Upcoming Meetings & Events
Advent Giving Tree: Sundays (12/9 & 12/16), before & after all Masses, church narthex
RCIA & Inquiry: Mondays, 7:00 PM, St. John the Baptist
Walking With Purpose I: Mondays, 7:00 PM, Holy Family Room
Advisory Council for Evangelization (ACE): Tuesday (12/11), 7:00 PM, St. Mark
High School Youth Group: Tuesdays, 7:00 PM, CLC
Bereavement Ministry Team: Wednesday (12/12), 9:00 AM, St. Luke
Walking with Purpose II: Wednesdays, 9:30 AM, St. Matthew & St. Mark
Youth Ministry Team: Wednesday (12/12), 6:30 PM, CLC
SDOS Planning Team: Wednesday (12/12), 7:00 PM, St. Mark
Girl Scout Troop Leaders: Wednesday (12/12), 7:00 PM, CLC
Legion of Mary: Wednesdays, 6:00 PM, holy hour, chapel; 7:00 PM, Holy Family Room
Pastoral Plan Implementation Team: Thursday (12/13), 7:00 PM, St. Luke
Women at the Well: Thursdays, 7:00 PM & Fridays, 9:00 AM, St Mark
Queen of Peace Marian Prayer Group: Fridays, 1:00 PM, chapel
Pre-Jordan II: Saturday (12/15), 10:30 AM, St. Matthew & St. Mark
Deadline for Advent Giving Tree Gifts: Sunday (12/16), 1:00 PM, church narthex
Joseph’s People: Monday (12/17), 7:00 PM, St. Luke
Chosen Fathers: Tuesday (12/18), 7:00 PM, St. Mark
Parish Advent Penance Service: Tuesday (12/18), 7:00 PM, church and chapel
Middle School & Eighth Grade Youth Groups: Wednesday (12/19), 5:30 PM, St. John the Baptist
Cub Scout Den Meetings: Wednesday (12/19), 6:30 PM, social hall, CLC
Elizabeth Ministry-Happy Birthday, Baby Jesus: Thursday (12/20), 9:00 AM, social hall
Parish School Advent-Christmas Prayer Service: Friday (12/21), 2:00 PM, church
Advent Confessions: Saturday (12/22), 9:00-11:00 AM, chapel
Christmas Eve Masses: Monday (12/24), 4:30 PM & 7:30 PM, church
Christmas Day Masses: Tuesday (12/25), 8:00 AM, 9:30 AM & 11:30 AM, church
OTHER ACTIVITIES OF INTEREST
Help Wanted: Bishop Shanahan High School has immediate openings for a Maintenance Technician and a Custodian. Full and part-time positions available Monday through Friday. The persons accepting these positions will be responsible for the overall cleanliness, maintenance and security of the school building and grounds. Tuition waiver offered after 6 month probation. If interested respond to
Help Wanted: St. Mary’s Franciscan Shelter, Phoenixville, is seeking a part-time Administrative and Social Media Coordinator. Ideal candidate must be creative, outgoing and organized to maintain and grow our volunteer program as well as manage our social media including facebook, webpage and electronic messaging. For further information and a copy of the job description, please call Sr. Bernadette at 610-933-3097 or email
Bishop Shanahan High School Fine Arts Department: Annual Christmas Concert and Art Exhibit, Friday, December 14, 7:00 PM. Open to the public. A free-will offering will be accepted.
Malvern Retreat House: Please join us on December 14-16 for the Ancestral Inner Healing Retreat for men and women directed by Fr. James Blount, SOLT and Kathleen McCarthy. Come, learn and experience the overwhelming desire of God the Father to free your family lineage from trauma and the sins of generations. For more information and/or to register for the retreat, call 610-644-0400 or visit www.malvernretreat.com/calendar.
Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary: Join us this Sunday, December 9, for the 2019 Christmas Concert and Open House. Seminary tours will begin at 1:00 PM, with the last tour at 3:00 PM. Light refreshments will be available during the Open House. The Christmas Concert, which begins at 4:00 PM, will feature music by our seminarian choir and musicians, Christmas readings led by our seminarians and an opportunity to join in singing Christmas carols. The event is free and open to the public. There will be a free-will offering to benefit the New Jerusalem Now Program (a drug and alcohol rehabilitation program), a charity that was selected by the seminarians themselves. No need to RSVP.
Catholic Daughters of the Americas: Catholic Daughters Court Our Lady of Fatima #2379 invites all Catholic women over the age of 18 to join the largest women’s organization in the world. Under the patronage of the Blessed Mother, our mission includes participation in spiritual, educational, and charitable programs. For more information contact Martha Schmidt (267-772-3630) or visit our webpage (http://cdapa.com/2739/index.html). Regular meetings are held the second Sunday of each month, 1:30 PM at SS. Philip & James rectory conference room. Save the Date: Saturday, December 15, 10:00 AM, at SS. Philip & James Rectory Conference Room, guest speaker, Sr. Sheila Galligan, IHM, from Immaculata University will present “Arise and Call her Blessed by Living a Marian Life”. Please RSVP to Martha.
St. Mary’s Quasi-Parish & St. Mary’s Polish American Society, Conshohocken: Join us on Sunday, December 16, 12:30 PM (following the 11:00 AM Mass) at St. Mary’s Hall for our Wigilia Advent Social. Enjoy some of the traditional foods served at a Polish Christmas Eve Wigilia. There will also be a basket raffle, blessed oplatki wafers available to take home, and pre-ordered babka and pierogi available for pick-up. Admission is $15 adults and $6 for children 18 and under. Family rate of $45 for larger families (parents & children). Pre-ordered cinnamon and cheese babka are available for $15 each and frozen potato pierogi are available for $9 per dozen. To purchase tickets for the Wigilia Advent Social and/or to order babkas and pierogi, please email
Marianist Family Retreat Center, Cape May Point, NJ: College-Age Retreat (High School Seniors are welcome), January 4-6, 2019. Designed to bring young people of college-age (17-22) together to renew your spiritual life, deepen your relationship with God and to meet new friends. Please join us whether you are in college or working. The time will be filled with prayer experiences, peer group discussions, Eucharist and lots of fun! Cost is $135 per person, double occupancy. Some financial aid is available. For more information and/or to register, visit www.capemaymarianists.org or call 609-884-3829.
Your Are Made New Ministry: Women of all ages are invited to a Day of Healing, on January 12, 2019, at Pope John Paul II High School, Royersford. Retreat begins with Mass, followed by inspirational talks, healing prayer, personal coaching, reflection, and adoration. Come, as we call upon the Holy Spirit and give Him permission to change our lives! Registration required! Contact De Yarrison at 610-287-2989 or visit www.YouAreMadeNew.com/healing-retreats.
Retrouvaille: Is your marriage hurting? Do you feel helpless? Hopeless? Retrouvaille (retro-VIE) can help and offers hope for a better relationship. Retrouvaille can help heal your marriage. The next weekend begins on the weekend of February 8-10 at the Family Life Center in Malvern. Additional weekends will be held in April and August. For more information, or to register for one of our weekends, visit www.HelpOurMarriage.org or call 1-800-470-2230. All inquiries are kept strictly confidential.
Daylesford Abbey: Abbott Domenic is offering a healing Mass every first Thursday at 11:00 AM with anointing of the sick from any kind of mental, physical, emotional need (not just from the Church abuses). The next healing Mass will be held on December 6.
Shanahan High School: All middle school students are invited to an Ignite retreat! Experience faith, friends and fun! All are welcome. Ignite retreats will be held on February 9 and April 27, 2019. For more information and to register for one of these retreats visit shanahan.org/ignite or email
Save the Date: Daylesford Abbey welcomes back Don Bisson, FMS, for “Healing the Hole in the Heart”, on Saturday, May 5, 2019, 9:00 AM-3:30 PM. General Admission-$60; Religious & Clergy-$45; Students-$15, includes conference & lunch. For more information and/or to register call 610-646-2530, ext. 133 or visit www.daylesfordabbey.org.
Schedule for Sacramental Reconciliation in preparation for Christmas
All are encouraged to celebrate the sacrament of Penance in preparation for Christmas. Here at Saint Elizabeth, we will have a Communal Reconciliation Service with individual confessions at 7:00 PM on Tuesday, December 18, and an extended period of confessions (9:00-11:00 AM) on Saturday, December 22. A number of visiting priests will be on hand for both occasions.
There are also Penance Services in area parishes, as follows: on Monday, December 17, at St. Maximilian Kolbe Church & SS. Peter & Paul Church in West Chester, and at St. Patrick Church in Malvern; on Tuesday, December 18, at SS. Simon & Jude Church in West Chester; on Wednesday, December 19, at St. Joseph Church in Downingtown; and on Thursday, December 20, at SS. Philip & James Church in Exton. All begin at 7:00 PM.
Christmas Mass Schedule
Note: Because of the severe over-crowding at the first Mass on Christmas Eve each year, we encourage our parishioners and visitors, if at all possible, to plan to celebrate Mass at 7:30 PM on Christmas Eve or on Christmas Day itself. Thank you for your cooperation!
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Masses of Christmas: December 24-25
Monday (Christmas Eve)
Vigil Mass at 4:30 PM and 7:30 PM
Tuesday (Christmas Day)
Mass at 8:00 AM, 9:30 AM, 11:30 AM
Feast of the Holy Family: December 29-30
Regular Weekend Schedule
Saturday Mass at 5:30 PM + Sunday Mass at 8:00 AM, 9:30 AM & 11:30 AM
Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God: December 31-January 1
(A holy day of obligation for all Catholic believers)
Monday (New Year’s Eve)
Vigil Mass at 5:30 PM
Tuesday (New Year’s Day)
Mass at 9:30 AM & 11:30 AM
Schedule of Christmas Eve Masses at Area Parishes
St. Basil the Great, Kimberton - 4:00 PM, 6:00 PM and 12:00 Midnight
St. Joseph, Downingtown - 4:00 PM, 6:00 PM, 8:00 PM and 12:00 Midnight
St. Peter, West Brandywine - 4:00 PM, 6:30 PM, 9:00 PM
SS. Philip & James, Exton - 4:00 PM, 5:30 PM, 7:30 PM and 10:00 PM
St. Thomas More, Pottstown - 5:30 PM and 9:00 PM
Greetings to you and to your loved ones from all of us on the parish staff at Saint Elizabeth. May you and your extended family have a wonderful Christmas, and may the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph bring blessings of health, happiness and peace to all the individuals, couples and families of Saint Elizabeth Church throughout the New Year 2019!
