January 17, 2021

St. Ambrose St. Matthew St. Sylvester Avonmore Saltsburg Slickville

PARTNER PARISHES OF THE DIOCESE OF GREENSBURG

A Pennsylvania Charitable Trust

Our Mission Statement

The Partner Parishes of St. Ambrose, St. Matthew & St. Sylvester, under

the guidance of the Holy Spirit, are committed to be witnesses of Christ in

our local and faith communities . We invite one another to grow in a spirit

of friendship and unity through the Word and the Eucharist. While striving

to nourish our faith families, we encourage Evangelization, Service,

Worship, Stewardship, and Leadership.

2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Confessions: First Saturday of the month, 11:00-11:30 AM at St. Ambrose or by appointment with the Pastor.

Baptisms: Please contact the parish office to schedule a date and formation session..

Marriage: Please contact the office at least six months before the wedding date to schedule marriage preparation sessions..

Pastoral Care to the Homebound: Please contact the parish office..

Eucharistic Adoration: First Thursday of the month, 6:30-7:30 PM. All are welcome.

RCIA: If you or someone you know is interested in becoming Roman Catholic, please contact the parish office.

St. Vincent de Paul Hotline: Please contact the parish office. St. Vincent de Paul poor boxes are at entrances of all partner parishes.

Bulletin Deadline: Please submit bulletin information via email or in written form to Angela Palmiscno at the parish office by Wednesday noon.

MASS SCHEDULE Saturday Vigil: 5:00 PM—St. Ambrose Sunday Masses 8:30 AM—St. Sylvester 11:00 AM—St. Matthew Weekday Masses: Mon.—8:30 AM, St. Sylvester Tues.— 8:30 AM, St. Matthew Fri.— 8:30 AM, St. Ambrose PARISH OFFICES & HOURS St. Ambrose, St. Matthew & St. Sylvester P. O. Box 617 Avonmore, PA 15618

Monday—Friday 9:00 AM—1:00 PM

Phone: 724-697-4129 Fax: 724-697-4484

St. Matthew Church Hall: 724-639-9338

St. Sylvester Rectory Phone: 724-468-5794 Fax and church hall: 724-468-5765

PASTORAL STAFF

Reverend John Harrold, Pastor

jharrold@dioceseofgreensburg.org

Deacon Craig Gilbert

cgilbert@dioceseofgreensburg.org

Angela Palmiscno, Partner Parish Secretary

apalmiscno@dioceseofgreensburg.org

Dana Summerhill, Partner Parish Financial Secretary

dsummerhill@dioceseofgreensburg.org

Kristin Andree, Partner Parish Web Coordinator

krisandree@comcast.net

Jessica Clawson, Coordinator of Faith Formation,

St. Matthew, 724-875-0638 or jgallek@gmail.com

Connie Shannon, Clearances Coordinator, 724-697-4059

Knights of Columbus—Council #15373

Website: partnerparishesmas.org

A Warm Welcome to All

HAPPY BIRTHDAY WISHES Blessings to all our Partner Parish family members who are celebrating a birthday this week: Tavius Dawson, Joseph Ukish, Pamela Davis, Paula Jones, Donna Jean Ventresco, Anthony Joint, Dorothy Fontana, Angela Evanichko, Herman Corridoni, Jacob Hoak, Lewis Prenni, Jr., Gregory Kochanowski, Lori Tamasy, John Grasinger, Donna Cortese, Diane Novak, Beverly Resnick, Jack Tamasy

Diocesan Coat of Arms

SOCKS FOR SHELTERS last year the Martha Ministry sponsored a Socks for Shelters

event. All three parishes donated generously, and surpassed our expectations. The shelters were very grateful as winter is a particularly difficult time for them. We would like to do this again this year. Look for baskets in your vestibule, and please be generous. During this time of giving, a pair of socks is a small addition. The collection will run through the end of January. Thank you for your generous participation.

ST. MATTHEW ALTARY ROSARY SOCIETY invites you to join in prayer on Friday, January 29th

(Pro-Life March) to pray the sorrowful mysteries of the Rosary. You may do so from home or work. We are hoping for pledges of 30 minutes per person. Please call Elvia Eckenrode at 724-639-9410 to reserve your time. Thank you.

THANK YOU After 20 + years, Dorothy Fontana has retired from Pastoral Council. She

has given her time and talent generously to the mission of our Partner Parishes, and it is deeply appreciated. We wish her the very best!

AROUND THE DIOCESE Catholic Charities offers virtual counseling– Social distancing can take a toll. So can waiting in line to get into a grocery store. It’s not unusual to feel angry, frustrated, or confused. For some people, the pandemic restrictions can magnify feelings of anxiety, depression, interpersonal conflict, grief and a wide variety of other issues. Catholic Charities provides virtual counseling to help address those issues and more. Taking care of your own emotional well-being is very important to you and the people you love. You don’t need to face these feelings alone. Call Catholic Charities at 724-837-1840 or email counseling@dioceseofgreensburg.org.

Soup Sale—Slickville Civic Center is sponsoring a soup sale on Thursday, January 28th. Pre-orders are required. Choice of ham and bean or broccoli cheese. Sign up sheets are at the entrances of St. Sylvester.

MISSION COOPERATION PLAN APPEAL With the pandemic this past year, a representative was not able to come make this appeal personally. So here is the information about this Order. Our congregation, the Missionary Sisters of the Holy Rosary, was founded in Ireland in 1924 by Bishop Joseph Shanahan, S.C.Sp. For the education of the women of Nigeria, West Africa. We now are an international community working in nine countries of Africa and in Brazil, South America. We serve in all forms of education, medical work, pastoral work, local development and agriculture and assisting trafficked women and the homeless. We have been serving in the AIDS, Ebola and Covid-19 epidemics. Our pressing need at the moment is to construct a convent for our Sisters running a clinic in Efofe, Kogi State, Nigeria. Our Superior General and Council asked us to raise funds to build a convent. For us it is an urgent need. Your help, large or small, will be very much appreciated. Collection will be taken the weekend of January 23rd & 24th. Envelopes are available at the entrances of our churches. We also ask for prayers for the safety of the Sisters as this is an area which can be attacked by Boko Haram or Fulani herdsmen. For more information please visit www.mshr.org.

Mass Intentions for the Week

PLACE TIME INTENTION OFFERED BY

Saturday January 16 St. Ambrose 5:00 PM +Jason Orvosh (Mr. & Mrs. James

Farabaugh)

Sunday January 17 St. Sylvester 8:30 AM For the Parishioners

Sunday January 17 St. Matthew 11:00 AM +Sam Rossi (Gen & Families)

Monday January 18 St. Sylvester 8:30 AM +Allen Stevenson (Martha Valore)

Tuesday January 19 St. Matthew 8:30 AM +Albin Kochanowski (St. Matthew ARS)

Friday January 22 St. Ambrose 8:30 AM +Stella Cup (Paula Jones & Carol

Shannon)

Saturday January 23 St. Ambrose 5:00 PM For the Parishioners

Sunday January 24 St. Sylvester 8:30 AM +Robert Shusko (Anthony & MaryAnn

Damico)

Sunday January 24 St. Matthew 11:00 AM +Evo “Butch” Prenni (Lew Prenni, Jr., &

Family)

DATE

ST. SYLVESTER CENTENNIAL COMMITTEE WILL MEET ON TUESDAY, JANUARY 19TH AT 7:00 PM IN

THE MEETING ROOM AT ST. SYLVESTER.

SVDP WILL MEET ON MONDAY FEBRUARY 1ST AT 6:00 PM IN THE MEETING ROOM AT

ST. SYLVESTER.

PARTNER PARISHES STEWARDSHIP OF TREASURE Sunday Offertory: January 9-10

St. Ambrose St. Matthew St. Sylvester

Offertory Collection: $ 1,494.00 $ 1,900.00 $ 1,415.00

SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

As with many of John’s images (light and dark, spirit and flesh), looking and seeing have a deeper meaning than

ordinary usage would suggest. One has only to think of the story of the man born blind (John 9:1-41) to know

that “seeing” someone implies understanding who they really are, especially in Jesus’ interactions. Here in the

beginning of the section of John’s account of the Gospel known as the “Book of Signs” (John 1:19-12:50) the call

of the first disciples challenges both the disciples in the story and the readers to see who Jesus really is and

interpret properly the signs that he does.

John the Baptist points to Jesus saying, “Look, here is the Lamb of God.” He calls attention to the true

nature of Jesus in the world by inviting his listeners to see him as the Passover lamb whose blood saved the

Israelites from the death of the firstborn in Egypt and as the lamb ritually slaughtered as an offering for sin (see

Isaiah 53:7, 10). It is up to the would-be disciples to see that nature for themselves. Jesus probes their search for

truth by asking: “What are you looking for?” Their response indicates their desire to follow him, and Jesus then

invites them to see where he is staying. As with seeing the true nature of Jesus, seeing the place where he stays

means more than we think. When Andrew and the other man see where Jesus stays, it becomes their place as

well, and they leave John for the new teacher.

It is not only the disciples who look intently to discern their teacher’s true nature. Jesus himself looks into

Simon, Andrew’s brother, and sees his deepest self, renaming him Cephas (“rock”), Aramaic for Peter. Peter’s

new name signifies his new identity and bond with the Son of God. Later, Jesus astonishes Nathanael with what

he knows of his character from seeing him under the fig tree. John will continue to use “seeing” as a code word

for understanding and believing in Jesus. Those who see rightly will believe that Jesus is the one to come.

The invitation to come and see applies to our lives as well. Where might you see Jesus staying today?

What does following him as a disciple mean for us?

IN SYMPATHY: Our Partner Parish family extends their deepest sympathy to the families of Ludwig Sharek and Tom Shaffer, who died recently. May their souls and all the souls of the faithful departed rest in peace.

END OF YEAR STATEMENTS for 2020 will be mailed out by the end of the month. If you find a discrepancy, please call the office or email Dana (dsummerhill@dioceseofgreensburg.org). As a reminder, anyone who gave $250 or more for the DLA will get a separate letter from the Diocese.

BY MAKING OTHERS HAPPY, YOU TRULY BECOME HAPPY. YOUR

GIFT IN THE ST. VINCENT DE PAUL POOR BOX MAKES THAT

HAPPINESS POSSIBLE.

SERVING OUR COUNTRY. Please pray for our men and women in the military: MSgt Matthew Leightner, Col. Ross Monta, John Newcomb, Master Sgt. Jeremy Morgan, Ryan Nagg, Daniel Henderson, Tech. Sgt. Justin Morgan, Tyler Carnahan, Bartholomew Marsh-Slavin, Jacob DeSanders, W01 Jacob Berg (Afghanistan), Brandon May, Tyler Kunkle (Afghanistan), Mark Novak, Martin Novak, Jr.

OUR PRAYER LIST—FRIENDS AND FAMILY: Paul & Charlotte Alsippi, Ally Anderson, Charles Mark Angell, Jerry Bowman, Tom Clouser, Dean Corridoni, Luke Dobrosky, Ray Dobrosky, Donald Gabor, John Galo, Rachael Garzone, Edith Hollick, George Hollick, Larry Klukaszewski, Gary Lemon, Sandra & Greg Metzler, Alison Michaels, Mary Musial, Joanne Neiderhiser, Chris Nemchik, Carole Novosel, Joe & Ethel Palmiscno, Bill Rupert, Fred Salo, Ed Shaffer, Judy Valore, Jenny Lou Wincek, and all who need our prayers.

ADDITIONAL ENVELOPES IN JANUARY’S ENVELOPE PACKET In addition to the normal Sunday, specific parish, St. Vincent de Paul and Food Bank envelopes for the month, the parishes could really use your generous support for the following extra collections this month:

- FEAST OF MARY, THE HOLY MOTHER OF GOD - PARISH FACILITIES AND UTILITIES SUPPORT - ST VINCENT DE PAUL - FOOD BANK

- MONTHLY - RELIGIOUS FORMATION