For the Week of December 22 to December 30

10:30H Salvatore Greco and daughter, Sallyann Greco (Wife, Mom, Sal, Doreen and families)

7:30H John and Claire Pikor (Daughter and Son-in-law, Sharon & Bob Cassello)

MASS PAYMENTS 2007 – This is a friendly reminder for those who requested a Mass intention in 2007- if you have not as yet paid for your scheduled Mass, you are kindly asked to do so either by sending your offering in the mail (clearly indicate when the Mass has been said) or by dropping it off at the Rectory Office. We thank you for your cooperation.

MAKE UP ENVELOPES! Due to the Nor’easter last Sunday, our Sunday Masses were practically empty. We are asking parishioners to help us in making up their envelopes from last week. Thank you for your help!

NO PRE-BAPTISM CLASS IN THE MONTH OF DECEMBER – The next pre-baptism class for parents will be held on Tuesday, January 29 at 7:00 PM in the Church Hall. First-time parents or soon-to-be parents, who are REGISTERED PARISHIONERS at Holy Trinity Church , are asked to sign-up for pre-baptism classes by calling the rectory at 269-8791. You will be sent a packet containing the Baptism registration form and other important information regarding baptizing your child here at Holy Trinity parish.

“IN MEMORY OF”/”IN HONOR OF” CHRISTMAS FLORAL ENVELOPES- “Christmas Memorial decorations” have been included with the parish weekly envelopes. Those who do not use the envelope system and would like to make a donation are asked to simply use a plain envelope and write “Floral Remembrances” on it: in addition to writing out who is making the donation and in whose memory. These donations offer everyone the opportunity to contribute towards the expense of flowers that adorn our altar during Christmas and throughout the Liturgical year. Donations are accepted right up through Christmas.

LAST OPPORTUNITY TO REGISTER FOR MOUNT 2000 RETREAT FOR YOUTH: “SEEK THE FACE OF CHRIST” FEBRUARY 8-10, 2008 Mount 2008 is a Eucharist-centered annual retreat hosted by Mount St. Mary’s Seminary, designed for high school and college-age Catholics. With the theme “Seek the Face of Christ, Mount 2008 will encourage participants to come to know Jesus as a friend, and to encounter His love and mercy in prayer, the Word of God, and the Holy Sacraments of the Catholic Church. The speakers for this year’s retreat include Father Peter Mitchell and Todd Lemieux. The cost is $99 (checks payable to Most Holy Trinity Church ), and the deadline to register is ASAP (we are past the due date, so get your registration in this week!). Registration and permission forms are available at the rectory office during office hours, Monday through Friday, 9AM to 4 PM. For more information on the retreat, please contact Father Jeff at 269-8791.

NO BINGO – Due to the upcoming holiday season, bingo will not be played until next year… Friday, January 4, 2008. Thank you for supporting the Holy Trinity Home & School Association by playing bingo here. Have a blessed Christmas and Happy New Year with your parish, family, and friends! God bless you!

THE RECTORY OFFICE WILL BE CLOSED on Monday, December 24 and Tuesday, December 25. On Wednesday, December 26 the office will be open from 9:00 AM until Noon. The rectory office will have regular hours on Thursday and Friday, December 27-28, from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

THE ANNUAL CHILDREN'S CHRISTMAS PAGEANT Will be presented by Religious Education students at the 5:30 PM Christmas Eve Vigil Mass.

There will not be CCD classes from Saturday, December 22 through January 1, 2008. Religious Education classes will resume on Saturday, January 5th.

The Holy Trinity Christmas Concert has been rescheduled for Thursday, January 3rd.

NOTRE DAME HIGH SCHOOL, WEST HAVEN ANNOUNCES HONOR ROLL FOR FIRST TRIMESTER. Congratulations to the following students and their families from Most Holy Trinity:

PLEASE KEEP IN YOUR CHRISTMAS PRAYERS……the sick at home and in hospitals, the poor and the homeless, and for our troops who are far from home and their families this Christmas.

Behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." - Mt 1:20-21

Reminder: If paying monthly, having your payment in each month helps keep our records accurate, and keeps you eligible to be the monthly “Lucky-1” ! ! !

WINTER WARNING!!! We cannot stress enough the fact that during the winter months the north side (parking lot) entrance to the church can become extremely dangerous. This is due to the fact that the sun does not shine on that side of the church. FOR EVERYONE’S SAFETY we encourage you to enter through the front three entrances… and those of you who have difficulty walking … PLEASE USE THE ELEVATOR. We do our best to keep the stairs, walks and parking lots as safe as possible. But PLEASE understand that sometimes (depending on the time and severity of the storm) it is impossible to keep up with all of the stairways. Please do not assume or expect your “usual” or “favorite” entrance will be passable. We try to concentrate on the center door and elevator entrances and the walkways leading to them. Please head for these entrances when the weather is inclement. We ask that you not only be CAUTIOUS but PATIENT as well! Thank you

MEET THE DONUT MAN….Rob Evans - The Donut Man - is known for his fun Bible story-songs presented via video tapes, audio tapes and live concerts. Each centers on knowing and praising a different aspect of God's Character. Each presentation adds a story-line to the songs, to help your kids make everyday applications of these valuable Bible lessons. Come and meet the Donut Man…. IN PERSON! SATURDAY, MARCH 29, 2008 1:00-4:30 PM KIDS FOR CHRIST: AN EASTER RESURRECTION CELEBRATION St. Thomas School , Southington The “Donut Man” will be on hand to entertain you, along with other jugglers and special guests, and plenty of fun for kids.

ARE YOU INTERESTED IN AN EXTRAORDINARY EXPERIENCE? CONSIDER THE MERCY VOLUNTEER CORPS! In partnership with the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas, lay women and men of the Mercy Volunteer Corps offer direct compassionate service to economically poor or marginalized persons for one or two years at sites in the United States or in Guyana. Volunteers live together in community characterized by spirituality and a simple life style. Volunteers receive a small stipend, housing, medical insurance and an inspiration that lasts for a lifetime. Some AmeriCorps education awards are possible. Please visit the MVC website www.mercyvolunteers.org or phone the Sisters of Mercy at 1-860-594-8619 for more information

WITH MUCH APPRECIATION, the Christians In Action Committee members would like to thank all those who helped with the extraordinary job of sorting and bagging all the gifts from our Giving Tree gift collection. Last week’s storm broke into full swing just when most of the gifts were sorted into categories. Friday the bagging of gifts for 53 parish families and 6 community organizations continued all day by those who managed to dig out of the snow and ice! Happily, the deadline was met and all the bags were ready for the Saturday morning delivery by John Dichello and his Giving Tree delivery crew. CIA THANKS EVERYONE WHO HELPED, but would also like to acknowledge some people who really helped get the situation out of “crisis-mode” due to the storm: Brenda Sorge, Gregory Sorge, Liam Sorge, Nick Urbano, Pauline Palmero, Jerry Borrelli, Bob Johnson, Rosemary Wasilewski, Ken Donadio, Jean Andreas, Jesse Spencer and Al Mitchell.

CREDO CATHOLIC SINGLES looks forward to see you on Sunday, January 6th. Join them at the 10:30 AM Mass at St. Christopher Church, East Hartford and/or in the church hall afterwards to help plan events for the April to September 2008 newsletter. All are welcome. Snow date is January 13th. Deadline for event submission is January 2008.

STILL LOOKING FOR THE PERFECT GIFT FOR THAT SPECIAL SOMEONE THIS CHRISTMAS? Give your spouse or someone you know (married friends, family, co-workers, neighbors) the gift of love by inviting them to a Worldwide Marriage Encounter Weekend. Upcoming dates are January 25-27, 2008 and April 25-27, 2008. For more information about Worldwide Marriage Encounter or to register for an upcoming weekend, please contact Jose and Jane Staszowski at 1-860-644-7260 or meweekend@gmail.com or visit www.wwme.org.

HOLY TRINITY PARISH WOMEN’S RETREAT Ladies, everyone relies upon you to nurture and nourish them and their needs. It’s no wonder you feel tired and drained of your resources and your spirit. It’s time for you to put yourself on top of your “TO DO” List by registering for our parish women’s retreat. Forget the Calgon bath!... Experience a weekend filled with rest, relaxation, and spiritual renewal in the natural beauty and peaceful atmosphere of Our Lady of Calvary Retreat House in Farmington , during the weekend of February 8-10, 2008. The retreat’s theme is “Who Do You Say That I Am?”. For more information or to register call Joan Morico at 269-0517.

SS. PETER AND PAUL CHURCH CCD PRESENTS LESSONS AND CAROLS for the first time on Sunday, December 23 with a Christmas Concert at 5:30 PM by The Connecticut Trio under the direction of Ms. June Ingraham. The Trio consists of two violins and a cello, played by Ms. June Ingraham violin, Ms. Beth Pierce, violin, and Ms. Kathleen Monroe, cellist. Lessons and Carols begin at 6:00 PM. It consists of Scripture readings from the Old and New Testaments interspersed with English and Polish Christmas Carols sung by the children and congregation, accompanied by the Connecticut Trio with Mr. Louis Negri at the organ. Coffee and refreshments in the parish classrooms afterwards.

PRAYERS FOR SPECIAL INTENTIONS AND PRAYER AND PRAISE MINISTRY – Anyone having a special intention they wish prayed for, privately, is asked to place it in writing (anonymously) before the statue of Blessed Mother. Those who have had their prayers “answered” and wish to share the circumstances with the ministry are also asked to place them in writing (anonymously) before the statue of Blessed Mother. This ministry wishes to “praise the Lord” for His many blessings.

A FAMILY PERSPECTIVE by Bud Ozar The child born to Jesus and Mary was named Emmanuel, which means “God is with us.” Christmas reminds us every child is a sign of God’s miraculous presence in our lives. When you look at a child think “Emmanuel – God is with us!”

FROM THE ARCHDIOCESE OF HARTFORD REPORTING AN INCIDENT OF SEXUAL ABUSE TO THE ARCHDIOCESE OF HARTFORD

Each parish, in compliance with the Archdiocesan Program on “Protecting God’s Children” and in compliance with the Articles of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People must publish the following in the parish’s bulletin. If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, assault, molestation or exploitation as a minor (under the age of 18 years) by a person working for the Roman Catholic Church within the Archdiocese of Hartford (such as a priest, deacon, sister, brother, lay officer, lay employee, lay volunteer, etc.) you are requested to report the incident in the following manner:

Your detailed description of the incident should include your name, address, and telephone number and, if know, the name address and telephone number of the minor/victim and his/her parents or other person responsible for the minor’s care, the age gender of the minor/victim, the date, place, circumstances and nature of the misconduct and the name and address of the person who allegedly committed the misconduct.

Information will then be communicated by the Archdiocese to the State Department of Children and Families and/or the appropriate law enforcement agencies as required by Law. If you are a non-mandated reporter under the Connecticut law, you should also be aware of your right to make a report to public authorities concerning this matter, including the State Department of Children and Families and/or appropriate law enforcement agencies. We support your right to do so. If you are a mandated reported, you must also report directly to the State Department of Children and Families hotline at 1-800-842-2288 and/or the appropriate law enforcement agencies as required by law.

3. After the Archdiocese receives a report as outlined above, an investigation will be undertaken by or on behalf of the Archdiocese of Hartford.

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This 2006 New Line Cinema version of The Nativity Story depicts a two-year period in the lives of Mary and Joseph, which culminates in their leaving Nazareth and journeying 100 miles to Bethlehem for the Birth of Jesus.Admission is free but we ask that you bring any leftover Christmas cookies to share. We will provide the popcorn and beverages. Please give us friendly “jingle” at the rectory so that we have a general idea on attendance, 269-8791, please, although it’s not a requirement to attend. For parental consideration: The presentation is approximately 1 hour and 40 minutes in length and was rated PG for some violent content.