This week begins Catholic Schools Week, when we take time to recognize our own Catholic school, and the value of Catholic education.  I believe that we can hold our heads high for the achievements that our graduates have accomplished over the years.  Not every graduate has been stellar in living their faith, but by and far we have made an impact on the world.  We are in a challenging time when faith is questioned, and our eternal life is a situation that is often put off.  So many of the values of this world come in conflict with our faith—our love of God and our love of our neighbor.  Investing in the spiritual good of our children, our family, and our world is the key to justice and peace.  We see the struggle all over the world for power and wealth, and the suffering that comes with it.  We must build a new world, brick by brick, one soul after another, that seeks values beyond what we have now.  We need God every day and every moment to help us attain the peace and justice and the happiness He promises us.  Live our Catholic faith!

Tuesday evening, our second grade students will be receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation for the first time.  We ask the parents, as far as they can, to lead their children to this great sacrament of healing by their own reception of the Sacrament.  Pray for the children, and for their parents, and their families, to find Christ’s mercy and forgiveness.

Thursday is the Feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, formerly known as Candlemas, when we blessed the candles for use in the church.  Friday is the Feast of St. Blaise, when we bless throats.  We will bless throats individually on Friday for those who attend that mass.  The children will have their throats blessed in their classrooms in school.  Next weekend, we will give the general blessing for all at the masses.

Since this is the first week of February, communion to the sick will be on schedule, as well as the Masses at the nursing homes, and the assisted living home.  Fr. Abraham has notified me that he will not be arriving until next week, Thursday, Feb. 9^th, due to some complications that arose with his sister’s wedding, and the unrest in his country.  We will see him when he arrives.

Next Saturday is the Men’s Conference in St. Louis.  I believe there is another blurb about this event elsewhere in this bulletin.  It is an opportunity to deepen your faith, and witness other men of our faith doing the same.

The Knights of Columbus of our parish will have a Pancake and Sausage Breakfast on February 12th in the parish center.  The St. Clair County Serra Club will also be attending the 8:00 A.M. Mass on that day here in our parish.  We welcome these men who work to develop Vocations to the Priesthood and the Religious Life through prayer and good works.  Several members of the parish are actively involved in this group.

Again, pray for all of the sick and the elderly.  Call and check on your friends!

THE UPTERGROVE FAMILY will celebrate Olivia’s first birthday this on Saturday,  January 28. As we celebrate this amazing milestone for her, we would like to express our sincerest gratitude to all of the Holy Childhood parishioners and HCS families that have blessed sweet baby Olivia and the rest of our family during the past nine months. The outpouring of support and generosity from those who already knew us well, and also from those we had not yet met, helped our family spiritually, emotionally and financially during a very challenging time. The home-cooked meals, hospital visits, gift cards / monetary contributions, fundraisers, and most importantly continuous prayers meant the world to our family. We feel very blessed to be a part of the Holy Childhood community.  We are also happy to report that Olivia continues to recover well.  She is blessed with a  happy, good-natured disposition and she gets into everything just as all one-year olds love to do. Please keep her and her team of doctors in your prayers as she will still be monitored closely and undergo significant testing in the future as her arteries continue to recover. Thank you, many blessings to you all, and Happy Birthday, Olivia!  The Uptergrove family--- Adam, Amy, Abigail, Emma, Isabelle, and Olivia. 

The 5th annual Catholic men's conference is being held Feb 4, 2012. Registration for this event is now open. This one day event features great speakers, great music and a great time. If you would like to attend please go to the website and register or mail in the registration form. The cost is $45 for the day and includes lunch if you register by Jan 19th. If you cannot register online please submit your check for $45 to the rectory before the 19th and your registration will be taken care of. If you would like to carpool to the event please email or contact the rectory.  http://www.catholicmenforchrist.org.

MESSENGER RENEWAL WEEKEND: Where can you find out what is happening in the Diocese of Belleville, a neighboring parish or one across the state? Where can you find stories of faith from many areas of the diocese, across the nation or around the world? The Messenger, your local diocesan newspaper, brings news of events important in your parish, your diocese and the universal church. Please stay “connected” through a subscription to The Messenger. Annual subscriptions are $25.00 (less than one month of cable TV), and envelopes are provided in your parish envelope packet.

THE ENSEMBLE is pleased to announce the release of our first CD, “With One Voice.” The CD’s are $10 each for Holy Childhood Parishioners. For purchasing information, please contact Rick Turcotte at 566-4968, or any Ensemble member. The CD’s will be available for purchase after all masses during this weekend and February 4 - 5. We thank you for your continued support.

GIFT CARDS: Thank you for your support during the Christmas season!  Did you know that Kohl’s ($25 & $100) gift cards purchased through HCS can be used to make payments on your charge account at any store register?

WORLDWIDE MARRIAGE ENCOUNTER: In the second reading today St. Paul tells us that we are a temple of the Holy Spirit! Do your lives and marriage relationship reflect this truth?  Attend a Worldwide Marriage Encounter Weekend and receive the tools needed to let God be glorified in your marriage. Deepen your communication, strengthen your relationship, rekindle your romance and renew your sacrament by attending the next Worldwide Marriage Encounter weekend in this area on March 23^rd to 25^th. Early registration is highly recommended. To register, please call 888-889-9963 or go online to www.aweekendofdiscovery.org.

CATHOLIC BOOK FAIR: HCS is having a book fair on January 28th and 29th in the parish center after mass. The book fair will continue in the main hallway of school on January 30th thru February 3^rd  from 8 AM – 3 PM.

Parish School of Religion

Director: Marilyn Byrne

 

PSR now has its own page on this website

 

From the Home page

Click on OUR PARISH

Click on EDUCATIONAL MINISTRIES

Click on PSR

 

 

PSR  Email: marilyn.byrne@holychildhoodchurch.com 

       PSR Director :  Marilyn Byrne   566-2958

January 31

First Reconciliation - 6 PM

EUCHARISTIC ADORATION