Week of November 26, 2006

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Dear Parishioner,

Next weekend begins the season of Advent and the beginning of a new liturgical year. Advent is a time for reflection and renewal. Tuesday, December 12 th at 7:30 p.m. we will gather for our Advent Communal Penance Service. This is an important way that we individually and as a community can admit our sinfulness and need to grow and turn to seek God's forgiveness. I invite you to join us for the celebration of the Sacrament of Penance.

On the weekends of December 2 nd & 3 rd and December 9 th and 10 th, high school students from Prime Time will be collecting your donations after Mass to support our Christmas project, which provides food and gifts to 100 area families. If you can sponsor a family or volunteer your time to wrap or deliver gifts or have any questions on how you can help, call Anthony at 440-946-1128 ext. 20.

There will be a daytime Advent retreat on Wednesday, December 6 th from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., in the Resurrection Room. The title of the day is Advent: A Season of Holy Darkness. The retreat will be facilitated by Alice Hinkel. For more information you can call Fran Armbruster at 440-625-1228.

I remind those parishioners who participated in the November-December GIFT Session that there are resources for Advent in your home kits. Please use them to enhance your spiritual journey during this season.

                                           Fr. George Smiga

EUCHARISTIC MINISTERS, LECTORS, SACRISTANS, AND SERVERS -Please sign up on the bulletin board by the kitchenette if you are able to help with the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, the Vigil Mass at 7:00 p.m., on December 7 th and the Noon Mass on December 8 th .

THE FEAST OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION – This year we will have a Vigil Mass for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 7 th . On Friday, December 8 th we will have a Noon liturgy.

REMINDER - There will be no 6:45 p.m. Liturgy on Wednesday, November 29 th. Plan on attending GIFT that evening.

SIGNED LITURGY- On Sunday, December 3 rd 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.

PRAYER LIST UPDATING – We are aware of the valuable ministry provided by the community's prayers for those whose names appear on our prayer list every week in this bulletin. Because of the passing of time and also because of the large number of names which appear on the list, we have lost touch with the status of many people. We are asking that you notify us by November 27 th if you would like us to continue with putting your name (or the name of your friend or loved one) on the list. As of the weekend of December 2 nd & 3 rd , 2006 we will only be publishing those names received or renewed by November 27 th . Please know that we are willing to place a name on the list any time but feel it is important that we periodically update the list so we can truly pray for those most in need of our support.

CITYMUSIC CLEVELAND CONCERT AT ST. NOEL - On Friday, December 8 th at 8:00 p.m. CityMusic Cleveland will offer a concert in our church including works by Ravel, Fauré, Berlioz and others. CityMusic Cleveland is a full chamber orchestra conducted by James Gaffigan, the associate conductor of The San Francisco Symphony. It was founded in 2004 in an effort to bring high quality music to neighborhoods throughout greater Cleveland. The concerts are free, although donations to support CityMusic are always welcome. We are proud to have been chosen as a regular sight for City Music because of our location and the excellent acoustics of our church. You can find more about City Music on their website: citymusiccleveland.org.

GIVE THE GIFT OF MUSIC . There are still copies of the St. Noel Music Ministry CD "How Can We Keep From Singing?" available for purchase in the church office.

Is there someone on your Christmas list who would like one? Or maybe one for your own listening pleasure? It includes music from every liturgical season performed by the St. Noel choir, bellchoir and chamber singers. Now only $10 each with discounts

available for quantity purchases. See Marc for details. Thank you for your support.

“JUST” SHOPPING - Thinking about Christmas shopping?  Want to give something meaningful and at the same time make purchases that benefit those in need?  Try visiting the Catholic Relief Services website for gifts.  www.crsgifts.org    All items meet the standards for fairly traded products.

PETER MAYER CONCERT TO BENEFIT IPM -

Peter Mayer will be in Cleveland, OH, for an appearance to be held on Sunday, December 3, 2006 at Messiah Lutheran Church at 21485 Lorain Road, Fairview Park, OH. Doors open at 6:30, concert begins at 7:00 PM.  The concert is a benefit for International Partners in Mission, which was co-founded by Peter Mayer's father, the late Jim Mayer. Blending superb songwriting, distinctive vocals, and virtuoso musicianship, the Peter Mayer Group creates compelling and accessible music that is electrifying in live performance. Peter's style has been compared to Paul Simon, the Dave Matthews Band and Sting, yet his own sound is original and refreshing.  Tickets are $15 (general admission; children 12 & under free) and $35 (reserved seating) and can be purchased in advance by calling the IPM office at tel. 216.932.4082.

PARISH RETREAT - will be held on Wednesday, December 6 th from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. The retreat theme will be “Advent: A Season of Holy Darkness.” The retreat will be facilitated by Alice Hinkel. 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.

ST. NOEL FELLOWSHIP -The activities for the month of November are as follows: – November 30 th - Horse Racing and we will also celebrate birthdays and anniversaries. Please remember to bring your food donation for the food pantry to this meeting. Everyone is welcome to attend Senior Fellowship.

PRIME TIME – Great first meeting!! Join us tonight for “Film, Friends & Faith” at 7:00pm in the Teen Center. We're hanging out with Divine Word next Saturday, December 2 nd . Get involved with PRIME TIME!!

CLEVELAND FOOD BANK – A dedicated group of workers has been serving at the Food Bank for over 6 years! We are looking for more people to add to our core. We serve the first Monday of each month for about 2-2 ½ hours; workers must be at least 12 years old. Please sign the interest sheet on the kiosk for more information. Make a difference: serve at the Cleveland Food Bank

STEPHEN MINISTRY – Do you or someone you know need the caring presence of Christ during a difficult time? Stephen Ministers are trained, compassionate listeners ready to spend time with you. Please call Anthony to learn how a Stephen Minister could benefit you.

JUNIOR HIGH YOUTH GROUP – The JHYG meets Wednesday, December 13 th at 7:00pm in the lower level. Bring your bibles. The group is open to all 6-8 grade students.

CLARK BARS – Keep buying those Clark bars!! Thanks to all who have helped. To date, St. Noel has raised over $500 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. Through a special arrangement with Necco, the candy is being made available at an extremely reduced rate in order that more money might go to the Clark family. 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.

CHRISTMAS PROJECT – We're in need of sponsor families. It's easy to do and makes a big difference. Call Anthony for more information – your family can really make a difference and have a wonderful experience of working together. Provide food and/or gifts for a family in need! We will serve over 100 families again this season!

CHRISTMAS COLLECTION – Members of PRIME TIME will be in the Narthex to accept donations for the Christmas Project on the weekends of December 2-3 and 9-10. St. Noel Church has served families through this project for over 15 years! All money will be used to purchase food and gifts. Thanks for your generosity! We hope to collect over $5,000.

BRING FOOD TO GIFT – You can help with the Christmas Project by bringing non-perishable food to the next GIFT session at the end of November. Maybe gather items and bring them to your family Thanksgiving dinner! Then bring the box of items to GIFT. The Christmas Project needs all canned foods, pasta, rice, stuffing, breakfast foods, and paper products.

TEEN SUMMER SERVICE – Each summer, teens from St. Noel join teens from around the country serving those in need. We have traveled to Chicago, Buffalo, Detroit, Toronto, San Francisco, and Washington DC. This summer we have a number of options available. On Tuesday, December 5 th at 7:00pm, we will meet in the teen center to discuss these options. Any teen interested in serving this summer needs to attend this meeting with a parent. We will have more than one week and one location available! Call Anthony with questions

ENTERTAINMENT BOOKS 2007 are available in the church office or by calling Paula Garbo at 440-942-4884. Cost of the book is $25.00 until December 1 st , then $30.00 after that date. All proceeds benefit mentally handicapped children. Please make all checks payable to Paula Garbo. Books are also available through Lake County Right to Life. Please call 440-255-5257 or 440-428-9023 for more information.

“HEALING THE PAIN OF THE PAST: SURVIVING ANGER AND HURT AND FINDING A FUTURE WORTH LIVING” Separation and divorce often leave pain and anger that prevent us from moving on. Join Fr. Steve Dohner, MA PhD, on Wednesday, November 29 th from 7:00-9:00 pm at St. Bede Church, 9114 Lake Shore Blvd., Mentor, as he touches on the following: What keeps us hurting? How do we heal ongoing hurts? Healing as a spiritual journey; coming to terms with forgiveness; and restoring trust and hope. To register or for more information, kindly call Karen at 440-352-8282.

HOPE CHEST NEEDS FOR WINTER - The Hope Chest needs winter jackets, especially men's and boys. They should be clean, and the zippers must work. Also needed are boy's jeans, all sizes, and adult-size gloves, mittens, and hats. Hope Chest will be closed to clients from Dec 23-Jan 2, 2007. We ask that you do NOT bring donations after Dec 20 , until Jan 8 . During the winter, please bring clothing donations ONLY when we are open, Mon-Thurs 9am-1pm, or make sure to put them in our locked box. Items left on the dock are often broken into and soaked: then we have to throw them out immediately. That's a waste of potentially usable “stuff”, and cancels out your good intentions. We appreciate your generous support, help us help others. If you have any questions about Hope Chest, please call Pat Meyer at 440-352-0885.

YOUNG ADULTS IN THE CITY (20's and 30's)

On Sat. December 16, from 9:00 a.m. to Noon, help Providence House, a crisis nursery for children ages newborn - five years old.  Our work will include organizing donated Christmas gifts, and their inventory of clothes, food, diapers, etc. To register, please call Laura (216-228-9516) or e-mail to 2006yaic@gmail.com or pekelly@clevelandcatholiccharities.org . This event is sponsored by Catholic Charities through the Youth & Young Adult Ministry and CYO Office.

PASTORAL CARE OF THE SICK AT HILLCREST HOSPITAL - Would you like to become a Eucharistic Minister to the sick at Hillcrest Hospital? Call the Pastoral Services Department for more information at 440-312-3739 .

NIGHT OF PRAYER FOR LIFE – The 17 th Annual “Night of Prayer for Life” will be held at St. Justin Martyr Church, 35781 Stevens Blvd., Eastlake. Five Holy Hours will follow the 7:00 p.m. Mass on December 8 th , The Feast of the Immaculate Conception. Each hour will begin with the Rosary, The Divine Mercy Chaplet with a half-hour of silent prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. We invite you to come for one or more hours to join us in asking Our Lady of Guadalupe to intercede for an end to abortion and for mercy and healing for all those wounded in this culture of death. Call Margee for details and to sign up for an hour at 440-951-6986.

BANQUET CENTER - There are still a number of good dates in December to schedule a company party or a family gathering for the holidays. Please call the banquet center at 440-946-6635 for exact dates and information

HOME IN NEED OF REPAIR? – Lake Communities, (a non-profit United Way Agency) has recently started a housing rehabilitation program for single-family, owner occupied housing. Funding is made available from the State of Ohio Department of Development, U.S. Department of Agriculture, United Way of Lake County, Federal Home Loan Bank/Sky Bank and the Lake Communities Dev. Corp. This program is for emergency home repair for low-income elderly and those with disabilities. For questions on eligibility or assistance in filling out the application, please call Carol Anderson at 440-357-4400.

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