Saint James Parish Goal
To deepen our own faith in Jesus Christ in order to
bring it to and share it with others.

BIBLE STUDY

Our Bible Study at St. James is taking a short break for the Christmas season. We will pick up again with our study using the Little Rock Scripture Study program on January 23/24. There will be 6 sessions in the Great Room during January and February to conclude our study of Luke’s Gospel. It is not necessary to have come to the first series of Bible Study sessions in order to participate in this free second series. We invite you to join us any week on Monday night or on Tuesday morning after the 9:00 Mass. The dates are listed below. Contact Sr. Zoe Ann if you have any questions.

7:00 PM Monday, February 6 and repeated 9:30 AM Tuesday, February 7

7:00 PM Monday, February 13 and repeated 9:30 AM Tuesday, February 14

7:00 PM Monday, February 20 and repeated 9:30 AM Tuesday, February 21

7:00 PM Monday, February 27 and repeated 9:30 AM Tuesday, February 28

BIBLE STUDY – GOSPEL OF LUKE

Our Bible Study at St. James will take a short break for the Christmas season. Watch the bulletin and the parish website for the upcoming dates in January 2012 when we will pick up again with our study of the Gospel of Luke using the Little Rock Scripture Study program.

BIBLE STUDY

We have begun a new Bible Study at St. James focusing on the Book of Luke and will continue weekly through the first week in December. Sessions are on Monday evenings at 7:00 and repeated on Tuesday mornings at 9:30 in the Great Room.

At our first session Fr. Downs presented a general introduction to the Bible. We have now begun a series of 6 sessions on the Gospel of Luke using the Little Rock Scripture Study program. There is no cost for the Bible Study. A free will donation will be accepted from those who feel they are able to help cover the cost of the $7 book.

All parishioners and friends are welcome to participate. BYOB – Bring Your Own Bible. If you don’t have one, there will be Bibles available to borrow or purchase. Please contact Sr. Zoe Ann today by phone or email to register, if possible. If not, just come on Monday night or Tuesday morning.

IS RCIA FOR YOU or SOMEONE YOU KNOW?

If you – or someone you know – can answer YES to any of the following questions, then R.C.I.A may be for you.

Are you ---

U An unbaptized person?

U Baptized Catholic but never confirmed or received Holy Communion?

U Baptized, made First Communion, but had no formal learning sessions since celebrating those sacraments?

U Baptized in another Christian denomination, but now interested in learning about the Catholic Church?

U A person wishing to know more about Catholicism?

U A person wishing to become a member of the Catholic faith community?

If you answered yes, please use the form below. Anyone with questions and/or wishing to become a part of the process called the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults may call Sr. Zoe Ann at 724-964-8276, ext. 15 or any member of the RCIA team.

RITE OF CHRISTIAN INITIATION OF ADULTS (RCIA)

I am aware of a person who may be interested in learning more about the Catholic Church and/or the RCIA initiation process for becoming Catholic.

I, (your name) ______________________________ suggest you contact the following person:

NAME_______________________________ PHONE _

ADDRESS ____________________________________________________________________

BAPTISM PREP

Are you expecting a new baby in your family? Do you have a young child for whom you would like to request Baptism? If so, we invite you to a meeting to help you prepare for your child’s Baptism. The baptismal preparation session is scheduled as needed and is available to parents who intend to bring up their children in the Catholic faith and for the godparents. To register, call Sr. Zoe Ann at 724-964-8276, ext. 15. We look forward to helping you prepare for this important and joyful event in your family!

PASTORAL COUNCIL

We as a parish are beginning the process of calling forth new members to serve on the Pastoral Council for a three year term. Pastoral Council is the group which helps to envision and articulate a pastoral plan which will enhance the spiritual life of the parish. All parishioners are invited to start thinking of people who might have the qualifications and desire to minister in this way. Below are some FAQs about Pastoral Council.

What qualifications are needed for a person to serve on the Pastoral Council?

· Candidates are confirmed members of the parish community who are active in the life of the parish, celebrate the sacraments regularly, and worship at St. James each weekend.

· They are willing to participate in sessions to acquaint them with the work of the council.

· They are visionary people who are able to plan for the good of the whole parish and able to listen and be open-minded to the ideas of others.

· They are committed and able to give time to attend meetings, to prepare sufficiently for council work, and to work collaboratively in a group process of prayer, consensus building, and planning.

How often does the council meet?

St. James Parish Pastoral Council has six regular meetings a year. They convene every other month: February, April, June, August, October and December.

How many years do council members serve?

Pastoral Council members serve a term of three years.

What is the purpose of the Pastoral Council in our parish?

The fundamental responsibility of the Parish Pastoral Council is to establish and nurture a spiritual vision for St. James the Apostle Parish.

What is meant by a spiritual vision?

The vision represents the desire and commitment of the council

a. to work for the spiritual transformation of people

b. to identify and respond to the needs of people through effective ministries

c. to plan intentionally for the future, guided by the parish mission statement.

Who are the current members of the Pastoral Council who might help answer other questions about the council and the process for selecting members?

Term Ending 2011: Mary Ann Buly, Chuck Nogee, Marlene Stoddard,
Term Continuing until 2012: Dolores Despetorich, Carol Prentice, Cindy Romeo
Term Continuing until 2013: Pauline Beck, Kathy Fischer, Nick Riehl

Victim’s Assistance Hot-line Diocese of Pittsburgh

If you are a person who has been hurt by abuse from clergy or others associated with the Church, the Diocese offers assistance with counseling, spiritual direction and referrals to other supportive services. For information on any of these services, we invite you to contact the Diocesan Assistance Coordinator toll free at 1.888.808.1235.

If you feel you are a victim of sexual abuse by any personnel in the Pittsburgh Diocese,
call the Diocesan Victims Assistance Hotline
1-888-808-1235.

									
									ALL 
									VOLUNTEERS IN THE PARISH

As 
									part of the plan to create a safe 
									environment for children in our church, all 
									parishioners who volunteer in any capacity 
									in the parish – Committee/Council/Team 
									Members, CWO, Men’s Group, Catechists, 
									Eucharistic Ministers, Lectors, Music 
									Ministers, Ushers, Kitchen Workers, etc. – 
									are asked by the Diocese of Pittsburgh to 
									fulfill four basic requirements which are 
									described below. For more information 
									about the requirements, contact Susan Dexter 
									or Sr. Zoe Ann at 724-964-8276.
									
									1) 
									The first 
									requirement is to register online with the 
									Diocese of Pittsburgh Database. This is a 
									relatively simple process of entering your 
									name, address, and basic information about 
									yourself. To begin the application process 
									go online to the diocesan website
									
									www.diopitt.org and click on the 
									box for database application on the left 
									side of the screen or call the parish office 
									for directions on how to apply. 

									2) The 
									second requirement is to sign the Code of 
									Pastoral Conduct. This is a document stating 
									the expected behavioral standards for all 
									Church volunteers within the diocese. Your 
									signature on the Acknowledgement Form 
									signifies that you agree to act in accord 
									with Catholic values. Call the parish office 
									to obtain a copy of the Code. 

									3) The 
									third requirement is to participate in a 
									Protecting God’s Children workshop. It is an 
									excellent program that truly equips adults 
									to create safer environments for children. 
									For a list of all PGC workshops in our area, 
									go to the diocesan website
									
									www.diopitt.org and scroll down 
									toward the bottom to the section on Current 
									Issues and click on the line Protecting 
									God’s Children Workshops. 
4) The 
									fourth requirement is to apply for the Dept 
									of Public Welfare (DPW) Child Abuse History 
									Clearance. After you complete the first 
									requirement of registering online with the 
									diocesan database, a PA State Police 
									Criminal Record Check (CRC) will 
									automatically be submitted electronically 
									for you. A copy of that report will be sent 
									to the parish. The parish will then provide 
									you with a copy of that CRC report and a DPW 
									form to complete. The CRC report must be 
									attached to the completed DPW form before it 
									is submitted it to the state.

									
									Hi St. James Parishioners,

									
										
											
														As you probably know 
														from the bulletin 
														articles, there is a 
														Food Cupboard at St. 
														Joseph Parish in New 
														Castle that is supported 
														by the parishes in 
														Lawrence Co. So now when 
														people come to us at St. 
														James with requests, we 
														can send them to St. 
														Joe's for food. Anyone 
														from our area who is in 
														need of food can go 
														there for help. 

We are grateful that St. 
														Joe's is willing and 
														able to provide this 
														wonderful ministry, and 
														we want to support them 
														so that this can 
														continue. Thus, we send 
														monetary and food 
														contributions to the 
														Food Cupboard. 
													

														Each month we at St. 
														James are collecting a 
														specific food item to 
														donate. This month it is
														
														CANNED VEGETABLES. 
														So when you are shopping 
														this week or see a good 
														sale, remember to throw 
														a few extra cans into 
														your grocery cart for 
														the Food Cupboard.
														

														
														Then when you come to 
														Mass this weekend, 
														remember to bring your 
														cans and put them in the 
														containers in the 
														narthex. Thank you for 
														reaching out to others 
														in this way and helping 
														to feed Christ present 
														among us today!

										

									
									MARRIAGE 
									MINISTRY

									Following are some contacts for marriage 
									ministries sponsored by the Diocese of 
									Pittsburgh. For more information on any of 
									them, call the number listed or contact Sr. 
									Zoe Ann.

Engaged Encounter Marriage 
									Preparation Weekend for engaged couples 
									Contact Brian & Nancy Stevens at 
									412-861-0262

Marriage Encounter (Inspirational 
									Weekend Experience for Married Couples) 
									Contact Mary & Lou Locante at 412-635-7775

									
Retrouvaille (Help for Troubled 
									Marriages) weekend experience: private time 
									& confidentiality. Contact Eric & Vicki John 
									at 1-800-470-2230

									
									
									Natural Family Planning Contact 
									numbers for information on NFP include the 
									following:
Jacki Pleska 724-747-2470; Dolores Shipe 
									412-732-0502; Micha Peters 412-766-4053

									
									VILLA SHOPPE

									
									There 
									is a gift shop at the Villa which is now 
									open to the public each day from 11:00 AM 
									to 3:00 PM each day except for Monday, 
									Wednesday & Sunday when it's closed. The 
									shop features traditional items, e.g., 
									sweatshirts, cards, jewelry, crosses, 
									rosaries, books, CDs, as well as many unique 
									gifts, e.g., prayer bowls, handheld 
									labyrinths, fair trade coffees and soup 
									mixes, original art prints, holiday baskets 
									and the Villa Cook Book. Call ahead for 
									evening hours. 724-964-8920 ext. 3279.

									
									NEW ADULT CATECHISM

									Many of you are probably aware that there is 
									a new United States Catholic Catechism for 
									Adults. There have been articles about it in 
									the newspapers and in the Pittsburgh 
									Catholic. Based on the universal catechism, 
									the book was developed by the U.S. 
									Conference of Bishops. It is written with a 
									very reader-friendly format including lots 
									of stories, sidebars, and summary boxes. 
									Copies of the new catechism are available at 
									St. James for purchase at the discounted 
									price of $16 rather than the list price of 
									$25. Anyone interested in purchasing a 
									catechism should contact Sr. Zoe Ann or sign 
									up on the sheet in the narthex. Checks can 
									be made payable to St. James. 

									
									BIBLES FOR SALE

									$10 for 
									paperback copy. The New American Catholic 
									Bible. Contact Sr. Zoe Ann or The Religious 
									Education Committee

NEW RCIA GROUP

We are presently forming a new inquiry group for the RCIA process. If you know of someone who may be interested in learning more about the Catholic Church and is discerning the possibility of becoming Catholic, please contact Sister Zoe Ann by calling the parish office at 724-964-8276.

HOSPITAL & NURSING HOME STAYS

A recently enacted law has affected the longstanding practice of hospitals and nursing facilities of providing information to parishes about parishioners who are patients or residents. Because of the new law, the priests and the staff of the parish may not promptly learn or may not learn at all, that a member of the parish has been admitted to the hospital or nursing home. If you, or a member of your family are hospitalized or enter a long-term care facility or assisted, independent living residential facility and you want the parish office to know, please personally or through a family member contact the church office promptly. We will do our best to obtain information about our parishioners, but we are limited in the information we can obtain. Thank you for your attention to this important matter.