St.

Helen Church
4106 Mountain St.
Beamsville, ON L0R 1B7
Ph: 905-562-7427
Fax: 905-563-0003
Email: office@sthelenscatholic.ca
Opened - October 2, 1938 Est. as a Parish - January 1, 1986
Pastor: Rev. Krzysztof Szczepanik Sunday Masses:
Office Administration: Aggie Agnino Saturday: 5:00pm
Sunday: 9:00am, 11:00am *
*(Children’s Liturgy of the Word)
Office hours:
Tuesday to Friday 9:00am - 3:00pm Weekday Masses:
Closed on Mondays and all Statutory holidays Tuesday: 6:30pm
Wednesday to Friday: 9:00am
Website: www.sthelenscatholic.ca 2nd Friday at Albright: 10:00am
Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/sthelenscatholic 3rd Friday at Mennonite: 10:00am

Contacts
ST. HELEN CHRISTMAS CONCERT
Music Ministry:
Join us for a Christmas Concert Anthony van Engelen
adve1@yahoo.com
Sunday, December 8th
Ministry Scheduling & RFM:
at 3:00 p.m. in the church. This concert Rachel Reid ~ ministryschedul-
ing@sthelenscatholic.ca
is hosted by Ken Roach and
Fundraising Events:
members of our choir. Admission is free. Joe Della Manna
josephdellamanna@yahoo.ca
Donations of non-perishable food
Facility & Grounds Maintenance:
items for Community Craig Luey
craig.luey@gmail.com
Care are welcomed. Join us
Catholic Women's League:
and bring your family & Colleen Drake ~ contact parish office
friends. Knights of Columbus:
Marcel VanRuyven
mgvanruijven@gmail.com

SVDP:
Take some time out to enjoy the season! Lorraine Martin ~ contact parish office

Kindly complete the following and place in the collection basket.

Envelopes will be on the round table in the foyer the following weekend.
☐ New Parishioner* ☐ Change of address ☐ Moving
Name________________________ Phone_________________ E-mail___________________
Address______________________________________________ City_____________________
☐ I would like to use offertory envelopes* Postal Code______________
 Second Sunday of Advent - Year A
December 8, 2019
Mass Intentions
 December 10 - December 15, 2019
As we gather, let us remember and pray for . . .
Tues. ~ …………………………………….….. Dec. 10
th
6:30 pm + Anka Brvckovic
(by Zvonko Brckovic)
Wed. ~ …………………………………….….. Dec. 11th
9:00 am + John Urbelis (by Clement Family)
Thurs. ~ ……….Our Lady of Guadalupe..….. Dec. 12th
9:00 am In honour of San Antonio
(by Giuseppina Elia)
Fri. ~ ……...St. Lucy, Virgin & Martyr…... Dec. 13th
10:00 am
Albright Mnr + Frank Meric (by Jean Barlow)
Sat. ~ ………………………………………... Dec. 14th
5:00 pm + Merle Haining
(by Dennis & Veronica Haining)
Sun. ~ ………………………………………... Dec. 15th
9:00 am For the People of St. Helen Parish
11:00 am + Mike Borsodi (by Borsodi Family)
+ Steve Metelsky
(by AnneMarie Metelsky)
MINISTRY FOR THE SICK AND
HOMEBOUND
We are grateful to those who give of
their time and care to bring Holy
Communion to our parishioners who
cannot make it to church due to sickness or infirmity. If
you know of anyone who would like to receive
communion in their home or while hospitalized at West
Lincoln Hospital, please contact the parish office.
PRAYER SHAWL MINISTRY
The Prayer Shawl Ministry
continues to create handcrafted
shawls for parishioners, their
families and friends who are
coping with illness, loneliness,
pain or trouble. They are available to anyone who
needs one. Please call the office to request a shawl or
lap blanket or if you would like to join this ministry.
2020 OFFERTORY ENVELOPES READY
Please pick up & check your label for accuracy and
notify the office of any changes - please use in 2020.
SANCTUARY LAMP
We have openings for the Sanctuary Lamp in 2020. If
you would like to book a particular week in memory of
your loved one, please contact the office sooner rather
than later as the year is filling up. Cost is $35 per week.
This week, the Sanctuary Lamp burns in
memory of:
+ LISA VANDERWERF
The Sanctuary Lamp burns to remind us of Christ’s
presence in the Blessed Sacrament of the altar.
If you wish to sponsor the sanctuary lamp for one
week, the stipend is $35.00
our parish prayer
Jesus, open our hearts, enabling us to embrace
your teachings and to love one another. Holy
Spirit, lift us and lead us, deepening our desire to
serve God through serving each other. Amen.
POPE FRANCIS’ PRAYER INTENTION FOR
THE MONTH OF DECEMBER
That every country take the measures necessary to
prioritize the future of the very young, especially those
who are suffering. (Apostleship of Prayer)
WELCOME
Through the celebration of the Sacrament of Holy
Baptism, we welcome to our parish family
our new members:
ADRIANA FAITH CABRAL
CHIPMAN
May God bless you as you begin this
beautiful spiritual journey with our Lord and Saviour
Jesus.
CHRISTMAS FLOWERS & DECOR
Envelopes to help pay for Christmas flowers and décor
are available in the pews or vestibule of the church and
can be returned in the collection basket.
CWL NEWS
Ladies, please join us for the Installation of
CWL Officers on Tuesday, January 7th
after the 6:30 p.m. Mass. It would be nice
to see as many members out as possible.
After we will have a very brief meeting and a
social hour after in the church hall.
MASS INTENTIONS
If you would like to have a Mass
offered for someone, contact the parish
office for dates and times which are
available. The stipend or offering
given is $10. Mass cards are available
for $2 if you wish to give them to
whomever you choose, so that they may also participate
in the Mass.
 Second Sunday of Advent
With righteousness he shall judge the poor. (Isaiah 11)
Christ has saved all people. (Romans 15)
Repent for the kingdom of heaven has come near.
(Matthew 3)
In our own baptisms, we take
on the role of prophet of
Christ: to “proclaim” in our
ministries, in our compassion
and our kindness, in our
commitment to what is right
that Jesus the Messiah has
come.
John’s message calls us to
“live” our baptisms every day
of our lives, growing in the “knowledge of the
Lord” (Isaiah 11: 9) and living as “wheat” rather than
lifeless straw (Matthew 3: 12).
Advent is the season for realizing Isaiah’s vision of
the “peaceable” kingdom: for seeking common ground,
for recognizing the humanity we all share and building
upon our common interests, values and dreams.
PREPARING OUR HEARTS
AND ASKING FOR THE GRACE
We prepare this week by stepping up the longing. We
move through this week by naming deeper and more
specific desires.
Each morning this week, if even for that brief
moment at the side of our beds, we want to light a
second inner candle. We want to let it represent “a bit
more hope.” Perhaps we can pause, breathe deeply and
say,
“Lord, I place my trust in you.”
Each day this week, as we encounter times that are
rushed, even crazy, we can take that deep breath, and
make that profound prayer. Each time we face some
darkness, some experience of “parched land” or desert,
some place where we feel “defeated” or “trapped,” we
hear the words, “Our God will come to save us!”
The grace we desire for this week is to be able to hear
the promise and to invite our God to come into those
real places of our lives that dearly need God's
coming. We want to be able to say:
“Lord, I place my trust in your promise. Please, Lord,
rouse your power and come into this place in my life,
this relationship, into this deep self-defeating
pattern. Please come here and save me.”
Each night this week we can look back over the day
and give thanks for the moments of deep breath, that
opened a space for more trust and confidence in God's
fidelity to us. No matter how difficult the challenges
we are facing - from the growing realization of our
personal sinfulness, to any experience of emptiness or
powerlessness, even in the face of death itself - we can
give thanks for the two candles that faithfully push back
the darkness. And, we can give thanks for the graces
given us to believe that “Our God will come to save us”
because we were given the courageous faith to desire
and ask boldly.
Come, Lord Jesus. Come and visit your people.
We await your coming. Come, O Lord.
(Creighton Online Ministries)
CHRISTMAS SCHEDULE
Mass times:
Christmas Eve Dec. 24: 5:00 p.m. (Children’s Mass)
11:00 p.m.
Christmas Day Dec. 25: 9:00 a.m.
11:00 a.m.
New Year’s Day Jan. 1: 10:00 a.m.
Confessions during Advent:
Saturday Dec. 7, 14, 21: 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Can you sing? Play an
instrument? Have you been
looking for an opportunity to
volunteer & continue to develop
your musical talent? Our choir is
looking for people to contribute
their talents to help make our Masses and gatherings
just that much more special. Join us! (or at least talk to
us… nothing is lost by simply asking). Come out to any
choir practice on Wednesday’s at 7.00 p.m. or speak to
any choir member. Choir members needed for all 3
Masses. Think on it! Pray on it! ACT on it!
5TH ANNUAL MEMORIAL
CHRISTMAS ANGEL TREE
The Memorial Christmas Angel Tree
glows with lights in memory of
deceased loved ones and friends. To
honour the memory of a loved one
with an angel, complete a “Memorial
Christmas Angel Tree” envelope
available at the entrance of the church
and place it in the collection basket or
simply stop in at the office reception
window during office hours with
your request.
Thursday’s - Legion
@ 11:00 am
Friday’s - St. Helen’s
@ 7:00 pm