40-hour devotion begins today at St. Mary’s Church

Are you seeking a place where you can relax your mind and get away from the stress of everyday life? If you answered yes, I have good news for you, and it starts by sharing in “the good news” for the next three days at St. Mary’s Church.

St. Mary’s/SS. Peter and Paul’s parishes will begin a forty hours devotion today following the 11:30 a.m. Mass at St. Mary’s Church, 715 Hawthorne St. At the conclusion of today’s Mass, the Rev. Phil Sladicka will expose the Blessed Sacrament and keep the church open for prayer and Eucharistic adoration until the concluding prayer service at 7 p.m.

On November 16-17, the devotion will continue beginning with Mass at 8 a.m. at St. Mary’s Church followed by Eucharistic adoration throughout the day until the concluding service at 7 p.m. On November 17, the concluding service will also include a special Mass, procession, and guest homilist, the Rev. David Betts. Parishioners, neighbors, and friends are invited to stop and spend some time in quiet reflection during this three-day period.

Happy Birthday

Happy birthday to my young friend Mary McAdarra who celebrated her 7th birthday on November 8.

Happy birthday to Tim Bartuska who will celebrate his special day Monday, Nov. 16.

Shoebox Program

St. Mary’s/SS. Peter and Paul’s Churches’ high school youth group is participating in the St. Francis Assisi Operation Shoebox program where local youth groups collect items for the needy. St. Mary’s/SS. Peter and Paul’s group will collect toothpaste. Items can be placed in the collection containers in the vestibule of either church.

Food for Needy

St. Mary’s/SS. Peter and Paul’s Churches are seeking non-perishable food items and monetary gifts for their food bank for the needy. Food donations can be left in the boxes in either of the church vestibules. If you would like to make a monetary donation please mail it to St. Mary’s Rectory, 715 Hawthorne St., and note on the envelope that it is for the food bank. For more information on this program or to notify the parishes of someone in need of food this Thanksgiving, please call St. Mary’s Rectory at 457-3412.

New Mass

St. Mary’s/SS. Peter and Paul’s Churches have added an 11:30 a.m. Mass on Sundays at St. Mary’s Church, 715 Hawthorne St. The public is invited to attend.

Memory Book

The SS. Peter and Paul’s Church Centennial Memory Book Committee is seeking information on the Avoca Community Boy Scout Troop 641. The only details available are the Troop held their meetings at the Scout home in early 1933, and David Jeffrey was the Scoutmaster. If anyone has any information about Troop 641 please call 457-3412 or e-mail stmarysavoca@verizon.net.

Dinner Today

The Rev. G. Scott Boghossian and the parishioners of St. Michael the Archangel Byzantine Catholic Church invite the community to celebrate the feast day of their parish’s patron saint at their annual dinner today from 1-3 p.m. in the church hall, 205 N. Main St., Pittston. The menu includes roast beef, mashed potatoes with gravy, green beans, cake, and coffee, tea, or a soft drink. The dinners are $8 for adults and $6 for children under 10. Takeouts will be available too. There will also be a raffle at the dinner. The public is invited to attend, and there is ample parking in the church lot.

VFW Auxiliary

The V.F.W. Post 8335 Ladies Auxiliary will host a district meeting today at 2 p.m. in St. Mary’s School auditorium, 742 Spring St. Several visiting auxiliaries will be present at this meeting. District President Debra Wojslechowicz will preside over the meeting. Dinner will be served in the V.F.W. post home, 915 Main St., following the meeting. All members are urged to attend.

HS Youth Group

St. Mary’s/SS. Peter and Paul’s Churches’ high school youth group will meet today from 6-9 p.m. in St. Mary’s Rectory meeting room, 715 Hawthorne St. All high school students are invited to attend.

Youth Club

St. Mary’s/SS. Peter and Paul’s Churches’ youth club will meet today from 6:30-8 p.m. at SS. Peter and Paul’s Church, 1000 Main St. During this meeting, plans will be finalized for a children’s Christmas fun night. The fun night will be open to children of the parishes in kindergarten through fourth grade. A fall/winter fundraiser will also be discussed at this meeting.

St. Mary’s/SS. Peter and Paul’s Churches’ youth club will participate on in the parish’s annual Thanksgiving Day Mass November 26 at 9 a.m. at SS. Peter and Paul’s Church, 1000 Main St. Attendees are asked to bring a non-perishable food item to the Mass to be included with the parishes’ care and concerns committee food drive.

Pierogi Sale

SS. Peter and Paul’s Church altar and rosary society will prepare potato cheese flavored pierogies November 16-17 at 9 a.m. in the lower level of the church, 1000 Main St. Anyone who is interested in helping in encouraged to attend.

Yard Waste

The Avoca Borough will have a yard waste collection Tuesday, Nov. 17 weather permitting. In addition to collecting grass clippings and leaves, the borough workers will also collect shrubs, hedge clippings, and tree limbs. Please note that grass clippings and leaves may be placed in the same container but other yard waste must be placed in a separate container. The tree limbs should not exceed three feet in length and one-half inch in diameter.

Please note that rocks, stones, dirt, and animal waste are not acceptable forms of yard waste and will not be collected. A maximum of three open containers, not exceeding 30 pounds, will be allowed per collection. Please do not put your collection items in plastic bags. They will not be collected.

Worship Committee

St. Mary’s Church worship committee will meet Thursday, Nov. 19 at 7 p.m. in St. Mary’s Rectory, 715 Hawthorne St.

Prayer Service

Holy Mother of Sorrows Polish National Catholic Church and Sacred Heart of Jesus Church will have a community Thanksgiving prayer service Saturday, Nov. 21 at 7 p.m. at Holy Mother of Sorrows PNCC, 212 Wyoming Ave., Dupont. The Rev. Dawid, pastor of Holy Mother of Sorrows PNCC, will lead the services, and the Rev. Verespy, pastor of Sacred Heart of Jesus Church, will be the homilist. Both parish choirs will join voices in praise and thanksgiving. A collection will also be taken to benefit the Pittston Food Bank. Refreshments will be served in the church hall following the service. The public is invited to attend.

Altar & Rosary

St. Mary’s Church altar and rosary society will meet Sunday, Nov. 22 at 2 p.m. in St. Mary’s School auditorium, 742 Spring St.

Fundraising Committee

St. Mary’s/SS. Peter and Paul’s Churches’ fundraising committee will meet Monday, Nov. 23 at 7 p.m. in SS. Peter and Paul’s Church auditorium, 1000 Main St. All members are urged to attend. New members are welcome. For more information please contact Jimbo McMahon at JIMMCMAHON1@VERIZON.NET.

Prayer Group

There will be a charismatic prayer group meeting Monday, Nov. 23 at 7:30 p.m. in St. Mary’s School auditorium, 742 Spring St. The public is invited to attend.

Food Giveaway

The Avoca Lions Club will have their monthly food drive Tuesday, Nov. 24 from 4-6 p.m. at the Bethel United Methodist Church, 532 Main St. Volunteers are needed to unload the truck at 1:30 p.m. Individuals who use this service are encouraged to bring boxes and bags with them for their goods. For more information please call Mary Ann at 457-7619. Please note you must be a Luzerne County resident to participate in this program.

Christmas Trees

The members of the Avoca Hose Company will have their annual Christmas tree sale beginning Sunday, Nov. 29. If you would like to order a tree that is more than 10 feet tall, please call the hose company at 457-2894.

Christmas Party

V.F.W. Post 8335 Ladies Auxiliary will have their Christmas party Saturday, Dec. 5 at 6 p.m. in the post home, 915 Main St. Friends of members are welcome to join the party. Gifts will be exchanged. To make a reservation, please call Mary Orluk at 457-5999.

The next meeting will be Monday, Jan. 4 at 7 p.m. in the post home. President June Fitzgerald will preside over the meeting.

Holiday Party

St. Mary’s and SS. Peter and Paul’s Churches’ altar and rosary societies will have a Christmas party Sunday, Dec. 6 at 1 p.m. at the new Amadeo’s Restaurant, Birney Avenue, Moosic. The menu options are chicken marsala, broiled haddock, or roast pork tenderloin in a brandy peppercorn sauce. Cost of the dinner is $25 per person. To make a reservation, contact Betty Damiano at 562-1180 or Nancy Adomiak at 457-4092 by Friday, Nov. 27.

Stocking Stuffers

The parishioners of St. Mary’s Church are currently selling the stocking stuffer edition of their Pot of Gold Match the Daily Number raffle tickets. Tickets are $10 each. The winning number is based on the evening daily number of the Pennsylvania Lottery. Anyone who has a specific ticket number they would like to purchase or to just simply purchase a ticket may call St. Mary’s Rectory at 457-3412 or Ann Marie at 457-7602.

Al-Anon Meetings

Al-Anon, a support group offering hope and help to families and friends of alcoholics, meets Mondays at 7 p.m. in the basement meeting room of St. Mary’s Rectory and Thursdays at 7 p.m. in the basement meeting room of the Brick United Methodist Church.