Once again, we thank all those who made the celebration of the Birth of the Savior and the Feast of the Motherhood of the Virgin Mary on New Year’s Day such a joyful one. We thank the choir, those who decorated the church so nicely, the Servers, Lectors, Ushers, Eucharistic Ministers, and parishioners involved in outreach ministries to our shut-ins and needy.

Carol Ann Bradley, the Parish Music Director-Organist will be away from the weekend of January 7/8 through the weekend of January 22/23; Carol Ann will undergo foot surgery as an outpatient. We assure Carol Ann of our prayers. Debbie Franz, our music intern from Trinity Lutheran Seminary, will direct the choir as well as Thursday evening and Sunday morning rehearsals. We welcome Debbie as the Parish music intern and thank her for the wonderful work she is doing with the Parish choir and the music program for children.

Msgrs. Romano, Borrelli and Missimi, Deacons Baumann and Joseph and the parish staff extend to all of you best wishes for a Happy and Blessed New Year!

Our sincere thanks for your many cards and expressions of good wishes at Christmas. We thank the choir, those who decorated the church so nicely, the servers, lectors, ushers, and Eucharistic ministers.

We thank the children and those who prepared them so well for the 4:00p Children’s Liturgy. We thank all those who contributed in any way towards the beautiful celebration of the Birth of the Lord.

We thank you for making Our Lady of Victory Parish your spiritual home and for participating in its support. May the New Year bring you God’s continued blessings and His peace.

We thank Mary Waterford, chairperson, and the Parish Women’s Organization for the successful Women’s Bazaar which was held last month. The event cleared $4,203.04 for the parish. However, the spirit of fellowship and community which the event creates year after year far exceeds any dollar amount. We thank you!

On Tuesday, December 27, Bishop Campbell will celebrate Mass at Our Lady of Victory for all the Columbus Diocese Seminarians; dinner will follow in the Parish Life Center. We welcome Bishop Campbell and the seminarians and pray that their presence at the parish may inspire our young people to consider the Priesthood or Religious Life.

Donations received in the “My Christmas Offering” envelope is your Christmas offering to support the works of the parish; donations received in the envelope marked “Diocesan Catholic Charities” will be sent to the Diocese of Columbus to support its works of charity. May God reward you for your generosity.

During the 5:00pm Mass on Saturday, December 17 and during the 8:30am Mass on Sunday, December 18, there will be a communal anointing of the sick. Anyone with a physical or emotional ailment, may receive the anointing.

Donations received in the “My Christmas Offering” envelope is your Christmas offering to support the works of the parish; donations received in the envelope marked “Diocesan Catholic Charities” will be sent to the Diocese of Columbus to support its works of charity. May God reward you for your generosity.

The Scripture readings during Advent remind us to be ready for the coming of Jesus, the Son of God. Christmas is the celebration of the historical event of the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. Christmas is more importantly a celebration of a central truth that God sent his only Son to save us from our sins. It is a celebration of the incredible love of a God who “did not spare his own Son, but handed him over for us all” (Rom. 8:32). It is a celebration of God’s deep desire to draw everyone to Himself. Advent and Christmas present for us an opportunity to remember that we were made for Heaven. At this time of the year, we are reminded of our call to encounter a Person – Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

We thank everyone who supported the Pancake Breakfast held on November 20 to benefit the Holy Childhood Association. Special thanks to the Knights of Columbus for cooking and to the young people of the Parish for serving. Net proceeds to benefit the poor children of the world through the Holy Childhood Association was $1,000. May God reward you for your generosity.

A penance service will be held Sunday, December 4 at 6:30pm in the Church. Several priests will be available for confessions.

On the far right of the Church as you look to the altar is a new stained glass window depicting St. Michael the Archangel. The window has been donated by Frederick & Dorothy Ziegler in honor of their three sons. Michael Whapham, the artist-designer at Franklin Art Glass writes: “Franklin Art Glass Studios was recently commissioned to design and create a new stained glass window and framework to replace an existing steel divided sash. The subject of the panel is the Archangel St. Michael. As artist-designer, most of my projects are traditional ecclesiastical works. I was pleased to accept this challenge. I enjoyed researching and learning more about St. Michael, his importance and his attributes. His name means “Like unto God”. Christian tradition describes him as “Captain – General” of the Armies of Heaven. St. Michael is the warrior of God. In the window, he is shown as the militant angel, of princely rank, representing the power of God. It is he who fought the demon and overcame him, and cast out Satan and his evil hordes from the heavenly city. (Satan in Hebrew means “adversary”.) St. Michael is the protector of the Jewish nation, and in Christian times was accepted as guardian angel of the Church. I have depicted St. Michael as a strong warrior, in full armor, carrying a flaming sword and shield. On the shield, a pair of scales that represent he who is supposed to weigh the souls of men at the “Last Day of Judgment”, separating the righteous from the condemned. Michael stands boldly triumphant in the Heavenly Rays of Light. His bright shining wings rise from his shoulders. The decorative blue background shades from light to dark in the lower section of the window. The devil appears as a sinister winged manlike figure with horns. The evil one cowers and falls backward in defeat, into the fiery abyss. As Father Romano said, “Satan has been diminished.”

In the next few weeks, we will be talking about the upcoming changes in the Mass. These changes will be effective the first Sunday of Advent. There is an adage which says “Ecclesia Semper Reformanda”: The Church is always in need of renewal. In the last fifty years, we have experienced changes in the Liturgy which have been rather dramatic such as the use of the vernacular, facing the people of God at Mass and their more active participation in the Liturgy. In the past decade or so a new edition of the Roman Missal has been issued. The new edition includes new prayers to be used at Mass for the celebration of the Saints who had been recently canonized. In 2010, Rome approved the English translation that was submitted by the English speaking countries of the world. With the coming of the English translation, some of the words we use at Mass will be changing, although it is important to note that the Mass itself is not changing.

Liturgist, Joe Paparocki writes: “A draft of the Declaration of Independence reveals a mysterious smudge of ink that has long baffled historians. Apparently Thomas Jefferson changed his mind about a word and erased it while the ink was still wet. Scientists recently discovered that the word he erased was “subjects” which he replaced with “citizens”. The one word re-defined the people of the American colonies. Words have the power to change lives and even alter the course of history.

On a less dramatic note, just think of the last time you tried to select a greeting card for a special occasion. No doubt, you pored over the words of numerous cards, looking for just the right words to express your sentiments. Words can have a profound impact – for better or for worse – on our significant relationships. In the same way, words can play a very important part in our relationship with God. Catholics worship using both words and sacrament (sign, symbol, ritual). The words we use in worship are chosen carefully so as to best express our understanding of and relationship with God.

Some of these words we Catholics use in worship date all the way back to the time of the Apostles. For example, the words of Jesus, at the Last Supper, have been part of our Eucharistic celebrations for 2000 years. Most of the other words that make up the prayers and texts of the Mass have been culled together over a period of as many years, including texts that are relatively new – formulated in the 20th century. In all of this, one thing remains clear – these words have power!

They have the power to form us and shape us as Catholics. These prayers tell us what we believe about ourselves, about what God wants for us and from us, and about how we are to live in the world. The words with which we pray have the power to change us and to transform us.”

In the coming weeks, we will continue to explore how these changes will impact our life of worship, inviting us to delve deeper into the mystery of the Eucharist that is at the center of our lives.

During the weekend of September 24-25, Fr. Greg Serwa will make a mission appeal at all the masses on behalf of the Pallottines Missionaries. Pallottines (The Society of the Catholic Apostolate) is a religious community spread over several countries in the five continents. It was founded in Rome in 1835 by St. Vincent Pallotti. He is considered the pioneer of the Lay Apostolate. He is recognized as having profoundly influenced the teaching of Vatican Council II on the laity.

In India, besides carrying out the founder’s vision by inspiring the laity to take an active role in the Church, the Pallottines run mission stations in the remotest villages. They do the same in Zambia, Africa. The Pallottines work among the poorest, least educated and most oppressed. In traditional Catholic areas, they concentrate on re-evangelization and the training of the laity to become more active apostles.

A second collection will be taken to help the work of the Pallottines at all the Masses the weekend of September 24-25. Please be generous.

We thank everyone who contributed in making our Festival such a successful event. We thank John Drake and Jesse Oddi for co-chairing the Festival. We thank all those who chaired/co-chaired the various Festival activities. We thank all the parishioners for the spirit of fellowship that prevailed throughout the two-day event. Every one of the visitors remarked about the family feeling. In spite of the economic hard times, parishioners have been very generous in supporting our Festival. As soon as the net figures become available, we will publish them.

The Parish has hired a new Youth Ministry Coordinator. Her name is Holly Jo Monnier and comes from Lima, OH. Holly Jo recently got married to her husband, Rick, and relocated to the Columbus area. Holly Jo graduated from the University of Dayton in 2008 with a major in Religious Studies. Besides coordinating Youth Ministry, Holly Jo plans to help with the Junior High Program and with her husband teach 5th Grade Religious Education. We welcome Holly Jo and her husband to the parish family and to the Parish Religious Education Program. Holly Jo will introduce herself at all the masses this weekend. We give her our warm welcome.

Just a Reminder that The Parish Festival will be held the weekend of August 19 & 20. Co-chairpersons of the event are John Drake and Jesse Oddi. Chairpersons for food, games and other departments are in place, but volunteers are still needed! Pat Feamster (657-2375) and Renee Williams (296-8024) are again in charge of the Silent Auction. If you have any items you wish to donate to the auction, please call either Pat or Renee.

The Parish has hired a new Youth Ministry Coordinator. Her name is Holly Jo Monnier and comes from Lima, OH. Holly Jo recently got married to her husband, Rick, and relocated to the Columbus area. Holly Jo graduated from the University of Dayton in 2008 with a major in Religious Studies. Besides coordinating Youth Ministry, Holly Jo plans to help with the Junior High Program and with her husband teach 5th Grade Religious Education. We welcome Holly Jo and her husband to the parish family and to the Parish Religious Education Program. Holly Jo writes:

I majored in Religious Studies and worked for three years as the full-time Coordinator of Youth Ministry in Wapakoneta, OH at St. Joseph. I just recently finished up my job there. My Catholic faith and doing youth ministry with teens is my passion. I love working with teens and drawing them into their faith. It’s something I wanted to do since high school and God has certainly led me to where I am supposed to be. Some of my other passions include, spending time with family & friends, traveling, singing, laughing, playing sports and enjoying life to the fullest! I look forward to getting to know all of you and learning how I can serve the Parish. Please stop by the Parish Religious Education Office and say hello during the week. Or feel free to call, text, (614-465-3658) or email me [email protected] and introduce yourself!
AND TEENS, be on the lookout for a 2011/2012 OLV Youth Community schedule – lots of exciting, awesome, amazing things in store! I would especially love to hear your suggestions for the Senior High Youth Ministry and how your Parish can serve you. The bulletin, website and eventually Facebook will update you on what’s going on so be on the lookout! Your prayers are greatly appreciated as we kick off this vital ministry.

The parish is in the process of hiring a Youth Minister with some additional duties. Once the details have been worked out, the information will be published.

We welcome to the Trinity School Community the new principal, Mr. Jim Silcott. Mr. Silcott replaces Jeffrey Grimmett who has served with great dedication as the principal at Trinity School for the past three years. Mr. Silcott attended Our Lady of Victory School and St. Charles Preparatory School. His parents, Tom & Janet Silcott, are devoted parishioners of Our Lady of Victory Parish. Mr. Silcott’s entire professional career has been spent in Catholic Education. He has twenty-two years of experience as a Catholic School Administrator in both elementary and secondary schools. Mr. Silcott came on board as principal at Trinity School on July 1, 2011. It has been part of the tradition of the Catholic Church to promote Catholic Education. Many of us have been the beneficiaries of a Catholic Education in Catholic School. Trinity School on the campus of St. Christopher Parish, has high academic and religious standards. If you are considering a Catholic Education for your children, inquire about Trinity School. Our Lady of Victory, through the generosity of some parishioners, has a modest fund to give tuition assistance to needy families.

The Parish Festival will be held the weekend of August 19 & 20. Co-chairpersons of the event are John Drake and Jesse Oddi. Food, games (children & adults) and other departments seem to have their people in place. Please do not hesitate to volunteer. Pat Feamster (657-2375) and Renee Williams (296-8024) are again in charge of the Silent Auction. If you have any items you wish to donate to the auction, please call either Pat or Renee.

The parish is preparing to complete Phase III of the Building & Renovation Project which has been ongoing for the past decade. You may remember, Phase III includes upgrading Victory Hall (Church basement). Phase III was begun at the time of the Church Renovation when the Knights of Columbus contributed $10,000 to the project. For this summer and early fall, plans are being made to equip the old kitchen in Victory Hall; plans also include to install a new ceiling, new lighting, carpet the upper portion of Victory Hall and paint the entire area. There will also be some touching-up in the new Parish Life Center which is used frequently. It is our hope that by letting small groups use Victory Hall, usage of the Parish Life Center will be alleviated. Besides the generous donation of the Knights of Columbus, this work is made possible by the generous parishioners who donated to the last fund raising campaign and who are regularly making their payments. The parish debt with the Diocese for the Church Building Renovation currently stands at $64,317. We thank you and may God reward your generosity many times over.

The Revised Translation (Understanding the Revised Mass Texts) Coming Advent 2011 – November 27, 2011 – You may have heard or read that there will be some changes to what we hear and say at Mass. The order of the Mass remains the same, but some of the words will be different. The revised translation of the Mass texts, the prayers and responses that we will be using during Mass are intended to give us an even deeper meaning of the celebration. The Sacramentary we use now dates to 1973. It helped us to move from the Latin Mass (before the Second Vatican Council) to Mass in vernacular languages. The upcoming revised translation has many biblical allusions that will be richer for those who know the connections. Some passages will more closely parallel the original Latin. New words…deeper meaning, same Mass.

We thank Gina Krantz and all the adult and teen leaders for their involvement in Vacation Bible School. The attendance was very good and it was truly an exciting religious happening for all who participated.

The Parish Festival will be held Friday, August 19 and Saturday, August 20. John Drake and Jesse Oddi will co-chair the event. Most of the activities do have chair-persons in place. When called upon to volunteer, please respond. Pat Feamster (657-2375) and Renee Williams (296-8024) are again in charge of the Silent Auction and are currently accepting auction items.

We are in the fifth week of the Bishop’s Annual Appeal Campaign. This year’s theme is “United in Faith – Sharing in Love”. Our goal is $54,260; the total pledged so far is $43,130 which is 79% of our dollar goal. We received 131 pledges which represents $329.24 per average gift. Your gift supports works of Charity, Evangelization, Education, Spirituality & Social Outreach in the Diocese of Columbus. OLV Parish benefits from these ministries. Please note that any amount pledged over our goal will be returned to the Parish. Last year the Parish did not meet our goal perhaps due to the economy and our own Capital Campaign. This year it is our hope to increase the number of donors and the amount pledged. Please remember that no gift is too small.