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Below is additional information that is not included in the current Bulletin or additional details of the information that is included in this week’s Bulletin.
PEALING OF THE BELLS! – Our St. Polycarp Church bells will ring at 2 pm tomorrow, Saturday, December 7th. The timing will coincide with the Rite of Opening the Doors of the Cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris, whose doors have been closed since being ravaged by fire on April 15, 2019. Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, USCCB President has offered his support of this effort. Through a special online collection established by the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in 2019, the faithful of our nation contributed more than one half million dollars toward the restoration of the Cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris. In support of this initiative, USCCB President, Archbishop Timothy Broglio, commented, “in addition to the funds donated, this gesture of uniting our local Churches with the Cathedral of Paris would be one more sign of our union to the eldest daughter of the Church whose forefathers contributed so much to the U.S. struggle for Independence.” Please join us in celebrating the reopening of this iconic cathedral that holds a special place in the hearts of all believers and people of good will throughout the world.
PILGRIMAGE TO ITALY! Registration extended! Don’t miss the pilgrimage of a lifetime. Join Bishop Koenig and fellow parishioners for a Diocese of Wilmington Pilgrimage to Italy for the Celebration of the Jubilee Year! The pilgrimage runs from October 26 to November 5, 2025, and will be spiritually led by the Most Reverend William E. Koenig, D.D., Tenth Bishop of Wilmington. Features include bus transportation from Ocean City, Maryland or Wilmington, Delaware to Philadelphia Airport, economy class air transportation, nine nights’ accommodations in 4-star hotels w/ continental breakfast, nine meals, airport transfers and ground transportation, Papal Blessing, daily Mass, and much more. Make your reservation soon. Spaces are limited. Visit cdow.org/JubileePilgrimage for full details including itinerary, pricing and more.
CATHOLIC CHARITIES – Help Those in Need This Holiday Season. Catholic Charities is in urgent need of donations to its emergency funds. These funds provide vital assistance to individuals and families facing food insecurity, housing challenges, and other crises. Your generosity this holiday season can bring hope to those in need. Thank you for being a light to those in darkness. https://www.givecentral.org/CDOW-Giving-Tuesday-2024-Faith-and-Community
LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR – The Little Sisters of the Poor Jeanne Jugan Residence in Newark, Delaware is hiring a Receptionist for every other weekend day shift and to fill in as needed for other shifts. Required are: technical skills to learn the various equipment and to be able to use Word and Excel. For more information, please call Jerry Walker, Director of HR at 302-368-5886 or email at HRSnewark@littlesister.
FESTIVAL OF LESSONS AND CAROLS: Sunday, December 15 at 3:00 PM at the Cathedral of St. Peter. The Cathedral of St. Peter, 6th and West Streets, Wilmington, DE will present a Festival of Lessons and Carols on Sunday, December 15 at 3 pm. The concert will feature scriptures, choral music, and congregational hymns performed live and live-streamed by the choirs of the Cathedral and St. Patrick. (302-654-5920) Watch the live-stream here; youtube.com/watch?v=a1
RETROUVAILLE: REDISCOVER THE LOVE IN YOUR MARRIAGE: The Retrouvaille Program is for married couples facing challenges in their relationship.
* A marriage program that helps couples restore their marriage and rebuild a loving relationship.
* A Christian marriage program, Catholic in origin, where couples of all faiths or no faith background are encouraged to attend.
* Primarily a practical program to improve communication, build stronger marriages, and help couples reconnect.
* Presenters are not trained marriage counselors, but rather couples sharing their personal stories of marital struggles and the tools they used to rediscover their love.
Tens of thousands of couples have healed their marriages through Retrouvaille (pronounced Retro-vy). If you know anyone who could benefit from this program, please pass this on. Couples learn to build communication skills and to increase intimacy. It provides help for marriage problems, difficulties or crises. For more information, visit www.HelpOurMarriage.org or call 215-766-3944 or 800-470-2230. All inquiries are strictly confidential.
FROM THE DIALOG: Get the latest Catholic news sent free to your inbox. Sign up today for The Dialog newsletter, The Angelus. You’ll receive our newsletter, The Angelus, with the latest diocesan news, spiritual columns and feature stories of interest to people in our schools and parishes. You’ll also get breaking news alerts from TheDialog.org and information from our Dialog partners. To sign up, visit thedialog.org and click the “Get Our Newsletter” link at the top of every page. Type in your email address and you’re done.
XAVIER SOCIETY FOR THE BLIND: Are you or someone you know looking for spiritual and inspirational books in an accessible format? Xavier Society for the Blind provides braille, large print, and audio materials in the Catholic tradition, free-of-charge, to blind/visually impaired people worldwide. In addition to the Missalettes for Mass, Xavier Society’s free offerings range from biographies of saints, to theological dissertations and Catholic classics, to contemporary titles by popular authors. To learn more please visit xaviersocietyfortheblind.org or call 800-637-9193.
SMYRNA-CLAYTON MINISTERIUM FOOD PANTRY is located downstairs at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, 22 N. Union St., Smyrna. The pantry is open from 9:30 am to 10:30 am, Monday through Friday. Here at St. Polycarp, we have containers for your food donations in the hallway outside of the Mother Drexel Hall. We collect food all year round. Please no expired food. The pantry is in great need of cereal, juice boxes or pouches, peanut butter and jelly, hamburger helper, tuna helper, canned tuna, canned meat, sloppy joe sauce (Manwich), boxed spaghetti and spaghetti sauce, vegetable beef and chicken noodle soups, macaroni and cheese, and Chef Boyardee canned pastas. Please NO CANNED vegetables or beans are currently needed.
MEMORIAL BRICKS
Have you noticed the beautiful ‘Memory’ walkway leading to our outdoor Blessed Mother statue? There’s not time like the present to add your memory brick. Whether you desire to commemorate a loved one, a special occasion, or simply your family name, the choice is yours. There are two ways to order your bricks. To order through Faith Direct: CLICK HERE (you do not need to sign up for Faith Direct), or return your form with payment to St. Polycarp Church in an envelope labeled “Memorial Brick”. Please place the completed order form and a check for $100.00, made payable to St. Polycarp Church, in the envelope. You can place it in the Offertory collection, deliver it to the Parish Office (place in black box), or mail it to St Polycarp Church
Parish Office, 55 Ransom Lane, Smyrna, DE 19977-1617. Forms can be found on our parish website or at the entrances into the church.
ST. POLYCARP REMINDERS:
REDNER’S 1% SAVE-A-TAPE FUNDRAISER Hang onto those receipts until we are all together again!
Turn your food shopping into cash for our parish. If you are a Redner’s shopper, we would welcome your participation. It is so easy! Simply be sure to obtain and scan your Redner’s Rewards Card each time you shop. (Remember to shop only out of necessity.) Save your whole receipt. Bring your receipts to the Parish Office or just put them into the collection basket. There is no expiration date — even receipts months old can be turned in! Your receipts will generate cash for us. What a hands-down and effortless way to help St. Polycarp Church.
REMINDER ABOUT THE PARKING
Please do not park in front of the dumpsters on Monday through Friday. This prevents the Waste Management Collection and the Recycling Collection from being picked up. Thank you for your cooperation!
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Don’t forget to arrive earlier for Mass so that you won’t miss the announcements!
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