Parish UPDATE: December 9

Beloved of God and of this parish:

1. LOS ANGELES DIOCESAN CONVENTION:

Of your charity, please pray for the Bishops, Clergy and Lay Delegates as they assemble at the National Orange Show, San Bernadino tomorrow, Saturday, December 8 for Diocesan Convention. Pray for God's blessings on all deliberations at Convention and for a safe return home for all delegates.

2. UPCOMING EVENTS

A: Sunday, December 9 - Second Sunday in Advent. Pledge Cards will be collected during the 10 am Mass and 1 pm Misa. Thanks for your pledge. The ministries of this parish are powered by God and our collective talents, time and treasure. Your parish needs your help.

B. Saturday, December 15 - Special Vestry planning meeting following the 9 am Mass. All Vestry members please, take note and plan on attending.

• The second in the six-part BBC series on "A History of Christianity". Screening begins at 6:30 pm. Soup and bread will be served. Come learn about our faith and strengthen yours too. Friends and family members welcomed. 

C: Sunday, December 16 - Third Sunday in Advent, also known as Gaudete Sunday. We will have a special service celebrating our ministries and gifts as a parish. Please, remember to bring someone to the celebration. 

• This Sunday is a very special day in the Hispanic community. Please, join us for the Posada celebration of the Hispanic community at 3 pm. Misa for this Sunday, will also celebrate Our Lady of Guadalupe during the 1 pm Misa.  

D. Saturday, December 22 - This is a parish WORK DAY. Our day will begin with Mass at 9 am and will be followed by an hour of work to decorate the church and its surroundings in readiness for the Christmas. We will be decorating our parish/community Christmas tree in front of the church, please bring favorite [light to hang] ornaments for the tree.

E. Sunday, December 23 - The Fourth Sunday in Advent. We will have our Community Christmas sing-along [villancicos] with hot apple cider in front of the church, near the Christmas tree from 3 pm to 5 pm. Join in the festive mood, come sing carols with us.

3. REMINDERS

• Join us for Evensong EVERY Tuesday and Thursday at 7 pm to REFRESH our spiritual lives. Please, bring a friend.
• The parish Calendars - very good Christmas gifts - are still available for only $3. Please, get your copies while they last and help promote the work of this parish.
• Advent is a time of spiritual house cleaning in readiness for the advent of our Lord Jesus Christmas. Please remember that Jesus Christ is the reason for the season and prepare accordingly to celebrate Christmas with a joyful spirit.

4. OF YOUR CHARITY, PLEASE PRAY FOR:

• Julian Bergstrom's father-in-law Robert who is dying. Pray for God's strength and comforting presence for the family at this very difficult time.
• Continuing healing for Bianca Mussenden, Kay Burleigh, Betty Moreno and Anna Durkin.
• Safety in travelling for Bea and Gayle and all who will be travelling for the Christmas holy days.
• Our benefactors and all who make the ministries of this parish possible.
• All who are discerning vocations to various ministries in the Church at this time especially all being prepared for baptism at Christmas.
• All church musicians and preachers as they prepare for Christmas
• Our Palms community that it would be safe for living in, raising families and business.
• All for whom this Christmas season would be challenging because they cannot find work or have recently lost loved ones
• All who will be returning to the church at Christmas or rediscovering newer depths in their relationship with God.

See you at Mass on Sunday.

Fr. Vincent

www.stmarypalms.org

Parish UPDATE: Dec. 2

Beloved of God and of this parish:

1. ADVENT SEASON begins Sunday, December 2. We will need volunteer help to set up the church on December 1 and December 22. Please, mark your calendars for these days and help if you can. Work will begin at 10 am and finish at 11 am. We will need help with ushering and greeting newcomers and visitors to church. If you can help with ushering and greeting, please talk with Sandra after Mass.

2.  BBC VIDEO SERIES ON A HISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY:

We will begin these series on Saturday, December 1. Soup and salad would be provided. Series would run every other Saturday. Please, check Sunday's bulletin for flyers and our website and Facebook for more information. Please, encourage and bring your friends to these series. Let us strengthen our faith.

3. PLEDGE CARDS AND STEWARDSHIP CAMPAIGN:

The Stewardship Committee and the Vestry are grateful to all who have already turned in their pledge cards for fiscal year 2013 and/or have helped in cultivating new pledges for our parish. The vision, mission and ministries of this parish are owned, powered by all of us and made possible by our shared ministries and witness to the power of God working in our lives. Let us double our efforts in raising the funding necessary to make our shared ministries sustainable. No pledge effort or donation is too small. God has been generous with us, NO DOUBT, let us be generous of our resources for God and his kingdom. May the God who continues to be generous with us, inspire us to be generous to him and his kingdom.

As already published, we need all pledge cards in by Sunday, December 9 and we will have a special Stewardship celebration on Sunday, December 16. 

UPCOMING EVENTS

(a)  DIOCESAN CONVENTION:

This year's Diocesan Convention would be a one-day event scheduled for Saturday, December 8 in San Bernadino. Please, keep our Diocese and the kingdom of God in your prayers at this time.

(b)Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe: Wednesday, December 12 at 7 pm in the church. Please, invite your friends to this service.

(c) Posada: Sunday, December 16 at 1 pm. 

(d) Caroling (villancicos) at St. Mary: Sunday, December 23 at 3 pm. Time to relax with apple cider and carol singing. Time to build community - our parish and local community. All voices welcomed.

4. NEEDED FOR THE CHURCH: Our parish is in need of two (2) travel Mass kit for taking communion to shut ins and the sick. Here is a picture of what it looks like. Bought from the traditional Catholic bookstore, this is very expensive. However, you can find the same  or similar kits on Craigslist for much less. This is one of the traditional gifts of Christmas that keeps on giving for every time the sacraments are administered using the vessels from this kit, a prayer will be offered for you. 

 

5. OF YOUR CHARITY, PLEASE PRAY FOR:

(i) Recovering from illness: Ralph Williams, Bianca, Rose Lanam, Andrea Williams, Anthony Jo, Bishop Jon Bruno, Patrick Williams, Hyacinth Young,  David Lloyd, Rev. Canon Cyprian Fields, Rev. Canon Rosina Ampah, OSH

(ii) Youth in our parish: Vincent, Larry Jr, Simone, Audrey, Michelle

(iii) God's blessing on our parish, its ministries and finances

(iv) Our benefactors and all who made the ministries of this parish possible

(v) The Vestry 

(vii) All who are discerning vocations to various ministries in the church especially the consecrated life and the ordained ministries.

(viii) Peace in the Middle East, especially Jordan, Syria and Egypt.

6. EXTRA NEWS:

(i) Anglican Communion News: http://www.anglicancommunion.org/index.cfm

(ii) Diocese of Los Angeles: www.ladiocese.org

(iii) Palms Neighborhood Council: www.palmsla.org

See you at Mass on Sunday.

Fr. Vincent

www.stmarypalms.org

Parish UPDATE: Nov. 25

Beloved of God and of this parish:

1. Remember, November is Hospice Care month. On Sunday, November 25, The Parish of St. Mary in Palms, [3647 Watseka Ave] will host an information session on Palliative Care and Hospice, Advanced Directives and funeral planning from 11 am  to 11:45 am in our Parish Hall. . Our speaker will be Rose Lanam, Angeles Vista Hospice Care, Beverly Hills. If you have time to join us or have questions about Hospice Care, Advanced Directives, know that you and your friends will be welcome to join us in this project. Spread the word.

 2. Thanks...

to all who were able to join us at our joint Thanksgiving Day Eucharistic service with Grace Lutheran Church yesterday. Our efforts witnessed to the power of the Holy Spirit working in our lives in building up the kingdom of God. Thank you.

3. PLEDGE CARDS AND STEWARDSHIP CAMPAIGN:

The Stewardship Committee and the Vestry are grateful to all who have already turned in their pledge cards for fiscal year 2013 and/or have helped in cultivating new pledges for our parish. The vision, mission and ministries of this parish are owned, powered by all of us and made possible by our shared ministries and witness to the power of God working in our lives. Let us double our efforts in raising the funding necessary to make our shared ministries sustainable. No pledge effort or donation is too small. God has been generous with us, NO DOUBT, let us be generous of our resources for God and his kingdom. May the God who continues to be generous with us, inspire us to be generous to him and his kingdom.

As already published, we need all pledge cards in by Sunday, December 9 and we will have aspecial Stewardship celebration on Sunday, December 16. 

UPCOMING EVENTS

(a) BBC VIDEO SERIES ON A HISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY:

We will begin these series on Saturday, December 1. Soup and salad would be provided. Series would run every other Saturday. Please, check Sunday's bulletin for flyers and our website and Facebook for more information. Please, encourage and bring your friends to these series. Let us strengthen our faith.

(b) ADVENT SEASON begins Sunday, December 2. We will need volunteer help to set up the church on December 1 and December 22. Please, mark your calendars for these days and help if you can. Work will begin at 10 am and finish at 11 am. We will need help with ushering and greeting newcomers and visitors to church. If you can help with ushering and greeting, please talk with Sandra after Mass.

(c) DIOCESAN CONVENTION:

This year's Diocesan Convention would be a one-day event scheduled for Saturday, December 8 in San Bernadino. Please, keep our Diocese and the kingdom of God in your prayers at this time.

5. OF YOUR CHARITY, PLEASE PRAY FOR:

(i) Recovering from illness: Bianca, Andrea Williams, Andrea's Dad, Anthony Jo, Bishop Jon Bruno, Patrick Williams, Hyacinth Young,  David Lloyd, Rev. Canon Cyprian Fields, Rev. Canon Rosina Ampah, OSH

(ii) Youth in our parish: Vincent, Larry Jr, Simone, Audrey, Michelle

(iii) God's blessing on our parish, its ministries and finances

(iv) Our benefactors and all who made the ministries of this parish possible

(v) The Vestry 

6. EXTRA NEWS:

(i) Anglican Communion News: http://www.anglicancommunion.org/index.cfm

(ii) Diocese of Los Angeles: www.ladiocese.org

(iii) Palms Neighborhood Council: www.palmsla.org

See you at Mass on Sunday.

Fr. Vincent

www.stmarypalms.org

A blessed Thanksgiving Day

A blessed Thanksgiving Day to you and your loved ones.

Remember, our joint Eucharistic service on Thanksgiving Day is with Grace Lutheran Church, 4427 Overland Blvd. Culver City at 10 am.

Hospice Care month

November is Hospice Care month. On Sunday, November 25, The Parish of St. Mary in Palms, [3647 Watseka Ave] will host an information session on Palliative Care and Hospice, Advanced Directives and funeral planning from 11 am  to 11:45 am in our Parish Hall. . Our speaker will be Rose Lanam, Angeles Vista Hospice Care, Beverly Hills. If you have time to join us or have questions about Hospice Care, Advanced Directives, know that you and your friends will be welcome to join us in this project. Spread the word.

If you have questions regarding this email and event, please call Fr. Vincent at  310-558-4124

Parish UPDATE: November 18

Beloved of God and of this parish:

A.  November is Hospice Care month. 

On Sunday, November 25, our parish will be hosting a forum on "Palliative Care and Hospice, Advanced Directives and funeral planning" from 11 am  to 11:45 am in our Parish Hall.  Our speaker would be Ms. Rose Lanam, Angeles Vista Hospice Care, Beverly Hills. If you have time to join us or have questions about Hospice Care, Advanced Directives, know that you and your friends will be welcome to join us in this project.. Spread the word.

B. THIS WEEKEND - NOVEMBER 17 & 18:

(i)  Saturday, November 17: Our parish rummage sale begins at 8 am and would be finished by 3 pm. If you can help out, that would be most helpful.

(ii) We will host a poker-night fundraiser to support Lou Gehrig's disease research beginning at 3:30 pm on Saturday, November 17. Funds would benefit ALS and St. Mary. Admission is $40.

(iii) Vestry would meet on Sunday, November 18 following the 10 am Mass. Vestry members please take note and come with your monthly reports.

C. JOINT THANKSGIVING DAY SERVICE

In keeping with the traditions of this parish, we will join our sisters and brothers at Grace Lutheran Church, 4427 Overland Ave, Culver City on Thursday, November 22 for our joint-Thanksgiving Day service. Service begins at 10 am . Please, spread the word and bring your friends. Let us work towards the realization of Jesus' prayer that "they may all be one as you Father and I are one". 

D. EVENSONG

On Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7 pm in the Chapel. We are usually done by 7:30 pm. As usual, you and your friends are welcome.

E. UPCOMING EVENTS:

(i) Sunday, December 2: First Sunday in Advent and beginning of the new Church year.

(ii) Saturday, December 8: Diocesan Convention, San Bernadino

(iii) Sunday, December 16: Vestry Meeting

(iv) Sunday, December 23: Advent 4. Neighborhood Christmas sing-along - 3.30  to 5 pm.

F. Of your charity, please pray for:

(i) all who are discerning vocations to various ministries in the church

(ii) Bishop Justin Welby, Bishop of Durham and the next Archbishop of Canterbury.

(iii) all who are recovering from recent illness: Bianca Mussenden, Sr. Rosina Ampah, OSH, Patrick Williams

(iv) safety for all who will be travelling this coming week to celebrate Thanksgiving Day with family and friends.

(v) our nation as it begins the healing process post-election

(vi) a very successful parish stewardship campaign

See you at Mass

Fr. Vincent

www.stmarypalms.org

Parish UPDATE: Nov. 11

Beloved of God and of this parish:

A. THIS SUNDAY, November 11

(a) As already published, we will be observing this Sunday as Day of Remembrance and focusing on Veteran families. Not too late to invite your Veteran friends to church tomorrow. Sandra Dyson would be our homilist.

(b) St. Joseph Hall has been rented for an event on Sunday, Nov. 11 and will be "decorated" Saturday afternoon. Depending on how much decoration is needed and weather, we will provide alternate venue for coffee hour post-Mass.

(c) The Worship Committee will meet in the Rector's Office following Mass if the patio is not available.

B. NEW ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY NAMED

Yes, the Anglican Communion has a new Archbishop of Canterbury who will take over from Dr. Rowan Williams. 

Here is a link: http://us.mg6.mail.yahoo.com/neo/launch?.rand=247k65q0nq1fl

C. UPCOMING EVENTS:

1. THRIFT (RUMMAGE) SALE:

(a) Friday, November 16 - all day preparation and pricing of items for the rummage (thrift) sales to raise funds for the church.

(b) Saturday, November 17 - sale begins at 8 am and finishes at 3 pm.

2. POKER NIGHT FUNDRAISER

We will host a Poker Night to raise funds for Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), often referred to as "Lou Gehrig's Disease. This is a private initiative and our parish will get a share of the funds raised. A $40 donation is requested. We expect over 50 participants. Please, invite your Poker friends to the event. Event begins at 4 pm.

3. NOVEMBER IS___:

• National Diabetes Month
• Lung Cancer Awareness Month 
• Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month as well as 
• Hospice Palliative Care Month. 
• We will have two conversations on Hospice Palliative Care on November 25 after Mass. Conversation would include preparing Advance Directives and Funeral Plans

4. EVENSONG AT ST. MARY

Tired at the end of the day from all that office work and traffic? Need some time to pray with friends? Join us every Tuesday and Thursday at 7pm  to pray the Evening Service from the Book of Common Prayer. Spread the word and bring your friends.

5. THANKSGIVING DAY JOINT EUCHARISTIC SERVICE

At Grace Lutheran Church, 4427 Overland Ave, Culver City at 10 am on Thursday, November 22.  This is an annual event going back many years. Join us in celebrating our common discipleship and witness to the reconciling love of God.

6. POST ELECTION

The 2012 national elections are over. It is time to pray and work for reconciliation across our nation and healing of our land asking God to begin first with "me/us". Christ has given us the ministry of reconciliation, we come therefore as ambassadors of Christ. - 2 Corinthians 5:18 - 20

7. Of your charity, please pray for:

(a) those recovering from recent illness: Jon Bruno, Bianca Mussenden, Anthony Joseph, Patrick Williams, Cyprian Fields

(b) all who are recovering from the effects of super-storm Sandy.

(c) all who have been recently diagnosed with Cancer: Rosina

(d) all who work to make the Palms community safe for residents and businesses. 

(e) all Veterans and their families

(f)  the Diocese of Los Angeles as it prepares to meet on December 8 at Diocesan Convention

(g) God's blessings on our Stewardship Campaign, our shared ministries and vocations in this community.

(h) our students: Vincent, Larry and Simone (College); Jeffrey, Audrey, Michelle (Middle and High School)

See you at Mass on Sunday.

Fr. Vincent

www.stmarypalms.org

... ""Every Christian needs a half hour of prayer each day, except when he is busy, then he needs an hour." - Saint Francis of Sales "