Our Sunday Bible study group recently finished the Book of Isaiah and will be doing something lighter and festive during the Advent season.
We will share our favorite Christmas art, music, and poetry. Please join us.
The group meets on the parish Zoom channel on Sundays at 5 PM. The Advent sessions will occur on December 5, 12, and 19 (there is no session this Sunday).
Fr. Tumino, pastor at St. Augustine – St. Francis Xavier invites our parishioners to attend the annual World Aids Day commemoration on Dec. 1 at 7 PM at St Augustine’s (116 6th Ave. in Park Slope).
*** Below are the details about the event ***
Our annual World AIDS Day Prayer Service will be held on December 1 at 7 PM, at the St. Augustine worship site. Every year we remember friends and family who have died of AIDS by placing red ribbons with their names on the church fence in November. Then those names are read as part of the prayer service.
For those who may wish to remember a loved one, not included already, please contact the St. Augustine – St. Francis Xavier Parish Office at (718) 638-1880.
Pre-Christmas Party– Our Catholic Professionals are having a pre-Christmas party at the Rectory on Saturday, December 11 at 5 PM.Please let us know if you can attend and fill out the questionnaire here by December 4.
Name Change– A word about the name change. We decided to change the name of group from “Young Professionals” to “Catholic Professionals” to make it more reflective of the group and inclusive since many of us have different definitions of what young is.
Feedback Wanted – We would like to involve more people and want to hear what you are interested in. Please let us know by responding to a survey before December 11.
Our parish has several opportunities to give gifts to children this upcoming Christmas season:
Toy Drive: In what has been a strong eleven-year tradition, we are partnering with the Custom House, to support the Catholic Charities toy drive. The toys and baby items collected will be brought together in a “toy store” for parents to choose which toys they think best for their children. Please place your toys in the rear of the Church.
Gift Cards: For the fifth year, we are working with HeartShare St. Vincent’s Services to provide gift cards for young people leaving foster care. This is especially important for those who have children themselves. You can give online or drop off a check in the collection box or with the rectory.
Fr. John Gribowich (now known as Fr. Philip Neri), who was in residence at St. Charles Borromeo for several years, is now a Trappist monk. His abbey’s specialty is bread and baked goods.
If you are interested in ordering any of their gift boxes for Christmas, Fr. Philip passed on a tip that their annual sale will be on “Cyber Monday” (the Monday after Thanksgiving). Please note you will need to sign up for their special offer emails in advance as the deals will available exclusively by email (you can do so by entering your email address in the Special Offer Emails sign-up on the bottom-right of monksbread.com).
Monks’ Bread and Monks’ Specialty Bakery are works of the Trappist monks of the Abbey of the Genesee in Western New York. Manual work is an integral part of Trappist life. The bakery supports the monastery’s primary mission of prayer.
Monks’ offers a wide assortment of delicacies, including hand-baked Biscotti and Biscottini, rich Fruitcakes, savory Cheese Crisps, wholesome Fruit & Nut bars, Jams and Preserves, premium Nut Butters, and of course their famous Monks’ Bread.
Last Sunday, Francis Chin, one of the parish trustees, provided an overview of the parish financials. We will soon distribute our annual report.
Do you have a unique skill? We are always looking for talented parishioners to volunteer. Schedule an individual meeting with Fr. Smith to see how you can contribute.
Increased Offertory Program: We want to do more, but we can’t do it without your support. In order to make plans for these activities, we need to be able to make a reliable financial plan. Can you help?
Stewardship Renewal Cards
The stewardship renewal cards that Francis spoke about last week will be available in church this Sunday. We suggest that it may be easier to complete the online version, www.cfbq.org/psr.
1. Sign Up for Online Giving: Schedule your regular donations online automatically at https://stcharlesbklyn.weshareonline.org/GeneralCollection.
2. Increase Your Weekly Sacrificial Giving: Please give generously and proportionally within your means.
