December 13, 2015 - Third Sunday of Advent C

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SERVED BY:
Rev. Eamon Tobin ....................... Ext. 3070
Pastor, email: [email protected]
Rev. BK Tran ................................ 254-1595
Associate Pastor
Email: [email protected]
Third Sunday
of Advent CCATHOLIC December
13, 2015
ASCENSION
COMMUNITY
2950 N. Harbor City Blvd., Melbourne, FL 32935
Tel. 321-254-1595  Fax 321-255-3490
www.ascensioncatholic.net
Deacon Sergio A. Colon ............. Ext. 3082
Bereavement Ministry, Hispanic Community
[email protected]
Deacon Tom Stauffacher
[email protected]—321-242-4504
Deacon Bill Terneus
[email protected]—321-259-6168
Deacon Chris Meehan
[email protected]—321-242-8003
Sr. Joseph Barden ........................ Ext. 3003
Development Director
[email protected]
Sr. Immaculata ............................. Ext. 3039
Pastoral Care
[email protected]
Anita Brady ................................... Ext. 3001
School Principal
[email protected]
Betsy Glasenapp........................... Ext. 3080
Religious Education Director
[email protected]
Mary Birmingham........................ Ext. 3068
Music/Liturgy Director, Catechumenate
[email protected]
Mark Kniepmann ......................... Ext. 3501
High School Youth Minister
[email protected]
Mary Blucker ................................ Ext. 3069
Middle School Youth Minister
[email protected]
Ashley Breaux ............................... Ext. 3077
Contemporary Music
[email protected]
Monica Sutton .............................. Ext. 3076
Volunteer Coordinator
[email protected]
PARISH OFFICE HOURS
Monday-Friday - 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
PARISH OFFICE STAFF
Teresa Romano ............................ Ext. 3050
Receptionist
[email protected]
Maria Sittig................................... Ext. 3072
Secretary/Bulletin
[email protected]
Mary Russo ................................... Ext. 3078
Business Manager/Bookkeeper
[email protected]
Anne Dorros ................................. Ext. 3074
Assistant Bookkeeper
[email protected]
Brian Carley
Facilities Manager
[email protected]
ASCENSION CATHOLIC SCHOOL
www.ascensioncatholicsch.org
U.S. Department of Education
School of Excellence
Pre-Kindergarten through eighth grade
FAITH FORMATION
Religious Education (Pre-K - 6)
Tuesdays, 4:00 - 5:15 p.m.
Religious Education (Grades 1-8)
Wednesdays, 6:30 - 7:45 p.m.
YOUTH MINISTRY
Sundays after 5:30 p.m. Mass
OUTREACH
Ascension Thrift Store: 259-7291
Ascension Social Concerns: 259-5685
BINGO
Mondays & Thursdays
6:00 p.m., Parish Hall
SCHEDULE OF MASSES
Saturday Vigil Mass
4:30 p.m.
Sunday Masses
7:30 a.m.
9:30 a.m. (free childcare)
(choir)
11:30 a.m. (free childcare)
5:30 p.m.
(Contemporary Music)
Weekday Masses
Monday-Friday: 7:25 a.m.
Sat. 9:00 a.m
Sacrament of Reconciliation
Saturday: 3:15 - 4:25 p.m.
Wednesday: 6:00 p.m.
(or by appointment)
As a good steward of the Lord’s blessings, please remember to consider
your Parish Family or School Endowment in your Last Will and Testament.
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Third Sunday of Advent C
December 13, 2015
3. Spiritually weak parishes. Parishes are as good as the
leaders and members who make them up. Sadly, all too
many parishes are spiritually weak and offer very little to
spiritually hungry people. This can cause people to stop
going to church or to look elsewhere.
15 reasons why Catholics
disconnect from church.
Did I miss any?
I am in the process of preparing a ‘special bulletin’ to
hand out for my Door-to-Door ministry. Currently, it’s
the previous week’s bulletin that I share with the people I
visit.
The cover of the ‘special bulletin’ will have a picture of
Jesus knocking at the door, along with our Mass
schedule.
On the following page, I will list 15 reasons why
Catholics disconnect from church. I believe naming the
reasons will achieve two things:
1. Show those we visit that I do have a good sense of
why Catholics disconnect from church.
2. Help those who are not always sure why they disconnected, to name the reason(s) why they did.
Most of you reading this bulletin may have for a period
of time either disconnected from church or have a family
member or friend in the same situation. In that case, you
may be able to help me to see if I have missed other
reasons. Here are 15 reasons, some of which are
connected to church and some not directly related to
church.
1. Bad or painful experiences with a priest or with some
members of the church family. Because our church (and
every church) is a church of sinners, its members could
sometimes hurt or fail us. Perhaps a priest was absent or
was a poor presence in one’s time of loss or family
crisis. Perhaps regular members or even some of the
so-called ‘pillars of the church’ were poor examples of
Christian behavior.
2. Clergy sex scandals and cover-up by their own superiors. This crisis was one of the worst, if not the worst
event in the church’s history. It caused thousands of
Catholics to be disillusioned with the church. Thankfully,
very strict, protective measures are now in place in every
parish and diocese to prevent this from happening again.
4. Divorced and remarried outside the church. Until
fairly recently, many Catholics who were divorced and
have remarried outside the church believed that they
were excommunicated. While some of them believed
that they could come to church, they felt very left out
because they were not able to receive holy communion.
Thankfully, Pope Francis is seeking to change that punishing church dictum. If you are in this situation, please
contact me and I will be happy to share with you the
church’s new pastoral response to this widespread situation that will allow you to return to the sacraments.
5. Busy lifestyle. A hectic lifestyle including a weekend
work schedule and children’s sports events are often the
reason people gradually pull away from church.
6. Relocation. It is a well known fact that when some
people relocate, they fail to connect with a Catholic
church in their new place.
7. Personal suffering and family crisis that lead to a
faith dilemma. So many people live a hard life. When
bad things happen to good people, they pray for help but
when God seems absent, they often pull away from God
and church.
8. Spiritual laziness. Some people readily admit that
plain spiritual laziness is the reason they do not come to
church.
9. Church politics and some church teachings. Some
people on different sides of the political divide become
disenchanted with the church because of her stance on
issues that they have strong opinions about, whether it be
abortion, the environment, marriage, ordination of
women, capital punishment, immigration, etc. Some see
their diocese or their parish as being too political, and
they get turned off and withdraw from church.
10. Study of science and world religions may lead one to
become skeptical of religion and even to disbelieve in
the existence of God.
11. Lack of personal relationship with Jesus and the
Bible. Many Catholics who grew up in the church and
attended Catholic school say that neither helped them to
have a personal relationship with Christ or come to love
the Bible. Pope Francis reminds us that a personal relationship with Christ is at the heart of the Christian faith.
Sadly, all too many Catholics did not grow up reading
the Bible, so when friends from other Christian churches
invite them to their church where Jesus and the Bible are
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Third Sunday of Advent C
front and center, they are drawn in. Interestingly enough,
many Catholics who found Jesus and the Bible in a nonCatholic church are now being drawn to come home to
the Catholic church. (Visit CatholicsComeHome.org. or
read the book Surprised by the Truth in which 11 converts give biblical and historical reasons for becoming
Catholic.
Most of the converts were previously
Protestant ministers.)
12. An authoritarian style of church that stressed rules
and was often cruel in its exercise of ministry. As we
know, Pope Francis is doing everything he can to
replace this model of church with one that stresses, foremost, the mercy of God. He is calling all church leaders
to replace legalism with mercy.
13. Non-Catholic spouse strong in his/her faith could
pull away a Catholic spouse who is weak or somewhat
weak in his/her practice of the faith.
14. Growing secularism that falsely communicates to
young people that belonging to a church is outdated and
unimportant.
15. Unforgivable sins. Having done pretty bad things,
some people conclude that they have committed
unforgivable sins and pull away from God and church.
Did I miss other reasons? I’m sure I did. If you can think
of any more, let me know by email as soon as possible.
A church of sinners and saints
Ever since Jesus founded the church, she has been a
‘mixed bag’ of saints and sinners. Peter, the man chosen
by Jesus to be the first Pope, cursed and denied Jesus
during his passion. Judas sold him for 30 pieces of silver. The rest of the Apostles left Jesus in his hour of
greatest need. Every area of church history has its own
stories of the failures of the clergy and lay faithful.
Many people wonder how the Catholic church could survive the corruption of the Medieval Popes and the recent
clergy sex scandals. They wonder how in recent years
large numbers of people, including a sizable number of
Protestant ministers, continue to join the Catholic
Church. The simple answer: when Jesus founded the
church, he promised to be with her until the end of time
and vowed that the ‘gates of hell’ (sin and darkness)
would not prevail against it (Matt 16).
Despite the many imperfections of the Catholic church,
she has, over the centuries, produced thousands of saints,
opened and operated thousands of great institutions of
learning, hospitals and orphanages. Today, the Catholic
church in America is the largest supplier of assistance to
the poor and needy, second only to the Federal Government.
December 13, 2015
The next pages of the ‘special bulletin’ will contain a list
of ministry opportunities at Ascension that bring a sense
of meaning, belonging and spiritual growth to the lives
of hundreds of parishioners.
Returnees to the church
In the ‘special bulletin, I will also give a brief account of
how some non-church-going Catholics were led to come
back to the church. The following are three examples. I
would love to have several stories from people of various ages and backgrounds, male and female. Perhaps, in
time, we can put together a small book of ‘returnee’
stories. Who knows, God may even use your return-tochurch story, to bring someone else back to the church.
Meet Martha
I tell Martha that she is our poster child for
our Door-to-Door Ministry because I met
her on my very first day of my neighborhood visits. She came back to Mass the
following Sunday and is now one of my
regular companions in this ministry. (In
the interest of space, I have abbreviated
Martha’s and Paul’s story.)
Martha was born and raised Catholic in a devoted
Catholic home. She attended a Catholic grade school
and was married in the Catholic church at the age of 20.
The marriage turned out to be very abusive and Martha
was divorced at 25 years of age. She felt thrown out of
the church and so stopped going to Mass. 13 years after
Martha remarried, she reconciled with the church and
received an annulment of her first marriage and started
to go to Mass again. A few years later, Martha and her
husband relocated and as sometimes happens, never connected with a Catholic church in her new place. The fact
that the clergy sex scandals were occurring at that time
did not help.
Two years ago, Martha and her husband retired to
Melbourne. They live at Sweetwood Estates, two
minutes from the church. She registered in the parish
but never came to Mass.
In early October, on my first day out on the Door-toDoor Ministry, Mary Birmingham and I knocked at
Martha’s door and we had a great conversation. Martha
writes:
“This unexpected visit left me with the feeling that
God was sending me a message: ‘It’s time to come back,
Martha.’ Both Father and Mary were so kind and understanding as they set the seeds for my return. In the
sales profession, one of the cardinal rules is to ask for
the order. If you don’t, you most likely won’t get the
business. As he left my house, Father asked me to
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Third Sunday of Advent C
join him at Mass the following Sunday, and Mary
Birmingham asked me to sit near the choir and introduce myself before Mass.”
Martha did just that. At the end of Mass, Mary told me
Martha was present. I introduced Martha to the congregation who in turn welcomed her with a standing ovation. For Martha, the experience was ‘quite overwhelming’ but also a ‘beautiful moment.’
Now Martha looks forward to attending Mass and she
feels “closer to God than ever before in her life.” Recently, Martha joined our Door-to-Door Ministry and,
needless to say, it is a HUGE blessing having her with
me to witness to people who were just like her until two
months ago. If you would like to contact Martha, you
can email her at [email protected] or text
her at (559) 972-0808.
Meet Paul R, OD
Paul grew up Catholic and attended
Catholic grade school and high school.
He became an atheist in his senior year
in high school. After living for 20 years
as an atheist, Paul began questioning
the emptiness of an atheistic life after
achieving several major life goals, including becoming a
optometrist, opening his own practice, and becoming
engaged, yet finding himself all the more frustrated and
discontented.
At the recommendation of a friend, Paul started to read
the Bible and attended Calvary Chapel in Melbourne,
where he ‘found Jesus,’ grew spiritually, and came to
love the scriptures.
Paul’s journey back to the church started after attending
Mass at his parents’ request. He experienced the Mass
“as an act of worship” for the first time in his life.
At this time Paul had become friends with a young
Catholic man who was able to share with him “the biblical” basis for most of his objections to the teachings of
the Catholic church which he had grown suspicious of
during his time in a local evangelical church. Paul was
led back to both the sacraments of the Eucharist and
Reconciliation. He closes his sharing by saying: “I now
experience Christ in richer and fuller ways than were
possible as an evangelical Christian. I look forward to
continuing to spend my lifetime growing further in my
understanding and experiences of my Catholic faith. I
am so excited to be growing daily in my love for Jesus.”
If you have questions for (Dr.) Paul Rousseau, you can
contact him at [email protected].
December 13, 2015
Meet Kate
I quit going to church in my teens because I thought I’d
committed sins that God wouldn’t forgive.
I came back to church in my mid-50’s as a gift to my
father, whose health was failing and who had been
praying for years for me to return.
Coming back to church fours years ago rocked my secular life, and amazingly to me, I’m having more fun! With
the weight of my past sins lifted, I found an indescribable joy that continues to increase as I practice my faith.
Attending Mass, receiving the Eucharist, Reconciliation,
adoration, CRHP, and the amazing supportive faith family I have found at Ascension, bring a serenity to my life
that I could never have imagined. Kate’s contact information is [email protected].
If you were drawing up a special bulletin for nonchurch-going Catholics, what would you have in it?
Prayer for the Door-to-Door Ministry
Christ Jesus, Head of the Body, the Church,
You so loved the world You gave your life
to redeem us and restore us to Your friendship.
Give us, we pray, the grace we need
to speak lovingly and confidently
a word of invitation to inactive Catholics
to return to the practice of their faith.
Make us instruments of Your welcome and peace.
Bring back to the fold all who have been hardened
by the world or wounded by the Church.
May they know the joy of reconciliation with You
and join us once more at the Table of the Eucharist.
Use us as messengers of your love
to reach out to inactive Catholics,
to marginalized Catholics, and to anyone searching
for a faith community they can call “Home.”
Grace Your Church with new members
strong in the practice of their faith
and in their devotion to the Eucharist.
Help us grow in love for one another
and for the Most Holy Name of Jesus
in whose Name we offer this prayer. Amen.
Have a blessed week,
[email protected]
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Third Sunday of Advent C
Next Sunday’s Readings
December 20, 2015 C
Fourth Sunday of Advent
Micah 5:1-4,
Psalm 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19
Hebrews 10:5-10, Luke 1:38-45
Compare a time you said “yes” to God,
when you “went out in haste,” to a time
you went out with careful deliberation.
HIGH SCHOOL YOUTH MINISTRY
Sunday Action Nights
after the 5:30pm Mass
Youth Room 411 in Buescher Center
Bible Study: Monday evenings, 7:00-8:30pm, youth room. .
All high school teens are welcome to come, socialize with
friends, learn and talk about our faith.
For info regarding Youth Ministry, contact Mark Kniepmann
at [email protected].
Middle School
Ministry
For all 6th, 7th, & 8th graders,
no matter where you attend school
Dec 9,
Wednesday After School!
Every Wednesday, come to the Ministry Bldg
Rm 313 anytime 3-6 pm for faith, fun and food!
Dec 18, Friday: Advent campfire, dinner, and hayride
through the Christmas Lights at Wickham Park
Check out www.ascensioncatholic.net/Middle for news
and forms. We need updated forms for everyone.
For more information, contact Mary Blucker at 254-1595
ext. 3069 or [email protected].
Christmas Church Decorations
Anyone wishing to donate for the Christmas
decorations of the Church in memory of a loved one,
please put your donation in the collection basket with
your name and your loved one’s name—or mail it to the
Church Office. The usual donation is $25.00.
December 13, 2015
CHRISTMAS 2015
SCHEDULE
INDIVIDUAL CONFESSIONS
Tuesday, December 15, 1:00pm & 6:00pm
Tuesday, December 22, 6:00pm
DECEMBER 24, CHRISTMAS EVE
4:00pm – CHURCH – Children’s Mass
4:00pm – HALL
6:30pm – CHURCH
9:00 pm – CHURCH - Contemporary
11:00pm PRELUDE
MASS AT 11:30pm
CHRISTMAS DAY
9:00am & 11:00am
NEW YEAR’S EVE
5:30pm
NEW YEAR’S DAY
9:00am
During the 2015-2016 school year, Ascension will be undergoing a Third Year
Progress Appraisal under the guidelines
of the Florida Catholic Conference. The
faculty and staff are reviewing our current mission statement. We would like to share this
mission statement with you as we go through the process of self-evaluation.
Ascension Catholic School Mission Statement
Ascension Catholic School is committed to
maintaining a Catholic Community of companion
on the journey toward academic excellence, global
service and life-long learning. We live this out by
showing respect to all people, by being responsible
for our actions, by showing reverence, and by making right choices.
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Third Sunday of Advent C
JustFaith
Fair Trade items (coffee, tea, chocolate and olive oil) will be
on sale after all Masses NEXT weekend. Please note this varies from our normal schedule. We are usually available after all
Masses on the last weekend of the month but wanted to make
these items available to you for Christmas. FT items will not be
on sale again until the LAST weekend of January. Thank you to
all our loyal supporters! As a parish, we have spent over $14,000
on fair trade items in 2015 and together, we have made a difference in the lives of many people!
And speaking of making a difference ...
Give yourself and/or your family a lasting Christmas gift. There
are thousands of children and elderly adults awaiting sponsorship through Unbound. Most of these people are extremely
poor with no electricity, no bathroom facilities, no running water,
no way to get an education and they sleep on the earth. Sponsorship helps with education, medicine, food, clothes, etc. In
return your gift will be loving and grateful letters from your sponsored friend. If you want more information, stop by our JustFaith
Unbound table on December 19-20 and talk to me, Mary Anne
Shumaker. I will also have children and elderly available for sponsorship. You can contact me at [email protected] or 254-1676.
Military Ministry
We are putting together items for Christmas for homeless veterans being assisted at a Veterans Transitional
Facility located in Melbourne. If you might care to donate, items
such as socks, shaving items, books, etc., would be very appreciated. There will be a bin marked for our ministry in Our Lady's
Chapel.
Also, we are again offering 'gift certificates' that can be purchased
for a unique Christmas gift. All donations go toward sponsoring an
escort for a veteran who is going on an upcoming Honor Flight.
We will be outside of church after Masses. We wish our veterans
and all our Ascension family a blessed Christmas season.
ADORATION CHAPEL
“It was not until 1973. when we began our daily Holy Hour that our community started to grow and blossom”. Mother Teresa of Calcutta
Vacations, illness, absent snowbirds and just life take a toll on the
availability of adorers. If you can find an hour to commit to Jesus,
consider the Adoration Chapel. Jesus wants you there and through
the Holy Spirit is calling you!
For information, please contact Sam Rodríquez at 321-795-9813 or
[email protected].
Sunday
1am, 2am,3am, 4am, 7am, 10am,12pm, 1pm,
8pm
Monday
12am, 1am, 2 am, 3am, 1pm
Tuesday
12am, 1am, 6pm, 8pm
Wednesday 1am, 2am, 4am, 6pm, 11pm
Thursday
12am, 1am, 3am, 10am, 1pm
Friday
2am, 3am, 7am, 12pm
Saturday
1am, 4pm, 5pm, 6pm, 7pm, 8pm
December 13, 2015
MINISTRY TO THE SICK
AND HOMEBOUND
There will be Confession, Mass and Anointing of the Sick
for homebound parishioners on Tuesday, Dec. 15, at Ascension Catholic Church. Confession at 10:45am and Mass at
11:00am, followed by a luncheon in the Parish Hall.
To the MINISTERS to the Sick: Please invite your homebound parishioners to this event. Your presence and assistance in the Mass and the luncheon will be much appreciated.
RSVP to Pat Apfelthaler at (321) 254-2865.
Children’s Christmas Eve
Procession
Children—Kindergarten and older—are welcome to participate in
the children's procession at the 4:00
pm Mass on Christmas Eve in the
Church. This is a beautiful Mass
that is very family-centered.
Children interested must arrive no later than
3:15 pm in Our Lady’s Chapel on Christmas Eve.
Please verify where your family will be sitting so
children will know where you are after procession. If you have any questions, contact Kelly
Wells at [email protected] or Cristina Babilonia at [email protected]. For those of you who
are late arrivals, the overflow Mass in the Hall
will also participate in a procession.
VOCATIONS CUP
The Vocations Cup for December will go out at the
Sunday 11:30am Mass. Allen & Carol Allebach will
be taking the Cup home this Sunday, December 13.
If you’d like to sign up, please contact Jim Chatman
at 321-223-8963 or [email protected].
The Ascension Knights of Columbus
Monsignor Martin B. Power,
Council #14573 is selling
"Keep Christ in Christmas"
magnets as a fundraiser.
It is a great way to spread an important message as we enter
the Christmas season. The durable and attractive magnets will
last for years. They will be sold after the Sunday Masses at $5
each and will also be available in the church office.
For more information, please contact Rich Passarella
at 321-431-0982 or [email protected].
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Third Sunday of Advent C
Having a Mary Heart in a
Martha World
Do you long, like Mary of the New Testament story, to spend quiet time at the Lord’s feet, but
find the daily demands of a busy world won’t let
you? Many of us also long to serve, like Martha, but
struggle with weariness, resentment and overwork.
Martha and Mary were two of Jesus’ closest friends
and each had something special to offer Him, just as
each of us have some Martha and some Mary within.
In Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World, author
Joanna Weaver challenges us with a fresh approach
to a familiar story and invites us to choose ‘the better
part’—a life of intimacy with God that flows naturally
into loving service.
Join us, Women Of the Word, as we read and
explore this thought-provoking book and study guide
and discover together the best of the Mary and the
Martha parts of our lives. This 12-session study will
begin on Tuesday, Jan. 5, 7:00-8:30pm, in Buescher
Center, Rm 410. For more information and to reserve
your book, contact Teresa Romano 254-1595 xt 3050
or tromano@ ascensioncatholicsch.org. Cost of the
book is $10.
Please call to reserve your book as space is limited.
Door-to-Door Ministry
Seeking brief testimonials of people who quit going to
Mass several years ago and are now happy to return!
You can help our Door-to-Door Ministry by sharing with us your
experience as it applies to your faith journey. If you quit going
to church for some years, share the reason why. Next, tell us
what moved you to return. Lastly, what has it been like to be
back in church?
Support our school by shopping on the
Yankee Candle Website. Just go to
https://www.yankeecandlefundraising.com/store.htm
and enter the Ascension Group # 990010457.
Flat rate shipping of $5.99—or free if you spend $100 or more.
All orders are shipped directly to the person of your choice –
perfect for Christmas shopping!
December 13, 2015
Social Concerns & Food Pantry
Thank you to all the Angel Tree volunteers, coordinators, and “Angels” for making this Christmas
brighter for our local children and people in need.
Thank you, Kim Kelly, for doing an amazing job heading up
the Angel Tree Project.
Attention Social Concerns Volunteers: Social
Concerns will be closed for Christmas beginning Wed,
Dec. 23, and will re-open Monday, Jan 4. Rest! You
all deserve it.
Thank you for all you do to keep Social Concerns and Food
Pantry going full speed. God bless.
We are in need of small plastic containers with lids, like margarine tubs, which we will fill with laundry soap and distribute to clients in need. Containers must have matching lids.
Travelers: If you are a frequent traveler and stay in hotels, we
would love those unused toiletries and coffee packets the hotels
put in your room each day.
GRIEF RECOVERY GROUP
Monday, December 14, 2015, 1:00 - 2:30 pm,
Church Library. For more information,
contact Carol Gessler at 779-7850.
CONTEMPLATIVE PRAYER (Prayer of the Heart)
“Be still and know that I am God” (Ps 46:10)
Ministry Bldg, Rm 304, every Tuesday at 7:00 pm
We begin with 1/2 hour of silence (method explained).
For more info, contact Pam Lackie at 259-2431.
YOUNG ADULT PROFESSIONALS
Young Adult Prayer Group
Meet us Wednesday nights in Ministry Building
Room 307 at 7:00pm. For more information, contact
Annette Opbroek at [email protected]
Knights of Columbus Council #14573
ROSARY-MAKING MINISTRY
Rosary Ministry meets Sundays, 1:00-3:00 pm
in Buescher Center, Room 413
Next Meeting: December 13, 2015
If interested in joining, call Michi Davis
at 242-8092.
We meet every 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month in
Ministry Building Room 312. We pray the Rosary in Our Lady's
Chapel at 6:30pm on the 3rd Thursday of the month.
For more information, call Grand Knight Jim Voltaire
at 557-1694, or Membership Director John Miller
at 794-6620, or Jerry Grillo at 652-2266.
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Third Sunday of Advent C
December 13, 2015
Ascension 2015-2016 New Year’s Eve Party
December 31,2015 - 7:30 pm till 12:30 am
Parish Hall — $15.00 per person
Food, Refreshments, Entertainment
For info, call Chairman Grillo at 652-2266
or Norm Boudreau at 427-0580
Tickets on sale now thru Sunday, December 27, after Mass
in the Parish Hall. You can also purchase them at the
parish office during the week.
Sponsored by the Knights of Columbus
A Journey of Faith
Christ Renews His Parish
Celebrates 20 years at Ascension!
All CRHP Alumni are
invited to a day of Reflection and Reunion
Saturday, Jan 30, 2016,
10:00am to 2:00pm.
Join your CRHP Brothers and Sisters
in a day of Fun, Fellowship, Prayer and
Reflection.
So…mark your calendars! Save the date
and look for details in upcoming bulletins.
For more info, contact Dan Romano at
952-7053 or [email protected],
or Teresa Romano at 254-1595 ext 3050 or
[email protected].
DAILY BREAD VOLUNTEERS
About 250 homeless and needy folks eat each day at the Daily
Bread, Melbourne's free downtown soup kitchen. Be a friend
to them and serve at the Kitchen located at 815 Fee Avenue,
just a block off U.S. 1. Let us know if you would like to help on
Tuesday, Dec. 22:
Contact Betsy or Bill Hampton at
321-254-0418
Ascension Council of Catholic Women
The ACCW meets the 2nd Tuesday of the month in
the Parish Hall at 7:00pm. All women of Ascension
are cordially invited to join us. January 12, 2016 is
our next meeting date.
For more information, call Carolyn Paternoster, President, at
321-480-6926, or Connie Skipper, Membership Chairwoman, at
321-543-0599.
Ladies Auxiliary - Knights of Columbus #14573
We invite all Ladies of the parish whose husbands are current
or past members of the Knights of Columbus to please join us
for our monthly meetings held on the 3rd Thursday of the
month at 7:00pm in Ministry Bldg, Rm 311. Our mission is to
support the men's Council #14573 Knights of Columbus.
For membership, please contact Doreen Boudreau at
[email protected] or Laurie Chatman at [email protected].
Page 9
Third Sunday of Advent C
December 13, 2015
Wedding Anniversaries
Bert & Betty Soucy
Melvin & Georgie Gondron
John & Carmen Elwood
Al & Karen Renzi
Andrew & Linda Salaka
53 years
52 years
47 years
46 years
45 years
December
December
December
December
December
15
14
14
12
19
Michael Stitzel, David Humes, Ava Sophia,
CVS, LKM Barone, Flo McCaffrey, Daniel
Walsh, Greg Grasso, Gerald Cardile, Harry
Wright, Fred Barlow, Betty Elko, Madeline
Maiello, Magda/Claire Grasso, Lydia Vazquez,
Mia Moore, Grace Carlin, Brian Robinson, John
Toppa, Denise Buckley Mayhew, Catherine Reid, Chuck Hegland, Kenneth Pearsall, Walker Alldredge, John Doyle, Caridad
Mederos, Carmelia Navarretta, Peggy McKelvey, Donna & Susan
Baker, Mary Moore, Baby Ethan, Helen Burzese, Mike Bobitka,
Michelle Tocci, Marie Passarella, Cathi Hurd, Jim Eisenmann,
Gary Tam, Fran Kammerdener, Al Odorizzi, Connie Fears, Orlando Sanchez, Shirley Peck, Joe Sarino, Bill Sears, Lynette Carney, Rita Chabot, Patricia Shemp Robinson, Cliff Farides, Ted
Stoner, Jeanne Danenza, Anthony Tynes, Louise & Ira Adams,
Betsy Coradine, Tom Falcone, Sarah Martinez, Klinedale Baker,
Rita Stanley, Deacon Joseph Richiuso, Joe Tekerman, Dottie
Masucci, Frank Jindrak, Jean Milmark, Teresa Tyson, Barbara
Mathey, Frances Collins, Rose Struzynski, Midge Sauer, Helen
Miller, Kathleen Troast, Asuncion Badana, Nancy Legge
Week beginning Monday, December 14, 2015
and ending Sunday, December 20, 2015
Mon. 7:30 am
Tues. 7:30 am
Wed. 7:30 am
8:30 am
Thurs. 7:30 am
Fri.
7:30 am
Sat.
9:00 am
4:30 pm
Sun. 7:30 am
9:30 am
11:30 am
Spanish Mass
2:30pm
5:30 pm
Please pray for those in the nursing homes.
Pray for our Armed Forces Personnel overseas
Dan Murray, Steve Cabsky, Joseph Marci, Amanda Outly, Joshua Outly, Bryan Outly, Jesse Outly, Jason Brown, Andrew Grazing, Heather Schmitt, Paul Wells, Anthony Torres, Craig Static,
Jason Melbourne, Sherwin Separa, Jesse Catellier, Joseph
McDuffie, Samuel Luke, Michael Walsh, Robert Crowl, Bryan
Calenda, David Barlow, Dylan Traver, Brian Fleming, Wesley
Henry, Marty Martinez, Jonathan Martinez, Bryan Satterwhite,
Capt. Kyle McDermott, John Kinsora, Nicholas Owens, Nick
Dorros, Josh Grier, Robert Grover, Rory O’Connor, Shane
O’Connor, Alex Ritner, Kyle Mimbs, Kristin Agresta, Edwin
Cuebas, Troy Schaber, Andrew Nemethy
† Rita Corcoran
† Fran DiTucci
† Bob Van Dyck
† Don Freund
† Jack O’Connor
† Bridget O’Callaghan
† Marian Violi
† Maryann Kirker
† Anthony Pirolo
† Guido Iadevaia
† Barbara Nitti
† Blain Timmer, Sr.
Special Intention—Angela McGrath
† June Grantham
† Mary Corbett
People of the Parish
† Anna Chirico
† Josephine Martinez-Mendez
† Jay Simons
† Flora Ullibarry
† Gerardo Armas
† Sue Skopelja
† Patsy Koleduk
SERVERS’ SCHEDULE – December 19/20, 2015
Sat 4:30 pm:
Sun 7:30 am:
Sun 9:30 am:
Sun 11:30 am:
Sun 5:30 pm:
Cory Calandra, Jillian Fitch
Matthew Kanarick
Jack & Liam Hachmeister
Evan Bolin
Aubrey Fortmayer, Jack Gander
Alex Kieu
Lauren & Michael Rigsby
Lyndsi Graham
Isabel Mejia, Peter Monteparo
Leah O’Connell
Support Ascension School! Purchase a discount card for $10 — on sale after Masses or in the school or church
offices. This is a plastic reusable card good from 11/30/15 to 11/30/16 with the following discounts:
Beef O’Brady’s (Lake Washington) 10% off purchase
Texas Roadhouse (Eau Gallie Causeway) 10% off purchase
Imperial Salon & Spa (Suntree/IHB) 10% off purchase
Jiffy Lube (1991 Wickham Rd.) 10% off signature service oil change
Soup Shop (4100 Wickham Rd.) 10% off quarts
FUNTOWN (1976 N Wickham Rd.) 10% off admission, excludes add-ons
SuperCuts $2 off regular priced haircut
Duran Golf Club BOGO par 3 greens fees, par 3 course only
Bizzarro Pizza (3682 Wickham Rd.) 10% off purchase, excludes alcohol
Grills (US1 and Port Canaveral) 10% off purchase Mon. to Thurs., excludes alcohol
Carrabba’s (7620 N. Wickham Rd.) 10% off entire check, excludes alcohol
Charlie & Jakes (6300 Wickham Rd.) 10% off purchase, excludes alcohol
Green Turtle (855 E. Eau Gallie Causeway) $5 off $50, excludes alcohol
Marco’s Pizza (3650 Murrell Rd.) Free pizza with purchase of equal value pizza
Chilly Spoons (4980 N. Wickham Rd.) 15% off purchase
Page 10
Third Sunday of Advent C
December 13, 2015
Help us pack
40,000 meals!
Join fellow parishioners to package meals to ship to
Burkina Faso in Africa. In addition to feeding people,
our event will assist education in life/work skills to
help the recipients become financially independent.
3 Shifts of 100 people each
Shift 1 from 11:00am to 1:00pm
Shift 2 from 1:00pm to 3:00pm
Shift 3 from 3:00pm to 5:00pm
You can register at http://crs.donordrive.com/event/ascension2016/.
Please call or email questions to Betsy Glasenapp or Mary Blucker
Betsy at 254-1595 x 3030— [email protected]
Mary at 254-1595 x 3069—[email protected]
Catholic Days at the Capitol, February 16-17, 2016
provides the opportunity to put your faith into action and effect positive change in Florida's laws. Help strengthen the presence of Catholic values in the public square by joining
with Floridians from across the state to advocate for laws that protect and defend human
life and dignity. Your participation in this event can give a voice to some of the most
vulnerable and marginalized populations in our state and help promote the common good for all of Florida's residents. Catholic Days activities include: a legislative briefing on policy issues affecting human life and dignity; pre-scheduled meetings with lawmakers; a luncheon for
Catholic Days participants, Florida's bishops and legislators; group photos of each diocesan delegation with their bishop; tours of the current and historic capitol buildings; 41st Annual Red Mass of the Holy Spirit celebrated by the bishops of Florida to pray for those working in
the legislative, judicial and executive branches of government.
Registration forms are available on the FCCB website at www.flaccb.org/cdac. Pre-Registration is required.
For questions, contact Georgette Hoppenbrouwer at 321 537-9576 or [email protected].
SAVE THE DATE – February 6, 2016
from 10:00am to 5:30pm
All Married Couples
MARRIAGE SPA
What’s a Marriage SPA?
Ascension’s Marriage Enrichment Ministry, in collaboration with
the Diocese of Orlando, presents a Spiritual, Practical, and Affirming (SPA) experience for your marriage. The SPA will take
place on Saturday, February 6, starting at 10:00am in the large
hall of the Buescher Center, and will conclude with Mass at 4:30
pm at Ascension Catholic Church. In marriage, a couple’s commitment to each other endorses God’s will that was established
at the very beginning: that man and woman were created for
each other in his likeness to love and serve Him through their
love and service for each other. Make a commitment in love and
service to your spouse to attend the Marriage SPA. The cost is
$40 a couple and includes a continental breakfast and lunch.
Childcare is available for Ascension parishioners by RSVP.
Registration forms will be available soon. For further info contact
Jay and Katie Gander at [email protected].
Ascension Catholic Church
Newcomers Welcome
Breakfast Event
Sunday, January 10
(immediately following the 9:30 Mass)
Welcome to all New Parishioners who have
joined the Ascension Church family in recent
months and those who are visitors and would
like to learn more about our church family!
Please join us for our informal
Newcomers Breakfast Event
celebrating YOU!
This time of fellowship and information will be
held in the Buescher Center Room 411.
Please RSVP if possible
Monica Sutton (321) 254-1595 ext 3076
for planning purposes. But even if you are
unable to RSVP, please come anyway!