November 29, 2020

First Sunday of Advent

Nov. 29, 2020

JUST A WORD From our Pastor (Page 9)

ADVENT 2020

(Page 7 )

FIVE MINUTE 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.

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

Mass Schedule

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, November 28th Vigil

5:30 pm

Walter & Mary Ferber

Sunday, November 29th

First Sunday of Advent

8:00 am

Teresa McNamara

10:00 am

Andrew Joseph

12:00 pm

All Parishioners

5:00 pm

Edward J. Hogan

Monday, November 30th St. Andrew 12:00 pm

Albert Blain

Tuesday, December 1st Advent Weekday 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 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

12:00 pm

Garrett Dillon

Wednesday, December 2nd

Advent Weekday 12 pm

Juan Ayastury Litrenta (Living)

Thursday, December 3rd

St. Francis Xavier

12:00 pm

Rosa Olga Litrenta

Friday, December 4th Advent Weekday 12:00 pm

Visit us at: www.stelmo79.org Follow us on social media by searching STELMO79

Carla Betiana Litrenta (Living)

Saturday, December 5th Advent Weekday 12pm

Thanksgiving

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:

Baptism Announcement Next Sunday, December 6th there will be a baptism service at 1:30PM At this service we will be baptizing: Francesca Rottura Please join us in congratulating: Gianluca Pio Rottura & Barbara Mancuso 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

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 Myrna Moreno, Ananias Angeles & Joanne Jack

All Victims of Military Activities

PRAYERS FOR THE DECEASED Rev. John Conti, Deacon Walter Brady, Janet Beas, Ricardo Canieso, Jesus Canieso, Jesus Barney, Jean M. Stephens, Zulma Power & Victoria Tiongson

Today’s Readings First Reading — We are the clay and you, O Lord, are the potter: we are the work of your hands (Isaiah 63:16b-17, 19b; 64:2-7).

Psalm — Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved (Psalm 80).

Second Reading — God is faithful; by God you were called to fellowship with the Son (1 Corinthians 1:3-9).

Gospel — Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come. (Mark 13:33-37).

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

Readings for the week Monday: Rom 10:9-18; Ps 19:8-11; Mt 4:18-22 Tuesday: Is 11:1-10; Ps 72:1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17; Lk 10:21-24 Wednesday: Is 25:6-10a; Ps 23:1-6; Mt 15:29-37 Thursday: Is 26:1-6; Ps 118:1, 8-9, 19-21, 25-27a;

Mt 7:21, 24-27 Friday: Is 29:17-24; Ps 27:1, 4, 13-14; Mt 9:27-31 Saturday: Is 30:19-21, 23-26; Ps 147:1-6;

Mt 9:35 — 10:1, 5a, 6-8 Sunday: Is 40:1-5, 9-11; Ps 85:9-14; 2 Pt 3:8-14; Mk 1:1-8

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 Thank you to everyone who supported the recent Green Bag initiative hosted by our parish Green Team. Together, we raised $500 that will help fund parish activities. We appreciated you doing your part to advance the pope's encyclical, "Care for our Common Home." More opportunities to purchase these handy reusable bags, which cost $5 each, on December 11, 12, and 19 at the back of the church.

They make great gifts!

PARISH OUTREACH: LET’S CONNECT! THE TELEPHONE IS THE MEDIUM In this era of COVID, everything is strange.

Our daily routines have been disrupted.

Many of us live alone.

IF YOU LIVE ALONE OR ARE ILL, you may appreciate some communication from one of our parishioners.

A volunteer from our parish church would be delighted to speak with you by telephone to say “HELLO” PLEASE CONSIDER PARTICIPATING! If you are interested in participating, contact the parish office at 212-288-6250.

Once we receive your contact information, we will have a volunteer parishioner telephone you.

TOGETHER, based on need, you can make arrangements as to time and frequency of call.

The Young Adult Ministry is a curated space for

WE LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU. The Parish Council

those ages 18 to 39.

We are hosting virtual

We are hosting a virtual

events focusing on

Second Sunday Social

building our community

on Sunday, December 13th

and strengthening our faith. If you are interested in

at 1:00pm! This is an

connecting with this group or attending our events,

opportunity to learn more

please visit https://www.stelmo79.org/ya-ministry

about the parish and hear about the opportunities to get involved. If you are interested in joining, please email Pastoral Associate, Jasmine Gomez at Jgomez@stelmo79.org by Dec. 9 th

K-8 Parish Religious Education: •

We continue to meet online each Sunday morning – but will be taking November 29th off for the Thanksgiving holiday, and December 27 off for the Christmas holiday.

Adult Faith Formation:

Our Sunday morning Scripture Discussions are underway, each Sunday, 10:15-11:45am, (except for Nov. 29 and Dec. 27) in our Parish Center (with masks and social distancing). All are invited to join us any Sunday to learn more about your faith, and how the Sunday Mass Scripture readings can be a guide for living our faith in today’s world.

No registration required – simply come to the Parish Center (406 East 80th Street) and ring the doorbell.

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.

Face-to-face gatherings (with masks and social distancing) are underway immediately following the 12noon Mass, at the Parish Center. An online Zoom link will also be made available for those who are unable to join us in person due to health issues or remote location.

Bereavement Ministry at our Parish

This is a new and developing ministry at our parish. We seek to: • accompany those who are grieving a significant loss, • assist them in acknowledging and understanding their grief, • offer a Catholic Christian faith perspective that brings hope and healing to their bereavement.

If you feel called to join the facilitator team for this ministry, training will be offered in December.

Contact Maryann Tyrer at mtyrer@stelmo79.org for more information.

A Prayer for World AIDS Day - December 1st – Maryknoll AIDS Task Force God of all compassion, comfort your sons and daughters who live with AIDS. Spread over us all your quilt of mercy, love, and peace.

Open our eyes to your presence reflected in their faces. Open our ears to your truth echoing in their hearts.

Give us the strength to weep with the grieving, to walk with the lonely, to stand with the depressed.

May our love mirror your love for those who live in fear, who live under stress, and who suffer rejection.

Mothering, Fathering God, grant rest to those who have died, and hope to all who live with HIV. God of life, help us to find the cure now, and help us build a world in which no one dies alone, and where everyone lives accepted, wanted, and loved. Amen.

ADVENT PRAYER

ADVENT GIVING

Vespers (Evening Prayer) – a service of spoken and sung prayers and psalms – about 20 minutes • Every Friday (year-round), 5:10pm, in the St. Elizabeth of Hungary Chapel in the Parish Center (406 East 80th Street) • Saturdays, November 28, and December 5, 12, and 19, at 5pm in the Church Reconciliation Monday – an opportunity to go to Confession before the Feast of Christmas • Monday, December 21, in the Church o Confessions heard 3-5pm o Prayer Service at 7pm, followed by confessions until 8pm

ADVENT LEARNING Sunday Morning Adult Faith Formation – an informal discussion of the Sunday Scriptures with a facilitator – open to all – every Sunday during the school year • Sundays, 10:15-11:45am, in the Parish Center (406 East 80th Street) Adult Faith Formation Series – Advent: Christ Comes in History, Mystery, and Majesty presentation by Pastoral Associate Maryann Tyrer, and facilitated discussion – open to all • Wednesdays, December 2, 9, and 16 • 7-8:30pm, in the St. Elizabeth of Hungary Chapel in the Parish Center (406 East 80th Street) • December 2 – History – How do we understand the events of that first Christmas?

• December 9 – Mystery – How does Christ come among us in our daily lives?

• December 16 – Majesty – How will Christ return in glory, and how can we be ready?

CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION Annual Christmas Concert • Saturday, December 19, 8pm in the Church • $5 tickets must be purchased in advance (at the Parish Center) – only 140 seats available Christmas Caroling • Sunday, December 20, 4pm, on the Church steps – no charge Christmas Masses • Christmas Eve: 5:30pm (music begins 5pm) • Midnight Mass: 12am (music begins 11:15pm) • Christmas Day: 8am, 10am, 12noon, all with music • Tickets required – 150 available per Mass o Pick up free tickets at the Parish Center during office hours o No one admitted without a ticket

From the Pastor 11.29.2020 An Old Sacrament in a New Context Last Saturday, November 21st, at the 12 noon Daily Mass, we did something we have not done before.

Following the mass, Msgr. Ivers invited anyone who was ill to come forward. He then prayed over them and anointed them with the “Oil of the Sick” (one of the three oils that we have reserved in those glass cases on the side of the church. The Oil of the Sick is in the yellow carafe).

This anointing is nothing new. In the Epistle of James (5:13-15), in the New Testament, the Apostle James invited people who are ill to “Call for the priests of the church to pray for them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord.” This anointing with oil is a prayer for healing and forgiveness. It is also one of the seven official Sacraments of the Catholic Church.

God works wherever God wants and through whom God chooses. Nevertheless, the Church identifies those seven sacraments as places where God has promised to be present as forgiver, strengthener, healer and guide.

And yet, the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick, (like the Sacrament of Confession), is a sacrament offered to all, yet few receive. Why? Perhaps because over the centuries, its close ties with forgiveness at a time of illness made it into the “sacrament of last resort” administered only when a person was near death. I cannot count the number of times I offered to come and anoint a sick person and the family member responded, “Oh no Father! he’s not ready yet.” As if it’s nickname the “Last Rites” really meant that the Anointing of the Sick was the last thing a Catholic should receive before death.

And while that is of course a comfort to the dying and to their families, it is ironic that a sacrament originally intended as a prayer for forgiveness and healing has become a ritual for the dying.

We here at St. Monica-St. Elizabeth of Hungary-St. Stephen of Hungary would like to change that, by expanding the availability of this sacrament. Therefore, on the third Saturday of each month, following the 12-noon mass, those who would like to be prayed for by the priests of the Church and anointed with the Oil of the Sick will be invited to stay, and to come forward to the altar to be anointed. This Sacrament should not be received lightly or in vain. It is not magic. But it is for people who are suffering in mind body and/or spirit. If you wish to be anointed the next opportunity will be on December 19th.

And of course, any time by appointment.

Advent Today is the first Sunday of that four-week period of preparation and prayer leading up to the celebration of Christmas. Because of the way these columns are written, I have no way of knowing whether we are in lockdown, or still celebrating public mass. Please know that, no matter where we are at this point in our nations long dark night of CoVID-19, your parish is there will you and we will do everything in our power to celebrate the Love of God in the birth of Christ with you this Christmas.

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: November 29th, 2020 SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS: PLEASE PRINT 450 BULLETINS FOR THIS WEEK’S ISSUE