The

Epiphany
of
The
Lord

St. Rita of Cascia

A Faith Community Since 1908
January 4, 2015

MASS TIMES
SUNDAYS: Sat. 5:30 pm (Vigil), 7:30 am, 10 am & 12 N
WEEKDAYS: Mon., Tues., Fri, and Sat. 8 am
(Wed. & Thurs. 8 am Communion Service)
HOLY DAYS: (eve of) 5:30 pm; (day of) 8 am & 6:30 pm

SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION
(Confession) Saturdays 4 - 5 pm or by appointment
DEVOTIONS
Our Lady of Perpetual Help: Saturday 7:50 am
ADORATION
First Friday 8:30 am - 5 pm, Rectory Oratory

Msgr. Richard Krekelberg, V.F.Pastor

Deacon Manuel Valencia Deacon John Hull
318 North Baldwin Avenue, Sierra Madre
Mailing Address: 50 East Alegria Avenue, Sierra Madre, CA 91024
Phone: 626/355-1292 FAX: 626/355-2290 www.st-rita.org

THE EPIPHANY OF THE LORDJANUARY 4, 2015

Parish Ministries and Organizations

How to Contact Us
Msgr. Richard Krekelberg, V. F.Pastor
626.355.1292 x. 228 revkrek@st-rita.org
Dcn. Manuel & Chela Valencia
deaconmanuelvalencia@gmail.com 355.1292
Dcn. John Hulljohnhull65@gmail.com 355.1292
Weekend Presider:
10 am MassFr. Chris Thiel, OFM Capuchin
Parish Office/Mailing Address
50 East Alegria Ave., Sierra Madre, CA 91024
Hours: Mon.-Fri. 9am to 6pm; Sat. 9 am to 1 pm.
Office Email: ParishAdmin@st-rita.org
Director of Administration
Mary Lou Butler: mlbutler@st-rita.org 355.1292

Pastoral Council
Parish Office: 355.1292

Finance Council Chair

Bill Sullivan: 355.3707

St. Rita SchoolOffice: 626.355.6114

Principal: Joanne Harabedian jharabedian@st-rita.org

Director of Liturgy & Music

Liturgy & Worship

Lectors and Eucharistic Ministers: David & Jill Muhs
355.9810 em@st-rita.org
Altar Servers, Youth: Kathy Ganino 626.398.9302
katganino@charter.net
Altar Servers, Adult: Bill Cosso 355.5656
Eucharistic Adoration: Kathy Ganino 626.398.9302
katganino@charter.net
Rosary Prayer Group: Susan Day 355-3835
Sacristans: Sat. Vigil: Gary Fidone/Bill & Patti Huber
Sunday Masses: 7:30-Bill Cosso/David Banis;
10:00-David Muhs; 12N-Bernie Grace
Weekdays: John Bigley, Margaret Duran
Porter: (Evening Church Lockup) Sheila Palazzolo
Environment: Denise Villalovos/Gil Lazo gil@st-rita.org 355.1292

Ministries & Organizations

Bereavement Ministry: 355.1292 bereave@st-rita.org
Christian Family: Ana Ptasinski 355.3146
Greeters & Ushers: Erny Henry 626.289.3504 626.446.6715
Mens Club: Dave Loera d.loera@verizon.net
New Members/Welcome: Contact the Parish Office
St. Rita Guild: Patty Sullivan 355.3707 psullivan514@gmail.com
Senior Ministry: Marilyn McKernan marilyn@st-rita.org
Shawl Ministry: Mary Taillac 355.3179 Marilyn Delgatto 355.8717

Paul Puccinelli: mm@st-rita.org

Other Contacts

Director of Religious Education

Cristina Cullen: 355.1292 dre@st-rita.org

Director of Youth Ministry/Confirmation

Theresa Bui Costanzo: 626.590.8828 ym@st-rita.org

RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults)

Team: Deacon Manuel and Chela Valencia; and
Susan Blakeslee:
rcia@st-rita.org

Archivist: Marilyn McKernan marilyn@st-rita.org

Bulletin Submissions: bulletin@st-rita.org or drop off at Office
Public Relations: ParishAdmin@st-rita.org
Registration Information: rc@st-rita.org 355.1292
Webmaster: Ralph Seymour: seymour@seymourmedia.com

Let Saint Rita Be There For You . . .

Communion for Sick and Homebound Parishioners

St. Rita Eucharistic Ministers provide Communion home visits. Contact the Parish Office 355.1292 or Jill Muhs 355.9810 em@st-rita.org

Anointing of the Sick

Please notify us (355.1292) for the Anointing of the Sick, the sacrament intended for the seriously ill or dying and Our Lords special presence
and companionship in serious time of need. Anointing may take place in the home, at the hospital or elsewhere and as often as once a month.
If someone should die without anointing, remember that the desire to receive is sufficient.

If You Should Experience the Loss of a Loved One Please call us at 355.1292

If you feel you will be in need, or your loved one has passed, we will assist in making arrangements with your chosen funeral director; refer you
to our Bereavement Ministry and Music Ministry; and offer you helpful guidelines that will aid in the selection of readings for a Mass or
Memorial Service. We know this can be a tough time and we want you to know that your parish is there for you. PLEASE UNDERSTAND we
only have one resident priest; sometimes arrangements for another priest may be needed.

For Information about the Sacraments

BaptismPlease contact the Parish Office for further information on the Baptism process and requirements.
Reconciliation and First EucharistPreparation for children who have attained the age of reason (usually during 2nd grade) is
arranged either through the Office of Religious Education or St. Rita Elementary School.

MatrimonyContact the Parish Office upon engagement; at least six months is needed for preparation of this joyous sacrament!
ConfirmationA two-year program for freshman/sophomore age teens. Apply through the Office of Youth Ministry.

SAINT RITA

OF

CASCIA CHURCH

REV. MSGR. RICHARD KREKELBERG

Dear Parishioners,
Truly each of us is given a star to follow and each of our stars is illuminated by the light of Christa light to dispel the
darkness. May each of us, as we enter the New Year of 2015, have the courage to remove any obstacles in our lives that
cause us to hide our light.

Msgr. Richard

O Come Let us Adore Him

Although the Magi are among the
most famous travelers in the Bible, we
know almost nothing about them. We
dont even know for certain there were
three of them; we assume so because
St. Matthew tells us they offered three
gifts to the Infant Jesus. Later Christian
tradition, drawing upon Old Testament
texts, made them into kings, and it
gave them names of Casper, Melchior,
and Balthazar.

is very young, who stands a bit

removed from Mary and her baby. He
proudly holds his gift in his hand but
makes no gesture of offering it to the
Christ Child.

Sometimes we may be like the middleaged wise man, somewhat blind and
deaf to how God is acting in our lives
and in our world. Maybe we assume
that God is not acting how we think
God should act, or where, or when.
Gods plans for us in Christ are greater
than we can ever imagine, but they are
always for our good.

But have you wondered about their

ages? Were they young or were they
elderly? We dont know for sure. But
maybe such speculations were in the
mind of the artist Gentile da Fabriano
(1370-1427) as he painted his
masterpiece, Adoration of the Magi. We
see three elegantly dressed kings
arriving at the place to which the star
of wonder has led them. But the Magi
in this painting are of different ages.
The oldest wise man reverently kneels
before the infant on Marys lap and
kisses the babys foot. Maybe this old
man has realized that the best hope of
humankind is found in the birth of this
child, the King of the Jews and King of
Kings. The middle-aged wise man is
taking off his crown as he begins to
kneel. He seems to be somewhat
puzzled and hesitant, as if he were
trying to make sense of the lowly
mother and child who dont look like
royalty at all. Lastly, the third wise man

Like the oldest wise man, we may

humbly kneel before Christ the Lord.
But we must also honor Him by our
loving service to our sisters and
brothers. We must share the oldest
wise mans spirit of complete selfgiving to Jesus Christ.

Perhaps this portrayal illustrates

different human responses to the
mystery of Gods revelation in Jesus
Christ. In a sense, we follow in the
footsteps of the Magi in our spiritual
journey. We are always being led by
God to meet Jesus Christ in our prayer
and worship, in our families and
friends, in the needy, in our daily lives.
And during this new year, our response
to Gods will for us may be reflected in
the three wise men in Fabrianos
painting.

Sometimes we may be a bit stingy with

sharing our gifts of time, talent, and
treasure, like the youngest wise man in
the painting. Sometimes we wait to see
what God will do for us before
deciding what we will do for God and
Gods people.
If we share Gods many gifts to us in
Christ, we become epiphanies
manifestationsof Gods beloved Son
to others. And then the solemnity of
the Epiphany will not be just another
date on the calendar, but it will be a
way of living every day of the new year.
Reflection by Michael Kwatera, O.S.B

THE EPIPHANY OF THE LORDJANUARY 4, 2015

MASS INTENTIONS
SATURDAY, JANUARY 3

8:00 AM Gerald Krekelberg RIP

5:30 PM For All Parishioners

SUNDAY, JANUARY 4

7:30 AM William & Frances Cosso RIP

10:00 AM Jason Nyerges RIP
12 NOON William Young RIP

MONDAY, JANUARY 5

8:00 AM Sean OLachtnain RIP

TUESDAY, JANUARY 6

8:00 AM Thomas Pratt RIP

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7
8:00 AM

Communion Service

8:00 AM

Communion Service

8:00

Brian Eck RIP

THURSDAY, JANUARY 8
FRIDAY, J ANURARY 9
AM

SATURDAY, JANUARY 10

8:00 AM Virginia Duvall RIP

5:30 PM Mary Jane Leonetti RIP

SUNDAY, JANUARY 11

7:30 AM For All Parishioners

10:00 AM Denis Keegan RIP
12 NOON Anne Whalen RIP

FEAST DAYS THIS WEEK

MondaySt. John Neumann
TuesdaySt. Andr Bessette
WednesdaySt. Raymond of
Penyafort

TODAYS READINGS
First ReadingRise up in splendor,
Jerusalem! The Lord shines upon you
and the glory of the Lord appears over
you (Isaiah 60:1-6).
PsalmLord, every nation on earth
will adore you (Psalm 72).
Second ReadingThe Gentiles are
coheirs, copartners in the promise in
Christ Jesus through the gospel
(Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6).

GospelMagi from the east arrived,

looking for the newborn king of the
Jews (Matthew 2:1-12).

PLEASE PRAY FOR

THOSE WHO
HAVE REQUESTED
OUR PRAYERS

Saint of the Week

St. John Neumann

Ernest Kopka, Vera Delgatto, JF

Mahoney, Kelly Solomon, Linda Theriault,
Antoinette Serafin, Janeen Wetzel, Heather
Hagan, Mike Wolf, Jean Wood, Jos
Colayco, Mario de la Torre, Barbara
Vanni, Freya Sheasby Bailey, Anna
Schube, Aubrey Randolph, Joseph Malvin,
Madeleine Loera, Randy Graff, Toni
Navarro, Susan Watson, Molly Lynch,
Juanito & Marilou Pe, Willard Bochte,
Joann Ruggles, Margaret Duran, Lori Ann
Little, Guia Canizales, Anne Frealy, Eva
Shammon, Margie Schubert, Mary
Zuckerburg, Emily Young, JoAnn
Douglass, Mary McColl, Evelyn Tres,
Barbara Hester, Phil Huddleston, Gerald
Drean, Charlotte Bollman Fuchs,
Raymond Payne, Peter Delgatto, Jr.,
Montserrat Marti, Jordan Alabart, Susan
Skousen, Brooke Manning, Arthur
Contreras, Jr., Robert Quinonez, Richard
Krier, Patsy Starkey, Jean Mansour, Jacob
Bigley, Maria Carmen Marti, Clare
Marquardt, Kathleen Ramsey, Tonyja
Blakeslee, Addie Marshall, Jackie
Bagnuolo, Mary Ellen Isoard, Rose Mary
Taquino, Paul Viger, Hal Finney, Ailey
Gardner-Ybarra, Eva Bernejo, Edith Olah,
Lancelot Loera, Fred Mycroft, Alex
Arranaga, Joseph Moore.

Linda Milligan
Wife of Joseph
Mother of Candace Ingram

Are you called to be a Deacon?

Diaconate Formation Office
Information Meeting for Men
Sunday, January 18 2 - 4 pm
St. John Chrysostom Parish,
546 E. Florence Ave., Inglewood 90301
For further information:
Claudia Ortiz 213/637-7383
CAOrtiz@la-archdiocese.org

The United States got

a later start, thus it has
relatively few canonized saints, but
their number is increasing.
John Neumann was born in 1811 in
what is now the Czech Republic.
After studying in Prague, he came
to New York at 25 and was
ordained a priest. He did
missionary work in New York until
he was 29, when he joined the
Redemptorists and became its first
member to profess vows in the
United States. He continued
missionary work in Maryland,
Virginia and Ohio. The ability to
learn languages led him to learn
Spanish, French, Italian, and Dutch
so he could hear confessions in at
least six languages. Later he learned
Gaelic so well that one Irish
woman remarked, "Isn't it grand
that we have an Irish bishop!"
In 1852, at age 41, as bishop of
Philadelphia, he organized the
parochial school system into a
diocesan one, increasing the
number of pupils almost
twentyfold within a short time.
Gifted with outstanding organizing
ability, he drew into the city many
teaching communities of sisters and
the Christian Brothers. During his
brief assignment as vice provincial
for the Redemptorists, he placed
them in the forefront of the
parochial movement.
John Neumann died on January 5,
1860. On October 13, 1963, he
became the first American bishop
to be beatified. Canonized in 1977,
he is buried in St. Peter the Apostle
Church in Philadelphia.
AmericanCatholic.org

SAINT RITA OF CASCIA CHURCH

Youth Ministry
EDGE Middle School Ministry
Monday, January 5, 4-5:15 pm, Gara

Make-up Session

Year 1 Confirmation
Wed., January 7, 7 pm, Parish Office

Year 2 Confirmation Session

Our Christmas Outreach

Thank you for supporting our Giving Tree to help needy families provide a
little bit of Christmas for their children. St. Francis Center and St. Anthony
Parish asked me to let you know that they could not provide gifts for many of
their families without the help of St. Ritathey are most grateful!

God Bless You All for your Generous Hearts

Sat., January 10, 4-5:30 pm, Gara

Y2 Mandatory Parent Meeting

Sat., January 10, 4-5:30 pm, OMalley
Year 1 Confirmation Session
Sat., January 17, 4-5:30 pm, OMalley
Theresa Costanzo ym@st-rita.org

Religious Education

Thank you volunteers who helped sort and bundle the gifts!

Classes for 1st-5th Graders

Monday, January 5, 4-5:15 pm

Preschool Sunday School

During the 10 am Mass

Sunday school resumes this week! All

3-5 year old children are invited to join
us upstairs in Gara Hallno
registration is necessary.
Cristina Cullen dre@st-rita.org

School children help load the schools donations to St. Francis Center.
The van then came to the Parish Office to load the Giving Tree
donations (Fernando, Rosemary, & Jos resting after filling the van).

St. Rita School

Registration
2015-2016 School Year

Just a sample of the many donated

items. We filled over 100 oversized
bags with your gifts plus 10 large
trash bags filled with sports balls,
and supplied $1325 in gift cards!
Rosemary Hagerott, Coordinator
St. Rita Annual Giving

Applications are now being accepted

for Transitional Kindergarten and
Kindergarten. Packets are available in
the School Office.
Info: Mrs. Landis 355-6114 x2912
Sunday, January 25
Open House for
New School Families
Begins with a student-led Mass at 10 am.
We encourage all prospective families to
attend the Mass and then join us from
11:15 until about 1 pm to meet our
faculty and staff, tour the school, and see
all we have to offer.

St. Rita School 355-6114

One of the SUV loads

for St Anthony

St. Anthony Deacon Chavez and his family

filled two SUVs with donations.

THE EPIPHANY OF THE LORDJANUARY 4, 2015

St. Rita Capital Campaign

This Week at St. Rita

This SundayHospitality

Stop by after Mass to visit with fellow parishioners.

See page 7 for more information.

This Sunday, January 4Baptisms

In the Church 1:30 pm Deacon John presiding

Monday, January 5Parish Office Reopens

Regular Office Hours: 9 am - 6 pm
Tuesday, January 6RCIA Resumes
7:30 pm Parish Office Meeting Room

Save the Date

What will be different in 2015?

The 2015 year will bring some exciting developments
at St. Rita. First, we will have our new roof on the
Church! Its going to be great to know that we will not
need to put buckets out to catch the leaks every time it
rains. And the roof is only the first step in projects
that will help assure our beloved St. Rita continues to
be an outstanding parish and school.
Then look for parish meetings in early 2015. At the
meetings, parishioners and others will hear concepts
and ideas for an overall plan for St. Rita and have the
opportunity to offer their input and suggestions.
We hope that 2015 will also bring more support for the
Campaign. Almost 150 families can proudly declare,
Ive pledged but there are still over 1,000 families
that we pray will join with us as we prepare for the
future of our parish.
Watch for more Campaign news in our weekly bulletin
and on the parish website: www.st-rita.org.

Sunday, January 11Blood Drive

From 8:30 am until 2:30 pm OMalley Hall
Info: Marilyn McKernan
355-1292 x233
Marilyn@st-rita.org
Saturday, January 24Fill the Truck
Help support our Youth Ministry
Annual Goodwill fundraiser.
Nows the time to clean out cupboards and closets; this drive
is to fill the bins so no furniture or large items are accepted.

May the year 2015 be a time of great blessing for you

and your familyand for our parish family.

A SUGGESTION FOR A
NEW YEARS RESOLUTION

ST. RITA OF CASCIA CHURCH

Hospitality after
Sunday Masses

Catholic Community

As you may have noticed, we

recently began a new approach to
Hospitality Sunday. Each Sunday a different Ministry
or organization will host a Sunday; while providing us
with a snack and drink they will also have members
on hand to answer any questions you may have about
their work.

Begins Thursday, January 8Bereavement Program.

St. Lukes Parish is offering an eight-week support program for
those who have lost someone dear. The program is open to all. The
2-hour sessions begin on January 8 and continue for seven
consecutive Thursday evenings. Cost is $12 for the workbook.
St. Luke Parish, Resource Center (located in the Rectory), 5605
Cloverly Avenue, Temple City.
Information: 626/291-5900 or Sherrie 626/287-8504

We hope you take advantage of this opportunity to

get to know members of parish lifeand maybe
think about joining a group that could use your
talents and time.

Saturday, January 10St. Francis High School Open

House, 11am-2pm. Take a campus tour; interact with students
teachers, and coaches; view demonstrations; and participate in
panel discussions. 200 Foothill Blvd., La Caada 91011.
For more information:
818/790-0325

A huge thank you to Denise Reiser and Justin

Smith for contacting representatives of ministries

and organizations to help them select a date to host a

Sunday Hospitality.

All food, including juices and milk, is provided

by the hosting group. Coffee, sugars, and all
paper products are supplied by St. Rita Parish.
Your offering to help defray costs is appreciated.

Saturday, January 17OneLifeLA. Family-friendly event with

a walk through downtown Los Angeles and family picnic in Grand
Park with music, entertainment, food trucks, and exhibits from lifeaffirming organizations throughout Southern California.
More information: archla.org/jan17
Weekend of January 23-25Worldwide Marriage
Encounter.
Hilton Garden Inn in Arcadia.
Information: David & Teri Muse 626/644-1775