Pastor's letter for this week
December 20, 2024
Dear Parishioners of St. Andrew,
I hope you are all doing well and staying strong! It’s the Friday before Christmas and I’m wondering where 2024 went! Isn’t it amazing how quickly the time is flying by? This has been a busy week with a huge Penance Service on Tuesday and then school concerts on Wednesday and Thursday. It was wonderful to see the church full as we listened to our children sing the songs of the season.
Our altar decorations team has been hard at work to ensure that the church looks beautiful for the upcoming feasts, and I thank them for their tremendous work. Please see the attached schedule for the Christmas Masses as well as last opportunities for Confessions.
Here is the rest of the news from the parish:
IT’S ALMOST CHRISTMAS! - This Sunday is the Fourth Sunday of Advent and thus reminds us that Christmas is almost here. This week we joyfully celebrate the Feast of the Birth of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Christmas is always a Holy Day of Obligation, so we are all bound to attend Mass that day or the evening prior. Please be sure to check carefully the Christmas schedule attached. We have added additional Masses on the Vigil as well as on the day itself.
HAVE A BLESSED CHRISTMAS! – As we celebrate the Solemnity of Our Lord’s Birth this week, we recall the great love of God for each of us in sending us His own Son to be our Savior. May the joy and love of this day be with each of you and your families.
NEW YEAR’S DAY – SOLEMNITY OF MARY - January 1st is the Solemnity of Mary the Mother of God which falls on Wednesday this year. Since it is also the day of the Rose Parade, the office will be closed. The church will also have to be closed all morning due to the parade but will reopen in the afternoon. Our Mass that day will be at 12:30 p.m. once the parade is over and streets reopened. There will be no evening Mass.
NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS - Many people have the custom of making resolutions for the New Year. This is a worthwhile practice, but we should not neglect to make resolutions regarding our spiritual life. Some of the ones I suggest: a) more daily prayer; b) regular Confession; c) never missing Mass on Sundays or Holy Days; d) spiritual reading each day; e) being faithful in your tithes to God, etc. These are obviously quite basic and simple but, if done, they would change your life!
UPDATES - Because of the holiday schedule, our bulletins at the end of the year are printed early. This means that they may not always contain the most updated information. However, you can always check our website for the latest information: www.standrewpasadena.org
LET’S GO PAPERLESS FOR THE NEW YEAR! – As we come to the end of this calendar year it would be good to reevaluate our parish tithing. One of the things that the shutdown of 2020 made very real is the need for us to give our tithes to the parish via electronic giving. Electronic giving is a tremendous convenience for our parishioners as well as for the parish. Many parishes throughout the country and in our own Archdiocese have long ago switched to electronic giving in an effort to get rid of the old-fashioned checks and cash. The pandemic shutdown actually made it absolutely imperative that as many people as possible switch to this form of giving and many of our parishioners have done so. If you have not yet signed up, please do so at: www.standrewpasadena.org and click on the "donate" button. Thank you for your generosity!
TRIM YOUR TAX BILL! - One of the best ways to reduce the amount of taxes you pay annually is to make a charitable contribution to the parish. If you do so before December 31st you can lower your tax bill (be sure to consult your tax advisor). The IRS requires, however, that you have proof of your donation. For this reason, be sure to use your monthly envelopes so that the parish can provide you with a receipt should you need one in addition to your cancelled check. Our parish depends on these special annual contributions of our parishioners to make up the deficits in our budget.
Some parishioners prefer to restrict their donations to a particular purpose such as the ongoing restoration of the church or the new pipe organ. For those purposes, you simply make your check out to “St. Andrew Church” but note that it is for the “Restoration Fund.”
We have a partnership with the Catholic Community Foundation (CCF-LA). Here are some details about year-end giving:
While gifts of cash and credit cards are always welcome, below are some other ways that you can give to us:
Gifts of Long-Term Appreciated Stock
Gifts of appreciated assets like stock can be more tax advantageous to you than giving cash because you may be able to bypass capital gains taxes. This can be especially useful in optimizing your tax benefits; and if you cannot recognize the full value against your adjusted gross income in this calendar year, gains can be carried forward for up to five years. For gifts of stock, contact CCF-LA at the number below for delivery instructions.
IRA Charitable Rollover Gifts
If you are 70½ years of age or older, you can make a Qualified Charitable Distribution of up to $100,000 annually directly to us from a traditional Individual Retirement Account (IRA) and bypass any income tax you owe as a result of this distribution. Contact your IRA custodian and ask that your distribution be made as a charitable rollover to us. You will need to include your name, contact information and the purpose of the gift. Make sure the gift is received by CCF-LA on or before December 31st.
Make Your Gift Count
To ensure your gift to us is properly recorded for calendar year 2024, and eligible for a charitable tax deduction in 2025, checks payable to CCF-LA for deposit to our account must be postmarked by December 31, 2024. Gifts of stock should be delivered to CCF-LA by December 28th, while online gifts can be made through CCF-LA’s secure portal up to December 31st at www.CatholicCF-LA.org.
Wire transfers and ACH gifts can be made on December 30th, the last business day of the year.
Catholic Community Foundation of Los Angeles
3440 Wilshire Blvd. Suite 530
Los Angeles, CA 90010
Attn: Maggie Byrne, Head of Development (213) 426-1201 or mbyrne@catholiccf-la.org
Thank you for your generosity!
HAPPY NEW YEAR! - Finally, on behalf of the parish Priests, Deacon, and Staff, I want to wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year filled with the Lord’s blessings!
In Christ and St. Andrew,
Father Gonzalez
CHRISTMAS SCHEDULE 2024
HOW TO RECITE THE HOLY ROSARY
PROCEDURE FOR THE RECEPTION OF HOLY COMMUNION