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Advent Bingo
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Celebrate the Advent season by getting a faith-based BINGO! Get five in a row, and you can turn in your card at the Parish Office for a prize. Get a cover-all (complete all items on the card), and you’ll be entered into a raffle for one of six Grand Prizes (three for individuals and three for families who participate).
Copies of the Bingo card will be in the back of the churches and in the bulletin, or you can print out a copy by clicking on the button below.
Click here to download a Bingo card.
Below are some tips for completing the tasks on the bingo card. Click on each to open more information.
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On Wednesday, December 17, parishes across the Diocese of Pittsburgh will “keep their lights on,” offering opportunities for Confession, worship, and prayer. At Archangel Gabriel Parish, priests will be available for confession during the following times:
10:00 - 11:00 AM | St. Mary, Help of Christians Church
12:00 – 1:00 PM | St. Malachy Church
5:30 – 9:00 PM | Holy Trinity Church
In addition, we will celebrate Mass at Holy Trinity Church at 6:30 PM.
An Advent Prayer Service will follow Mass and will feature Eucharistic Adoration, liturgy of the word, and contemplative prayer and music. Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament will continue (as usual) until 10:00 PM
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Daily Mass Schedule at Archangel Gabriel Parish:
- Mon - Wed | 9:30 AM | St. Mary, Help of Christians Church
- Mon - Fri | 6:30 PM | Holy Trinity Church
- Thu - Sat | 8:30 AM | St. Malachy Church
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The use of the Advent Wreath is a traditional practice which has found its place in the Church as well as in the home. When the blessing of the Advent Wreath is celebrated in the home, it is appropriate that it be blessed by a parent or another member of the family. You can find a blessing to be done with the family on the USCCB website at https://www.usccb.org/prayers/blessing-advent-wreath.
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While it's not necessary to use Hallow to build a daily prayer routine, the Hallow app does have a function to help. (This feature is not available on the desktop version.
From the Home page in the app, click on "Routine". Then follow the instructions to make your own customized prayer routine.
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In 1531, the Blessed Mother appeared four times to St. Juan Diego asking for a church to be built in her honor. The last time she appeared to him, on December 12, 1531, she arranged roses in his tilma, which he then took to the bishop. When he opened his cloak, the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe was miraculously present on the tilma.
We therefore celebrate the Feast day of Our Lady under the title of Guadalupe on December 12. It is preceded on December 9 by the Feast of St. Juan Diego, who was canonized in 2002 by Pope St. John Paul II.
Learn more about Our Lady of Guadalupe.
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A simple St. Nicholas Day celebration adds a bit of welcome festivity in the early days of Advent. It provides an opportunity to tell the story of St. Nicholas, a man of faith whose goodness and generosity grew out of his love for God. It enriches our understanding of Santa Claus by showing the real historical person who inspired the familiar legend and traditions.
So tell a story of St. Nicholas' generous example of giving in secret to those in need. Then encourage children to identify a kindly "Nicholas deed" to do for someone else. Have children fill their shoes with pieces of carrot or bits of hay for his white horse or donkey. Place shoes outside bedroom doors or on the hearth. See that a candy treat (a candy cane represents Bishop Nicholas' crozier) and simple gift appears by morning on December 6.
More resources for St. Nicholas Day
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We celebrate the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, a Holy Day of Obligation, on December 8.In 1854, Pope Pius IX declared the dogma of the Immaculate Conception:
The Most Holy Virgin Mary was, in the very first moment of her conception, by a unique gift of grace and privilege of Almighty God and in view of the merits of Jesus Christ the Redeemer of mankind, preserved free from all stains of original sin. (Ineffabilis Deus, Apostolic Constitution of Pope Pius IX on the Immaculate Conception)
Thus, the Church teaches that the Blessed Mother was redeemed by her Son, just as we are, but by a divine anticipation of the merits of the Word‑made‑flesh. Like Eve before her, she was not subject to the Fall and thus to the prince of this world. However, unlike Eve, she would never surrender that freedom that God’s grace provided her.
Learn MoreMass Times
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St. Lucy’s Feast Day, celebrated on December 13, is a wonderful occasion to embrace the spirit of light and hope during the Advent season. St. Lucy, known for her faith and courage, is the patroness of the blind and those with eye ailments. In many parts of the world, this feast day is a celebration of light, often with beautiful traditions involving food, activities, and family time.
Click here for ideas about how to celebrate the Feast of St. Lucy.
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The AGP Food Pantry sponsors a Feed the Needy Food Drive during the first weekend of each month. The next Feed the Needy Food Drive will be held on December 6 & 7.
The Pantry is especially in need of:- Rice Sides
- Jarred Pasta Sauce
- Packaged Cookies
- Boxed Puddings and Snack Packs
Please remember, we cannot distribute expired items. Monetary donations can be placed in the collection basket during Mass in an envelope marked "Food Pantry." Checks should be made out to "Archangel Gabriel Food Pantry."
You can also make an online donation to the Food Pantry using the button below.
Donate to the AGP Food Pantry
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Traditionally, Advent wreaths are constructed of a circle of evergreen branches into which four candles are inserted, representing the four weeks of Advent. Ideally, three candles are purple, and one is rose, but white candles can also be used.
The purple candles symbolize the prayer, penance, and preparatory sacrifices and goods works undertaken at this time. The rose candle is lit on the third Sunday, Gaudete Sunday, when the priest also wears rose vestments at Mass; Gaudete Sunday is the Sunday of rejoicing, because the faithful have arrived at the midpoint of Advent, when their preparation is now half over, and they are close to Christmas.
The progressive lighting of the candles symbolizes the expectation and hope surrounding our Lord’s first coming into the world and the anticipation of his second coming to judge the living and the dead.
Read More
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Hallow has a variety of themed spiritual music, including Advent music.
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There are many toy drives going on this time of year, including (click on each for more information):
AGP Ladies of Charity Christmas Gift Project
Benjamin Benefit Foundation’s annual toy drive
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Holy hours are the Roman Catholic devotional tradition of spending an hour in Eucharistic Adoration in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament. The bishops have created a variety of holy hours that focus our prayer to Jesus Christ on peace, life, vocations, and other topics that are at the heart of the life of the Church and the world (USCCB).
AGP hosts a Holy Hour on Thursdays, Eucharistic Adoration six days a week, and Family Adoration on the first Friday of the month. Use the buttons below to learn more.
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The message of The Divine Mercy is simple. It is that God loves us – all of us. And, He wants us to recognize that His mercy is greater than our sins, so that we will call upon Him with trust, receive His mercy, and let it flow through us to others. Thus, all will come to share His joy.
Learn more about the Divine Mercy.Download a printable copy of the Divine Mercy Chaplet.
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A common Catholic grace before dinner, supported by the USCCB's guidance on prayer, is: "Bless us, O Lord, and these Thy gifts, which we are about to receive from Thy bounty, through Christ our Lord. Amen." This prayer expresses gratitude to God for the food provided.
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The Rosary is a Scripture-based prayer. It begins with the Apostles' Creed, which summarizes the great mysteries of the Catholic faith. The Our Father, which introduces each mystery, is from the Gospels. The first part of the Hail Mary is the angel's words announcing Christ's birth and Elizabeth's greeting to Mary. St. Pius V officially added the second part of the Hail Mary. The Mysteries of the Rosary center on the events of Christ's life. There are four sets of Mysteries: Joyful, Sorrowful, Glorious and––added by Saint John Paul II in 2002––the Luminous. The Five Joyful Mysteries are traditionally prayed on Mondays, Saturdays, and, during the season of Advent, on Sundays.
How to Pray the Rosary
On Hallow, you can pray along to the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary with Cardinal Timothy Dolan in Our Lady's Chapel at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City and others.
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Spiritual reading of Sacred Scripture, especially the Gospels, is an important form of meditation. This spiritual reading is traditionally called lectio divina or divine reading. Lectio divina is prayer over the Scriptures.
The first element of this type of prayer is reading (lectio): you take a short passage from the Bible, preferably a Gospel passage and read it carefully, perhaps three or more times. Let it really soak-in.
The second element is meditation (meditatio). By using your imagination enter into the Biblical scene in order to "see" the setting, the people, and the unfolding action. It is through this meditation that you encounter the text and discover its meaning for your life.
The next element is prayer (oratio) or your personal response to the text: asking for graces, offering praise or thanksgiving, seeking healing or forgiveness. In this prayerful engagement with the text, you open yourself up to the possibility of contemplation.
Contemplation (contemplatio) is a gaze turned toward Christ and the things of God. By God's action of grace, you may be raised above meditation to a state of seeing or experiencing the text as mystery and reality. In contemplation, you come into an experiential contact with the One behind and beyond the text.
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Hallow has background information, printable novenas, and a listen-along St. Andrew Novena. The single prayer of the St. Andrew Christmas Novena is traditionally prayed fifteen times each day, beginning on the feast of St. Andrew (November 30) and concluding on Christmas Eve.
Learn More on Hallow
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You can join any catholic prayer challenge, including Archangel Gabriel Parish's Advent Prayer Challenge through Hallow. Discover deeper stillness amidst the chaos of the holiday season, just as Mary did that first Christmas. Join millions around the world as we dive into the story of the Nativity through reflections on the infancy narratives, powerful excerpts from The Reed of God by Caryll Houselander and The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer, and moments of silence and contemplative prayer. Join us in this 25-day journey, starting December 1!
Already using Hallow?
Simply open the app, tap the “Church” tab at the bottom of your screen, visit our parish page, and join the Advent prayer challenge.
New to Hallow?
Click here to learn how to get started.
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In its present form, the custom of displaying figures depicting the birth of Jesus Christ owes its origin to St. Francis of Assisi, who made the Christmas crèche or manger for Christmas Eve of 1223.
Blessing of a Manger Scene (USCCB)
All make the sign of the cross as the leader says:
Our help is in the name of the Lord.
R/. Who made heaven and earth.
One of those present or the leader reads a text of sacred Scripture, for example, Luke 2:1 (lines 1-8) or Isaiah 7:10 (lines 10-15, the birth of Emmanuel).
Reader: The Gospel of the Lord.
R/. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
The leader prays with hands joined:
God of every nation and people,
from the very beginning of creation
you have made manifest your love:
when our need for a Savior was great
you sent your Son to be born of the Virgin Mary.
To our lives he brings joy and peace,
justice, mercy, and love.
Lord,
bless all who look upon this manger;
may it remind us of the humble birth of Jesus,
and raise our thoughts to him,
who is God-with-us and Savior of all,
and who lives and reigns forever and ever.
R/. Amen.
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You can let someone know you prayed for them verbally or by sending a card. Hallow also allows you to view and respond to prayer requests from our parish via the app.
The Church Tab allows you to view and pray for intentions shared with your Church, Groups, and Friends. You can choose to pray for a single intention, multiple intentions, or all intentions within a community. This feature helps you support others through prayer and stay connected with your faith community. To get started, open the Church Tab and navigate to your desired Church, Group, or Friends community.
To pray for other people’s intentions from within the Church Tab, follow these steps:- Scroll down to find the Prayer Request carousel, or manually browse the list of intentions.
- Select an intention.
- Tap Pray for to offer your prayer.
- Or, tap the Pray for All button to pray for all Intentions posted in your group.
- Select a prayer you wish to dedicate to the prayer request(s).
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In 1999 The Pittsburgh Creche was added to the holiday decorations in town. It quickly became a beloved place to visit at the holidays for residents and visitors alike. This privately-owned manger at the US Steel Plaza is a larger-than-life nativity scene. It is the world’s only replica of the Vatican’s St. Peter’s Square display in Rome.
Learn More
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Violet
In an issue of The American Ecclesiastical Review (printed in 1902), the author gives a unique explanation behind the reason why violet and rose were chosen for Advent.
Violet vestments signify on the whole Sorrow, and are meant to inspire a grave and thoughtful attitude in the faithful who attend the liturgical services. If you mix blue and red in liquid colors you obtain violet. Blue is the color of heaven and suggests that our thoughts turn away from earth. Red is the color of martyrdom, of blood, and of the flame which consumes the sacrifice. A combination of the two, which makes violet, is, therefore, indicative of sacrifice with a view to heaven, unselfish devotion.
In particular, violet is used in the season of “Advent, when the spirit of reflection and the purging of the heart (as a preparation to meet the poor and humble Christ Child in the Cave of Bethlehem) call for self-denial from motives in which heaven leads the soul against earthly attachments.”
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The color violet is interrupted on the Third Sunday of Advent (Gaudete Sunday) by the color rose, to signal the coming joy of Christmas.
On the third Sunday of Advent … when there is a momentary interruption of the penitential strains lest the soul wrapt in continuous darkness might become disconsolate, the Church permits—with the sounds of music and the flowers on the altar—a light purple approaching rose color, to indicate the tone of hopeful joy which mingles with and relieves the application to penance. It is the encouraging caress of the Spouse, our holy Mother, bidding her sons and daughters to keep on bravely in the spirit of faith.
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