THIRD
SUNDAY of EASTER
APRIL
6, 2008
(M -
Memorial, A - Anniversary)
JOHN BAPTIST de la SALLE, priest
6:45 AGNES DORAN--M
9:00 JOHNNY MC KEEVER—M
req. by Virginia Quinn
TUESDAY, APRIL 8
6:45 RICHARD MC HUGH—M
req. by Pat & Jack Foley
9:00 JOSEPH RUSSO--M
req. by Ralph Santoliquido
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 9
6:45 THE FONTANA
FAMILY
9:00 MARY
and JOHN HALPIN--M
reg. by Alice H. Mulderrig
THURSDAY, APRIL
10
6:45 AUGUSTIN S.
HARDART, JR.--A
req.
by Nancy Hardart
9:00 JOSEPH ZAVAGLIA--A
req.
by Olga Zavaglia
STANISLAUS, bishop, martyr
6:45 ANTOINETTE TOBIA--M
req. by the Clergy &
the People of Sts. John & Paul Parish
9:00 JOSEPHINE and CORNELIUS PAUL
V. SHIELDS, and AILEEN SHIELDS BRYAN--M
req.
by the Shields Family
9:00
FRANK, and MARY ONOFF and
FRANK ONOFF, JR.--M
req. by Mary Anne Trapanese
5:30
FRANK BOVE--M
req. by Anthony &
Mary Chiodo
SUNDAY, APRIL
13
7:30 MARGE
KEELAN—M
req. by Peter & Kathleen Marcon
9:00 FOR
THE PEOPLE OF THE PARISH
10:30 MARTHA
and ED GARBA--M
12:00 SALVATORE
CAMPASANO--M
req. by Nancy & Bill
Winnis
5:00 THOMAS MICHAEL LAMB--A
req. by Elaine & Stephanie
Lamb
PRAYERFUL
REMEMBRANCES
Your prayers are requested for
the sick at home, and in the hospitals, especially: Justin Striegold, Nancy
Richy, 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, Mimi Cosgrove, Kristen Long, Patrick Lamont,
Elizabeth Kim, for our service men and
women at home and abroad; for the faithful departed, DEACON VINCENT BRIGANDE,
REV. ROBERT J. GANNON and TULA BELTON, 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 – 30 – 08):
$7,588
Attendance: 915
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.
BANNS of
MARRIAGE
I – John Infelice – Christine Brewer
BAPTISM
PREPARATION for PARENTS of INFANTS
To arrange for a
Baptism, please call the rectory and speak with Charlotte regarding what is
necessary to do to have your child baptized in our parish.
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: May 3rd
and June 7th.
10:30 AM
MASS MUSIC NOTES
The Anthem today is
the beautiful contemporary piece by Michael Ward, “In The Breaking Of he
Bread”. In the Gospel, two disciples bound for Emmaus were joined by Jesus,
whom they did not recognize. They discussed the death of Jesus and the
disappearance of his body from the tomb. Jesus explained to them through the
Scriptures the meaning of the events that had taken place. Then, in the
breaking of the bread, they recognized him.
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 12th
and 13th, 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 up to grade 7. Please
contact the school at 834-6332 for more information, tours, and applications.
CALENDAR
of EVENTS for the WEEK
SUNDAY, APRIL 6th:
9:00 AM CH: Family Mass
10:00 AM AUD: Religious Ed. presentation
10:10 AM SCH: Religious Ed. Classes
6:00 PM AUD: Youth Group presents The St. Michael Warriors
MONDAY, APRIL 7th:
3:00 PM GYM & AUD: PSPA
7:30 PM RMR: Fr. Brian’s class
TUESDAY, APRIL 8th:
3:00 PM GYM: PSPA
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 9th:
10:30 AM SARAH NEUMAN: Service followed by Mass
12:45 PM RMR: Brownies
12:45 PM O.S.AUD: PSPA
2:50 & 7:15 PM SCH: Religious Education classes
3:30 PM CH: Rehearsal for First Communion
THURSDAY, APRIL 10th:
7:00 PM RMR or AUD: First Degree for the K of C
FRIDAY, APRIL 11th:
5:00 PM GYM: Baseball
SATURDAY, APRIL 12th:
9:00 AM AUD: Family Retreat
for First Communion
25th and 50th WEDDING
ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATTION
The parish will honor
all couples celebrating their 25th and 50th wedding
anniversaries during 2008 with the 10:30 Mass on Sunday, April 27th,
with a reception to follow. If you are celebrating either of these
anniversaries and would like to participate in this special event, please call
the Rectory and ask for Charlotte. It is important to let the Rectory know by
Monday, April 21st, so that proper preparations can be made for both
the Mass and the luncheon.
There will be a notice
in the bulletin later this month about the 50th wedding anniversary
celebration that will be held at the cathedral in May.
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.
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
This Sunday, April 6th, at 6:00 PM, the
Youth Group is sponsoring a unique religious group called “The St. Michael
Warriors”. The event will be 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.
ANNUAL
EASTER EGG HUNT
Children ages 3 – 8 and their parents turned out for our annual Easter
Egg Hunt last Sunday. Children decorated bags to hold their eggs while 7th
graders helped to decorate faces and hands with Easter motifs while parents
gnoshed on Danish and coffee. (This year there were special accommodations for
children with nut allergies!) Chocolates, jelly beans and special Easter
messages were stashed in Easter lilies and hidden under cups scattered
throughout the auditorium.
We hope that your family will join the SRA (Religious Ed. Parent
organization) and the Knights of Columbus again next year on the 2nd
Sunday of Easter in the auditorium. Please stop by the Religious Education
office for a special Easter memento. A joyous Easter season to you all. Truly
Christ is risen!
OPERATION
RICE BOWL MITE BOXES
Now is the accepted time to turn in your mite box for Catholic Relief
Services annual Lenten ORB project. The children of our program along with the
children of the school have been collecting money in their boxes since Ash
Wednesday. Catechists and teachers participated in the weekly calendar projects
with special educator’s guides provided by CRS. Some children decided to donate
their weekly allowances in order to provide for families around the world
through the efforts of CRS.
There is a cardboard stand in the hall for loose change, or bring your
box (or an envelope with a check) to the Religious Education Office. We thank
you in advance for your generosity. Last year, we raised more than $300, a
significant increase over Lent 2006. Please help us to continue increasing our
parish contribution.
FIRST
COMMUNION
One hundred fifteen second graders are preparing to receive their First
Communion in May. As part of their preparation, they are attending a retreat
with their parents on the mornings of Saturday, April 5th, or
Saturday, April 12th. Please keep them in your prayers as they learn
about the liturgical seasons and about their parish community, hear the story
of the Loaves and Fishes, sing Communion songs, and make a pew banner for their
special day.
THE
PASTOR’S COLUMN
Our chief shepherd is certainly a most
prolific writer. He is a wealth of theological understanding. In my exploration
of his works in print as well as his various oral pronouncements, I decided to
research those topics which are problematic for our modern age in the lives of
both believers and non-believers. As you might imagine as a person of sixty
years and a priest for almost thirty-five, there are few areas in which I have
not had questions or doubts. I must say, however, not for a single moment have
I failed to realize the power of the eucharistic prayer through which the Lord
becomes truly present on the altar. It must be affirmed that Christ is in the
community of faith; that he speaks to us in Word; but in the sacrament of the
Eucharist He becomes uniquely present to us. It is awesome (the only truly
correct word, though too often used) to realize that a simple piece of bread
and cup of wine gives way to the Body and Blood of Christ. As he gave Himself
to His disciples on the first Holy Thursday, so He permits us “born late in
time” to embrace and consume His Body and Soul, Humanity and Divinity. It is
most troubling to read various journals which purport to know the belief
systems of contemporary Catholics. They proclaim unabashedly that only 40% of
the fully initiated believers recognize the Real presence. What has happened to
us? Saint Francis of Assisi would throw himself down in the narthex of any
church he entered with the realization that he was in the presence of the One
who died for him, was raised, and now called him to rebuild His church. What
has happened to us? Thousands of men and women gave their lives that He might
comfort the sick through their ministrations. Like Saint Thomas Aquinas, they
counted all else as dross compared to the living presence of Christ in the
tabernacle. What has happened to us. As children we genuflected reverently (on
two knees if the monstrance was on the altar displaying the Host), we prayed
silently and often would enter the church during the day for a brief visit.
Like the patient in the hospital bed, today, He is often ignored by those who
enter the sacred precincts. The once quite sanctuary is forced to endure the
din of communal greetings. He is no longer the center of our attention. We have
become the focus. As Cardinal, our present pontiff was asked to speak to a
Eucharist Congress in the archdiocese of Beneranto, near Naples In reflecting
on the words of institution, he told the crowd of their meaning: “In the first
place, we are confronted by the word transubstantiation. The bread
becomes the body, his body. The bread of the earth, which God nourishes men not
only in their earthly life but also in the prospect of the resurrection – which
prepares for the Resurrection, or rather, already makes it begin. The Lord, who
would have been able to transform stones into bread, who was able to raise up
from rocks the sons of Abraham, wishes to transform the bread into a body, his
body.” In that same address, he explains that this substantive change causes us
to be transformed into one body. This unity must enliven us to the reality that
we are to go forth from the cocoon of the Church and transform the society in
which we live. The social teachings of the church are not extraneous to its
gospel proclamation but are a constitutive element. As the future Servant of
the Servants of God clearly stated:”… in my prayer at communion, I must look
totally toward Christ, allowing myself to be transformed by him, even to be
burned by his enveloping fire. But precisely for this reason, I must always
keep clearly in mind that in this way he unites me organically with every other
person receiving him – with the one next to me, whom I may not like very much;
but also with those who are far away in Asia, Africa, America, or any other
place. Becoming one with them, I must learn to open myself toward them and to
involve myself in their situations. This is the proof of the authenticity of my
love for Christ. If I am united with Christ, I am together with my neighbor,
and this unity is not limited to the moment of communion; it only begins here.
It becomes life, becomes flesh and blood, in the everyday experience of sharing
life with my neighbor. Thus, the individual realities of my communicating and
being part of the life of the church are in separately linked to one another.
The church is not born as a simple federation of communities. Her birth begins
with the one bread, with the one Lord and from him the beginning and
everywhere, the one body, which derives from the one bread. She becomes one not
through a common center open to all, because it constantly draws its existence
from a single Lord, who forms her by means of the one bread into one body.
Because of this, her unity has a greater depth than that which any other human
union could ever achieve. Precisely when the Eucharist is understood in the
intimacy of the union of each person with the Lord, it becomes also a social
sacrament to the highest degree.
To concretize this teaching, Benedict XVI
as the representative of John Paul II called to mind two individuals. He saw in
Saint Martin de Porres (his selection not mind) and Blessed Teresa of Calcutta,
the actualization of his thought. “The great social saints were, in reality,
always the great Eucharistic saints. I would like to mention just two examples
chosen entirely at random.
First of all, the beloved figure of St.
Martin de Porres, who was born in 1569 in Lima, Peru, the son of an
Afro-American mother and a Spanish nobleman. Martin lived from the adoration of
the Lord present in the Eucharist passing entire nights in prayer before the
crucified Lord in the tabernacle, while during the day he tirelessly cared for the
sick and assisted the socially outcast and despised, with whom he identified as
a mulatto. The encounter with the Lord, who gives himself to us from the cross,
makes all of us members of the one body by means of the one bread, which when
responded to fully moves us to serve the suffering, to care for the weak and
the forgotten.
In our time, we can recall the person of
Mother Teresa of Calcutta. Whenever she opened the houses of her sisters to the
service of the dying and outcast, the first thing she asked for was a place for
the tabernacle, because she knew that only beginning from there would come the
strength for such service.
Whoever recognizes the Lord in the
tabernacle recognizes him in the suffering and the needy; they are among those
to whom the world’s judge will say: “I was hungry and you gave me food; I was
thirsty and you gave me drink; I was naked and you clothed me; I was sick and
you visited me; I was in prison and you came to me” (Mt 24:35).”
As the days of his arrival approach, let us
pray not only for the Holy Father but let us pray for the Church in America
that it will be open to his teaching.
Jesus vivat,
Fr. Brian