Parish Staff:

Father Stanley Drewniak, Pastor Linette Hopwood, Secretary

Email: stlawrenceswilm@yahoo.com

Web Page: swkrcatholics.org

Anne Simms & Tiffany Staab CCD Directors

Office Hours: 9-1 Monday –Friday St. Lawrence Rectory (815) 237-2230

St. Lawrence Fax (815) 237-2201

Maria Hakey, Bulletin (815) 237-8268

Hall Rentals – Call the Office

Mass Schedule:

Sat. – 4:00pm

Sun. – 10:00am

Tues, Wed. & Thurs. – Mass at 7:30am

Reconciliation:

Saturday 3:30pm – 4:00pm.

SACRAMENT of BAPTISM – Baptisms are

celebrated during the 10:00 am Mass. Please

call the Rectory to make arrangements.

MARRIAGES -Diocesan policy require at least

a six month preparation process. Couples who

are planning to marry should speak directly

with the pastor before setting a date. No wed-

dings are scheduled on Sundays.

HOSPITALIZED PARISHIONERS – Due

to a change in the privacy law, Father cannot go

to the hospital and ask for a list of parishioners

for him to visit. As a patient, you must ask the

hospital to notify the Rectory that you are re-

questing a visit. For our homebound parish-

ioners, if you would like Father to visit, please

call the Rectory and Father will be more than

happy to come and visit you. Thank you!

Funeral Dinner Co-Chairs for December

Ruth Lardi 237-8705 Cindy Alderson 237-2848

ST. LAWRENCE CATHOLIC CHURCH South Wilmington, IL

MASS INTENTIONS: 12/23/17 Sat.4:00pm +Lois Residori (Tom Residori) 12/24/17 Sun. 10:00am +Louie Peterson & Melissa Christensen (Family) 12/24/17 Christmas Eve 4pm & Midnight for Parishioners 12/25/17 Christmas 10am for Parishioners 12/26/17 Tues.– 7:30am No Mass 12/27/17 Wed.-7:30am +Betty & Chippy Dinelli (Family) 12/28/17 Thurs.-7:30am+Dorothy Onsen (Jim & Mary Lou Smolik) 12/29/17 Fri. –7:30am-No Mass 12/30/17 Sat.4:00pm +John Neece (Family) 12/31/17 Sun. 10:00am +Mary Maher (Michael & Elaine Joyce) 1/1/18 Mon. 10:00am Solemnity of Mary for Parishioners

REMEMBER in PRAYER our deceased relatives and friends, the ill of

our parish and community, nursing home residents, the homeless,

hungry and unemployed, those living alone and our own special

intentions we hold deep in our hearts. Keep in prayer all men and

women serving our country, the injured and those being held pris-

oners. Let us not forget all men and women who gave up their lives

so we may live in freedom and in peace!

Weekly Income: Budget (Needed) $ 3200.00 Sunday Collection $ 2904.00 Children’s Envelopes $ 5.00 Improvement Collection $ 1119.00 Thank you for supporting our parish!!

Liturgical Schedule Lector E. Minister SERVERS 12/23 Sat. 4pm T. Peterson Deacon Steve T/C/W Brooks 12/24 Sun. 10am C. Mathison Deacon Steve T. Wilkey/A. Himes 12/24 Christmas 4pm D. Wollgast F. Phillips M. Simms/N. Siano 12/24 Christmas Midnight T. Peterson R. Chase (Volunteer Needed) 12/25 Christmas 10am J. Naretto R. Hollmeyer A. & K. Frideres 12/30 Sat. 4pm C. Frobish P. Holohan C. Hampson/L. Byers 12/31 Sun. 10am M. Pfeifer D. Pfeifer M.Phillips/M. Kelly 1/1 Mon.10am J. Naretto R. Chase T. Wilkey/A. Himes

Holy Father’s Intention for the month of December: General Intention: The Elderly. That the elderly, sustained by families and Christian communities, may apply their wisdom and experience to spreading the faith and forming the new generations.

If you would like a Mass Intention said please contact the Rectory. Suggested donation is $10.

FROM AROUND THE PARISH News & Upcoming Events

We welcome all new individuals, couples and families to St. Lawrence Parish. If you haven’t already done so, please register with the rectory office. Registration forms can be found on the bulletin board or on our website swkrcatholics.org Thank you!

The Volunteer Schedule for January can be found on our website swkrcatholics.org under the ministry tab. If you would like a printed copy, please call the Rectory. Thank you for volunteering.

Christmas Mass Schedule St. Lawrence- 4:00pm and Midnight on December 24th 10:00am December 25th. Sacred Heart (Kinsman) - 2:00pm December 24th 8:00am December 25th St. Mary (Reddick) - 5:30pm December 24th.

The Giving Tree – This year’s Giving Tree is designated to raise funds for future mobile food trucks. Mobile food trucks cost $1000 each. Please help us raise funds to keep mobile food trucks coming to South Wilming-ton. Please remove a plate from the Giving Tree with the matching amount you would like to contribute to this cause. Use the attached envelopes to place your dona-tion for the food truck and return in the Sunday collec-tion basket. Please make checks payable to St. Law-rence Church. If you are able to do so, please feel free to increase your donation. Thank you for your contin-ued generosity in helping others improve their lives.

There will NOT be Religious Education Classes on December 24th or December 31st. Classes will resume on Sunday, January 7th. Merry Christmas!

The Rectory will be closed December 25th & 26th “Merry Christmas”

A Blessed and Merry Christmas to all from Fr. Stanley

What is CHRISTMAS? – Christmas is CHRIST CHRISTMAS is a little youngster kneeling at the crib, adoration in his eyes, offering the Infant Babe a gift of His birthday – the gift of love. CHRISTMAS is a teen-ager kneeling at the Communion Rail, offering his heart to the New-born King. CHRISTMAS is a mother and father and children assisting at Mass together, adoring Christ in the Blessed Sacrament, the same Christ Who lay in a tiny trough of hay at Bethlehem, on this earth for one purpose – to redeem mankind. CHRISTMAS is the gifts which we give one another, gifts which cannot be wrapped in gaudy paper and tied with big red bows, for they are gifts of love, gifts of salvation. CHRIST-MAS, like ‘joy’ and ‘love’, needs two to make it true. It needs Christ and you. We must not take Christ out of Christmas and expect to find the spirit of Christmas in our hearts. Christmas IS Christ – Christmas IS love!

CHRISTMAS – MOTHERHOOD Mary’s Fiat

Motherhood brought Christmas – Mary said “Be it so”, To the angel God sent To her long, long, ago.

She brought forth the Savior As prophets had foretold

And wrapped Him in swaddling clothes To shield Him from the cold.

Shepherds heard the glad news From angels in the sky,

They found the new-born King In a stable nearby.

There would be no Christmas If Mary had said “No” To the angel God sent To her, long, long ago.

CHRISTMAS REMINDERS May the Christmas CHEER remind you of Him who said , “Be of good cheer.” May the Christmas BELL remind you of the glorious proclamations of His birth. May the Christmas CAROLS remind you of the song the Angels sang, “Glory to God in the Highest!” May the Christmas SEASON remind you in every way of Jesus Christ, Your King!

How touching the MIDNIGHT MASS – CHRISTMAS charm

The Sacrifice begun at Bethlehem is consummated on the altar at Holy Mass! Oh! How touching is the Mid-night Mass in the Catholic world! We greet it long be-forehand, and are always glad to see it come around again. What is it that gives to our feast of Christmas its harm and that pours joy into our carols and rapture into our hearts, if not that on the altar Jesus is really born again, although in a different state? Do not our carols and our homage go straight to His very Person? The object of our festive celebration as of our love is pre-sent. We really go to Bethlehem, and we find there not a memory, not a picture, but the Divine Infant Himself!

The kickoff meeting for the 9th Annual Nite at the Races will be held on January 3rd at 7:00 PM in the Parish Hall. Anyone interested in helping is welcome to attend.