FIFTH SUNDAY of EASTER
MAY 14, 2006
(M - Memorial, A - Anniversary)
6:45 MOTHER’S DAY NOVENA
9:00 JEAN O’BRIEN--M
req. by Alice Mulderrig
TUESDAY,
MAY 16
6:45 MOTHER’S DAY NOVENA
9:00 BERTHE and LOUIS BREUIL--M
req. by the Shields Family
6:45 MOTHER’S
DAY NOVENA
9:00 MAY and JOSEPH MC PEAK--M
reg. by the McPeak Family
THURSDAY,
MAY 18
JOHN I, pope, martyr
6:45 MOTHER’S DAY NOVENA
9:00 NORMAN WALBRIDGE--A
req. by Claire Pushkal
6:45 MOTHER’S DAY NOVENA
9:00 MRS. PEGGY MONTE-SANO--M
req. by the Becker & McKnight
Families
9:00 MOTHER’S
DAY NOVENA
5:30 JOHN J. MC NEIL--A
req. by the Family
7:30 MARCEL LOUBEAU--M
req.
by Roberta Ronan
9:00 MOTHER’S DAY NOVENA
10:30 FOR THE PEOPLE OF THE PARISH
12:00 HENRY LESLIE--M
req. by the Zink Family
5:00 BERNARD
BROOKS--M
req. by the Family
PRAYERFUL REMEMBRANCES
Your prayers are requested for the sick at home,
and in the hospitals, especially: Francis “Charlie” Abrahamsen, Dorothy Blaney,
Jimmy Bairaktaris, Lisa Scholl, Frank Diaz-Balart, Alice Nasta, Mildred Traub,
Catherine Ann Brennan, Mary & Tony Fraioli, Hank Lawlor, William Matthews,
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 for the faithful departed, DEACON RAFAEL MARTINEZ, JOSEPH FENTY and
ELENA PACIA, 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 (05 -- 07 -- 06): $12,248
Maintenance: $ 3,188
Attendance: 925
The parish of Sts. 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.
FIFTH
SUNDAY of EASTER
MAY
14, 2006
Our second Scripture reading reminds us that we are to love, not in word and speech only but in truth and action. If you think God is calling you to be a priest or religious, please call Fr. Charles Szivos at 9688-1340 (priesthood), Sr. Deanna Sabetta at 1-212-371-1000 Ext. 2803 (Religious) and Deacon Anthony Cassaneto at 968-6200 Ext. 8269 (Diaconate).
BANNS
of MARRIAGE
I – Anthony Fiore – Nicole Mattina
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 2006. The dates for the class are as follows: June 3rd, July 1st, Aug. 5th, Sept. 2nd, Oct 7th, Nov. 4th and Dec. 2nd.
10:30 AM MASS MUSIC NOTES
As we celebrate Mother’s Day today and honor Mary, our Holy Mother’s during May, the selected Anthem is “Ave Maria” by Jacques Arcadelt.
SAVE THE DATE
The Annual CYO Sports Awards Dinner will be held in the gym on Tuesday, May 30th, at 7:00 pm. Highlights of the evening will include: CYO Cheerleading Squad performance, honoring of the 8th grade basketball teams, and the unveiling of many championship banners.
CALENDAR of EVENTS for the WEEK of MAY 14th:
SUNDAY, MAY 14th:
10:10 AM SCH: Religious Ed. Classes
MONDAY, MAY 15th:
3:00 PM GYM & AUD: PSPA
TUESDAY, MAY 16th:
3:00 PM GYM & AUD: PSPA
7:30 PM RMR: Fr. Brian’s class
8:00 PM GYM: Basketball
WEDNESDAY, MAY 17th:
11:00 AM SARAH NEUMANN:
Mass
12 Noon Rectory: Liturgy
Committee
12:45 PM RMR: 5th
grade Girl Scouts
12:45 PM GYM & AUD:
PSPA
2:50 PM SCH: Religious Ed.
Classes
7:30 PM SCH: Religious Ed.
Classess
EARLY
BIRD CAR RAFFLE SPECIAL
Raffle tickets are going on pre-sale Monday, May 1st, for the ticket holder’s choice of a Brand New 2007 automobile or $30,000 CA$H that will be won at this year’s Halloweekend Family Festival. Do you have a favorite number or numbers that you like? How about your birthday, your anniversary, or the month and day your child was born? If so, send a $100.00 check made out to Sts. John & Paul, with your lucky numbers that you want on your raffle ticket(s) on the memo line of your check and return it to the rectory. Don’t wait too long or your numbers may be gone. Number requests will not be honored after June 23, 2006. Only numbers from 0001-1000 please.
Please send these requests to Fr. Pomposello’s attention. Thank you.
PANCAKE
BREAKFAST
The Youth Group of our parish will hold a Pancake Breakfast on Sunday, May 21st, beginning after the 9:00 AM Mass. The cost is $5.00 for adults and children under 12 are $3.00. The cost for a family is $15.00. Why not stop by for delicious pancakes, juice and coffee.
PASTOR’S
DINNER
The invitation to the Pastor’s Dinner was sent out last week to the men of the parish. If you did not receive one, please call the rectory (834-5458). As usual, the dinner will be held at the Larchmont Shore Club. The date is Thursday, June 1st, at 7:00 PM.
Fathers: Why not consider inviting your young adult sons to this very special evening and begin a wonderful tradition of introducing them to the men of our parish in a setting of great food, special entertainment and comradery
25th
and 50th WEDDING ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
On Sunday, June 4th at the 10:30 AM Mass, the parish will honor all those couples celebrating their 25th or 50th wedding anniversaries. A reception will follow in the rectory meeting room. Please contract Charlotte King at 834-5458 by Tuesday, May 30th, and let her know if you would like to attend.
CONFIRMATION
Eighty five young Catholics from our parish will receive the Sacrament of confirmation on Saturday, June 10th, at 11am (Wednesday Religious Ed. Classes) and at 2:00pm (both Sunday Religious Ed. Classes, parish school, and private school students).
- The rehearsal for the 11:00am ceremony will be on THURSDAY, JUNE 8th, from 7:30 – 8:45pm
- The 2:00pm ceremony will rehearse on MONDAY, JUNE 5th, at the same time.
Please meet in the gym with your sponsor. (If your sponsor cannot attend, a parent should come to the rehearsal.)
RELIGIOUS
EDUCATION NEWS…
Our last Religious Education classes will be:
Wednesday, May 17th
Sunday, May 21st
We wish your family a summer blessed with god’s abundance. Be sure and pray always! We’ll see each other on those summer Sundays giving thanks together at the Eucharist.
CALLING
ALL JUNIOR HIGH STUDENTS….
On Friday evening, June 2nd, there is going to be a dance featuring the Big Wave Dance Club – all your favorite recording artists, music videos on multiple screens, and an awesome light show with fog. Admission includes: pizza, soda and snacks. Each student must have a signed permission slip to purchase tickets. Advanced ticket sale $15.00 per student at the rectory; $20.00 at the door. Checks should be made payable to Sts. John and Paul.
VOLUNTEERS
NEEDED…
Beginning in May, the priests of our parish will say Mass each week at Sarah Neumann. We have a dedicated group of volunteers that help each Wednesday. Now that an additional Wednesday has been added, we are in need of more volunteers to help bring the patients to the Mass. If you are interested in helping, please contact Amy Lionheart, Coordinator of Volunteers, at 777-6140. If you would like more information about this very important ministry, please speak to one of our priest. Thank you.
SAVE
THE DATE
On Saturday, June 24th, our parish will celebrate the patronal feast of Saints John and Paul. We’ll have a picnic, a Mass of Thanksgiving at 5:30 PM, and an out door movie. So mark your calendar and plan on participating in all the events.
ADOPTION
Baby girls in China need homes. Infant and toddlers. Older parents and singles welcome.
For more information, please call Barbara Salvesen (an adoptive parent) at 845-623-5277.
KNIGHTS of
COLUMBUS NEWS…
Our annual Golf outing will be held on Monday, September 25th, at the Pelham Split Rock Club, shot gun starts at 12:30 pm, dinner at the Davenport, 7:00 pm. Golf cart, lunch beverages, prizes, cocktail hour, buffet dinner with open bar, all for only $150.00. Bring a foursome if you can or come alone or with a friend and we will make a foursome. Call Craig Skolnick to reserve your spot: 212-319-0871 or 914-235-2264
We need your support so we can continue the good work of our Council; sponsor a golf hole at our golf outing for only $125.00. You can also show your support by sponsoring the golf carts, cocktail hour or golf prize. This is a great way to give to our council or to advertise your business; contact Craig Skolnick to reserve you hole sponsorship or for more information.
PASTOR’S
COLUMN
This weekend we express our thanks to the women who gave us birth, nurtured us, and always can be depended on when we face difficult moments. Some of us will be able to fete her at dinner while others will spend some time thanking god for her existence and influence in our lives and recalling stories of love and compassion. Your pastor will share two lest he become overly personal. Every summer, our parents rented a bungalow for us in Rockaway. (Dad’s Christmas vacation from Bond Bread would be spent as an employee of the United States Postal Server to cover the cost.) Our days were filled with hours on the beach and in the ocean, walking on the boardwalk, and selling lemonade out front. We made many trips to the Queens Public Library. Even then my sisters and I loved to spend time reading. But despite these diverse activities, the rain and /or high temperatures might cause those dreaded words that every parent detests be spoken: “We’re bored.” Mom’s response was very clever. She would go to a closet and bring out some great toys for each of us. Where did they come from? They were among our Christmas presents. We always received so much from Santa Claus, our family, and friends that we failed to realize Mom would put away some of the gifts which we had played with for a time. We never missed them but when they reappeared months later they were treasured.
My mother was a deeply religious woman. She frequently attended daily Mass. And never missed a novena or parish mission. She was a model of Christian service assisting anyone. Her affection for the Blessed Virgin Mary led her to encourage us to recite the rosary as a family. From my earliest days in grammar school, she would take me to the perpetual novena of the Miraculous Medal. Every Monday evening, we would walk to Our Lady Queen of Martyrs and sing Mary’s praises and participate in Benediction. Then we would proceed to the ice cream parlor on Dykman Street. Sit in a booth, consume the best egg cream ever, and listen to the music from the jukebox as we talked with a bit more spirituality, it was a mirror image of my Saturday nights with my father. My mother always desired that her children remain close to God and the Church.
In so many ways, my mother influenced my life, its path, and ultimate destiny. Possessing a beautiful voice, she taught us a love for music. She encouraged us in learning an instrument. My sister, Brenda, plays the guitar and organ. I play the radio. All three of us attended Irish figure dancing classes in a storefront on Broadway taught by a Peggy Henry. We would practice by ourselves in Fort Tryon Park. Mrs. McWeeney always seemed to have time for others and never said “no” to any request. That generosity of spirit, we have tried to imitate. As I have written before, holiday dinners were often more interesting because we never knew who would be at our table. Everyone would be welcome: the parish organist who had no family, the woman she met in the Grand Union, and of course, the local parish priest who was on duty and needed a meal.
Each reader, I am sure, can recall the sacrificial nature of his or her mother’s life. Stories are often told of those who put on hold their personal dreams and ambitions for the sake of their children. Others can recall how as a single parent, their mothers fulfilled to their best ability the divers roles required to care for a child spiritually, emotionally, socially, physically, and financially. As a pastor, I can attest to the dedication of mothers who have spent hours in volunteer service as troop leaders in the boy and girl scouts programs, served as supports in classroom activities, and participated in organizations raising funds for school and educational programs. To be a mom is a great responsibility, which is recognized by most who have received that calling from God. Cooperating with Divine grace, our moms are heroic.
It would be a mistake, however, to limit our consideration this weekend to those who are easily recognized as natural, adapting, or foster mothers. We must laud, as well, those women who have nurtured us, provided us with prudential guidance, and stood by us in challenging times. I think, in this regard, of the teachers, both religious and lay, who instructed us and many times, went beyond the call of duty. Ms. Curran inspired my love for history and politics by presenting me with the New York Red Book, an official register of state government. She would aid my efforts in writing to governmental officials seeking their positions on pending legislation. Sr. Catherine and Sr. Regina informed my priesthood with their courageous witness to life as they approached their deaths through the suffering of terminal illness. These dedicated daughters of Elizabeth Ann Seton not only spent decades in the classrooms of the archdiocese but also taught all they encountered that eternal life is a reality to which our journey is directed. Throughout my priestly ministry, I have had the pleasure of working with very talented women who have enhanced the lives of the parishes and the archdiocese for whom they have worked and the staffs with which they have worked. One administrative assistant equipped not only with great office skills but with more than a smattering of canon law greeted a parishioner one day who seemed very disturbed. She was coming to purchase a grave for her recently deceased husband. When asked where the Mass would be, the woman stated that there would not be one because her spouse had not been “a good Catholic”. Compassionately, she was told that such a circumstance was not a disqualifier. She wept for joy with such consoling news. To ensure the effective performance of the work and mission of the church these women, including my dedicated colleagues here at Saints John and Paul, frequently work without considering the time to be expended. Their wisdom and practical knowledge combined with imagination and sensitivity that have benefited the People of God to a tremendous degree.
To all our mothers and special nurtures, we wish all of God’s blessings and promise both our prayers as well as efforts to be worthy of their sacrifices.
Jesus vivat
Fr. Brian