Weekly Digest

Welcome everyone!
This week at the parish:

• Monday - Saint Agnes Pro-Life Meeting (7 pm)
• Tuesday - Saint Agnes Playgroup (10:30 am), Baptism Briefing and Fatima Apostolate (7 pm)
• Wednesday - Bereavement Meeting (7 pm)
• Friday - Prep for Boston Sock Exchange (7 pm)
• Saturday - Boston Sock Exchange (Park Street T-stop, 11 am)
• Sunday - Respect Life Baby Shower Collection (all weekend Masses)

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Saint Agnes Family Playgroup
We wish you a Happy Christmas! The Catholic celebration of this miraculous and awesome event extends all the way until January 12th, the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. So cut yourself a break and keep on enjoying those Christmas cookies! And don't take that Christmas tree down yet - at playgroup on Tuesday, we will be making Christmas tree ornaments with the kids.

Please bring a 3x5 or smaller picture of your child so that they can make an ornament to celebrate this season! (For example, you could even bring your child's baptism picture to help them think about this feast!

We are done with Christmas break, and will resume in "Winter Playgroup" mode, when Fidelity House hosts our playgroup within their building.  We owe them our thanks!  We also are grateful to Father Flatley for helping us to get a small curriculum going this year.  Bring your thinking caps and get ready to pay attention to some short activities each week!

Thus, Tuesday playgroup will take place at Fidelity House, right near church: 25 Medford Street, from 10:30 am-12:30 pm.

• Please remember some behavior guidelines: No running out of the playroom, no kids in the toy closet, respect physical limits, use a time-out chair, please discipline your own children promptly, and be considerate of others!
• Fidelity House is being very generous by letting us use this space. Please consider a donation to help with their costs. Minimum suggested donation is $1 per person in attendance.
• Please no food.... drinks in spill proof containers are OK. 

Parking is on the street around Fidelity House. Check the street signs for the rules. Once you walk in the front door, go up the stairs, past the front desk, and to the back of the building. There is a door from the room to an outdoor courtyard, so bring your kids' coats too. We will also teach a brief lesson for the kids.

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Baptism Briefing
Don't forget that baptisms for babies at Saint Agnes are held on the 1st and 3rd Sundays of the month at 2:00 pm. You must attend Baptismal Briefings prior to having your child baptized.

Baptism briefings happen once a month, and you can go to one on Tuesday night! The briefing session begins at 7:00 pm in the Saint Agnes Parish Center at 51 Medford St., Arlington. The meeting usually lasts under an hour.

If you would like to learn a little more about Christian baptism and why the Catholic Church encourages infants to be baptized, you can read about it here.

Baptism is the sacrament of faith. But faith needs the community of believers. It is only within the faith of the Church that each of the faithful can believe. The faith required for Baptism is not a perfect and mature faith, but a beginning that is called to develop. The catechumen or the Godparent is asked: “What do you ask of God’s Church?” The response is: “Faith!” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, #1253)

Parenting is certainly not an easy task: it is filled with difficult decisions, personal setbacks and growth, expanding relationships, disagreements, love, AND forgiveness. We offer you our support and encouragement along this journey, and we invite you warmly into our parish and Christian life!

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Boston Sock Exchange
This Saturday, January 11th is the Boston Sock Exchange at 11:00 am at the Park Street T-Stop.  This ministry helps the homeless men and women of Boston, by distributing gifts of sandwiches and clothes near the Park Street T-Stop on the second Saturday of the month. Prep and packaging for the day is held in the parish center on Friday night, December 10th at 7:00 pm. Help and/or donations is a wonderful way to put your faith in action!  For more information, see the calendar to the right, or email Jennifer Hermanski at jennifer.hermanski [at] gmail.com.  The Boston Sock Exchange is currently in need of winter clothing, especially winter coats, SOCKS, long sleeved-shirts, sweatshirts, coats, hats, gloves, and scarves.  We also need rain gear: ponchos and umbrellas.  Thank you! 

"Here is what we seek: a compassion that can stand in awe of what the poor have

to carry, rather than stand in judgement of how they carry it." Fr. Gregory Boyle, SJ

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Respect Life!
Baby Showers will take place on the weekends of January 11-12 and January 18-19. A crib will be placed in the front of church to accept your donations.  Items needed by the Pregnancy Help Office of the Archdiocese of Boston include the following (all sizes and genders needed 0-12 months):

• Blanket Sleepers
• Onesies
• Sleep & Plays
• Warm Outfits
• Snowsuits
• Toiletry Supplies  (Diaper Rash Ointment, Baby Shampoo and Body Wash, no baby powder please)
• Bibs, Bottles (4 and 8 ounces)
• Flannel receiving blankets
• Diapers, size newborn and size 4

Please, no used baby clothes but gently-used washable maternity clothes are graciously accepted. Thank you in advance for your kindness and generosity! To make a monetary donation, make the check payable to “Fund for the Unborn”.  The Saint Agnes Respect Life Mass will take place Sunday, January 19th at 10:30am.  Please join us at Mass and pray for greater respect for all human life from conception until natural death.