August 8, 2021

Parish life Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

08/08/2021

Faith Formation (Page 6)

Five Minute Jesus

( Page 8 )

Just a Word (Page 9)

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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 7th Vigil 5:30pm John Lynch & Kathleen Lynch Sunday, August 8th Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time 8:00am John Lelia 10:00am Billy Cerasoli 12:00pm All Parishioners 5:00pm John Conley

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 ............................................................. 9am - 5pm Tuesday - Thursday ....................................... 9am - 7pm Friday .......................................................Closed Saturday ................................................. 10am - 2pm Sunday ..................................................... Closed Closed for Lunch Weekdays......................1pm - 2pm Visit us at: www.STELMO79.org

Monday, August 9th Weekday

12pm Giselle Peña Tuesday, August 10th St. Lawrence

12pm Brian Thompson

Wednesday, August 11th St. Claire 12pm

Werner Hertzel Thursday, August 12th Weekday

12pm

Adam Armetta

Friday, August 13th Weekday

12:00pm

John R. Flack, Lars Mattson & John J. Moritz

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

Saturday, August 15th St. Maximilian 12:00pm

Priest of St. Monica’s

For Mass Intentions, please visit the Parish Center

Baptism Announcement

Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament Every Friday after the Noon Mass until 3pm in the church and live on-line Devotions Miraculous Medal on Mondays after Mass in the church and live on-line Divine Mercy Prayed every Friday at 3pm in the church and live on-line Vespers (Evening Prayer) Every Friday at 5:10pm in the Chapel and live on-line Sacrament of Reconciliation Saturdays at 5pm or by appointment Anointing of the sick Every third Saturday of the Month after the noon Mass.

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 would 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 Cecilia Ochoa, Roseann Seacoor, Jean Cullen, Hugh Morgan, David Loring, Maria Diaz, Cira Christian, Andres Rodriguez, Glenn Anderson & all those ill with or recovering from the COVID-19 virus and all Victims of Military Activities PRAYERS FOR THE DECEASED Barbara DiMaggio, Clifford Forster, Paloma Tapia, Javier Capacho, Maria Araque & Rev. Raymond Nobiletti

Today, August 8th, there will be a Baptism service during the 12Noon Mass At this service we will be baptizing:

Aiden Vernon Suduginghe Please join us in congratulating:

Shahan Sudusinghe & Ashani Dona Gamage 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

Today’s Readings First Reading — After resting and taking nourishment twice, Elijah is strengthened to walk to the mountain of God, Horeb (1 Kings 19:4-8).

Psalm — Taste and see the goodness of the Lord (Psalm 34).

Second Reading — Be sealed by the Holy Spirit of God so as to be imitators of God and live in love (Ephesians 4:30 — 5:2).

Gospel — Jesus professes that he is the living bread and whoever eats this bread will live forever (John 6:41-51).

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: Dt 10:12-22; Ps 147:12-15, 19-20; Mt 17:22-27 Tuesday: 2 Cor 9:6-10; Ps 112:1-2, 5-9; Jn 12:24-26 Wednesday: Dt 34:1-2; Ps 66:1-3a, 5, 8, 16-17; Mt 18:15-20 Thursday: Jos 3:7-10a, 11, 13-17; Ps 114:1-6;

Mt 18:21 — 19:1 Friday: Jos 24:1-13; Ps 136:1-3, 16-18, 21-22, 24; Mt 19:3-12 Saturday: Jos 24:14-29; Ps 16:1-2a, 5, 7-8, 11; Mt 19:13-15 Sunday: Vigil: 1 Chr 15:3-4, 15-16; 16:1-2; Ps 132:6-7,

9-10, 13-14; 1 Cor 15:54b-57; Lk 11:27-28

Day: Rv 11:19a; 12:1-6a, 10ab;

Ps 45:10-12, 16; 1 Cor 15:20-27; Lk 1:39-56

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Thank you, Saint Joseph's Seminary Academic Office

Par � L�fe At our Annual Parish Feast Day celebration (which will take place on September 26th), we would like to offer finger foods that reflect the cultural heritage of our parish members. We invite everyone to think of a dish they’d like to contribute and call Gladys, Parish Administrative Assistant, so that their dish may be added to the menu. Gladys can be reached at It’s time for our Annual Back to School Drive!

As we do every year, we are collecting school supplies for the child and teen participants of Little Sisters of the Assumption’s Family Health Service!

The Organization has requested the following items:

212-288-6250.

One easy way to be more green: Eat Local While most of us can’t raise all our food in our own yards, we can support local farmers. It makes sense to do so because the most

-Binders

-Notebooks

nutritious fruits and vegetables are the freshest—and

-Pens

-Pencils

that means local. Family farmers (especially the organic

-Gluesticks

-Color Pencils

ones) bring more to a community besides fresh

-Markers

-Crayons

food—they very often provide educational and

-Folders

-Looseleaf Paper

recreational activities as well. And they’re just pleasant to walk by. Local farms don’t need huge quantities of

In the past some have donated backpacks, lunchboxes,

gasoline to ship their produce from their fields to your

and so much more! Every donation helps!

fridge. And that helps reduce air pollution, most

Please bring your donation to the front of St. Joseph’s

notably carbon emissions. Moreover, local farms are

Altar between August 21st - September 1st. Let’s help

more dependable in case of labor strikes or other

these kids have a fantastic school year!

stoppages of interstate traffic. Check out the Farmers' Market next to our school (82nd street btwn. First & York) on Saturdays from 9-2:30pm. pg. 5

K-8 Parish Religious Education:

We are on our summer “pause,” but will resume in the fall.

K-8 Religious Education REGISTRATION for Fall:

Registration for K-8 Religious Education (including sacramental preparation) is now open.

• Please register early so that we can plan class sizes, assign catechists, and order supplies!

• Register online at stelmo79.org, and mail or drop off payment at the parish center, OR • Register in person at the parish center (406 E. 80th St.), complete forms and make payment.

• A copy of the child’s baptismal certificate is required for all new registrations • Religious Education will be live and onsite beginning in September 2021 • A minimum of two years of religious education or Catholic school are required prior to celebrating First Penance (December 11, 2020), First Communion (April 30, 2021), or Confirmation (May 1, 2021.)

Adult Faith Formation:

We will begin again in the Fall with a fresh new format on Sundays following the noon Mass! Learn more about, and deepen, your own faith with other Catholics over a cup of coffee or tea. As you begin to shape your fall calendar, please consider adding this. Open to all who wish to better understand their faith!

Adult Sacraments of Initiation (RCIA):

Have you ever thought about becoming Catholic? Or are you a baptized Catholic who has not yet celebrated First Communion or Confirmation? All are welcome, and questions are encouraged! Please contact Maryann Tyrer at mtyrer@stelmo79.org to discuss our adult initiation process (commonly known as the RCIA). We gather occasionally over the summer, and weekly beginning in September. You can begin this process at any time throughout the year.

Sacramental Readiness Course for 2nd and 8th graders:

The Archdiocese of New York requires two consecutive years of religious formation prior to the celebration of First Communion or Confirmation.) If, due to the pandemic, your child is entering the 2nd grade or the 8th grade, and was not in any religious formation or Catholic School last year, we have an opportunity for your child to “catch up” over the summer and celebrate the sacraments with his/her peers next fall. A Sacramental Readiness Course will be offered for rising 2nd graders with no previous Religious Education, and for rising 8th graders who were not in any form of Religious Education last year. The course is only for baptized Catholics, and will be offered via home study and Zoom sessions August 23-September 3. The $50 fee includes a text, emailed resource materials, and instruction via Zoom by Maryann Tyrer. Successful completion will earn credit for the first of two years of sacramental preparation. Register online at stelmo79.org, or contact Maryann at mtyrer@stelmo79.org for more information. Registration deadline for either course is Monday, August 16.

On Retreat:

Maryann Tyrer will be away on retreat August 3-14, and will not be checking mail and messages until she returns.

Let us keep each other in prayer! Contact the parish office if you have any urgent questions.

Five Minute Jesus Using the Gospel for Prayer – The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary – August 15, 2021 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 Luke 1:39-56 Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.” And Mary said: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my Savior for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant. From this day all generations will call me blessed: the Almighty has done great things for me and holy is his Name. He has mercy on those who fear him in every generation. He has shown the strength of his arm, and has scattered the proud in their conceit. He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, and has lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has come to the help of his servant Israel for he has remembered his promise of mercy, the promise he made to our fathers, to Abraham and his children forever.” Mary remained with her about three months and then returned to her home.

(Our reading of the Bread of Life Discourse from the 6th chapter of John’s Gospel is interrupted by this Solemnity of Mary, which falls on a Sunday this year.)

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

Tuesday Mary has just been told by the Angel Gabriel that she is to bear a son by the power of the Holy Spirit, and that her older kinswoman, Elizabeth, is already six months pregnant. Mary travels over 80 miles to visit Elizabeth and to assist her in the last months of her pregnancy. When has someone gone to great lengths to assist you or support you through a difficult time? Would you be willing to do the same for someone else?

Wednesday Elizabeth says Mary is blessed for believing that what was spoken to her by the Lord would be fulfilled. Have you had difficulty trusting in God’s promises? Reflect on a time when God has been faithful to you in your life.

Thursday Mary praises God for how God is working in her own life, how God has looked with favor on her. Reflect on how God is working in your life. How has God looked with favor on you? Give praise to God for God’s greatness.

Friday Mary then praises God for how God always raises up the lowly and the hungry over those who already have their needs met. God shows favor to those who the world casts away. Does this challenge you to view the poor and needy in a different way? Could God be wanting to tend to their needs through you?

Saturday The Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary celebrates that Mary was assumed, body and soul, into heaven. Since she was free of original sin, she did not experience death. While we will experience death, with its separation of body and soul, we are assured that our bodies will also one day be resurrected and glorified. What God has created will not be lost. Our bodies, too, are precious to God, and gifts from God. Does this belief challenge you to think about your own body in a different way? Does this belief in the resurrection of the body give you hope?

From the Pastor 08.08.2021 To Mask or Not to Mask?

Sigh. Just when we thought we were moving to some sort of normalcy, the delta variant has started to spread rapidly, as the CDC said it would if vaccination rates remained low among certain populations and in certain areas of the country. And while vaccination rates in those areas have started to rise, the coronavirus has once again become a danger to some, a nuisance to many and a problem to us all.

We should not however, allow our fear to get the better of us. It is difficult (though clearly not impossible) for the coronavirus to spread in areas with high vaccination rates. We live in such an area. Vaccination is a sure way to protect ourselves from the worst effects of the virus, and even if we test positive, in many cases the vaccinated have no symptoms, or at worst mild ones. It is the unvaccinated that remain at risk for developing full-blown coronavirus symptoms and spreading it to others. This is the reason why the CDC is recommending we all wear masks indoors.

As a parish of the archdiocese, we are guided our Cardinal Archbishop and his staff in response to the coronavirus. As of this writing there has been no new directives. Thus, we will continue as we have. The unvaccinated should wear masks to protect themselves and others. For everyone else masks are optional, though strongly recommended. Eucharistic ministers will wear masks during the distribution of communion, and priests will wear masks at times and in places they feel necessary.

It is sad that we face yet another wave of coronavirus infections. It cannot be emphasized enough how important vaccination is to blunt the spread of the virus and the opportunity for it to mutate into more, possibly more dangerous forms.

Apropos vaccination. You might have heard some say that it is immoral for Catholics to receive the vaccine, because it was developed using cell lines that derive from fetal tissue, procured from abortions decades ago.

Some Catholics are going to their clergy and asking for a letter to receive a religious exemption from vaccination at work or school. In a recent letter to priests, the Archdiocese stated: Pope Francis has made it very clear that it is morally acceptable to take any of the vaccines and said we have the moral responsibility to get vaccinated. Cardinal Dolan has said the same. There is no basis for a priest to issue a religious exemption to the vaccine. By doing so he is acting in contradiction to the directives of the Pope and is participating in an act that could have serious consequences to others.

We have enjoyed the freedoms of the past few months. But the coronavirus is still present. As good citizens and faithful Catholics we need to act prudently and with concern for ourselves and others. Vaccination might seem like a little thing – I mean, how much does my shot matter? But like voting, one voice, united to millions of others can change the nation – even the world.

So, vote the coronavirus out of power! If you can, get vaccinated. If you can’t, wear a mask. And in the meantime, relax, enjoy the summer, and we will see you in church.

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: August 8th, 2021 SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS: PLEASE PRINT 450 BULLETINS FOR THIS WEEK’S ISSUE