SEVENTH
SUNDAY of EASTER
MAY
4, 2008
(M -
Memorial, A - Anniversary)
MONDAY, MAY 5
6:45 THE FONTANA FAMILY
9:00 BRIAN BRENNAN HICKEY--M
req. by Terry Casey
TUESDAY, MAY 6
6:45 AGNES
DORAN--M
9:00 VINCENZO CIRILLO--M
req. by Annita Fiorito
WEDNESDAY,
MAY 7
6:45 THE WENZEL FAMILY
9:00 EARL
FILKINS, JR.--M
reg. by Cassandra Liaigre
THURSDAY,
MAY 8
6:45 THE VENTIMIGLIA BROTHERS
req.
by Maureen Morris
9:00 MAY and JOSEPH MC PEAK--M
req. by the
McPeak Family
6:45 STANISLAW (STAN) HORYT--M
req. by Ralph & Arlen
Rescigno
9:00 ROBERT MILDERRIG--M
req. by Alice H. Mulderrig
BL. DAMIEN de VEUSTER of MOLOKA’L, priest
9:00
GIOVANI MAZZEI--M
req. by
the Smith Family
5:30 MARGARET MAGUIRE--M
req. by the Maguire
Family
SUNDAY,
MAY 11
7:30 MARY
A. and EDWARD S. LADIN and
ROSE DUDEK--M
req. by the Ladin Family
9:00 GUIDO
GULLA--M
req. by
Marianna Gulla
10:30 JAMES CURTIN--M
req. by Marion &
Joseph Brenner
12:00 MOTHER’S
DAY NOVENA
5:00 JOHN J. MC NEIL--A
req. by the Family
PRAYERFUL
REMEMBRANCES
Your prayers are requested for
the sick at home, and in the hospitals, especially: Justin Striegold, Juana
Tejeda, Richard Anderson, Peggy McDermott, Fran Lawlor, Pam Blaney, Susan
Wynkcoop, Winnie Mullin, Caroline Weldon, Ralph Giampietro, Ray Galinski, Joan
Genaro, Gabriel Fay, Barbara Santorsola, John O’Keefe, Jean Harder, Bill
Sabia, Beth Hersh, Charles Donovan, Msgr. Joseph Boyd, Joey
Mileti, Dotty Doherty, Joan Porrazzo,
Jenna Mussolini, Teresa Civetta, Frank Maiola, Aileen O’Brien, 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, REV. MSGR. HAROLD J. ROBERTSON, DEACON JAMES
F. ROBERTS, JACK MEISE, 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: (04/27/08) $7,326
Attendance: 870
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 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: June 7th,
July 5th, August 2nd, September 6th, October 4th, November 1st, and December 6th.
10:30 AM
MASS
The message in today’s
Anthem by Gordon Young is perfect for all Sundays in the season of Easter:
“Alleluia Christ Is Risen.”
FR. CURLEY
CELEBRATES HIS 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 follow immediately in the auditorium.
SEVENTH
SUNDAY of EASTER
Nine Deacons from St.
Joseph’s Seminary are expected to be Ordained to the Sacred Priesthood May 10th
at the Cathedral of St. Patrick. As they move forward, will others take the
steps to prepare for the priesthood in their path? If you would like to be a
priest or have questions about the priesthood, please contact Fr. Luke Sweeney
or Fr. Luis Saldana at 968-1340 or www.NYPRIEST.COM.
JUST A
REMINDER…
Each Friday evening at
7:30, a Novena of the Most Precious Blood is held in the Church. All
parishioners are invited to attend this special prayer service.
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, MAY 4th:
9:00 AM CH: Family Mass
10:10 AM SCH: Religious Ed. classes
MONDAY, MAY 5th:
3:00 PM GYM & AUD: PSPA
TUESDAY, MAY 6th:
3:00 PM GYM: PSPA
5:30PM FUJI MT.: Altar
Servers Dinner
6:00 PM SCH CONF & AUD: Cub Scouts
7:30 PM RMR: K of C Meeting
WEDNESDAY, MAY 7th:
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 Ed. Classes
THURSDAY, MAY 8th:
3:30 PM CH: First Communion rehearsal
FRIDAY, MAY 9th:
5:00 PM GYM: Baseball
SATURDAY, MAY 10th:
11:00 AM & 2:00 PM CH: First Communion
2009 MASS
BOOK TO OPEN
MONDAY,
MAY 12th
The 2009 Mass Book
will open on Monday, May 12th.
The requests 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 and 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
are received.
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 acting 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!
MOTHERS’
DAY CARDS
Mothers’ Day Cards can be found in the rear of Church. If you take one,
please fill out the outside envelope and return it to the Rectory by Friday
May10th. These envelopes will be placed on the altar for the novena of Masses
that will be offered during the remainder of the month of May.
A NOTE
from FR. DOMINIC TRAN…
Thank you for making me feel so at home. It was a blessing for me being
with you on another of the Lord’s Days, to share the Lord’s Word and Eucharist.
And thank you for your loving support through prayers, encouragement and
financial sacrifices. The people of SJP are in my heart and in our prayers here
at Don Bosco Residence.
With God’s blessing and your help, we continue to prepare our young men
for future ministry as Salesian priests and brothers.
And if any of you wins the lottery, please remember the Sts. John and
Paul scholarship.
I have been writing a blog on the Sunday Gospel reading with the intention
of providing some commentaries on the passage as a preparation for a richer
listening and reflecting on the word of God. Please visit www.godsword2us.blogspot.com if
you are interested.
Again, thank you.
Fr. Dominic Tran, SDB
2008
PRAYER RALLY
The New York State Council of the Knights of Columbus are sponsoring a
Prayer Rally at the Albany State Capital Building on Tuesday, May 13th,
from 11:30 AM to 2:30 PM. The reason for the rally is to make our state
officials aware of Catholic issues and concerns. There will be clergy, members
of the K of C and their families and friends attending.
ST.
AUGUSTINE ADULT EDUCATION
St. Augustine’s Adult Education presents Rev. Antony R. Gatt, PH.D,
from the Center for Spirituality Ministry at Sacred Heart University, who will
speak about “The Challenges of Being Catholic” – Incorporating humanity,
charity and courage into your life. The talk will be on Wednesday, May 7th,
at 7:00 PM in the auditorium. A reception will follow.
THE
PASTOR’S COLUMN
As we continue our reflection on the
permanent diaconate, it is important to state that it’s a restoration is not
due to the dearth of priestly vocations but is recognition that a significant
element of the Church’s life had been for too long neglected. In his Matu
Proprio Sacrum Diaconatus Ordinem, Pope Paul VI recognized: “Although
some functions of the deacons, especially in missionary countries, are in fact accustomed
to be entrusted to laymen, it is nevertheless ‘beneficial that those who
perform a truly diaconal ministry be strengthened by the imposition of hands, a
tradition going back to the apostles, and to be more closely joined to the
altar so that they may more effectively carry out their ministry through the
sacramental grace of the diaconate’… Certainly in this way the special nature
of this order will be shown more clearly. It is not to be considered as a mere
step towards the priesthood, but it is so adorned with its own indelible
character and its own special grace, so that those who are called to it ‘can
permanently serve the mysteries of Christ and the Church.” This document goes
on to establish norms for training and ministry of the permanently ordained
deacon. It is the foundation for those directives which would follow.
It is first stated that assemblies of
bishops, usually national episcopal conferences, must establish their vision
for the ministry of diaconate and then submit to the Holy See, particularly the
Congregation for the Clergy, their rationale for its introduction into the
lives of the local churches. Approvals must be given not only for its
initiation but also for its continuation as well as the on-going processes of
formation and supervision.
The Vatican insisted from the beginning
that: “Older men, whether single or married, can be called to the diaconate…
The older age in this case is reached at the completion of the thirty-fifth
year. Nevertheless, the age requirement is to be understood in this sense,
namely that no one can be called to the diaconate unless he has gained the high
regard of the clergy and the faithful by a long example of truly Christina
life, by his unexceptional conduct, and by his ready disposition to be of
service.” (11 – 12) Very clearly, the Pope is asserting that no man has a right
to ordination as a deacon, or for that matter, a priest. Sacraments are gifts
of Christ to His community which in turn, by His authority, can regulate their
dispensation. When a person presents himself as a possible candidate, Church
authorities reflect on his history with the Church: does the individual
participate fully in the sacramental life of the Church; does the individual
recognize his dependence on God by having a good prayer life: rosary, spiritual
reading, etc.; does the individual have a tradition of parish service:
Eucharistic minister, lector, catechist, member of the parish council, etc.;
does the individual have a good reputation in his professional and family life.
In terms of the latter, Pope Paul writes married men “are not to admitted
unless there is certainty not only about the wife’s consent, but also about her
blameless Christian life and those qualities which will neither impede nor
bring dishonor on her husband’s ministry… In the case of a married men, care
must be taken that only those are promoted to the diaconate who while bringing
many years in matrimony have shown that they are ruling well their own
household and who have a wife and
children leading a truly Christian life and noted for their good reputation.”
(11, 13) Because of its ecclesial character, the church makes every effort to
elicit the fact of spousal and familial support. Not only the deacon will be
called to sacrifice at times his hopes and desires for a higher purpose, it
will also be a part of the lives of those closest to him. Recognizing the
commitment of time and effort to which he is called as well as his
responsibilities as a parent generally a candidate cannot be accepted with younger
minor children. A final note in this area: the older age, particularly for
those who are single, is sought so as to clearly establish that they are
discerning properly a diaconal vocation as opposed to one to the priesthood.
In an early part of the papal mandate
reference is made to the preparation of candidates. “Specific training for the
diaconate should be spread over a period of at least three years. (Present
requirements will be discussed later, especially as experienced in our
Archdiocese.) The series of subjects, however, should be arranged in such a way
that the candidates are orderly and gradually led to carrying out the various
functions of the diaconate skillfully and beneficially. Moreover, the whole
plan of studies can be so arranged that in the last year special training be
given for the various functions which deacons especially will carry out. To
this moreover should be added practice and training in teaching the elements of
Christian religion to children and other faithful, in familiarizing the people
with sacred chant and in directing it, in reading the sacred books of Scripture
at gatherings of the faithful, in addressing and exhorting the people, in
administering the sacraments which pertain to them, in visiting the sick, and
in general, fulfilling the ministries which can be entrusted to them… It is to
be desired that…deacons be possessed of no small learning…or…at least be
endowed with that knowledge which in the judgment of the Episcopal conference
is necessary for worthily fulfilling the diaconal ministry.” (9 – 10, 14) In a
later section, the Supreme Pontiff notes the importance for in-service training
for those who are ordained: Deacons are not to neglect studies, particularly
the sacred ones; let them read assiduously the sacred books of Scripture; let
them devote themselves to ecclesiastical studies in such a way that they can
correctly explain Catholic teaching to the rest and become daily more capable
of instructing and strengthening the minds of the faithful.” (29)
The document goes on to enumerate the
functions of the permanent deacon. “According to the above-mentioned
Constitution of the Second Vatican Council it pertains to the deacon, to the
extent that he has been authorized by the local Ordinary, to attend such functions:
1)
To assist the bishop
and the priest during liturgical actions in all things which the rituals of the
different orders assign to him;
2)
To administer baptism
solemnly and to supply the ceremonies which may have been omitted when
conferring it on children or adults;
3)
To reserve the
Eucharist and to distribute it to himself and to others, to bring it as a
Viaticum to the dying and to impart to the people benediction with the Blessed
Sacrament with the sacred ciborium;
4)
In the absence of a
priest, to assist at and to bless marriages in the name of the Church by
delegation from the bishop or pastor, observing the rest of the requirements
which are in the Code of Canon Law(8), with Canon 1098 remaining firm and where
what is said in regard to the priest is also to be understood in regard to the
deacon;
5)
To administer
sacramentals and to officiate at funeral and burial services;
6)
To read the sacred
books of Scripture to the faithful and to instruct and exhort the people;
7)
To preside at the
worship and prayers of the faithful when a priest is not present;
8)
To direct the liturgy
of the word, particularly in the absence of a priest;
9)
To carry out, in the
name of the hierarchy, the duties of charity and of administration as well as
works of social assistance;
10)
To guide legitimately,
in the name of the parish priest and of the bishop, remote Christian
communities;
11)
To promote and sustain
the apostolic activities of laymen.
All these functions must be carried out in
perfect communion with the bishop and with his presbytery, that is to say,
under the authority of the bishop and of the priest who are in charge of the
care of souls in that place.” (21)
Next week, we will examine the present
status of training and ministry of the deacon in our country and local Church.
Pray for all our brother deacons and those in formation.
Jesus
vivat,
Fr. Brian