| Week
of November 4, 2007
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Dear
Parishioner,
One
of the key groups within our parish is the Parish Pastoral Council.
This group is charged with evaluating and guiding the spiritual
mission of St. Noel. It serves as a consultative group for all of
the major decisions in our parish. The council is, therefore, not
an administrative body, but a visioning body which poses long-term
questions: “Where are we going? Are we faithfully serving the mission
of Jesus?”
The
present Pastoral Council has worked over the last years to prepare
our parish for the clustering process which is now taking place
in our Diocese. It has been through its insight and guidance that
we have clustered with Divine Word Parish in Kirtland and look forward
to a productive relationship together.
It
is now time, to begin the process of choosing a new Parish Pastoral
Council. Council members serve a term of
three years, meeting about 8-10 times a year. Members of the council
are chosen by a process of discernment. Anyone interested in becoming
a member of the council is asked to participate in a five-week process
of education and faith-sharing which will take place five Monday
evenings January 14 th , 21 st , 28 th , February 4 th and 18 th
.
The
first step in establishing a new council is to ask you to recommend
parishioners you feel would be good members of the Pastoral Council.
Therefore, you will find (beginning this weekend) on yellow paper
a Recommendation Sheet on the table in the narthex, which includes
a brief description of the role of the Parish Pastoral Council.
The complete revised Council Guidelines are also available. We would
like these Recommendation Sheets returned to us by December 1 st
. You may return them to the parish office or put them in the box
in the narthex. Feel free to recommend yourself. There will be a
number of reminders concerning the establishment of our next council
in the upcoming weeks.
An
active and faith-filled Parish Pastoral Council is essential if
we are to continue to grow as a faithful Catholic Christian Community.
Please join with me in discerning whether you or someone else you
know could serve as a member of our next council. Our community
is what we are today because people such as you were willing to
offer their time and talent. Let us
keep that strong tradition alive.
Fr.
George Smiga
CLUSTERING
NEWS
- The clustering coordination team composed of members of both St.
Noel & Divine Word has made their first recommendation in the
clustering process. Both parishes highly value the importance of
youth ministry. St. Noel presently has about 25 high school youth
involved in our Prime Time Program. Divine Word has about 20 high
school students involved in their youth ministry. It was clear to
the clustering coordination team that the youth ministries of
the two parishes would be stronger if they were combined. This recommendation
has been accepted by the consultative groups in both parishes. Both
parishes have also agreed to hire a full-time person to direct the
combined youth ministry program. To that end a search committee
of 4 members from each parish has been formed to design a joint
job-description and to interview candidates for the position. The
members from St. Noel are Fr. George Smiga, Marianne Slattery, Diane
Bosley, and Fred Botek. The committee will meet for the first time
this week and plan to begin interviewing soon.
Fr.
George Smiga
THANK
YOU!!
- Because of your generosity, we were able to send to Sr. Rosemary
Nyirumbe, our Missionary speaker from St. Monica's Girl Orphanage
in Uganda, Africa a total of $8,847.00. We were
also able to send to the Society for the Propagation of Faith a
total of $408.00 from the World Mission Sunday collection.
ALTAR
SERVERS – We are in
need of servers at all liturgies. Adults are welcome to serve at
Mass as well – you must be in at least the 4 th grade to serve.
Please sign the sheet on the kiosk if interested in serving.
HELP
we are in
need of ushers at the Sunday, 9:00 a.m. Mass. We welcome men and
women. If you might be interested please call the parish office
at 440-946-0887 for further details.
ABOUT
CCHD
For 37 years, the Catholic Campaign for Human Development has worked
to address the root causes of poverty and has funded groups working
to break the cycle of poverty in the US. It helps people help
themselves in areas such as affordable housing, job training, worker-owned
cooperative businesses and support for working families with children.
A percentage of the money collected stays right here in the Cleveland
Diocese, where 21 organizations received support in 2007.
Two examples are $40,000 to the Deaf and Blind Committee on
Human Rights and $25,000 to the East Side Organizing Project against
predatory lending. For more information, pick up a newsletter
from the table in the Narthex, and plan to give generously to the
collection on Nov. 17-18.
LEAF
RAKING – need help with
your leaves? Prime Time, our awesome youth group, can help! Please
call Anthony (946-1128 x20) to learn more. The cleanup date is scheduled
for November 17 th .
PRIME
TIME - We're meeting
tonight at 7:00pm in the Teen Center. Come learn about your faith
and meet some great teens!! Don't forget about Saturday service
on November 17 th – ask for it off at work!!
JUNIOR
HIGH YOUTH GROUP – Our
next session is November 6 th at 7:00pm in the lower level. Bring
your bibles and think about this: Is it really better Over the Hedge????
CHRISTMAS
PROJECT – We will be
again serving families in need at Christmas. Please consider sponsoring
a family – call Anthony for details. Names of potential families
will be collected during the first week of November. WE
NEED SPONSOR FAMILIES. Check the kiosk for other needed
items – your generosity makes the Project possible. Thank you!
CLEVELAND
FOOD BANK – Our next
day to serve is Monday, November 5 th . Please call/email Anthony
if you are interested in serving.
BOUTIQUE
– Don't forget to stop
in at the Buy-Once-Give-Twice boutique after Masses next weekend.
This is a nice opportunity to do some Christmas shopping and to
support fair trade vendors and other charitable organizations.
BOUTIQUE
WORKERS NEEDED - If
you are able to assist at the Buy-Once-Give-Twice Boutique being
held the weekend of November 10 th & 11 th please sign-up
on the kiosk. The sign-up sheet will indicate the times people
are needed. Thank you!
ST.
NOEL CONCERT SERIES PRESENTS
- T he Bellflower String Quartet. One of the foremost string
quartets in the greater Cleveland area, its members can be heard
playing with The Cleveland Orchestra, Apollo's Fire, RED, the Ohio
Chamber Orchestra, and others major musical organizations in the
area. They will be heard in concert at St. Noel Church
on Friday, November 16 at 7:00 PM. The program will include Beethoven
string quartet in A major, Op. 18 No. 5, Schumann piano quintet
in Eb major, op. 44 with pianist Linda Jones, and “Dover Beach”
by Samuel Barber with baritone, Marc Weagraff. The concert is FREE
and a wonderful opportunity to share this music with your family
and friends. A free-will offering will be taken to benefit West
Side Ecumenical Ministries Food Centers at Community Corner.
ST.
AUGUSTINE CENTER BENEFIT DINNER is
Thursday, November 15, 2007. Save the date for another great evening
(5:30-9:30 p.m.) The cost will be $15.00 per person. There will
be a silent auction and several other surprises. Please call Jim
Klements (440-442-2744) if you can help with obtaining sponsors
and items for the auction.
ADVENT
TEA – This year's Advent
Tea will be held on Sunday, December 9, 2007 at 2:00 p.m. in the
parish Banquet Center. Prayer, music, conversation and a delicious
luncheon will all be a part of the experience. The sign-up for the
tea will be only on the weekend of November 17 th and 18
th in the narthex after
the 5:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m. Masses and before the 11:00 a.m., Mass.
The cost for the Tea is $15.00 and payment must accompany your registration.
No registration monies will be taken at the door. Any proceeds will
benefit the St. Noel Social Justice Ministry Fund. We are looking
forward to this wonderful event and hope that many women from the
parish will be able to attend.
PARISH
RETREAT –
will be held on Wednesday, November 7 th from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00
p.m. The retreat theme will be “Hearts on Fire.” The retreat will
be facilitated by Fran Armbruster and Kate Strazisar. Through prayer,
reflection, and simple creative activities we will focus on the
spirit enkindling in our hearts, “The Fire of God's Love.” Sign
up on the kiosk. Suggested donation for lunch and supplies is $7.00.
For more information call the parish office at 440-946-0887.
THE
ELIZABETH MINISTRY'S “ELIZABETH'S ROSES”
- will be available in the narthex following all Masses on the weekend
of November 10-11, 2007. Designed to identify, pray for, and support
the needs of women and their families during the childbearing years,
parishioners are invited to select a rosebud from the display and
indicate a particular need relating to pregnancy, birth, adoption,
fertility or loss. Elizabeth ministers will pray daily for the families
represented, and if requested, will contact the family in order
to provide continued support. Prayer cards will be available for
personal meditation. For further information on the Elizabeth Ministry,
visit the parish website at www.stnoel.org, and click on “Caring
Ministries.”
HOSPITALITY
- We are in need of
help at the 5:00 p.m. Saturday evening Mass and the 9:00 & 11:00
a.m. Masses on Sunday to set up and serve coffee and donuts. You
will be scheduled once a month. Families as well as individuals
are welcome to sign up. We thank you for your help. If you are interested
please call the parish office at 440-946-088.
WATER
FOR LIFE is an initiative
sponsored by our Diocesan Social Action office and a number of parishes
in our Diocese which is providing students in the villages of Narumu
and Usari in Tanzania with a water purification & transport
system vital to their health and well-being. Read more in
the information available in the Social Justice Ministry section
of the kiosk, which includes ways to participate in this effort.
LOCAL
AUTHORS – St. Ann Church
in Cleveland Heights is sponsoring a number of conversations with
local authors over the coming year. Check the kiosk for details
and to pick up a flier.
CAST
YOUR BALLOT FOR ST. NOEL - THANK
YOU for all of those
who have voted and left such nice comments. We are currently in
4 th place out of 34 caterers. We still need more votes. If you
or a family member have not voted yet, you can still vote until
November 9 th . www.myfoxcleveland.com
click the Hotlist link and scroll down to weddings and click
on caterers, then find St. Noel Banquet Center and cast your vote.
You can even leave a comment if you would like. It would be a great
advantage for us to win BEST CATERER IN CLEVELAND .
Please vote and ask other family, friends and co-workers to do the
same.
ST.
NOEL FELLOWSHIP – Activities
for November are as follows:– November
8 th – Side Board - November 15 th -
socializing, meeting, and then at 12:30 p.m. we will have our family
style luncheon of a cheese tray & punch; turkey w/stuffing;
mashed potatoes & gravy; cranberry sauce; green/yellow beans
& carrots; salad & rolls and pumpkin pie. Cost is $10.00
per person. November 22 nd NO MEETING (Happy Thanksgiving)
– November 29 th –
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.
ACTION
ON PAYDAY LENDING –
Our Diocesan Social Action office is urging us to contact our representatives
to the Ohio General Assembly asking for passage of HB 333 which
would limit the interest rates on payday lending. Currently
the rates are frequently exorbitant, exploiting low-income people.
For more information go to www.catholic-action.org
.
ENTERTAINMENT
BOOKS 2008 are available
in the church office. Cost of the book is $25.00 until December
1 st . After that date, the cost will be $30. All proceeds benefit
mentally handicapped children.
DEALING
WITH THE HOLIDAYS
- For those who are separated or divorced, the holiday season can
be a difficult and challenging time. Join Kathy Whan-Marko, PhD,
on Tuesday, November 20, 2007 from 7-9:00 p.m. at St. John Vianney
Church, 7575 Bellflower Road, Mentor, for a discussion on strategies
and ideas for coping with the demands and stresses that are so often
present during the holiday season. To register or for more information,
please call Karen at 440-352-8282.
ALWAYS
OUR CHILDREN- The parent
support group for families and friends of gay and lesbian Catholics
welcomes you to join us at our next meeting, Sunday, November 11
th from 2:00 to 3:30 p.m. in the library of the Administration Center
at St. John Vianney Church on Bellflower Road in Mentor, Ohio .
ADOPTION
INFORMATION MEETING
– Anyone interested in learning about International Adoption is
invited to an information meeting on Thursday, November 8, 2007,
at 7:00 p.m. here at St. Noel in The Visitation Room. For more information
please call Karen Myers at 440-974-8116.
THE
SISTERS OF NOTRE DAME
are offering a weekend retreat for women on MARY, ADVENT WOMAN.
Where : Bethany Retreat Center at Notre Dame, 13000
Auburn Rd., Chardon – When : 7:00 p.m. Friday,
November 30 th until 7:00 p.m. Saturday December 1 st (includes
option of staying Saturday evening for Sunday Liturgy and lunch)
– Who: Sisters Dion Horrigan and Kathleen Hine
will facilitate the weekend – Cost $10.00 – Contact
Sister Pat Griesmar at 440-313-7659 for registration information.
IMMACULATE
CONCEPTION – WILLOUGHBY
- Bereavement Support Session – will meet Thursday
November 8 th , at 7:30 p.m. in the church meeting room.
Friday
December 14 th – Susanne Jackson
will present Getting
Through The Holidays – We would appreciate
advance reservations. Please call Pat Codney at 440-954-9087.
GRIEF
SUPPORT GROUP
– St. John Vianney in Mentor hosts a monthly support group. The
next session will be held on Tuesday, November 13 th at 7:00 p.m.
If you are interested please call Rita at 440-942-0336.
FALL
HEALTH FAIR – sponsored by the Cleveland Clinic -
will be held on Tuesday, November 20 th from 1-4:00 p.m. at the
Willoughby Hills Community Center. There
is more information on the kiosk
THANKSGIVING
RAFFLE , dance
and get together to benefit St. Augustine Church and Hunger Center
will be held at St. Clarence Hall, 301 Lorain Road, North Olmsted
on Saturday, November 17, 2007 from 7:30 p.m. to Midnight. Music
will be provided by The James Kilbane Band, direct from Ireland.
Tickets are $25 each and includes, open bar, and light buffet. For
further Information please call 216-251-4075.
 Is
there a favorite ministry or outreach program at St. Noel
that you would like to sponsor on a permanent basis by making
a gift of an endowment? Contact the St. Noel Parish office
at 946-0887 and ask to speak with someone from the Endowment
Committee. |
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