FIFTH
SUNDAY of LENT
MARCH
9, 2008
(M -
Memorial, A - Anniversary)
6:45 JOHN WYLIE--M
req. by Mrs. Albert Wassell
9:00 GUIDO
GULLA--M
req. by Marianna Gulla
TUESDAY, MARCH 11
6:45 THE FONTANA FAMILY
9:00 JAMES P. NEALON--M
req. by Ro & Jack
Regan
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 12
6:45 NANCY QUIRK
KEEFE--A
req. by Kevin Keefe
9:00 LUIGI
LEONE--M
reg. by Ralph Santoliquido
THURSDAY, MARCH 13
6:45 ANNE KANE SHEA--M
req.
by Jane & Ken Padgettl
9:00 PATRICK
MC CAFFREY--M
req.
by Pat Sweeney
6:45 CATHERINE WYLIE--M
req. by Mrs. Albert
Wassell
9:00 KATHY JO TAMAGNA--M
req. by Katherine &
Joseph Tamagna
JOSEPH , husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary
9:00
JOSEPHINE and CORNELIUS
SHIELDS, PAUL V. SHIELDS, and AILEEN SHIELDS BRYAN--M
req. by the Shields Family
5:30 MR. FRANK W.
AIGELTINGER and MR. KARL N. BECKER--M
req. by Ennis J. Aigeltinger
SUNDAY, MARCH
16
7:30 GILBERT
DESVERNINE--M
req. by Patricia Yturraspe
9:00 CHESTER
PEET--M
req. by Mr. & Mrs. Richard Mannix
10:30 DANTE
and EDMONDO MATTIOLI—M
req. by Adriana Mattioli
12:00 FOR
THE PEOPLE OF THE PARISH
5:00 JOSEPH CARPANZANO--M
req. by Joyce Carpanzano
PRAYERFUL
REMEMBRANCES
Your prayers are requested for
the sick at home, and in the hospitals, especially: Peggy McDermott, Fran
Lawlor, Pam Blaney, Susan Wynkcoop, Winnie Mullin, Caroline Weldon, Ralph Giampietro,
Ray Galinski, Alice Malgrande, Joan Genaro, Gabriel Fay, Barbara Santorsola, John
O’Keefe, Jean Harder, Bill Sabia, Robert
O. Walcovy, Rev. Robert Gannon, Beth
Hersh, Charles Donovan, Msgr. Joseph
Boyd, Joey Mileti, Dotty Doherty, Joan Porrazzo, Lenny Cavalieri, Jenna Mussolini, Teresa Civetta, Frank Maiola, Aileen
O’Brien, Ed Lenard, Pam Hissey, Tricia Eigo, Skylar Bahrenburg, Mary & Tony Fraioli, Hank Lawlor, Sarah
Butler, Mimi Cosgrove, Kristen Long, Patrick Lamont, Elizabeth Kim, for our service men and women at home and
abroad; for the faithful departed, WILLIAM HAPPAS, JEFREY RODSTROM, SARAH
BUTLER, GLENN RUIZ, LENORA WENGERSKI, and GLORIA CROMIE, and for those who have
no one to pray for them; and for the honored dead of the Armed Services.
SUNDAY COLLECTION
Last week’s collection: (03 – 02 – 08):
$ 11,008
Maintenance: $ 3,080
Attendance:
922
The parish of Saints John and Paul thanks you for
your support. We are grateful to our parishioners who use the envelope system.
If you wish to receive Church support envelopes, please call the Rectory at
834-5458.
STATIONS
of the CROSS
There will be Stations of the Cross every Friday during Lent at 2:00 PM
and 7:30 PM.
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 Saturday mornings from 10 AM – 11:30 AM. Please call the rectory to attend.
Classes in 2008 will be: April 5th, May 3rd and June 7th.
10:30 AM
MASS MUSIC NOTES
In the First Reading
from Ezekiel, the Lord God says twice, “O My people!” It is only fitting that
the Anthem today is “O My People” by Tomas Liuis de Victoria (1548 – 1611). The
Greek words “Agios Theos, Agios ischyros, Agios athanatos, eleison, imas” are
from the “Trisagion” (Thrice Holy), a standard hymn of the Divine Liturgy in
most Easter Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox and Easter Catholic Churches. It is
also considered one of the oldest prayers in Christianity. The translation is
“Holy God, Holy and Mighty! Holy Immortal One.”
FR.
BRIAN’S CLASS
Fr. Brian’s class will
be held on MONDAY, MARCH 10th, at 7:30 PM in the rectory.
EASTER
FOOD BASKETS
Yes, it’s that time of
year. The sign-up charts for Easter Food Baskets are up. At this point, we
still have some empty spots on the charts. Stop by this weekend and add you
family’s name to the list to help. Families would enjoy a canned ham, some
fruits and vegetables, and a dessert. The baskets can be delivered to the
rectory garage on Sunday, March 16th, between 4 and 5 PM or on
Monday morning, March 17th between 8:00 and 9:30. We are also just collecting
small canned hams. If you wish to make a cash donation which we can always use,
please make your check out to Sts. John & Paul Food Bank.
Thank you in advance
for all your help.
CALENDAR
of EVENTS for the WEEK
SUNDAY, MARCH 9th:
10:10 AM SCH: Religious Ed. classes
6:00 PM RMR: Youth Group Meeting
MONDAY, MARCH 10th:
3:00 PM GYM & AUD: PSPA
7:00 PM CH: Rehearsal for The Living Stations
7:30 PM RMR: Fr. Brian’s class
TUESDAY, MARCH 11th:
3:00 PM GYM: PSPA
6:00 PM AUD: Pack Meeting
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 12th:
10:30 AM SARAH NEUMAN: Service followed by Mass
12:45 PM RMR: Brownies
12:45 PM RMR: O.S. AUD: PSPA
2:50 & 7:15 PM SCH: Religious Ed. Classes
7:30 PM CH: THE LIVING STATIONS
THURSDAY, MARCH 13th:
7:30 PM AUD: First Communion Parents’ Meeting
FRIDAY, MARCH 14th:
2:00 PM CH: Stations of the Cross
5:00 PM GYM: Baseball
7:30 PM CH: Stations of the Cross
SATURDAY, MARCH 15th:
ATTENTION
ALL JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
There will be a dance
on Friday, April 4th, beginning at 7:00 PM in the auditorium for all
students in grades 6, 7, and 8. Permission slips for this event can be picked
up at the Religious Education office, school office or rectory. So mark your
calendars and plan on attending this fun filled night.
USED CELL
PHONES
Chemo Comfort, a local
nonprofit which provides kits for chemotherapy patients, is collecting used
cell phones as a fundraiser. Please drop these off in the blue bin at the school
entrance to the church during Lent.
Chemo Comfort was
founded by the daughter of Sts. Augustine’s parishioners. Please go to www.chemocomfort.org for more information
about this healing organization.
YOUTH
GROUP MEETING…
There will be a Youth
Group Meeting Sunday, March 9th, at 6:00 PM in the RMR. The guest
speaker will be from the Sisters of Life.
THE LIVING
STATIONS
The teens of our parish will present “The Living Stations” on
Wednesday, March 12th, at 7:30 PM in the Church. Please plan to
attend this very reverent and spiritual recreation of the last hours of Jesus’
life.
ANNUAL
WOMEN’S RETREAT
The annual Sts. John
& Paul Women’s Retreat weekend, at the Passionist Spiritual Center in
Riverdale, will be held from Friday, April 11th, until Sunday, April
13th. This year’s retreat theme is “Do Not Let Your Hearts Be Troubled
-- Come To Me – And Let us Live Life With Passion.”
The weekend retreat
donation is $175, of which $75 reservation deposit is included. If you have not
received your reservation form or are interested in attending for the first
time, please contact Karen, reservation secretary (718-549-6500) or Lorraine
Stratis (834-6012).
CARE
PACKAGE DRIVE at ST. AUGUSTINE’S CHURCH on SUNDAY, MARCH 16, 2008
We will again be
collecting care items and packing boxes to send to our Troops serving in Iraq
and Afghanistan on Sunday, March 16th, in the St. Augustine’s Church
Cafeteria from 10am – 1pm. Soldiers’ Wish List includes: toiletries (Chap
Stick, q-tips, razors etc.), food (gum, dry cereal, cup-a-soup, etc.), misc.
items (black socks, AA & AAA batteries, flip flops, etc.) and
magazines/newspapers (sports, fitness, comic books, etc.) The smaller ‘travel’
sizes work best.
Go to
Carepackagedrive.com if you need more information or email Jennie.McFarland@verizon.net.
GOV.
SPITZER’S ABORTION BILL
Governor Spitzer has
introduced a radical abortion bill, (S.5829) which, if passed, would mandate
abortion in New York State as a “fundamental right”, just like the right to
free speech and the right to vote. Regardless of future U. S. Supreme Court
decisions, the bill would guarantee any woman in New York State an abortion,
for whatever reason, at any time during her nine months of pregnancy. If
passed, this bill could force doctors and Catholic hospitals to perform
abortions, require employer healthcare insurance plans to cover abortions,
authorize non-physicians to perform abortions and undermine parental
involvement in the life decisions of their children. This bill would violate life, family and your civil rights! Cardinal
Egan and the Catholic Bishops of NY urge you to take action now! Please call
your NY State Senator Suzi Oppenheimer at 934-5250 and ask her to “Please
oppose
Gov. Spitzer’s radical abortion bill S.5829!” This weekend, postcards will be
available at all Masses for you to send to Senator Oppenheimer. Please take a
minute to communicate your opposition to this disastrous bill!
VEGAS
NIGHT – A SOCIAL EVENING at IONA PREP
On Saturday, April 12,
the Fathers’ Council of Iona Prep presents “Vegas Night – A social evening at
Iona Prep”. Vegas Night will be held from 7:00pm to 12:00pm at the Prep with
casino games, food, drink and fun. Admission of $35 per person included
appetizers, dinner buffet, drinks from 7 to 9 PM (cash bar after 9:00 PM) and
$10 of complimentary casino chips. Sponsorships are also available. For more
information and tickets, please call Matthew O’Malley at 963-2969. You must be 21 years or older to attend.
THE
PASTOR’S COLUMN
On Friday and Saturday of this week, the
Church celebrates the feasts of Saint Patrick and Saint Joseph, respectively.
The reason for the transfer to these dates from their traditional positions in
the liturgical calendar is their placement in Holy Week. (No acknowledgement of
any part of the sanctoral cycle is made that would distract from reflection on
the Paschal Mystery.) Before we enter into this most solemn time, therefore,
let us reflect on the lives and virtues of these two men.
Patrick was born at Kilpatrick, near
Dumbarton, Scotland in 387 A.D. His father, Calphurnius, was a member of an
ancient noble Roman family. (This is the origin of the comment that the saint
was Italian.) His mother, Conckessa, was a relative of Saint Martin of Tours.
His life was fairly comfortable for he was the son of a government official.
The environment in which he grew up was Christian. As a fifteen year old, he
was kidnapped by a small group of invaders from Ireland. Upon their return to
their homeland, they sold him as a slave. For six years, he tended sheep in
Antrim. This period of time served as a form of novitiate. The future
missionary wrote in his Confessions “The love of God and His fear
increased in me more and more, and the faith grew in me and the spirit was
roused, so that, in a single day, I have said as many as a hundred prayers, and
in the night nearly the same, so that while in the woods and on the mountain,
even before the dawn, I was roused to prayer and felt no hurt from it, whether
there was no snow or ice or rain; nor was there any slothfulness in me, such as
I see now, because the spirit was then fervent within me.” From his cruel Druid
master, Milchu, he learned the Celtic language and the pagan traditions which
were prevalent among the native population. Eventually, he escaped and was
restored to his friends and family in Britain. Though one could easily imagine
a desire for revenge against his persecutors or an intention against ever
returning to Ireland, young Patrick’s faith was calling him to sacred ministry
as a missionary. Under the tutelage of St. Germain, he first struck blows
against the Pelegion heresy. His thoughts though were filled with visions of
Irish children: “O holy youth, come back to Erin, and walk once more amongst
us.”
Pope Celestine I entrusted St. Patrick with
the mission of gathering the Irish race into the one fold of Christ. A
biographer once wrote: It was probably in the summer months of the year 433,
that Patrick and his companions landed at the mouth of the Vantry River… The
Druids were at once in arms against him. But Patrick was not disheartened. The
intrepid missionary resolved to search out a more friendly territory in which
to enter on his mission. First of all, however, he would proceed toward
Dalriada, where he had been a slave, to pay the price of ransom to his former
master, and in exchange for the servitude and cruelty endured at his hands to
impart to him the blessings and freedom of God’s children… Continuing his
course northwards, he halted at the mouth of the River Boyne. A number of the
natives gathered around him and heard with joy in their own… tongue the glad
tidings of Redemption. There too he performed his first miracle on Irish soil
to confirm the honor due to the Blessed Virgin, and the Divine birth of our
Savior… St. Patrick learned… that the chieftains of Erin had been summoned to
celebrate a special feast at Tara… This was an opportunity which Patrick would
not forego; he would present himself before the assembly, to strike a decisive
blow against the Druidism that held the nation captive, and to secure freedom
for the glad tidings of Redemption of which he was the herald… It was on March 26,
Easter Sunday, in 433, that the eventful assembly was to meet at Tara, and the
decree went forth that from the preceding day, the fires throughout the kingdom
should be extinguished until the signal blaze was kindled at the royal mansion.
The chief priests of Druidism came in full numbers and sought to muster all
their strength to bid defiance to herald of good tidings and to secure the hold
of their superstition on the Celtic race, for their demoniac oracles had
announced that the messenger of Christ had come to Erin. St. Patrick arrived at
the hill of Slane, at the opposite extremity of the valley from Tara, on Easter
eve, in that year the feast of Annunciation, and on the summit of the hill
kindled the Paschal fire… By order of the king and the agency of the druids,
repeated attempts were made to extinguish the blessed fire and to punish the
intruder who had disobeyed the royal command. But the fire was not extinguished
and Patrick was shielded by the Divine power, came unscathed from the snares
and assaults… this was the final blow given to paganism… It was, indeed, a
momentous day for the Irish race.”
St. Joseph, the declared patron of the
Universal Church, was probably born in Bethlehem. It would only be speculation
as to how he came to live in Nazareth. An educated guess would be that there
were greater employment opportunities in the Galilean area. He established
himself as a worthy member of the community. One could suppose as well that as
God selected him for a unique role so he must have been a faithful adherent to
Torah, attending the local synagogue every Sabbath. The parents were probably
impressed with his integrity and were in favor of the engagement of their only
daughter to this older man. They would not be disappointed in view of his response
to Mary’s situation and the angel’s intervention. From the time of the census
with its journey to David’s city, through the birth of Jesus and the flight to
Egypt, to the crisis on the Passover journey of the loss of the young man in
their charge, Joseph was a faithful guide of the Holy Family. The lack of
mention of the carpenter during the period of the Christ’s public ministry
probably signaled that his death occurred at a prior period. The just man
fulfilled his vocation fully.
As we celebrate these two men and their
place in the Church, let us acknowledge their virtues and imitate them. Let us
be fearless in the proclamation of the Paschal Mystery by living out our faith
daily in all our activities.
As we approach Holy Week, let us pray for our
Holy Father and his up-coming visit.
Jesus vivat,
Fr. Brian