VOL.

3 DECEMBER 3-4, 2011 ISSUE 48

Welcome to Good Shepherd Chapel

Second Sunday of Advent

Scripture Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God! (Isaiah 40:3) Kindness and truth shall meet; justice and peace shall kiss. (Psalm 85:11) one day is like a thousand years and a thousand years like one day. (2 Peter 8,9) Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths. (Mark 1:3) Reflection Where and when are you are preparing the way of the Lord? How is it possible to provide both justice and peace without conflict? Where is your journey taking you? Is it where you want to (always) be? Have you looked to your parish faith community for answers? every man (person) is Christ on the cross, whether he realizes it or not. But we, if we are Christians, must learn to realize it. That is what it means to be a Christian: not simply one who believes certain reports about Christ, but one who lives in a conscious confrontation with Christ in himself and in other men. This means, therefore the choice to become empty of ones self, the illusory self fabricated by our desires and our fears, the self that is here now and will cease being here is this or that happens. It means finally preferring silent action and interior sacrifice, because words have become too cheap, and programs grow on every tree. Better than any program is the decision to accept suffering, knowing why and for what, without justifying oneself. People are learning once again to fast for peace.1
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Pastoral Council Executive Board

(COL) JEFF LEPAK, PRESIDENT jeffrey.john.lepak@us.army.mil HERMAN GONZALEZ, VICE-P herman.gonzalez1962@gmail.com LOREN SIMPSON, SECRETARY simpsgm@knology.net TINA RABY, FINANCIAL ADVISOR gritstwo@yahoo.com

Merton, Thomas, Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander, Doubleday: New York, 1966/1989 P. 219 Retrieved from For the Ride Home by Ted Bergh, ParishVision Llc 2011 Visit ParishVision.org.

Pastor: Fr. Joseph Lea (267) 243-5861 Co-Pastor: Fr. Aniekwe (706) 791-4307 Outgoing Pastor: Fr. Damian Ilokaba, (706)791-4307 NCOIC: SSG. Clarence Slaughter (706) 791-4308 Deacons: - George Foster (706) 860-2379 - Mike Marchek (706) 855-2107 - David Kriegel (706) 869-9781 PLC: Lola Rivera (706)-993-1816 stmichaelparish@ymail.com RE Coordinator: Sherry Wodicka (706) 726-0651 swodicka24@gmail.com Music Director: Sonia Rivera (706) 627-0637 MCCW: Kim Besel mccwfg@yahoo.com Knights of Columbus: Allen Larson larsonlair05@hughes.net Youth Ministry: Nisa Vera nisa_vera@yahoo.com EME: Judy Kriegel, (706) 869-9781 Altar Servers: Alex Besel adbesel@gmail.com, (706)855-9275 Lectors: Tom Dean, (706)860-6946 Ushers: Ron Shannon 706-868-5960 Flowers Ministry: Fran Simpson francespsimpson123@yahoo.com Welcome Sunday: Adriana Gramer adriclanger@gmail.com Editor: Lola Rivera (443) 223-1125 lolarivera@ymail.com

Parish Staff and Ministries

Our Lady of Guadalupe Spanish Mass

We are pleased to announce that we will celebrate a special Mass in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Americas, on December 11, at 4pm. This Mass will be celebrated in Spanish by Father Lea. Help us to spread the word among the Catholic Spanish-speaking community. We will have our social gathering after Mass. Bring a dish to share. Please, contact Herman Gonzalez at (706) 951-7883 if you have any questions, or you would like to help in any way. Also, contact the Music Director, Sonia Rivera (706) 627-0637, if you would like to sing or play an instrument at this Mass. Join us!

PARISH HAPPENINGS
Parish Council Meeting
St. Michaels Parish Council Meeting is scheduled for Tuesday December 6th, 2011. The meeting will be at Good Shepherd Chapel (GSC), social room at 5:30 pm.

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Ministry Retreat in January!

Our next Ministry Retreat and training will be on January 7th, 2012, 9:30-4pm. ALL Ministries are required to attend this oneday retreat/training. Ministry heads are also asked to prepare a 10 minutes brief on their programs. More information to come soon via email. Contact Lola Rivera if you have any question.

Confessions/ Reconciliation
Private confessions at St. Michaels are available for you before Mass on Saturdays 4pm and Sundays at 8am in the confessional box located in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel, but also face-to-face and by appointment at your convenience. Confessions are available in Spanish when Father Joseph celebrates mass.

Survey Going On Now!

St. Michaels is conducting a survey at this moment to rediscover this parish as a community of faith, grace, and service. We need to know how you feel and how we can meet your needs. Your input will help us improve our mission. This is survey per household. Please visit our website to complete your survey. Your input is very important to us. Please contact the PLC if you need a copy of this survey. Thanks for your continued support!

Parish Registration
We are conducting a Parish Census this month. Please stop by the registration table located at the main entrance after Mass to fill out the registration card. We appreciate your time.

Adoration on Wednesday
Join us for adoration this coming Wednesday at 18:30pm. We meet every week to spend and dedicate an hour in Eucharistic Adoration. This is a great way to increase your faith and help you with your prayer life.

http://stmichaelparishfg.blogspot.com/

Volunteer Wanted!
We are looking for volunteers to coordinate the following ministries: Evangelization Please, contact Lola Rivera if you are interested in coordinating any of these ministries, or if you need more information @ stmichaelparish@ymail.com.

Wedding Anniversary & Marriage Vow Renewal

Send us an email if you are celebrating your wedding anniversary next month, lolarivera@ymail.com. We also encourage you to let us know if you would like to renew your marriage vows at Mass, at least two weeks in advance. Requests can be submitted at: stmichaelparish@ymail.com

Choir Rehearsals
Choir practices are on Thursdays in Building 13, located in the Religious Education Complex. Children: 6:30-7:15pm Adults: 7:30-8:30pm
Singers and musicians are welcomed! Contact Sonia Rivera at (706) 627-0637

Children's Christmas Pageant

The Childrens Christmas Pageant will be on December 24th, at 4pm Mass. We need children for the play and also for the choir. We will provide costumes for the participants. Angels, lambs, shepherds, and other characters are needed. Rehearsals will be next Sunday at 1pm, right after CCD. Parents, encourage your children to participate in this activity. Please, contact Sherry Wodicka today if your children would like to participate at

Richard & JoAnn Capozzoli Dec 9th, 39th Anniversary Steve & Maisy Rozic Dec 16, 46th Anniversary May God continue to bless you.

swodicka24@gmail.com

Pro-Life Rosary
We will meet on Wednesday January the first Wednesday of each month starting on January 3rd before Adoration at 6:00pm. Join us!

PLCs Office Hours

The Parish Life Coordinator is available to assist you the following days: MonWed Fri 9:30am to 1pm. After hours assistance only by appointment at (706) 993-1816.

YOUTH MASS
Join us!!

UPCOMING DESIGNATED OFFERING

There will be a designated offering on December 11, 2011for Institute of Religious and Health. Please know that this offering is directed by the office of the Chief of Chaplains. Parish Council Financial Advisor, Tina Raby

REMINDER
This is a courtesy reminder from Father Joseph Lea. Ministry heads and volunteers should use the chain of command to inform of any concern, questions and matters. If you need help or need assistance, please contact the Parish Life Coordinator, Lola Rivera. If she is not available or you cannot reach her via phone or email, please contact one of the Deacons or our Pastor if the deacons are not available. Do NOT go directly to the Chaplain Assistant. Chaplain Assistants assist chaplains. Thank you for your cooperation.

& MINISTRIES NEWS

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7 Dec Immaculate Conception Vigil Mass, 5pm 8 Dec Immaculate Conception Mass, 11:30am 11 DecOur Lady of Guadalupe Spanish mass, 4pm 15 Dec Advend Reconciliation Service, 7pm 24 Dec Christmas Children Mass, 4pm Saturday 24 Dec 5pm Mass CANCELED 24 Dec Christmas Midnight Mass, 12am Sunday 25 Dec 8:30am Mass CANCELED 25 Dec Christmas Mass 10am 31 Dec- New Yearss Eve Mass, 5pm

Access Parish updates, Council meetings minutes, current newsletters, and more

http://stmichaelparishfg.blogspot.com/ Military Council of Catholic Women (MCCW)

Faith Study The MCCW faith study will meet on Monday, December 5 in Building 13 at 9:30am. Childcare is available, but you must sign up in advance. Contact Tina Raby at mccwfg@yahoo.com for more information. Hygiene Items and Laundry Soap Needed! This year MCCW will support Catholic Social Services as our designated charity. We have learned from Sister Janet Roddy, the director, that they really need hygiene items such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, shampoo, etc. and small bottles of laundry detergent to hand out to homeless and jobless families and individuals in the Augusta area. Please help us support those who so desperately need it in our very own community. We will have a box in the back hallway where you can deposit your gifts. Thank you!!

Altar Servers Training!!!

There will be Altar Server Training session on December 3rd. from Noon - 1300 at Good Shepherd Chapel. All current and new servers must attend. A schedule will be drawn up and distributed at that time. For more information please contact Alex Besel at adbesel@gmail.com or (706) 8559275.

Knights of Columbus
Monthly Meeting Please know that our next meeting will be on Tuesday December 20th, 2011 in Bldg. 13 at 1830. Social and the meeting starts at 1900 hours. Contact the Grand Knight Al Larson at larsonlair05@hughes.net if you have any question. Christmas Cards Orders This weekend will be the last weekend that Knights of Columbus will be taking orders for Keep Christ in Christmas cards. Please support this program as 100 percent of the profits support local charities. Thank you for your support.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR!! - 4 December CYM Christmas Craft Making for ALL 6th thru 12th grade students. Meet in Bldg 13 immediately after CCD. Lunch will be served while we make Christmas gifts for our veterans. - 7 December at 6:45pm CYM and Parents will meet at the Wrightsboro Road VA for Christmas Carolling and delivery of the Christmas gifts we made. - 18 December Youth Mass at the 10 am Mass. For further details on any youth activities, please contact nisa_vera@yahoo.com or call (706) 589-1071 CYM is asking you to donate toiletry items such as soap, shampoo, toothpaste, tooth brushes, deodorants, and combs, and also white tube socks for men and women, as well as, underwear in all sizes, white preferred. Please place all goods and toiletry items in the collection box located in the social room. Contact us if you have any question. Thank you!

Thanksgiving Luncheon 2011

Last November 22nd, the Fort Gordon Community celebrated the 2011 Thanksgiving Service and Luncheon hosted by the Installation Unit Ministry Team at the Gordon Club. Among a large number of attendees, four MCCW members and one Knight of Columbus member volunteered at this event, and had the chance to enjoy the delightful talk by the special guest speaker Randy Kington, United States Marine Corps. Mrs. Wodicka, Mrs. Phair, Mrs. Cody, Mrs. Rivera, and Mr. Phair, with Fr. Damian and Fr. Sam enjoyed this great celebration.

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PRAY FOR OUR MILITARY
Please remember in your prayers all those who are deployed, their families and friends during their deployments. If your love one is one of them, or you know any deployed military personnel send us his or her name, so we can include it in our daily prayers. Send your prayer request to lolarivera@ymail.com. Susan Wersal SSG Carl W. Thompson SFC Nathan Varner CW2 Clarence W. Raby, III COL William Walker HM1 Genell Cody SrA James Varner

PRAY FOR EXPECTANT MOTHERS

Please pray for our expectant mothers and their babies. If you are a member of St. Michaels Parish and expecting a baby, or have a friend or relative who is a expecting a baby, please send us her name to add it to our list @ lolarivera@ymail.com.

Kirsten Fontimayor
St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray; and do Thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host by the Divine Power of God thrust into hell, Satan and all the evil spirits, who roam throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

ADULTS PROGRAMS Coffee and Theology
Coffee and Theology is a religious education for adults that meets on Sundays at 11:30am at the RSO Bld. 29601. Contact Tom Dean (706) 860-6946 if you have any question.

Bible Study
St. Michaels Bible Study is on Tuesdays at 7:30pm in the activity room. We are studying a Bible Study on the Books of Hebrews.

CCD Registration
CCD registration is open throughout the year. Please know that in order to receive the Holy Sacrament of First Communion or Confirmation, children need to attend Religious Education as required. Contact Sherry if you have questions.

CHILDREN PROGRAMS Volunteers Needed

We are in need of several Catechists and substitute teachers to help with the CCD program, grades Pre-K through High School. Co-Teachers and assistants are needed too!! Anyone interested in volunteering to teach Religious Education this year, please contact Sherry Wodicka @ Swodicka24@gmail.com or (706) 592-6478.

LITURGICAL LIFE
Weekend Masses Saturday 17:00 Sunday 08:30 & 10:00 Daily Mass Mon, Wed, Thurs. 11:30 Mon-Friday DDEAMC 11:45 Reconciliation Saturday 16:00 Sunday 08:00 Rosary Saturday 16:30 Sunday 08:00 Communion (Sick/ Homebound): Deacon George Foster Weddings Deacon George Foster Baptisms Deacon Mike Marchek Liturgy Deacon David Kriegel Adoration Wednesday 18:30 Religious Education (RE) Sunday 11:30 (RSO and RE Complex)

Decembers Calendar
Dec 3rd 1st Communion Workshop. Dec 11 Christmas Party w/class Dec 24 @ 4pm Children Mass Christmas break from Dec 18-Jan 1 Classes resume on January 8th.

Bulletin Announcements
Bulletin announcements must be submitted to lolarivera@ymail.com by Sunday 5pm. Announcements received after the deadline, they might not be announced. Contact Lola Rivera if you have questions. Thank you.

Last Weeks Stewardship

Attendance: 378 Offering: $1,548.92