St.

Philip Neri Parish

The Northwest Paulist Center
for Evangelization & Reconciliation

2408 SE 16th Ave., Portland, OR 97214-5334

PARISH MISSION STATEMENT Committed to the mission of Jesus and dedicated to be welcoming to all, we the community of St. Philip Neri strive to reach out, to reconcile and to promote unity for all of Gods creation through worship, education, and service toward the common good.

Two Week Bulletin

December 25, 2011

Christmas

Solemnity of Mary
January 1, 2012

Website: www.stphilipneripdx.org Fax 503-736-1383

PARISH OFFICE & STAFF: Phone 503-231-4955

Christmas Mass Schedule

Christmas Eve Saturday, Dec. 24 5:30pm Family Mass (Church) (No 4pm Mass) 9:00pm Mass (Church) Christmas Day Sunday, Dec. 25

8:30am & 10:30am Mass (Church) New Years Eve Saturday, Dec. 31 4pm Solemnity of Mary Mass (Church) Solemnity of Mary Sunday, Jan. 1 8:30am & 10:30am Mass (Church) Epiphany Saturday, Jan. 7 4pm Epiphany (Church) Epiphany Sunday, Jan. 8 8:30am & 10:30am (Church)

This Weeks Calendar & Mass Intentions

Next Sundays Scripture Readings: Solemnity of Mary (January 1) Numbers 6:2227 Galatians 4:4-7 Luke 2:1621 Scripture Readings for the Epiphany of the Lord (January 8) Isaiah 60:16 Ephesians 3:23a, 56 Matthew 2:112

MASS INTENTIONS____________ Monday December 26 8:00 AM Mass (for those without family) Chapel Tuesday December 27 8:00 AM Mass (for those who are traveling) Chapel Wednesday December 28 8:00 AM Mass ( June McCauley <A>) Chapel Thursday December 29 8:00 AM Mass (organ donors) Chapel Friday December 30 OFFICE CLOSED AT 12NOON 12:10 PM Mass ( Charles Navarra) Chapel Saturday December 31 8:00 AM Mass (for the homeless) Chapel 4:00 PM Solemnity of Mary Mass (for those who are grieving) Church 11:30PM Reflection and Prayer in the Paulist Center Chapel Sunday January 1 Solemnity of Mary 8:30 AM Mass ( Anne Koenig) Church 10:30 AM Mass (People of the Parish) Church 10:30 AM Mass Deaf Community Chapel .. MASS INTENTIONS____________ Monday January 2 8:00 AM Mass (for SPN staff) Chapel Tuesday January 3 8:00 AM Mass (Don Westhusing) Chapel Wednesday January 4 8:00 AM Mass ( Joe Dowling) Chapel Thursday January 5 8:00 AM Mass ( Jeffery Sharp) Chapel Friday January 6 12:10 PM Mass (for those suffering from depression) Chapel Saturday January 7 8:00 AM Mass (Bonaventure Oh & Family) Chapel 4:00 PM Epiphany Mass (for those dealing with the loss of a loved one) Church Sunday January 8 Epiphany 8:30 AM Mass (People of the Parish) Church 10:30 AM Mass ( Rosalie Navarra Vogel) Church 10:30 AM Mass Deaf Community Chapel Church cleaning, Dec. 26 Jan. 1: Bill Dietzler & Mary Gabelsberger Jan. 2 Jan. 8: Eleanore Baccellieri, Dorene Dehen & Marie Tedesco

This Weeks Announcements

Happy New Year! "Ring in the New Year with Reflection and

Prayer" Saturday, Dec. 31st, Paulist Center Chapel, 11:30pm 12:30am. Light refreshments. Questions: call 503-760-7664 or KaitSkyler@msn.com.

Calendars: Make sure to grab a few 2012 calendars from the

Church lobby. Take one for your home and office or for a friend who would like a calendar or two. We have plenty!

Announcements continued

Pledge of Stewardship Reminder: Please remember to fill out a

pledge of stewardship form if you have not already and return it to the parish office as soon as possible. Blank forms can be found in the Church foyer go to the counter on the side of the Rotunda, and look in the wooden rack on the bulletin board for Stewardship.

Successful concert: The Michael Allen Harrison Concert held on

Monday, Nov. 28th was another wonderful musical event featuring Michael, and guest songstress Julianne Johnson. The decorations of holly, large ornaments and candles put us into the spirit of Christmas. Our concert raised $2019.00 and the proceeds will go to stripping and re-doing the floors in Carvlin Halls kitchen and hallway. I want to thank the Altar Society ladies who baked cookies for the reception, decorated, and hosted the concert. Thank you to all who came and supported the concert. Mary Schleich

E-Giving Cards: If you give electronically but would still like to

drop something into the Offertory basket as it passes by you, you may pick up an e-giving card from the Church foyer. The e-giving cards are teal-colored and located in a basket on one of the counters.

New Parish Committee Forming: The MarthaJoe Committee is a

group of volunteers seeking to serve the parish and spiritually enrich its members by identifying and undertaking small maintenance and repair projects as needed on the church grounds, and under the direction of the Pastor. Many projects can be done at a convenient time for the volunteer, given that many have different and often very busy personal schedules. For members of the MarthaJoes seeking a spiritual and educational component to their volunteer work, a typical Group "Project Day," could begin with an hour's or more gathering for Prayer, Refreshment and a Reflection on a topic of the Group's choosing.

Sacrament Classes: First Reconciliation will begin Sunday, Feb.

12th, 9:30am10:20am in the Church. Please email Barbara at BarbaraH@stphilipneripdx.org to register. Parents are asked to attend all sessions. High School Confirmation will begin Jan. 15th in the St. Paul room in the Paulist Center, 11:45am1pm. First meetingparents are asked to attend.

Christmas Flowers: Thank you for the generous donations for the
Christmas Memorial Flowers: Pat Storms for Cris Bell; Frank/Mary Kavanaugh; Mary Jane Navarra for John/Rosa Polermini; the Richard Dehen family for Janice Baccellieri & August/Mary Amato; Joan/John Henkel for Jeff Sharp; Judith Morgan; Joe & Annette Owen for Randal Owen; Jeanne McPherson for Mary Evans; Eugene and Yomaira Lampi for Dario Cortes.

Announcements continued

Advent Giving Wreath: Thank you St. Philip Neri community for

the great response to the Advent Giving Wreath. Once again, this Body of Christ answered the call to help others in our parish area. Over $1200.00 was donated to this cause. Thank you. This will help those who are in need of our assistance at this time.

Some activities and events to look forward to!

Date January 4th Wed. 8th Sun. 10th Tues. 10th Tues. 11th Wed. 15th Sun. 15th Sun. 21st & 22nd Sat. & Sun. February Event SE Vicariate mtg. Family Gathering RE Pilgrimagelabyrinth Adoration Altar Society Retreat Pastoral Council French Toast Breakfast HS Confirmation class Where Carvlin Hall 10:30-1pm Carvlin Hall 9:30- 10:20am Chapel 9am5pm Carvlin Hall 11-2:30pm Paulist Center 7pm Carvlin Hall 9:30am & 11:30am Paulist Center 11:45- 1pm Church

Liturgical Minister training after all the Masses Reconciliation classes, First Reconciliation, Rigatoni luncheon, Ash Wednesday, Lenten Small Faith Groups Office Space For Rent: St. Philip Neri Parish's Paulist Center has an office space available for rent. The Paulist Center is located in SE Portland on 16th and Division and features: Short walk to New Seasons, multiple restaurants, and coffee shops Easy access to bus line 4 On-site parking for cars Native planting landscaping and bioswale Kitchen/Lounge

The office space has large windows and measures 252 square feet - $350-425 per month. For more information or to schedule a visit, contact Jeanne at 503-231-4955 ext. 103.

Monastic Vocations Discernment Retreat: Mount Angel Abbey

sponsors vocation discernment retreats for men between the ages of 1645, several times per year. Come as our Guest. Learn about the monastic life and explore your discernment with monks and retreatants. The next retreat is scheduled for Friday through Sunday, January 68th, 2012. If you are interested in making a Monastic Discernment Retreat, please contact Fr. Odo Recker, OSB at 503-845- 3123. Email: Vocations@mountangelabbey.org. More info available at our website: www.mountangelabbey.org.

Pastoral Corner

Dec. 25, 2011 & Jan. 1, 2012

hen Cynthia Pietrak Wong asked our children, in our Childrens Liturgy of the Word last week, where did God live they said everywhere. She was expecting something like in heaven or up in the sky, but no, they said everywhere. And a little child shall lead them -- Isaiah 11:6. Children are charming and disarming to us adults because they have such finely tuned imaginations. Unfortunately our imaginations dim, as we grow older, unless we are very lucky. To imagine, dream, frolic in myths and fairytales is to play and live in the realms of God. We tend to think of myths and fairytales as being untrue but that is not the case at all. Often they are speaking to a much deeper truth than can be had through hard facts alone. hink of the grand constellation of images we surround ourselves with in this Christmas season. They come to us not from one culture but from many; the Germans, the Celts, Ireland, Middle East from around the globe. All these customs and practices emerge to tell the story of the seemingly impossible, that Gods eternal Word became flesh and dwelt among us. When I was a kid, I would creep into the living room long before dawn. The house was dark except for the Christmas tree that would already be lit; the tinsel we laboriously placed string by string (one area of life where my dad was a perfectionist) would be glittering in the light of the tiny bulbs. It was a magical moment, the quiet, the lights and the smells. It doesnt take much for this image to carry me away to a far off place of tranquility and peace even today. It was all --true. It was all -- real. he bear facts of the Christmas story are pretty minimal. At the behest of an angel, a poor peasant woman, Mary, gives birth to her first-born son. That is the basic fact but the grand story of Jesus birth at the beginning of Lukes Gospel (Luke 1:26 2:20) speaks to the importance of this particular birth. The eyes of faith and imagination could see something that others could not see and many still cannot see even today. Cultures around the world, for better than two thousand years, have been trying to capture in word and symbol the importance of this particular birth. The connection between the first Christmas night and our Holy Night is silence, solitude, peace and an aroma of faith that is next to impossible to describe. To really see and experience the birth of the Christ Child among us, we need silence and the finely tuned imagination of a child. There we will discover that it is all true, it is all real. ur inner child will lead us to see that Gods Word became flesh and dwells among us. Emmanuel God with us, God lives everywhere.

Merry Christmas,
Fr. Michael Evernden, CSP