We are in need of holiday food
Thank you so much for your generous donations of turkeys for our Holiday Giving Programs. We already have enough turkeys for Christmas. However, we are still in need:
CHRISTMAS FOOD
For our Thanksgiving program for those in need we distributed almost all of the food that we had for our families in need. I thank you for your regular donations. I had been saving that food since March to be sure that we would have enough for the families we serve.
We would greatly appreciate food donations to make a holiday meal or for kids to eat during the week. Suggested items include instant mashed potatoes, canned yams, cranberry sauce, stuffing mix, canned vegetables and dessert mixes. Also appreciated are tuna, peanut butter and jelly, cereal, canned soup, pasta and sauce.
Thank you for your consideration in helping with this huge Christian Service program. These programs are impossible without your support. The families receiving your gifts are very appreciative and I believe feel the love of Christ from your acts of love and kindness.
Blessings,
Renee’
Help needed for our Holiday Liturgies
Help is needed for our Christmas and New Year celebrations. If you are a Lector, Altar Server or Usher and can serve at any of the Liturgies on those days please sign up as soon as possible on the sheet in the back of church. Thank you.
CSA for 2018
In order for parishioners to receive credit for 2018 CSA, donations need to be received at the Archdiocese of Detroit Office no later than December 28, 2018. As their offices will be closed on December 31, 2018. It is not too late to donate, donors are always able to go online at: https://give.aod.org/ to make their donations. Donors can also call 1- 888- 331- 8695 for assistance if needed, please do not put your CSA 2018 donation off to the last minute. Thank you.
Right To Life
Every little boy and girl is a unique and irreplaceable creature designed by the God of love, His personal gift that comes to us bearing His image and likeness. While biological parents assist in God’s creative act, God contributes the child’s eternal soul – his or her intellect, consciousness, will, and the capacities to reason and love, to hope and aspire. How then can we remain indifferent to the destruction of these marvelous little boys and girls in fertility clinics, laboratories, and in abortion facilities throughout all nine months of pregnancy? Please pray for an end to abortion.
Regina Falkowski
Parish rep for Right to Life
Warm Unders Collection thru December 11
The level eight Christian Formation students will once again be collecting Warm
Unders for the Homeless as part of their Christian Service commitment, in preparation
for Confirmation. Warm socks; long underwear in sizes L, XL and XXL, plus T shirts and
men’s underwear in all sizes will be collected through December 11. All items must
be new. Please consider donating an item or two to this worthwhile cause. You may
bring your donation to the Parish Center and place it in the barrel near the Christian
Formation Office. Thank you!
The Level Eight Classes
News from St. Martin de Porres
Parish Ministries and Groups
Children's Choir
Kindergarten – 8th Grade Students are invited to
“gift their voices” Christmas Eve at the 5:00pm Mass!
Choir rehearsals will take place
Tuesday, December 4, 11, and 18
St. Martin de Porres Church, 6:30 p.m. – 7:15 p.m.
Please contact Mr. John Mc Govern, Director of Music
586-264-7515 or at jmcgovern@smdeporres.com
St. Martin de Porres Church News
Communal Penance Service, Friday, December 14
We will have our Vicariate Communal Penance Service in church at 7:00 PM. We will listen to God’s Word, examine our conscience and express our contrition and desire to repent and change our lives. Several priests will be available to hear individual confessions
Active Christian Women's Club
Upcoming:
- Our service project for December is a gift of $10 or the purchase of a gift of equal value for the needy. Suggestions are: Men’s gloves, hats, scarves, PJs. Also, Men’s and Women’s warm tops (all sizes). Gifts collected will be given to families in the community. Your contribution is greatly appreciated.
- Dec 08 – Immaculate Conception – Let us honor our Most Holy Mother and let us
remember her in our prayers – especially during this most holy season of Advent. - Dec 11 - First anniversary Mass for deceased member Constance “Connie” Grzyskowiak at 9:30 AM liturgy.
- Dec 21 – Board Meeting at 10:30 AM in the Teen Room following 9:30 AM liturgy.
- Dec 22 – Memorial Mass for deceased member Anne Demps at 5PM liturgy.
- Dec 25 - Birthday Breakfast has been cancelled. Happy Birthday to club members and all who celebrate birthdays in December. The December birthdays will transfer in celebration to January. Anyone wishing to gather for the December celebration may do so on their own.
- On Going - Craft ladies will be taking a well-deserved break. The group will resume in January.
Help Families in Need this Christmas
Won’t you help to make Christmas a little brighter for needy families in southeast Michigan this year? Catholic Charities of Southeast Michigan’s Saint Joseph Perpetual Help Fund will help nearly 200 families this season, all nominated by Catholic parishes and Catholic organizations throughout the Archdiocese of Detroit. The more donations the fund receives by December 7, the more we can give to each family this Christmas! VIEW THE FLYER
Donate in one of two ways:
Send a check made payable to CCSEM with “Saint Joseph Perpetual Help Fund”
in the memo line to our CCSEM main office at 15945 Canal Road, Clinton Township, MI 48038.
Donate online at ccsem.org/donate. Select the box stating: “I would like to designate this donation to a specific fund.” Then scroll down the list and select
the “Saint Joseph Perpetual Help Fund.”
Donations received after the donation deadline of Dec. 7 will be used to help families throughout the year. Questions? Contact Kelly Luttinen at (248) 548-4044 x3621 or luttinenk@ccsem.org.
St Martin de Porres Church
31555 Hoover RD
Warren, MI 48093
Rev. Nicholas Zukowski, Pastor
Rev. Mr. Marion Jurewicz, Deacon
Tel: (586) 264-7515
Fax: (586) 264-4013
E-mail: parishoffice@smdeporres.com
Keep Them In Your Prayers
As baptized people, we have the privilege and duty to pray for one another. We also
know that our ministry among you will only be fruitful if we have your prayerful support.
At the beginning of each month we are publishing this “Prayer Calendar” containing, for
each day, the name of a staff member and others related to our Church. We ask that
you pray for that person and his/her ministry especially on that day as well as for the
larger Church community.
December 2018
1. Fr. Nick Zukowski (Pastor)
2. Deacon Marion Jurewicz (Permanent Deacon)
3. Sr. Pat Whalen (Worship Coordinator)
4. Janis Ayoub (Administrative Assistant))
5. Christine Cabe (Director of Christian Formation)
6. Greg Dominick (Evening Maintenance)
7. Zora Dziurman (Part Time Administrative Assistant)
8. Renee Heileman (Parish Nurse/Christian Service Director)
9. Lori Isaac (Office Manager)
10. Larry Lage (Maintenance/Building Manager)
11. Bruce Langlands (Contemporary Choir Director)
12. Mary Loria (Administrative Assistant)
13. John McGovern (Music Director)
14. Dawn Peters (Bookkeeper)
15. Jackie Sciotti (Housekeeper)
16. Brian Tomaszewski (Weekend Maintenance)
17. Parish Council & Commission Members
18. Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion
19. Lectors
20. Ushers/Ministers of Hospitality
21. Altar Servers
22. Archbishop Allen Vigneron
23. Archdiocese of Detroit
24. Bishop Robert Fisher
25. Central Macomb Vicariate
26. Seminarians
27. People of the Parish
28. Homebound Parishioners
29. Vocations
30. Parish Choirs
31. Volunteers
Bottle & Can Drive
News from the Christian Formation Office:
In our Teen/Community Room in the Parish Center, we have an area consisting of a
couch, benches, coffee table and a chair. These items were donated a long time ago.
Students in all levels use the furniture during their class time. We are in need of new
furniture. To help purchase furniture, the students will be collecting clean empty pop
cans and bottles. If you would like to donate, there is a blue barrel located in the parish
center vestibule. We would like to thank you in advance for your donation. If you have
any questions, please contact the Christian Formation Office at 586.264.7970
Stephen Ministers
A couple of years ago, there was a series of commercials on TV that promoted visiting Las Vegas. The tag line they used at the end of the commercial was “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas!” Knowing that actions are confidential provides a sense of trust.
Similarly, one of the hallmarks of the Stephen Ministry program is that the conversations that Stephen Ministers have with their care receivers are completely confidential. Because of this, care receivers are able to share their deep thoughts and feelings with their Stephen Ministers and know that no one will know what their conversations are
about unless the care receivers choose to share them with others. This provides an
opportunity for a huge emotional release for the care receivers. The Stephen Minister is there to listen and care, not judge. This is what Stephen Ministry is all about.
Are you interested in providing this kind of care for another? We are looking for fellow parishioners who want to listen and care for others confidentially. It would be a great service to your care receiver and a way to live your faith. Please contact Florence Murphy at 586-264-7515 for more information.
Susan Madro
Collection for Retired Religious, December 15 & 16
Dear Parish Family,
Next weekend is the annual Retirement Fund for Religious Appeal. You have been most generous in years past in supporting this appeal and I thank you for that. As the religious communities of sisters, brothers and priests continue to age, the cost of health care and providing for their immediate needs continue to increase. Many communities of religious worked for years for small stipends or no income at all other than food and shelter. Now they do not have adequate income and savings to care for their retired and elderly religious.
The Retirement fund is supported solely by donations and 95% of those donations go directly to aid our elder religious. In my own community (Congregation of St. Joseph) and most likely in other communities as well, we have religious who are in their 80s and 90s who are still serving in parishes, hospitals, schools, and a variety of other ministries. Many of these are in a voluntary role.
Your prayers are deeply appreciated. If you are able to help us financially that would help us provide medications, nursing care and more. We would be grateful for that also but if you are not able to help financially please continue your prayerful support. You are and will continue to be in the thousands of prayers said by these retired religious for you. Their Masses and hours spent in Eucharistic Adoration always include your needs. I would ask that you please pray for all of us ~ those retired and those of us still in active ministry.
May God bless you and reward you as only He can.
Sr. Pat Whalen, CSJ
Other Upcoming Local Events
Tree Trimming Service Thursday, December 13
On Thursday, December 13th, we will celebrate the spirit of giving and the joy of the season at our annual Tree Trimming Service. Parishioners of all ages are invited to join in this special service. The theme of our service this year is song, “The 12 Days of Christmas.” The Christian Formation students will give a special presentation about the secret spiritual meaning of each of the gifts given in the song during the 12 days of Christmas. They have made special ornaments in class to represent these gifts and to decorate our church Christmas tree with. We also invite you to bring any spiritually themed ornaments to help decorate the tree.
The festivities will start at 7:00pm in the church. It will be a time of singing, praying and giving. Parishioners are asked to bring the gifts they have purchased for those in need to the service. Please attach the tags from the Giving Trees to the outside of the packages or have them marked with the family codes that have been provided for you. This will help with the sorting of the gifts and ensure that they are given to the appropriate family or group. If you did not have an opportunity to take a gift tag from the Giving Tree, but would like to bring a gift, a new unwrapped toy would be appreciated. PLEASE RETURN ALL GIFTS BY THURSDAY, DECEMBER 13. If you cannot attend the service, please bring the gifts to the Parish Office or church by that date. All gifts will be distributed on Friday, December 14. If not received by Thursday,
the gifts probably will not go to the person they were intended for!
Everyone is invited to go to the Parish Center after the service to enjoy some Christmas cookies and beverages. Santa will be there for the children to visit with and share their wish list with. This annual event is a special time for our parish. We hope to see you there!
Keep Christ in Christmas Poster Contest
The Knights of Columbus presents:
KEEP CHRIST IN CHRISTMAS Poster Contest
All entries due: December 11, 2018
Sponsored by the Knights of Columbus #3848
Colorful Art does not meet in December
Colorful Art will not meet in December, but will resume in 2019.
Simplify with Online Giving
We have much to be thankful for! Consider using Online Giving to make a special
“Thanksgiving Gift.” You can use the “Quick Give” feature to give a one- time gift without creating a login, and you’ ll see a list of our special funds from which you can choose to contribute. We’ ll also be giving thanks when you use Online Giving because it’ s so easy for us to process! For more information...
Sign up or see your giving history at anytime, just by logging in at our Parish's web page at Connect Now.
Blood Drive on January 6
I am happy to report that we will again be having a blood drive at St. Martin de Porres. Blood is always desperately needed in our community, for victims of trauma or disasters, cancer patients, and persons with blood disorders. One donation of blood could potentially save three people’ s lives. What a great way to start the year! We are going to try a different day and time this year. The blood drive will be on Sunday, January 6th, from 9:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. This weekend and next weekend (Dec. 15 & 16) a representative from the Christian Service Commission will be in the main vestibule of the church after all Masses to help you register. You may also register online by going to redcrossblood.org and enter sponsor code: stmartindeporres . You can complete the process from there. You may also pre- read all the materials and answer the questionnaire before arriving for your appointment by logging in at redcrossblood.org/rapidpass to save time. Thank you in advance for your consideration in giving the ‘ gift of life.’
Christmas Flowers
Christmas flower envelopes must be returned by December 23 in order for the list to be in our January 6, 2019 bulletin. Please print names of the deceased for clarity.
Thank you!
Updates to Parish Records
Since joining St. Martin de Porres Parish has some of your information changed? Maybe your phone number? Maybe some of your children have moved away? Or they have reached the age of 18 and not yet registered on their own? If you are registered at St. Martin de Porres, we need to keep our records up to date. Mostly it is phone numbers that parishioners forget to inform us about when they get changed.
Please let us know of any changes by calling the parish office at 586-264-7515 or fill out
the form from the December 8&9 bulletin. Thank you.
For Widowed Men and Women
All Widowed Men and Women are invited for breakfast to enjoy good food, and a chance to meet new friends at the following locations:
2nd Monday of every Month, at 10am. Big Boy’s Restaurant, Hall Rd. and Garfield.
3rd Tuesday of every Month, at 10 am., Pancake Factory, NE corner of 23 Mile Rd and Schoenherr.
For further information about Widowed Friends and upcoming events, visit our website at www.widowedfriends.org
Join the Pius X Council
The Knights of Columbus is the world's largest Catholic fraternal service organization. Founded in the United States in 1882, it is named in honor of Christopher Columbus and dedicated to the principles of Charity, Unity,
Fraternity and Patriotism.
Meetings are held the 2nd Thursday of the month in the Parish Center, Room 1
We invite you to visit the Council's Website
Advertise in our Parish Bulletin
This week, December 10 - 14, Dave Laney, a representative from our bulletin publisher, Diocesan Publications, will be seeking new and renewing present parish bulletin ads. If you are interested in advertising please call the parish office for contact information. We feel this is an excellent opportunity for local businesses to increase their visibility in the community. Advertising in the bulletin allows this publication to be printed each week at no cost to the parish.