FOURTEENTH SUNDAY in ORDINARY TIME

JULY 8, 2007

(M - Memorial, A - Anniversary)

 

MONDAY, JULY 9

                    6:45         ROBERT J. KREBBS—M

                                       req. by the Clergy & the People of Sts. John & Paul Parish

                   9:00          DOTTIE SMITH--M

                                    req. by Nancy Hardart

 

TUESDAY, JULY 10

                  6:45         CARL A. LAMBIASI--M

                                     req. by Mr. & Mrs. Kevin Garvey

                  9:00         DOTTY SMITH--M

                                     req. by Audrey McAuliffe

                        

WEDNESDAY, JULY 11

BENEDICT, abbot

                  6:45         AGNES DORAN--M

                  9:00         GRACE M. FEENEY--M

                                     reg. by Matthew Feeney

 

THURSDAY, JULY 12

                  6:45         THE FONTANA FAMILY

                  9:00         NICOLA GIGANTE--M

                                     req. by the Carola Schonanda Family

 

FRIDAY, JULY 13

HENRY

                       6:45        MICHAEL FRANCELLA--M

                                     req. by the Clergy & the People of Sts. John & Paul Parish

                    9:00       FRANK M. ABBATE--M

                                     req. by Fr. Joseph Nahas

                                 

SATURDAY, JULY 14

BL. KATERI TEKAKWITHA, virgin

             9:00         VERA and PETER KREBBS--M

                                 req. by Mary Jane & Paul Krebbs

             5:30         SUSAN SWEENEY--M

                                 req. by Lucille Novotny

 

SUNDAY, JULY 15

                  7:30         RONALD DOHERTY--M

                                     req. by Muriel & Allen Flood

                  9:00         WILLIAM J. NEALON--M

                                     req. by Bea & Frank Dinger

                10:30         WINIFRED PIERCE--A

                                     req. by the Family

                12:00         FOR THE PEOPLE OF THE PARISH

                  5:00         REV. JOSEPH L. WATERS, SSJ--M

                                     req. by Mary K. Duffy & Family

                                

PRAYERFUL REMEMBRANCES

Your prayers are requested for the sick at home, and in the hospitals, especially: Rose Bialon, Richardson Carrett, Marina Christopher, Ashley M., Terry & Amy Tucker,  Grace Welch,  Florence Leight, Joseph Maiorama, Jessy Mackey, Charlotte Neuman, Daniel Patrick Duker, Joan Porrazzo, Lewis  B. Merrifield, III,  Kayla Estelle Kelsh,  Betty Berrigan, Skylar Bahrenburg,  F. Peter O’Hara, Taylor Shea, Ben Pariea,  James Curtin,  Patricia  Kuhr, Theresa Astorino, Joseph Mileti, Dotty Doherty,  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, JAMES CURRY and JOHN  J. GARDNER, , 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 (07—01—07)                $10,807

 

Maintenance:                                                 $ 2,867

 

Attendance:                                                      925

 

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.

 

 

 

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.

There will be a class on August 5th.

 

FOOD BANK NEEDS

Now that summer is here, please do not forget to bring a non-perisible food items when you come to Mass.

 

 

CALENDAR of EVENTS for the WEEK OFJULY 8th:

 

SUNDAY, JULY 8th:

7:00 AM: Breakfast Run

 

WEDNESDAY, JULY 11th:

10:30 AM SARAH NEUMAN: Mass

 

 

 

 

 

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION REGISTRTION

Classes are currently being formed for the 2007/08 school year. Please register NOW to ensure prompt placement.

 

 

 

WELCOME, FR. DARIUS

Fr. Darius has arrived and will be part of our parish for the month of July and the beginning of August. It is so wonderful to have him back.

 

 

A LETTER from the CARDINAL

Dear Father McWeeney,

Permit me to extend my warmest congratulations to you and the Church of Sts. John and Paul for exceeding your goal for the 2007 Cardinal’s Annual appeal. Please know how sincerely grateful I am for your efforts, and allow me to reiterate how significant you work has been for the Church in New York.

The funds contributed by your parish are crucial to the success of the 2007 Appeal. As a result of the generosity shown by your parish family, the Archdiocese has the ability to continue and strengthen its charitable, educational, and spiritual undertakings.

Please convey my deepest appreciation to your parishioners, and be assured that you have a special place in my prayers.

With heartfelt gratitude and kindest regards, may I remain,

Very truly yours in Christ,

Edward Cardinal Egan

 

 

 

KNIGHTS of COLUMBUS

Reserve your foursome. Our Annual Golf outing will be held on Monday, September 24th, 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.

 

 

OUR LADY of Mount Carmel CHURCH

It will hold its annual “Festa italiana” on July 12th, 13th, 14th, and 15th, each evening from 6:00 pm to Midnight on the Church grounds at 92 South Lexington Avenue, White Plains.

The “Festa Italiana” features live Italian and American music and entertainment, an outdoor dance floor, children’s games and entertainment, great Italian foods and desserts, American fare, espresso bar, air conditioned casino, and much more. The admission and entertainment are free.

 

 

MARIA REGINA HIGH SCHOOL 50th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION!

Calling all Maria Regina High School alumnae! Please join us as we celebrate 50 golden years as the first archdiocesan Catholic high school for girls in Westchester County, New York. The event will be held on Friday, September 21, 2007, from 6:00 – 10:00 pm at the Westchester Marriott, 670 White Plains Road, Tarrytown, NY. Tickets are $110.00 per person. For further information, please contact Nicole Mitrione, Director of Development, at 761-3300, x-217 or nmitrione@mariaregina.org. Website: www.mariaregina.org.

 

 

RETROUVAILLE

Ratrouvaille is a weekend and post-weekend program for couples with serious marital difficulties. Thousands of couples headed for divorce have saved their marriage by participating in the program. For more information (and a schedule of upcoming weekends), please contact Fr. Claude Lenehan, OFM at Holy Cross Friary, Bronx, at 718-378-1170. For more information, go to: www.retrouvaille.org.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE PASTOR’S COLUMN

   We continue this week our analysis of the curial statement on “the pastoral care of the road.” Cardinal Martino’s work can be seen in the following paragraph as a paradigm for all human life and interactions: “Co-existence is a fundamental aspect of human beings and roads should therefore be more human. Motorists are never alone when they are driving, even when they are driving, even when no one is sitting beside them. Driving a vehicle is basically a way of relating with and getting closer to other people, and of integrating within a community of people. This capacity for co-existence, of entering into relationships with others, presupposes certain specific qualities in a driver: namely self-mastery, prudence, and courtesy, a spirit of service and knowledge of the Highway Code. Selfless assistance should also be provided to those who need it, by giving an example of charity and hospitality.” (30) When we travel from place to place with our family, we are presented with a mixed blessing. We are grateful for the presence of our loving spouse. How great it is to share the beauty of nature and the wonder of man’s accomplishments. But why must he or she always “know a better way” or point out the fact that the proper exit has been passed? It is truly pleasurable to witness the awe of our children as they see new places. But why must they ask: “Are we there yet?” over and over again and why can’t they just leave their siblings alone? It would be wise to consider that the driver next to us or ahead of us is having similar feelings of elation and frustration. In international relations, we recognize the destructiveness of gamesmanship. Miscalculations cause wars to break out and innocents to lose their lives. Can we not see that the same is true in relationships of a personal nature. We seek advantage over another party so that we can be in control and thereby feel better about ourselves. So many times in the end our efforts are for naught and we find ourselves alone due to our foolishness. Behind the wheel, the results could be even more devastating causing injuries or fatalities because we wanted to “show them”. I would hope that as we walk into a building we would not slam a door in another’s face. It should be just as much unthinkable not to be kind enough to allow another into our lane because of their need or the presence of some road obstruction. If we desire to be “better than another”, then let us outshine them in good judgment and charity.

   Later on this writing connects our behavior behind the wheel with the believers’ obligation to observe the Mosaic Code: “The moral responsibility of road users, both drivers and pedestrians, derives from the obligation to respect the Fifth and Seventh Commandments: ‘Thou shalt not to kill’ and ‘Thou shalt not steal’. The gravest sins against human life, deriving from the Fifth Commandment, are suicide and murder, but this commandment also requires respect for one’s own and other people’s physical and mental well being. Careless absent –mindedness and negligence are acts that go against such commandments, and their degree of moral seriousness is measured in terms of how foreseeable, or to some extent intentional, they are. This means that, beyond the prohibition of direct killing, wounding or maiming, the Lord’s commandment forbids any act that might bring about such harm indirectly. The same goes for any damage caused to one’s neighbor’s goods.” (47) Sanity demands that none of us waves a gun around. It might go off injuring or killing us or another person. We must realize as well that misusing an automobile is tantamount to firing a gun indiscriminately. We must respect the power of both inanimate objects and the care which must be taken with both. We might say, at this point, that accidents do happen. Because of an unfortunate set of circumstances, we might find ourselves in an accident. This is upsetting. It is inexcusable if we ignore the civil law, divine command, and personal conscience and drive while we are impaired by alcohol consumption and/or drug use. That is a fully voluntary act. We must also observe any medical limitations our age and health might impose. Last year when I was sick, it was a real burden to depend on others for a ride. I resented the loss of my independence. But to drive when I lacked the ability to respond correctly to the challenges of safe driving would have not only been inane but also immoral. It should also be noted that very often we don’t fully own our vehicles. Not only are they leased but also when bought they are subject of a bank loan. Using it irresponsibly is taking what belongs to another and possibly making it unusable by any other party. This is very clear in the case of our younger parishioners. Though they have probably used some of their savings to buy their first car, their relatives have helped them to make their dream, a reality. All of us, additionally, are aware of the effect of accidents on insurance rates as individuals and part of an experience group.

   We know that in driving as in all experiences we need and seek heavenly intervention. The document takes up this subject: “Whilst God is the rock of Christian hope, Catholic devotion has found many intercessors before Him, His and our true friends, the Angels and Saints of God, to whom we entrust, ourselves to surpass the dangers of the journey by divine grace. We recall Saint Christopher (Christ’s Bearer), the presence of the Guardian Angel, and the Archangel Raphael who accompanied Tobias…, whom the Church regards as protector of travelers. Also significant are the titles given to the Blessed Virgin Mary in relation to traveling. Indeed, we invoke her as the Madonna of the Way, the Pilgrim Virgin, icon of the migrant woman…Resorting to our Heavenly Intercessors should not make us forget the importance of the sign of the cross, to be made before setting out on a journey. With this sign, we put ourselves directly under the protector of the Holy Trinity. Indeed, this directs us above all to the Father, as origin and destination. In this regard, we recall the words of the psalm: “For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.” (58 – 59)

   Later in the summer, we will return to this document for its other salient points on the overall migration of peoples, especially society’s most vulnerable.

   Have a most restful week.

     Jesus Vivat,

Fr. Brian