OCIA Rites

As part of the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults, on Sunday, January 26, at the 10:30 Mass, we will celebrate the Rites of Welcoming and Acceptance for our OCIA class.

For those who have, so far, been inquiring into the Catholic faith, these public rites mark the beginning of a committed period of preparation for joining the Church at Easter and receiving the Sacraments of Initiation: Baptism, Eucharist, and Confirmation.

Among our OCIA class, some individuals have already been baptized. These will participate in the Rite of Welcoming and will become known as Candidates for Full Communion.

Those persons who have never been baptized and who plan to receive Baptism in our Church at the Easter Vigil will participate in the Rite of Acceptance and will be called Catechumens.

Once Lent has begun, on March 8, the Catechumens will participate in the Rite of Election, and the Candidates will participate in the Call to Continuing Conversion. These rites take place offsite, with the Bishop.

On the 3rd, 4th, and 5th Sundays of Lent, the Elect (those to be Baptized) will undergo a series of Scrutinies. These rites are meant to help purify the Elect and strengthen their resolve to join the Church. The Scrutinies will take place at the 5pm Mass March 23, 8:30 Mass March 30, and 10:30 Mass April 6.

Solemnity of Mary

As a Church, we celebrate the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God on January 1. This is a Holy Day of Obligation. Mass times will be at 7:15am and Noon on the Holy Day, with a Mass of Anticipation at 5:00pm the preceding evening.

Christmas Mass Times

Christmas Mass Times

We will celebrate the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ* at the following Mass times:

* Christmas Eve Vigil Mass (Children’s Mass) at 5:00pm December 24—with prelude music beginning at 4:30pm, featuring our junior choir and children’s choir.

* Christmas Midnight Mass at 12:00am December 25, with prelude music beginning at 11:30pm December 24.

* Christmas Day Mass at 10:00am December 25.

*Christmas—the Nativity of the Lord—is a holy day of obligation.

Holiday Office Closure

Holiday Office Closure

The Parish office will be open all day on Monday, December 23. It will close at noon on Tuesday, December 24, remain closed Christmas day and the following, then reopen just for the morning of December 27.

The office will have morning hours only again on Monday, December 30, closing at noon and remaining closed December 31 and January 1. Regular hours will resume on January 2.

Parish Advent Prayer

During the first week of Advent, we invite you to join us in praying the Rosary daily for the intentions of our parish, especially for our liturgical and sacramental ministry.

Click here to download a printable version of the bulletin insert for the First Sunday of Advent (includes daily prayer intentions).

During the second week of Advent, we invite you to join us in praying Lectio Divina daily for the intentions of our parish, especially for our evangelization and local outreach and fellowship ministries.

Click here to download a printable version of the bulletin insert for the Second Sunday of Advent (includes daily Gospel readings).

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Parish Office Hours Change

As of Thursday, July 11, the parish office will be closed to calls and visitors on Thursday mornings, opening fully at 1:00pm and remaining open until 5:00pm. This will allow the parish staff weekly, uninterrupted time for more focused work and internal communication and planning. Please schedule your visits and calls during the following hours:

Monday through Wednesday: 8:00am – 5:00pm (closed for lunch Noon to 1:00pm)

Thursday: 1:00pm – 5:00pm

Friday: 8:00am – Noon

As always, you can leave a phone message any time the office is closed or e-mail the office staff at office@stanthonyhillsdale.com. We thank you for your cooperation in helping our staff work more efficiently and effectively in serving our parish and community!

New Handicapped Seating Area

At Mass this weekend, you may notice that we have removed a few of the chairs near the baptismal font to make the area more accessible for those in wheelchairs or with limited mobility. You will see handicapped tags hanging from some arm rests. Going forward, please reserve these seats for the disabled and elderly, and those attending with them, until the start of Mass. If the seats remain open once Mass has begun, feel free to use them. Further, if you need Communion brought to you, you may sit in this area near the baptismal font and a Eucharistic Minister will come to you.

New Online Giving Platform

We have a new online giving platform called ParishSoft Giving, which works seamlessly with our ParishSoft family database and accounting software.  It is the leading electronic giving program for Catholic churches across the country, and you can use it to make all your contributions to St. Anthony’s from your credit card or bank account.  These can be one-time gifts or recurring automatically just as you may pay your other bills and subscriptions.

 

You can now contribute to specific funds in addition to the Sunday offering for general church operations.  You can select to give to maintenance, our church renovation savings, or specific ministries such as the Family Center and the Grotto campus ministry. We will also use this platform in the fall to collect religious education fees and for additional events and fundraising initiatives throughout the year.

 

If you do not want to use online giving, we are happy to continue to receive checks and donation envelopes. However, we are asking anyone currently giving by EFT or PayPal to switch over to ParishSoft Giving by the end of May.  You can find more details, tutorials, and FAQs for ParishSoft Giving on the donate page of our website.  If you have any additional questions, don’t hesitate to call the office.

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