Jesus brings life to Our Lady of Victory Church when He says “I am the vine, you are the branches.” Guided by the Holy Spirit in the Roman Catholic tradition, we are called to minister to the spiritual formation as well as the emotional, physical, and social needs of our members and the community at large. We imitate Mary whose faith led her to accept God’s mission so that we may live out our mission. As Mary serves as a model of hope for us, we as people of hope remain as life-giving branches on the vine.
Dear Our Lady of Victory Parish Family,
On behalf of the staff and volunteers of OLV, I would like to wish all of you a very blessed Thanksgiving holiday. This year’s holiday is unique in that we are discouraged from traveling and gathering in large groups. As we miss our friends and family who cannot join us this year, I hope that we will all have the opportunity to reach out via phone, email, or even by video meeting to connect with our loved ones who are unable to share our tables tomorrow. Tomorrow is also a day to be mindful of those among us who find themselves alone this year and, if possible, to reach out to them as well and let them know that they are not forgotten.
The days following Thanksgiving will see an increase in shopping activity through Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales. As we begin this season of gift buying in anticipation of the great feast of Christmas, I ask that we take some time to consider using this year’s Giving Tuesday, December 1st, to contribute what we are able to give to the parish in support of its mission to bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the world.
This year we have seen more of our neighbors making use of the food pantry as the economic effects of the pandemic continue to impact our city. Religious Education and Youth Ministry continue to do great work with our young people even though most of this has been pushed into the virtual realm out of necessity. Our Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion are doing more and more house calls for those people who are unable to attend weekly Masses due to health conditions that would place them at risk if they were to come to church. These are just a handful of the good things that we are able to do at OLV through the generosity of the people of God.
I understand that the COVID pandemic has placed a great burden on everyone’s personal, social, and financial circumstances and I do not want anyone to put themselves in financial jeopardy through over-giving. I do ask that, if you are able to give, that you please consider giving generously to our parish so that we can continue the mission to which we have been called. Information for online giving can be found here –
https://www.olvictory.org/olvc/stewardship-2/online-giving/
In Christ’s peace,
Fr. Bill
As we approach Advent, I am pleased to share with you that Archbishop Lori has set aside 2021 The Year of the Eucharist. This will begin with a period of preparation beginning in Advent and leading up to Corpus Christi 2021, which will officially kick off this celebration. The observation of the Year of the Eucharist will run to Corpus Christi 2022.
As we begin our preparations here at OLV, we are going to modify the Mass schedule a bit to allow those folks who work during the week to have an opportunity to attend daily Mass at least one day a week. Beginning the week of November 30th, we will add Adoration from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm on Tuesdays (confessions will be available), followed by Mass. In order to accommodate this, and to keep the total number of weekday Masses the same, we will no longer celebrate the Saturday morning 8:00 am Mass. The schedule, beginning in Advent (Tuesday, December 1st), will look like this:
Monday – Mass 8:00 am
Tuesday – Mass 9:15 am, Adoration & Confessions 6:00 pm, Mass 7:00 pm
Wednesday – Mass 8:00 am
Thursday – Mass 8:00 am
Friday – Communion Service 8:00 am
Saturday – Confessions 3:00 pm, Mass 4:00 pm
Sunday – Mass 8:00 am, 10:30 am, 12:30 pm
If you had a mass intention scheduled for Saturday morning Mass, it will be moved to the Tuesday night mass.
I hope that this modified schedule will give more people the opportunity to attend Mass during the week and to visit the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
Peace and blessings,
Fr. Bill
How is God calling you to follow? Could God be calling you to be a deacon?
The Deacon, through the grace of ordination, bears witness to Christ the Servant. As Archbishop Lori invites us into renewal and forming true missionary disciples in A Light Brightly Visible, the deacon serves as a witness and true blessing, helping to lead us outside the doors of the Church to serve our neighbor, to invite them into an encounter with the Lord Jesus, and to accompany them on the path of faith. In these unprecedented times of the pandemic, the Lord is still calling forth and equipping men and women for ministry. How is God calling you to follow as a disciple? Please pass on this information to others you feel may be called to this vital ministry as well.
If you are discerning, or simply willing to consider, becoming a deacon, attend an information session as a next step. In addition, we encourage you to connect with the priests and deacons at your home parish, so they know you are interested. After acceptance, deacon formation is a four-year process. Those gentlemen accepted into formation have stability in their lives, in their families, and in their faith. This is measured, at the time of ordination, as 10 years as a Catholic, 10 years in marriage (if married), and with the ability to provide for the needs of your family, while balancing formation and future ministry expectations.
Information sessions will be held
▫ on Saturday, December 5 at 7pm on Zoom,
▫ on Thursday, January 7 at 7pm at Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Ellicott City,
▫ on Sunday, January 10 at St. Ignatius in Ijamsville,
▫ on Wednesday, January 27 at 6pm at St. Bernadine in Baltimore, and
▫ on Wednesday, February 10 at 7pm on Zoom.
Please assist the formation team by registering with Kristine Arata, Kristine.Arata@archbalt.org (registering allows us to contact you if adjustments must be made to the schedule). To ensure an understanding of the commitment of formation, applications are only available to those who attend an information session, or after special consideration with a member of the formation team: Fr. Mike Triplett (mtriplett@archbalt.org), Deacon Larry Matheny (lmatheny@e-stignatius.org), and Deacon Scott Lancaster (slancaster1@stlouisparish.org).
If you have a child ready to receive First Reconciliation & First Eucharist (2nd grade) contact Deacon Dan Michaud to register (dmichaud@olvictory.org). The program started October 31st so register ASAP!
GIVING TREE 2020
The Giving Tree which supports Sarah’s House and My Brother’s Keeper will look different this year.
Due to Covid19 restrictions, these organizations WILL ONLY ACCEPT GIFT CARDS.
The tree will be in the Gathering Space beginning the weekend of 11/21-22. You may leave your gift cards under the tree in the box provided.
If you are unable to attend mass you may mail your gift cards to the parish office. Please write GIVING TREE on the outside of the envelope.
Thank you for your continued generosity, our help is greatly needed at this time.
People with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms reported – ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness.
Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. People with these symptoms may have COVID-19:
Fever or chills
Cough
Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
Fatigue
Muscle or body aches
Headache
New loss of taste or smell
Sore throat
Congestion or runny nose
Nausea or vomiting
Diarrhea
(Source: CDC website)
Parishioners are reminded that the dispensation from the Sunday Mass obligation remains in effect. If you are not feeling well, have a fever, or are in an at-risk group, please stay home and join us via our live-streamed Masses on YouTube. If you are exhibiting COVID symptoms, please get tested and stay home until you know for certain whether you have been infected or not.
Please take care to protect yourself and others.
Stay Connected to OLV
Our Food Pantry is STILL open Saturdays from 9-10am. We serve people in our community with non-perishable food and goods. Our pantry is completely run by volunteers and it only exists because of YOUR donations. Thank you so much for helping us!
You may drop your donations at the Parish Office Monday – Thursday from 9am – 4pm. If you are interested in volunteering at the Food Pantry on Saturdays from 8:30am – 10:30am, please go to https://olvictory.flocknote.com/signup/9174
Again, thank you for your generosity! God Bless!
Youth Ministry Gatherings: Sundays, 7:00 – 8:30 pm, via Zoom. Contact Youth Ministry Office for Details
All Activities Have Been Cancelled Until Further Notice
Music Ministry
If you are interested in being part of our Contemporary Music Ministry or one of our choirs please contact Mary Kurek at mkurek@olvictory.org.