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Current Bulletin

December 6th, 2020

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Community Headlines & Events

WARM SOCKS FOR THE SOLE DRIVE: UPDATE
The saying, “Some pursue happiness, others create it,” is a perfect summary of our community’s efforts with our November sock drive. We started with a modest goal of 450 warm socks for residents of 4 local nursing homes. We ended with over 2,300 pairs of socks for residents of 9 facilities in and around Bloomsburg, each receiving 2 pairs and a Christmas card from St. Columba. We collected enough socks that we are also sending hundreds more to each location for their future needs. What a wonderful testament to our Parish’s ability to create happiness in our world. From all the students at St. Columba School, thank you for helping us with this project.

MAY SHE REST IN THE PEACE OF THE LORD!
Please pray for the repose of the soul of Mrs. Josephine Faux who died on November 16, 2020. The parish community of Saint Columba Church extends its deepest sympathies to her family, relatives, and friends on their loss.

COLUMBIA COUNTY COVID RISK LEVEL IS ELEVATED TO “in state of active outbreak”
With a very large number of active new cases (31.2 per 100k on Monday 11/23), our county is at high risk. Please be especially careful to maintain all safety measures. As COVID cases continue to climb, we remember to “love our neighbor” by making St. Columba’s as safe as possible during this pandemic.

CHRISTMAS WAFERS
Oplatky (“angel bread”) Christmas wafers are available in the sacristy and in the parish office for a $2.00 suggested donation. The oplatky are thin unleavened wafers similar to communion wafers. Today, in a concession to an ancient tradition, many people place straw and evergreen sprigs on a serving platter covered with a fine white napkin on which the oplatky rest. Families share the wafer on Christmas Eve as they gather together at the table, reconciling any differences, and remembering loved ones who have gone before them.

FROM THE FOOD CUPBOARD
Thank you to the understanding and cooperative parishioners, especially those coming to the 10:30 a.m. Sunday Mass for navigating their way around the Food Cupboard lines in order to park for Mass.
We are in need of single use masks for our clients. If you can help with masks or a donation that would help us purchase masks, give us a call at (570) 387-2607.
Thank you for your continued generosity and support of the Bloomsburg Food Cupboard!

PARISH WEBSITE UPDATE
About two weeks ago, our Parish Website passed 100,000 visits from over 40,000 unique visitors from all 50 states and 80 countries since our launch on March 8, 2019. This is an average of about 160 visits per day. The top pages that are trending include Parish News, Sunday Mass Videos, our Parish History, Prayer Requests, our Community pages, and various Music Ministries. If you have any suggestions to improve our dynamic online presence, please send them to us.

This Week in Our Parish

– a calendar for the week of December 6, 2020 –

THE ANNUAL RETIREMENT FUND FOR RELIGIOUS will be held the weekend of December 13 in the Diocese of Harrisburg. The appeal is coordinated by the National Religious Retirement Office (NRRO) and offers support for senior Catholic sisters, brothers and religious order priests whose communities lack sufficient retirement funding. Give in thanksgiving. “The nuns left lasting impressions on me,” writes a donor. “I shall always be grateful for my Catholic education.” Please join in thanking the thousands of senior Catholic sisters, brothers, and religious order priests who worked tirelessly to educate the young and serve those in need. This appeal helps hundreds of religious communities care for aging members. Please give generously.

CYE CLASSES will not be in session, at least, until after Christmas because of the pandemic situation. Continue to study on your own so that your knowledge and understanding of the Catholic faith will grow. Our tentative re-start date is January 10.

SACRAMENT OF PENANCE AT ST. COLUMBA
Saturday, December 12 – 8:30 a.m -. 9:00 a.m. 3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Tuesday, December 15 – 4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Thursday, December 17 – 4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Saturday, December 19 – 8:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. 3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Monday, December 21 – 4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Tuesday, December 22 – 4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Wednesday, December 23 – 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Thursday, December 24 – 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon

RECEPTION OF HOLY COMMUNION
During this Covid 19 Pandemic, it is highly recommended that reception of Holy Communion be on the hand because of the concern of the transmission of the virus to others when received on the tongue. If you determine to receive on the tongue, please wait until the end of the Communion line.
Thank you to everyone for your understanding.

HOLY COMMUNION WILL BE DISTRIBUTED at 11:30 a.m. on Sunday for those who want to come to the church after Sunday Mass just for Communion.

Parish Stewardship

November 22, 2020 – $10,808
November 24, 2019 – $12,856

November 29, 2020 – $7,495
December 1, 2019 – $11,283

This week’s Offering – Weekly

Next week’s Offering – Weekly
Second Collection – Retirement Fund For Religious

Mass Schedule for this Week

SATURDAY/December 5, 2020
8:00 a.m. Regina Armswood (Ferdock Family)
5:00 p.m. Alice & Ed Szymczak (Alise Seibert)

SUNDAY/December 6, 2020
8:00 a.m. People of the Parish
10:30 a.m. Drew Roadarmel (Berger Family)

MONDAY/December 7, 2020
7:30 a.m. Sidney Powell (Dean Laubach)
5:30 p.m. Jeffrey Albertson (Dalkiewicz Family)

TUESDAY/December 8, 2020
6:30 a.m. People of the Parish
8:30 a.m. Richard Marston (Jerry & Nancy
Powers)
7:00 p.m. Bessie Vietz (Ann Marie Cantore)

WEDNESDAY/December 9, 2020
7:30 a.m. Theresa Conniff (Joe Scopelliti)

THURSDAY/December 10, 2020
7:30 a.m. Jeffrey Drennen (McKinnon Family)

FRIDAY/December 11, 2020
7:30 a.m. Rosemary McCarthy (McCarthy
Family)

SATURDAY/December 12, 2020
8:00 a.m. William Rovito (Patricia & Michael
Weinhofer)
5:00 p.m. Nancy Kaderka (Jerry & Janice
Maertz)

NEXT SUNDAY/December 13, 2020
8:00 a.m. Adolph Zalonis (Elaine Zalonis)
10:30 a.m. People of the Parish

BLESSED MOTHER CANDLE
In loving memory of Nancy Kaderka (Ianiero Family).

SAINT JOSEPH CANDLE
In loving memory of Harold & Teresa Freyland (Jerry & Janice Maertz).

PLEASE REMEMBER to leave the kneeler down when you leave your pew after Mass so that we know which pews need to be cleaned. Thank you.

Hearing the Word of the Lord this Week

SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT
The prophets, especially Isaiah, spoke of the coming of the Messiah. Isaiah states that valleys would be filled in and mountains leveled in order that the Messiah could come more easily. John the Baptist, the precursor of the Lord, preached a baptism of repentance in order that the people would recognize and be prepared for the coming of the Lord. As we continue in this Advent season, we are to repent and to change in our lives the valleys of separation from the Lord and the mountains of sin that prevent the Lord from coming to us directly.
Msgr. Bob Lawrence

Be Prepared for the Word of the Lord

Readings for this Sunday, December 6, 2020
SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT
Isaiah 40: 1 – 5, 9 – 11
Psalm 85: 9 – 14
II Peter 3: 8 – 14
Mark 1: 1 – 8

Readings for next Sunday, December 13, 2020
THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT
Isaiah 61: 1 – 2, 10 – 11
(Ps.) Luke 1: 46 – 50, 53 – 54
I Thessalonians 5: 16 – 24
John 1: 6 – 8, 19 – 28

Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church

Part Three: Life in Christ
CHAPTER TWO
The Human Community
THE PERSON AND SOCIETY

What is the principle of subsidiarity?
The principle of subsidiarity states that a community of a higher order should not assume the task belonging to a community of a lower order and deprive it of its authority. It should rather support it in case of need.