and more. Did you know the Noel Movers are totally self-supported?? We're always looking for generous donors to help pay for fuel and maintenance. We're also looking for space to store furniture. Call Anthony if you can help. Do you have furniture, mattresses, etc in good condition? Call the Noel Movers to arrange pickup (946-1128 x20).

YOUTH MINISTRY – Both the junior high youth group and PRIME TIME will use the GIFT sessions as part of their regular gatherings. If you haven't registered for GIFT, get on board soon. GIFT will be an important component to the faith formation of our teens. Look for youth group information in the mail over the next 2 weeks!

2005 OHIO YOUNG ADULT CONFERENCE - Women and men in their 20's and 30's, single and married are invited to the Conference on Saturday, October 15 th at Baldwin-Wallace College. For details check out www.ohioyoungadultministry.com or call Mark Delsander at 216 334-1261 x 25.

A WEEKEND FOR DIVORCED, SEPARATED AND WIDOWED - Divorced, separated and widowed men and women of all ages are encouraged to attend a weekend designed for those who wish to let go of a painful past and create a more peace-filled future. Presented by people who have “been there” and offer their support. The next BEGINNING EXPERIENCE Weekend will be held on October 7 th , 8 th , and 9 th at St. Joseph Christian Life Center in Cleveland. Call Frank at 440-473-0457 or Jan at 440-808-9879.

POST-ABORTION HEALING RETREAT – The Bethesda House of Mercy will be sponsoring a post abortion healing retreat October 14-16, 2005. Please check the kiosk for more details. We ask everyone to pray for women and men who are hurting after an abortion that they might experience God's healing and forgiving love. As a faith community we uphold the dignity and value of every human life, womb to tomb. It is also good to remember that nothing can separate us from the love of God poured out in Christ Jesus.

SOWERS OF JUSTICE – The Diocesan Commission on Social Action is offering a 5-week course this fall on Catholic Social Teaching. The series will be held on Tuesday evenings beginning September 27 th , from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at the Center for Pastoral Leadership in Wickliffe. The topics will include: the spirituality of justice and major themes of Catholic social teaching; moving from conversion to action; solidarity; building social justice involvement in the parish; and strategic planning. If you are interested in attending, please call Alice Hinkel at the parish office (440-946-0887). Deadline for registration is September 18 th .

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