Fr. Smith is away on vacation until Thursday, Nov. 17. Father will celebrate the Pro Populo today while he’s away.
Fr. Matthew Vierno, FSSP, will provide coverage for today’s Masses.
St. Lawrence Youth Group:
In an effort to support the Women’s Care Center in York, Penn., the Youth Group will collect, after the morning Masses today, baby necessities such as new blankets & clothing, including new onesies, sizes 0-3 & 3-6 months, diapers, sizes 6 & 7, infant hard back books, rattles, and pack & play sheets, and formula; monetary donations appreciated as well.
Saturday, November 19:
The St. Lawrence Youth Group will attend the 9am Mass, then travel to the Women’s Care Center in York, Penn., for volunteer service. Please email: youthgroup@stlawrence.cc for more information, and to RSVP.
Holy Name Society—Annual Thanksgiving Food Drive:
The Holy Name Society of St. Lawrence is collecting food donations for the annual Thanksgiving food drive for the Silence of Mary Home in Lemoyne, Penn. Empty grocery bags with an attached wish list for Thanksgiving related meal items will be located in the vestibule of the church after today’s Masses. Please take a bag (or two), fill it with food items, and return it to St Lawrence Church today. May God reward your generosity!
First Blessings by Fr. Cortes, FSSP:
Next Sunday, Nov. 20, after all the Masses, Fr. Cortes will be giving First Blessings to all those who have not yet received one from him. Though First Blessings are customarily given when first Masses are celebrated, they may be given up to a full year after ordination. Upon receiving the blessing, it is the tradition to kiss the palms of the newly ordained priest in recognition of the sacred character of his priesthood and of the hands that now hold the Eucharist and confer the sacraments.
Seeking Volunteers to assist in the Parish Office:
We’re looking for volunteers to help out weekly in the Parish Office, for 2 1/2 hours; a minimum of once every other week, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, from 11:00am to 1:30pm. Please email: contact@stlawrence.cc if you are interested in volunteering.
Sunday Socials:
As you know, we have had to temporarily suspend our Sunday coffee and doughnut socials due to lack of volunteers. I present this survey to find out if the desire is strong enough to re-start them. If the results of this survey are strong enough, I will send another survey seeking people to identify themselves as volunteers. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PZFY7NS
Parish Christmas Party at 112 State Street!:
We plan to celebrate Christmas by having a party for the entire parish on the last day of the year, Saturday, Dec. 31, in honor of the saint of that day, St. Sylvester. The party will begin following a 9am High Mass and continue until the evening.
We need capable musicians who are willing to volunteer their time and abilities to perform throughout the day. Volunteers should have 30–45 minutes of repertoire to perform and must bring their own music/instruments. Either a keyboard or a piano will be available. Classical style is preferred, but other genres are acceptable. For inquiries email Paul Thomas May: music@stlawrence.cc.
We will also invite each group of the parish to perform a different task in preparation for the party. There will be caroling in the evening, with public Vespers, followed by the singing of the Te Deum to end the year well, thanking God for his blessings and obtaining the indulgence. Please stay tuned for more information.
Children Choristers sing High Mass:
On the feast of St. Francis Xavier, Saturday, Dec. 3, at 9am, the Mater Dei Choristers will sing for their second Mass of the school year. Each Semester, the students sing for two Masses, preparing all the music from the Propers, to the choral works, in partial fulfillment of their enrollment in the Friday Religious Education Program here at St. Lawrence. The Choristers will sing two Masses in the late Winter and Spring.
Parish-wide Consecration to Our Lady:
For those who are participating in this 33-day preparation, or signed up to receive daily emails with meditations, we encourage you to maintain these prayers and meditations daily in order to receive the full benefits of the Total Consecration to Our Lady on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception on Dec. 8 which is the patronal feast of the United States. Though this preparation will be done by individuals and families privately, we will recite this consecration publicly as a parish after the Masses we have on the Immaculate Conception.
Rorate Mass in Honor of Our Lady —Saturday Dec. 10:
There will be a sung Mass which will begin at 6:30am. The Rorate Mass is held in darkness illuminated by candlelight before the sun rises and symbolizes the longing for the Light of the world, who is a gift to Our Lady. The church eventually gets brighter as the sun rises and after the conclusion of the Mass, the priest intones an antiphon three times, with each invocation at a higher tone just as he does for the Easter Vigil alleluia. The antiphon says: “Behold, the Lord comes and all his saints with him and on that day there will be a great light, alleluia."
Charpentier Messe de Minuit Noel:
The 11am High Mass on Christmas Day will be accompanied by an orchestral setting by Charpentier making the fourth occasion of such an orchestral Mass at St. Lawrence. This music provides a unique opportunity to pray the Mass with the beauty of string instruments and careful consideration of faithful composers from centuries past. The Mass will also include compositions from Heinrich Isaac, Paul Esterhazy, and John Mason.
Banns of Marriage: James McGrain and Carolyn Ciccocioppo
Be it known to all here present that James McGrain, of the Parish of the National Shrine of St. Alphonsus Liguori, Baltimore, MD, son of Robert and Janet McGrain; and Carolyn Ciccocioppo of the quasi-parish of St. Lawrence of Rome, Deacon and Martyr, Harrisburg, PA, daughter of Martin and Janet Ciccocioppo; intend to be united in holy matrimony. Wherefore, we hereby admonish each and all that, if any of you has knowledge of an impediment existing which would prevent their marrying, whether it be an impediment of blood relationship, relationship through marriage, spiritual relationship, or of any other kind, you are bound to make it known to the pastor or bishop as soon as possible. This is the first publication of the banns.
St. Lawrence ISO Upright Piano:
The parish is seeking an acoustic upright piano for the newly acquired 112 State Street building. The piano will be used for the Christmas Party on Dec. 31 along with future possibilities such as chamber music recitals or simple entertaining during parish gatherings. The piano must be in good condition and a parishioner will inspect it before deciding if it has the right dimensions/condition before acquisition and transport. The parish will cover the cost of moving (estimated at $500). If you have a piano you wish to donate, or you know someone who would like to donate a piano, or you wish to defray some of the costs please contact: secretary@stlawrence.cc.
Confraternity of Christian Mothers:
In light of the upcoming Thanksgiving and Christmas Holidays, the Confraternity’s next meeting will be on Saturday, Dec. 10, with 8am Adoration followed by the 9am Saturday Mass. The meeting will be held directly after Mass. For more information, please email: mothers@stlawrence.cc.
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: contact@stlawrence.cc.
South Street Garage Parking:
You are able to park for free on Sundays at South Street Garage. The procedure for using the garage is as follows:
Any problems please notify the Parish Office.