SECOND
SUNDAY in LENT
MARCH
4, 2007
(M -
Memorial, A - Anniversary)
6:45 THE WENZEL
FAMILY
9:00 VERA and PETER KREBBS--M
req.
by Mary Jane & Paul Krebbs
TUESDAY, MARCH 6
6:45 JOHN WYLIE--M
req. by Albert &
Kathleen Wassell
9:00 RICHARD J. MAHON--M
req. by the Shields Family
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 7
PERPETUA
and FELICITY, martyrs
6:45 JOSEPH FAY--M
req. by Maureen Morris
9:00 BERTHE and LOUIS
BREUIL--M
reg. by the Shields Family
THURSDAY, MARCH 8
JOHN of
GOD
6:45 EMILY
D’ANDREA--M
req.
by Anthony D’Andrea
9:00 PATRICK
MC CAFFREY--M
req. by Pat Sweeney
FRANCES of ROME
6:45 MARY A. and
EDWARD S. LADIN and ROSE DUDEK--M
req.
by the Ladin Family
9:00 BEATRICE FARNAN--M
req.
by Alice & Henry Malgrande
9:00 PETER L.
CLOSIUS--M
req. by Carmela Mangieri
5:30 MR.
FRANK W. AIGELTINGER and MR. KARL N. BECKER--M
req. by Ennis Aigeltinger
SUNDAY, MARCH
11
7:30 JOHN
FITZGERALD—M
req. by the Harrington & Villone Families
9:00 GUIDO
GULLA—M
req. by the Gulla Family
10:30 FOR
THE PEOPLE OF THE PARISH
12:00 MARGARET
MAGUIRE
5:00 THE SAPORITO and LOICANON FAMILIES
req. by the Saporito Family
PRAYERFUL
REMEMBRANCES
Your prayers are requested for
the sick at home, and in the hospitals, especially: James Curtin, Carmella Musumeci, Eliane Kiami, Msgr. Joseph J. Boyd, J. Kevin
Dymes, Jr. Winnie Mullin, Ramona Murill, Debra Abrahamsen, Patricia Kuhr, Theresa Astorino, Joseph Mileti, Dotty
Doherty, Caroline Weldon, Brenda McWeeney, Lenny Cavalieri, Jenna Mussolini, Teresa
Civetta, Frank Maiola, Aileen O’Brien, Sister
Margaret Coakley, Ed Lenard, Pam Hissey, Tricia Eigo, Alice Nasta, Mildred Traub, Catherine Ann
Brennan, Mary & Tony Fraioli, Hank Lawlor, Sarah Butler, Mimi Cosgrove,
Kristen Long, Patrick Lamont, Elizabeth Kim, Eloise Selby, Thomas M. Lamb, for
our service men and women at home and abroad; for the faithful departed, KATHLEEN
BAUER, BROTHER CHARLES B. QUINN, JOHN O’CONNOR and MICHAEL FRANCELLA, and those
who have no one to pray for them; and for the honored dead of the Armed
Services.
SUNDAY COLLECTION
Last week’s collection (2—25--07)
$14,684
Attendance: 1,073
The parish of Saints John and Paul thanks you for
your support. We are grateful to our parishioners who use our envelope system.
If you wish to receive Church support envelopes, please call the Rectory at
834-5458.
10:30 AM
MASS MUSIC NOTES
The Anthem today is “God So Loved The World” by John Stainer. As the
choir sings “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son”, we are
reminded of St. Luke’s words from the Gospel: Then from the cloud came a voice
that said, “This is my chosen Son; listen to Him.”
BAPTISM
PREPARATION for PARENTS of INFANTS
To arrange for a
Baptism, please call the rectory and you will be given an appointment with one
of the parish priests.
Water in
the Word
Baptismal
Preparation Session Schedule
All sessions are
offered on the following Saturday mornings from 10 AM – 11:30 AM. Please call
the rectory to attend. We will begin new sessions in 2007. The date for the upcoming
class is as follows: April 14th,
FRIDAY, MAY 4th at 7:30 pm,
and June 2nd.
STATIONS
of the CROSS
There will be Stations
of the Cross at 2:00 PM and 8:00 PM on all Fridays during Lent.
ST.
URSULA’S LEARNING CENTER
St.
Ursula’s learning Center, a school for learning disabled children ages 8 – 13,
will have a few openings for the 2007/08 school year. St. Ursula’s is a private
Catholic school dedicated to providing an excellent differentiated
instructional program using multisensory approaches in reading and writing. The
students are exposed to a full academic curriculum modified to the goals and
objectives of their IEP.
For
further information, please call Sister Marie Morris at 212-371-1011 x2854 or
Mrs. Donna Taylor at 664-6654 or
email sturslc@adnyschools.org.
CALENDAR of EVENTS for WEEK OF MARCH 4th:
SUNDAY, MARCH 4th:
9:00 AM CH: Family Mass
10:10 AM SCH: Religious Education Classes
MONDAY, MARCH 5th:
3:00 PM GYM, RMR & AUD: PSPA after school
activities
7:00 PM SCH. CONF. RM: Boy Scouts
7:30 PM RMR: Fr. Brian’s class
TUESDAY, MARCH 6th:
9:00 AM RMR: PSPA Board Meeting
1:00 PM RMR: Women’s Club
3:00 PM GYM & AUD: PSPA after school activities
6:00 PM RMR: Cub Scouts
7:00 PM SJP SCHOOL: Open House
7:30 PM RECTORY: RCIA
8:00 PM RMR: K of C Meeting
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 7th:
11:00 AM SARAH NEUMAN: Mass
12:45 PM RMR: 2nd grade Brownies
12:45 PM GYM & AUD: PSPA after school activities
2:50 & 7:30 PM: Religious Education classes
THURSDAY, MARCH 8th:
FRIDAY, MARCH 9th:
2 :00 PM CHURCH: Stations of the
Cross
8:00 PM CHURCH: Stations of the
Cross
SATURDAY, MARCH 10th:
11:00 AM CHURCH: First Penance
7:30 PM RMR: Art Program Meeting
SPIRITUAL
NEWS…
The Most Precious
Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ Novena will not be conducted during Lent but
will return after Easter.
The weekly recitation
of the Holy Rosary takes place in the Church each Thursday at 5:15 PM. The
church community continues to pray the Rosary every Wednesday following the
9:00 AM Mass. Every one is encouraged to pray the Rosary.
FOOD BANK
NEWS…
Let’s try and bring a
non-perishable food item with you when you come to Mass each week. Peanut
butter, tuna fish and cereal are always in great demand.
FR.
BRIAN’S BIBLE CLASS
Father Brian’s class on
the new Catechism for Adults will be held on Monday evening, March 5th, at 7:30.
Come one and all even if you have not
been previously attending. This program takes place in the rectory meeting
room.
RCIA
The RCIA class will be
held on Tuesday, March 6th, at 7:30 PM in the rectory.
STS. JOHN
and PAUL SCHOOL OPEN HOUSE
Sts John and Paul
School is hosting an open house for new families on Tuesday, March 6th, beginning at 7 p.m. Parents will have the unique opportunity to sit in the
Kindergarten classrooms for a “Back to School” night with the kindergarten
teachers, who will present the school’s full-day curriculum for this grade and
answer questions. Upper class teachers will also be present to discuss their
programs and parents will give guided tours of the building. The architectural
plans for the school’s new Multi-Media Library, which will be built this year,
will also be presented. For more information, please call 834-6332 or visit www.sjpchurch.org.
CYO
BASEBALL/SOFTBALL
All boys and girls, 5th
through 8th grade, are invited to play on Saints John and Paul CYO
baseball and softball teams. We will have two teams in teach sport – JV (5th
and 6th graders) and Varsity (7th and 8th
graders). Season runs from April to early June.
If interested, please
contact John Hannaway at 914-948-2540 or hannawayjj@aol.com.
RELIGIOUS
EDUCATION NEWS…
FIRST RECONCILIATION
Ninety six 2nd and 3rd graders celebrated their
First Reconciliation on March 3rd and 10th. Please pray
with these children whose stars are on the banner in the back of the church.
CONGRATULATINS!!!!
On behalf of the Sts.
John and Paul Teen Group, I would like to thank the parish for their support of
this year’s theatrical production. Over $2,700 was raised to support the teens
and their charitable endeavors. It is the continued support of the parish that
makes this a very special annual event. Having a full house both nights was
tremendously rewarding for the teens who participated in set up, performing and
ticket sales. These teens are an exceptional group of kids and as a Parish you
should be very proud.
Regard,
Patricia Howard
SAFE
DRIVING COURSE
DISCOUNTS
OFF YOUR INSURANCE
POINTS OFF
YOUR LICENSE
The National Safety Council’s
Defensive Driving Course will be held here at Sts. John and Paul on two
consecutive Fridays, April 13th and 20th, 7 – 10PM in the
Rectory Meeting Room. THIS IS A 6 HOUR COURSE AND YOU MUST BE ABLE TO ATTEND
BOTH CLASSES. THE CLASS IS LIMITED TO THE 40 REGISTRATIONS RECEIVED, SO APPLY
EARLY. YOU MUST REGISTER IN ADVANCE. If you participated in this course in
2003, your discount is about to run out. This class is NOT limited to returning
participants. The fee is $45 per person; your check must be made out to Bob
Fogel and returned to the Rectory by March 30th, Attention: Nancy Richy,
Defensive Driving Course. Please fill out the form below and return it with
your payment.
DEFENSIVE DRIVING COURSE, APRIL 13
& 20, 2007
Participant’s Name(s)
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
Phone#____________________________________________$___________________
enclosed for____________________
participant(s) @$45 each. Please make check payable to Bob Fogel and
return to the Rectory by March 30th, Attention: Nancy Richy.
NEWS from
ST. AUGUSTINE’S…
There will be a Lenten
Mission at St. Augustine’s the week of March 4th. It will be presented by Father
Frank Wolfram, S.D.B. on March 5th, 6th and 7th
at 7:30 PM. On Monday the topic is “Living our Baptism”, Tuesday’s topic “God’s
Love in Reconciliation”, and Wednesday’s topic is “Total Healing ”.
For additional
information, please call the rectory at 834-1220.
St. Augustine’s Parish
invites all to the “Irish Fleadh” to be held in the auditorium on Sunday March
25th, from 2:30 – 4:45 PM. Entrance fee: $5.00 per person, or $15.00
per family. Refreshments.
Open to everyone.
Please join us. For additional info, please contact Anne-Mieka Smeets at
834-0194.
THE PASTOR’S
COLUMN
The appearance of the Blessed Virgin could
be acknowledged at any stage of the tragic drama unfolding in the streets of
Jerusalem. The fourth station speaks of the poignant meeting of mother and son.
It might well be said that by her demeanor she puts a lie to the adage “the
weaker sex.” One could only guess the degree of pain and suffering which
wracked her body and soul. Because it was Passover, she was in the same city as
Jesus. She probably was taking her meals and interacting with her kin who had
come from Nazareth with her. Perhaps, she was shaken awake by one of them and
told of the late night arrest. The news though shocking was not unexpected.
Mary witnessed first hand the confrontations with the members of the Sanhedrin.
She saw the scornful faces of the Pharisees and scribes. Even members of the
family derided him. They had tried to encourage her to dissuade him from what
they perceived as a fool’s errand. His marvelous miracles did not effect a
change in the mind of his enemies though they had reassured his followers. How
disappointed she was in them! They had run when he needed them the most. She
herself could not be present at the High Priest’s quarters for she was a woman
but John would later tell hew what had transpired. He kept her at a safe
distance as Jesus bound over for trial before Pilate. Though she wanted to
stand at his side, the Praetorium was no place for her for a riot could break
out at any moment and the Romans didn’t care whose blood was shed. Once,
however, he started his torturous walk towards Calvary, there was no keeping
her away from him. The soldiers finally relented and let her near the son she
had born. His unique conception had now given way to a horrible end. Only God
could bring meaning to the moment. No words were exchanged for they were
unnecessary. Jesus knew that his mother would do anything to relieve his agony
but that she also accepted the sword of her suffering that Simeon had foretold.
No power on earth could keep her from following him to the brow of the hill of
execution. In our lives, we are confronted by many crises. How do we respond to
them? Do we abandon hope or do we apply faith to the challenge? Do we see the
salrific value in suffering or do we simply see it as a dark abyss? As the
Blessed Mother accompanied her son, we should realize her presence in our
existence. She will not only wipe our brow in comfort but will beseech the
Christ on our behalf. Her faithfulness is our witness to hope.
Little is known of Simon, the Cyrenian, who
is immortalized in the fifth station. We can only imagine this alien worker at
the end of the day drawn in curiosity to the excitement unfolding before him.
Just one of many bystanders, he was dragooned by the authorities to assist the
condemned man. They were fearful he would die on the way robbing them of a
climatic conclusion. Simon probably had little taste for the task assigned. The
insults being hurled though not directed at him still cut into his soul. He
must have wondered how human beings could treat their fellow creature. Like
most he cherished anonymity. Now he found himself in the center of a
centrifugal force. Once his role was fulfilled, he fled back into the dark
alleys and sought the security of his home. At first, he probably wanted to wash
away all memory of that dreadful day. But he realized that was impossible.
Three days later, reports abounded that the stricken one who he helped had been
raised. The tomb was empty. His soul was in turmoil but as time passed, he
realized that ugly happenstance was a marvelous privilege. He heard his
disciples weeks later proclaim him as Lord, the Promised Messiah, and the Son
of God. He desired to be one of them. His example caused his sons to be
baptized and they became so instrumental in evangelizing others that their
names are inscribed in the New Testament. Our meditation on the enshrined
circumstances of this station must include those times when we are placed in
situations that we do not understand or see their ramifications. They seem to
be devoid of any possible value and yet, the Lord uses them to temper us or to
encourage us. This father’s actions became the spiritual legacy for his
children. Because he lifted the Lord’s cross, they were able to bear theirs.
May the same be said of us.
It is not hard to imagine that hysteria
ruled the day as the Savior gained each step under the taunting of his captors.
It does not take much to stir a crowd. The people lusted after excitement. Much
like our contemporary societies which desire pile-ups in auto races, count the
dead in action movies, and desire knockouts not only in boxing matches but
hockey games. Sanity in the midst of madness is rare and also courageous. As we
stand before the fifth station, we are introduced to Veronica who according to
extra-scriptural sources wiped the face of Jesus. She did not permit the
insanity of the mob keep her away from doing what she perceived to be right.
She realized that in the long run her action would not be significant but nevertheless
she could not refrain from its performance. Probably, she would be amazed that
such an act of kindness would be memorialized by the faith community for
centuries. We must recognize that in many ways we are called to reach out to
our neighbors each day. Great acts of self-sacrifice might never be required of
us. But to visit a neighbor and shop for them might be very appropriate.
Assisting a mom who is at her wits end might be a supreme act of kindness.
Consoling the sick and supporting their families might be most appreciated. One
cannot imagine the good that might arise out of what the world might perceive
as insignificant.
This weekend I would like to share with you
two matters of consequence. At each Mass, a Knight of Columbus will address the
congregation. How grateful the Church is universally and here in Larchmont for
these men who apply their talents to supporting the clergy, funding the
education of the young, and caring for society’s most vulnerable. I would hope
every gentleman in the parish would consider membership in the largest Catholic
lay organization. Outside the Church, you will notice renditions of the new
school media center which is part of the scheduled renovations to our plant.
They serve as an invitation to all to attend the Open House for Saints John and
Paul School on Tuesday, March 6th. Come one and all especially
parents of middle school age.
May the Lord continue to bless us this
Lent.
Jesus vivat
Fr. Brian