Coffee & Donuts - You are invited to join us for coffee and donuts in the Social Hall following the 10am Mass this morning.
Parish Christmas/Epiphany Dinner & Party - Tuesday, January 16 - Our Christmas / Epiphany Party will be at St. Lawrence on January 16 from 5:30pm—8:30pm. The evening will include Vespers, dinner, a Christmas play and King Cake. More details and a signup sheet for volunteers are in the back of church today.
Epiphany Water Blessing - 12 gallons of Epiphany water will be blessed the day before the Epiphany, January 5th, after the 6:30pm Mass. The ceremony will take about 30 minutes and includes the regular traditional exorcisms and blessings over holy water in addition to the litany of the Saints and another special exorcism. You may bring your own containers of water to be blessed, but these must be one gallon or larger. Any smaller containers can be filled from the church containers.
Thank You - Thanks to the volunteers who cleaned and decorated the church for Christmas as well as those who used their Christmas Flowers offering envelope to help defray the cost of the flowers.
Seminarian James Kuniega Visiting - We are happy to welcome James home from OLG seminary for Christmas break. He was tonsured this October and is assisting us as a “straw” Subdeacon for a few Solemn High Masses while home. Please keep James and the other seminarians in your prayers. Please also keep all of the young people of Mater Dei who are discerning a vocation in your daily prayers.
No Masses - January 10 - 12 - All Masses and devotions are cancelled January 10, 11 and 12. The priests will be away attending a convocation in preparation for next summer’s General Chapter for the FSSP.
Bishop Gainer Visit - 100th Anniversary of St Lawrence - On Tuesday, April 24, at 7pm Bishop Gainer will offer a Pontifical High Mass celebrating the 100th anniversary of the dedication of St. Lawrence Church in April of 1918. More details about this Mass and 100th anniversary celebration will be coming.
Fr. Flick Visit - Fr. Flick FSSP will be in the area for business on January 16 and plans to attend our Epiphany party that evening. This is a great opportunity to see Father for anyone who would like to say hello.
St. Tarcisius Meeting - We will not have a St. Tarcisius meeting in January. Our next meeting will be February 3.
Youth Group Meeting - On next Youth Group will be Saturday, January 20, 2018 from 6:00pm - 9:00pm in the social hall at St. Lawrence. All attending will participate in a serious card tournament followed by a talk by Fr Eichman and the Rosary. No card experience needed!!! Please bring a snack and a friend! The Youth Group is open to young people ages 13 through high school. For more information and to RSVP contact us at youthgroup@materdeipa.com
Online Giving - You are now able to visit our website to make a one time gift to Mater Dei or to set up recurring monthly offerings for both the General Fund and the Building Fund. Visit MaterDeiPA.com and click “Donate.”
Illegal Street Parking Behind the Church - It was recently brought to our attention that vehicles were being parked illegally in the alley behind St. Lawrence. Please be careful to park only in designated parking areas. Remember, if legal parking spaces are filled there is parking available which is accessed via Academy Alley just south of State Street. See the sign in the back of the church for which spaces we are permitted to use. Thank you for cooperating.
Christmas Season Schedule
Sunday, December 31
8 am Low Mass
10 am Solemn High Mass*
Octave of the Nativity, Monday, January 1
8 am Low Mass
10 am Solemn High Mass*
Vigil of Epiphany, Friday, January 5
7:10 am Low Mass
6:30pm Low Mass
Blessing of Epiphany Water after 6:30pm Mass
Epiphany, Saturday, January 6
8 am Exposition & Benediction
9 am Solemn High Mass*
Tuesday, January 16
5:30pm Sung Vespers
6pm Christmas/Epiphany Party
* Confessions will be heard before Mass, but not during Mass.