313 E. WALL S TREET • JANESVILLE, WISCO NSI N 53545 -3047

January 1, 2017 • Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God

Rectory 313 E. Wall Street Janesville, WI 53545-3047 Phone ...............................(608) 752-7861 Emergency Only………(608) 620-9910 Fax .....................................(608) 758-0720 Website.............. www.nativitymary.org Pastor ............................. Rev. Robert Butz Email: pastor@nativitymary.org

Dir. of Liturgy ........................... Bob Craig Email: liturgy@nativitymary.org Coord. Religious Ed ...Kathy Hookham Email: re@nativitymary.org Business Manager ..............Kathy Fisher Email: kfisher@nativitymary.org Parish Secretary ..……....Sharlet Collins Email: psec@nativitymary.org

St. Mary School 307 E. Wall Street Janesville, WI 53545-3047 Phone ...............................(608) 754-5221 Principal ............ Steven Castrogiovanni Secretary ………………...Sue Vodak & Sue Dickman

Religious Education Phone ...............................(608) 752-7861

Prayer Network Mary Ann Venable…..(608) 754-5284 Edna Thorp…………….(608) 752-5559

Nativity of Mary ................ Sat. 4:30 pm Sun. 8:30 & 10:30 am

St. Patrick ............................. Sat. 4:00 pm

St. John Vianney ............... Sat. 5:00 pm Sun. 8:15 & 9:45 am

St. William ........................... Sat. 4:00 pm Sun. 8:00 & 10:30 am

St. Mary - Milton ............... Sat. 4:00 pm Sun. 9:00 am

Nourished by the Eucharist and guided by the Holy Spirit, we proclaim the Gospel as good stewards, sharing God’s love. -Mission Statement

Nativity Mary of

News & Notes School News

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Money Matters Would You Like A Pastoral Visit?

REMINDER: If you, a family member or someone you

know is confined or hospitalized and would benefit from a

pastoral visit, please contact your parish office and let

them know. Staff does not always know of hospital

admissions for a variety of reasons and often has no way of

knowing of other situations in which a parish contact

would be beneficial.

Money Counts for 2016-2017

Received Budgeted Variance

Week 25

12-18-2016 $14,340.45 13,056.11 1,284.34

YTD $306,153.01 323,263.77 -17,110.76

St. Mary School

Please note new time!

Tuesdays from 5:00-6:00 PM Saturdays from 9:30-10:30

Confession, Penance, Reconciliation

SCRIP REMINDER

SCRIP puts your regular shopping dollars to work supporting your parish and school with over fifty retailers ….. grocery stores, gas stations, restaurants, department stores, hardware stores, movie theaters, spas and more!

SCRIP cards are always available in the school office and after Mass twice per month. Next, the weekend of January 7th/8th and 21st/22nd.

Happy New Year!

Classes resume on Tuesday, January 3rd.

Peace Prayer of Saint Francis Lord, make me an instrument of your peace: where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console, to be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive, it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen.

Wishing you and yours a blessed New Year from Father Rob and the staff of

Nativity of Mary.

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Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God

When they saw this, they made known the message that had been told them about this child. All who heard it were amazed by what had been told them by the shepherds. And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart. - Lk 2:17-19

************************************************************** "And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart." Supernatural communication was nothing new for Mary. The angel Gabriel had already appeared and spoken to her when she agreed to bear God's Son. Her husband Joseph also had a kind of divine intervention in the dream where the angel told him to go ahead and marry her. When she was first pregnant, her cousin Elizabeth had been led by the Holy Spirit to know the secret that Mary was "the mother of my Lord" (Lk 1:43). Now, Jesus has just been born and a crew of earthy shepherds appears at her door with a message from heaven: that the Savior has been born. And Mary believed them. She did not doubt their sincerity or the authenticity of their message. She took the words to heart, and meditated upon the meaning of it all. What might strike us as peculiar in all of this is that God chose to speak to Mary in a variety of ways. This holy and immaculate woman, this Mother of God, did not always receive direct communication from on high. Sometimes, God chose to speak to her through other people. Sometimes, he revealed himself to them in order to reveal himself to her. And God does the same with us. It's easy to daydream about having our own personal revelation from God, to hear his voice loud and clear, directing, encouraging, and supporting us in our times of need and confusion. But this isn't the standard pattern of God's operation. Mary was tuned in enough to hear God's voice all around her instead of expecting it to always sound the same. We can imitate this same kind of openness by seeking to discover how God may be speaking to us through the voices of others.

Scripture Focus on Faith

Readings for Sunday, January 1, 2016 The Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God Nm 6:22-27 / Gal 4:4-7 / Lk 2:16-21

Readings for Next Sunday, January 8, 2016 The Epiphany of the Lord Is 60:1-6 / Eph 3:2-3a, 5-6 / Mt 2:1-12

Please Pray For Our Parishioners:

Barbara Allen, Bill, Bill Bever, Dena, Alice Figi,

Linda Fredell, Jackie H., Paul Holznecht, Gerri,

Ellen Kotche, John (Floyd) McNally, Ted Nagel,

Shirley R., Madelynn Schieve,

Colleen Schroeder, Kelly Dooley Trewartha,

Peter Weirich, Lola William, Avalon Widner,

Lucille Willegal

Traveling Chalice

Full Year of Prayer Planned

This week the Traveling Chalice will be hosted by

Erin Oliver.

Any questions regarding our Traveling Chalice program may be

directed to: Colleen at 868-6386 OR

iirishcatholic56@gmail.com.

Nancy Gibney was recently called to eternal life.

Please remember her, and all who mourn the loss of a loved one, in your prayers.

Sacraments

Anointing of the Sick:

Infant Baptism: Registered members of the parish are welcome to arrange for their baby’s baptism by signing up for the necessary preparation program for parents.

RCIA Please call anytime if you would like to discuss Catholicism and see how joining the Church may offer you a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ.

Catholic Women’s Club Contact Jennifer McBride at 741-8909 or Beth Konkol at 754-1304 for more information.

Knights of Columbus Meetings held 2nd Thursday of the month at 7:30 pm. Contact Greg Kraft at 754-5615 for more information.

Bulletin Deadline Mondays at 12:00 noon. Please contact the Rectory at 752-7861.

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What’s Happening

FOR: Dorothy Ambrose Robert C. Austin Alfred Bier Deceased members of the Boyle & Glagola families Adela & Peter Felten, Francis Felten, Cathy Felten, Frank & Cecelia Casper, Reuben & Margaret Casper Charles Steed, Eva McNally Brian Cloutier Tom Moccero family, Warren Collins family Martin Conway, Catherine Grebe Alice C. Dooley, John F. Dooley, Vera Dooley, Veronica McBride Clifford E. Easton, Richard J. Showers LeRoy Groene Glen W. Hahn Theresa Wolf, Harry Wolf, Edward Holcer, Leroy Brandt Charlie Smith, Gert & Bruce Bell Kathy O’Brien, Bob, Tom, Eve & Marcy Smith, Gertrude & Joe Corbett, Joannie Czaja Geo. Jenson, Helen Jenson, Lois Frank, Dorothy McDermott Don Klukas, Alma Butler Fred Kufrin Howard Liston Richard, Janet, Nancy & Janet Lucey, Mary Lou Hainstock Thomas G. Mair, John Prusansky Marcy Marklein Jim Martelle, Alice & Roy Murphy Joe McKee, Betty McKee, Tommy Alm, Dave Alm Jack & Claire Damrow Jim Nally Willard & Margarite O’Connor

FROM: Ms. Carol Ambrose Mrs. Marsha Austin Mrs. Eleanor Bier Mr./Mrs. Robert Boyle Miss Mary Casper Mrs. Maria Caya Mrs. Joanne Cloutier Mr./Mrs. John Collins Mrs. Helen Conway Miss Tricia Dooley Mrs. Betty Easton Mrs. Frances Groene Mr./Mrs. Carl Hahn Ms. Barbara Holcer Mr./Mrs. Charles Isackson Mr. Robert E. Jenson Mrs. Betty Klukas Ms. Martha Kufrin Mrs. Beverly Liston Mrs. Anne Lucey Mr./Mrs. Bradley Mair Mr. Leo Marklein Mrs. Marlys Martelle Mrs. Ann McKee Mr./Mrs. Thomas E. Murray Mrs. Gladys Nally Dr. Thomas O’Connor

FROM: Mrs. Elizabeth Patterson Mr/Mrs. James Peterson Carol Roherty Mrs. Mary Saxe Mrs. Sharon Schaefer Mr. Henry C. Schoeberle Mr./Mrs. Richard Schuler Mr. Luke Seibert Mr./Mrs. Daniel Shanahan Mr./Mrs. James Stelter Ms. Patricia Joan Sterk Mr./Mrs. David Sudmeier Mr./Mrs. Daniel Swanson Mrs. Kathleen Steed Mr./Mrs. Steve Thompson Mrs. Edna Thorp Mr. Terry Thurner Mrs. Doreen Trunnelle Ms. Maryann Venable Mrs. Rosalind Voegeli Mrs. Patricia Wagner Mr./Mrs. Richard Weisgerber Mr./Mrs. Robert C. Wirth Mr./Mrs. Dan Zahn

FOR: Shane Patterson, Buehla Nothem, most forgotten souls in purgatory, all deceased family & friends Jean, Melvin & Ron Peterson Dolores & Robert Coyne Charles Roherty Paul & Gert Arner Charlotte Trezek Peter & Carol Schoeberle, Bahr family Aversano, Schuler, Olownik, & Maure families Anthony & Margaret Seibert Linda Ehlers, Tom Shanahan John & Mathilda Schultes Bob and Eric Sterk Frank Weix, Marie Weix, Edward Sudmeier and Dorothy Sudmeier Betty & Benny Marshall, Don Swanson Charles Steed, Eva McNally, Paul McNally Frank & Mary Babcock Eugene Thorp Maria Thurner Robert Trunnelle Harold & Myrtle Boos, Harold E. Boos & Jean(Boos) Mies Mary Heitsman, Cheryl, Brenda and Willis Kreger Gene Wagner, Mary Lou Hainstock Carl & Ida Weisgerber, Michael & Lillian Romano Frusher and Wirth families Mr./Mrs. Robert Zahn, Mr./Mrs. Claire Kersten, Shirley Steele

Thank you to ALL the parishioners who donated so generously toward our Christmas decorations. Those who gave in memory or in honor of a loved one are listed below.

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What’s Happening

Taize’ Prayer Taize’ Prayer began in the little community of Taize’, France during the 1940s following the destruction of World War II. A group of religious men sought to create an ecumenical form of prayer that would foster reconciliation and peace among all people.

Today, Taize’ Prayer is celebrated throughout the world, bringing Christians of all traditions together to sing, to hear God’s words in Scripture, and to listen in silence for God’s voice in their hearts.

In that spirit, we gather at St. Mary’s as we have since February 1998, to offer this prayer. You are invited to experience Taize’ Prayer here on the second Monday of each month at 7:00 PM. You will find it an opportunity to take a few moments from the busyness of your life and simply be in God’s presence.

The bustle of Christmas is over, and now we can pause and savor the delights of the season and look ahead to a new year. Perhaps this is the time to make a difference in your prayer life. If you have thought about participating in Taize’ Prayer but just haven’t made a commitment to do so, resolve that 2017 will be the year that you say “yes” to that invitation. Join us for Taize’ Prayer on Monday, January 9 at 7:00 PM. As always, our time together will be a chance to un-crowd our hearts and minds and refresh our spirits. Come and bask in the light of candles and the warmth of friendship, raise your voices in simple and prayerful songs, attend to God’s message in Scripture, and listen in silence for God’s voice in your heart.

Dates in 2017 for Taize’ Prayer (second Monday of every month):

January 9 July 10

February 13 August 14

March 13 September 11

April 10 October 9

May 8 November 13

June 12 December 11

Thank you for a beautiful Christmas ….. A big THANK YOU to all who made our Christmas services so special this year.

The entire decorating committee once again ensured the church was beautiful. Their hard work and eye for detail was apparent. All those who helped in ministry positions during our liturgies; your service is appreciated.

The members of the Sanctuary Choir were exceptional by presenting lovely prelude music prior to the 6 pm Mass on Christmas Eve. They then wonderfully lead the congregation in song and prayer during the service.

A Big Thanks to the members of the Loft Choir who sang on Christmas morning. The excellence of their presentation of prelude music prior to the Masses cannot go unsaid. They are an example of “true stewards of Christ” to share so much of their time and talent with us.

Finally, it wouldn’t have been a St. Mary's Christmas without our fantastic Young Voices choir. The kids worked very hard and did a great job. A SPECIAL THANK YOU to the choir’s fine director, Jessica Godek, and, pianist, Ann Allen. And thanks to the parents who supported these fine young men and women.

For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Christ and Lord. Luke 2: 1-14

Royal George Theatre in Chicago presents Bible Bingo Did you get a present you don’t want? Don’t return it, re-gift it! Trade that unwanted item for a $10 ticket to Bible Bingo during the month of January. Items collected will be donated to the Little Sisters of the Poor who operate St. Mary’s Home in Chicago. Call for details (773) 388-0730 or info@nuns4fun.com

Healing After Abortion

No matter how much time as passed, Project Rachel & Rachel’s Vineyard retreats offer compassionate and individual care for anyone hurting from abortion. Upcoming healing retreats are March 10 - 12 and November 10 - 12, 2017. Contact Mary (608) 221-9593, meadmt@sbcgloabl.net or visit www.madisondiocese.org/rachel

Mass Intentions = Living Sunday, January 1 8:30 AM Parishioners of Nativity of Mary 10:30 AM Felisa Booc Monday, January 2 No Mass Tuesday, January 3 12:10 PM Wednesday, January 4 8:15 AM Thursday, January 5 8:15 AM Friday, January 6 8:15 AM Saturday, January 7 4:30 PM Parishioners of Nativity of Mary Sunday, January 8 8:30 AM Joan Wixom 10:30 AM Mae Glowacki-Thornton

Cluster Corner

Parish Event Calendar

Sunday, January 1 9:30 AM Knights of Columbus Rosary, Church Monday, January 2 10 AM, 1 & 7 PM Adult Bible Study, Joni’s 754-2479 11:00 AM Centering Prayer, Nativity House Tuesday, January 3 10:30 AM Faith Sharing Group, Nativity House 5:00-6:00 PM Reconciliation, Church Wednesday, January 4 5:45 PM Elementary Religious Education 6:30 PM Sanctuary Choir Practice 7:15 PM Loft Choir Practice 7:15 PM High School Religious Education Friday, January 6 8:45-9:45 AM Holy Hour (Adoration) Saturday, January 7 9:30 AM Reconciliation, Church

ALL ACTIVITIES ARE OPEN TO MEMBERS

OF ANY PARISH IN THE CLUSTER

Jan 2 10 AM, 1 or 7 PM Adult Bible Study, Nativity of Mary, Call Joni 754-2479 Jan 2 11:00 AM Centering Prayer, Nativity of Mary, Nativity House Jan 3 10:30 AM Faith Sharing Group, Nativity of Mary, Nativity House Jan 3 Noon-5 PM Adoration, St. William, Benediction at 5 PM Jan 5 9:00 AM-2:45 PM Adoration, St. Patrick Jan 5 11:30 AM—2 PM (Thursday this month) Catholic Charities/Second Harvest Mobile Food Pantry, St. John Vianney, 11:30-12:30 Registration, 12:30-2 PM Food Distribution, All are welcome. Jan 6 8:45 AM Holy Hour, Nativity of Mary Jan 6 9:00 AM-2:30 PM Adoration, St. John Vianney, Benediction at 2:40 PM

The parish office will be closed on Monday, January 2nd.

Monday 1/2

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday 1/8

Nativity of Mary 12:10 PM 8:15 am

8:15 am 8:15 am 4:30 pm 8:30 & 10:30 am

St. John Vianney 5:15 pm 8:15 am 8:15 am 8:15 am 5:00pm 8:15 & 9:45 am

St. Patrick 5:15 pm 8:00 am

8:30 am 8:00 am 4:00 pm 7:30 & 10:00 am

5:00 pm en

Español

St. William 5:15 pm 8:30 am 7:30 am 7:30 am 8:00 am & 4:00 pm

8:00 & 10:30 am

St. Mary’s Hospital –Jsvl.

St. Elizabeth Nursing Home 3:30 pm 7:00 am 7:00 am 7:00 am 7:00 am 9:15 am

St. Elizabeth Manor-Footville 9:15 am 9:15 am 9:15 am 9:15 am 9:15 am 11:00 am