Crucifix Restored to St. Lawrence

As mentioned on Christmas Day, by God's grace we have been given the opportunity to restore the crucifix original to St. Lawrence, back to our beautiful church. We had this wooden cross lifted up and installed above the sanctuary on Thursday, Dec. 29, the fifth day in the Octave of Christmas.

We are very grateful to all of the people at the chancery of the Diocese of Harrisburg, the education officials, as well as the priests and our bishop who made this possible. This also would not have been possible without  the help of several people in our parish, including Mr. Fred Shibler and many of his family members who did the delicate work of moving, elevating, and securing this crucifix, which at 11-feet tall and 6-feet wide, also weighs several hundred pounds.

Please offer a Hail Mary for all of those who made this possible.

Note the photos below [viewable in the PDF version of the bulletin] showing the cross how it looks now after its installation, and as it looked in our church a century ago. In honor of this glorious occasion, the choir will sing Vexilla Regis, the hymn from the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (September 14), at the High Mass on Sunday during the Offertory.

CHURCH OPEN FOR PRAYER:

Effective today, the church will be open for prayer (through the front door) every day until 12:15 pm. This allows you to come for private prayer in the church at your own schedule, and to assist at the Divine Office, the schedule for which was published recently. We know that the opportunity to be in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament is very important and helpful for prayer, so we have long wanted to make this possible. Now that our parish owns this church, and we have been able to install some security cameras and other devices, we are able to do this.

Holy Name Society—Jan. 8, 2023—Induction Ceremony!

The Holy Name Society will celebrate its annual new member induction ceremony after the 11am Mass on Sunday, Jan. 8, 2023; please note that all new Candidates and Novices must attend in order to become Professed Members of the Holy Name Society. Following the induction ceremony, we will host a Coffee Social Reception in the Parish Center at 112 State Street. Please email Mr. William Gabig at: holyname@stlawrence.cc for more information.

St. Lawrence Pro-Life Committee:

We are looking for parishioners who are interested in forming a Pro-Life Committee to address the needs of the community and to organize future events. If you are interested in joining, please email the Parish Office at: contact@stlawrence.cc.

March for Life buses—Friday, Jan. 20, 2023:

Even with the blessing of Roe vs. Wade being overturned, the necessary work to build a culture of life in the United States is not finished. The goal of the National March for Life is not only to change laws at the state and federal level, but to change the American culture to ultimately make abortion unthinkable. The National March for Life will continue until a culture of life is restored to the United States.

The Diocese of Harrisburg has seats available on local buses that will be taking participants to the March for Life. For the latest information and to register, please visit:  https://www.hbgdiocese.org/march-for-life-bus-information/

Openings in the St. Lawrence Choir:

The choir has openings for additional dedicated volunteers (Soprano and Tenor) and one qualified Alto Section Leader. Members are expected to be available for Thursday evening rehearsals, Sunday 11 am Masses from September to June, and for 1st Class Feast Days. Volunteers with previous choral experience are preferred, but those with strong desire may be considered at the discretion of the Music Director. Applicants for the Alto Section Leader Position must audition and demonstrate strong vocal musicianship. Inquiries can be directed to Paul Thomas May at: music@stlawrence.cc.

Registration at St. Lawrence Church:

The Pastor and Assistant Pastor have the special grace to guide those who are registered parishioners and are hence assigned to their care. The Pro Populo Mass offered for the people every Sunday, is offered for those who are registered members. Anyone seeking the Sacraments of Baptism, 1st Communion, Confirmation and Matrimony here must be registered and active parishioners for 6 months. Registration forms are available on our website.

EPIPHANY HOME BLESSINGS:

For those who registered before the deadline, you will receive an email including which day the priest will visit .When visiting your home, the priest will sprinkle and incense your house, and mark the front door (or doors) with chalk. This tradition commemorates the visitation of the three Magi to the Holy Family in Bethlehem. A priest visits the home, blessing each room (or at least, whichever rooms you would like him to bless) with Epiphany water and incense. The main entrance of the home is then marked with the initials of the three Magi: Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar, and a code of the current year (2023) connected with crosses: 20+C+M+B+23. The letters have two meanings. First, they represent the initials of the Magi; and second, they abbreviate the Latin phrase, Christus mansionem benedicat; “May Christ bless the house.” Taken together, this inscription is performed as a request for Christ to bless the home, and that He abide with all those who dwell therein throughout the year.

2023 Basketball Tournament:

Team Captains for the 2023 Basketball Tournament have been selected and teams have been drafted. The 2023 Basketball Tournament will take place in the East Shore YMCA on Saturday, Jan. 14th from 1pm-5pm. Everyone is welcome to come and cheer on the teams. If you have signed up for the Tournament please pay $10 by placing your money in an envelope marked with your name and stating “for the basketball tournament”. You may either: (a) put your envelope in the Sunday collection, (b) drop off your envelope in the wall box at the church or the parish office, or (c) hand your envelope directly to Fr. Cortes.

Email Prayer Chain:

If you are not currently on the Mater Dei prayer request email list and would like to be added, please email: prayers@stawrence.cc. In this way, Parishioners can submit prayer intentions that we then share with everyone on the email list.

Legion of Mary—meeting time change effective Jan. 2023:

In an effort to meet the needs of the active members who regularly attend its weekly Tuesday evening meetings, the Mater Dei Praesidium of the Legion of Mary will begin meeting at 6:30pm after the change of the year. We will also be moving our meeting location from the Church’s Social Hall to our 112 State Street Parish Center. Guests are always welcome!

FSSP 2023 Liturgical Calendars are now available for purchase @ $17 each; please place your donations in the black metal box after purchasing one.

Reminders:

No Friday Religious Education classes Jan 6; CCD classes today Jan.1.

Expectant Mothers:

If you are expecting a child and registered in the Community, please let us know so we can put your expected date in our date book and rejoice with your family! Please send photos of your new baby to include on our new Website! Please notify us at: cotact@stlawrence.cc.