Psalm 126

Kindergarten students Grady McKinnon, Cole Landry, and Jake Berner display their Advent wreath. Each classroom has a wreath to remind them of the four weeks of Advent just prior to Christmas.  The wreaths were blessed in the gym by Father Ramon at the start of the Advent season.

Second Sunday of Advent

R - The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.

When the Lord brought back the captives of Zion,
     we were like men dreaming.
Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
     and our tongue with rejoicing.  R

Then they said among the nations,
     "The Lord has done great tings for them."
The Lord has done great things for us;
     we are glad indeed.  R

Restore our fortunes, O Lord,
     like the torrents in the southern desert.
Those who sow in tears
     shall reap rejoicing.  R

Although they go forth weeping,
     carrying the seed to be sown,
they shall come back rejoicing,
     carrying their sheaves.  R

From the Principal

Dear Parents,

On Friday, the students in Grades 1-8 will attend Mass in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Following the Mass, Father John has arranged, as a gift to the students, a fiesta celebrating the same feast. Mariachi bands, dancers, and pinatas are part of the scheduled entertainment for the students. 

All week the students have been learning about Our Lady of Guadalupe and making crafts and coloring pictures to be used as decorations for the fiesta. The preparation will culminate with the Mass and celebration on Friday.

Many thanks to Father, Janina George, and Carol Girdwood as well as their many helpers to organize this celebration for the students. Home and School has been a big help with financing part of the event as well as staging the pinata logistics. Everyone has come together to make this a most festive time for all the children.

-- Dr. Toups

Calendar for the Week

Monday, December 7-Friday, December 11
Santa Bear unwrapped toys for the less fortunate will be accepted in the library. 

Thursday, December 10
7th Grade Retreat to STA

Friday, December 11
Mass @ 8:30 followed by Fiesta in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe
Spirit Dress
Accelerated Reader Deadline for Second Quarter Points
Last Day for Santa Bear Toys
Father/Daughter Dance

Monday, December 14
Christmas Concert - Grades 1-4 - 7:00 p.m. in the Church

Tuesday, December 15 
Exams - Grades 6-7-8 - Reading, Science

Wednesday, December 16
Exams - Grades 6-7-8 - English, Social Studies
Library Closed
Spring Fair Committee Meeting @ 6:30 in the Library - All are invited.

Thursday, December 17
Exams - Grades 6-7-8 - Math
Library Closed

Friday, December 18
Mass @ 8:30 - All are invited.
Crusaders of the Month Announced
Spirit Dress w/Christmas Hats, Bows, Antlers, etc.
Christmas Program in Gym Following Mass
Christmas Parties in Classrooms Following Program
Half Day for Students - 11:30 Dismissal - Buses Will Run 
No After School Care
First Semester Ends
Library Closed

Church Contribution Deadline

To qualify for tuition as a financially supporting parishioner, a family's weekly contribution to St. Joseph Parish should be a minimum of $416.00 per year. ($8.00 per week)

These contributions are to be made in full by the last day of the calendar year, December 31, 2009. Regular use of the Sunday envelope is necessary as a sign of financial support for the Church.

Please contact the parish office at 985-386-3749 to finalize contributions.

Father/Daughter Dance

Father/Daughter Dance

Friday, December 11
7:00-9:30

$20 per dad/daughter in advance
$5 for additional daughter(s)

$30 per dad/daughter at door
$5 for additional daughter(s) at door

Food and drink are provided.

Theme is
"She's a Keeper!"

Wear your hunting/fishing attire!
There's a prize for the best-dressed family!

Accelerated Reader Deadline

The last day for Accelerated Reader points for the Second Quarter is Friday, December 11. Tests taken after that date will count toward the Third Quarter.

Santa Bear

Again this year we will be combining efforts with the Daily Star and Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's Department to provide Christmas toys for children in need.

By combining our efforts, the Sheriff's Department can better check families and make sure that they are legitimate. Also, the Sheriff's Department takes care of deliveries.

Please bring UNWRAPPED toys to the library the week of December 7-11. Toys that indicate violence will not be accepted. Please, no guns, bows & arrows, etc.

Make an Advent sacrifice by doing this for a child that is less fortunate.

Fourth Grade Essay Winners

Sara Morrow, president of the Westward Ho chapter of the Tangipahoa Volunteers for Family and Community, an arm of LSU's extension service, presents certificates to her organization's essay contest winners in fourth grade at St. Joseph School. Winners were, left to right, Hailey Theard, third place, Allie Amerson, first place, and Noah Swanner, second place.

Christmas Concert

Grades 1-4, bells, recorder, and beginner band will present a Christmas Concert in St. Joseph Church on Monday, December 14, at 7:00 p.m.

Christmas Card Recycling

SJS Student Council will b collecting used Christmas cards for the St. Jude's Ranch for Children's recycled Christmas card program. 

The children at the ranch attach the fronts fo the cards to new backs to make new cards. The new cards are then sold online. (Visit http://www.stjudesranch.org/helpcard.php for more information.) 

If you would like to donated your used Christmas cards (or other greeting cards), please send just the fronts of the carrds to school with your child. If you don't have time to cut the fronts off the cards, send the cards and Student Council will cut them apart. 

Your child should give the cards to their teacher. We will be collectint the cards from now until sometime in January. Thank you for your support. Have a Merry Chrimas and a Happy New Year!

Literary Club Contest Winners

The St. Joseph Literary Club would like to thank everyone for their participation in our first Christmas recipe contest. We had many delicious recipes to choose from!

All entries were divided into four categories: appetizers, main dishes, desserts, and "unique". So amny desserts were submitted that we doulbed the number of winners. Winners are listed below:

Appetizers
Holly Guay - Apple Fritters
McKenzi McNemar - Spinach and Artichoke Dip
Claire-Chapin Perilloux - Monkey Bread

Main Dishes
Jacob Schmaltz - crawfish or Shrimp Fettuccini
Reid Lambert - Lambert House Gumbo
Blake Vampran - Grammy's Bread Dressing

Desserts
Chloe Ernst - Sugar Coated Pecans
Logan Henley - Candy Cane Brownie Lollipops
Emily Waddell - Cherry Candy Cane
Lauren McKneely - Marshmellow Balls
Billy Walch - Oreo Balls
Savanna Barrient - Reindeer Pie

"Unique"
Jeb Kraft - Christmas Crickets
Nicholas Falcon - Christmas Milk
Paige Polito - Christmas Grapes

The recipes follow and are posted on this website under "Clubs: Literary Club". Enjoy!

Apple Fritters - Holly Guay

Ingredients
1 1/2 cup flour
1 tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
3 cups finely chopped apples
2/3 cup milk
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp oil
powdered sugar
oil for frying

Directions
Stir ingredients until moist. Next, carefully drop batter by rounded tablespoons into hot oil. make sure you cook only a few at a time, turning once. Fry for 2-3 minutes. Drain. Sift powdered sugar over fritters.

Yields - about 3 dozen fritters

Spinach and Artichoke Dip - McKenzi McNemar

Ingredients
1 stick butter
1/2 white onion, chopped
8 oz sour cream
4 oz cream cheese
2 boxes chopped spinach
1 can artichoke hearts
1 cup Parmesan cheese
Monterey Jack cheese

Directions
Cook spinach according to directions on package and drain. Saute onions in butter. Mix in sour cream, cream cheese, and Parmesan cheese until creamy. Chop artichoke hearts and add to mixture along with the spinach. Pour into baking dish and add a light layer of Monterey Jack cheese. Cook at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Serve with torilla chipas, salsa, and sour cream, in desired.

Monkey Bread - Claire-Chapin Perilloux

Ingredients
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
4 pkg (10 biscuits each) refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup melted butter

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sprinkle pecans in bottom of well-greased 10-inch Bundt pan. Set aside.

In a small bowl, stir together granulated sugar and cinnamin. Cut biscuits into quarters. Roll each biscuit piece in the sugar mixture and place in prepared pan, arranging pieces to fill pan evenly. In small bow, stir together brown sugar and melted  butter; pour over biscuits.

Bake for 35-40 minutes or until dark golden brown and top springs back. Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes.

Invert onto a serving platter. Serve warm.

Crawfish or Shrimp Fettuccini - Jacob Schmaltz

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups margarine
3 onions, chopped fine
3 bell peppers, chopped fine
1/4 cup flour
4 tbsp parsley
3 lbs crawfish/shrimp
1 pint half and half
1 lb Velveeta
4 oz mild jalapeno relish
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 cans sliced mushrooms and water
1 lb fettuccini pasta 
salt and pepper
Parmesan cheese

Directions
Cook pasta al dente. Drain.

Melt margarine. Add onions, bell peppers, and garlic. Cover. Cook until tender. Add flour. Cover and cook 15 minutes, stirring often. Add parsley and crawfish/shrimp. Cover and cook 15 minutes, stirring often. Add half and half, cheese, jalapenos, mushrooms and water, and salt and pepper. Cover. Cook 30 minutes on low heat. Stir often.

Add pasta to crawfish/shrimp mixture. Toss. Pour into buttered 3 quart casserole. Top with Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

Lambert House Gumbo - Reid Lambert

Ingredients
1 - 3 lb bag of yellow onions
1 bunch of celery
3 medium bell peppers
1/2 head of garlic, crushed
1/2 cup olive oil
1 pint jar Savoie's or Richard's dark roux
3 - 49.5 oz cans of chicken broth
4 bay leaves
12 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Tony Chachere's seasoning
1 1/2 lb andouille sausage, sliced
1 1/2 lb smoked sausage, sliced

Directions
First, prepare gumbo base. Begin by chopping vegetables. i use a food processor for convenience, being careful not to puree vegetables. Saute them in a 12 quart stockpot with olive oil until soft. Add roux, mix well, and simmer about 10 mintues. Add cans of chicken broth and bay leaves. Cook over medium high heat about 30 minutes while meat is being prepared.

Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces. Season liberally with Tony's. Brown in a large cast iron Dutch oven in about three batches. Place browned meat into gmbo base. next, brown sausage and add it also. Simmer gumbo about one hour. Adjust seasoning. Let cool and remove oil from top. Refrigerate overnight for best results. Serves 30-40.

Grammy's Bread Dressing - Blake Vampran

Ingredients
1 loaf of bread (cubed)
1 chopped onion
2 stalks celery (chopped)
1/2 lb of pork sausage with sage
1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
1 can low sodium chicken broth
4 tbsp margarine or butter

Directions
1. place cubed bread in rectangular dish and set aside
2. brown sausage
3. add chopped onion, celery, and margarine or butter to sausage
4. add poultry seasoning
5. cover and cook on low until vegetables are soft
6. add sausage mixture to bread pan, adding chicken broth as need to moisten bread
7. cover with aluminum foil - be sure to poke holes in the foil
8. bake at 300 degrees for 30 minutes or until warm
9. serve and enjoy

St. Joseph Parish News

Parish Website

Mass Schedule

Saturday evening at 5:00

Sunday morning at 8:00 and 10:30

Sunday evening at 5:00 



Meeting Christ at Broadway and Bethlehem

Meeting Christ at Broadway and Bethlehem by Edward Hays is an Advent Prayer Experience. Take time this Advent to reflect on Christ in the excitement (or stress!) of the season. Each session begins by sharing experiences using Edward Hays' daily meditations, then moves into an Advent prayer ritual. For those seeking a fresh view of the holidays, come discover Christ at the Corner of Broadway and Bethlehem on Thursday, December 10 and 17. 

Call Christine Ingrassia at 985-370-0126 or 985-678-2497.



Children's Christmas Mass

Children interested in participating in the live nativity for the 4:00 p.m. Children's Christmas Mass should  contact Veronica Pierson at 985-386-7799.

A meeting and practice will be held on Sunday, December 13, after the 10:30 a.m. Mass.


Resurrection Choir

The Parish is in need of additional voices for our Resurrection Choir. This choir takes care of singing at Funeral Masses at St. Joseph. If you are interested in joining this choir, please contact Gerline Melancon at 985-386-3834.

Prayer for Priests

The Year for Priests 2009-2010

Dear Lord,

We pray that the Blessed Mother wrap her mantle around Your priests and through her intercession strengthen them for their ministry.

We pray that Mary will guide Your priests to follow her own words,
"Do whatever He tells you." (Jn 2:5)

May Your priests have the heart of St. Joseph, Mary's most chaste spouse.

May the Blessed Mother's own pierced heart inspire them to embrace all who suffer at the foot of the cross.

May Your priests be holy, filled with the fire of Your love, seeking nothing but Your greater glory and the salvation of souls.

Amen

St. John Vianney, pray for us.


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