EASTER
SUNDAY: RESURRECTION of the LORD
APRIL
8, 2007
(M -
Memorial, A - Anniversary)
6:45 THE WENZEL
FAMILY
9:00
THE BARBERIO FAMILY
req.
by Pat Barberio
TUESDAY, APRIL 10
6:45 JOSEPH RUSSO--M
req. by Ralph Santoliquido
9:00 JOSEPHINE and CORNELIUS SHIELDS, PAUL V.
SHIELDS and AILEEN SHIELDS BRYAN--M
req. by the Shields Family
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11
6:45 AUGUSTIN S.
HARDART, JR.--M
req. by Nancy Hardart
9:00 MARY and JOHN
HALPIN--M
reg. by Alice Mulderrig
THURSDAY, APRIL 12
6:45 AGNES DORAN--M
9:00 FRANK,
MARY, and FRANK, JR. ONOFF--M
req. by Mary Anne Trapanese
6:45 TITO CARO--M
req. by the Hiler Family
9:00 SALVATORE CAMPASANO--M
Req. by Nancy & Bill
Winnis
9:00 JOSEPH FAY--M
req. by Maureen F. Morris
5:30 PETER
MUCCI--M
req. by Alice & Henry Malgrande
SUNDAY, APRIL
15
7:30 AGNES
DORAN--M
9:00 GUIDO
GULLA—M
req. by the Gulla Family
10:30 FOR
THE PEOPLE OF THE PARISH
12:00 JAMES
SWEENEY--M
req. by Pat Sweeney
5:00 MARGARET
MAGUIRE-M
Req. by Agnes Case
PRAYERFUL
REMEMBRANCES
Your prayers are requested for
the sick at home, and in the hospitals, especially: Pat O’Rourke, James Curtin, Carmella Musumeci, Msgr. Joseph J. Boyd, 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, DOMINICK FORTI
and DIETER SCHULZ, 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 (04—01—07)
$13,696
Maintenance: $3,804
Attendance: 1,642
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.
BANNS of
MARRIAGE
III – Matthew Zeppieri – Lisa Rainone
II -- Carlos Torres – Kathryn Kirchoff
II – Frank Pacelli, III –
Christine De George
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 dates for the upcoming
classes are as follows: April 14th,
FRIDAY, MAY 4th at 7:00 pm,
and June 2nd.
WANT TO
SEE PARISH PHOTOS on THE INTERNET?
Fr. Joe has been
taking pictures of many events in and around the parish – SJP School Pep Rally,
Christmas Show, The Living Rosary, Teen Ski Trip, etc. If you would like to
view any or all of them, please go to http://community.webshots.com/user/joeeno.
THANK YOU
for EASTER FOOD BASKETS
Thank
you to all our generous parishioners who either took the time to put together
an Easter Food Basket, made a financial contribution or brought in food. A
financial report regarding the Food Bank will be in next week’s bulletin. Happy
Easter!
CALENDAR of EVENTS for WEEK OF APRIL 8th:1st:
SUNDAY, APRIL 8th:
EASTER SUNDAY
MONDAY, APRIL 9th:
7:00 PM SCH CONF. RM: Boy Scouts
TUESDAY, APRIL 10th:
6:00 PM RMR: Cub Scouts
7:30 PM RECTORY: RCIA
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11th:
11:00 AM SARAH NEUMAN: Mass
THURSDAY, APRIL 12th:
9:30 AM RMR: Interfaith
FRIDAY, APRIL 13th:
7:00 PM RMR: Defensive Driving
SATURDAY, APRIL 14th:
9:00 AM SCH, CH, & AUD: 2nd grade Family Retreat
10:00 AM RMR: Baptismal Preparation Class
DANCE for
5th, 6th, 7th AND 8th GRADERS
The Woman’s Guild will
sponsor a Spring Dance for the Parish Students of the 5th, 6th,
7th, and 8th grades. It will be held on Friday, April 20th
at 7 pm until 10 pm in the Auditorium. We will have a DJ and pizza. Admission
is $20.00. If you wish to have your son/daughter attend, please come to the
rectory to pick up a permission slip.
FR.
BRIAN’S BIBLE CLASS
Father Brian’s class
on the new Catechism for Adults will not be held until Monday, April 23rd.
RELIGIOUS
EDUCATION NEWS…
NO CLASSES
There will be no class on Easter Sunday, April 8th.
REGULAR CLASSES WILL RESUME ON WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11th.
25th
and 50th WEDDING ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS
The parish will honor
all couples celebrating their 25th and 50th wedding
anniversaries during 2007 with a Mass at 10:30 AM and a reception following the
Mass on Sunday, April 29th. If you are celebrating either of these
anniversaries and would like to participant in this special event, please call
the Rectory and ask for Charlotte. Reservations must be in to the Rectory by
Monday, April 24th so that we can prepare for the luncheon. Thank
you.
50th
WEDDING ANNIVERSARY CELERATION at the CATHEDRAL
Couples celebrating
their 50th Wedding Anniversary anytime during 2007 are invited to
attend the annual Golden Wedding Jubilee Mass with Cardinal Egan at the
Cathedral of St. Patrick on Sunday, May 20th, at 2:00 pm.
Pre-registration is required. Please call Charlotte at the Rectory (834-5458)
to register for this celebration. The closing date to register is Friday, May 4th.
WOMEN’S
GUILD NEWS…
AUTHORS of
THE FAITH CLUB
To speak
at
Sts. John
and Paul Women’s Guild Luncheon
On May 3,
2007
The three authors of The Faith Club, the best-selling book about the
interfaith journey of a Muslim, a Christian, and a Jew, will be the guest
speakers at the Women’s Guild on Thursday, May 3rd, at 11:30 a.m. at
the Larchmont Shore Club.
Reservations are required. Tickets are $40.00 per person and can be
purchased by calling Patricia Howard at 833-2434.
MASS BOOK
for 2008 to OPEN
The 2008 Mass Book
will open on Monday, April 23rd.
The request for masses MUST be
submitted in writing to the rectory.
Send in or drop off in
the rectory, your list of masses with the dates and times you would like and also
include a check made out to Sts. John & Paul. Each announced mass is
$15.00. We will then fulfill your requests and return a receipt to you. If the
date and time you requested is not available, we will give you a date and time
as close as possible. The requests will be fulfilled in the order in which they
were received.
DEFENSIVE
DRIVING COURSE
The National Safety
Council’s Defensive Driving Course will be offered in the Rectory Meeting Room
on Friday, April 13, and Friday, April 20, 7 – 10 PM. The class is now full and
closed to new applicants. If you registered for this course, you must attend
both sessions.
SAVE THE
DATE
The Pastor’s Dinner will
be held this on THURSDAY, JUNE 7th, at 7:00 PM at the Larchmont
Shore Club. So mark your calendars and be part of a fun filled evening. All men
of the parish will receive a letter in the mail with more details.
ST.
VINCENT’S WETCHESTER to HOST WORKSHOP on
“THE AGED
BRAIN”
St. Vincent’s Hospital
Westchester will host a workshop entitled “The Aging Brian, “on Thursday, April
19th, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the hospital in Harrison. The
presentation will offer an overview of the changes that take place in the brain
as we age; the differences between aging and dementia; practical information
about how to understand and live with a loved one suffering from Alzheimer’s
disease; and community support resources. The workshop is free and open to all,
but please pre-register by April 9th by calling 925-5051 or by email
to tezeliel@svemencny.org.
DIVINE
MERCY SUNDAY- APRIL 15th
Next Sunday, April 15th,
is Divine Mercy Sunday. We will have a Holy Hour in the Church from 4 to 5 PM.
All parishioners are cordially invited to attend this very spiritual event.
CIRCLE YOUR
CALENDARS
SUNDAY,
MAY 6th
FOR OUR
SPRING BLOOD DRIVE
All parishioners are urged to participate in our annual Blood Drive. Giving
blood is such a very important ministry that helps so many.
RALLY for
GOD, FAMILY and LIFE
Please join the
Knights of Columbus on Tuesday, April 24th in Albany, New York for a
peaceful, prayerful demonstration of our support for Pro-Life legislation. Wee
need 20 people to sign-up in order for a bus to pick up the group here at Sts.
John and Paul.
Please call Bill
Winnis at 914-573-9445 to make a reservation.
EASTER
FLOWER MEMORIALS
IN MEMORY OF DONOR
Lawrence A. Rigano,
Sr. & Jane Rigano & Family
Michael (Butch)
Rainaldi &Joseph & Carmela Rigano
Cosgrove & Saiya
Families Grace Cosgrove
Maffucci & Duddy
Families Dr/M Emil Maffucci
Antonio & Carmela
The Paul family
Cardone &Henry J.
Paul
Josephine &
Francis The McIntee Family
McIntee
James, Virginia &
Gina The Moore Family
Moore & Joseph
& Elena Benvenga
Helen & Frederick The Curran Family
Oyjer &
Marjorie & James
Curran
Chuck Wielgus Irene Wielgus
Donald McMahon The McMahon Family
Rose & Joseph
Fusco & Rosanne & Peter
Langelotti
Vivian & Joseph
Langelotti &
Ryan & Luke Mohan
Frank Budetti Mrs. Evelyn Budetti
Stanley &
Charlotte The Bennett Family
Bennett
Megroz & Magnussm Mary Jane Megroz
Families
Maria Colella Rocco & Judy Colella
&
Family
Madeline &
Francis Ella Hyland
Hyland
Margaret Maguire The Maguire Fmaily
Stephen T. Colletti The Colletti Family
John, Catherine,
Daniel & Alby Wassell
Josephine Wylie &
Michael Patrick Joyce
&
Dominick Forti &
Larry Edwards &
Walter & Anne
Wassell
David & Margaret
Stewart The Stewart & Lawless Families
Marie D. Ruggiero
& Dominick D. Ruggiero
Angelina & Henry
Ruggiero &
Anna & Thomas
D’Ambrosio
The Guglielmo & Mrs. Agnes Lambiasi
Lambiasi Families
Frank Capasso & Andrea & Joe Puzzio &
Family
Marie Capasso
The Neri Family Norma Luther
Methodius Kim & Maria Kim
Ancestors
The Nealon &
Regan Ro & jack Regan
Families
IN HONOR OF DONOR
Meredith, John, Liz Zand
Brendan & Meghan
McGurk &
William Zand &
Karen Fasone
Jake Peter &
Rylie Rob & Kendra Weeks
Grace Mahon
Helen & Michael
P. Ella Hyland
Glynn
James R. Nealon & Ro & Jack Regan
Helen R. Regan
PASTOR’S
COLUMN
Today, we begin our celebration of the Lord’s triumph over death. For
the next fifty days, we will speak of the Easter joy we are experiencing as we
proclaim: He is risen. Beyond liturgical commemoration, it is important for us
to reflect on the meaning of the Resurrection in our daily existence. While we
know that He has returned to the Father, we are convinced of the truth of the
promise of Jesus: “I will be with you until the end of the world.” Or
again, “Wherever two or three of you are gathered there I am in your midst.”
Recently, I have been reading a book on this theme by Judith M. Povilus. Using
some of her ideas contained in United in His Name, I would discuss the
reality of the Risen One in our midst. First of all, he enlightens us. The
world in which we live is darkened by fallible thought and erring action.
Scientific exploration meant to be a boon for mankind often threatens its
future. Perhaps, a few examples are in order: the harnessing of the power of
the atom which could provide energy for larger populations is utilized for the
creation of weaponry which could eradicate the same. The internet is perhaps
the greatest disseminator of information in the history of civilization. It
has the potential of educating millions. It reaches out to people who have
become isolated because of age or infirmity. And yet, it can also be used and
has been used to defraud; spread sentiments of bigotry and hatred; and
encourage many forms of immoral behavior. Medicine has entered into realms not
previously contemplated and lengthened the quality of life for countless
numbers. Treatments have been developed for illnesses previously thought
terminal. With great skill and medications, new hope has been given to the
mentally ill that they need not be institutionalized. And yet some make good
health an ideal which justifies any area or type of experimentation which in
truth, dehumanizes life. Conscious of the presence of Jesus, we are able to
create for ourselves parameters of proper behavior. He calls upon us to be
ever aware of our obligations to protest the vulnerable in our midst. We are
not to measure a man’s worth by his productivity. We are to see in all, His
face: He is hungry in our soup kitchens; He is homeless on our streets; and He
is sick and fearful in our hospitals and long-term care facilities. We are to
communicate God’s love not only to those whom we know and love but also to
the stranger who might cross our paths. Jesus looked at the rich young man who
could not surrender his possessions with love. He was sad for his lack of
vision. The Savior did not demean him in his speech to the Apostles. We must
not speak ill of others who do not hold the same positions we do. (I must
admit a discouragement with the present political climate. The ad hominen arguments which fail to address the important issues of
the day do nothing but undercut the quality of governance now and in the
future.) When one speaks from his or her heart, they must be respected though
their words bring us much concern.
Very often preachers of God’s word proclaim the coming of divine
judgment. They raise the prospect that all not in agreement with them will be
condemned. They ignore the words and events during the public ministry of
Christ which strike a much different chord. He confronts many of His
contemporaries and descries their judging others when they should “first
remove the plank from their own eye.” He chastises the crowd seeking to
stone the woman caught in adultery. In another passage, he tells us that His
mission is not one of condemnation. Quite the contrary: “I came that they
might have joy; and their joy might be complete.” As He welcomed the
children, as He fed the five thousand and as He healed the sick so he is
present among us to touch our lives and lightened our hearts. The believer is
not exempt from life’s burdens and sorrows but His presence changes their
significance. It might be said that an individual might not always be happy
but they can always be joyful. The former is very transitory and depends on
circumstances while the latter depends on the gift which only Christ can give.
Though we might suffer the loss of a parent or spouse, we might be in better
condition if we take seriously the reality that as He was present to Martha
and Mary on the occasion of the death of Lazarus, He is present at the wake,
cemetery, and our home when all others depart. His presence brings joy of
knowing that as He lives so do our beloved. As nature abhors a vacuum, so
humanity hates loneliness. Our divine companion aids us when we feel isolated
from our brothers and sisters. No matter what He never leaves us.
The Lord in our midst gives us peace. In the work previously cited,
Chiara Lubich is quoted concerning this reality: “Peace for the soul is like
health for the body: peace is the health of the soul. Normally, we don’t
feel healthy, but we do feel sick; so too, in the same way we don’t feel
peace, but we do feel the lack of it. Therefore, when you are gathered
together, whether at home, or on the streets, or at work, and you asses that
there is peace, rest assured. If there is peace, Jesus is present, because he
is peace.” (39) In an age in which we have experienced the violence of
terrorists acts, the ravages of war, and fear of pandemic disease, we are in
need of becoming more conscious of Christ’s presence among us. If we truly
believe that He is in our midst, then we realize no harm can come to us that
will deprive us of life. “Fear not him who can kill the body, fear only him
who can kill the spirit.”
On behalf of all of your priests and deacon, I wish you and your family
Christ’s love and peace in this holy season. I wish to express our gratitude
to all who have contributed to the beauty of our church and our liturgical
experiences. We are truly blessed with a wonderful music ministry; generous
band of lectors, Eucharistic ministers and ushers; very competent altar
servers; and many volunteers who work with our rectory staff to ensure the
glorious decoration of the sanctuary as well as the success of everyone’s
largess to the community’s needy.
May the Risen Lord continue to bless us.
Jesus vivat,
Fr. Brian