Bulletin Postings for 26 October 2008

Father Chuck is in Fairbanks for a series of meetings with the Bishop. He will be back on Friday evening.

The Parish Office will be closed on Friday, October 31, as Father will be gone, Susan has meetings and Friday is Elyse's day off.

The ten o'clock Mass next Sunday will be a Children's Mass. All members of the Faith Formation Classes are asked to be here no later than 15 minutes to 10. We are asking parents to send cookies or other goodies as a special treat after Mass for the students that day.

Remember in your prayers Gilberto Zazueta (known as Perea) has terminal cancer. Please remember him and his family in your prayers.

The Book Fair will be held on November 7 and 8 in the Social Hall. Donations of books , videos, DVDs and games can be left at the Parish office through November 3.

Work of Human Hands catalogs are here and we will be sending out our first order next weekend. If you would like to make out an order see Susan.

Marriage plans? Our diocese requires at least a four month preparation period. If you are hearing wedding bells, see Father Chuck.

Our faith formation program for 4 year olds through 8th grade begins at 11:15 Sunday mornings and ends at 12:15. Please be prompt in picking up your children. The high school class takes place after the 5 pm Mass and lasts for approximately one hour.

Interested in putting on a Christmas Bazaar Bake sale? If you would like to plan one, see Susan.

Our next baptism Sunday will be November 23. If you have a child to be baptized, see Father Chuck or Susan.

We are recruiting Eucharistic Ministers to visit those in the hospital , who are confined to their homes or who are unable to attend Mass and bring them Communion on Sundays. This is a very special ministry which requires giving of time on a Sunday.Teams of two ministers spend around 2 hours making the rounds of the hospital and homes . Currently, we have three teams now and would like to have three more which would then enable us to schedule each team every six weeks and as well as give us a backup team. See Father Chuck or Susan if you are interested.

We are also looking for volunteers to visit the Youth Facility and lead a prayer/ song service on Sunday morning. At the present time we have two including Father and would like to have two more which would allow us to schedule each person once a month. Since most of the residents of the Youth Facility are male we encourage men to volunteer but any volunteer is welcome. Again, see Father Chuck or Susan if you are interested.

Bulletin Postings for 5 October 2008

Thank you! Thank you, to the anonymous person who donated 500 gallons of fuel oil to the church. This gift enabled us to top off the fuel tanks for the church and social hall and almost top off the other two tanks.

Fr. Chuck will be leaving Friday to go to Marshall and Russian Mission and will return Tuesday the 14th of October.

Rummage Room Update! We have begun the renovations on Meneger Hall (or the AA building as it is more commonly known.) Meneger Hall was built in 1944 and was the first Catholic church here in Bethel. It is being converted into a Rummage Room and the people who normally meet there will be meeting in the white house across the parking lot from the Church. The rummage building has been leveled and shelves are being built to hold the clothes and other items.

The Youth Group will meet after the 5pm Sunday Youth Mass at 6pm to discuss Heaven and Purgatory. How glorious!

Safe Sunday: The diocese of Fairbanks places great emphasis on the safety of our children and requires all those who work with them to undergo a background check and to receive training each year. This manditory training will take place Wednesday evening at 7 pm in Father's residence and will last approximately two hours. All catechists and those who plan to work with children, are required to attend even if they have received the training previously. In addition, next Sunday, October 12, has been designated Safe Sunday by the diocese and we are required to provide tour students in the faith formation program with age appropriate training in keeping safe. We will be showing the videos approved by the diocese next Sunday in all our Faith Formation classes except for preschool. Parents who wish to preview these videos are asked to attend the training for faith formation teachers on Wednesday. Those parents who do not want their children to see the videos will need to sign a statement saying so.

Our next Baptism Sunday is October 19. See Susan or Father if you have a child to be baptized.

Debbie Fairbanks has volunteered to run another book fair, so start identifying books you are willing to donate to this event. We have not established a date yet but it will probably be in late October or early November.

We are continuing our Prayer Vigils for Victims of Domestic Violence. Join us for the next two Wednesday evenings from 7-8 pm for a prayer vigil for victims of domestic violence. Domestic violence affects us all, so everyone is welcomed and encouraged to join us in prayer. Anyone interested in leading or speaking at any of our parish's prayer vigils can contact Deacon Brian McCaffery at 543-2962(H) or 1014(W).

Start planning now to attend the Northwest Catholic Women's Convocation IV on May 1-2, 2009 at the Maydenbauer Center in Bellevue, Washington. The convocation gathers women for prayer, ritual, education, empowerment, celebration and transformation. The theme of this year's convocation is Dawning of a New Story:Radical Hope. Brochures and registration forms will be available in November. Registration fees are $110.00 per person. This is a great conference. See Susan if you are interested in attending.

Once again we are joining with the Covenant Church to provide a free hot meal each Friday evening from 6-7:30 pm to those who wish to participate. The Friday Night Supper Club will begin again on Friday, October 17 and continue through April of next year. We are asking for donations of food, such as fish, moose, meat, pasta, both canned and fresh vegetables and fruit, or money to help support the program. We also need volunteers to help with the cooking and serving. For more information, see Elyse.

Welcome to the delegates to the AVCP Convention which will take place this week. AVCP is sponsoring a potluck dinner for the delegates on Wednesday evening at 6 pm. If you would like to donate a dish for the potluck, contact Sheila Beaver at AVCP or just bring one to the Cultural Center by 6pm.

The Bethel Alternative Boarding School (BABS) currently has openings and is particularly encouraging village students to apply. If you know anyone who isn't in school or is struggling in their current school and is between 15 and 21 years of age, have them come to the school and pick up an application as soon as possible or you can go to www.lksd.org, click on BABS and download the application or you can call the school at 543-5610 and ask for Erin.

A support group for women who have suffered losses meets every Thursday evening at 7 pm in the lobby of the Church. All women who have suffered losses are welcome to attend.

Get your free flu shots next Saturday, October 11 during Bethel's Mass Dispensing Exercise. This year, instead of a single large distribution site, several mobile sites and one drive through site are being planned.

Permanent Fund Checks were supposed to be mailed this week. Remember to put money aside to pay income tax next April. Because of the amount of the check even children will have to pay income tax so now is a good time to put aside the money.

We have had several people inquire about the RCIA classes. The Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) is for people interested in joining the Catholic Church or for adult Catholics who have not received all of the sacraments of initiation (baptism, communion, confirmation) and would like to learn more about their faith. Talk to Father Chuck, Susan, or Brian if you are interested in taking the class which usually meets once a week.