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Baptism of the Lord

Jan. 10, 2021

JUST A WORD From our Pastor (Page 9)

PARISH LIFE (Page 5)

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FIVE MINUTE JESUS (Page 8)

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Mission Statement

Mass Schedule

The Roman Catholic Parish of St. Monica-St. Elizabeth of Hungary-St. Stephen of Hungary opens its doors to welcome and embrace all in our community. We strive through worship, hospitality and service to receive those seeking a spiritual home. In the midst of diversity of thought, life style, nationality, economic status & age, we endeavor to live as a community of faith and invite you to join our family - a family seeking to know and love Jesus Christ.

Parish Staff Pastor: Rev. Donald C. Baker .......................... frdcab@stelmo79.org Rev. Msgr. Leslie J. Ivers ........................... msgrlivers@stelmo79.org Weekend Associates: ...............................................Rev. Tony Ciorra Pastoral Associate: Ms. Maryann Tyrer ........ mtyrer@stelmo79.org Pastoral Associate: Ms. Jasmine Gomez ..... jgomez@stelmo79.org Parish Manager: Mr. Michael Ward ............. mward@stelmo79.org Music Director: Mr. John Zupan .................... jzupan@stelmo79.org Wedding Coordinator: Ms. Debbi Burdett . dbweddingsnyc@gmail.com Plant Manager: Guillermo Vanegas ......... gvanegas@stelmo79.org Sacristan: Pedro Pizarro ................................ ppizarro@stelmo79.org Administrative Assistant: Gladys Tejada ..... gtejada@stelmo79.org Church Address: 413 East 79th Street, NY, NY 10075 Parish Center Address: 406 East 80th Street, NY, NY 10075 Tel: 212-288-6250 Fax: 212- 570-1562 Email: info@stelmo79.org Our Offices are open: Monday ............................................................. 9:00 am - 5:00 pm

Daily Mass: Mon-Sat, 12 noon Saturday Vigil: 5:30pm Sunday: 8am, 10am, 12pm & 5pm Confessions: Saturdays at 5pm or by appointment

Mass Intentions

Saturday, January 9th Vigil

5:30 pm

Saturday ................................................. 10:00 am - 2:00 pm

Baptism of the Lord

8:00 am

Jordan Miller (Living)

10:00 am

Joseph B. William

12:00 pm

All Parishioners

5:00 pm

Brian Thompson

Monday, January 11th Weekday 12:00 pm

Werner Hertzel

Tuesday, January 12th Weekday 12:00 pm Adam Armetta

Wednesday, January 13th Weekday 12 pm

Maria Encarnacion Litrenta

Thursday, January 14th Weekday

Sunday ..................................................... Closed Closed for Lunch Weekdays......................1:00 pm - 2:00 pm

Sunday, January 10th

Tuesday - Thursday ....................................... 9:00 am - 7:00 pm Friday ....................................................... Closed

Giselle PeĂąa

12:00 pm

Priests of St. Monicaâ€™s

Friday, January 15th Weekday Visit us at: www.stelmo79.org Follow us on social media by searching STELMO79

12:00 pm 12pm

Art Blenk

Saturday, January 16th Weekday Madeline & Peter D. Hogan, Sr.

For Mass Intentions, please visit the Parish Center.

Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament Every Friday after the Noon Mass to 3:00 pm.

Devotions Miraculous Medal on Mondays after each Mass

Divine Mercy The Divine Mercy Chaplet is Prayed each Friday Afternoon at 3:00 pm.

Sacrament of Reconciliation: Saturdays at 5pm or by appointment

Baptism Announcements Next Sunday, January 17th there will be a baptism service at 1:30PM At this service we will be baptizing: Nora Jane Shortell Please join us in congratulating: Timothy Shortell & Rachelle Borja on their child’s new life in Christ Baptism Services are open for members of the parish to join in the welcoming of our newest members

Baptisms & Marriages: Please call the rectory office for more information.

Communion for the Homebound: If you know of anyone who cannot attend church because of illness or age, and world like to have communion brought to them, please contact the Parish office, so that we can arrange for a Eucharistic Minister to bring communion to them. PRAYERS FOR THE SICK

For all who are sick, especially those sick with

Today’s Readings First Reading — Behold my servant with whom I am pleased; he shall bring forth justice to the nations (Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7) or Isaiah 55:1-11. Psalm — The Lord will bless his people with peace (Psalm 29) or Isaiah 12:2-6. Second Reading — God anointed him with the Holy Spirit (Acts 10:34-38) or 1 John 5:1-9. Gospel — You are my beloved Son, with you I am well pleased (Mark 1:7-11).

Lucille Claps & Joan McKeagney

All Victims of Military Activities

Readings for the Week

COVID-19 virus, Angelica Zarate,

PRAYERS FOR THE DECEASED George Parashaklis, Lynn Lemay, Albeiro Areiza Cano, Monsita Irrizarry, Vito Palumbo, John Lynch, Ama Bremont & Gloria M. Duffy

Monday: Heb 1:1-6; Ps 97:1, 2b, 6, 7c, 9; Mk 1:14-20 Tuesday: Heb 2:5-12; Ps 8:2ab, 5, 6-9; Mk 1:21-28 Wednesday: Heb 2:14-18; Ps 105:1-4, 6-9; Mk 1:29-39 Thursday: Heb 3:7-14; Ps 95:6-11; Mk 1:40-45 Friday: Heb 4:1-5, 11; Ps 78:3, 4bc, 6c-8; Mk 2:1-12 Saturday: Heb 4:12-16; Ps 19:8-10, 15; Mk 2:13-17 Sunday: 1 Sm 3:3b-10, 19; Ps 40:2, 4, 7-10; 1 Cor 6:13c-15a, 17-20; Jn 1:35-42

A note from our Director of Music: Our Organ – Part 2: Renovation Last month I gave a brief history of our church organ. In summary, the original organ was designed by Hilborne L. Roosevelt. It was a two-manual mechanical organ that dated back to 1883 when the Lower Church was first constructed. When the Upper Church was built, parts of the Roosevelt organ were incorporated into the new Hall Organ around 1931. This new organ expanded the original organ to 3-manuals with electropneumatic action. As some of our longtime parishioners remember, the church suffered a devasting fire that broke out in the attic above the organ on August 18, 1953. Although the church was repaired the organ unfortunately was not. There was not enough money to repair the extensive smoke and water damage created by the fire. So, the organ laid in a state of disrepair until the 1990s when Monsignor Modugno began the restoration. The organ restoration was a large and expensive project. Since funds were limited the repairs were made as monies became available. Mann & Trupiano of Brooklyn, began the reconstruction of the Hall organ. They provided new wind chests, some new pipework, and a new terraced drawknob console built by Harris Organs. After several starts and stops on the project, Timothy Fink took over and did as much work as was possible with the financial resources that were available. So where are we now? Well, the organ is working but it needs some major TLC. The renovations in the ‘90s got the organ up and running. But due to limited funds the organ has never been fully completed. A major issue from the start was the inadequate air supply. To keep expenses down, parts of the old organ were repurposed and retrofitted into the new organ. As this served as a short-term solution, we now face the long-term issue of resolving that inadequate air supply. Without a proper air supply the organ can never be fully played with all its glorious stops (sounds). If I tried to play the full organ now instead of glorious it would sound like a sad carnival. There are stops (sounds) on the organ that have never been heard due to the underwinding problem. In addition, when the church was repainted many of the Great pipes (open pipes) were unfortunately clogged with plaster dust and cannot speak (be played) at all. What needs to be done to the organ? The most glaring issue is the actual bones of the instrument. The wind system. This wind system provides air to the organ’s 2,989 pipes with the provision of 221 more. Our current wind system is simply undersized. So how do we address the issue? 1. We need to increase the size of the blowers – more horsepower. 2. The blowers provide air via the wind trunks which carries the air into reservoir tanks. These wooden wind trunks need to be bigger as well. 3. The reservoir tanks – which provide the air to the wind chests - need to be replaced. 4. The leather straps on the 7 reservoir tanks need to be releathered. 5. Cleaning and regulation of the middle pipes – the Great, Pedal-treble and Tuba pipes. We have a Tuba that no one has ever heard. So, for the next few months the organ will be out of service. The plan is to have part of it working by Easter Sunday and the full organ by summer. For now, we will use our beautiful piano for all our liturgies. We are blest to have that! Stay tuned for updates.

Parish Life Our Green Team had a fantastic meeting this past Thursday! There are many new and exciting initiatives on the horizon, all centered around caring for our common home- Earth! If you are interested in joining them for their February meeting, please email greenteam@stelmo79.org so that you may be sent the Zoom link. If you are interested in forming a social justice ministry team that will work to help our Parish live out Catholic Social Teaching in a deeper way, please email Pastoral Associate, Jasmine Gomez at jgomez@stelmo79.org

We are hosting a 2nd Sunday Social on Sunday, January 10th after the noon mass (approximately at 1:00 PM). This is an opportunity to learn more about our parish and hear about opportunities to get involved. If you are interested in attending, please visit STELMO79.org to register.

On Thursday, January 28th at 7pm, the Young Adult Ministry will be hosting a talk entitled, Grounding Myself in the Word of God: How Lectio Divina can help you live with more joy! Join us for this virtual conversation, led by Anna Wulfekuhle, as we explore how this ancient practice can help us connect more deeply with God and help us during these pandemic times. About the Speaker: Anna Wulfekuhle is a lover of the Divine Artist, actor, writer, and collaborator originally from the Pacific Northwest. Following several years as a barista/bartender/nanny/karaoke host/traveling tech contractor, she is delighted to put her gifts to use for God as the Office Administrator for the Archdiocese of New Yorkâ€™s Office of Young Adult Outreach. She continues to enjoy artistic collaboration and her current works-in-progress include an original movement and monologue piece on her best Saint friend, Joan of Arc. Register by visiting STELMO79.org

K-8 Parish Religious Education:

• We continue to meet online each Sunday morning – Sessions resume January 10, 2021 at 10:15am

Adult Faith Formation:

• Our Sunday morning Adult Faith Formation, an informal discussion of the Sunday Scriptures, led by a facilitator, is open to all. We meet on Sundays 10:15 to 11:30am, in the Parish Center. Social distancing and face masks are required. Please join us! We will resume on January 10. Learning more about your faith as an adult is an awesome New Year’s resolution!

Adult Sacraments of Initiation (RCIA):

If you have ever thought about becoming Catholic, or if you are a baptized Catholic who has not yet celebrated First Communion or Confirmation, please contact Maryann Tyrer at mtyrer@stelmo79.org to discuss our adult initiation process (commonly known as the RCIA). You can begin this process at any time throughout the year, and options are available for face-to-face or Zoom meetings.

Happy Baptism Day! Does this sound strange? We always wish people “Happy Birthday” on the anniversary of their birth, but “Happy Baptism Day” hasn’t quite caught on. And yet, the day of our baptism was a most significant day in our life! At our baptism, God the Father freed us from sin, gave us a new birth by water and the Holy Spirit, and welcomed us into God’s holy people. That is truly something to celebrate! Here are a few suggestions to recapture the importance of that day: • Mark the baptism days of your family members on your family calendars and celebrate them in some simple, but meaningful, way. • Light your baptismal candle on your baptism day (or any candle, if you don’t have your original one.) Pray that you may always walk as a child of the Light. • Talk to someone who was present at your own baptism, and ask them to tell you about that day. • Pull out the family albums (or cell phones) and show your kids the pictures from their baptism day. Tell them what that day was like, and what it meant to you.

FIVE MINUTE JESUS Using the Gospel for Prayer – The Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time JANUARY 17 It’s simple. 1. Read the Gospel for the following Sunday slowly, reflecting on the story it tells. 2. Reflect on the questions assigned for each day. 3. Make some resolution about how what you read can be lived that day. 4. Then thank God for speaking to you through this reflection. Gospel John 1:35-42 The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, "Look, here is the Lamb of God!" The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, "What are you looking for?" They said to him, "Rabbi" (which translated means Teacher), "where are you staying?" He said to them, "Come and see." They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o'clock in the afternoon. One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. He first found his brother Simon and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which is translated Anointed). He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, "You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas" (which is translated Peter). Sunday Was there something in this reading that spoke to me? Challenged me? What was it? Why did it have this effect on me? Monday Today’s reading gives a specific time when the two disciples encountered Jesus. It was a moment that changed their lives. Can I recall my first encounter with Jesus? When was that? What effect did it have on my life? Tuesday When Jesus turned around and saw the two disciples, he asked them an especially important question. “What are you looking for?” So many times, we pray and ask God what he wants of us, but here Jesus asks, “What are you looking for?” Today I reflect on what I am looking for in my life. What am I looking for from God? Wednesday To Jesus’ question, the disciples' response was “Where do you stay?” (meaning where can you be found?) Where can Jesus be found today? Where do I find him in my life? Thursday “Come and see.” Jesus’ response is a call to evangelization. Andrew reaches out to his brother Peter. Who could I reach out to today and bring them to Jesus? Friday How can I be more courageous and share my faith with others? Saturday How do I get others to become more involved so they can have their own encounter with Christ?

From the Pastor 01.10.2021 Christmas Thank-You’s Every year I am astonished at the generosity of parishioners at Christmas, both to me personally and to the parish. In this year of pandemic and politics, economic implosion and social explosion, so many of you remembered us, as we struggle to maneuver the transformed economic landscape of the parish. Thank you for your support in the Christmas Collection, in your weekly offerings and for your Christmas gifts to me ant Msgr. Ivers. Livestreaming is online Many of you commented over the Christmas Holiday how wonderful the church looked, the music sounded, the preaching was (!) – and yet some of you were not even here. YOU saw it online through our new Livestreaming service. That we intended to start livestreaming our masses of course is not news. I have been talking about it for months. Moreover, those of you who have known me longer known that it has been a dream of mine to create the “virtual parish”. Surrounding, accompanying and supporting the church alongside those who faithfully attend actual services, the virtual parish consists of those who due to age or illness or distance cannot attend our liturgies, yet still understand themselves to be part of our parish family. I have wanted since I was first a pastor to provide that opportunity to people who had to move away, to nevertheless remain connected to my parish. In December the livestreaming equipment was installed. Every scheduled liturgy is livestreamed, including daily masses. We hope to begin to offer the option of livestreaming funerals and wedding as well, so that family members who are unable to attend can be virtually present. The first real test of the equipment came over Christmas. Thank you to everyone who commented and made suggestions as to how it could be better. We look forward using this new technology to minister to you better. The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord There was a time when we said Christmas lasted 12 days, we meant it. From Christmas on the 25th through January 6th, the Feast of the Epiphany were the traditional 12 days of Christmas, like in the song. However, when the Church revised its calendar, especially now that Epiphany can fall on the Sunday nearest the 6th, there needed to be some way to officially delineate the end of the Christmas Season. That day is today. On this day we remember Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan and the start of his public ministry. We are now back to hearing about the adult Jesus, during the Sundays of Ordinary Time. However, it is also a reminder that in Just over 6 weeks from now, Lent begins. May we be able to celebrate that season, and Holy Week in all its fulness this year! Father Baker

CHURCH NAME AND ADDRESS 511510: Church of St. Monica/ St Elizabeth of Hungary / St Stephen of Hungary 406 East 80th Street, NYC., NY 10075 PHONE: 212 288-6250 CONTACT PERSON: Gladys Tejada/Office

SUNDAY DATE OF PUBLICATION: January 10th, 2021 SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS: PLEASE PRINT 450 BULLETINS FOR THIS WEEKâ€™S ISSUE