Week of November 27, 2005

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Dear Parishioner,

One of the most important aspects of any life is its ending. Death, with all of its sorrow, is for us in faith the beginning of eternal life.

As members of our community experience the death of those they love, we strive to be present to them. We can support them in their grief and most importantly provide for those who have died a dignified and prayerful funeral. We do this at St. Noel in several ways. We encourage all parishioners who are able to participate in the funerals of those who are buried from our parish. Our staff meets with the family of the deceased in order to create a funeral liturgy which reflects the significance of the life of the one who has died. A special funeral choir provides music under the direction of Marc Weagraff. A team of adult servers is present for each funeral assuring a smooth and reverent liturgy.

I am writing today to invite parishioners to consider joining our funeral choir or serving team. Both men and women are welcome to sing or to serve. The primary qualification is availability. If you are available and willing, we will provide the training. You need not, of course, attend every funeral. We are willing to work around your schedules.

If you are interested in ministering at our funeral liturgies, please call the parish office. More ministers give us more flexibility and greater resources to provide comfort and hope to families at these important moments of their lives.

Fr. George Smiga

ADVENT RETREAT- “Preparing For The Coming of Christ: With Us, In Us, and Through Us” We invite you to join us on Wednesday, November 30 th from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm in the Resurrection Room. With other members of the St. Noel Community we will pray, discern, discuss and share the unique roles in which we can function as bearers of Christ. Before the retreat begins, the Blessed Sacrament will be exposed in the Nativity Room from 9:00 am to 10:00 am. There is no charge for the retreat, but a $5.00 donation is suggested to cover the cost of lunch. Please sign up on the kiosk. For more information, please call Fran Armbruster (440-729-3976).

CONFIRMATION – Any students in the third grade or above are invited to celebrate the Sacrament of Confirmation. (This is a separate preparation process from those candidates in second grade. Those preparing for First Communion and Confirmation together do not have to register again.) Students in grades 6-12 will register in January. Students in grades 3-5 may register with Marianne Slattery (440-946-1128 x 21). The first information/preparation session for grades 3-5 will be on Sunday, December 11 from 10:30 – noon . Parents are asked to attend with their child(ren). Please register for this session by Sunday, December 4 th .

HOSTESSES NEEDED – Our yearly Advent Tea is a well attended and well appreciated event each year. However, it's success and especially the number of people we can accommodate is dependent upon women who are willing to act as a hostess for a table. The primary and most important role for a hostess is to be a person of hospitality, decorating is a much less significant concern – paper plates and a few candles are fine! If you want to learn more about what is involved and how to become a hostess, please call Linda Rini at 440-729-2777(daytime) or 440-285-2461 (evenings).

LOW INCOME SENIORS-HOME REPAIRS – The Lake Communities Development Corporation is working with Salvation Army and United Way to offer low income senior or low income disabled homeowners with minor home emergency repairs. Please check the “Social Justice” section of the kiosk for qualification guidelines

and further information.

WHY ARE PEOPLE STARVING WHEN THERE'S SO MUCH FOOD? On Sunday, December 11 th from 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., at the invitation of last year's JustFaith group, Tony Vento will facilitate a discussion addressing global, national and local issues about food production and distribution. Tony presently serves as a Newman Campus Minister at Case. He formerly has been Program Director for Pax Christi USA, Co-ordinator of the Cleveland Inter-Religious Task Force on Central American and a staff member of InterAct Cleveland, an organization whose mission is to be a catalyst for creating an inter-religious community through which members put faith into action working for social justice through dialogue, volunteer service and advocacy. Please consider joining us for this discussion.

EL SALVADOR ENCOUNTER – Plans continue for our trip to El Salvador scheduled for July 18 th though 26 th , 2006. Fr. George will be joining us as we encounter the courageous and faith-filled people of this beautiful country. We will be visiting the sites of the martyrs (Jesuits, Bishop Romero and the Church Women), hearing the stories of the families of those who were “disappeared” during the Civil War, worshiping at one of the parishes staffed by our Diocesan Mission team, interacting with the children at the Community of Oscar A. Romero, and visiting our partnership of Women in Community for several days in Zaragoza, El Salvador. The current estimated cost is $1,500. An informational meeting will be held at 10:15 a.m. on Sunday morning, January 9, 2006 as our deadline for sign up is February 1, 2006. You may want to sign up prior to that date as the maximum number of people we can accommodate is fifteen and a number of people have already registered.

SVDP Car Donation Program – With poverty in Northeast Ohio at all time high levels, now more than ever St. Vincent DePaul Society needs your help to keep their community-wide programs going. The SVDP provides free food, clothing, furniture and blankets to the needy throughout the Diocese of Cleveland. However, without your car donations, these programs would not be possible. Simply call 216-741-7837 to donate your late model car, truck, SUV or boat. The process is quick and easy, with free towing and a tax deduction.

THE ST. NOEL CONCERT SERIES presents “The Magic of Christmas” performed by The Ohio Boychoir on Saturday, December 3, 2005 at 7:30 p.m. in the church. Come and enjoy a rich celebration of holiday music as sung by the angelic voices of the Ohio Boychoir. The program will include John Rutter's “Dancing Day” with harpist, Sarah Oliver. Admission is free. A free-will offering will be taken.

PRIME TIME – See you tonight at 7:00pm in the Teen Center.

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!

CHRISTMAS FOOD BOXES – Thanks to all who brought food to GIFT! With 100 families to serve, more is needed. You can still bring boxes of non-perishable food items, cleaning supplies and paper products to the Church after Thanksgiving. All donations will be used in the Christmas Project this year, and we need them!!

CHRISTMAS PROJECT COLLECTION – Our teens will be in the narthex after Mass this weekend and next to collect money for the Christmas Project. 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.

CHRISTMAS PROJECT SIGNUP – Please add your name to the lists on the kiosk if you're interested in helping shop and/or wrap for the Project.

YNIA – Our summer trip is scheduled for July 9-15 in Toronto, Canada. Please plan on attending an info meeting on Sunday night, December 4 th in the Teen Center to learn more about this great trip. The meeting begins at 7:00pm.

GREETINGS FROM LAOS – Our parishioners, Denise Bothe and Joe Daprano and their two children are spending the month of November in Laos. Denise & Joe are volunteering at a pediatric teaching hospital lending their expertise and teaching the local doctors. Please continue to pray for their family!

SPONSOR A FAMILY – There's still time to sponsor a family for the Christmas Project. Call Anthony for more details.

NOEL MOVERS – The movers recently leased a storage unit in Willoughby to increase our capacity to serve families. The ministry continues to grow! We are currently in need of appliances, mattresses and dressers. Call Anthony to donate.

GIVE THE GIFT OF MUSIC – This Christmas, share the gift of your parish music ministry with your family and friends. The St. Noel Music Ministry CD entitled How

Can We Keep From Singing? Features the choir, chamber singers and hand bell choir and will be available for sale in the narthex following all weekend liturgies during Advent. Proceeds benefit the music ministry pilgrimage fund. Share this ministry of St. Noel with those you love this year.

PARISH HISTORY BOOK – The 25 th Anniversary Parish Commemorative Book will be published in both a soft bound and hard-bound edition. The soft bound edition will be mailed to each parish household. The hard bound edition will include a foil-stamped cover and is included with a cornerstone sponsorship. Sponsorship cards are available in the kiosk. For further information, contact Chris Roach at 440-356-1124.

25 TH ANNIVERSARY HISTORY BOOK – We are in the process of selecting photos and documents for placement in the parish history book. If you appreciate looking through the archives of St. Noel Parish, please join fellow parishioners on Wednesday, November 30 th at 7:00 p.m. in the Nativity Room. If you have any questions, please call the parish office (440-946-0887)

ST. NOEL FELLOWSHIP - The activities for the month of December are as follows: December 1 st , Bingo; December 8 th , Auction; December 15 th Christmas Luncheon at 11:30 a.m. – Socializing, meeting, prizes; 12:30 p.m. Luncheon, Menu: Prime Rib, baked potato, peas w/mushrooms, salad, rolls & butter, Tiramisu. For tickets call Marianne Ferritto (440-943-6822) Cost is $13.00 and the deadline for tickets and payment is December 12 th . Please remember to bring something for the food bank ; December 22 - No meeting; December 29 th – No Meeting.

ENTERTAINMENT BOOKS 2006 – are available in the church office or by calling Paula Garbo at 942-4884. Cost is $25 until December 1 st . After that date, the cost will be $30. All proceeds benefit Mentally Handicapped Children. Books are also available from Lake County Right To Life (440-255-5257).

“HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS…HOPE FOR THE HOLIDAYS” – The holiday season can sometimes bring difficult times, especially to those who are struggling with divorce or separation. Join Deacon Will Payne and Fr. Jack Valley on Tuesday, November 29 th from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at St. Noel Church, as they offer a special evening of healing, reflection and reconciliation. “In our journey, we need a strong conviction about the beauty and goodness of life, a vision of hope that endures the pain and struggle, and a thread of love that weaves through all of our dreams.” To register or for more information, kindly call Karen at 440-352-8282.

ST. NOEL PARISH HALL – If your family, friends or maybe the company you work for are looking for a nice place to hold a wedding, birthday party, baby shower or a holiday party, please recommend St. Noel Parish Hall. We can accommodate any group of 50-500. There are still openings in November and December. We are also taking reservations for any dates in 2006 and 2007. Select dates will fill up quickly. You can check availability by calling the hall office at 440-946-6635. Also mark your calendars for March 18 th , 2006, Shout will be back at St. Noel Parish Hall.

CATHOLIC RECOVERY FOR THE DIVORCED AND SEPARATED - “Facing My Loneliness” will be presented on December 6, 2005 at the Browning Center in Willoughby . Anna Tyrrell will focus on the loneliness that often accompanies separation and divorce and positive ways to deal with it.

URSULINE COLLEGE invites you to participate in their Master of Arts in Ministry Program. Classes begin January 19, 2006. If you would like more information, please call 440-646-8195. Scholarships are available.

SCHOOL OPEN HOUSES – Villa Angela-St. Joseph High School Placement/Scholarship tests Saturday, January 7 th . All will begin at 8:00 a.m. ; Notre Dame Cathedral Latin – Saturday, December 3 rd from 8:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. The exam is for students who will be entering grade 9 in the fall of 2006. There is a $15 fee. Call the school for further details 440--286-6226;

“PILGRIMS OF HOPE,” This January 2006 marks the 25 th anniversary of the installation of Bishop Pilla. To mark this Silver Jubilee, a coffee table book called “Pilgrims of Hope” has been published. You may order the book at www.dioceseofcleveland.org , or there are order forms available in the kiosk. All proceeds go to an educational foundation established by the Bishop.

WEEKEND FOR DIVORCED, SEPARATED AND WIDOWED – The next BEGINNING EXPERIENCE weekend will be held on February 10 th , 11 th and 12 th at St. Joseph Christian Life Center. Please call Carol (330-416-8911) or Jan (440-808-9879) for more information.

ST. ROBERT'S PTU – is holding their Annual Christmas Boutique and Craft Show on Saturday, December 3 rd from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Admission is free. Any questions, please call Theresa Koch (216-289-9030).

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