O God, whose mighty Son was born in Bethlehem those days long ago, lead us to that same poor place, where Mary laid her tiny Child. And as we look on in wonder and praise, make us welcome Him in all new life, see Him in the poor, and care for His handiwork the earth, the sky and the sea. O God, bless us again in your great love. We pray for this through Christ our Lord. Amen

Parish Christmas Party, Sunday, December 19th, 3:00 PM, in the Julien Room. Games, songs, etc., and pizza sponsored by Catholic Financial Life, Chapter St. Jean.

The Advent candles represent Jesus coming as the light in darkness. One candle is lit each Sunday until all four candles are lit. As Christmas draws nearer, each candle brings a little more light into the darkness. First: The Candle of Hope – Purple Purple is the primary color associated with Advent. It symbolizes penance, preparation and sacrifice. During the first week of Advent, we look forward to Jesus’ coming with hope. Second: The Candle of Peace – Purple During the second week of Advent, we reflect on our lives and work on becoming better versions of ourselves in preparation for Jesus’ coming. Third: The Candle of Joy – Pink This candle symbolizes anticipation and rejoicing. During the third week of Advent, we are filled with joy for the near arrival of Jesus on Christmas day. Fourth: The Candle of Love – Purple During this final week of Advent we rejoice in the endless love that God has for us, which is made apparent in the birth of His Son. The Little Blue Advent and Christmas Season Books are here. Be sure to pick yours up. They may be found on the table in the lobby or the back of the church.

Helping aging religious. Elderly Catholic sisters, brothers, and religious order priests have offered their lives in service to others – educating the young, comforting the sick, and ministering to the less fortunate. Today, many are frail and need assistance. Your gift to the Retirement Fund for Religious helps furnish medications, nursing care, and more. Please give generously to today’s second collection.

Mass will be celebrated on Thanksgiving Day at St. Norbert’s at 8:30 AM. The Little Blue Advent and Christmas Season Books are here. Be sure to pick yours up. They may be found on the table in the lobby or the back of the church.

Catholic Financial Life Chapter St. Jean has received a $1,000 Match Fund check from Catholic Financial Life for its Ham Dinner, making a net profit of $2,093.35 to benefit Our Lady of Fatima. Thank you again to all who helped make the dinner a success.

Stop Prop 5: Proposal 5 is a legislative proposal to amend the Vermont Constitution with pro-abortion language. Proponents of Proposal 5 have stated publicly that their goal is to ensure unlimited, unregulated abortion throughout all nine months of pregnancy. Prop 5 equals abortion-on-demand. “People on both sides of the debate over abortion know that ‘reproductive autonomy’ is publicly understood to be a way of referring to an unlimited abortion license, that is, elective abortion permitted through the entire nine months of gestation and pregnancy up to and including the process of birth.” Robert P. George Profession of Jurisprudence, Princeton University.

Catholic Campaign for Human Development, November 20-21: This special collection takes place next weekend. Please be generous. In the United States, one in six people live in poverty, and one out of every five children. With this collection, you support programs that address the causes of poverty and provide a sustainable future for those struggling across the country. In addition, 25% of the funds we collect will remain in our diocese to fund local antipoverty projects. Please prayerfully consider how you can support this collection and work on the margins. More information about the Catholic Campaign for Human Development can be found at www.usccb.org/cchd/collection.

IMPORTANT NOTICE Father Thomas will be on vacation November 15 through November 17. Therefore, there will be no weekday Masses on those days. However, there will be 8:30 AM Mass Thur., Nov. 18, & Fri., Nov. 19.

Sunday, October 24th, noon-1:30 PM. Catholic Financial Life is again sponsoring a Ham Dinner to benefit Our Lady of Fatima. Menu: Ham, Mashed Potatoes, Beans, Squash, Cole Slaw, Pickled Beets, Rolls, Dessert, & Beverage. Cost: Donations. Catholic Financial Life will match a portion of the net proceeds. Scheduled to appear – Bernie Lussier & Friends. If you would like to help, call Jeannine at 586-2899 or email cfli443@gmtmom.com.

One of the goals that Bishop Coyne has had for our Diocese is to encourage individual parishes to become more involved in ministering to and feeding the poor. Our parish has had a long, but quiet, tradition of collecting food for the Hardwick Area Food Pantry. In order to build on this, we are asking for a greater participation, as Bishop Coyne hopes. Starting in October, we will dedicate the second full weekend of the month (both Saturday and Sunday fall in the new month) to highlight and grow this ministry. We are asking families to bring in food to be contributed. During Mass, at the Offertory, people will be asked to bring their food donation to the altar, adding to the importance and the symbolism of this ministry as it has always been in Christ’s teaching and mission. Please note that next weekend, October 9 – 10, is the second full weekend. You may bring in your donations to whichever Mass you will be attending. Please pick up a copy of the HAFP’s “wish list” in the church’s entrance to aid you in buying the most needed and appropriate donations. You also can make monetary donations to the Food Pantry any time. See their website or include a check with your monthly food donation. Thank you for your cooperation and generosity.

Saturday, October 9th, will be the last Mass celebrated at OLF for the summer season.

As many of you may be aware, last fall we launched the Diocese’s first statewide campaign: Christ Our Hope: Building a Vibrant Church. While the timing was not ideal, the campaign had been planned for nearly two years and delayed several times. With the support of several generous parishioners, it was determined that we needed to move forward. Last fall, $4.4 million was raised, getting us almost halfway to our goal. At the end of the pews you will find more information about our specific goals and a case statement about the overall campaign. This campaign offers a wonderful opportunity for Mary Queen of All Saints. Not only financially – 60% of the funds we raise comes back to us for our use to address specific parish needs, but as a larger Catholic community, together we will renew, strengthen and secure a future for the Catholic Church in Vermont. In the next few weeks you will receive a letter asking you to consider pledging a gift over the next three years. Whatever you can contribute will make a difference to our parish and the future of our Church in Vermont.

Sunday, September 19, 2-4 p.m. at the home of Bev Shepard, Bridgeman Hill, Hardwick. Come see the views from the hill! Rain or shine. Bring your lawn chair. Donuts and cider provided by Catholic Daughters of the Americas, Court St. Veronica. For directions, etc., please call the rectory at Phone: (802) 472–5544

We are returning to the availability of Mass attendees receiving lowgluten hosts for the Eucharist. Intended for people who are allergic to wheat but who may not have Celiac disease, these host have a very small percentage of wheat in them. They consist of low-gluten flour which contains .002 percent gluten. By Cannon Law, any bread that ultimately becomes the Body of Christ must be made of wheat, or in this case at least have a minute trace of wheat. There are now a few low-gluten, consecrated hosts in the tabernacles at each of our 3 churches. If convenient, it would be good to notify the pastor, deacon or a Eucharistic Minister ahead of Mass that you wish to receive. If not convenient, just tell the person distributing Communion that you need a low-gluten host when you approach them in the Communion line. For those who have Celiac disease, whether formally diagnosed or not, and who cannot receive even these low-gluten host, please talk to Father Thomas or Deacon David about setting up a controlled way to receive the Precious Blood instead. If you have questions or concerns, please contact Father or Deacon.

Our Parish Feast day celebration went on well. I was very happy to see all our Parishioners praying together and enjoying the day. I thank all the sponsors and volunteers for making this day a great day. Let's continue to be united and celebrate our Christian life. I also would like to bring to your kind attention that, there won't be any request through online (FaceBook, , email, phone message) to donate for Parish or me. If you get any message like that it's a scam message. Please do not respond. I assure my prayers for you and your family.

Monday, August 9th, 6:00 PM in the Julien Room. We are in need of two more council members. If interested please contact Fr. Thomas.

Prop. 5 is the proposed amendment to the Vermont constitution to guarantee the right to personal reproductive liberty for ALL Vermonters. If passed, Vermont will be the first state in the country to explicitly protect reproductive liberty in its constitution.

Sunday, August 22 at 2244 West Hill Road Hardwick, VT SAVE THE DATE!! More Details to Follow

Ideal candidate will possess exceptional organization skills, ability to build strong teams, have a passion for evangelization, and a strong knowledge of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Job responsibilities include: scheduling education classes based upon the diocesan guidelines, coordinate and ensure employees and volunteers are up-to-date in safe environment trainings, complete and maintain catechist trainings, organize fundraising and youth events, coordinate Confirmation program and diocesan requirements, organize special events including the Christmas Pageant, hire volunteers and teachers, maintain strong communication and involvement with families, create and maintain discipleship plans and implementation parish-wide. Training provided. Candidate should be prepared for 15-20 hours (flexible) of work/week through the program period and about 10 hours weekly during the summer and planning periods. Please see Fr. Thomas Aquinas regarding compensation for this position. Parish Council Members: J