News - December 2019 RSS Feed

A big thank you to all who participated in the St. Vincent de Paul Angel Tree Program.  Because of your generosity, there were many smiling faces on Christmas morning!  Special thanks to our fantastic St. John the Baptist Youth Group and Paul Polce for their continued help.  Have a blessed holiday season!

The Fifty + Friends will not meet in January or February, but will resume meetings in March 2020.  Wishing you a blessed Advent, a merry Christmas and joyous and healthy new year!

St. John the Baptist Pastoral Center will be closed December 24, 25 and 26, 2019 an reopen on December 27, 2019 from 9:30AM to 1:30PM. Also note that the offices of St. John the Baptist Pastoral Center will be open on Monday, December 30, 2019 from 8:00AM to 12Noon and closed on December 31, 2019 and January 1, 2020. The center will reopen on Thursday, January 2, 2020 at 9:00AM. Have a blessed Christmas and a happy, healthy, and safe New Year.

Oplatki Christmas Wafers will be available the weekend of December 21/22, 2019 after all Masses. The cost is $2 per package of three wafers.

Oplatki Christmas Wafers will be available the weekend of December 14/15, 2019 after all Masses.  The cost is $2 per package of three wafers.

Thank you to the Christian Mothers for purchasing the fabric and Arlette Kronk for crafting the new curtains for the confessionals. This addition will help provide greater privacy and better sound absorption for those participating in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

St. John the Baptist Parish Cemetery now has a committal pavilion. To read more, click on heading.

Join in on Sunday, December 15, 2019 for the Youth Mass at 6:00PM at Our Lady of Fatima, Hopewell Twp., This will be followed by a social for Youth Group members at the Fatima House to celebrate this time of Advent and the coming of Christ! For more information, click heading.

We will be providing goodie bags to those having to work on Christmas Day. For seven years volunteers have identified local businesses open on Christmas Day such as gas stations, police and fire stations, the Women's Shelter, Gateway Center, movie theatres, hotels, etc.  Donations of cookies and candy, are packed beforehand, then delivered to the locations on Christmas Day. Last year, 230 bags were delivered to 40 sites by 25 volunteers from various faith communities.  Surprised smiles and hugs abounded. If you would like to donate cookies, candy or bags, please contact Peg Bishop at 412.671.7187.  Thank you in advance for your kindness.

Mass will be celebrated on Christmas Day at 10:00AM at the Brighton Rehabilitation and Wellness Center (formerly Friendship Ridge).  Volunteers are needed to escort residents to and from the Mass beginning at 9:15AM.  Liturgical cantors and instrumentalists also are needed and welcome.  If you can assist or would like more information, please call Father Bill at 724.888.6625. Thank you and God bless you.

All members of the MACH1 Youth Group are invited to join in for games, food and, most importantly to kick off Advent the right way, by celebrating Our Blessed Mother in her Immaculate Conception!  We'd love to see you there on Sunday, December 8, 2019 from 6:00PM to 8:00PM at Fatima House!  Please contact Drew Durbin via email at [email protected] regarding any questions. For more information, click heading.

As we prepare for His coming during this season of Advent, the Sacrament of Reconciliation/Confession will be available within communal Penance Services. To view our parish grouping schedule, click the heading.

Our bible study will meet on January 15, 2020 and continue our study of the Book of Job, Chapters 37-39 from the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible.  On January 22, 2020 we will be watching the DVD "Did Jesus Really Rise from the Dead?" by Ignatius Press, featuring Fr. Mitch Pacwa, Ed Sri and other EWTN speakers. Bible study is held in the Faith Formation Room of St. John the Baptist Pastoral Center.  

Many hands make for lighter work.  Won't you come and help?  Plans have been made to decorate St. John the Baptist Church in anticipation of Christmas on Wednesday, December 11, 2019 at 6:00PM. Your participation in this activity would be greatly appreciated.

On Wednesday, December 18, 2019 at 6:00PM St. John the Baptist Young Adult Group will meet in the Faith Formation Room of the Pastoral Center to aassemble Christmas Goodie Bags for the Beaver County Jail. For more details, click heading.