ELEVENTH SUNDAY in ORDINARY TIME

JUNE 17, 2007

(M - Memorial, A - Anniversary)

 

MONDAY, JUNE 18

                   6:45         AGNES DORAN--M

                   9:00         ANGELO PIVA--M

                                    req. by the Family

 

TUESDAY, JUNE 19

ROMUALD, abbot

                 6:45 MICHAEL JOYCE--M

                        req. by Albert & Kathleen Wassell

                 9:00 HELEN MARA NUGENT and JOSEPH  NUGENT--M

                        req. by Maura & Richard Concannon

                     

   WEDNESDAY, JUNE 20

                 6:45 MICHAEL HARRINGTON--M

                        req. by the Harrington Family

                 9:00 JOSEPHINE and CORNELIUS SHIELDS, PAUL V. SHIELDS, and AILEEN SHIELDS BRYAN--M

                        reg. by the Shields Family

 

      THURSDAY, JUNE 21

ALOYSIUS GONZAGA, religious

                 6:45   THE FONTANA FAMILY

                 9:00   BEATRICE and EDWARD FARNAN--M

                           req. by the Malgrande Family

 

FRIDAY, JUNE 22

PAULINUS, bishop

JOHN FISHER and THOMAS MORE, martyrs

                     6:45  SHEILA MORRIS--M

                               req. by Ann Benford

                    9:00  ARTHUR and LOUISE QUINN--M

                                req. by Virginia L. Quinn

                                             

SATURDAY, JUNE 23

             9:00 THE J. WOODS SWEENEY FAMILY

                        req. by Robert & Margaret Sweeney

             5:30 BEATRICE and EDWARD FARNAN—M

                        req. by the Malgrande Family

 

SUNDAY, JUNE 24

                7:30   FOR THE PEOPLE OF THE PARISH

                9:00   CHARLOTTE and MALACHY CONCANNON--M

                            req. by Maura & Richard Concannon

              10:30   PEGGY DYER--M

                            req. by Ennis J. Aigeltinger

              12:00   DAVID and MARGARET STEWART--M

                            req. by Steward & Lawless Families

                5:00   STEWART THORNE--M

                            req. by Martha Hall

                                             

PRAYERFUL REMEMBRANCES

Your prayers are requested for the sick at home, and in the hospitals, especially: Anthony Apostolides, Brenda McWeeney, Grace Welch, Florence Leight, Joseph Maiorama, Jessy Mackey, Charlotte Neuman, Daniel Patrick Duker, Joan Porrazzo, Lewis B. Merrifield, III,  Kayla Estelle Kelsh, John Bave,  Betty Berrigan, Skylar Bahrenburg,  F. Peter O’Hara, Taylor Shea, Ben Pariea,  James Curtin,  Carmella Musumeci, Msgr. Joseph J. Boyd, Ramona Murill, Patricia  Kuhr, Theresa Astorino, Joseph Mileti, Dotty Doherty, Caroline Weldon, Lenny Cavalieri, Jenna Mussolini, Teresa Civetta, Frank Maiola, Aileen O’Brien,  Ed Lenard, Pam Hissey,  Alice Nasta, Mildred Traub, Catherine Ann Brennan, Sarah Butler, Mimi Cosgrove, Kristen Long, Patrick Lamont, Elizabeth Kim,  for our service men and women at home and abroad; for the faithful departed, DOROTHY GAY JUERGENS and LAURA KERZIC, , and those who have no one to pray for them; and for the honored dead of the Armed Services.

 

 

 

 

10:30 AM MASS MUSIC NOTES

As the readings tell us, God forgives our sins and is never far from us. Since today is the last Sunday for the Choir until September, we have selected the Anthem “Go Not Far From Me” by Nicola Zingarelli.

 

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.

Classes during the summer will be on July 7^th and August 5^th.

 

FOOD BANK NEEDS

Please remember to bring a non-perishable food item with you when you come to Mass. Cereal, coffee, tea, canned vegetable and fruits are just some of the foods that are always a good choice to donate.

 

 

PASTOR’S DINNER

The evening of the Pastor’s Dinner was one of those perfect nights for wining and dining on Long Island Sound and a gathering of men and clergymen, past and present from the parish took advantage of it. They were entertained by Father Pomposello’s rendering of “Pennies from Heaven” and regaled with Fr. Brian’s jokes that he picked up on his recent trip to Ireland. Then, when Fr. Brian discovered that Bishop Sullivan could not make the dinner because of a Confirmation, he stepped up and sang back up for five fair colleens from Co. Galway, who are working as summer waitresses at the Shore Club, in their poignant rendition of “The Fields of Athenry”. A special thanks to Msgr. Bardes, Msgr. Boyd and Fr. Tubridy for staying up so late and to Msgr. Byrne and Dr. Jim Doyle for being their chauffeurs. As for our irrepressible emcee, Vinnie Graziano, what can one say…

 

END of the YEARR YOUTH GROUP BAR-BE-QUE

Next Sunday, June 24^th, the Youth Group will hold its annual end of the year Bar-Be-Que after the 5:00 PM Mass. As usual the event will take place in the rear of the rectory. All eighth grades are most cordially welcomed to attend and learn about this exciting group. There will be plenty of refreshments.

 

 

CAN YOU HELP?

On Monday, June 25^th, Fr. Benedict Groeschel, CFR, is very much in need of volunteers to help send out the Friars semi-annual appeal and newsletter. The work will be done at Trinity Retreat House in Larchmont. The work will begin at 9:30 am and hopeful finish by noon. If you are able to come on that day, please call Cathy Hickey, 834-6907, and leave word her answering machine. Thanks and prayers from Fr. Benedict.

 

 

THE CATHOLIC WIDOWS and WIDOWERS

The group invites all widows and widowers to attend the monthly Mass at 7 PM for deceased spouses followed by the monthly meeting on Monday, June 25^th, at St. Pius Parish Hall in Scarsdale. For more information, please call 948-4682.

 

 

 

KNIGHTS of COLUMBUS

Reserve your foursome. Our Annual Golf outing will be held on Monday, September 24^th, at the Pelham Bay Golf Club, check-in & lunch 11:00 – 12:00, shot gun start 12:30pm, dinner at the davenport, 6:30pm. Golf, cart, lunch, beverages, prizes, cocktail hour, buffet dinner w/open bar, all for only $175. Bring a foursome if you can or come alone or with a friend and we will make the 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 your hole sponsorship or for more information; 212-319-0871 or 914-235-2264.

 

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!!!

Volunteers representing St. Vincent’s Hospital Westchester are needed for a variety of assignments during the PGA Tour’s Barclays Classic, August 20 – 26, 2007. Volunteers will receive weeklong access to THE BARCLAY, a hat, a shirt, lunch during your assignment, and a volunteer party. Volunteers will receive training and must be over 14 years of age, with a general knowledge of golf protocol. This is a rare opportunity to be “inside the ropes” with the best golfers in the world!

Volunteer package cost ($50) will be reimbursed by St. Vincent’s Hospital Westchester. Volunteers must register through St. Vincent’s and complete their training and service commitment for reimbursement.

A $35 daily general admission and all other tickets are also available through St. Vincent Hospital Westchester.

Please call Fran Davies or Susan Matulich, at 925-5400, with any questions or for sign up packages. Thank you!

 

 

 

THE PASTOR’S COLUMN

   Because I did not have the opportunity to laud our mothers in May, I would want to reflect on this Father’s Day upon the role of parents and those who assume their responsibilities in diverse circumstances. We know the family as the basic cell of the societal body. We know as well that the family is the “first church” to which an individual belongs. Therefore, it goes with out saying that the persons who are entrusted with its leadership play a unique role.

   Pope John Paul II published his Apostolic Exhortation: Familiaris Consortio in 1981 which focused on the manner in which all should reverence marriage and family life. “In its most profound reality, love is essentially a gift; and conjugal love, while leading the spouses to the reciprocal ‘knowledge’ which makes them ‘one flesh’ does not end with the couple, because it makes them capable of the greatest possible gift, the gift by which they become cooperators with God for giving life to a new human person. Thus the couple, while giving themselves to one another, give not just themselves but also the reality of children, who are a living reflection of their love, a permanent sign of conjugal unity and a living and inseparable synthesis of their being a father and mother. When they become parents, spouses receive from God the gift of a new responsibility. Their parental love is called to become for the children the visible sign of the very love of God, ‘from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named.” (14) What a privilege! The nature of the Divine is perceived through the words and actions of parental figures. Just for fun, let us switch roles. Suppose for a moment God takes on some of our parental foibles. Can you imagine the Deity saying to us: “Look, I’m too tired to listen.” or “Here’s twenty bucks, go to the mall and leave me alone.” or “Go ask your mother.” or “Why can’t you do as well as our neighbor in school?” Ridiculous, no? But the Holy Father challenges us to realize in our interactions with the children that we must be instruments of grace. Too many young people feel abandoned today. The family is a unit where people dwell in the same home but pass each other as ships in the night. There is no doubt that modern stresses have forced people to work longer hours and have increased involvements. Our boys and girls, however, must not be lost in the shuffle.

   While the Pope writes briefly about the men and women and their respective roles in child rearing, he emphasizes the fact that both have equal burdens in this regard. “In that it is, and ought always to become a communion and community of persons, the family finds in love the source and the constant impetus for welcoming, respecting and promoting each one of its members in his or her lofty dignity as a person, that is, as a living image…(I)t is important to underline the equal dignity and responsibility of women with men. This equality is realized in a unique manner in that reciprocal self-giving by each one to the other and by both to the children which is proper to marriage and the family.” (22) He adds a practical admonition: (W)here social and cultural conditions so easily encourage a father to be less concerned with his family or at any rate, less involved in the work of education, efforts must be made to restore socially the conviction that the place and task of the father in and for the family is of unique and irreplaceable importance.” (25) He concludes these thoughts in this regard: “Acceptance, love, esteem, many-sided and united material, emotional, educational and spiritual concern for every child that comes into this world should always constitute a distinctive, essential characteristic of all Christians, in particular of the Christian family…(26)

   How many times we are stunned by the dysfunctional actions of an individual which cause heartbreaks because of their violent character. While there is no doubt that some might be unforeseen or otherwise unexplainable, there are others which could have been thwarted by parental observation and intervention. But it is not just to avoid such a negative happenstance that the call for moms and dads to nourish their offspring with a knowledge of God’s love and the beauty of His creation and their stewardship. Perhaps, you might see in these paragraphs just the rambling thoughts of a celebrate who has no children. But you would be wrong on two counts. First, Like all of us, I did not grow up in a vacuum and can say that I am the product of the efforts of John and Anne Marie. But equally important, I am presently the father of at least eight hundred children who are the joy of my life. When I look back on my experiences as a young person, I treasure memories of being taken by my father to meet his friends. These “old” guys (who were probably in their 40’s or 50’s) would swap stories more fascinating than any TV a show. They were veterans of World War II and had experienced the effects of the Great Depression. Together with my father’s story of his migration to the United States,  they made history come alive and gave me a unique appreciation of the human struggle. Abstract principles studied in school received flesh and blood. Another lesson that I will always value concerned money: how it is earned and how it is spent. When I started working: a modest part-time office job, I was asked to hand over what I had received. I was given back twenty dollars. For me that was a hugh amount but I had to watch my expenses. My next job, running the elevators of a luxury apartment house, I received a 50/50 split with which I paid my tuition. The following year it was the same except I kept all overtime. This taught me that I had responsibilities for the welfare of my family and as mom would say “Money doesn’t grow on trees.”

   Of course, the most important part of a relationship is communication. We know it must be true and complete not only between family members but between them and God. John Paul II sums up this aspect of life with deeply felt sentiments:

   “Family prayer has for its very own object family life itself, which in all its varying circumstances is seen as a call from God and lived as a filial response to his call. Joys and sorrows, hopes and disappointments, births and birthday celebrations, wedding anniversaries of the parents. Departures, separations and homecoming, important and far-reaching decisions, the death of those who are dear, etc. – all of these mark God’s loving intervention in the family’s history. They should be seen as suitable moments for thanksgiving, for petitions, for trusting abandonment of the family into the hands of their common Father in heaven. The dignity and responsibility of the Christian family as the domestic church can be reached only with God’s unceasing aid, which will surely be granted if it is humbly and trusting petitioned in prayer.” (59)

   May all of your experience on this day and every day of your life and give you unity and place of being part of God’s family

     Jesus Vivat,

Fr. Brian