July 18, 2021

Parish life Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

7/18/2021

Parish Life (Page 5)

Five Minute Jesus

( Page 8 )

Just a Word (Page 9)

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.

Mass Intentions

Saturday, July 17th Vigil 5:30pm Luis Antonio Valencia Sunday, July 18th Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time 8:00am Rev. Dennis Diehl 10:00am Annette Caraccia 12:00pm All Parishioners 5:00pm Rcco Conti

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, July 19th Weekday

12pm

Antonio Vanegas (Living)

Tuesday, July 20th Weekday

12pm

Annette Williams Wednesday, July 21st Weekday

12pm

Walter & Mary Ferber

Thursday, July 22nd St. Mary Magdalene

12pm

Thanksgiving Friday, July 23rd Weekday Victor Valero

12:00pm

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, July 24th Weekday 12:00pm

Mary J. Reilly

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

Baptism Announcement

Today, July 18th, there will be a

Baptism service at1:30PM

At this service we will be baptizing:

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 Jennifer DeMello, Brenda Jines, Mary & Bill Bendik, Rolan Tejada, Sean Callahan, Allyce Fucigna, Zita Silverman, Joan McKegney, Michael Berry, Andres Rodriguez, James Mooney & all those ill with or recovering from the COVID-19 virus and all Victims of Military Activities PRAYERS FOR THE DECEASED Alex Kiss, Patricia Mallie, Charles Gyure, Victoria Vittini, Maria C. Valderrama, Barbara Tamerin, Hans Labege, Jim Fahy, Jacqueline Gesske, Patricia Morales & Rev. Gerard DiSenso

Georgia Lee Cincotta Please join us in congratulating: Stephen Cicontta & Monica Lee 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 — I shall gather the remnant of my flock and bring them back to their meadow (Jeremiah 23:1-6).

Psalm — The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want (Psalm 23).

Second Reading — You who were once far off have become near by the blood of Christ (Ephesians 2:13-18).

Gospel — When Jesus saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, and he began to teach them many things (Mark 6:30-34).

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:

Tuesday:

Wednesday:

Thursday:

Friday:

Saturday:

Sunday:

Ex 14:5-18; Ex 15:1bc-6; Mt 12:38-42 Ex 14:21 — 15:1; Ex 15:8-10, 12, 17;Mt 12:46-50 Ex 16:1-5, 9-15; Ps 78:18-19, 23-28;Mt 13:1-9 Sg 3:1-4b or 2 Cor 5:14-17; Ps 63:2-6, 8-9; Jn 20:1-2, 11-18 Ex 20:1-17; Ps 19:8-11; Mt 13:18-23 Ex 24:3-8; Ps 50:1b-2, 5-6, 14-15; Mt 13:24-30 2 Kgs 4:42-44; Ps 145:10-11, 15-18;Eph 4:1-6; Jn 6:1-15

Online Degrees and Certificates in Theology through Saint Joseph's Seminary!

-100% online -Expand your understanding of the Catholic faith -Affordable Tuition -Faithful to the Magisterium -Conveniently scheduled classes More information: www.dunwoodie.edu

Thank you, Saint Joseph's Seminary Academic Office

Par � L�fe FINDING GOD IN THE

Last weekend, we

PANDEMIC 2020-2021

announced that at our

Fr. Jim Dugan, SJ invites you to

Annual Parish Feast Day

participate in the 4 sessions of

celebration (which will take

1.5 hours from 7:00-8:30 pm

place on September 26th),

each on the following

we would like to offer

Wednesdays in August: 4, 11,

finger foods that reflect the cultural heritage of our

18, 25 to be held in the Parish

parish members. We invite everyone to think of a dish

Center located at 406 East 80th Street, New York.

they’d like to contribute and call Gladys, Parish

This seminar will offer the participants an opportunity

Administrative Assistant, so that their dish may be

to reflect on and share their experience of the

added to the menu. Gladys can be reached at

Coronavirus/Covid-19. While recalling the onset of

212-288-6250.

the pandemic in NYC on March 1, 2020, we will examine the personal, social, emotional, spiritual/religious dimensions as they developed and have been experienced individually and communally.

The experience of social distancing, masking, isolation, and engaging with doctors or family members and friends have provoked a great deal of discussion and necessitated changes in personal habits and proved challenging and stressful to many. In addition, the understanding, desirability, and availability of the Covid-19 vaccine had brought with it extended discussion, confusion, rancor and conversely protection, security and peace to the public.

Throughout our discussion we will look to the media, science, personal experience and sacred scripture and prayer as we explore the meaning and relevance of the pandemic and its manifestations in our lives and world.

To register please call the Parish Center at (212) 288-6250.

FREE MEALS New York City is committed to providing free mealsall summer!

To find the nearest location where you can receive free nutritious food, call 311, text “NYC Food” to 877-877 or visit https://tinyurl.com/4686mnat

✔ Free Breakfast or Lunch ✔ NO identification or registration is necessary ✔ Vegetarian meals are available at all locations pg. 5

K-8 Parish Religious Education:

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

Registration for Fall:

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

• 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

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.

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). 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:

The Archdiocese of New York requires two consecutive years of religious formation (either in a Catholic School, or a Parish Religious Education program) prior to the celebration of First Communion (normally in 2nd grade) and Confirmation (normally in 8th grade.) If, due to the pandemic, your child is entering the 2nd grade or the 8th grade, and was not in any religious formation 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.

• The child must be a baptized Catholic (a copy of the baptismal certificate is required) • For First Communion, the child must be entering 2nd grade (or higher) in the Fall • For Confirmation, the child must be entering 8th grade (or higher) in the Fall • The child must also be enrolled for 2021-2022 in either Parish Religious Education, or in a Catholic School, to celebrate the sacraments in Spring of 2022 • Successful completion of the course will earn credit for the first of two years of sacramental preparation • This is a one-time offer, due to the constraints of the pandemic year!

• The course will consist of home study with the family, and daily Zoom sessions (no on-site requirement) • For rising 2nd graders, the Zoom sessions will be Aug. 23-27, and Aug. 30-Sept. 3, 6:30-7pm • For rising 8th graders, the Zoom sessions will be Aug. 23-27, and Aug. 30-Sept. 3, 7:15-8pm • Fee is $50, and includes a text, resource materials emailed home, and instruction by Maryann Tyrer • Register online at stelmo79.org, or in person at the parish center during office hours • Registration deadline for either course is Monday, August 16, 2021. Contact Maryann for more info.

Five Minute Jesus Using the Gospel for Prayer – 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time – July 25, 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 John 6:1-15 Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee. A large crowd followed him, because they saw the signs he was performing on the sick. Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples. The Jewish feast of Passover was near. When Jesus raised his eyes and saw that a large crowd was coming to him, he said to Philip, “Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?” He said this to test him, because he himself knew what he was going to do. Philip answered him, “Two hundred days’ wages worth of food would not be enough for each of them to have a little.” One of his disciples, Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, said to him, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what good are these for so many?”

Jesus said, “Have the people recline.” Now there was a great deal of grass in that place. So the men reclined, about five thousand in number. Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks,and distributed them to those who were reclining, and also as much of the fish as they wanted. When they had had their fill, he said to his disciples, “Gather the fragments left over, so that nothing will be wasted.” So they collected them, and filled twelve wicker baskets with fragments from the five barley loavesthat had been more than they could eat.

When the people saw the sign he had done, they said, “This is truly the Prophet, the one who is to come into the world.” Since Jesus knew that they were going to come and carry him off to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain alone.

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 The crowds following Jesus had seen the signs he was performing on the sick. Where in your life do you need healing? Turn to Jesus for that healing.

Wednesday What comes to mind when you hear “The Bread of Life?” Over the next few weeks, we will be hearing the Bread of Life Discourse from John’s Gospel, beginning with this story of the feeding of the 5000. Let’s begin with this question: For what do you hunger? Tell Jesus of your hunger.

Thursday When Jesus saw the crowd, he asked his disciples how they might provide food for all those people. Philip points out the unsurmountable cost, while Andrew points out the resources they have in the boy’s loaves and fishes. Do you identify with Philip or with Andrew? How might you have replied to Jesus?

Friday Jesus gives thanks before distributing the bread to the crowd. There is a strong Christian tradition of saying Grace before meals, that is, of giving thanks to God, the source of our food and all else that we need. Is it a tradition in your family? If not, it’s never too late to begin.

Saturday Jesus provides far more food than the crowd can eat, so he has his disciples gather up the leftovers. This is often the case – God responds with more than we could ask or even imagine. Reflect on how God has responded to your needs with an abundance of goodness.

From the Pastor 07.18.2021 “When the coin in the coffer rings . . . “ . . . the soul from purgatory springs!” this cry was part of the preaching of the 16th century Dominican Friar Johannes Tetzel. Tetzel was infamous for his fiery sermons, cajoling and frightening people into purchasing indulgences. This sale was for a young Martin Luther a fundamental part of what was wrong with the Church.

What is an indulgence? To understand this, we must see that actions have consequences. We give money in charity, and people are helped. We steal, and people go hungry. Thus, every sin has two aspects: the act itself and its consequences. God forgives the act, but its effects remain. The Church taught that it’s like getting struck with an arrow. Forgiveness is the removal of the arrow. But the wound still must be healed. The effects of sin must be dealt with if we are to become the people God calls us to be. The Roman Catholic Church speaks of a state after death for all who, though forgiven, must still make amends for the sins they have committed. It is a place of preparation for heaven where we are purged, hence “Purgatory”.

Over the centuries much was made of the fires of Purgatory. Fear of those flames was what drove the preaching of clerics like Tetzel to encourage people to buy an indulgence. An indulgence was a “get out of jail free” card, based on the power to “bind and loose” given by Jesus to Peter, and according to the Church, his successors, the popes. You could purchase an indulgence for yourself, or for your loved ones, living or deceased which would make amends for the effects of sin.

You can see where this mix of fear, concern, and money could lead. Luther’s preaching against the sale of indulgences was the spark which started the Protestant reformation. After the Reformation, the Church addressed the abuses Luther criticized. However, although they ended the sale of indulgences, the theology which underpinned them remains. Part of that is belief in Purgatory.

Purgatory is a disputed belief. Orthodox Christians believe in the purification, but not the place. Protestant Christians neither believe in the place nor see the need for the purification. However, for Catholics, purgatory is part of Church teaching. It is why we do penance, pray for one another, and offer masses for the living and the dead. It is why at the start of mass the priest will say, “This mass is offered for the repose of the soul of …” and names someone who has died. We are remembering deceased friends and loved ones, yes; but we are also praying that the time of their purification be short and that their soul find rest with God in heaven.

Having masses said for our deceased loved ones is not that important in some parishes. But it is here at St. Monica’s! When we open the Mass Book each September, which is the book where we record the intentions for all the masses in a given year, it is often filled within a few months. That means that people who might want to have a mass offered later on in the year, cannot. Many people are frustrated at this.

As a result, we are going to introduce a solution. It is not a new one, in fact it is an old one, but one which will enable people to have masses offered at which their deceased loved one will be mentioned by name, and will be remembered in the sacrifice of the Mass.

The solution is called a Purgatorial Society (hence all my explanations above). To find out how this society will work, return next week and read our Parish Manager Mike Ward’s column!

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: July 18th, 2021 SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS: PLEASE PRINT 450 BULLETINS FOR THIS WEEK’S ISSUE