Saint Thomas Church 99 Bristol Street, Southington, CT 06489-4599

Telephone: 860-628-4713 Fax: 860-628-7341 e-mail: stchurch@snet.net

Web Site: www.stthomassouthington.org Religious Ed email: stchurchre@yahoo.com

ST. THOMAS CHURCH SOUTHINGTON

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3

4:00 Marco and Mary DellaPorta, Anniversary, req. by Joe

and Angelina DellaPorta

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 4

7:30 The deceased members of the Nedjoika and Galliher

Families, req. by Mrs. Nedjoika

10:00 Adelaide, Joseph, William, Robert, Ann and John

Casale, req. by the Casale family

MONDAY, DECEMBER 5

7:30 Parishioners of St. Thomas

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6 St. Nicholas

7:30 Norman Odlum, Xavier Sanlier-Lamark and Teddie

Boskovich, req. by family

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8 THE IMMACULATE

CONCEPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN

MARY

12:10 Assunta, Giovanni and Domenico Secondo, and Joanne

Cotugno, req. by family

7:30 John and Mary Longo and family, req. by Tony Longo

and family

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 9 St. Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin

12:10 Robert Serbin, req. by his wife, Mary Ann

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 10 8:00 Immacolato Altieri, req. by Louis and Donna Fazzino

and Joseph and Mary Minutillo

4:00 Frank and Julia Casale, req. by family

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 11

7:30 Vincenzo Cusano-Anniversary, req. by Erminia Cusano

and family

10:00 Raymond Derynioski and Jacob and Katherine Hanecak,

req. by family

BULLETIN

All bulletin announcements must be submitted in writing no later

than the Monday prior to publication. Submitting well in advance

of that date is greatly appreciated.

ST. THOMAS PRAYER LINE MINISTRY

To make a request for prayer contact Barbara Burke: 860-621-

3129, Noreen Fragola 860-628-2500, or the Sisters at the

Convent: 860-621-1904.

BULLETIN ADVERTISERS

Please remember to support the businesses who advertise on the

back of the weekly bulletin. We wish to thank our advertising

sponsors for making this publication possible.

NEW PARISHIONERS Welcome! We are delighted to have you join our parish. Please

introduce yourself to Fr. Nick after Mass. Parish registration forms

are available in the sacristy after Mass or at the rectory office during

the week.

SAVE THE DATE! NEXT UGANDA FRIENDRAISER IS

PLANNED FOR MAY 5, 2017 AT TESTA’S RESTAURANT.

MARK THOSE CALENDARS NOW! Be sure to check our

website and our digital message board in the ramp entrance of

the church for the latest pictures of the Clinic Expansion in

Cyanika made possible from your past donations.

PARISH ADVENT PROJECT

Our parish will once again have a Giving Tree, which will be

displayed in the front of the church through Advent. We ask

parishioners to help us to reach out to those in need through

sharing gifts. To participate, simply purchase one or more gifts

suggested below, include Christmas wrapping and ribbon or gift

bag, but do not wrap, and place under the Giving Tree. For every

gift you place under the tree, place a paper “gift circle” on the tree.

Gift circles are in a basket near the tree. Thank you for your

generosity. Among those to benefit from the Giving Tree are local

nursing homes, shelters, Catholic Family Services, Caroline’s

Place, Catholic Charities, and Bread for Life. Some suggested gifts

items include clothing for infants, children or adults, household

linens, toiletries, food certificates, disposable diapers and toys. All

gifts must be new and unused. If you have any questions, contact

Sr. Marie at 621-1904.

CHRISTMAS FOOD BASKETS

St. Thomas Parish will once again be involved with the

preparation and delivery of Christmas food baskets to local

residents in need. To complete the baskets, other food items are

also now being collected. Your donations of stuffing, gravy,

cranberry sauce, and other canned vegetables and fruits will be

helpful in making our food drive a success. Frozen turkeys and

sides may be dropped off at the rectory between 7:30 a.m. to 3:30

p.m. Monday – Friday. Any questions may be directed to Mark

Drechsler at 860-621-4980 or Nancy Ouimette at 860-621-8098.

CHRISTMAS BASKET DRIVERS NEEDED

The delivery of our Christmas baskets is scheduled for Saturday

morning, December 17th. If you would like to help with

deliveries please call Carl or Vina Nadeau at 860-621-4606.

RETIRED RELIGIOUS COLLECTION

The Collection for the Retired Religious will be taken up at the

second collection of next weekend, December 10/11th. Your gift

works for elderly religious by helping to furnish medications,

nursing care and more. Please be generous and give to those who

have given a lifetime.

FEAST OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

Thursday, December 8th is the Feast of the Immaculate

Conception. It is a holy day of obligation. Masses will be

celebrated in the church at 12:10 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.

ITALIAN ROSARY SOCIETY

The Italian Rosary Society will meet in the parish center on

Tuesday, December 6th at 7:30 p.m. in the parish center. We

invite anyone who would like to pray the Rosary in Italian to join

us. For further information, please contact Sue Votino at 860-628

-2993.

LADIES GUILD CHRISTMAS CARDS

Christmas cards featuring the St. Thomas Church crèche are still

available for sale in packs of 10 for $10 at the rectory, or contact

Terry Bouchard at 860-628-2981.

SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT DECEMBER 4, 2016

Readings for the Week of December 4, 2016 Sunday: Is 11:1-10/Ps 72/Rom 15:4-9/Mt 3:1-12

Monday: Is 35:1-10/Ps 85/Lk 5:17-26

Tuesday: Is 40:1-11/Ps 96/Mt 18:12-14

Wednesday: Is 40:25-31/Ps 103/Mt 11:28-30

Thursday: Gn 3:9-15, 20/Ps 98/Eph 1:3-6, 11-12/Lk 1:26-

38

Friday: Is 48:17-19/Ps 1/Mt 11:16-19

Saturday: Sir 48:1-4, 9-11/Ps 80/Mt 17:9a, 10-13

Next Sunday: Is 35:1-6a, 10/Ps 146/Jas 5:7-10/Mt 11:2-11

The Church Sanctuary Candle is offered this week in

memory of Amelia and Pasquale DeSorbo, requested

by Joe and Dolores LaPorte.

The Church Sanctuary Candle is offered this week in

memory of Nelson, Martha and Dan Blanchette,

requested by their son Robert and family.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY AT SHELTER

St. Vincent DePaul Mission of Bristol is looking for Winter

Overflow Monitors, evenings at their Shelter, from 12/15/16 to

3/31/17. Requirements: Background check and Virtus Training

by Archdiocese, Over 18 years of Age, Willingness to Help. In

this year of Mercy can you help? Please contact St. Vincent

DePaul Shelter if you can help at 860-589-9098, and for more

information.

HOLY FAMILY RETREAT CENTER

Advent Day or Evening Retreat: Be My Light – Mother Teresa’s

Journey of Doubt and Hope, with Dr. Brandon Nappi

Wednesday, Dec 7, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. or 6-9 p.m. Shortly after

Mother Teresa died in 1997, her secret journals were published

expressing a woman of intense paradox. Even as she lived out the

Christian life in heroic radiance, she was accompanied by extreme

doubt, struggle and dryness in the spiritual life. In this retreat,

we’ll examine Mother Teresa’s incredible contribution to the

history of spirituality and discover the constructive role doubt can

play in our own Advent journey toward hope and light. $40,

includes meal. 860-760-9705. www.holyfamilyretreat.org

GIFT CARDS THROUGH SCRIP

Start your Christmas shopping with us! Southington Catholic

School has recently started a SCRIP program for fundraising

purposes. There are over 600 participating retailers that give the

school a certain percentage for every card purchased. The local

supermarkets in the program include Stop & Shop and Shop

Rite. Copies of the retailers list and order forms are available at

the rectory. Orders that come in to the rectory or school by

Monday will be filled and available for pick up that same Friday.

Please consider supporting Southington Catholic School by

utilizing the SCRIP program. For more information you may call

Barbara Doherty at 860-621-2832 or email, bdoherty1@cox.net.

“COME AND FOLLOW ME”

Are you following Archbishop Blair and the Archdiocese on

social media? Twitter: @ArchbishopBlair

Snapchat: @ArchdioceseofHartford

Facebook.com/ArchdioceseOfHartford

YOU ARE INVITED...

In this holy season of Advent we look to prepare a place in our

hearts and in our world for the Messiah to come. Our manger will

be in the sanctuary throughout Advent. But, it will need lots of

straw in order that Jesus have a comfortable place at his birth.

Each time you come to church in this Advent season, you are

invited to place a piece of straw in the manger as you make a

pledge to do something in the coming day or week that will make

the world around us a better place for our Messiah.

CARING FOR GOD’S ACRE

Winter decorations are permitted November 20th to March 15th.

These decorations may consist of wreaths, artificial flowers or

boughs or evergreens placed in a flower box. No decoration can

exceed 2 feet in length x 2 feet in width x 2 feet in height. These

dates were chosen for good reason. It is mid-November before all

leaves have fallen. It takes several more weeks to remove them. If

decorations are placed before leaves are removed, the leaves

would become enmeshed in the decorations making it impossible

to remove them. In addition, power blowers are used to collect

leaves, which may damage decorations.

Placement of decorations. On upright monument lots

decorations are confined to the 2 foot area adjacent to the

monument on the burial side of the monument. When burials are

in front of the upright monument the decoration is to be placed

directly in front of the monument. When burials are both in front

and rear of the monument, a decoration is permitted in front and

rear of the monument. Decorations on the side of the monument

base are prohibited. Decorations improperly placed make it

impossible for equipment to excavate graves and clear snow.

Decorations and wires freeze to the ground and cannot be

removed without breaking. Frequently, they are buried in the

snow and cannot be seen. Sometimes, damage occurs during

winter interments despite exercising all reasonable caution and,

therefore, the cemetery cannot be responsible for damage.

PLEASE NOTE: ALL ALLOWABLE GRAVE

DECORATIONS ARE STATED ABOVE. NO OTHER

ITEMS ARE TO BE PLACED ON GRAVES.

2016 ANNUAL FUND UPDATE

To date we have raised $30,070 towards the 2016 Annual Fund.

Thank you for your continuous generosity and support.

VOCATIONS

Who will herald Christ into our world? Consider becoming a

priest, brother, or sister to carry out the work of Jesus Christ in

this world. Call Fr. Jeffrey Gubbiotti, Director of Vocations,

Archdiocesan Center at St. Thomas Seminary, 860-242-5573,

email vocations@aohct.org or visit www.hartfordpriest.com.

RECONCILIATION SCHEDULE FOR ADVENT

Advent is a time for us to prepare for the celebration of Christmas.

As part of your spiritual preparation, we remind you that the

Sacrament of Reconciliation is offered every Saturday at 2:30pm

or by appointment with Father Nick. In addition, a communal

reconciliation service will be held at St. Dominic Church on

Tuesday, December 13th at 7pm.