October 25, 2020

Thirtieth Sunday In Ordinary Time

Oct. 25, 2020

JUST A WORD From our Pastor (Page 9)

PARISH LIFE

(Page 4)

FIVE MINUTE JESUS (Page 8)

Scan to eReader

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

Mass Intentions

Saturday, October 24th, Vigil

5:30 pm

Sunday, October 25th Thirtieth Sunday In Ordinary Time

8:00 am

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

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

12:00 pm

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

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

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

Mass Schedule

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

Joe Norton All Parishioners

5:00 pm

Dr. Varnes Bellevue

Monday, October 26th

12:00 pm

Mary Crowley

Tuesday, October 27th Weekday

Anna Corra

Wednesday, October 28th

Saints Simon & Jude

12:00 pm

Laura Soledad Litrenta (Living)

Thursday, October 29th Weekday

12:00 pm

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

Waltrer Farley

12:00 pm

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

Timothy J. & Agnes McCrohan

Dennis Murphy

Friday, October 30th Weekday 12:00 pm

12pm

Danny Sullivan

Saturday, October 31st Weekday Tommy Coyne

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 Jean Stephens, Jan Allen, Frank Penepento, Matthew D’Ortona, Lirika Buzhala, Kip Silverman, Mona Gilsenaine, Joanne Jack, Jennifer Garcia & Lucille Clats PRAYERS FOR THE DECEASED Orlando Ochoa, Mary Skrapits, Msgr. Thomas Leonard, Hernan Restrepo, Sarah Beamish, Edward Moreno, Mary O’Brien,Victoria Tiongson, Neil Petti, Judy Baron & Robert Castro

Treasures of our Tradition SAINTS SIMON AND JUDE, APOSTLES October 28 Saint Jude, apostle and . . . Hollywood success story? Indeed! Beyond Simon’s being a “ Zealot” for Israel’s liberation and Jude’s question about Jesus revealing himself (John 14:22), no historic facts are known about either saint.

But Saint Jude’s well-known patronage of lost causes and hopeless cases is largely due to a desperate vow made just before World War II by a struggling entertainer, the son of Arab-American immigrants, Danny Thomas. Unemployed, his wife about to give birth, Danny, attending Mass, impulsively donated his last seven dollars to the collection, promising: “Saint Jude, if you help me find my way in life, I will build a shrine in your honor!” Older Americans remember well Danny’s long, successful movie and television career. Grateful parents worldwide know the miracles that have taken place for fifty years at his Saint Jude Children’s Research Hospital, where needy children are cared for regardless of race, religion, or financial resources, and monumental advances continue in healing and preventing pediatric cancers and catastrophic childhood diseases. A living, life-giving partnership is this “Communion of Saints”: Simon, Jude, Danny Thomas—us!

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

Today’s Readings First Reading — You shall not oppress an alien, for you yourselves were once aliens in Egypt (Exodus 22:20-26).

Psalm — I love you, Lord, my strength (Psalm 18).

Second Reading — You became imitators of the Lord, so that you became a model for all believers (1 Thessalonians 1:5c-10).

Gospel — You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, and you shall love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:34-40).

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

Readings for the week Monday: Eph 4:32 — 5:8; Ps 1:1-4, 6; Lk 13:10-17 Tuesday: Eph 5:21-33; Ps 128:1-5; Lk 13:18-21 Wednesday: Eph 2:19-22; Ps 19:2-5; Lk 6:12-16 Thursday: Eph 6:10-20; Ps 144:1b, 2, 9-10; Lk 13:31-35 Friday: Phil 1:1-11; Ps 111:1-6; Lk 14:1-6 Saturday: Phil 1:18b-26; Ps 42:2, 3, 5cdef;

Lk 14:1, 7-11 Sunday: Rv 7:2-4, 9-14; Ps 24:1-6; 1 Jn 3:1-3; Mt 5:1-12a

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 Dear Parishioners,

Parish Life

The Senior Ministry is delighted to bring the Church of St. Monica, St. Elizabeth of Hungary and St. Stephen of Hungary CLOSER TO YOU through a series of short talks on the LIVES OF THE SAINTS. As you recall, the beautiful portraits of the saints pictured around the church were selected by a majority of parishioners and then donated by individuals.

They grace the walls of the church and beg for acknowledgment of who they are and why they are saints. During the season of Advent, we would like to present a series five videos to help us, as parishioners, get to know these saints more intimately. The presentations will be posted on our parish website. We hope you enjoy!

Sincerely, The Senior Ministry St. Monica’s Care for Creation Ministry (“The Green Team”)

This Ministry is dedicated to education, service, and advocacy on behalf of the natural world, following the teachings of Pope Francis.

York Metro Catholic Climate

Pope Francis reminds us that “Living our vocation to be protectors of God’s handiwork is essential to a life of virtue; it is not an optional or a secondary aspect of our Christian experience.” We partner with other parishes as part of the New Movement to reflect and to act in ways that heal the natural world.

More than ever, we see that change is needed at the level of the individual, the family, the parish, the city, the nation, and the world. The good news is that there are footholds for us at each of these levels, and much important work to be done. Although it can seem daunting at times, we are a people of faith and so we take comfort in the notion that it is not all up to us; God is constantly at work, and our job is to discern and support that work.

This means making it easier for individual parishioners and families to make choices in their own lives that have a positive impact on the environment. This means looking at our parish operations, from heating and recycling to transportation and investment. This means working with our parish school, St. Stephen of Hungary, to provide options in the curriculum and after school programs where students can learn to become better stewards of our natural inheritance. This means working with city and state government officials to implement policies that reduce the impacts of climate change, and it means coordinating globally with other Catholic organizations to ground all our efforts in reverence and humility.

There is much fear and anger in the world today, especially around the issue of the climate crisis, but we believe that inspiration and even humor can overcome these obstacles. The work is serious, but we have discovered that it is also fun and rewarding.

You do not need a background in environmental health or public policy, or a background in anything at all, to participate in our group. We can make use of whatever your talents and experience may be. All our welcome to join us, and we look forward to meeting you soon! Visit STELMO79.org for more information!

AINTS IN THE SPOTLIGHT

This series is featured in our bulletin at least once a month and focuses on the lives of the Saints whose images adorn our beautiful church.

SAINT ELIZABETH ANN SETON (1774-1821)

Feast Day: January 4th Elizabeth Ann Bayley Seton was the first native born American to be canonized by the Catholic Church. Born two years before the American Revolution, Elizabeth grew up in the upper class of New York society. She was a prolific reader, and read everything from the Bible to contemporary novels. In spite of her high society background, Elizabeth's early life was quiet, simple, and often lonely. As she grew a little older, the Bible was to become her continual instruction, support and comfort -and she would continue to love the Scriptures for the rest of her life. In 1794, Elizabeth married the wealthy young William Seton, with whom she was deeply in love.

The first years of their marriage were happy and prosperous. Elizabeth wrote in her diary at first autumn, "My own home at twenty-the world-that and heaven too-quite impossible."

This time of Elizabeth's life was to be a brief moment of earthly happiness before the many deaths and partings she was to suffer. Within four years, William's father died, leaving the young couple in charge of William's seven half brothers and sisters, as well as the family's importing business. Events moved quickly from there with devastating effect. Both William's business and health failed. He was finally forced to file a petition of bankruptcy and, in a final attempt to save William's health, the Setons sailed for Italy, where William had business friends.

Unfortunately, William died of tuberculosis while in Italy. Elizabeth's one consolation was that he had recently awakened to the things of God. The many enforced separations from dear ones by death and distance served to draw Elizabeth's heart to God and eternity. The accepting and embracing of God's will - "The Will," as she called it - would be a keynote in her spiritual life. Elizabeth's deep concern for the spiritual welfare of her family and friends eventually led her into the Catholic Church.

In Italy, Elizabeth captivated everyone by her kindness, patience, good sense, wit, and courtesy. During this time Elizabeth became interested in the Catholic Faith and, over a period of months, her Italian friends guided her in Catholic instruction. Elizabeth's desire for the Bread of Life was to be a strong force leading her to the Catholic Church. Having lost her mother at an early age, Elizabeth felt great comfort in the idea that the Blessed Virgin was truly her mother. She asked the Blessed Virgin to guide her to the True Faith and officially joined the Catholic Church in 1805.

At the suggestion of the president of St. Mary's College in Baltimore, Maryland, Elizabeth started a school in that city. The school had originally been secular but once news of her entrance to Catholicism spread, several girls were removed from her school. It was then Seton, and two other young women who helped her in her work, began plans for a Sisterhood. They established the first free Catholic school in America. When the young community adopted their rule, they made provisions for Elizabeth to continue raising her children.

On March 25, 1809, Elizabeth Seton pronounced her vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, binding for one year. From that time, she was called Mother Seton.

Although Mother Seton became afflicted with tuberculosis, she continued to guide her children. The Rule of the Sisterhood was formally ratified in 1812. It was based upon the Rule St. Vincent de Paul had written for his Daughters of Charity in France. By 1818, in addition to their first school, the sisters had established two orphanages and another school. Today, six groups of sisters can trace their origins to Mother Seton's initial foundation.

Seton's favorite prayer was the 23rd Psalm and she developed a deep devotion to the Eucharist, Sacred Scripture, and the Virgin Mary. For the last three years of her life, Elizabeth felt that God was getting ready to call her, and this gave her great joy. Mother Seton died in 1821 at the age of 46, only sixteen years after becoming a Catholic. She was beatified by Pope John XXIII on March 17, 1963 and was canonized on September 14, 1975

by Pope Paul VI. — https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=180

K-8 Parish Religious Education: Our Sunday morning program is online via Zoom this Fall, and you can register via our website (www.stelmo79.org), or download the forms there and deliver them with payment at the Parish Center (406 East 80th Street.) The Archdiocese of New York requires two years of either Catholic School or Parish Religious Education before the reception of First Communion or Confirmation. We will accept registrations throughout the month of October.

Adult Faith Formation: Our Sunday morning Scripture Discussions are underway, each Sunday, 10:15-11:45am, in our Parish Center (with masks and social distancing). You 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: 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). Face to face gatherings (with masks and social distancing) are underway immediately following the 12noon Mass, at the Parish Center.

PARISH PILGRIMAGE TO THE 2022 OBERAMMERGAU PASSION PLAY – get your deposit in to Maryann Tyrer for this once in a decade opportunity to see the famous Passion Play, and to tour Bavaria and Switzerland with Fr. Baker and Collette Tours. The trip isn’t until July 2022, and you can pay in installments over time before the trip. Early reservations are necessary to secure play tickets and area accommodations, as about 750,000 are expected to attend the Passion Play over its 5-month run in 2022. For more information, visit: gateway.gocollette.com/link/938182 Prayer Before an Election (from www.usccb.org) Lord God, as the election approaches, we seek to better understand the issues and concerns that confront our city/state/country, and how the Gospel compels us to respond as faithful citizens in our community.

We ask for eyes that are free from blindness so that we might see each other as brothers and sisters, one and equal in dignity, especially those who are victims of abuse and violence, deceit and poverty.

We ask for ears that will hear the cries of children unborn and those abandoned, men and women oppressed because of race or creed, religion or gender.

We ask for minds and hearts that are open to hearing the voice of leaders who will bring us closer to your Kingdom.

We pray for discernment so that we may choose leaders who hear your Word, live your love, and keep in the ways of your truth as they follow in the steps of Jesus and his Apostles and guide us to your Kingdom of justice and peace.

We ask this in the name of your Son Jesus Christ and through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

“In the Catholic Tradition, responsible citizenship is a virtue, and participation in political life is a moral obligation.” (US Catholic Bishops, Responsible Citizenship, no. 13, 2019)

Bread & Wine This Week’s Bread & Wine In Memory of Josef Tamatsch Offered by Bridgette Tamatsch

Baptism Announcements

Next Sunday there will be a baptism service at 1:30PM At this service we will be baptizing: Grace Barbara White

Please join us in congratulating: Jeffrey White & Elizabeth Kolwolski 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

Remembering the Deceased

Traditionally, our Church prays for all of our Faithful Departed throughout the month of November. You are invited to participate in any or all of the following parish ways to remember our loved ones.

St. Joseph Altar

Images of Our Loved Ones

All are invited to place a framed photo of a deceased loved one on the St. Joseph Altar in St. Monica’s Church during the month of November. Simply bring your picture to the sacristy before or after Mass, and then you can take your picture home at the end of the month.

Memorial Mass

Prayers for All Victims of the Covid-19 Pandemic All Souls Day Monday, November 2, 6:30pm St. Monica’s Church If you have loved ones who have died from Covid-19 related causes, please submit their names on the parish website, or to the parish office, by Thursday, October 30. We will then include these names in a Litany of Remembrance during this Mass.

Morning of Reflection Facing the Holidays After the Loss of a Loved One

Saturday, November 14, 10am – concludes with Noon Mass St. Monica’s Church If you are grieving the loss of a loved one, the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday season can be especially painful. Expectations, seasonal events, and the celebration of those around us often collide with our loss and sadness. Join us for this morning of prayer, reflection, and ritual. Find comfort and hope in our faith, and in practical suggestions for navigating the holiday season. If you haven’t already done so, you are welcome to bring a photo of your loved one to place on our St. Joseph altar for the remainder of the month of November.

Please RSVP to the Parish Center or on the parish website by Thursday, November 12.

FIVE MINUTE JESUS Using the Gospel for Prayer – The Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time OCTOBER 25 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

Matthew 22:34-40

When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, and one of them, a scholar of the law tested him by asking, "Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?" He said to him, "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments."

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 "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” This commandment is easy enough to understand. But how do we show God we love him?

Tuesday Jesus then continues and says, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” When Jesus followed the first law with the second it was a game changer for the Pharisees. By doing this, Jesus puts the two commandments on equal footing. For to love God is to love my neighbor. What does loving myself mean? What does loving my neighbor mean today?

Wednesday This second commandment often challenges us in uncomfortable ways. Yet Jesus challenges us to love. Sometimes we don’t like our neighbors. Sometimes our neighbors have hurt or disappointed us. So, our experience of loving is not a good one. But God is in that neighbor. How can you reach out and see God in them?

Thursday There are many forms of love. We love our family. We love our pets. We love ice cream. We associate love with affection. However, when we hear of love in the Bible, it is speaking of a love that never ends. This kind of love means a commitment. A love that demands we hear the needs of others. To love one another is to love even those who may not share our likes and views. Strangers we think are too different. This can be difficult Can you think of someone in your life that falls into this category? How can you reach out to them?

Friday Jesus showed us what love is all about. He fed the hungry, visited the sick, welcomed the outcast. His ultimate gift of love was death upon the cross. How can we emulate Jesus’ examples of love today?

Saturday Today reflect on the following quote: “Jesus does not separate love for God from love for man, since the latter flows from the former, and since without the latter the former is impossible”.

From your Pastor October 25th, 2020 Our Parish Helps One of the hallmarks of all three of the churches which make up our current parish is that they reached out to the larger community. St. Elizabeth was famous for its outreach to the deaf community. St. Stephen for i events like its annual Thanksgiving Dinner, and St. Monica for its annual food and school supplies drives, as well as other efforts to support the poor that all three parishes have undertaken.

We have sought to continue these efforts, though the pandemic has greatly challenged us. We can no longer accept clothing donations – simply because our storage is full, because the organization which came to pick up those donations has not reopened. The same was true with the school supply drive; those who would have accepted the items donated were shuttered due to CoVID-19. It has been frustrating; especially because we know the need is great and the generosity of our parishioners is still strong.

As I said last week, we will be partnering with Dorrian’s Restaurant on E 84th St. to provide take out thanksgiving dinners to the community who normally gathers with us in the auditorium at St. Stephen of Hungary on Thanksgiving Day. There will be more information on that in NEXT WEEK’S bulletin. If you are interested, please watch out for it.

And in the next few weeks we are going to try to meet one of the most basic needs people will have this fall: food. As in years past, we are going to run a food drive for the Yorkville Common Pantry (now known as the New York Common Pantry). Please watch the bulletin and parish announcements for the start of this drive. We will be accepting NON- PERISHABLE food items for this pantry located on east 109th St. Your donations will benefit the many in our community who have slipped into de facto poverty due to the pandemic, unemployment and the cessation of government benefits.

As we hear from our community partners, we will be sponsoring other efforts to help the larger community through this time. Stay tuned.

All Saints – All Souls This year the Solemnity of All Saint’s Day (Nov.1st) fall on a Sunday, and we will all have the opportunity to reflect at a Sunday mass on the lives of all those whom our Church has “raised to the altars” (as we used to say) as canonized saints. The next day, however, is All Souls Day; that day on which we remember all those holy souls who though God’s grace are prepared in Purgatory for eternal life in heaven. I will write a little more on that in next week’s column, so that we understand what words like “prepared” and “Purgatory” mean in our Tradition, and what they might signify for us today. But I would like to make you aware of a special mass that will be celebrated on Monday, November 2nd at 6:30pm. It will be a Mass of Remembrance celebrated by Msgr. Ivers where we will remember all our deceased loved ones, and especially this year all who have died of CoVID-19.

Altar of Remembrance Also, just a brief reminder that we will be continuing the tradition of an Altar of Remembrance on our St. Joseph’s Altar with the pictures of our deceased loved ones. You can bring those pictures on the weekend of Oct.31st -November 1st and place them on the altar for the month of November. Please remember to mark the back of the frames with your name and phone number so we can contact you if you do not pick them up at the end of the month.

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: October 25th, 2020 SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS: PLEASE PRINT 450 BULLETINS FOR THIS WEEK’S ISSUE