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

ST. HELEN CHRISTMAS CONCERT Advent Parish

Join us for a Christmas Concert Breakfast
Sunday, December 8th Sunday, December 1st
at 3:00 p.m. in the church. This concert after the 9:00 & 11:00 a.m. Mass
Angelina Prokich Great Hall
is hosted by Ken Roach and
members of our choir. Admission is free. Serving ham, sausages, eggs,
home fries, jam, fruit cocktail,
Donations of non-perishable food juice, coffee or tea.
items for Community Tickets: $8.00 for adults,
Care are welcomed. Join us $4.00 children 6-12
Children under 6 are free
and bring your family &
friends. Tickets are available
at the door.
ALL ARE WELCOME!
Take some time out to enjoy the season!

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______________
 First Sunday of Advent - Year A
December 1, 2019
Mass Intentions
 December 3 - December 8, 2019
As we gather, let us remember and pray for . . .
Tues. ~ ………...St. Francis Xavier…..….….. Dec. 3
rd
6:30 pm + Nicola Scarpetta
(by the Family)
Wed. ~ …………………………………….….. Dec. 4th
9:00 am + Emma Geczy, + Lilly Torek &
+ Emerich Borchok (by Alex Geczy)
……………………………………….. Dec. 5th
Thurs. ~
9:00 am + Luigi Ariezzo (by Erminia Ariezzo)
Fri. ~ ………………………………………... Dec. 6th
9:00 am + Deceased members of Elia &
D’Alessio Families
(by Connie & Louis Elia)
Sat. ~ ………………………………………... Dec. 7th
5:00 pm + Lisa vanderWerf
(by Dennis & Veronica Haining)
Sun. ~ ………………………………………... Dec. 8th
9:00 am For the People of St. Helen Parish
11:00 am + Iris Clarke (by Brenda Clarke)
+ Eva Valerio (by the Family
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
2020 boxes of envelopes are available for pick up.
Please check your label for accuracy and notify the
office if there are any changes. Do not use these until
the new year.
SANCTUARY LAMP
We have openings for the Sanctuary Lamp in 2020. If
you would like to book a particular week in memory of
This week, the Sanctuary Lamp burns in
memory of:
+ CLAYTON JARVIS
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.
your loved one, please contact the office sooner rather
than later as the year is filling up. Cost is $35 per week.
CCWN ANGEL WISHES
CCWN Angel Wishes was initiated by
Rita Morissette, a deceased member of
our parish in her desire to make a child's
special Christmas wish come true. We
encourage you to fulfill the special Angel
Wish the child has made. This allows the parents to
breathe a sigh of relief knowing that the sparkle of
Christmas Wonder will be possible for their child.
Suggested financial investment of $30-40 per child.
Please return your wrapped gift with profile card
attached to the church by December 7th.
WELCOME
Through the celebration of the Sacrament
of Holy Baptism, we welcome to our parish
family our new members:
ELENA LUISA GIULIANO
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.
REMINDER: CWL CHRISTMAS GATHERING
Tuesday December 3rd @ 7:00 p.m. (after Mass)
In the Angelina Prokich Great Hall
 First Sunday of Advent
The Lord gathers all the nations into the everlasting
peace of the Kingdom of God. (Isaiah 2)
Salvation is nearer to us now. (Romans 13)
Keep awake, you must be ready. (Matthew)
These first days of
Advent confront us with
the reality that this life of
ours is indeed limited, that
the moments we are given
in this experience of life
are precious and few, that
death is a reality that we all
inevitably face.
Advent calls us to “stay
awake” and not sleep through the opportunities life
gives us to discover God and the things of God, to
“watch,” to pay attention to the signs of God’s
unmistakable presence in our lives.
Our lives are a constant Advent of waiting: waiting to
become, to realize, to complete, to restore. Though
such waiting can be agonizing, frustrating, and
terrifying, Advent is about waiting in hope, anticipating
the good that is possible and purpose that can be
fulfilled in the dawning of God’s Christ. Advent
“waiting” is not passive, disengaged waiting for we
don’t know what but waiting that anticipates and makes
possible now for what is to come. (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. and 11:00 a.m.
New Years Eve Day (Dec. 31): 9:00 a.m.
New Year’s Day (Jan. 1): 10:00 a.m.
Confessions during Advent:
Saturdays in December from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
CHRISTMAS BAZAAR - THANK YOU
Sincerest gratitude to all who baked, shopped, BBQ’d,
volunteered, set up and participated in our Bazaar. The
Bazaar was a great day of fun and with your support we
raised $6,565.00 towards our debt reduction. A special
note of thanks to Rebecca Williams who worked
tirelessly to organize another great bazaar!
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!
FIRST FRIDAY ADORATION
FRIDAY DECEMBER 6TH
9:30 AM TO 12:00 NOON
You are invited to come and spend
a holy hour with Jesus.
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.
EXPERIENCING ADVENT DEEPLY,
FOR BUSY PEOPLE
The challenge of entering Advent, or of entering into
any religious experience, these days is that we are often
very busy. We may feel bad that we don’t have time,
but it is true, we just don’t have time. The result is that
our experience of Advent is four Sunday Masses, which
begin with lighting a new candle in the Advent wreath
and the rest of it just passes around us, without any real
effect. Focus: How do we do this first step, if we don’t
have time? We do it by focusing our attention whenever
we can, especially during the “background” times of
our day. These are the in between times – in the shower,
getting dressed, walking down stairs, getting coffee,
driving to work, walking down the hall, doing laundry,
shopping, walking to the bathroom, preparing a meal,
walking from one meeting to another, heading home
from work, getting ready for bed. In these very brief
times, there is something in our minds. Sometimes, we
are “day dreaming” or our minds are wandering. At
other times, we are thinking about what we have to do,
or we are full of anxiety about something coming up, or
perhaps we are “replaying” a memory or imagining a
future conversation. Whatever is going on in our minds
and hearts during those “background” times can easily
be refocused. It takes a little practice and some
discipline, but it works.