100 South 8th Street Arma, KS 66712 Tel.

(620)347-4525
Mailing Address: PO Box 948 Arma, KS 66712

Weekly Bulletin Saint Joseph Church, Arma www.stjosepharma.com

of

GIRARD Sat. 5:30pm Sun. 10:00 am Sat. 2:00-2:45pm

ARMA 4:00pm 8:00 am 3:15-3:45pm

The faith-filled parishioners of Saint Joseph Catholic Church of Arma, in union with the Blessed Trinity of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, value tradition and prayer. We are committed to strong leadership, responsive community service, and forming caring, welcoming, intimate relationships with our fellow brothers and sisters. We seek to become a more diverse, vibrant, active church family. Notes from the Pastor:
Can you feel Christmas? What do you feel? To answer these questions we have to bring back ourselves to the time of Joseph and Mary. Their time was a time of darkness: feeling oppressed under the Roman Empire and its consequent humiliation. But it was also a time of joyful anticipation and hope! For me it was one of the reasons why our Blessed Mother did not hesitate to say Yes! She too like many others was joyfully anticipating that the light, their liberator, the Messiah is coming soon! This joyful aura was reflected in the conversation of the two women experiencing a miraculous pregnancy! (Note: of course all pregnancies are miracles, it is Gods act!) Elizabeth was barren and advanced in age, and our Blessed Mother, young and a virgin. Both exchanged their joys receiving Gods blessings and expressing their praise and thanksgiving to God especially Marys Magnificat! Whats the difference between theirs and our time? In spite of our technological and scientific advancements, it is almost the same. Like them, we are also facing lots of uncertainties economic and political. Globally our peace and societal order is very fragile and every now and then threatened by violence, greed, and corruption! After the Newtown incident, one person told me, I could not find joy in celebrating this Christmas! While I told the person, I understand the feeling, but at the same time I said compare it with the first Christmas. They were also at that same predicament, yet they find joy at the anticipation of what is to come! They feel that their present difficulties were only trials and temporary! After all, it has been proven over and over again: God is FAITHFUL! He fulfills what He promised! Maybe not sooner but it will come. So I hope that if your life is clouded with uncertainties and doubt, look ahead! Jesus who was born two thousand years ago, is EMMANUEL, God-with-us! May this realization make us feel of that joyful anticipation of His assuring presence! We thank our PSR kids, parents, and our musician Jan Harman and Debbie Schaub for the sacrifice of their time to practice so they can sing during our 4PM Christmas eve mass. If all goes well, with Gods blessing, we can do a Christmas pageant with the kids for next Christmas. Thank you to our PSR catechists: Cristie

Saint Joseph Parish Mission Statement:

Weekdays before Mass; anytime by appointment.

STAFF Fr. Roger Lumbre Pastor Janel Scales/Marcel Normand Bookkeeper/Bulletin Editor Judy Smerchek Secretary Rectory Office Hours Wednesdays 9AM-Noon Tel. (620) 347-4525

Next Saturday (12/29/2012) Altar Servers: Ushers E. M. E. Lectors: Gift Bearers 4:00 PM G. Waterman & T. Graham Dave Petrey & Emil Pronier Marcel Normand Laurie Graham Margaret Setina & Gay Kranker

Next Sunday(12/30/2012) 8:00 AM Tejay & Chase Cleland Dave & Dustin Ashmore Cindy Ashmore Pat Westhoff Scott & Susie Aldrighetti

Goodman, Lucinda Bonine, and Kelly Schaub for their leadership. Reminder for our Christmas Schedule: Christmas Masses: December 24, Monday: 4:00PM - Arma 5:30PM - Girard December 25, Tuesday: 1200AM-Midnight Mass Girard 8:00AM - Arma 10:00AM - Girard New Year is a holy day of obligation, the schedule will be the same as Christmas except there is no midnight mass. Thank you! Merry Christmas to all of you! Fr. Roger Adoration Schedule There will be NO Adoration on Thursday in Arma or on Friday in Girard. New Altar Cloth The beautiful new altar cloth with Swiss embroidered lace edges and the colored altar and lectern scarfs that will change with the liturgical calendar were made possible by the Geno Marchetti Memorial Fund. Special Thanks Thank you to Mary Ann Boyd and Mary Wilson for donating their time and talent in making the four sets of colored altar and lectern scarfs that will adorn the church throughout the year.

Mass Schedules & Intentions for December 22nd-30th:

Dec 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 4:00 PM 5:30 PM 8:00 AM Sunday 10:00 AM 7;00 AM Monday 4:00 PM 5:30 PM 12:00 AM Tuesday 8:00 AM 10:00 AM Wednesday 6:30 PM 8:00 AM Thursday 7:00 AM Friday 4:00 PM Saturday 5:30 PM 8:00 AM Sunday 10:00 AM Saturday Mary & August Bogina Verl Diskin Jennie Carregio Harold Brodbeck Intentions of Ryan Sevart Ad Dantis Ad Dantis Ad Dantis Ad Dantis Ad Dantis Gilpin Family Intentions Jennie Carregio Jack McClaskey Pro Populo Chris Sponsel Frank Doue Pro Populo Arma Girard Arma Girard Girard Arma Girard Girard Arma Girard Girard Arma Girard Arma Girard Arma Girard

COLLECTIONS Last Week Contributions Expenses Over/ (Under)

Saint Josephs Upcoming Events Eucharistic Adoration: Thursdays from 8:30am to 3:00pm Finance Council Next Meeting, TBA St. Ann Altar Society Next meeting, TBA Parish Council Next Meeting, Jan. 8th After 5:30pm Mass Knights of Columbus 1st Tuesday of Month, 7pm St. Michael Parish Hall

July 2012 to date $36,226.60 $24,093.00 $12,133.60

$1,021.00

Chair Members at Large Secretary

Slaughter of the Innocents This coming Friday, Dec. 28th, is the Mass of the Holy Innocents, when King Worship Committee: Parish Finance Council: Herods jealously set him on a rampage of killing firstborn baby boys in an effort to Chair Karen Pryer Chair Fred Bogina stamp our the One who might be king someday. Last week, we had our own E.M.Es Joann Black Members Bill Harman, slaughter of the innocents in Newtown, Conn. When a lunatic killed his mother, Ushers/Greeters Bill Harman Judy Wingebach, then went to a nearby school with assault weapons and unloaded them on kindergarAltar Society Judy Smerchek Linda Broyles teners and first graders, along with six of their teachers. We all ask why without satisLectors Marcel Normand faction. When sin entered the world, evil was invented. Free will, given to us as a gift Music Jan Harman from God, has gotten us into a lot of trouble and the consequences keep coming! Personally, I cant understand why assault weapons are sold and made available to Christmas Decorating - We will be decorating the Church for Christmas average citizens. Arent regular guns enough for home safety and hunting? Also, I immediately after the 8:00am Mass on Dec. 23rd. All volunteers are apbelieve theres some likeness between the 1960s Supreme Court decision banning preciated. Thank you! prayer in school and the string of tragedies that have occurred since. Id also add that pornography and extreme violence on TV and movies, plus the intense carnage preChristmas Poinsettias - The many poinsettias decorating our church for sent in some video games, do our young people no good and could move some toChristmas were made possible by the friends and family members in reward violence. I cant prove these assumptions, but I believe they have relevance. membrance of the following people: Francis Buche, Isabell and John Throughout history, people have lived in evil times and were no exception. That Beitzinger, Theresa Hartman, Jules Ginardi, Johnnie Albertini, Ann doesnt mean, however, that we have to sit back and take it. Our lawmakers need to Welch, Emma Marchetti, Iside Stefani, Donna January, Cody Schroeder, begin a national conversation and gather input from citizens. Its true that we have a Geno Marchetti, Family of Frances Ales, Ray Barto, Oscar Cleland, Mari- culture that celebrates violence. On an earlier newscast, I heard that more guns were on Rowland, Beverly Talarico Jenkins, Florence and Bill Talarico, Randy sold on Black Friday than electronics. It seems that we need to get a handle on guns, Peak, Frank and Josephine Talarico, all deceased members of Talarico such as better background checks, and to whom they should be sold. In the case of the and Martino Family, special prayers for Shaylon Bennetts better health, Conn. Shooter, his mother was the victim, but she no doubt, shouldnt have had all John Varsolona, Sr., Black Family, Julia and Laurence Zibert, Anna and these weapons available. Im wondering if gun control should start with gun owners. Lay Rons, Kenneth Harris, Charles and Bertha Kennedy, Rose and Henry We can pass laws, but evil doesnt have regard for mans law. Also, there are mental Jarboe, Tammy Edge, Bernard and Ruth Wingebach, Andrew and Behealth aspects to consider, for we dont give enough attention to mental health. Satan atrice Ashbacher, Phil, Mary and John Barbieri, Babe Humble and Vance takes residence where God has been driven out. Lets hope that those in authority will Pistotnik. Thank you for helping to make our Church beautiful for the take action to prevent another horrific event. And we know it will happen again. Christmas season as we remember these special people. Articles by Marcel Normand Announcement - Any Saint Joseph parishioners interested to volunteer or for pay in cleaning the Church every week, and the hall and the rectory as needed, please contact Fr. Roger. Thank you!

Parish Pastoral Council Officers: Pat Westhoff Betty Rons, Dustin Ashmore, Joe Broyles, Debbie Amershek Karen Pryer

A Christmas Story Christmas Eve had arrived and a man sat alone before his fireplace, pondering the meaning of Christmas. Theres no point to a God who became man, he said. Why would an all-powerful God want to share even one of His precious moments with the likes of man? And even if He did, why would He choose to be born in an animal stall? No way! The whole thing is absurd! Im sure that if God really wanted to come down to earth, He would have chosen some other way. Suddenly, the man was roused from his daydreaming by a strange sound outside. He went to the window and saw a small gaggle of blue geese, frantically honking and aimlessly flopping about in the snow. They seemed dazed and confused. Apparently, they had dropped out, in exhaustion, from the flight formations of a larger flock on its way from the Arctic to the warmer climates of the Gulf. Moved to compassion, he tried to shoo the poor geese into his warm garage, but the more he shooed, the more they panicked. If they only realized Im just trying to do whats best for them, he thought to himself. How can I make them understand my concern for their wellbeing? Then, this thought came to him: If, for just a minute, I could become one of them, an ordinary goose, and communicate with them in their own language, they would know what Im trying to do. And, suddenly, he remembered Christmas, and a smile came over his face. Abruptly, the Christmas Story no longer seemed absurd. Quickly, he pictured that ordinary-looking Infant, lying in the crche in that stable in Bethlehem, and he knew the answer to his Christmas problem: God had become one of us to tell us, in human terms we can understand, THAT HE LOVES US!

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