Spend some time with God today in silent prayer, asking Him to illumine the areas of your life that need

to change so that you might become closer to Him.

Page 2

Mission Statement : The Roman Catholic Saint Thomas More Parish Family welcomes and invites every person to join us on our journey in faith and celebration. With the grace and guidance of the Holy Spirit, and through Sacred Scripture and Tradition, we proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all, especially in loving service to those in need.

As part of the Universal Church, we affirm the dignity of every person. All this we do to give glory and honor to God.

Pastoral Staff Pastor ........................ Reverend Michael J. Yadron, KCHS; Ext. 2312 myadron@stm-church.com Associate Pastor .................. Reverend Declan McNicholas; Ext. 2314 dmcnicholas@stm-church.com Senior Deacon ........................................... Dr. Napoleon Tabion, OFS Senior Deacon .................................................. Daniel Zurawski, KHS Deacons ................................................................. David Kapala, KHS ............................................................................ Joseph Stodola, KHS Director of Finance ...................................... Noreen Bickel; Ext. 2330 Pastoral Care Coordinator ...... Deacon David Kapala, KHS; Ext. 2315 Director of Music ...................................... Angie Lorandos; Ext. 2338 Director of Religious Education ................... Emily Hackett; Ext. 2232

St. Thomas More Religious Education Kindergarten through 8th Grade

Office Hours: Monday, Tuesday & Friday — 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Wednesday & Thursday — 1:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Religious Education Phone ........................................................... 836-8610 Director ................................................................ Emily Hackett; Ext. 2232 Administrative Assistant ............................... Rosemary Strimbu; Ext. 2236

Grades K through 8 • Wednesday or Thursday from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m.

Pastoral Commissions Chairpersons Formation/Education ............................................................. Allen Blocher Parish Life......................................................................... Elaine Herrmann Peace & Social Justice ................................................................ Mari Casas Spirituality & Worship ....................................................... Kaaren Mashura Stewardship ..........................................................................Paul Liszewski

Parish Organizations Altar & Rosary Society ........................................ Cindy Keilman 923-9862 Boy Scouts ......................................................... PJ Caraher (219) 838-2943 Career Networking Group…………………… Jim Kaczka (219) 201-0335 ...................................................... or Donna Weidenfeller (219) 688-7597 Circle of Prayer…………………………………..Carolyn Cenko 741-2509 carolynrealtor@sbcglobal.net Cub Scouts ……………Duane Schwemlein -Stmcubpack542@gmail.com Finance ................................................................ Barbara Shaver 838-9200 Gabriel Project………………………………... Marilyn Glennon 801-6586 Garden Club ............................................................ Paul Mazerik 644-8409 Gifts of Love & Warmth……………………..Bernadine Nemeth 513-6544 Girl Scouts ............................................................ Renee Whelan 796-6809 Holy Name Society ........................................ Bill Burke: sbburke3@att.net Knights of Columbus ................................... Ralph Konkoly (219)588-4559 Oblates………………………………………...Denise Gard (219)201-4103 Respect Life ................................................. Leslie Dernulc (219)741-3739 Senior Citizens ..................................................... Bob O’Donnell 877-5050 Ushers Club .................................................... ….Jim Marmalejo 718-8704 Venture Crew……………………………………....Fr. Ben Ross 322-4505

St. Thomas More Roman Catholic Church 8501 Calumet Avenue, Munster, IN 46321

Sacramental Information Confessions Saturdays ............................................................. 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. First Friday ............. …………..1/2 hour before the 6:30 a.m. Mass Baptisms ............................... First and Third Sundays at 1:00 p.m.

Parents must be registered parishioners and regularly attending at least six months before the Baptism. At least one of the godparents must be a practicing Catholic.

Pre-Baptism Class .....................................2nd Tuesday 7:00 p.m. Parents must call the Parish Office to schedule class and/or Baptism. Marriage .............. Must be a registered, practicing member of the parish at least six months before beginning the six month preparation program for marriage.

Communion calls and visits to Hospitals and Homebound: Call the Parish Office for Sacraments at hospital or at home.

New Parishioner Registration To make it as convenient as possible for you,

new parishioners may register at any time in the Parish Office.

Stop in during the day, or take advantage of our convenient evening and Saturday office hours.

St. Thomas More Parish Website: www.stm-church.com

Parish Office Staff Hours: Mon-Friday 8:00 am-8:00 pm • Saturday 8:00 am-2:00 pm Email address ................................. parish.office@stm-church.com Email address for bulletin ...................... bulletin@stm-church.com Office Phone………. 836-8610 Office Fax .................... 836-9185 Bulletin Editor ................................................... Pam Pasyk; Ext. 2309 Daytime Receptionist ............................................................ Ext. 2300 Evening Receptionist ............................................................ .Ext. 2300 Building Maintenance…………..Mike Popovich 836-8610, Ext. 2313 Custodial Supervisor…………….Karla Baldwin 836-8610, Ext. 2331

Pastoral Ministries Environment & Art ....................................... Susan Gryfakis 688-8209 Eucharistic Ministers ........................ Deacon Dan Zurawski 742-6005 Hospitality/Greeters .................................... Chris Shearman 923-1419 Lectors ...................................................... William McDunn 922-9459 Nursery .................................................. Kaaren A. Mashura 836-5079 St. Vincent de Paul ................................... Terry Oprinovich 836-8610 Vocations Committee ............................................................ 836-8610

2019-2020 Pastoral Council Members Thomas Alexander ........................ Bernadine Barrett, Co-Chairperson Carolyn Cenko............................................................... Leslie Dernulc Diane DeSoto ............................................... Tim Jevyak, Chairperson Jim Kaspar ................................................................... Christi Kordeck Katie Kordeck ..................................................................... Eric Miller Joe Peters ........................................................................ Daniel Straka

St. Thomas More School

Pre-School through 8th Grade Office Hours: Monday– Friday • 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Website .............................................................www.stm-school.com School Phone .......... 836-9151 School Fax ......................... 836-0982 President ....................................................... Noreen Bickel; Ext. 2330 Principal ........................................... Dr. Samantha Francis; Ext. 2258 School Administrative Assistant………..Jennifer Gonzalez; Ext. 2200 School Reception & Office Associate……Nereida Harretos; Ext. 2201 School Parent Association…………Heather Delgado; (312) 933-9208 Parish & School Offices Associate………....Maureen Walz; Ext. 2311 School Admission……………………………... Pam Pasyk; Ext. 2309 Director of Development………………….…Karen Leluga; Ext. 2307 Business Manager………………………Mike Gutchewsky; Ext. 2339

Weis Center 8635 Calumet Avenue • Munster, IN 46321

Phone ..................................................................................... 836-2660

Please remember St. Thomas More in your Will and Estate Planning

Page 3

Third Sunday of Advent December 15, 2019

SUNDAY, December 15 — Third Sunday of Advent 6:30 am Mary A. Martin (Ann.) by Therese Martin 8:00 am For the People of the Diocese of Gary 10:00 am Nancy Mucha Anderson by Annette Connelly 12:00 pm Margaret Waters by Carol & Jack Waters MONDAY, December 16 6:30 am All Souls Day Intentions 8:30 am Walker Family by S. Walker TUESDAY, December 17 6:30 am Mary Ann Senf by Mark & Sonia Kunas and Family 8:30 am Paul Lahti by John Malayter 10:00 am For all the Souls in Purgatory (MASS AT MED-INN CHAPEL, Group 3) WEDNESDAY, December 18 6:30 am Shirley Kingma by Jim & Jackie Pietraszak 8:30 am Vincent Gryn by Mr. & Mrs. John Gryn THURSDAY, December 19 6:30 am Martin J. Pieters by Tony Zappia II 9:00 am George Sinchak by Family FRIDAY, December 20 6:30 am Lavergn Pruznak by Jim and Mona Callahan 8:30 am Connie Lipay by Jill & Mike Popovich SATURDAY, December 21 8:30 am Stephanie Mueller by Linarae Mueller 5:30 pm Maxine Urbanczyk by Wanda Marlowe & Family SUNDAY, December 22 — Fourth Sunday of Advent 6:30 am For the People of the Diocese of Gary 8:00 am Eugene Szczepaniak by the Szczepaniak Family 10:00 am Carolina Alvarado (Ann.) by the Garcia Family 12:00 pm Patrick Quinn by Wife Lois

Saturday, December 21 5:30 p.m. Fr. Declan McNicholas

Sunday, December 22 6:30 a.m. Fr. Declan McNicholas 8:00 a.m. Fr. Declan McNicholas 10:00 a.m. Fr. Mike Yadron 12:00 Noon Fr. Mike Yadron

SATURDAY, December 21 8:30 am S. O’Rourke, P. Olsen 5:30 pm A. Hanson, H. Hamer, P. Schwemlein/MC ~ Ty

SUNDAY, December 22 6:30 am A. Korfiatis, K. Karl, N. Arman 8:00 am D. Kenning, D. Nahnsen, J. Sajn/MC ~ Gavin 10:00 am B., M. & R. Andrzejewski/MC ~ Xavian 12:00 pm B., I. & S. Ramirez/MC ~ Jacob B.

Pastoral Care Ministry If you or a homebound/hospitalized STM parishioner would like to

receive Communion, please contact Deacon Dave Kapala at (219) 836-8610, # 2315 or dkapala@stm-church.com.

Sacrificial Offerings

Thank you for sharing your treasure with our parish!

Adult $ 21,515.00 Loose $ 2,882.00 Automated $ 2,859.00 Children $ 130.51

TOTAL $ 27,386.51

December 8, 2019

REFLECTION Stewardship

“You too must be patient. Make you hearts firm, because the coming of the Lord is at hand.” JAMES 5:8

Patience is another one of those things many of us struggle with. We want things to go according to our plan and our

schedule. Any change brings anxiety and fear. Through daily prayer we better align ourselves with God’s will and His plan, which is far better than anything we can come up

with on our own.

Helen B. Artim

Art & Environment All are welcome to join us! 

The Art & Environment Ministry is decorating for Christmas on Monday, December 23 at 9:00 a.m.

(in the event of a funeral, we will begin at 11:00 a.m.) Questions? Want to join?

Please call Susan at 219-688-8209. There will be no mailed notification regarding decorating.

All are invited to make our church look beautiful this Christmas!

Page 4

lease pray for the sick of our parish... c Joshua Alvarez

Margaret Amatulli Doris Aurelio Maria Aurelio

Antonio Belmonte Mary Berry

Michael Berry Michael Billedo

Michael Blazevich Laverne Blumka

Diane Bochnowski Cheryl Bostrom

Linda Braun Stephany Burney Kathleen Burns

Paul Burns Dorothy Campbell James Campbell

Al Carollo Peter Castro

Janet Cattanach Jeff Chastain

Jacqueline Morrow Christian

Willie Colby Vincent Corsello

Mike Curtain Valerie Czapkowicz

Doris Dabrowski Sarah Dalton

Eleuterio Del Real Irene Dettmer

Jeanine Doescher Patrick Doran Alex Eiland

Sherlon Evans James Fletcher

Heriberto Flores Maria Flores John Forde

Bonnie Gabrione Phyllis Garber

Andrea Garritano Margaret Geary Emily Gibson

Dorothy Gillespie Margaret Good

Monica Gonzalez Howard Gralewski

Margaret Gray Susan Graff

James Grunewald Mary Ellen Gullicks

Arthur Halpin Rosemarie Havran

Amy Hayes Marie Henke

Irma Hernandez Marisol Hernandez

Robert Hesek Becky Hill

Charlotte Hunt Shirley Huskey Betty Ingbretson Joseph S. Iwan

Steve Izzo Elizabeth Jacob Barbara Jamrose Stanley Jayjack Robert Kalka

Kelly Jean Mark Kenney Irene Kerps

James Klein, Sr. Janet Knight

Susan Kolodziej Richard Komyatte

Gregory P. Koscielski Paul Kostalik

Edward Kritzer Crystal Kurek

Annika LeMonier Chris LeMonier

Debbie LeMonier Nicklas LeMonier

Mike Lewis Kris Lisikiewicz Jo Lisiniewicz

Edward Liskiewicz Stanley Liskiewicz

Maria Lovell Marilyn Madsen

Brady Martin Larkin McKenzie Jenny Mendoza

Faye Meny Sandi Merlo Erin Meyer

Ann Miskovich Andrew Moll

Genevieve Mrvan Donna Nichols

Jim Nolan Chet Nordyke

Steven Nowaczyk Clare O’Brien

Donna O’Connor Danny Ogren

James Pancheri Marty Pavlovic Judith Peterson Johanna Petruch

Andrew Pieczyrak Elizabeth Pilones

Ron Plewniak Sylvester Porras Dennis Powell Ronald Prus Jerry Reach

Timothy Ribble Jackie Roach Ann Sardella George Sauer Marie Schultz

Marianne Schwartz William Schwartz

Zachery Scriff James Secviar

Jim Seul Renee Shehan Nick Skinner Laurie Slazyk

Carolyn Smiley Deborah Stareck Georgianne Suto Florence Stevens

Carol Storey Rose Theis

Russ Thomas Gerardo Trevino Kathie Trudgian Anthony Ubuane

Tony Vanden Heuvel Raymond Vanderbok

James Wachel Kathy Wachel

Marilyn (Vrabel) Warda Mark Wein Dick Wright

Josephine Zagrocki Cecilia Ziegler

Cody Ziemkowski

Third Sunday of Advent Who did you come to see? A version of this question is posed by Jesus many times in the Gospels. He asks it of Andrew and John when they

begin to follow him. He asks it of Mary Magdalene in the garden of the resurrection. He asks it in today’s Gospel. “What did you go out to the

desert to see?” There is something innately human about “seeing.” Animals have eyes — some with much more powerful vision than our

own — but that’s not the kind of seeing Jesus is talking about. We could phrase the question several other ways. “What are you looking for?”

“What are you longing for?” “Whom do you seek?” It is in seeing for ourselves that our suspicions or hypotheses are

confirmed, that our desires discover their fulfillment, and that we can rest for a moment in certainty. John the Baptist sought certainty of

Jesus’ identity. “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?” Jesus sends word to him based on the testimony of sight,

observations of the mighty deeds Jesus has begun to work. “Go and tell John what you hear and see.”

God recognizes our desire to see. In the Incarnation, the Word is made flesh. The invisible is made visible. The supernatural is made manifest in an infant who can do little more than the most natural of movements

as he feeds, cries, sleeps. We don’t need to wait for Christmas to see God. The work of God is all around us. Those blinded by sin “regain their sight.” People overcome backgrounds of poverty and violence to make world-changing contributions. Addicts grow and heal. Truth is

spoken, and people listen. Let’s pray for the grace to see God’s movement in our lives this week. How have you seen the work of God?

©LPi

SUNDAY, December 15 6:00 pm Taizé Prayer Service ~ Church

MONDAY, December 16 6:30 pm Marian Rosary ~ Chapel 7:00 pm Schola Choir ~ Church 7:00 pm Holy Name Society ~ Weis Center

TUESDAY, December 17 7:00 pm Penance Service in the Church 9:15 am Eucharistic Adoration (until 6:30 p.m.) ~ Chapel 1:00 pm Prayer/Vocations ~ Chapel 4:00 pm STMS Dining for Dollars at Meatheads (til 8:00) 5:30 pm Parent Association Officers ~ Teachers’ Lounge 6:00 pm Divine Mercy Chaplet ~ Chapel 7:00 pm RCIA ~ Conference Room

WEDNESDAY, December 18 9:30 am Bible Study ~ Weis Center 4:30 pm Religious Education Classes (until 6:00 p.m.) 4:30 pm RCIC ~ Conference Room 6:30 pm Handbells Practice ~ Church

THURSDAY, December 19 4:30 pm Religious Education Classes (until 6:00 p.m.) 6:45 pm All Seasons Chorale ~ Church

FRIDAY, December 20 9:00 am Gifts of Love & Warmth ~ Weis Center

SUNDAY, December 22 6:00 pm Lessons & Carols ~ Church

Readings for Week of December 15 Sunday: Is 35:1-6a, 10/ Ps 146:6-7, 8-9, 9-10 [Is 35:4]/Jas 5:7-10/Mt 11:2-11 Monday: Nm 24:2-7, 15-17a/Ps 25:4-5ab, 6 and 7bc, 8-9 [4]/Mt 21:23-27 Tuesday: Gn 49:2, 8-10/Ps 72:1- 2, 3-4ab, 7-8, 17 [cf. 7]/ Mt 1:1-17 Wednesday: Jer 23:5-8/Ps 72:1-2, 12-13, 18-19 [cf. 7]/Mt 1:18-25 Thursday: Jgs 13:2-7, 24-25a/Ps 71:3-4a, 5-6ab, 16-17 [cf. 8]/ Lk 1:5-25 Friday: Is 7:10-14/Ps 24:1-2, 3-4ab, 5-6 [cf. 7c and 10b]/Lk 1:26-38 Saturday: Sg 2:8-14 or Zep 3:14-18a/Ps 33:2-3, 11-12, 20-21 [1a; 3a]/Lk 1:39-45 Next Sunday: Is 7:10-14/ Ps 24:1-2, 3-4, 5-6 [7c, 10b]/Rom 1:1-7/ Mt 1:18-24

Join the Marian Rosary Join our prayer group to pray the Rosary, Chaplet and offer prayers

to Mary on Monday evenings in the Chapel, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.. Call Tom Mordaunt at (219) 922-6604 for info. All are welcome.

Bulletin Articles Due to the holidays, printing deadlines have been accelerated.

Please submit all bulletin articles at least 2 weeks in advance to bulletin@stm-church.com

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The Pastor’s Page

PLEASE REMEMBER THEM Please pray for the priests and deacons who have served the Diocese of Gary so faithfully and whose anniversaries of death are this week:

December 17: Deacon James Keough (2016) December 18: Rev. Andrew C. Topor (1993) December 19: Msgr. Alfred Reinig (1963) December 21: Msgr. Albert Van Nevel (2000)

WHAT GOD DO YOU SERVE?

“If you’re serious about sanctification, you can expect to experience heart-wrenching moments that try your faith, your endurance, and your patience.” ~ Sheri L. Dew

There are many people who believe that they are good, upright Christians. They believe that because they go to Mass on weekends and on Holy Days of Obligation. They believe that because they contribute in the weekly collection. However, if examined closely — and, don’t forget, some day we all will be examined quite closely by God! — they would find that their claims of being good, upright Christians are not quite true.

That would be because, while they worship on Sunday, their faith in God is not that strong. They also put their faith in the world. They do things that go against the teaching of the faith. They may cheat others at their businesses or lead others astray by word and deed. Their faith in God might be, at best, lukewarm.

Lukewarm Christians are the easiest people to sway. When someone flashy comes their way, they might find themselves leaving the practice of their faith behind in order to join someone else. Many of these dynamics were happening in the days of the Prophet Elijah. He found himself pitted against others who had gone astray and who had, in fact, given themselves over to the worship of Baal. These prophets were seeking to kill Elijah because his words and his life were diametrically opposed to all that they taught and lived.

The symbol for the Jesse Tree today is a fire. This symbol is representative of the conflict between the Prophet Elijah and the Prophets of Baal. If you remember the story, Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal to make an altar and put their sacrifice on the altar and beseech Baal to send down fire to consume the sacrifice. All the chanting, dancing, and self-immolating that the prophets did accomplished nothing.

After their attempt, Elijah had his sacrifice and altar doused with copious amounts of water and called upon the Lord. Fire came down from heaven and consumed sacrifice and altar, scorching the land, and proving that God, not Baal, was the only true God.

What God do we serve? Do we merely pay our God lip service on Sundays but fall into the practices of the world the rest of the week? It is time to take a true check on our faith to see if our lives consistently reflect what we say we believe.

FAITH ACTION: Spend some time with God today in silent prayer, asking Him to illumine the areas of your life that need to change so that you might become closer to Him.

ON THE LIGHTER SIDE A man answered the phone on his birthday to hear his uncle singing “Happy Birthday.” He thanked him and said, “It’s a good thing you got the right number.” “Well, the first time I didn’t,” his uncle confessed. “But the woman I reached told me that was all right because I really needed the practice.”

HAVE YOU GONE TO CONFESSION YET? Going to confession is still the best way to prepare our souls for Christmas. Below is a list of Penance Services throughout our deanery handy in your home. All times are at 7:00 p.m. unless noted otherwise. Sunday, December 15 St. Bridget, Hobart (4:00 p.m.) Monday, December 16 Our Lady of Grace, Highland St. Matthias, Crown Point (5:00 p.m.) St. Mary, Crown Point Tuesday, December 17 St. Thomas More, Munster Wednesday, December 18 Holy Name, Cedar Lake St. Mary, Griffith St. Michael, Schererville Thursday, December 19 St. James, Highland Our Lady of Consolation, Merrillville Friday, December 20 Ss. Peter & Paul, Merrillville (1:00 p.m.) Saturday, December 21 St. Ann, Black Oak (3:00 p.m.)

PRAYER OPPORTUNITIES Tonight at 6:00 p.m., you are invited to a Taizé Prayer Service. This service generally lasts a half hour and helps one to center oneself in soft, contemplative prayer. Next Sunday, December 22nd, at 6:00 p.m. in the church, a Festival of Nine Lessons & Carols will take place. It is sponsored by our Schola Cantorum and is spoken of quite highly by those who have attended over the past several years. This will be a wonderful way to anticipate Christmas a few days afterwards.

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Religious Education

Lectors & Greeters for the Week

Saturday, December 21 5:30 pm Mass

Julie Blanford & Judith Hamer

Saturday, December 21 5:30 pm Mass

Main: Chuck & Chris Shearman

Chapel: Carolyn Cenko Choir: Patty Pfister

Sunday, December 22

8:00 am Mass Main: Jim & Nancy Kaczka

Choir: Christi & Katie Kordeck

10:00 am Mass Main: Cheryl Steinhauer Chapel: Diane Adley &

Joan Mucha

12:00 Noon Mass Choir: Pat Batchelder

December Schedule 18/19 Class 25/26 No Class — Merry Christmas!

January Schedule 1/2 No Class — Happy New Year 8/9 Class 12 Family Formation • 1:00-2:00 p.m. • Gym 15/16 Class 22/23 Class 29/30 Class

Sunday, December 22 6:30 am Mass

Cal Bellamy & Virgil Ramirez

8:00 am Mass John Kovach & Sue Wilson

10:00 am Mass Timothy Christiana & Terri Tratar

12:00 Noon Mass Leonard & Valerie Czapkowicz

Stewardship Thoughts

Prayer: Lord, I am often tempted, when in difficult situations, to go

along so that I get along. Forgive me and strengthen my resolve to be faithful to You in stressful times.

• Thoughts create actions. Actions create habits. Habits create character. Character will affect your future more than any other single ingredient. Matthew Kelly • Though God made us good, God also made us free. It is the abuse of our freedom that brings sin and evil into the world. Fr. Richard Hauser, S.J. • Even though it looks like our best efforts have failed, there is always renewed hope in what God can do. Carrie Gress • Suffering is something society tells us to avoid. But it's actually a growth opportunity in our relationship with God; to place more trust in Him. It's not the actual suffering that's important, it's how we respond to it. • Sometimes God says "yes" to our prayers, but it's to teach us an important lesson. Scripture Union USA

If you are not a part of a Ministry at St. Thomas More Church, please consider joining and sharing with others.

Nursery Schedule All children, infant to age 5, are welcome in our parish Nursery

during the Sunday, 10:00 a.m. Mass. Volunteers still needed! Any Virtus trained teen/adult welcome. Please contact Kaaren: (219) 836-5079 or kaarenann@aol.com.

December 22 Susie Kinsella

Rachel Perezchia Kaaren Mashura

December 25 Merry Christmas!

Nursery Closed

December 29 Nursery Closed

Holy Name Society All men of the parish are invited to join us

Monday, December 16 7:00 p.m. at the Weis Center

This group of dedicated, spiritual men invites all to our next meeting with a video presentation and refreshments to follow.

Amazon Smile When you shop for those last minute Christmas gifts, please remember St. Thomas More School while shopping online at Amazon Smile. If you designate St. Thomas More School as your preferred organization on Amazon Smile, STMS will

earn .5% of your total purchases. How easy is that? Shop at: smile.amazon.com/ch/35-0900733.

Thanks, in advance for your support and happy shopping!

Order T.R.I.P. Now! Why not give gift cards this year?

It’s easy and quick to utilize the St. Thomas More T.R.I.P. Program to gift cards for friends

& relatives, babysitters, hair stylists and all those hard to buy for people on your list.

Last 2019 Processing Day: Monday, December 16

To sign-up or to learn more: stmstrip@stm-school.com.

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St. Thomas More School December 15, 2019

ST. THOMAS MORE SCHOOL

C hristmas BAND CONCERT

Only one word describes this year’s Christmas Band Concert...Bravo!

Feet were tapping, faces were smiling, voices were singing and it was all because of the outstanding performance of our dedicated, talented students

and our beyond-awesome band director, Mr. Rick Mlynarski, who has been able to gently coax the “inner musician” out of St. Thomas More

School students for the last 44+ years. If you want to treat yourself to an enjoyable evening and be inspired by the aptitude of our phenomenal students, be sure to attend the next performance

offered in the spring. You’ll be amazed!

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Open Positions at St. Thomas More School/Parish Custodian

Responsibilities: Cleaning offices, classrooms and restrooms, as well as event set-ups for church and school.

Requirements: Must have experience in cleaning in a commercial setting, be able to use a variety of floor machines,

read & follow directions and have reliable transportation with a valid driver’s license. Hours: Monday -Thursday:

5:30-11:00 p.m. and Sundays 8:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. (daytime hours in summer). To apply for positions: Please send resume

to: jobopenings@stm-church.com or apply in person: St. Thomas More • 8501 Calumet • Munster, IN 46321

Pre-K Educational Aide We are currently seeking a patient, helpful person who enjoys spending time with young children to serve as an educational

aide in our Pre-K classroom. If interested, please contact Dr. Samantha Francis at sfrancis@stm-school.com for details.

Knights Tree & Wreath Sale Thank you for another great year!

We are extremely appreciative of our Christmas tree and wreath patrons; those who

return to us year after year and those who supported us for the first

time this season. Thanks to your support, we are able

to further assist many individuals and groups in our parish and community.

We look forward to seeing you again next year!

Msgr. Robert Weis Knights of Columbus

St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry Thanks to all of you for your continuing support of our food

pantry. Without you, we would not be able to assist the hungry in our community and it’s clear that our parishioners understand

one of our missions: feeding the hungry as we have been taught! With the holidays and the cold winter months ahead, we request

your assistance in procuring the following food items:

Jelly Cake Frosting

Canned Meat/Fish Canned Fruit

Pancake Mix • Syrup

Canned Pasta Pasta Sauce

Boxed Potatoes Rice

Meal Helpers

Items Needed for Our Pantry:

Currently we have an abundance of beans/pork and beans, vegetables, soup and peanut butter. Please do not donate these

items, as we don’t want them to expire prior to distribution. From all of us at St. Vincent de Paul, we wish you a happy

holiday season and thank you for your unending generosity! To learn more about SVDP, call Terry at (219) 836-8610.

Caps for Kids Remember how cold we were last January during

the “Polar Vortex”? The cold and blustery weather is

back with us again! Caps for Kids

is now underway and the St. Vincent de Paul Society is

requesting your assistance. Share the warmth of your heart by donating a

new hat, gloves or a scarf for a child or an adult.

Please place your donations in the designated boxes at the church entrances. Thank you for your generosity in helping us to

provide for our neighbors!

Senior Citizens Join us in the New Year as we meet again at the Weis Center:

Wednesday, January 15, 2020 Business Meeting

Speaker Lynn Waltz will discuss “2019 Tax Facts for Seniors”

New Year’s Eve at St. James Ring in the New Year with a night of dinner

& dancing at St. James, 9640 Kennedy Avenue in Highland. 7:00 p.m. (dinner at

8:00 p.m.) to 12:30 a.m. Live Motown music & more by Chicago’s UpBeat Orchestra.

Dinner includes prime rib, ham, fried chicken, cheese ravioli, parslied red

potatoes, mixed vegetables, tossed salad, dinner rolls & dessert. Champagne toast at midnight. Cash bar (cash only). For more information: 219-924-4220 or stjhall.org.

Lindenwood Retreat Center Give the Gift of a Personal Retreat

Lindenwood’s retreat gift package includes overnight accommodations & up to 3 meals

per day for $65/day. Take a walk, read a book, pray, meditate, retreat in silence or

visit with a spiritual director. At Lindenwood, relax however you choose!

20/20 Vision in 2020 St. Matthias Church in Crown Point

presents “20/20 Vision in 2020: Setting Our Sights on Christ”, monthly educational

sessions with topics to explore our faith and reset our life goals. Next session: Saturday, January 18 at 10:00 a.m.: Strengthfinders

To reserve, call the parish: (219) 663-2201.

Pierogi Sale St. Josaphat Church in Munster is no longer accepting orders for Christmas. Sales will resume after the holidays. Thank you for

your continued support. Merry Christmas!

Gift Shoppe at The Shrine There’s still time to find the perfect gift.

Extended holiday hours: Monday to Friday: 10:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m. and

Saturday & Sunday 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Open 9:00 a.m. to Noon on Christmas Eve.