The Newman Center at the Pittsburgh Oratory

Christmas Mass Schedule Changes
Christmas Eve, Saturday, December 24 4pm, 5:15pm, Midnight
Christmas Day, Sunday, December 25 9am, 11am
Monday, December 26 – Friday, December 30 5:15pm ONLY
New Years Eve, Saturday, December 31 4pm, 5:15pm
New Years, Sunday, January 1 9am, 11am
Monday, January 2 5:15pm Tuesday, January 3 5:15pm
Wednesday, January 4 5:15pm, 9pm
Thursday, January 5 5:15pm, 9pm
Friday, January 6 5:15pm
Our normal Mass schedule resumes on January 7.

Wednesday, December 7, 2011, 7:30-8:30pm, Gailliot Center for Newman Studies
211 N. Dithridge Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15213 – one block north of the Oratory

The National Institute for Newman Studies is pleased to welcome all university students, faculty and staff to its first annual lecture on the spirituality of Blessed John Henry Newman. Dr. Kevin Mongrain, PhD, its Executive Director, and the first holder of the Ryan Chair of Newman Studies at Duquesne University, will offer an advent reflection on some of Newman’s key spiritual insights on, “Preparing for Christ’s Coming.”

In our day few are mindful of the religious meaning of Advent, and fewer still are mindful of the beautiful spirituality underlying the religious meaning. Advent is a preparation for the season of Christmas, which is a celebration of Jesus Christ’s birth. But in what sense is Advent a preparation for a celebration? John Henry Newman deeply engaged this question in several profoundly mystical sermons on the meaning of Advent. Please join us for a lecture on these sermons and a discussion of their meaning for us today.

Discussion and light – but festive – refreshments will follow. Please RSVP to newmanstudies@ninsdu.org, or 412-681-4375 by December 5.

Annual Turkey Drive

We are now taking donations to buy Thanksgiving turkeys for the needy families of Risen Lord Parish in Burnsville, West Virginia.  The suggested donation is $10. Please feel free to pin a feather on our lobby turkey.  Please make checks payable to the Pittsburgh Oratory. Your generosity is deeply appreciated.

New Translation of the Roman Missal A new translation of the missal, which contains all the prayers of the Mass, will be implemented on the first Sunday of Advent, November 27.  Although the prayers remain the same, some of the wording will be different to be in line with the norms established by Blessed John Paul II to preserve the richness of the original latin text.  Our CD kiosk in the lobby contains a dynamic explanation of the new translation by Dr. Ted Sri. For more information, be on the look out at the front desk or visit www.usccb.org/romanmissal/

Thanksgiving Mass Schedule Changes

On Thursday, November 24, and Friday, November 25, there will only be a 10am Mass.  We will not have Mass at 7:30am, 5:15pm, and 9pm on those days.

Sunday, 11/6/11, 7:00pm, St. Paul’s Cathedral Basement

The Newman Center is pleased to welcome Dr. Robert Gagnon, Associate Professor of New Testament at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary to address the question of what – if anything – the Bible has to say about homosexuality. Have Christians and Jews through the centuries been “reading into” the Bible meanings that are not in fact there, or no longer obtain in modern culture? Does the Bible specifically expose anyone with same-sex or inclinations to automatic and ruthless condemnation? Dr. Gagnon intends to answer with Biblical and historical evidence these and other challenging questions in his can’t-miss presentation. As always, all students are welcome for pizza and fellowship, beginning after the 6:00pm Mass at St. Paul’s Cathedral.