Parish life Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Feb . 14, 2021
Fr. Baker’s Six-Year End of Term Evaluation (Page 4)
Parish Life ( Page 5)
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 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 Follow us on social media by searching STELMO79
Mass Intentions 5:30pm
Saturday, February 13th Vigil John Downes (Living)
Sunday, February 14th
Sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time 8:00am Mary Moynihan 10:00am Albert Kapuscinski 12:00pm All Parishioners 5:00pm Jack Ferrara Monday, February 15th Weekday
9AM
Marjorie L. Baker (Fr. Baker’s Mom)
Tuesday, February 16th Weekday 12:00pm Anna Bellevue Wednesday, February 17th Ash Wednesday 7:30am Betty & Nancy Anderson 12:00pm Gail Kirwan 3pm Service-No Mass 6pm Michael McCarthy Thursday, February 18th Thursday after Ash Wednesday
12:00 pm Cecilia Vigliota (Living) Friday, February 19th Friday after Ash Wednesday 12:00 pm Margaret Killeen (Living)
Saturday, February 20th
Saturday after Ash Wednesday
Mass Schedule
Daily Mass: Mon-Sat, 12 noon Saturday Vigil: 5:30pm Sunday: 8am, 10am, 12pm & 5pm Confessions: Saturdays at 5pm or by appointment
12:00pm Kathleen Reddington For Mass Intentions, please visit the Parish Center.
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:
Bread & Wine This Week’s Bread & Wine Intentions for Patrick Killeen Offered by Kitty O’Donoghue
Sanctuary Lamp This Week’s Sanctuary Lamp Intentions for Christian Ramirez Offered by Kitty O’Donoghue
Today’s Readings First Reading — The leper will dwell apart, making an abode outside the camp (Leviticus 13:1-2, 44-46). Psalm — I turn to you, Lord, in time of trouble, and you fill me with the joy of salvation (Psalm 32). Second Reading — Do everything for the glory of God; be imitators of Christ (1 Corinthians 10:31 — 11:1). Gospel — The leprosy left him immediately, and he was made clean (Mark 1:40-45).
If you know of anyone who cannot attend church The English translation of the Psalm Responses from the Lectionary for Mass © 1969, 1981, 1997, International Commission on English in the because of illness or age, and would like to have Liturgy Corporation. All rights reserved 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 Patrick Funicane, James Mooney, Marcos Gonzalez, Mary Perocho, Ruth Nelson, Rev. Thomas Lynch, Rev. Carl Johnson & all those ill with or recovering from the COVID-19 virus and all Victims of Military Activities PRAYERS FOR THE DECEASED Ellen Lewis, Johanna Reynolds, Rev. Kevin O’Reilly, Rev. Carl Johnson, Flora Perez, Denise Johnson, Alexander Julian, Deogracias Ponce & Darwin Salguer
Readings for the Week
Monday: Gn 4:1-15, 25; Ps 50:1, 8, 16bc-17, 20-21; Mk 8:11-13 Tuesday: Gn 6:5-8; 7:1-5, 10; Ps 29:1a, 2, 3ac-4, 3b, 9c-10; Mk 8:14-21 Wednesday: Jl 2:12-18; Ps 51:3-6ab, 12-14, 17; 2 Cor 5:20 — 6:2; Mt 6:1-6, 16-18 Thursday: Dt 30:15-20; Ps 1:1-4, 6; Lk 9:22-25 Friday: Is 58:1-9a; Ps 51:3-6ab, 18-19; Mt 9:14-15 Saturday: Is 58:9b-14; Ps 86:1-6; Lk 5:27-32 Sunday: Gn 9:8-15; Ps 25:4-9; 1 Pt 3:18-22; Mk 1:12-15
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 Mission The Saint Stephen Advantage of educating the “whole child”… Founded in 1928, Saint Stephen of Hungary School is a Pre-K through 8th grade award-winning Catholic school with a rich heritage of academic excellence. By nurturing each student’s mind, body and spirit in the Franciscan tradition, Saint Stephen School prepares its students to be passionate leaders and self-confident life-long learners. Our holistic, differentiated approach to learning creates an environment where students are supported to take calculated risks and explore the world around them. Students are challenged to think critically and creatively in order to solve complex real-life problems. Working collaboratively students learn to clearly communicate diverse opinions and resolve conflict. Students are celebrated for their unique differences and curriculum is tailored to meet the needs of each individual student. Through a self-reflective process, students are empowered to be active participants in their own decision making abilities. Saint Stephen School provides students with the skills to be successful in our ever-changing global community. Interested in admissions to our parish school? admissions@saintstephenschool.org
Father Baker’s Six-Year End of Term Evaluation Pastors in the Archdiocese of New York are assigned to six-year terms of service. Father Baker has now completed his first six years here. The Archdiocese conducts an evaluation of the pastor and the parish at the end of each term. Parishioners and staff who wish to do so may write letters with their own comments about our parish and the pastoral leadership of the parish. Please address your letters to: The Office of Priest Personnel Archdiocese of New York 1011 First Avenue New York, New York 10022 Letters should be received no later than February 28, 2021 Please note: Any correspondence received after the deadline will NOT be included in the evaluation process.
Parish Life Through retreats, mentorship, education opportunities, and employment assistance, Thrive for Life Prison Project provides accompaniment and consolation on the inside, and then the means to re-enter society and meaningfully contribute to the community once an individual is released. Our Social Justice Ministry is partnering up with Thrive for Life to bring you: Let’s Pray! An opportunity to pray vespers (evening prayer) with the Spiritual Mentors, Staff and formerly incarcerated people who make up the Thrive for Life Community! We will gather via Zoom every Wednesday in Lent at 8pm starting Ash Wednesday (2/17). Join us by registering on STELMO79.org Have an idea or suggestion for our social media accounts or our website? Are you interested in snapping pictures that capture our lively parish? Helping with the Livestream? Join the Digital Media Ministry by emailing Pastoral Associate for Parish Life, Jasmine Gomez at jgomez@stelmo79.org
According to the UN website, There are 17 Sustainable Development Goals ( SDG's ). GOAL 1: NO POVERTY Economic growth must be inclusive to provide sustainable jobs and promote equality. Needless to say, the numbers are ugly. Globally, the number of people living in extreme poverty declined from 36 per cent in 1990 to 10 per cent in 2015. BUT the pace
of change is decelerating and the COVID-19 crisis risks reversing decades of progress in the fight against poverty. The trend is not looking good. What can we do? Remember to always be grateful for what we have. It’s a simple step, but how many times do we forget... The Young Adult Ministry will host a talk entitled, A Life Worth Living: How the Ignatian Examen can Help Us Live with Intention At this virtual gathering, we will learn about what the Ignatian Examen is, its history and why it is still relevant today. Thursday, Feb. 25th at 7:00pm until 8:00pm Register by visiting STELMO79.org Social Media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok have seemingly taken over the tech world but learning to navigate these platforms can be daunting. Join Pastoral Associate, Jasmine Gomez, on February 27th at 1pm for a brief virtual tutorial on some of the most popular social media platforms around. Register at STELMO79.org
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K-8 Parish Religious Education:
• We continue to meet online each Sunday morning at 10:15am. Zoom links are emailed each week to all registered families.
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! No registration is required – you can drop in any Sunday. 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.
On January 31, we celebrated the Rite of Acceptance and Welcome with our three catechumens (left) and our three candidates (right), along with their sponsors. This is a milestone for our catechumens, Ron Barth, Alissa Cherry, and Bob McCasky, who are preparing for Baptism, Confirmation, and First Eucharist at the Easter Vigil, and for our candidates, Lauren Basit, Brandon Bush, and Merrill Healy, already one with us in Christian Baptism, who are preparing for a Profession of Faith, Confirmation, and First Eucharist on Pentecost Sunday. Ruth Diaz and Jeison Diaz (not pictured) are also preparing for Confirmation on Pentecost Sunday. “Christ will be your strength! Learn to know and follow him!”
FINDING HOPE AND PEACE IN A TIME OF TRANSITION – LENT 2021 Ash Wednesday (February 17) – we begin Lent each year with ashes – a reminder of our mortality and our need for repentance. This year, due to the pandemic, physical contact is being avoided. Therefore, we will distribute blessed ashes the European way (which is actually a much older tradition) of sprinkling a pinch of ash on the top of each person’s head in silence. Distribution of Ashes will only be in the church, at the following times: 7:30am During Mass 12noon During Mass 3pm During a Prayer Service 6pm During Mass Fridays in Lent – Each Friday in Lent, we offer the following: 12noon Mass, followed by Stations of the Cross, followed by Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and time for private Adoration until 3pm. At 3pm, members of the community pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet, which is followed by Solemn Benediction. All of this takes place in the church. Every Friday, we offer Vespers (Evening Prayer of the Church) at 5:10pm in the St. Elizabeth of Hungary Chapel (406 E. 80th St.) All are welcome to this lovely 20-minute service of psalms, prayers, song, and silence. Saturdays in Lent – we will have Solemn Vespers (Evening Prayer of the Church) at 5pm in the church. Confessions are also heard in the church during this time. The Vigil Mass for Sunday follows at 5:30pm. Tuesdays in Lent - In response to the global pandemic, Pope Francis has written a wonderful book – Let Us Dream: The Path to a Better Future. Our Holy Father explores what this crisis can teach us about how to handle upheaval of any kind, and how, if we have the courage to change, we can emerge from the challenge better than before. Msgr. Ivers will lead us through an overview of this small but powerful book, with an emphasis on how it might be helpful in our personal lives, and in our parish community. We will also pray Vespers (Evening Prayer) at the beginning of each session. Join us for any or all of the three sessions, held on Tuesdays at 7pm in the St. Elizabeth of Hungary Chapel (406 E. 80th St.) The sessions will be live, and will also be livestreamed on our website for those unable to attend in person. You will have the opportunity to email questions to Msgr. Ivers during the session. Pope Francis’ book is available in hardcover or as an e-book, wherever you purchase books. Reading the book in advance will enhance your experience of this series, but is not required in order to participate. Part One: A Time to See Tuesday, March 2, 7pm Part Two: A Time to Choose Tuesday, March 9, 7pm Part Three: A Time to Act Tuesday, March 16, 7pm Wednesdays in Lent – The Social Justice Ministry in collaboration with Thrive For Life Prison Project invites you to pray Vespers on Wednesday nights during Lent via Zoom, starting Wednesday, February 17, 8-9pm. Register at STELMO79.org to receive the Zoom link. Here are the Church regulations for fasting and abstinence during Lent: - Everyone 14 years of age or older is bound to abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday, all the Fridays of Lent and Good Friday. - Everyone 18 or older, and under 59 years of age, is bound to fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. - On Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, only one full meatless meal is allowed. Two other meatless meals, sufficient to maintain strength, may be taken according to each one’s needs, but together they should not equal another full meal. Eating between meals is not permitted. - When health or ability to work would be seriously affected, the law does not oblige.
Five Minute Jesus
Using the Gospel for Prayer – The 1st Sunday in Lent – February 21, 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 Mark 1: 12-15 The Spirit drove Jesus out into the desert, and he remained in the desert for forty days, tempted by Satan. He was among wild beasts, and the angels ministered to him. After John had been arrested, Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God: “This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe in the gospel.” Monday Was there something in this reading that spoke to you? Comforted you? Challenged you? What was it and why did it have this effect on you? Tuesday The spirit descended upon Jesus and drove him to the desert. Deserts invite deep reflection on spiritual realities. As the comforts of the material world are stripped from our senses by the barrenness of a desert, we might turn our hearts toward God and seek to discover what is truly important in our lives. Take a moment now to turn to God and reflect and give God thanks for what is truly important in your life. Wednesday While in the desert, Jesus was tempted by Satan and had to deal with wild animals, but the angels looked after him. Who are the angels in your life who look after you? Take a moment now to pray for God’s blessings on their lives. Thursday Mark’s Gospel does not focus on how Jesus was tempted but was sure to mention that he was in the desert for 40 days. We’ve just begun our 40-day Lenten Journey. What tools can you use to help you through this desert time to help you draw closer to God at this time? Friday Jesus asks us to repent. Take a moment now to reflect on what God may be calling you to turn away from. Ask for the grace you need to make the necessary changes. Saturday Jesus calls us to believe in the Gospel, but we can infer that urging us to have is a commitment that is clearly demonstrated by the way we live because he asks us to repent first. How do you, in actions, demonstrate that you believe in the Gospel? Are there any areas for growth? Ask God for the graces you need to align your life just a bit more with the Gospel.
From the Pastor 02.14.21 Ash Wednesday and CoVID-19 For Catholics, Ash Wednesday is one of the most traditional of days. It means penitence and renewal. Basic to the day is receiving an ashen cross on our foreheads as a sign of our faith. This year however we have had to adapt many things and one of those things will be how we receive ashes. This year, when it comes time to distribute ashes after the homily, the priest will bless the ashes without water, and then stand in front of the congregation and speak the formula “Turn away from your sin and believe in the Gospel” or “Remember that you are dust and unto dust you shall return” ONLY ONCE, rather than saying this to each individual person. Then, we will process forward, as at communion time, and stand before the minister. We will BOW OUR HEADS, the minister will SPRINKLE ashes on the top of our head as a sign of our penance, and we will return to our seats. This method might seem strange but is the normal method in large areas of Europe. It is the way the Pope distributes ashes each year and it was the method recommended by the Vatican for the universal Church this year. Not every diocese will follow this directive, as the bishops have a great deal of freedom in adapting liturgical guidelines. Our own Cardinal Archbishop is giving us discretion in this matter, and so this year we will we begin our Lenten journey using the method recommended by the Vatican. And While We Are at It . . . I guess it’s probably pretty obvious that ashes are not the only thing that will be different this year. Holy Week, with its processions and celebrations will look somewhat different. There will be palms On Palm Sunday, and they will be blessed, but without Holy Water. Also, since we cannot reuse booklets, there will be no responsorial reading of the Passion. We have something else planned which we hope will be beautiful and prayerful. On Holy Thursday there will be no washing of the feet. The procession to the repository will be much simpler than the grand procession we had to the Parish Center chapel 2 years ago. We will still have the repository (in the main church this year) But the church will only be open until 10, and there will be no Compline. On Good Friday the veneration of the cross will take place, but it will be contactless; we will come forward, bow or genuflect, but no kissing. At the Easter Vigil we will have the fire outside, but since the masses from Holy Thursday through Easter are ticketed, only people with tickets will be allowed to enter for the liturgy itself. Things will be relatively normal at the mass, though we will not sprinkle people with Holy Water at all during the Easter season. This is not the only time we will talk about the changes during Holy Week. We will speak about it from the altar as we get closer, and there will be more info on the website and in the bulletin. In fact, on our website there is a wonderful video made by a bishop in Wisconsin explaining how to receive ashes this year. Check it out before you come. And remember: all Holy Week liturgies will be livestreamed. Fr. Baker
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