From the RectorVery Rev. Joseph Tizio, C.Ss.R.

Staffed byThe Redemptorists

This Tuesday, December 12th, is the feast of Our Lady of Guada-lupe, patroness of the Americas and of the pro-life movement. Each year on this feast of Our Lady, my mind goes back to my last parish in Brooklyn, New York, which had a very large Mexi-can population. At 4:00 am the church would be filled with over a thousand people to celebrate the “mananitas”, the Morning

Prayer to our Lady. The evening mass would have little boys dressed like Juan Diego and the image of our Lady decorated with thousands of flowers. I was always moved by the deep devotion the Mexican community has for Our Lady of Guadalupe and the great joy with which they celebrated.

It is fitting that we celebrate Our Lady of Guadalupe so close to Christmas because she is a manifestation of the mystery of Christmas. It is during the Christmas Season that we celebrate the birth of Christ into our human poverty. Jesus Christ, the all-powerful God became poor for our sake, lived with the poor, preached to the poor, and died as a poor criminal. On December 9, 1531, the Virgin Mary appeared to a poor uneducated Aztec peasant named Juan Diego, she bore the appearance of an Aztec maiden, spoke the Aztec language and became another manifestation of God’s love for the poor and the rejected. Our Lady of Guadalupe reaffirms God’s preference for the poor and the abandoned, for those looked down upon by society. She says to the poor: “I look like you, I speak like you, and I will walk with you!” We are living in a country where the division between the very rich and the very poor grows wider each day, where the rich seem to hold power with little regard for those in need. We need Our Lady of Guada-lupe more than ever!

Second Sunday of Advent December 10, 2017

Weekday Masses7:00am and 12:10pm

Saturday Masses8:00am and 12:10pmVigil: 4:00pm, 7:00pm (Haitian)

Sunday Masses9:00am,12:30pm, 5:00pm11:00am (Spanish)

Sacrament of PenanceMonday-Saturday at 11:50amSaturday 3:30pm

Wednesday Novena Service12:10pm, 5:30pm, 6:30pm (Spanish), 7:00pm (Haitian)

Exposition of theBlessed SacramentWednesday 8:00am to 5:00pm

Dec 09 Saturday

8:00am Fr. Caster 12:10pm Brianna and Katrina Boland-Petterson Shrine Members Living and Deceased 4:00pm +Maurice and Teresa O’Connor 7:00pm +Litane and Willie Jean

Dec 10 Sunday

9:00am +Mary J. Hegarty 11:00am +Linette Fernandez +Maria Hernandez +Belin Rodriguez Hilda and Joseph Arieta 12:30pm +R. Michael Yaras 5:00pm Fr. Caster Dec 11 Monday

7:00am Safe Trip - Ifeona and Family 12:10pm Fr. Caster Dec 12 Tuesday

7:00am Silvia, James, Joanne, Amy Ooi and Family 12:10pm Divine Grace

Dec 13 Wednesday

7:00am Yool-Yoong, Stephanie, Helena Ho Family 12:10pm Joanne Ooi, Samuel, Augustus 6:30pm Victor, Maruja, Silvia

Dec 14 Thursday

7:00am Fr. Caster 12:10pm Lisa Li, Joseph Chong, Stephanie and Family

Dec 15 Friday

7:00am +Denis Harrison 12:10pm Special Intention

MASS INTENTIONS FROM THE RECTOR

En Español

Este martes, 12 de diciembre, es la fiesta de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, patrona de las Américas y del movimiento pro vida. Cada año en esta fiesta de Nuestra Señora, mi mente se remonta a mi última parroquia en Brooklyn, Nueva York, que tenía una gran población mexicana. A las 4:00 a. M., La iglesia se llenaría con más de mil personas para celebrar las “manani-tas”, la Oración matutina a Nuestra Señora. La misa de la noche tendría niños pequeños vestidos como Juan Diego y la imagen de nuestra Señora decorada con miles de flores. Siempre me conmovió la profunda devoción que la comunidad mexicana tiene por Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe y la gran alegría con la que celebraron.

Es apropiado que celebremos a Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe tan cerca de Navidad porque ella es una manifestación del mis-terio de la Navidad. Es durante la temporada de Navidad que celebramos el nacimiento de Cristo en nuestra pobreza huma-na. Jesucristo, el Dios todopoderoso se hizo pobre por nosotros, vivió con los pobres, predicó a los pobres y murió como un po-bre criminal. El 9 de diciembre de 1531, la Virgen María se apa-reció a un pobre campesino azteca sin educación llamado Juan Diego, tenía la apariencia de una doncella azteca, hablaba el idioma azteca y se convirtió en otra manifestación del amor de Dios por los pobres y los rechazados. Nuestra Señora de Guada-lupe reafirma la preferencia de Dios por los pobres y abandona-dos, por aquellos despreciados por la sociedad. Ella le dice a los pobres: “¡Me parezco a usted, hablo como usted, y caminaré con usted!” Estamos viviendo en un país donde la división entre los muy ricos y los muy pobres se hace más amplia cada día, donde los ricos parece tener poder con poca consideración por los necesitados. ¡Necesitamos a Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe más que nunca!

El Regalo de Una HoraRecuerde que dependemos de su ofrenda semanal para continu-ar el ministerio de nuestra parroquia. Le pedimos que considere dar el equivalente a una hora de su salario semanal. Si no puede comprometerse una hora en este momento, le pedimos que aporte al menos $ 5 como ofrenda mínima para el mantenimien-to y la misión de la iglesia.

StewardshipStewardshipAdvent Video Reflections

“Prepare the way of the Lord…” - MARK 1:3

Our Music Ministry has produced a series of Advent Reflections using music and prayer to guide you through this season each week. Watch them on our website,

www.bostonsbasilica.com/adventreflections

Advent Video Reflections

HISPANIC COMMUNITY

El Comite Social

Les informa que está registrando familias para recibir juguetes en la Navidad 2017. Las registraciones son en el Salon del Café después de la misa hispana. Edades: 1 mes – 8 años.

La Rifa de Navidad

El Comite Social está vendiendo tiquetes para la Rifa Anual de Navidad 2017. El dinero recaudado es para la Basílica.

Las Posadas de Navidad 2017

Las posadas por los hogares de la parroquia comenzarán el 15 de Diciembre hasta el 23 de Diciembre 2017. Las posadas son en honor a la Virgin María, San José y el niño Jesús.

Los Bautismos en Español

Les informamos que si necesitan Bautizar sus niños, ellos deben ser menores de 7 años para ser Bautizados aquí en la Basílica. Si son “mayors de 7 años” deben tomar clases de catecismo por 2 años consecutivos. Los bautismos en Español son el primer domingo de cada mes.

Novena Hispana a la Virgen del Perpetuo Socorro

Lo invitamos a unirse a nosotros cada miércoles por la noche a las 6:30pm en la capilla de la casa parroquial semanalmente a la novena en español a la Vírgen del Perpetuo Socorro.

HAITIAN COMMUNITY

Patisseries en vente pour la NoelSamdi 16 ak dimanch 17 Desanb 2017, avan ak aprè chak mès yo, nap gen patisri ( gato, kremas, pen patat etc) pou vann nan “Music Room” lan. Profi a se pou legliz la. Vini, vin goute, pandan nap bay kominote nou an you ti kichòy an retou.

Bible Class in French/CreoleEvery Second Tuesday at 8:00pm

Mes frères et soeurs. On ne peut donner ce qu’on n’a pas. Tout chré-tien, doit connaitre la parole de Dieu. Donc, il est important de se mettre à l’écoute, et à l’étude de la parole de Dieu, pour pouvoir partager avec les autres, combien Dieu nous aime. Dans le souci de répondre mieux à notre vocation chrétienne, nous avons un cours biblique chaque deuxième Mardi du mois à 8:00 PM.

« Frèm ak sèm yo, nou pa ka bay sa nou pa genyen, donk antan ke kretyen, nou dwe, konnen Paròl Granmèt la. Se sak fè nou gen you kou labib, chak dezyèm Madi, a 8:00 PM. »

Haitian Mass Every Saturday at 7:00pmFrèm ak sèm yo, Bondye, avèk Manman Pèpetyèl toujou la pou li pran swen nou, pou li ban nou nouriti kap kenbe nou solid nan laf-wa. Se sak fè Granmèt la toujou mete, sevitè pou sèvi nou. Pou nou ka jwen nouriti spirityèl sa, chak Samdi a 7 pm, nap gen lamès an kreyòl, nan Legliz Pèpetyèl la. Nou tout, ayisyen yo, nou se pitit Manman Pèpetyèl, vini, pou nou selebre lafwa nou, nan lang man-man nou.

BASILICA MEMORIALS

Basilica Memorial PlaqueHonor a loved one with a permanent memorial inside the Basilica. A limited number of engravable metal plaques are mounted near the Shine and Purgatorian altar for donor contributions of $1,000 or more. Your gift directly benefits the Basilica and the on going restoration work that is continually needed. A 1” x 4” metal plaque can be engraved with up to 20 characters on each line, up to 4 lines. Spaces and punctuation are characters.

Masses and EnrollmentsThe Basilica’s sacred altars and presence as a spiritual home for over a century provides a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the liturgy for your intentions. Masses for living and deceased can be offered throughout the year. We also have special perpetual Mass enrollment societies that provide daily and weekly remembrances as long as the Basilica endures.

For details visit the Retory Office or our website,www.bostonsbasilica.com/shop

1545 Tremont Street • Boston, MA 02120www.bostonsbasilica.com

617-445-2600

Rector/PastorVery Rev. Joseph Tizio, C.Ss.R.

Parochial VicarsRev. Robert Lennon, C.Ss.R.Rev. Francis Sullivan, C.Ss.R.

Rev. John Furey, C.Ss.R. Rev. John Lavin, C.Ss.R.

Rev. Philip Dabney, C.Ss.R.Rev. Pierre Desruisseaux, C.Ss.R.

Director of Religious EducationMrs. Kathleen Biddle

katie@bostonsbasilica.com617-516-0380

Healing and Restoration MinistryOffice: 617-442-2008

Prayer Line: 617-442-3938

Society of St. Vincent DePaulOffice: 347-776-0371

E-mail: info@svdpmissionchurch.org

Our Lady of Perpetual Help Prayer Groups

English - Mondays, 6:30pm in Parish CenterSpanish - Mondays, 7:00pm in the Church

Our Lady of Perpetual HelpMission Grammar School

94 St. Alphonsus Street • 617-442-2660Principal: Mrs. Ali Dutson

NEWS & EVENTS

Christmas FlowersWe appreciate your help in collecting donations to cover the cost of flowers to decorate our Basilica for Christmas. Envelopes are available at the back of the church and Rectory Office. Donations can be made in the memory of your loved ones, living or deceased.

Christmas LuncheonThe Community of Sant’ Egidio will be holding a special Christmas luncheon for all those in need on Christmas Day in the Parish Center from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm. We are seeking financial donations to purchase food, decorations, and supplies to make the lunch delicious and beautiful! Checks can be made out to “Community of Sant’Egidio USA” and left at the rectory office. Representatives of Sant’Egidio will also be present at the 11 am and 12:30 pm Masses on Sun-days to collect donations. Also, if you would like to be a guest or know some-one who would, please sign-up at the rectory office.

Volunteer Opportunities

Set up Outdoor Nativity on Rectory Lawn Sunday, December 10, after the 9:00 am Mass. Includes moving stable and nativity pieces from rectory basement to the rectory lawn. We will meet in church immediately after Mass.

Prepare church for Christmas Friday, December 22, 1 pm. The Handmaids of Mary will prepare the church for Christmas. Polishing brass, ironing altar cloths, replacing candles and other duties as needed. All are welcomed.

Saturday, December 23, from 9 am – 3 pm. Includes moving supplies from attic, setting up trees, placing flowers, set up indoor nativity. *

Sunday, December 24, 9 pm. Help light and place over 1,000 candles for Midnight Mass. * *Please sign up at rectory office for Dec 23 & 24 so we know who to expect.

Support Our Music MinistryChristmas is two weeks away. Our custom here at the Basilica is to glorify the birth of our Lord with voices and instruments of praise. If you are able or willing, we ask that you sponsor a singer or a instrumentalist. $175 will allow us to hire a vocal artist, and $250 will pay for an instrumentalist. Please notate on the memo line of your check that your contribution is specifically for “Music for Christmas”. Thank you so very much for adding to the beauty of our liturgy!

Bake Sale Next WeekendIndulge in a tasty treat, while giving something back to our community. Next weekend a bake sale of delicious deserts, cakes, cup cakes, home-made bread and more will be on sale in the Music Room before and after Masses on Saturday, December 16th and Sunday, December 17th. All pro-ceeds support our parish.