It is the beginning of another church year. It is the four weeks before the Feast of Christmas. The word Advent means coming.

We celebrate the three comings of the Lord in Advent. We celebrate his coming and being born in Bethlehem two thousand years ago.

We celebrate his coming to us each day especially in his Word and Sacraments.

We celebrate his final coming at the end of time.

We mark each week with the lighting of one candle of the Advent wreath. The rose candle is lit on the third week of Advent to signify that we are half way through our preparation for Christmas.

Although we will hear Christmas music in the malls and on radio, we do not sing Christmas carols in Advent. We do not decorate the church during Advent. It is a time of preparation.

We celebrate Christmas from December 25, the birth of Jesus to the Sunday after New Year’s Day which is the Feast of the three Kings, the Epiphany.

will be held on Wednesday, December 11 at 7 p.m. in the rectory to finalize the Parish Festival and the Pancake Breakfast.

Now many of these Sisters are in retirement and need our financial help so that their years can be lived in comfort and support.

Sat. Nov. 30

4 p.m. Robert Lyle

Sunday, Dec.1

8 a.m. Nicholas Family

9:30 a.m. Manuel M. Oliveira

11 a.m. Manuel and Fatima Almeida and Family

Mon. Dec. 2 Florence and Arthur Dube

Tues. Dec. 3 James Meehan

Wed. Dec. 4 Jacinto and Maria Tavares & Dionisia Costa

Thurs. Dec. 5 Cristina and Murdock Myette

Fri. Dec. 6 Miguel Inacio de Lima

Sat. Dec. 7 Gail Carol Medeiros Martin

Sunday December 8

8 a.m. Katherine T. Hurley

9:30 a.m. Joseph and Ellen Bender

11 a.m. Jesse Pacheco

SANCTUARY LAMP IN CHAPEL

Joseph Bettencourt

http://www.saintjames-nb.org.

We leave from the front of the church on County St. on a bus at 6:30 p.m.

Sign up sheets at the gathering area and at the side entrance are available this and next weekend to reserve a place on the bus. The bus will be for free.

We will leave from the rectory at 2 p.m.

ADVENT GIVING TREE

Parishioners are invited to buy one toy of clothing for these children. We ask that you do not wrap them. Place the ornament on the gift so that the present can go to the correct person. The deadline for getting your gifts in is December 8.

St. James will be joining other parishes this year in working with Catholic Social Services. Catholic Social Services will be distributing these gifts to the many families who are served by them throughout the city.

We sadly need to mention that we will not be able to keep the gifts in the church for the next two weekends because the gifts are not safe in the church anymore. After each Mass the gifts will be brought to a safe place.

Each year one of the joys that parishioners experienced was to see the amount of gifts increase each week. That will not be possible anymore. However we will have the joy of knowing that children will have a happier Christmas because of our generosity.

Parishioners are asked not to spend too much money on these gifts. In the past some parishioners went beyond their means to buy something for a needy child. A small gift that is within your means will mean a lot to a child.