12/19/11 Mon 8:30AM Mass for Judy Jambois by Frex & Arla Furlano

12/20/11 Tues 8:30 AM Mass for Joan Tautges family by Dan Pedretti

12/21/11 Wed 8:30 AM Mass for Linda Berra by Carolyn Umberger

12/22/11 Thurs 8:30 AM Mass for Bill & Mary Clarke and Elizabeth Franzini by Peter Clark

12/23/11 Friday 8:30 AM Mass for Joe & Ernabelle Cini by Pauline & Alvin Berra

12/24/11 Sat 4:00 PM Mass for Ray Woodhouse by Steve & Karen Woodhouse

12/24/11 Sat 5:30 PM Mass for John Brendel by Greg & Evie Furlano

12/25/11 Sunday 10:00AM Mass for Mary Ann Cota by Richard & Donna Cota

Confession Schedule: Monday December 19 at Cathedral from 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Wednesday December 21 at St. Charles at 5:15 PM

Lectors

Saturday, December 24 4 PM: Dan Kaczmarowski 5:30 PM: Ann Muirhead

Sunday, December 25 10 AM: Ann Boland

Extraordinary Ministers of Communion

Saturday, December 24 4 PM: Steve Johnson & Ann Nickelatti

Saturday, December 24 5:30 PM: Becki Russell, Dorothy Stokke

Sunday, December 25 10 AM: Ed & Alberta Wolf

Gifts

Saturday, December 24 4 PM: Steve Woodhouse Family 5:30 PM: Robert Zeimet Family

Sunday, December 25 10 AM: Greg Tully Family

Servers

Saturday, December 24 4 PM: Gabe Johnston, Troy Paulsrud, Isaac Trussoni

Saturday, December 24 5:30 PM: Alex Stevenson, Anthony Urbanek, Josh Urbanek

Sunday, December 25 10 AM: Claire Trussoni, Nicole Trussoni, Sierra Tully

Sacrificial Giving Tabulation

Monday, December 19, 2011: Phil & Ann Nickelatti, Bob Trussoni

Ushers for the Month of December

Saturday, 4 PM: Don Curti, Le Roy Emerson, Lynn Lee, Adolph Trussoni

Sunday, 10 AM: Roger Beck, Dennis Berra, Bob Stevenson, Tom Urbanek

Sacrificial Giving – December 10 & 11, 2011

Envelopes $ 3407.00

Plate $ 129.50

Flowers $ 136.00

School $ 30.00

Donations Retirement Fund $ 300.00

Pastoral Paragraph: This is the Fourth Sunday in Advent as we are in the traditional “octave” before the celebration of the Christmas Feast – all four candles on the Advent wreath are lit. The liturgical themes this week dramatically turn to the more “imminent” preparation of the coming of Christ and the birth of Jesus. The week begin with the Gospel account of the Annunciation, the angel Gabriel declaring to Mary that she is to be the mother of Jesus. Our four-week “wait” has been nothing compared to the centuries of waiting the Jews endured as they awaited the Messiah, the birth of our Lord. Try to take an intentional moment during your Christmas preparations this week to be aware of the Incarnation and the wonder of “God with us.”

On this Saturday evening we also welcome through baptism MaKenna Swancutt into our parish family. MaKenna is the daughter of Leslie Swancutt and Rick Castaneda. Welcome MaKenna and may God blessings be with you and your family!

This Christmas will also mark a special anniversary for St. Charles Parish – the 110^th anniversary of the first Mass said in the present church building. The first Mass in the “new” present church building was celebrated on Christmas, 1901.

Our schedule for Christmas Masses will be on Christmas Eve at 4:00 PM followed by a second Mass at 5:30 PM. On Christmas Day we will have Mass at 10:00 AM. Father Cook will be here for all our Christmas Masses. The school children will be assisting with singing at the 4:00 PM Mass on Christmas Eve.

Father Robert Monti is planning to be home for a Christmas visit. We’ve scheduled some weekday Masses that we hope Father will be able to celebrate with us. It’s always a pleasure to have Father Monti with us!

If you forgot and would still like to have a Christmas flower in church in memory of a loved one, we still have a few days left before they are delivered. Please phone the school office and let Leslie know (689-2642) and you can put money in an envelope and drop it off later (small plants $12; large plants $21).

You’re also invited to the Christmas Friends and Family Luncheon on Monday, December 19. Carol is coming in early to make homemade Swedish meatballs for us to enjoy! It’ll be worthwhile to make an extra effort to attend.

Thank you to everyone who has helped make the Christmas preparations around the parish – it is greatly appreciated! Blessings to you and your families this fourth week of Advent and may your Christmas preparations be a time of great comfort and joy!

Deacon Richard

Penance Services This week there will be two opportunities to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The first is the traditional all-day confessions at the Cathedral in La Crosse on Monday, December 19. Various priest-confessors from the Deanery will be available for individual confessions from 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM.

We will also have an opportunity for the Sacrament of Reconciliation here at St. Charles on Wednesday, December 21 beginning at 5:15 PM.

Please take advantage of one of these opportunities to help make your personal, spiritual preparation for the celebration of Christmas.

Thank You Deacon Richard and to the members of the Parish for your prayers, Masses and Memorials since the sudden loss of Patt. Your kindness is deeply appreciated. May the Christ Child’s coming at Christmas bring peace and comfort to all. Our deepest thanks, Dave Hansen & The Fred and Linda Families.

Christmas Friends and Family Luncheon You are invited to the annual Friends and Family Christmas lunch Monday, December 19, 2011 at 11:30AM.

Holy Trinity Parish The LaCrosse Ensemble will perform music of the Christmas season at the Holy Trinity Parish (13^th Street and Park Avenue, LaCrosse) on Thursday, December 29^th at 7pm. A freewill offering will be collected to benefit the parish youth ministry.

Advent Music Concert We would like to invite you to attend the Blessed Sacrament School Advent Music Concert on Tuesday, December 20. We offer two shows--the 1:00 p.m. matinee and also at 6:30 p.m., in the school gym. The concert promises to get you into the Christmas spirit! The concert will include Christmas songs played by the elementary band and a Christmas musical fantasy "Miracle on Bethlehem Street" reenacted by our 6th grade. We hope you will join us!

End of Calendar Year Charitable Contributions: As the end of the calendar year approaches we wanted to remind you that charitable contributions must be applied to the year in which they are received. The only exception would be that when a check is mailed: it is applied to the year the check is postmarked, even if it is received in the next calendar year.

Remember, if the donor wants to claim the contribution as a charitable deduction for income tax purposes, then the donor must relinquish control of the funds before it is technically a contribution. Therefore, if the donor has not mailed it by year-end, no matter what date is on the check, he/she hasn't really given up control (per the IRS). Additionally the IRS states that a mailed contribution must have been postmarked on or before December 31st which proves that control was given up by the end of the year. A complication for this upcoming End of Year is that December 31^st falls on a Saturday and January 1^st falls on a Sunday. This means the collections for those two days need to be segregated in the correct calendar year for accurate donor acknowledgement.

Church Bulletin Please forward your information for the church bulletin to the St. Charles School office by Wednesday of each week at 689-2642 or stcharle@mwt.net