FOURTH
SUNDAY of EASTER
APRIL
13, 2008
(M -
Memorial, A - Anniversary)
6:45 ANTIONETTE VALENTINE--M
req. by the Clemens Family
9:00 DAMIANO CIRILLO--M
req. by Annita Fiorito
TUESDAY, APRIL 15
6:45 AGNES DORAN--M
9:00 LOUISE RUSS0--M
req. by Ralph
Santoliquido
WEDNESDAY,
APRIL 16
6:45 THE FONTANA
FAMILY
9:00 JAMES
SWEENEY--M
reg. by Patricia Sweeney
THURSDAY, APRIL
17
6:45 JOAN DAPOLITO--M
req.
by the Clergy & the People of Sts. John & Paul Parish
9:00 THE
BARBERIO FAMILY
req. by Pat Barberio
6:45 BERNARD BROOKS--M
req. by the Family
9:00 FLORENCE
SABIA--M
req. by Alice & Henry
Malgrande
9:00
BERTHE and LOUIS BREUIL--M
req. by the Shields Family
5:30 JAMES NAUGHTON--M
req. by David & Sara
Cremins
SUNDAY, APRIL
20
7:30 MARY
A. and EDWARD S. LADIN and
ROSE DUDEK--M
req. by the Ladin Family
9:00 JAMES
DENNIS GLEASON--M
req. by Patricia Yturraspe
10:30 VERONICA
MC PEAK--A
req. by the McPeak Family
12:00 DONATO
RICOZZI--M
req. by the Ricozzi Family
5:00 FOR THE PEOPLE OF THE PARISH
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, Beth Hersh, Charles Donovan, Msgr. Joseph Boyd, Joey
Mileti, Dotty Doherty, Joan Porrazzo, 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, 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: (04 – 06 – 08):
$11,997
Maintenance: $ 2,592
Easter: $31,541
Attendance: 967
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
II – 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
Today is Good Shepherd
Sunday. Both the Gospel and the responsorial psalm use the image of a shepherd
to describe how God loves and takes care of us. The Anthem today is the
glorious “Sheep May Safely Graze” by Johan Sebastian.
OUR PARISH
CELEBRATES a FIRST MASS
On Sunday, May 11th,
our parish will be honored to have newly ordained Father Patrick Curley say his
first Mass. Fr. Curley’s family have been members of Sts. John and Paul Parish
for many years. Father will celebrate the 12 Noon Mass on that Sunday and a
reception for all parishioners will following immediately in the auditorium.
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 13th:
10:10 AM SCH: Religious Ed. Classes
MONDAY, APRIL 14th:
3:00 PM GYM & AUD: PSPA
7:30 PM RMR: Fr. Brian’s class
TUESDAY, APRIL 15th:
3:00 PM GYM: PSPA
3:15 PM CH: Alter Server Meeting for ALL Servers
6:00 PM SCH CONF RM & AUD: Cub Scouts
6:30 PM RMR: PSPA Meeting
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 16th:
10:30 AM SARAH NEUMAN: Service followed by Mass
12:45 PM RMR: 4th grade Girl Scouts
12:45 PM O.S.AUD: PSPA
THURSDAY, APRIL 17th:
FRIDAY, APRIL 18th:
5:00 PM GYM: Baseball
SATURDAY, APRIL 19th:
ATTENTION
ALL ALTAR SERVERS
There will be a
meeting on Tuesday, April 15th, for ALL Altar Servers at 3:15 PM in
the Church. It is important for all to attend as Fr. Brian will review
procedures for serving funerals.
25th and 50th WEDDING
ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATTION
The parish will honor
all couples celebrating their 25th and 50th wedding
anniversaries during 2008 at 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.
COUPLES
CELBRATING 50TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARIES
Couples celebrating
their 50th Wedding Anniversaries anytime during 2008 are invited to
attend the Annual Golden Wedding Jubilee Mass with Cardinal Egan at the
Cathedral of Saint Patrick on Sunday, May 18th at 2:00 pm.
Pre-registration is required Please contact the rectory and ask for Charlotte.
If you are interested in attending this special event, you need to let us know
no later than Friday, May 2nd. Thank you.
THE
WOMEN’S GUILD ANNUAL SPRING LUNCHEON
Join the Women’s Guild at its annual luncheon and hear guest speaker
Rev. James Martin, SJ, prolific author and acing publisher of the weekly Jesuit
magazine, America, explain how you too can become a saint in less than an hour!
The luncheon takes place on Thursday, May 15th, at the Larchmont
Yacht Club. Watch next week’s bulletin for ticket-ordering information. Father
Martin will also be signing two of his book, “A Jesuit Off-Broadway,” and “My
Life with the Saints,” which will be available for purchase at the luncheon.
Bring a friend! Bring a few!
THANK
YOU….
To all who responded to the call for help for the residents of Daystar,
we say thank you for generously donating 100 packages of diapers and cans of
formula. These items are very much need and appreciated.
RELIGIOUS
EDUCATION NEWS…
Just a reminder, there will be NO Religious Education classes on
Wednesday, April 16th, since the public schools will be closed that
day. Also, since the public schools will be closed the week of April 20th,
there will be NO Religious Education classes on Sundays, April 20th
or 27th, and Wednesday, April 23rd.
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, and 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.
LEARN
ABOUT OLDER CHILD ADOPTION
Join us on Saturday, May 3rd,
between 12 – 4 pm at Our Lady of the Assumption Church Hall, 1634 Mahan Avenue,
Bronx, NY 10461 to learn what’s entailed in the process of child adoption. Meet adoptive parents; learn about the paperwork and
procedures and sign up for upcoming Exploring Adoption classes, a mandatory NYS
16 hour course for anyone interested in adoption. Experienced social works will
answer all your questions. Refreshments will be served. For more information,
please call Downey Side at 1-718-822-2343 and speak with Anna or Jeanne.
THE
PASTOR’S COLUMN
Next Saturday, our Holy Father will visit
St. Joseph’s Seminary and meet with those men who are discerning a vocation to
the priesthood under the guidance of a faculty trained to develop in them the
spiritual and academic prowess necessary to serve the people of God. Sad to
say, their numbers are few. For the last few years we have witnessed a steady
decrease of suitable candidates presenting themselves for consideration. The
reasons behind this phenomena are both numerous and complex. First of all,
there seems to be less encouragement of our young people to consider a
ministerial calling. While there is little hesitation shown by parents to
suggest their alma maters to their children, by guidance counselors to conduct
assessments of talents, and by their contemporaries to stress material success.
Second, the reverence for the religious person is absent from society and the
church. One cannot deny that few have dishonored the Church and themselves.
However, it must be affirmed that they are in a minority and that few areas of
human endeavor have seen greater heroic effort in the performance of
responsibilities. Third, the identity and role of the priesthood has become
clouded over recent decades. With the end of World War II, the work of the
Second Vatican Council, and ascendancy of the philosophical positions of the
“secular city” both individual and communal expectations have become very
complex and diverse. As a priest, bishop, and now as pope, Benedict XVI has
reflected on the priesthood of Jesus Christ and its modern context. In
addressing those gathered for the synod on Priestly Formation, the future
pontiff reflected on the Johannine Jesus saying: “Apart from Me, you can do
nothing.” The future Benedict XVI said to that gathering: “This ‘nothing’ that
the disciples share with Jesus expresses at one and the same time both the
power and the infirmity of the apostolic ministry. By themselves, of their own
strength, they can do none of those things that apostles must do. How could
they of their own accord say, ‘I forgive you your sins’? How could they say,
‘This is My Body’? How could they perform the imposition of hands and say,
‘Receive the Holy Spirit’? None of those things which constitute apostolic
activity are done by one’s own authority. But this expropriation of their very
powers constitutes a mode of communion with Jesus, who is wholly from the
Father, with him all things and nothing without him. Their own ‘nihil posse’,
their own inability to do anything, draws them into a community of mission with
Jesus. Such a ministry, in which a man does and gives through a divine
communication which he could never do and give on his own, is called by the
tradition of the church a sacrament. If church usage calls ordination to the
ministry of priesthood a sacrament, the following is meant: this man is in no
way performing functions for which he is highly qualified by his own natural
ability, nor is he doing the things that please him the most and that are most
profitable. On the contrary: the one who receives the sacrament is sent to give
what he cannot give of his own strength; he is sent to act in the person of
another, to be his living instrument. For this reason, no human being can
declare himself a priest; for this reason too, no community can promote a
person to this ministry by its own decree. Only from the sacrament, which
belongs to God, can priesthood be received. Mission can only be received from
the one who sends – from Christ in his sacrament through which a person becomes
the voice and the renunciation and forgetfulness of self, does not, however,
destroy the man rather it leads to true human mystery and it brings to life the
image according to which we were created. Since we were created in the image of
the Trinity, he who loses himself will find himself.” In the Old Testament, we
read of the selection of David. His father, Jesse, never thought of him as the
object of Samuel’s search for a new king of Israel. The prophet himself looked
to the oldest son of the family as the most suitable candidate. But God had
other ideas and chose the youngest to be the founder of the royal line that
would yield the Messiah. The great high priest, Jesus, down through the
centuries has utilized for His purposes many who were not the most powerful,
wise, or wealthy. We remember the stories of weak apostles, for example.
Additionally, we recall Church history in which a poor student scarcely passing
muster with his teachers became the reconciling hope for his contemporaries in
France: John Vianney: the Cure of Ars. I must acknowledge that when reflecting
on my experience a similar phenomenon was present. On the day of my ordination,
during the chanting of the Litany of the Saints, as we laid prostrate in the
sanctuary of Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, my classmate, Msgr. Thomas Sandi,
presently the pastor of Saint Elizabeth Anne Seton in Shrub Oak, nudged me and
whispered: “This certainly shows God has a sense of humor.” I knew exactly what
he meant. Throughout our years in the seminary system we had the company of
many men who initially discerning the possibility of a priestly vocation chose
to follow different paths of accomplishment. Many of them of superior abilities
have contributed greatly to the benefit of the church and society. We who have
been privileged to stand at the altar understand very clearly that it is the
Lord who is the gentle reconciler. It is the who who causes families to come
together and once again appreciate each other. What talents we have the Lord
uses them in His and the Church’s service.
Perhaps some might, in our own
congregation, be contemplating future vocational choices and wonder what might
be necessary for a grace-filled ministry. The wise priest of God who will visit
us this week has proclaimed: “… an intimately personal relationship with Christ
is fundamental for priestly life… The priest should be a person who knows Jesus
intimately, has met him and learned to love him… He should learn to spend his
life for Christ and for his flock.”
Let us pray for our Pope and the success of
his visit. Let us pray for the priests who serve in the Church of the United
States. Let us pray for our young men that they will say “yes” to Christ’s
invitation: “Follow me.”
Jesus vivat,
Fr. Brian