August 16, 2020

Twentieth Sunday In Ordinary Time

Aug. 16, 2020

JUST A WORD From our Pastor (Page 9)

BUSINESS CORNER (Page 5)

FIVE MINUTES JESUS (Page 8)

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Mission Statement 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.

Mass Intentions

Saturday, August 15th, Vigil

5:30 pm

John Castagna

Sunday, August 16th, Twentieth

Sunday In Ordinary Time

Parish Staff

8:00 am

Megan, Matthew, Sarah & Ryan (Living)

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

10:00 am

Glen Allen

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

Tuesday - Thursday ....................................... 9:00 am - 7:00 pm Friday ....................................................... Closed Saturday ................................................. 10:00 am - 2:00 pm Sunday ..................................................... Closed Closed for Lunch Weekdays......................1:00 pm - 2:00 pm Visit us at: www.stelmo79.org Follow us on social media by searching STELMO79

5:00 pm

Mass Schedule

Katalin Daennler

Monday, August 17th Weekday

12:00 pm

Finola Breslin

Tuesday, August 18th Weekday

12:00 pm

Megan Gonzalez

Wednesday, August 19th Weekday

12:00 pm

Raymond Swanchak

Thursday, August 20th St. Bernard 12:00 pm

Kathleen M. Reddington

Friday, August 21st St. Piux X

12:00 pm

Mary Gamboni Dieppo & Robert Castro

Saturday, August 22nd The Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary

12:00 pm

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

12:00 pm All Parishioners

Our Offices are open: Monday ............................................................. 9:00 am - 5:00 pm

The Anderson Family (Living & Dec)

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

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 Gilberto Rodriguez, Ellen Anderson, Dough Knox, Billy Banks, Jennifer Sayte, & Dennis Cronin All victims of military activity

Treasures of our Tradition SAINT PIUS X (1835-1914) August 21 Presidential vetoes we understand. But imagine vetoing a papal election! Yet in the conclave of 1903, the Archbishop of Cracow (ironically, a predecessor in that office of Karol Wojtyla, the future John Paul II) vetoed the leading candidate on the order of the Austro-Hungarian emperor. Instead, the cardinals elected Giuseppe Sarto of Venice as Pius X, the first pope, after a succession of nobles and diplomats, to hail from humble origins. Nor did the papacy alter his endearing simplicity. Tailors eventually made his cassock cuffs detachable because he absentmindedly wiped his fountain pen on them, forgetting that his old black cassock had been replaced by papal white! Taking as his motto “To restore all things in Christ” (Ephesians 1:10), Pius condemned the theological innovations called “modernism,” yet dramatically altered the then-common practice whereby people rarely received Communion for fear of unworthiness, mandating early First Communion and urging everyone to frequent reception. Refusing to bless troops assembled in Saint Peter’s Square—“I bless peace, not war!”—he died brokenhearted as World War I engulfed Christian Europe despite his peacemaking efforts.

—Peter Scagnelli, Copyright © J. S. Paluch Co.

Today’s Readings First Reading — Thus says the LORD: “Stand firm in justice; do what is right” (Isaiah 56:1, 6-7).

Psalm — O God, let all the nations praise you!

(Psalm 67).

Second Reading — The gifts and the calling of God are unable to be revoked (Romans 11:13-15, 29-32).

Gospel — Recognizing the Canaanite woman’s great faith, Jesus told her, “It shall be done as you wish” (Matthew 15:21-28).

The English translation of the Psalm Responses from Lectionary for Mass © 1969, 1981, 1997, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation. All rights reserved.

PRAYERS FOR THE DECEASED Theresa McNamara, Josefa Castellanos, Alice Freehill, Osvaldo Carrasquillo, Theresa McNamara,Theresa Muldey, Robert Castro & Judith Baron

Readings for the week Monday: Ez 24:15-24; Dt 32:18-21; Mt 19:16-22 Tuesday: Ez 28:1-10; Dt 32:26-28, 30, 35cd-36ab; Mt 19:23-30 Wednesday: Ez 34:1-11; Ps 23:1-6; Mt 20:1-16 Thursday: Ez 36:23-28; Ps 51:12-15, 18-19; Mt 22:1-14 Friday: Ez 37:1-14; Ps 107:2-9; Mt 22:34-40 Saturday: Ez 43:1-7ab; Ps 85:9ab, 10-14; Mt 23:1-12 Sunday: Is 22:19-23; Ps 138:1-3, 6, 8;

Rom 11:33-36; Mt 16:13-20

St. Stephen of Hungary School Pre-K through 8th Grade Catholic Parochial School 408 East 82nd St., New York, NY 10028 (212) 288-1989 • Fax: (212) 517-5788 Principal: Ms. Kelly Burke www.saintstephenschool.org Interested in admissions to our parish school? admissions@saintstephenschool.org

Parish Life

The Young Adult Ministry is a curated space for those ages 18 to 39. With

events like our Wine & Cheese, Theology Talks, and more, we gather for

fellowship and to deepen our faith. We open our doors to all young adults; It

does not matter where you come from, whether you are Catholic or not,

ALWAYS welcomed in this place! If you are interested

what lifestyle you lead, how much money you make or how little- you are

in connecting with this group or attending our events, please visit https://www.stelmo79.org/ya-ministry

You can contribute to our presence on social media!

If you have an idea (for a campaign or posts), are interested or curious contact Pastoral Associate Jasmine Gomez jgomez@stelmo79.org Generally, our seniors are retired members of our community who have time during the day to worship, to meet and discuss God’s Word, to share stories of God’s faithfulness in their lives and to articulate their needs and aspirations presently. If lively conversation, film viewings and community are what you are looking for, this is a sure fit!

Contact the group at Seniorministry@stelmo79.org This ministry is new to our parish. The team is dedicated to education, service, and advocacy on behalf of the natural world, following the teachings of Pope Francis. If you are interested in joining, please email GreenTeam@stelmo79.org

Business Corner

Mass Attendance & Safety Protocols for COVID-19 As of this column, we have been back to mass for roughly 2-months from the COVID-19 shut-down. To follow are some statistics in mass attendance and collections; reminder when I speak in terms of years, I base the calendar off of the fiscal year, September 1 – August 31: Time Period Attendance/week Offertory/week 2-month period since reopening of mass 233 $4,965

YTD for Fiscal Year 2020 716 $6,300 Fiscal Year 2019 797 $6,750

The YTD figure for this fiscal year is derived from taking the attendance & collections from SeptemberFebruary prior to shut down, and then combining with our attendance & collections since the return to mass.

Studying the numbers, the YTD averages by comparison are not far off, with this year being short approximately 80 attendees and the weekly collection being down about $450/week. Now, the first half of the year is carrying the current figures attendance wise, but it is important to remember that summer attendance is usually down 15-20% on average and we still have many of our fellow parishioners who had temporarily relocated out of the city during the pandemic or are still not yet comfortable participating in live mass.

The collections being even closer to normal average has been aided by parishioners who are giving via WeShare, are electronic giving platform, as well as those who have been mailing their offertory to the parish office.

Father Baker and I both are very grateful to everyone who has continued to support the parish financially during these very difficult times. The support has been a big help in navigating the parishes financial challenges; a sincere thank you to all for your continued support.

In my last column, I wrote about the added protocols we put in place to keep the church clean and sanitized. As a reminder, or for those just returning or contemplating a return to mass, our Plant Manager Guillermo Vanegas has modified the custodial schedule for the church. With the assistance of our Sacristan, Pedro Pizarro, and our Part-Time Custodian, Richard Inverary, all areas of the church are being cleaned multiple times a week. The same is being done in the parish center for the current staff and volunteers occupying that space. On Sundays, all worship aids that were used are being removed and discarded, and all pews are being wiped down after each mass. The bathrooms are also being cleaned in between each mass. The parish has also contracted with Germinator Sanitizing, to disinfect the surfaces in the church. The company uses an organic disinfectant which will kill all bacteria that hits the surface area for up to 90-days. We last had the church disinfected in June right before returning to mass. To stay within the 90-day period we will look to have this done again before October 1st.

It is our top priority as a staff to keep the church clean & safe, so that as more of our fellow parishioners return to mass, everyone can be focused on worship together.

As always, any questions on the items above, or any aspects of our financial & secular business, please feel free to contact me to discuss, mward@stelmo79.org

Mike Ward Parish Manager

Sacramental Celebrations that were postponed in the Spring have been rescheduled as follows: • St. Stephen of Hungary 1st Communion – Saturday, September 19, 10am o Rehearsals will be during school days • Parish Religious Ed and Caedmon 1st Communion – Sunday, September 20, at the 10am Mass o Rehearsal for candidates and a parent– Thursday, September 17, 4pm • Confirmation for SSH group and parish group – Sunday, October 4, 2pm o Rehearsal for candidates and sponsors – Saturday, Oct. 3 at 10am

K-8 Religious Education • K-8 Religious Education will be online (via ZOOM) this Fall! We hope this will make it easier for your children to participate regularly, and allay your fears about the COVID-19 pandemic. We simply do not have the space to allow for necessary social distancing. No ZOOM account is necessary - you will be sent a link to connect each Sunday morning. All you need is internet access and a tablet or computer. This method of delivery has been approved by the Archdiocese of New York and by our pastor, and it will fulfill all Archdiocesan and parish requirements.

• Registration is now open. You may download the form on our website, complete it, attach a check, and mail it in, OR, you may register in person and pay fees at the parish center. New registrations must include a copy of the child’s baptismal certificate.

• Once you have completed registration, you will be notified of the dates when you can pick up your child’s textbook and support materials. Parent meetings will be offered in September via ZOOM. • The first K-8 Religious Education session is Sunday, October 4, 2020, at 10:15am. Registration must be completed by October 1. We hope the delayed start will allow everyone to settle in at school and prepare for the new religious education format.

Sacramental Preparation for Children and Teens • First Penance, First Communion, Confirmation o The Archdiocese of New York requires two years of either Catholic School or Parish Religious Education immediately before the reception of First Communion (2nd grade or up) or Confirmation (8th grade or up). o First Penance and First Communion have an at-home component that is to be completed in addition to regular attendance in Religious Education.

Adult Faith Formation – open to all adults!

• Sunday Morning Scripture Discussions resume on October 18, 10:15-11:45am at the Parish Center • Friday Evening Prayer year round in the chapel at 5:10pm each week – all are welcome Adults who are thinking about becoming Catholic, or Catholic adults who are missing First Communion and/or Confirmation - contact Maryann Tyrer, Pastoral Associate, to discuss our adult initiation process. You can begin the process any time throughout the year.

Want to volunteer? Many different opportunities are available, with various time commitments – Contact Maryann to discuss how your gifts might meet our needs.

BEREAVEMENT MINISTRY

We are launching a new ministry here at the parish this fall for anyone who has lost a loved one over the past couple of years. Programming will begin in November, but we need to begin now to recruit and form a team for this ministry. If you feel God calling you to assist those who are grieving, to listen to their stories with compassion and affirmation, please contact Maryann Tyrer for further discussion. No prior experience is needed, although it would be welcomed. The Archdiocese will provide training once we have formed a team.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES Contact Maryann Tyrer at mtyrer@stelmo79.org if you are interested in learning more about any of the following opportunities to get involved in our Lifelong Faith Formation programs. Training and resources provided – no experience needed. Screening and background check required.

• Catechists and assistants for elementary and junior high aged students and families– teach our faith online (for now) and in person (once it’s safe to gather in groups.)

Usually Sunday mornings.

• Assistants and discussion group leaders for adult faith formation and adult sacramental formation (RCIA) – assist lead catechists and facilitate small group discussions. These groups meet in person, practicing social distancing. Sunday mornings, Saturdays, or weeknight evenings.

• Hospitality assistants (will begin once social distancing rules have loosened) – assist with set up, refreshments, and clean up for Lifelong Faith Formation events (both adult and family.) Sunday mornings, Saturdays, or weeknight evenings.

Five Minute Jesus

Using the Gospel for Prayer – 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time – August 15, 2020 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.

The Gospel according to Matthew 15:21-28 At that time, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a Canaanite woman of that district came and called out, “Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is tormented by a demon.”

But Jesus did not say a word in answer to her. Jesus’ disciples came and asked him, “Send her away, for she keeps calling out after us.” He said in reply, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” But the woman came and did Jesus homage, saying, “Lord, help me.” He said in reply, “It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs.” She said, “Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters.” Then Jesus said to her in reply, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” And the woman’s daughter was healed from that hour.

Sunday Was there something in this reading that spoke to me? Comforted me? Challenged me? What was it? Why did it have this effect on me?

Monday Tyre and Sidon would be difficult to find on a map today. However, people in Jesus’ day would have known exactly where they were; they were over the border, in a foreign land out amongst “them”. Jesus was with people who did not share his respect for God’s law. In fact, they were “lawless” in the truest sense of the word. Have I ever been in a place where I felt alone and cut off from “my” people? What was my reaction to that feeling?

Why did I react that way? What is Jesus’ reaction? Why did he react that way?

Tuesday A woman pleads to Jesus to help her daughter. The passage couldn’t be clearer. She was a “Canaanite” – a member of that people who lived in Israel before Moses and the Israelites arrived. Her people were the traditional enemies of Jesus’ people. And yet, she calls Jesus, “Lord” She recognizes him as “Son of David” in short, the true successor of David who will bring about the kingdom. Clearly this Canaanite woman does not fit the stereotype of the enemy. Has there ever been a time when I realized my judgement was flawed and I could not see the person for the stereotype? What happened? How did it turn out?

Wednesday Jesus drives the point still further by saying the very prejudicial things his people would have said about the Canaanites: That they were dogs. What is my reaction when I hear people say similar hateful things? What is my reaction when I hear Jesus speak this way? Why does he do it?

Thursday Each time Jesus rejects her, she comes back with a response. What is my reaction to her response to Jesus’ prejudicial words? IS she being smart? Or being an “Uncle Tom” to get what she wants? OR is she just being determined and persistent because she is desperate to save her daughter? Have I ever been that desperate with God? When? What happened, and what was the answer I got?

Friday In the end, Jesus praises the woman’s faith and heals her daughter. Clearly faith is important. So important that it bridged the gaps between ancient enemies between Jews and Gentiles, between Jesus and this faithful – but Canaanite woman. IS that how I see faith? How was I raised to see people who practiced other faiths? Was I raised to see them as sisters and brothers, or as enemies? Has there ever been a time when I realized that I shared something with a person who was not a member of my faith? Who were they and what happened?

From your Pastor August 16th, 2020 Church in the Time of Corona If you don’t look too closely you might actually think that things were back to normal. There is traffic on the avenues again, restaurants and stores are opening, and of course churches are welcoming parishioners to services again.

But when we look a little closer, we see how appearances can be deceiving. Many stores are not reopening. They have been cleared out and have For Rent signs in their windows. Restaurants are open, but can only eat in the streets; a pleasant enough experience in August – but what will happen in November? Bars serve mixed drinks – but on the street, turning some neighborhoods into boozy street parties. And all over we see moving vans and piles of discarded furniture – signs that people have given up and are leaving.

Churches are also suffering during the pandemic. Our own parish attendance is down approximately 50%. Our school is racing to complete remodeling and expansion so that we can welcome our kids back in September full time – but many parents are option for remote learning or 3- days a week learning. Teachers are worried, our principal and school administration harried as we all seek to address the concerns of parents the fears of students and the complex and often contradictory rules coming from the Archdiocese of New York, the City and the State.

It is a disorienting time! For so long growing up, my greatest fear is that we would destroy ourselves in some nuclear third world war.

Who would have believed that something the size of a virus could bring the world to its knees? Of course, our inaction and lack of coordination in response to the threat allowed it to become a pandemic. Nevertheless, Monday morning quarterbacking is really useless.

The pandemic is here, it is growing worse all over the world if not right here right now, and without a vaccine it will continue – and without coordinated action it will only get worse.

What to do in this midst of this storm? We can sink, like Peter did in last week’s Gospel reading, because we focus on our own limitations. It’s tempting to think that we are all alone.

OR we can swim, because we know that we are NOT alone. And I don’t mean just in the ultimate, God is with me sense. But in the God is with US sense. Catholics believe that God becomes flesh and enters into this world in Jesus to show us that God is not far from us in life; God is a part of our human life; God knows from storms; Jesus experienced them; walked on water through them. And even when the storm nailed him to a cross, Easter was the sign that he is stronger than the storm; and with him so can we be.

This is one of the reasons Catholics emphasize things like Church and the mass – it is when Christians gather that we see the Body of Christ here and now, in in the faces and lives of the gathered community. When we hear God’s word spoken to us and celebrate the Eucharist we believe that he feeds us; and that food strengthens us; it reminds us that we are not alone, that even when we leave the celebration of the mass God is with us.

And to know that, helps us weather this storm. For even when it seems like we are all alone, we are not.

We are slowly but surely seeing more and more people return to mass. That is heartening. However, many still are afraid; and that is understandable. Please know we continue to put Sunday mass online each Saturday so that those who are quarantining or older or have some other reason which makes leaving home too risky, can continue to be a part, if only a virtual part, of the Sunday Eucharist here in our parish.

Also know that we continue to take all the necessary measures to assure that the church is cleaned, and that the celebration of the eucharist happens according to guidelines meant to assure that there is no spread of the virus. All people wear masks. The priest and the eucharistic ministers use hand sanitizer. All worship aids are discarded after a single use. We no longer distribute the cup; all communion is given ONLY in the hand. The church is marked off so that social distancing can be maintained. IN these and so many other ways we seek to make church a safe and secure experience for all and reassure those who wish to return to actual worship that they

can do so.

At an online meeting yesterday, the cardinal encouraged Catholics to make prudent judgments as to when to return to mass. I could not have agreed with him more; all of us have to examine our consciences and decide for ourselves as to when to return.

I just want everyone to know that when you do decide, we are here for you. In fact, we always are.

Father Baker

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