Highlights:

Fire Drill for St. Anne’s Church Chesley will take place on Sat. Dec. 20 following the 4 pm Mass.

Altar Serving Training Coming Up
Register now if you are interested. Current altar servers are welcome to come and show the newcomers the ropes!
The dates for training are:
Tuesday, January 20
Tuesday, January 27
Tuesday, February 3
All from after school to 5:00pm.
Students can come over from Holy Family with their parents’ permission right after school (PLEASE NOTIFY THE SCHOOL). Pickup in the church at 5:00pm.
An alternate training day is available by request for those who can’t get there after school, on Saturday Feb. 7th from 12-3pm. Form to sign up:  https://forms.gle/ePULTNBZfbdvmZ5Z9

Something to note, altar serving is open to boys and girls who:

• Are in grade 3 or above (teens welcome)
• Have been baptized Catholic or who were baptized at an other church and are now Catholic
• Have made their first Communion
• Are capable of fulfilling certain duties, remaining attentive during an entire Mass, and behaving in a respectful and quiet manner.

Community Brunch News -Report from last weekend’s Community Brunch Thank you to all who came out to enjoy our Community Brunch last weekend. Your generous donations of $1025.65 towards the cost of the new hand railings are so appreciated. We thank the Knights for funding and organizing this event as well as all the volunteers who helped cook, serve and clean up!

There will be no brunch in the month of January, but Save the date for a January Spaghetti Supper
Friday Jan. 16th, Holy Family Lenhard Room
Organized by the Knights of Columbus. Meatless and Gluten Free options available. More details will follow.

Confession – the Sacrament of Reconciliation is offered a 1/2 hour before all Masses.

2026 Offering Envelopes Current users will find a box labelled with your name. If you would like to be a new user, contact the parish office. Forms for Pre-Authorized Remittance are available for anyone who would like to start that means of donating. Those already signed on do not need to take action unless they desire a change to their monthly offering. Thank you for your church support.

Quilt Tying Starts in January The Carlsruhe ladies will begin tying quilts on Monday, January 5, 2026, at the hall of the Carlsruhe Church. We start at 1:00 to 4:00 on Monday afternoons. These quilts are sent to Dr. Simone in Toronto and is forwarded to third world countries. Everyone is welcome and no experience is required. 
If you need more information please phone Anne Schwan 367-5466, Joan Stroeder 881-0978 and Cathy Weber 881-1448.

Year End Donations: Please note that donations must be received by Dec. 31st in order to be included on your 2025 Tax Receipt. Thank you

CFFC item donations – The Canadian Food for Children Team just packed and shipped this week. Due to limited space, they would appreciate if you have clothing/ item donations to wait until after Christmas to bring them in, as their next packing day will be in January. Thanks!

Card Party on Tuesday Afternoon – All are welcome Join with others for a friendly game of euchre or solo on Tuesday at 1:30 pm, in the Holy Family Lenhard Room. Bring a friend. $2. Admittance Christmas Break – The last card party for 2025 will be on Tues. Dec. 16th. Card parties will resume on Tues. Jan. 6th

Milk Mat Work Bee cancelled for December. Our next one will be on Wed. Jan 14th.

Formosa’s Children’s Choir presents Christmas Concert & Live Nativity
Sun. Dec. 21st, 2 pm Immaculate Conception Church, Formosa
Admission: Free will Offering

Adoration Chapel Hour Available Please note that on Monday evening there is an adoration hour available from 8-9 pm. If you would be able to fill this hour, please contact Don or Helen Waechter at 364-1185

Adoration Chapel Christmas Schedule: The chapel will close on Wed. Dec. 24th at 12 noon and re-open on Monday, January 5th.

Bad Weather – Is an Event Cancelled?
Parish events that are cancelled due to the weather will be added to the answering machine Cancellation Line. If you want to check to see if an event has been cancelled, call 519-364-1973 and press 6

Parking Lot – An Act of Kindness
Especially now with winter months approaching please consider leaving the parking spaces closest to the church for those who have walking difficulties. Thank you!

Bring a non perishable food item with you to Mass. Mark it for local (St. Vincent de Paul) or missions (Canadian Food for Children) Thank you for sharing with the less fortunate.

Would you like to help decorate Holy Family Church for Christmas? We need lots of help to bring items up from the basement, to decorate the trees, hang wreaths and banners, and bring in the nativity stable. If you can help, please be at the Church at Sun. Dec. 21st at 1:30 pm Thank you.

Christmas Flowers For Holy Family Church We are most grateful for donations towards the cost of the Christmas Flowers.  Please mark your donation as such.  In thanksgiving, the 8 pm  Christmas Mass will be offered for the intentions of the donors of the Christmas Flowers. 
It’s a lovely way to remember and pray for your deceased loved ones or special intentions.
Note: This is for Holy Family Church, the St. Francis Xavier Flowers are already donated.

Reflection on Today’s Gospel Matthew 11: 2-11
Discussion Questions:

• Does Jesus answer John with promises or with evidence? Why?
• What kind of ‘prisons’ tend to bring out doubts for you regarding Jesus?
• In periods of discouragement and doubt, what most renews your courage and faith?

SUNDAY LITURGIES (Dec. 13/14)
3rd Sunday of Advent

Saturday Vigil Masses
6:00 pm  Eternal Happiness of Mary Hunt – Katie & Josh Zacharias & family
Sunday,  
9 am Mass For all the people of the Parish & Parish Missions
11 am Mass – Location: St. Francis Xavier, Carlsruhe
Eternal Happiness of Walter & Lorraine Ditner – Daryl & Carol Becker & Family

Tuesday: 
10:30 am Mass Location: Valleyview (The Village) Intentions of Ria Pierik – Ken & Theresa Bester
7 pm Mass Deceased members of the O’Leary Family – Pauline Tuck

Wednesday
9 am Mass Intentions of Don & Helen Waechter – Chris & Lesia Ahrens & Family

Thursday:
10:30 am Mass Location: Sprucewood (The Village) Amber Ann Ghent – BG Catholic D. School Board
7:00 pm Mass Intentions of Louise Hunt

Friday:
9:00 am Mass
Joan Frizzell – Don & Helen Waechter
Holy Souls – Jean Trafford

SUNDAY LITURGIES (Dec 20/21st)
Fourth Sunday of Advent

Saturday Vigil Masses
4:00 pm Location: St. Anne, Chesley Eternal Happiness of Carol Schefter Ottewell – BG Catholic D. School Board
6:00 pm  Eternal Happiness of Donald Kroetsch – Donna
Sunday,  
9 am Mass For all the people of the Parish & Parish Missions
11 am Mass – Location: St. Francis Xavier, Carlsruhe Eternal Happiness of Wilma Patzer – BG Catholic D. School Board