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OMC Update December 3, 2021Worship:Weekend Mass Schedule:
Saturday Vigil: 4:30 pm Sunday: 7:30 am - 9:00 am - 11:00 am* *Livestream Daily Mass: Monday thru Friday 7:00 AM Confessions: Saturday 3:30 to 4:00 PM and Wednesday 7:00 to 8:00 PM.
Church Open: The Church will be open for personal prayer and confessions on Wednesday from 7:00 to 8:00 PM. |
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OMC Mask Recommendations - In support of the the City of Philadelphia's mask requirement for businesses, we are voluntarily asking everyone (vaccinated and unvaccinated) wear a mask in Church. We want all parishioners and liturgical ministers to feel comfortable with attending and ministering at Mass. Let us continue to do our part in defeating COVID 19. For the sake of the common good, we encourage everyone to get vaccinated and get your booster!
Pope Francis - Get Vaccinated - With a Message of Hope and Unity, the Pope and Six Cardinals and Archbishops from North, Central and South America are Featured in a New PSA Reaching Global Audiences to Promote COVID-19 vaccine. Click HERE.
Pope Francis - Get Vaccinated - With a Message of Hope and Unity, the Pope and Six Cardinals and Archbishops from North, Central and South America are Featured in a New PSA Reaching Global Audiences to Promote COVID-19 vaccine. Click HERE.
Advent Opportunities
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First Friday Eucharistic Adoration &
Act of Consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus Today - December 3, 2021 - OMC Church Adoration: 7:30 AM to 5:30 PM Evening Prayer & Benediction: 5:30 PM As part of our Salesian tradition, each Oblate consecrates himself, and our community, to the Sacred Heart of Jesus on the First Friday of the Month. As part of our Salesian Family, we invite you to join as a Parish in consecrating yourself, your family, and our Parish to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and come for Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament in the Church. Click HERE for the prayer of consecration. |
Click Image for an Advent Invitation from Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez
We have been living in a virtual world for nearly two years! We have gotten use to our virtual lives, but deep down we desire to receive Christ in the Eucharist. We long to worship in-person with each other and to share community. As the light at the end of the pandemic tunnel appears, we invite you to come back to Mass at OMC… “Nothing Compares to Being There”
We need your help inviting your fellow parishioners to participate in Nothing Compares - After mass, we will have members of the Parish Pastoral Council, and our Teen ministry available and ready to capture your invitation to your fellow parishioners. Your invitation will be posted on our new parish Instagram account. Share your enthusiasm with us. It can be as simple as gathering your family together and saying: "Nothing compares to Mass at OMC!" - “Welcome Back to Mass at OMC” - “Join us for Mass at OMC” We look forward to seeing you at OMC…Nothing Compares to Being There!
OMC Parish Life:
Giving Tree Gifts are Due Sunday, December 5Parish Offices: The parish office is open Monday thru Friday – 9 AM to 4 PM. Please feel free to stop by, call (215-247-0430) or email Mary Cassidy ([email protected]) for Mass intentions, certificates, letters, etc., which can be mailed or pick-up. The food pantry is available, call St Vincent de Paul Society (215-240-0430 - Ext 5) to arrange for food pickup.
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Congratulations to our Newly Selected & Appointed
Parish Pastoral Council Members Taylor Delli Carpini - Jim Foley - Peggy Gallagher Henry Knowles - Molly O'Connor Christopher Quinn - Mary Strain |
Atrium Assistant Needed for OMC School Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS) - The assistant works with a certified catechists to create an environment (atrium) for children to listen to God together, to observe and share observations with the catechist, and to help children who need assistance - Wednesday 9:30 -11:15 & Friday 9:30-12:15. Requirements: All PA clearances for work with children are required. You can receive information for this when you register your interest. A reference as to your reliability with time commitment and care for children would be helpful. For information please contact Arleen Daniels: [email protected]
DeSales Weekly - Every Thursday, DeSales Weekly provides our subscribers with some fresh material to aid them in efforts to live Jesus, which is the motto of our patron, St. Francis de Sales. He sought to integrate the sacred and the secular to make the ordinary events of our lives extraordinary by bringing virtue, grace, and Jesus to all we do. Frequently, we may not be able to see the window through which the Spirit may enter a given moment or activity of our day. With reflections on a panoply of topics and experiences by the Oblates, as well as resources to help prepare for Sunday Mass, and other updates from the Oblate world, this weekly email offers a regular, concise resource to life the spirit and help it soar into the weekend. Click HERE to subscribe.
Parish Building Fund
As a parish community, we build upon the legacy we have inherited. Our spiritual life, and our parish were built by our ancestors in the faith beginning in 1855. Since then, we have continued to strengthen the gift that we have received.
The Building Committee will meet to begin planning the completion of the rectory windows either in the spring or next summer, depending on the funds. We will also discuss other future projects. If you are interested in joining the Parish Building Committee, please contact Fr Bob. |
These projects are funded through the Parish Building Fund, which was established in 2007 for the sole purpose of funding capital improvements to the buildings and property. Since its inception, the Building Fund has invested over $3.2 million dollars in the restoration of our parish buildings and grounds. Funding sources for the Parish Building Fund are the Annual Building Fund Appeal, capital gifts, bequests, a percentage of our yearly excess in operating revenues, and individual donations. We offer our thanks to everyone who has contributed to the restoration and upkeep of our parish building.
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All teens in grades 8-12
are invited to our youth events.
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Adult Volunteers Needed - Teen Ministry is in need of adult volunteers to help set up, chaperone, and break down our monthly events. Please email Paul Cillo [email protected] if you are interested in helping.
The Teen Ministry Home Page - Click Here
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2021 Scripture Challenge: Teens, how well do you know the Bible? Have you memorized any verses to share with others and for your own encouragement? Take our 2021 Scripture challenge. - click HERE for a video with the details. Raffle prizes will be given out at every event in 2021. Join the text list to be sent the verse every Sunday, check Instagram, or install the Verses app and join out group. Links are in the video description as well!
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Youth Ministry Update:
Box of Joy Service Project- On November 18th OMC teens gathered to fill 103 boxes with toys, clothes, personal hygiene items, treats, and school supplies. We need help to cover the cost of shipping. Please consider supporting this project by donating through the parish website.
First Friday Teen Event- Teens in 8th-12th grade are invited to join us for adoration, evening prayer, dinner, and a social Friday December 3rd 5:00-8:30. Our social this month will be "board" games such as Exploding Kittens, Catan, Throw Throw Burrito, the Catholic Card game. Feel free to bring your favorite game. Please RSVP to [email protected] so we can cook enough food.
Teen Advent Bible Study- Tuesdays 7:30-8:30pm in the Teen room. Teens are invited to come as they can as we reflect on the four themes of Advent and the Gospel readings during this season of preparation. Snacks are always provided.
Box of Joy Service Project- On November 18th OMC teens gathered to fill 103 boxes with toys, clothes, personal hygiene items, treats, and school supplies. We need help to cover the cost of shipping. Please consider supporting this project by donating through the parish website.
First Friday Teen Event- Teens in 8th-12th grade are invited to join us for adoration, evening prayer, dinner, and a social Friday December 3rd 5:00-8:30. Our social this month will be "board" games such as Exploding Kittens, Catan, Throw Throw Burrito, the Catholic Card game. Feel free to bring your favorite game. Please RSVP to [email protected] so we can cook enough food.
Teen Advent Bible Study- Tuesdays 7:30-8:30pm in the Teen room. Teens are invited to come as they can as we reflect on the four themes of Advent and the Gospel readings during this season of preparation. Snacks are always provided.
It’s tempting to start a new year with lists of what we want to accomplish. However, Pope Francis has only one goal for us: create a culture of care. Such a culture would overcome “indifference, waste and confrontation,” and help all of us deepen our ecological conversion. Below you’ll find ways to get started on that goal this month by coming together with Catholics around the globe and helping create a world full of “fraternity and solidarity, of mutual support and acceptance.”
OMC Joins EcoPhilly - The Philadelphia Archdiocese is responding to Pope Francis’ call in his encyclical letter Laudato Si’ for “a new dialogue about how we are shaping the future of our planet” in light of the fact that “everyone’s talents and involvement are needed to redress the damage caused by human abuse of God’s creation” As part of the Laudato Si' Movement, the mission of EcoPhilly is to establish a network of creation care teams throughout the Archdiocese of Philadelphia that achieve measurable improvements in their local environment. Click HERE for more information about Eco Philly
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Laudato sí Movement consolidated and renewed - The Global Catholic Climate Movement on July 29 changed its name to Laudato sí Movement (LSM). Climate and integral ecology are at the heart of the Movement, which takes its cue from Pope Francis’ landmark encyclical on care for our common home. Speaking with Vatican News, the executive director of LSM, Tomás Insua, speaks about a “synodal journey” aimed at a deeper ecological conversion. As the Movement continues to renew itself, Pope Francis offers a word of thanks for its work. Click HERE for more information.
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Monthly Laudato Si Prayer Services: Join in these Global Prayer Services every first Friday of the month to hear creation’s song, creation’s cry, and creation’s invitation. Throughout these prayer services we will have a guest's reflection, scripture reading and prayers of the faithful. We look forward to praying with you. Live interpretation available in English, Spanish, Portuguese and Italian. Click HERE to register.
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Renewing the Earth: Living Laudato Si' in the Year of Ignatius - This spring the Vatican launched the Laudato Si’ Action Platform, a plan that invites the global Church on a 7-year journey toward total sustainability. Renewing the Earth: Living Laudato Si' in the Year of Ignatius invites you to consider St. Ignatius’ conversion as a model for your own ecological conversion in this historic environmental era that requires a renewal of our spirits and of the earth. You're invited to join a journey of discernment to bring the Laudato Si' Action Platform to life with Ignatian spirituality as a guide. . Click HERE for more information
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Service Opportunities:
We have recently moved Afghan families into housing who have requested specific items to make themselves feel more at home. If you'd like to purchase any of these special items for them, please visit any of the links below. Included at the end is a link for more general items needed at NSC to continue stocking future clients' homes! If you'd like to purchase, please have the items delivered to the gift registry address listed under the address options. If you have any questions, please contact Abby Watson at [email protected]. Thank you for your support!
- https://www.amazon.com/registries/custom/2EJ770JMSNIST/guest-view
- https://www.amazon.com/registries/custom/2RG5Y5GUYJLEB/guest-view
- https://www.amazon.com/registries/custom/1WA0EMW2KEQJ7/guest-view
- https://www.amazon.com/registries/custom/H1THDKGXR7KC/guest-view
- https://www.amazon.com/registries/custom/3OI7W41I5QIHU/guest-view
- https://www.amazon.com/registries/custom/19KET13FQ9DJ3/guest-view
- https://www.amazon.com/registries/custom/EUMQ0FXJH46W/guest-view
- https://www.amazon.com/registries/custom/2NRUS425RZTFJ/guest-view
OMC Food Pantry: We are still collecting food for our sisters and brothers in need. You may leave your bags of non-perishable food items on the rectory porch whenever convenient. If you need food, or know of someone in need of food, please call the parish office 215-247-0430, press 7 when the auto-attendant service answers, and leave a message in the St. Vincent de Paul voice mail box. Thanks again, for helping us to meet the needs of our neighbors during this time of uncertainty and to our St Vincent de Paul Society for coordinating our efforts. |
Caring for Friends – CFF (formerly Aid for Friends): Meals are still needed. You can drop off your frozen meals at the parish or a volunteer can pick them up from your home; please contact me to make arrangements. If you are interested in becoming involved as a volunteer cook, click HERE for information. This is a great opportunity for families to do service at home and to assist those in need. Laura McKenna, our OMC CFF coordinator, can assist you with getting you started. Click HERE to email Laura. |
Faith & Justice Opportunities:
DRIVING PA FORWARD: LICENSES FOR ALL PA HB279 LETTER CAMPAIGN - OMC’s Peace & Justice Committee is a member of New Sanctuary Movement (NSM) of Philadelphia. NSM co-leads a statewide coalition, Driving PA Forward, composed of advocacy, faith, businesses, farmers, labor and community organizations working together to foster passage of legislation promoting accessibility of a standard driver’s license with strict privacy protections for all Pennsylvanians regardless of immigration status.
The Committee is participating in the coalition’s letter writing campaign and asking parishioners to pick up a summary and letter addressed to Bryan Cutler, Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, from the church vestibule at Masses this weekend, December 4 and 5. You can also access the information on our parish website (click here). Return signed letters to box in the OMC church vestibule at Masses the weekend of December 11-12. Letters will be hand-delivered during a lobbying day in Harrisburg on December 14. Thanks for your support!
The Committee is participating in the coalition’s letter writing campaign and asking parishioners to pick up a summary and letter addressed to Bryan Cutler, Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, from the church vestibule at Masses this weekend, December 4 and 5. You can also access the information on our parish website (click here). Return signed letters to box in the OMC church vestibule at Masses the weekend of December 11-12. Letters will be hand-delivered during a lobbying day in Harrisburg on December 14. Thanks for your support!
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Finding Forgiveness in God's Mercy - St. David Church ( 316 Easton Road, Willow Grove ) invites you to join us for an evening reflection on forgiveness from the perspective of a Rwandan genocide survivor. Immaculée Ilibagiza will share her beautiful account of how God inspired forgiveness in her heart for the murderers that raged outside her cramped hiding spot for 91 days. You are invited down to our Church Hall afterwards for light refreshments and a book signing by Ms. Ilibagiza. For a description of this event, click here. Tickets sales open on November 1 at: https://stdavidparish.org/advent-2021/
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Critical Race Theory (CRT) - We have all witnessed the controversy around Critical Race Theory (CRT). Parents are outraged, school boards are under attack, State legislatures have passed laws "banning it" from school curriculum, and the media (conservative & liberal) have hyped it. It is important to carefully navigate CRT and the many issues around race, racism, history, culture, equity, and education that have been conflated into it by those who have repackaged it for their own, perhaps less than charitable, purposes. This video from Educationweek.com is concise in addressing CRT from an educators viewpoint. The video may be useful in beginning the process of educating ourselves about CRT, helping us to move beyond the hype in order to develop a better understanding of it, and allow us to have productive discussions.
21-Day Racial Equity Challenge: For 21 days, we challenge you to enter into the complex work of understanding the realities of racial injustice and anti-Blackness in the U.S. The Ignatian Racial Equity Challenge is designed for all participants, regardless of race, ethnicity, prior anti-racism work, age or background and will include opportunities to learn, pray, and act on different themes of racial equity. Click HERE for more information
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Revive Courses: An opportunity to grow in our Baptismal Call to leadership! The Archdiocese of Philadelphia is grateful to partner with Revive Parishes, an organization that provides online ministry training for parish leaders taught by the best and most experienced Catholic ministry practitioners in the country. WE ARE ALL PARISH LEADERS by virtual of our Baptism. Revive provides individuals with a way to enrich their own ministry in our world and in our parish so that they can more effectively care for others and “be the presence of Christ in our world.” To learn more and to start for FREE course visit: archphila.org/revive.
New Revive Course - Everyday Apostles: Ordinary Methods to Help you Share an Extraordinary Message The world tells you to be quiet about your faith, that’s its just personal and not meant to be shared. Yet Christ calls us to make “disciples of all nations” - so how do we actually do it? You are invited to learn new mindsets, skills, and habits on how to share your faith with those around you in our latest course hosted by Ryan O’Hara. Click HERE for information 
“EC Next Step”: Grow closer to God one step at a time! This is an innovative discipleship tool which offers individuals an opportunity to deepen their spirituality and call to discipleship through short modules which include input, short videos, questions and reflections on various topics. It is FREE and available to anyone through our parish Reach More subscription. To learn more and/or to sign visit ecnextstep.com.
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The Archdiocese of Philadelphia:
Restore: A Women’s Healing Retreat (January 21-23, 2022) at St. Mary of Providence Center in Elverson, PA - Restore: return to its original condition; return what was lost, stolen, or taken away. God longs for us to believe that we indeed are who He says we are: His beloved daughters, carefully created, infinitely loved and valued beyond measure. Yet, here amidst the darkening caused by sin, betrayals, lies and trauma, we struggle to experience the Truth of who we are. Our pain and woundedness distort the lens through which we look at ourselves and others. Come…and let Him Restore you! Retreat talks and experiences will reconnect us with the Truth of our inherent dignity, beauty, and wholeness. Retreat also includes: small groups, individual healing prayer, Mass and Adoration. Retreat leaders are Father Stephen DeLacy and De Yarrison of You Are Made New Ministry. Click HERE for information
Office for the New Evangelization Rosary Campaign (Monday thru Thursday 8 PM) - Join online, by phone or in spirit as we pray the Rosary asking the miraculous intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary to put an end to the coronavirus and to bring restoration to those most severely impacted by the pandemic. We are also asking Our Lady to obtain a new outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the Church, bringing about our deeper conversion to the heart of Jesus Christ and institutional renewal at every level. Click HERE for more information or to join.
Catholic Women’s Healthcare - The Gianna Center of Philadelphia located in East Norriton (very close to Plymouth Meeting Mall) and is accepting new patients. The Center provides an authentically Catholic approach to women’s reproductive healthcare and follows Catholic medical ethics. The providers treat women in various age groups - from teens to seniors, and offer general gynecologic care, yearly women's check-ups and natural family planning instruction in the Creighton Model FertilityCare System. For more information see www.phgiannacenter.org or call the center at 844-204-0005
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Young Catholic Professionals Philly (YCP Philly) - In a world that can be void of meaning and leave them restless and dissatisfied, YCP brings together young professionals in their 20s and 30s into a community of belonging, support, and encouragement at all stages of the faith journey. YCP empowers and equips them to live their Catholic faith through everyday work, and to perform all work with excellence for the glory of God. Click HERE to learn more. Click HERE for video.
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Hope in Christ: Spiritual Support for Addiction - You are not alone! The Church desires to be close to her children who are struggling with addiction and to bring them the healing power of Jesus Christ's love. The Archdiocesan Hope in Christ website is full of Catholic resources for those who have an addiction as well as for their families and loved ones. You will find one-time events such as retreats and evenings of reflection, ongoing support ministries, and links to websites, articles and videos. To learn more, visit archphila.org/hope.
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Intellectual Disabilities and Autism Help-Line: Do you need help accessing services and supports for someone with an intellectual disability or Autism? A collaboration of Catholic Social Services-Developmental Programs, The Office for Persons with Disabilities and the Schools of Special Education of the Archdiocese is offering this convenient help-line to assist families connect to disabilities services provided by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. To reach the Help-Line call: 484-472-5041 or email: [email protected]
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The Archdiocese of Philadelphia Deaf Apostolate: The Archdiocese of offers weekly Religion classes in American Sign Language and other activities for children and adults who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing. This Summer, the Deaf Apostolate will host a two-week Religious Education Camp at St. Joseph University. For information about the camp, Interpreted Sunday Masses and/or to receive the Deaf Catholic Newsletter email [email protected] or call 215-587-3913 (voice) or 267-507-1215 (video phone). Click HERE for more information
Year of St Joseph: In celebration of the 150th Anniversary of St Joseph being proclaimed the patron of the Universal Church, Pope Francis has declared a Year of St Joseph ( December 8, 2020 - December 8, 2021). You can read the Holy Father’s Apostolic Letter, Patris Corde, on Saint Joseph HERE. Click HERE for information from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Click HERE for an Introduction to the Year of St Joseph and a bi-monthly reflection on St. Joseph from Sr Marie O'Hagan, SSJ.