SECOND
SUNDAY of EASTER
MARCH
30, 2008
(M -
Memorial, A - Anniversary)
ANNUNCIATION of the LORD
6:45 AGNES DORAN--M
9:00 TIMOTHY
J. MARA--M
req. by Maura & Richard Concannon
TUESDAY, APRIL 1
6:45 THE FONATAN FAMILY
9:00 JAMES NAUGHTON--M
req. by Peter & Kathy
Marcon
WEDNESDAY, ARIL 2
FRANCIS of
PAOLA, hermit
6:45 JANE SHANNON--M
req. by the Donovan Family
9:00 JAMES
NAUGHTON--M
reg. by Toni & Irv
Cherashore
THURSDAY, APRIL
3
6:45 ALFRED
LIVERZANI--M
req.
by the Donovan Family
9:00 DONNA
SMITH--M
req. by Toni & Irv
Cherashore
ISIDORE, bishop and doctor
6:45 THE WENZEL FAMILY
9:00 CHESTER PEET--M
req.
by Sts. John & Paul Parish
VINCENT FERRER, priest
9:00
MARY DONOHUE--M
req. by Fr. Joseph
5:30
RANDYE GAGLIARDI—M
req. by Donald &
Peter Sileo
SUNDAY, APRIL
6
7:30 FOR
THE PEOPLE OF THE PARISH
9:00 GUIDO
GULLA--M
req. by Marianna Gulla
10:30 SHARON
CAVANAGH and CHIP CAVANAGH--M
req. by Sergio Sensi
12:00 JOSEPH
CARPANZANO--M
req. by Joyce Carpanzano
5:00 JAMES T. NAUGHTON--M
Req. by Valerie & Jack
O’Keeffe
PRAYERFUL
REMEMBRANCES
Your prayers are requested for
the sick at home, and in the hospitals, especially: Juana Tejeda, Richard
Anderson, 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, THOMAS KEEFER, PATRICK J. O’ROURKE and THOMAS PISTONE, 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 – 23 – 08):
$7,949
Attendance: 2,191
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.
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
The beautiful words
from “Lord, For Thy Tender Mercy’s Sake” by John Hilton are perfect for
today’s, Divine Mercy Sunday: “Lord, for Thy tender mercy’s sake lay not sins
to our charge; but forgive that is past, and give us grace to amend our sinful
lives: to decline from sin, and include to virtue, that we may walk with a
perfect heart, before Thee now and ever more. Amen.
ANNOUNCEMENT
of ORDINATION
According to Canon
1051, 2 of the Code of Canon Law the names of candidates for each sacred order
shall be announced publicly in the parish church of each candidate.
Patrick Felix Curley
of Saints John and Paul is a candidate for the Sacred Order of Priesthood for
the archdiocese of New York, which will be conferred on May 10, 2008.
SPECIAL
COLLETION for the POPE’S VISIT
Next weekend, April 5th
and 6th, there will be a special collection in all parishes of the
Archdiocese to help defray the cost of the Pope’s visit. Please be a generous
as possible.
STS. JOHN
and PAUL SCHOOL NEWS...
Due to an increased demand, Sts John and Paul School has
opened up an additional Kindergarten class. As a result, we are
accepting applicants for the 2008-2009 school year. Please contact the school
at 834-6332 for more information, tours, and applications.
*Please note the school will is closed for Easter recess and will open
again on Monday, March 31st. Thank you!
CALENDAR
of EVENTS for the WEEK
SUNDAY, MARCH 30th:
10:10 AM SCH: Religious Ed. Classes
11:30 AM AUD: Easter Egg Hunt
MONDAY, MARCH 31st:
3:00 PM GYM & AUD: PSPA
7:30 PM RMR: Fr. Brian’s class
TUESDAY, APRIL 1st:
3:00 PM GYM: PSPA
6:00 PM SCH CONF RM & AUD: Cub Scouts
6:00 PM RMR: Cub Scouts
7:30 PM RMR: K of C
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 2nd:
10:30 AM SARAH NEUMAN: Service followed by Mass
12:45 PM RMR: 4th grade Girl Scouts
12:45 PM O.S.AUD: PSPA
2:50 & 7:15 PM SCH: Religious Education classes
2:45 & 7:20 PM AUD: Rel. Ed presentation
THURSDAY, APRIL 3rd:
9:30 AM RMR: Interfaith
FRIDAY, APRIL 4th:
5:00 PM GYM: Baseball
7:00 PM AUD: J.H.S. Dance
SATURDAY,
APRIL 5th :
9:00 AM AUD: Family Retreat
for First Communion
10:00 AM RMR: Baptism Preparation class
INTERESTING
NEWS from THE FOOD BANK
Easter was about over.
The food baskets had been collected and handed out. The closet was empty. Then on
Good Friday afternoon, a phone call came. A parishioner was unable to work
because of a broken leg and her workman’s compensation payments had not begun.
She, her disabled husband and two children, were reduced to eating cereal.
Could we help? At the Good Friday service, Gerry said there was some food in
the closet. (Thank you Lord.) That plus one of the frozen turkeys we keep for
just such emergencies and a couple of Stop & Shop gift cards will see the
family through for a little while. This story is true and we tell it so that
each of you who faithfully bring food to church or give money might know that
you are helping not just some abstract “poor” but real people in really
unfortunate situations. Keep up the good work!
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.
FROM the
KNIGHTS of COLUMBUS…
Our First Degree
Ceremony, initiating new members, will take place in the RMR on Thursday, April
10th, at 7:30 PM. In order to participate, you must fill-in a “Form
100 J”, which will be available at the social night. Please e-mail John Latona,
Membership chairman at larchmontknightsmembership@catholicweb.com
to RSVP, or for more details.
EASTER EGG
HUNT
Our annual Easter Egg Hunt for 3 – 8 year olds will be held this Sunday
of Easter, March 30th. Please join us in the auditorium after the
10:30 Mass!
EASTER
FLOWER MEMORIALS
IN MEMORY OF DONOR
Methodius Kim & Ancestors Maria
Kim
Frank Lyons & Ann
Lyons
Kathryn & Fred Bricker
Augustin Nunez-Corral Victoria Nunez
Anna Mazzei Angelina
Ferronto
Timothy Reilly & The Charles Reilly Family
Vincent Savage &
Charles Reilly
Frank Capasso & The
Puzio Family
Marie Capasso
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.
A VERY SPECIAL EVENT
Next Sunday, April 6th, at 6:00 PM, the
Youth Group is sponsoring a unique religious group called “The St. Michael
Warriors”. The event will he held in the auditorium. All 7th and 8th
grade students in our parish are encouraged to come but also anyone who would
like to see a lively presentation with singing and dancing is most cordially
invited. A “free will donation” is suggested and food will be available for
sale.
CAMP ECHO
BAY
Camp Echo Bay run by
the Salesians will hold an Open House on Saturday, April 5th, and
Sunday, April 6th, from 1 to 4 PM. The camp is located at Salesian
High School on Main Street in New Rochelle.
THE
PASTOR’S COLUMN
Many times when we read about religious
experiences, spiritual values, or faith institutions, we find ourselves
questioning author’s presumptions and/or their facts. When it comes to
articles, essays, and books concerning the Catholic Church and its beliefs and
personages, you can believe they catch my attention. Recently, there was a
presentation in the local media concerning the Holy Father Benedict XVI. In
conjunction with the upcoming papal visit, I am sure, there will be such
pieces. I was immediately struck by a word used in the lead of the article:
ENIGMA. The writer used this noun as a descriptive term for the Pope and his
mode of operation. If we seek a dictionary definition for this word we read
that it means: “secret, closed book, something that baffles understanding and
cannot be explained.” The Wordnet of Princeton University describes allied
categories: “meant confusion, disarray, perplexity, conundrum, and problem.”
Personally, I believe this depiction of our chief shepherd and his work to be
grossly inaccurate. So why would it be used. Perhaps, the reason it is so
applied is because of the lack of understanding of those who are reading or listening
to the Pontiff’s teachings. Many critics since the advent of Joseph Razinger’s
ministry in Rome as prefect for the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
have painted him as a rigid thinker with little to contribute to the
contemporary theological debate. They propose a thesis that he is out of touch
with the ordinary believer. They often compared him unfavorably with his
“charismatic predecessor.” (One of the interesting facts about our pope’s
relationship with the People of God is that the numbers attending his public
audiences are much larger. I have attended three public audiences and can
testify to the enthusiasm of the crowds when he rides through the crowds. His
smiles are warm as he takes time to embrace the sick and bless the children.) In
this column for the next few weeks, I would like to share with you the clarity
of thought of the present occupant of Peter’s Chair and in doing so reveal the
pastoral perspective which is concerned with the welfare not only of Catholic
people but also that of all humankind.
When I was finishing my philosophical
studies at Dunwoodie looking forward to the challenges of theology, one of our
young professors challenged us to read a new work of a German professor as a
preview to our future coursework. It was titled: “Introduction to
Christianity”. Its opening revealed not only the skillful expression of thought
but also a realistic assessment of present-day culture. Though written in the
seventies we must note its prophetic vision as well. “The world is not just
maya, appearance, which we must ultimately leave behind. It is not merely the
endless wheel of sufferings, from which we must try to escape. It is something
positive. It is good, despite all the evil in it and despite all the sorrow,
and it is good to live in it. God, who is the creator and declares himself in
His creation, also gives direction and measure to human action. We are living
today in a crisis of moral values (Ethos), which by now is no longer merely an
academic question about the ultimate foundations of ethical theories, but
rather an entirely practical matter. The news is getting around that moral
values cannot be grounded is something else, and the consequences of this view
are working themselves out. The published works on the theme of moral values
are stacked high and almost toppling over, which on the one hand indicates the
urgency of the question, but on the other hand also suggests the prevailing
perplexity… If the world and man does not come from a creative intelligence,
which stores within itself their measure and plots the path of human existence,
then all that is left are traffic rules for human behavior, which can be
discarded or maintained according to their usefulness.”
Some have argued that the cardinal’s views
of Joseph Ratzinger are a retreat from his progressive views as a periti
(expert) at the Second Vatican Council. In his many works while he does not
seek to explicitly defend himself, he does restate his support of its
legitimate ends and not with the incorrect assumptions made by some in the
“spirit of the council.” In his first homily at the conclusion of the conclave
which elected him the Bishop of Rome, Benedict X VI stated: “To you, Lord
Cardinals, with a grateful soul for the trust shown me, I ask you to sustain me
with prayer and with constant, active, and wise collaboration, I also ask my
brothers in the episcopacy to be close to me in prayer and counsel so that I
may truly be the “servus servorum Dei” (servant of the servants of God). As Peter
and the other apostles were, through the will of the Lord, one apostolic
college, in the same way the Successor of Peter and the bishops, successors of
the apostles – and the council communion, even in the diversity of roles and
functions of the supreme Pontiff and the bishops, is at the service of the
church and the unity of faith, on which depends in a notable measure the
effectiveness of the evangelizing action of the contemporary world. Thus, this
path, upon which my venerated predecessors went forward, I, too, intend to
follow, concerned solely with proclaiming to the world the living presence of
Christ.
Before my eyes is, in particular, the
witness of Pope John Paul II. He leaves us a church that is more courageous,
freer, younger. A church that, according to his teaching and example, looks
with serenity to the past and is not afraid of the future. With the Great
Jubilee, the church was introduced into the new millennium carrying in her
hands the gospel, applied to the world through the authoritative rereading of Vatican
Council II. Pope John Paul II justly indicated the council as a “compass” with
which to orient ourselves in the vast ocean of the third millennium. Also in
his spiritual testament he noted: “I am convinced that or a very long time the
new generations will draw upon the riches that this council of the twentieth
century gave us.”
I, too, as I start in the service that is
proper to the Successor of Peter, wish to affirm with force my decided will to
pursue the commitment to enact Vatican Council II, in the wake of my
predecessors and in faithful continuity with the millennia-old tradition of the
church. Precisely this year is the fortieth anniversary of the conclusion of
this conciliar assembly (December 8, 1965). With the passing of time, the
conciliar documents have not lost their timeliness; their teachings have shown
themselves to be especially pertinent to the new exigencies of the church and
the present globalized society.” (26-27)
One can easily see the humility of the man
as he commemorates the wisdom of the Holy Spirit and the qualities of
collaboration in communion. Let us pray for him as he comes to us and teaches
us the way of the Lord.
Jesus vivat,
Fr. Brian