The Roman Catholic Parish of
Saint Monica Saint Elizabeth of Hungary Saint Stephen of Hungary ————————————————————————————————————— Church : 413 East 79th St. New York, NY 10075 Parish Center: 406 East 80th St. New York, NY 10075 Tel.:(212) 288-6250 Fax: (212) 570 - 1562 www.STELMO79.org www.facebook.com/stelmo79
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The Presentation of the Lord–February 2nd, 2020
Office Hours
Parish Staff
Our Offices are open: Mo. 9am – 5pm Tu.-Th. 9am – 7pm Fri. Closed Sat. 10am -2pm Sun. Closed Our offices close for lunch: 1pm – 2pm daily
Pastor:
Rev. Donald C. Baker
frdcab@stelmo79.org
Associate:
Rev. Msgr. Leslie J. Ivers
msgrlivers@stelmo79.org
Weekend Associates:
Parish Manager: Music Director:
Rev. Jim O’Shea Rev. Tony Ciorra Ms. Maryann Tyrer Ms. Jasmine Gomez Mr. Michael Ward Mr. John Zupan
mtyrer@stelmo79.org jgomez@stelmo79.org mward@stelmo79.org jzupan@stelmo79.org
Wedding Coordinator:
Ms. Debbi Burdett
DBweddingsnyc@gmail.com
Pastoral Associates:
Mass Schedule Saturday Vigil: 5:30pm Sunday: 8:00am,10:00am,12:00pm,5:00pm Monday – Saturday: 12:00pm Confessions: Saturday: 5:00 – 5:30pm and by appointment Our church is open: 7:15am – 3:30pm daily for private prayer Vespers (evening prayer): 5:10pm Fridays in Parish Center Chapel St.
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
S
MISSION STATEMENT The Roman Catholic Parish of St. Monica, St. Elizabeth of Hungary and 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 and 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. TODAY’S READINGS First Reading — There will come to the temple the LORD whom you seek (Malachi 3:1-4). Psalm — Who is this king of glory? It is the Lord! (Psalm 24). Second Reading — Jesus had to become like his brothers and sisters in every way to help the descendants of Abraham (Hebrews 2:14-18). Gospel — The just and pious Simeon proclaims the infant Jesus to be a revealing light to the Gentiles, the glory of the people Israel (Luke 2:22-40 [2232]). 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: Tuesday: Wednesday: Thursday: Friday: Saturday: Sunday:
2 Sm 15:13-14, 30; 16:5-13; Ps 3:2-7;Mk 5:1-20 2 Sm 18:9-10, 14b, 24-25a, 30 19:3; Ps 86:1-6; Mk 5:21-43 2 Sm 24:2, 9-17; Ps 32:1-2, 5-7; Mk 6:1-6 1 Kgs 2:1-4, 10-12; 1 Chr 29:10-12; Mk 6:7-13 Sir 47:2-11; Ps 18:31, 47, 50, 51; Mk 6:14-29 1 Kgs 3:4-13; Ps 119:9-14; Mk 6:30-34 Is 58:7-10; Ps 112:4-9; 1 Cor 2:1-5;Mt 5:13-1
SATURDAY 5:30PM
February 1st Vigil Yolanda Escanio
SUNDAY 8:00AM 10:00AM 12NOON 5PM
February 2nd The Presentation of the Lord Mary Halton (Living) Luke (Red) Gibbons All Parishioners Zulma & Pablo Martinez
MONDAY 12NOON
February 3rd Weekday Jean Mulhern
TUESDAY 12NOON
February 4th Weekday Thanksgiving to St. Agata
WEDNESDAY February 5th St. Agatha 12NOON Jozsef Tomahatsch THURSDAY 12NOON
February 6th St. Paul Miki Walter & Mary Ferber
FRIDAY 12NOON
February 7th Weekday Maureen Brosnan
SATURDAY 12NOON
February 8th Weekday Margaret DiCarlo
Bread & Wine This Week’s Bread & Wine Intentions for John Cronin
Offered by Kitty O’Donoghue
Sanctuary Lamp This Weeks’ Sanctuary Lamp Intentions for J.P Brady Offered by Kitty O’Donoghue
If you wish to add the name of a loved one to the prayer list, please notify the parish center: (212) 288-6250
K-8 Religious Education • We are in session each Sunday, 10:15-11:45am in the Parish Center. • No sessions on February 16 – Winter Break st • Our next Family Faith Formation will be on Sunday, March 1 , 9-11:45am. Mark your calendars! Adult Faith Formation • Our Sunday Morning Scripture Discussion Group is in session, and runs 10:15-11:45am in the Parish Center each Sunday that Religious Education is in session. This group is open to any and all adults – you can become a “regular,” or just drop in occasionally as your schedule allows. Make a New Year’s resolution to deepen your faith! • Save the dates for our next Icon Painting Workshop – March 2-6! More details will be coming soon. Adult Sacraments • Adults thinking about becoming Catholic, or Catholic adults who have missed First Communion or Confirmation – it’s never too late! Contact Maryann Tyrer, Pastoral Associate, to discuss our adult initiation process. You can begin the process any time throughout the year. Sessions are held on Sunday in the Parish Center following the noon Mass. All inquirers are welcome! St. Blaise nd • Blessing of Throats after all Masses on Sunday, February 2 , and at the Noon Mass on Monday, February 3rd.
The Feast of St. Blaise Saint Blaise (sometimes spelled Blase) was the bishop of Sebaste in Armenia in the early 4th century. While little is known of his life, he is believed to have been martyred during the persecution of Christians. Although we know few facts about Saint Blaise, stories about him have long been part of our revered and received Christian tradition. He was said to have been not only a bishop, but also a physician. And one story handed down to us says he miraculously saved a boy who was choking to death on a fish bone. As this story spread, people began praying to Saint Blaise for healing, especially from diseases of the throat. Devotion to Saint Blaise became very popular in the Middle Ages. And to this day, we still celebrate Saint Blaise’s feast day (optional memorial) on February 3rd with the Blessing of Throats. Two candles which were blessed the day before (February 2nd - the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord) are tied together with red ribbon in the shape of a cross. These candles are then touched to our throats as Saint Blaise is invoked to intercede for us that God may deliver us from diseases of the throat and all other illnesses. Text ©2007 by Sandra A. Chakeres. All rights reserved. The Institute for Christian Formation. PO Box 20174, Cincinnati, OH 45220. www.instituteforchristianformation.org. “Through the intercession of St. Blaise, bishop and martyr, may God deliver you from every disease of the throat and from every other illness, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” - from the Roman Missal
Blessing of Throats after all Masses on Sunday, February 2 and during the Noon Mass on Monday, February 3
SPECIAL DEVOTIONS
TREASURES FROM OUR TRADITION
After all weekday masses
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.
February 5 “Of noble birth and great beauty,” so the ancient accounts describe Saint Agatha, martyred during an early persecution for refusing a powerful Roman’s offer of marriage, since she had consecrated her virginity to Christ. An early preacher, Saint Methodius, reflects instead on her name, noting that, in Greek, Agatha means “good,” goodness being something we can all strive for, nobly born or common, blessed with beauty—or not! So brutal the tortures that violated her youthful innocence, Agatha, like Agnes and several other women martyrs, was honored from time immemorial by having her name inscribed in the Roman Canon (Eucharistic Prayer I). Long invoked as protector against earthquakes—Mount Etna erupted as she was being tortured—recent attention has focused on the particularly cruel torture decreed for Agatha, the cutting off of her breasts. This has inspired cancer survivors to promote Saint Agatha as patron and intercessor for women courageously facing breast cancer, for their families and the multitude of supporters who participate in fund-raising marches and races, and, of course, for the dedicated researchers who seek a cure. —Peter Scagnelli, Copyright © J. S. Paluch Co.
PRAYERS FOR THE SICK
SAINTS & SPECIAL OBSERVANCES
Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament Every Friday after the Noon Mass to 3 PM, with Benediction following the Divine Mercy Chaplet Devotions Miraculous Medal on Mondays after each Mass Divine Mercy The Divine Mercy Chaplet is prayed each Friday afternoon at 3 PM Sacrament of Reconciliation: 5:00 PM on Saturdays Anytime by appointment BAPTISMS & MARRIAGES: Please call the rectory office for more information.
Please remember in your prayers Luis Cesar, Antonio Crispino, Patricia Kaye, Aura Jimenez, Zulma Power, Antoinette Paone, Christopher Sanchez, Richard Baldwin, Fr. Jim O’Shea, Mary Scrapits, Judith Baron, Glenn Allen & Jean Stephens
ALL VICTIMS OF MILITARY ACTIVITY
PRAYERS FOR THE DECEASED Please pray for our deceased parishioners and family members Michael Gomez, Donald Carroll, Richard Brown, Carolina Ferrier, Eileen Maloney, Adriana Vellucci, Pietro Cicaglione, Sophia Kaszinski, Albert Walsh, Austin Mulhern, Scott Principe, & Jose Gutierrez
Sunday:
The Presentation of the Lord; Blessing of Candles; World Day for Consecrated Life; Boy Scouting Sunday; Groundhog Day Monday: Fourth Week in Ordinary Time; St. Blaise; St. Ansgar Wednesday: St. Agatha Thursday: St. Paul Miki and Companions Friday: First Friday Saturday: St. Jerome Emiliani; St. Josephine Bakhita; International Day of Prayer and Awareness against Human Trafficking; Blessed Virgin Mary
Care for Our Common Home ("Green Team") All are welcome to the monthly meeting, of the Care For Our Common Home group this Wednesday, February 5th at 6:30 in the Parish Center. At our January meeting, the team agreed this year we would focus on: • Education • Service • Advocacy At this month’s meeting, we will talk about our recent conversations with some of the faculty at St. Stephen’s School, and how we can incorporate the spirit of caring for our common home into their curriculum and recycling efforts. In addition, we will continue to look at ways that we can educate ourselves to reduce our own individual carbon footprints and that of the parish infrastructure. We will discuss the details of our upcoming Service Day at Carl Schurz Park at the beginning of Laudato Si week on May 16th. And we will talk about what opportunities there are for advocacy in cooperation with other local and national groups. We hope to see you there! Candle Blessing February 2nd, 2020 3-3:15PM Candle Blessing at St. Monica-St. Elizabeth & St. Stephen of Hungary In honor of the Presentation of the Lord, come and have your candles blessed! These blessed candles serve as both a reminder that Jesus is the light of the world and an invitation to prayer.
SENIOR MINISTRY NEWS
The Senior Ministry invites you to their Mass, potluck lunch & movie. Friday, February 21st, 2020 12-4PM in the Angelo Room at the Parish Center Movie: "The Two Popes" Benedict & Pope Francis Group discussion will follow All Are Welcome
Second Sunday Social
February 9th, 2020 1-3PM Second Sunday Social Starting in the back of the church Join the Social Justice Ministry team for an informational meeting to become an English Conversation Partner! This English Conversation Program helps migrants improve their English language skills which helps them better adjust to their surroundings and secure employment. This project is in collaboration with Catholic Charities. No prior experience or knowledge of a second language is required. Please send all RSVPs to Pastoral Associate, Jasmine Gomez jgomez@stelmo79.org.
From your Pastor February 2nd, 2020 The Lighting From time to time in my columns I have given glimpses into the inner world of priests. I have spoken about how we live, what we do, and occasionally what we think. It shouldn’t surprise anyone that as professional Church people, we can be a little . . . wry? Ironic? cynical? For example: Question: “What is the Roman definition of a secret?” Answer: “Something so confidential you can tell only one person at a time.” When a cleric always has to be the center of attention, we might say: “He has to be the bride at every wedding and the corpse at every funeral!”. A particular favorite of mine is uttered whenever we are promised that there will be a change in how we do things as a Church: Statement: “Change is coming!” response: “Yeah, so is Jesus.” I share that, not to scandalize you, but to humanize us. And also, because I think that, given some of the things I have spoken in this column over the past several months, you might share in our priestly humor. “New Lighting is coming!” “A new Sound System is coming!” “New Confessionals are coming!” I can almost hear some thinking, “Yeah, so is Jesus.” I am so sorry that there are such delays. Actually, when we last spoke with Monte Brothers, the company that will do the work on the sound system, they are on track to begin later this winter. The new confessionals are being designed. However, we have been particularly concerned that the relighting of our church be carried out according to our wishes. Currently we are the beneficiaries of a temporary solution that is due to be replaced, along with the rest of the lighting, with a modern illumination system that will be adjustable, capable of creating different lighting environments and moods, and will include the repair of the façade illumination of St. Monica Church, which has not worked for some time. All the lights which illumined the arches and washed the walls and windows with light, most of which are now burned out, will be replaced. And each of the shrines which will soon adorn the air conditioner risers will also be illuminated.
If it sounds like a big project, it is. So big that Brightcore, our lighting company, needed a reset to assure that we get want we want. Moreover, as we begin to look at the calendar, we realized that to do the job properly might have meant we would have scaffolding up in the church during Lent; maybe even during Holy Week. That would have been unacceptable. So, we have delayed the replacement of the lighting system until May. By then, Easter will be over, First Communions and Confirmation will have been celebrated, and we will have a little breathing room to take care of this important project. In the meantime, just remember; it is an article of faith: Jesus IS coming! But new lighting will (probably) be here first. Father Baker