Bulletin for December 23, 2007

EUCHARISTIC CELEBRATIONS THIS WEEK

SUNDAY-FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT
First Reading: Isaiah 7:10-14
Second Reading: Romans 1:1-7
Gospel: Matthew 1:18-24

7:00 Natividad Gerdenia (Wee)
9:00 Daniel Mulligan (Wife)
10:30 Ed Redden (Family)
12:00 Mary Dryden (Kramer)

MONDAY-VIGIL OF CHRISTMAS
3:00 Jim Shanesy (Wife)
5:00 Kevin & Joann Boston (Wed. Ann.)
10:00 For Our Ascension Family

TUESDAY-NATIVITY OF THE LORD
9:00 Bill Riggs (Webb)
11:00 Charles Russo (Wife)

WEDNESDAY-ST. STEPHEN
9:00 Henry DiLoreto (Sister)

THURSDAY-ST. JOHN
9:00 Dr. William Schweller (Meyers)

FRIDAY-HOLY INNOCENTS
9:00 Mary Ludwig (Little)

SATURDAY-FIFTH DAY IN OCTAVE OF CHRISTMAS
9:00 Sr. Elise Calmus C.PP.S (Pratt)
5:00 Arch Little (Wife)

SUNDAY-HOLY FAMILY OF JESUS, MARY & JOSEPH
7:00 Rosella Beckett (Husband)
9:00 Dorothy Miller (Husband)
10:30 Andrew Michalo (Wife)
12:00 Charles & Mary Martin (Geiger

SICK AND SHUT-IN LIST
As a parish family concerned for one another, we ask your prayerful support of our hospitalized members.
MIAMI VALLEY: Marilyn Heindl
KETTERING: Sharon Hodge

HIPPA
The HIPPA federal law has an impact on communications between hospitals, clergy and congregation. To be proactive, please inform the parish prior to going to the hospital or indicate on your admission papers that you would like the parish staff to know that you were admitted.

ANOINTING OF THE SICK
We will have the Anointing of the Sick at the Noon Mass on Sunday, December 30 for those suffering from chronic illness or facing surgery in the near future. Please call the office if you or a family member wishes to receive the Anointing.

NEW LIFE IN CHRIST
JACOB BERNARD HILDEBRAND, son of Brian Hildebrand and Susan Duffy, Leesburg, Va. And LUCIA ELIANNE MALOTT, daughter of Scott Malott and Lisa Hildebrand, Suffolk, Va. received new life in Christ through the waters of Baptism last weekend.

Congratulations to the proud parents, godparents and grandparents.

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
Classes will not meet on December 23-24 and 30-31. Classes will resume on January 6.
Volunteers needed: Would you be willing to discuss the Sunday gospel with students on Sunday mornings, or sub on Monday afternoons in the Elementary program? Please call the RE Office at 254-0622.

IT’S NEVER TOO LATE! If you have a child not currently attending Ascension School or in the Religious Education program Grades 1-8, please contact the please contact Sue Graham in the RE Office to register.

YOUTH MINISTRY
HS Dodgeball Tourney – start the New Year off with some fun. Saturday, January 5, 7:00-10:00 p.m. PAC. $2.00 per person.

LIFE Group Vocation Event – ALL LIFE Groups will join together Sunday, January 6, 7:00-9:00 p.m., Witzman Center for a special session on vocation awareness. Open to all parish HS youth.
HS Retreat Team forming – 9-12th grade teens are invited to assist in planning and leading our winter retreat on President’s Day weekend. Team meetings Sundays, 4:00-6:00 p.m. January/February. Contact the Youth Office for details, 253-1997 or jmurray@ascensionkettering.org.

Family Ski Trip – Sunday, January 27 at Perfect North Slopes. Overnight retreat option Saturday at YMCA with games, swimming and retreat activities. Open to JH & HS youth and family members. Flyers at church doors.

CHILDREN’S LITURGY OF THE WORD
There will be Children’s Liturgy of the Word at the 11:00 a.m. Mass on Christmas Day.

RCIA
Persons interested in becoming Catholic are welcomed into the RCIA process at any time. For more information, call Deacon Vic.

2008 CALENDARS
If you did not pickup your 2008 calendar last week you may still do so at the church entrances. Please one per household. Thanks to Westbrock Funeral home for providing them.

POSITION AVAILABLE
Cleaning Ascension’s Parish Office Building. For more information contact Tom Platfoot at 253-5171.

ATTENTION CARROLL CLASS OF 1998!
10 year reunion plans are underway for the weekend of August 2008. Please send your most recent email and home address to carroll98@gmail.com so that we can contact you with further details. (Parents of the class of 1998, please help us out!)

IS YOUR MARRIAGE HURTING IN ANYWAY?
Has your marriage grown cold, distant, unloving or uncaring? Then please consider Retrouvaille – a program designed to help heal and renew marriages. Retrouvaille is for marriages that have lost some of their spark, for marriages having difficulties in communication and even those marriages on the edge of separation or divorce. The next program begins January 11-13. For more information call 513-398-3137. Other weekends and locations are available – call for details.

MARCH FOR LIFE 2008
Join members of Ascension Parish in Washington, DC at the largest presence for life in the nation! The Respect Life Committee is again sponsoring 2 buses this year. The extended trip leaves on Saturday, January 19 at 8:00 a.m., and the short trip bus leaves Monday at 8:00 a.m. Both buses will return between 2:00-2:30 a.m. on Wednesday. Monday is Martin Luther King Day and most schools are closed as well as many businesses. These trips are excellent for families. It is a great bonding opportunity, and it’s educational too.

Long trip-cost is $220/quad includes bus transportation, 3 nights at Hotel Harrington, a pizza party, Smithsonian Museums, Holocaust Museum, Washington Monument, National Archives, pro-life convention, Mt. Vernon tour, pro-life youth rally, vigil Mass, and March for Life. Deadline for hotel reservations is 12-15-07. A $50.00 deposit will hold your space. For more information contact Jeannette Niezgodski at 320-1819 or jniezgodski@yahoo.com.

Short trip-cost is $95.00/quad includes bus transportation, 1 night Holiday Inn on the Hill-DC, March for Life and rally. For more information contact Ed Eckley 254-4459 or Diane Stroud 298-4804.

Take a stand make a difference in the greatest human rights issue of our time. Stand for Life and for God. If you can’t go, please consider donating money to help defray the costs.

JUST A REMINDER
Starting January 2008 Direct Giving is available to help make things more convenient for you. We have added an Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT) payment option for Sunday contributions. You determine your contribution level for each month and the donation is transferred for you. Forms are available in the narthex of church or the parish web site. This form of giving cost you nothing and provides many advantages to both you and your parish.

BAPTISM PREP PROGRAM
Parents are encouraged to contact the Parish Office three or four months prior to the birth of their child. The Baptism Prep Class is usually held the first Sunday of the month in the Parish Office Building 10:00 a.m.-Noon. The next Baptism Preparation class is January 6. Please call Sr. Agnes, 253-5171, to register.

AFFORDABLE COUNSELING AND SUPPORT
During the time of holiday stress, the professional counseling staff of Catholic Social Service of the Miami Valley is available to offer personalized, confidential counseling services for individuals, couples or families. Counseling appointments are currently available by calling 223-7217 ext. 2136 at the Center for Families, 1046 Brown Street. Reduced fees are available to those who qualify for them.

HELP WANTED
Elizabeth’s New Life Center, a faith-based ministry, has two openings in their Education Department:

1. High School Presenter-full-time to present-supportive programs to high school students.

2. Evaluation Aide-part-time, 20 hours/week; assist with evaluating middle school presentations.

For more information to www.ElizabethHelps.com and click on the Job Postings link.

PARISH OFFICE – HOLIDAY HOURS - CORRECTION
The Parish Office will be closed for the Christmas holidays on December 24 & 25 and December 31 & January 1. There will be no evening hours December 26-28. Regular office hours resume January 2.

PARENTING POINTERS
As the year closes, is there anything you need to ask your family to forgive you for? Are there any relatives you need to forgive? It doesn’t matter that you were right. Forgive anyway.

MARRIAGE MOMENTS
By Susan Vogt www.SusanVogt.net
As we remember the birth of Jesus on this Christmas Eve, let it be a call to honor our human nature. Christ honored humanity by humbly taking on our human condition. Allow yourself and your spouse to be human today; even to make mistakes.

MENTORS
Are you looking for an opportunity to make a positive difference in the life of someone else? The Life Resource Centre at the Dayton Right to Life Offices invites you to share your parenting experiences with a young mom. Mentors are needed to support young parents 16-21 years who have a toddler. The next training session is January 5, from 9:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. at One Elizabeth Place. If interested call 223-9227 for more information/registration.

CHRISTMAS AND HOLIDAY MASS SCHEDULE - DECEMBER 24 – MONDAY CHRISTMAS EVE

3:00 pm Witzman Center open for overflow crowd
5:00 pm Witzman Center open for overflow crowd
10:00 pm Lessons and Carrols begin at 9:30 p.m.

There will NOT be a Mass at midnight.

DECEMBER 25 – TUESDAY - CHRISTMAS DAY

9:00 am
11:00 am Children’s Liturgy of the Word

JANUARY 1 – TUESDAY - FEAST OF BLESSED VIRGIN MARY MOTHER OF GOD (Holy Day of Obligation)

5:30 pm (Vigil - Monday – Dec. 31, New Years Eve)
9:00 am (Tuesday - Jan 1)
11:00 am (Tuesday- Jan 1)

CHRISTMAS REFLECTION
Dear Ascension Parishioner,

Two thousand years ago, a child was born in Bethlehem. While it is clear that all who saw the child recognized that he was special, they could have hardly guessed just how special Jesus was - Jesus Christ who was and is the Son of God.

Like Mary, we are called to give birth to Jesus Christ - to bring Christ to those we meet and to proclaim the Gospel to the world.

That is why I continue to be humbled by the good people of Ascension that continue to give of themselves throughout the year. The gifts we receive from our parishioners continue to make Ascension what it is.

We all struggle and sometimes we fall; but the people of Ascension continue to inspire me as they take the peace of Christ with them on their journey. Living with the peace of Christ in good times and in bad is one of the greatest ways of proclaiming the Gospel.

I thank the good people of Ascension for all the ways that you have given of yourselves this year, and I ask the Lord to bless you.

As a sign of this gratitude, a $500 gift will be given to the Greenmont food pantry in the name of our Ascension family. This has been a custom of Ascension for the last few years. I pray that Ascension can continue to help those who are not as blessed as many of us.

Christmas can be a difficult time for some and a joyous time for others. Yet it is a time for all of us to remember our blessings including family, faith and the greatest blessing of all – Our Savior coming as one of us.

This Christmas I give thanks for all of you. May God bless you in this holy season and always.

Fr. Chris

ASCENSION’S ACTIVITIES FOR THE WEEK
Complete calendar online: www.ascensionkettering.org/calendar.htm

SUNDAY
10:30 Traditional Choir
12:00 Baptism

MONDAY
No School
No RE Classes
Vigil Masses: 3:00, 5:00, 10:00 p.m. (Lessons & Carols at 9:30 p.m.)
5:00 Contemporary Choir

TUESDAY
Christmas Day Masses: 9:00, 11:00 a.m.

THURSDAY
6:30 Bingo-PAC
7:00 Traditional Choir Practice

SATURDAY
4:00 Confessions
5:00 Mass

SUNDAY
9:00 Contemporary Choir
10:30 Traditional Choir
12:00 Anointing of the Sick-Church