Christmas Sharing Tree
The sharing Tree has been a tradition for many years at St. Dennis. Each gift goes to a family in need. For those who wish to participate, please select a star from the tree. Each star will have 3 gifts listed and the child sizes. You do not need to buy all gifts listed or buy clothes. This is set up this way because some people want to buy more than one gift and some would like to buy a toy and clothes. Children’s ages will be from newborn to 14 years old.
Please take a star…when you buy a gift attach the star securely to the package or gift bag. Please have all gifts under the tree by Dec 8th All gifts will be given out on Dec. 14th We will need a few volunteers to help put gifts in the pews at 2pm. Gifts will be picked up at 230pm. Please let the parish office know that you can help. Thank you for always being generous to the poor of the community
Religious Education News
There will be no Religious Education classes on Sunday, December 1st due to the holiday weekend. . Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving!
All high school students - Join us for a Youth Night Christmas Party on Friday, December 13th from 6-8 pm. Your parents will need to fill out a consent form - they can be found in the back of church, or get one from Mrs. Hinton in Religious Ed. Merry Christmas!
There will be a meeting for parents of First Reconciliation students on Sunday, December 8th at 9:30 in the hall. Join us to discuss final details about the upcoming Sacrament.
Students in the Confirmation class are collecting new socks for both men and women to be donated to the Resorts at Chester River Manor nursing home. Please support them in their effort to serve the elderly by placing packages of new socks in the collection boxes located in the church vestibule and the hall. The collection will run until Sunday, December 1st. The students will deliver the socks to the nursing home themselves and will visit the residents as their class Confirmation service project. Please pray for them as they serve the elderly in our community!
Communion Norms for the Diocese
Bishop Malooly recently issued norms regarding the celebration of Communion Services in the Diocese of Wilmington. The Bishop has directed that the following be placed in all parish bulletins:
In recent years, it has become somewhat common practice for parishes to schedule Communion Services on those days when daily Mass is cancelled or not scheduled. The Church views Communion Services during the week as an extraordinary exception rather than the norm. (Sunday Mass where no priest is available is addressed below.)
Although the Church does, in limited instances, foresee a Liturgy of the Word with Communion (i.e., a Communion Service) typically on a Sunday, the Church asks that such liturgies be rarely permitted on weekdays and then only by extraordinary exception.
The following guidelines are effective immediately in all parishes and parish mission churches in the Diocese of Wilmington:
- Communion Services may not be substituted for Daily Mass, except in unexpected circumstances. For instance, the scheduled priest fails to show up or has a sudden illness or personal emergency.
- When a daily Mass is cancelled, and published as such in advance, the faithful must be notified of the availability of other daily Masses in surrounding churches.
- In lieu of daily Mass, the Pastor may schedule another type of service: Liturgy of the Hours, a Liturgy of the Word, Adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament, or the communal recitation of the Rosary.
- In the extremely unlikely event that a priest is indisposed from being able to be present for a Sunday Mass, then the ritual that the Church has provided must be utilized, that is Sunday Celebrations in the Absence of a Priest. A priest's absence from Sunday Mass must be for a very serious reason and every effort must be made by him to find a priest replacement.
- The Leader of prayer on those occasions when there is no priest shall be a Deacon, or a Seminarian who has been assigned to the parish, or a Religious, or a Lay minister designated by the pastor. It is a laudable practice that other members of the Lay Faithful share parts of the service.
Hopefully, these new guidelines will eliminate confusion surrounding the question of Communion Services and render us all united in what we celebrate and when and by whom.
Faith Direct
eGiving with Faith Direct
There is a new and exciting way for you to support our parish offertory and second collections: Faith Direct enables parishioners to make your Church contribution through either direct debit from your checking/savings account or through your credit/debit card. No more writing checks or searching for envelopes on the way out the door. Now you can apply the convenience of direct debit to your parish offerings in much the same way you as your may now use it to make your mortgage, car or tuition payments.
Please join me in enrolling by the responding the mailing you will receive or visit www.faithdirect.net to enroll securely online. Our parish code is MD916
Finance Council News
- Finance Council is working to boost enrollment in Faith Direct e-giving through quarterly email notices and sign up instructions. The Finance Council is working to boost enrollment in Faith Direct e-giving through quarterly email notices and weekly bulletin
- Dennis pledges have exceeded its Annual Catholic Appeal target. Pending payment of all pledge amounts, St. Dennis Church will receive 50% of the overage funds.
- There will be an "Annual Report to Parishioners" prepared by both Pastoral and Finance Council in the upcoming months.
- We are looking for new members, if you are Interested please talk to Fr. Jim. Meetings are held on the First Thursday of each month, 6:30pm in the Parish Office
