July 19, 2020

Sixteenth Sunday In Ordinary Time

July 19, 2020

Business Corner (PAGE 5)

JUST A WORD from your Pastor ((Page 9))

MINISTRIES UPDATE (Page 4)

Scan to eReader

July 19th, 2020 Bulletin.indd 1

7/18/20 1:42 PM

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. Jim O’Shea and 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 ............................................................. 9:00 am - 5:00 pm Tuesday - Thursday ....................................... 9:00 am - 7:00 pm Friday .......................................................Closed

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

Mass Intentions

Saturday, July 18th, Vigil

5:30 pm

8:00 am

Kathy Coen

10:00 am

Estrella Flores

12:00 pm All Parishioners 5:00 pm Anne Brennan

Monday, July 20th Weekday

12:00pm Csiki Istvan

Tuesday, July 21st Weekday

12:00pm

Bernice & Peter D. Hogan, Sr.

Wednesday, July 22nd St. Mary Magdalene

12:00pm The Anderson Family (Living & Dec.)

Sunday ..................................................... Closed

Thursday, July 23rd Weekday

12:00pm

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

Sunday, July 19th, Sixteenth Sunday

In Ordinary Time

Saturday ................................................. 10:00 am - 2:00 pm Closed for Lunch Weekdays......................1:00 pm - 2:00 pm

Rita Wayne

Friday, July 24th Weekday

12:00pm

Kathleen M. Reddington

Richie Kavanaugh

Saturday, July 25th St. James

12:00pm

Zachary Edward Perry

For Mass Intentions, please visit the Parish Center.

July 19th, 2020 Bulletin.indd 2

7/18/20 1:42 PM

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:

Treasures of our Tradition SAINT SHARBEL MAKHLŪF (1828-1898) July 24 The convenience store owner chatted animatedly in Arabic with coworkers, but hardly at all with his American clientele. So soon after 9/11, he probably figured, with my accent, the less said, the better. That changed when an American customer recognized Saint Sharbel’s portrait on the wall: “So you’re Lebanese Maronites!” The owner was happily incredulous: “You know our saint?” “Not at first,” the customer admitted. “But we help the Catholic Near East Welfare Association, and their magazine published that picture and called Sharbel the ‘Paradoxical Artisan of Peace.’ ” “Everyone thinks we’re Muslims,” said the owner, “and some of my workers are. Saint Sharbel helps us live together in peace!” A hermit for twenty-three years, little is known of Sharbel’s life. He died after suffering a stroke while celebrating the liturgy. Miracles attributed to his intercession number in the thousands, and in war-torn Lebanon, Catholics, Orthodox, and Muslims pray together where his incorrupt body is entombed. How lovely if after our passing, we too could be remembered for having brought very different people to the one God, together in peace.

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

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 First Reading — You taught your people that those who are just must likewise be kind bring communion to them.

Today’s Readings

Please remember in your prayers PRAYERS FOR THE SICK Nancy Hermann & Joseph Catalano All victims of military activity

(Wisdom 12:13, 16-19).

Psalm — Lord, you are good and forgiving (Psalm 86).

Second Reading — The Spirit comes to aid us in our weakness (Romans 8:26-27).

Gospel — Jesus proposes parables to the crowds, teaching them of the reign of God (Matthew 13:24-43 [24-30]).

PRAYERS FOR THE DECEASED

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

Please pray for our deceased parishioners & family members:

Readings for the week

Robert Atkinson, Mimi Simon, Robert Castro,

Monday: Mi 6:1-4, 6-8; Ps 50:5-6, 8-9, 16bc-17,

21,23; Mt 12:38-42 Tuesday: Mi 7:14-15, 18-20; Ps 85:2-8; Mt 12:46-50 Wednesday: Sg 3:1-4b or 2 Cor 5:14-17;

Ps 63:2-6, 8-9; Jn 20:1-2, 11-18 Thursday: Jer 2:1-3, 7-8, 12-13; Ps 36:6-7ab, 8-11; Mt 13:10-17 Friday: Jer 3:14-17; Jer 31:10-12abcd, 13; Mt 13:18-23 Saturday: 2 Cor 4:7-15; Ps 126:1bc-6; Mt 20:20-28 Sunday: 1 Kgs 3:5, 7-12; Ps 119:57, 72, 76-77,

127-130; Rom 8:28-30; Mt 13:44-52 [44-46]

Judith Baron & Catherine Zemann

July 19th, 2020 Bulletin.indd 3

7/18/20 1:42 PM

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

On June 30th at 7:30pm, our Young Adult Ministry (ages 18-39) in collaboration with the Senior Ministry, will host a discussion on the film Selma! Register for the virtual discussion by visiting our website: stelmo79.org by July 29th.

This film viewing and discussion is the second in a series that is dedicated to the topic of Race and Racism.

Confessions happen every Saturday in the St. Elizabeth of Hungary Chapel (408 East 80th St.) from 5-5:30pm and by appointment.

Contact our Parish office if you would like more information.

St. Monica’s Green Team is going virtual!

Please mark your calendars for our first-ever Zoom meeting on Thursday, July 23, at 6:30 pm. If you would like to participate, please send an email to GreenTeam@stelmo79.org, and we will send you a Zoom invitation. The Green Team, also known as the Care for Our Common Home ministry, works to protect the natural world in accordance with the teachings of Pope Francis.

On July 23, we will discuss the upcoming Season of Creation (September 1 to October 4) and what we as a parish can do to celebrate. We look forward to seeing you then!

July 19th, 2020 Bulletin.indd 4

7/18/20 1:42 PM

Business Corner As of the publication of this bulletin, the parish office has been open for roughly a month and we are in the midst of our 4th weekend back at mass. The parish staff has been interactive with many of our fellow parishioners and many others have heard Father Baker and Monsignor Ivers welcome you back at mass. As this is my first formal communication since reopening, I too wish to say‌WELCOME BACK! These last few months have been trying for all of us, in many ways. Since our arrival to Yorkville, Father Baker has set out to build not just a parish, but a community. I am sure like me, many of you missed the routine, comfort, faith & joy that this parish community brings each and every day. On behalf of the entire parish staff, please know that we are excited and motivated to be back to work, and are eager to pick up where we left off, in working with the parish community in building and supporting this great parish of ours.

Financial Impact from COVID-19 I make it a point to share at the end of each column, or when I meet with a parish group or ministry, that I am always available to meet with any parishioner that wants to speak in detail on the parish’s financials and/or secular business practices. I am stressing that point again now as the financial impact of the pandemic will be a long recovery. The road to recovery is a long road because it is not just about the parish & school financials; the financials of our individual parishioners, our tenants, the archdiocese, the stock market and the city & state will all have impact on when & if we return to pre-pandemic financials. So again, anyone that has concerns and wants to meet, please email me at mward@stelmo79.org and we will set up a meeting.

We will be issuing the year-end report this October as we did last year, and naturally that will have great detail surrounding the virus. As a reminder, our fiscal year runs from September 1- August 31. The parish is currently projecting a loss of $100,000 for fiscal year 2020 (FY ending August 31, 2020). Our budget for FY 21 (Sept. 1, 2020-August 31, 2021) projects a loss of $105,000. We are hoping at this time that FY22 will return to running an operation with a modest surplus. If that happens, and the parish loses approx. $200,000 over an 18-month period due to the COVID-19 pandemic, overall, we should count ourselves lucky. Due to the sale of air rights, we have reserves and we would be able to absorb that loss from reserves. Our ultimate goal is to make sure the parish community that has been developed since merger, continues to thrive & grow, and comes out of this period of time as strong as ever.

Safety Measures in the Church Guillermo Vanegas, our Plant Manager, with assistance from our sacristan Pedro Pizarro and part-time custodian Richard Iverary, do an excellent job in keeping the entirety of the plant, including the church very clean. Since reopening, Guillermo has modified the janitorial schedule so that all areas are being cleaned multiple times a week. On the weekends, in between every mass, the pews are being sanitized and the bathrooms are being cleaned.

In addition to our custodial staff cleaning, we have been working with a sanitizing company that has an organic disinfectant spray, which keeps surfaces sterilized for up to 90 days. We had the company spray the church back in April for private prayer, and the company visited the church again prior to mass reopening; we will have the company return quarterly as an added means to keep the church clean and sterile.

We are also in the process of having N95 Filters installed into the church air conditioning system to make sure the air is properly filtered.

The safety and health of our parishioners is on the forefront of our concerns as we navigate these times and we will continue to work to ensure we keep a sanitary environment for all.

Mike Ward Parish Manager

July 19th, 2020 Bulletin.indd 5

7/18/20 1:42 PM

Sacramental Celebrations that were postponed in the Spring have been rescheduled as follows: • St. Stephen of Hungary 1st Communion – Saturday, September 19, 10am o Rehearsals will be during school days • Parish Religious Ed and Caedmon 1st Communion – Sunday, September 20, at the 10am Mass o Rehearsal for candidates and a parent– Thursday, September 17, 4pm • Confirmation for SSH group and parish group – Sunday, October 4, 2pm o Rehearsal for candidates and sponsors – Saturday, Oct. 3 at 10am

K-8 Religious Education • K-8 Religious Education will be online (via ZOOM) this Fall! We hope this will make it easier for your children to participate regularly, and allay your fears about the COVID-19 pandemic. We simply do not have the space to allow for necessary social distancing. No ZOOM account is necessary - you will be sent a link to connect each Sunday morning. All you need is internet access and a tablet or computer. This method of delivery has been approved by the Archdiocese of New York and by our pastor and will fulfill all Archdiocesan and parish requirements.

• Registration is now open. You may download the form on our website, complete it, attach a check, and mail it in, OR, you may register in person and pay fees at the parish center. New registrations must include a copy of the child’s baptismal certificate.

• Once you have completed registration, you will be notified of the dates when you can pick up your child’s textbook and support materials. Parent meetings will be offered in September via ZOOM. • The first K-8 Religious Education session is Sunday, October 4, 2020, at 10:15am. Registration must be completed by October 1. We hope the delayed start will allow everyone to settle in at school and prepare for the new religious education format.

Sacramental Preparation for Children and Teens • First Penance, First Communion, Confirmation o The Archdiocese of New York requires two years of either Catholic School or Parish Religious Education immediately before the reception of First Communion (2nd grade or up) or Confirmation (8th grade or up). o First Penance and First Communion have an at-home component that is to be completed in addition to regular attendance in Religious Education.

Adult Faith Formation – open to all adults!

• Sunday Morning Scripture Discussions resume on October 18, 10:15-11:45am at the Parish Center • Friday Evening Prayer year round in the chapel at 5:10pm each week – all are welcome Adults who are thinking about becoming Catholic, or Catholic adults who are missing First Communion and/or Confirmation - contact Maryann Tyrer, Pastoral Associate, to discuss our adult initiation process. You can begin the process any time throughout the year.

Want to volunteer? Many different opportunities are available, with various time commitments – Contact Maryann to discuss how your gifts might meet our needs.

July 19th, 2020 Bulletin.indd 6

7/18/20 1:42 PM

CONGRATULATIONS!

Our Elect (those adults preparing for Baptism, Confirmation, and First Communion in the RCIA process), Brad Ludwin and Bal G. Das, (finally) celebrated their Sacraments of Initiation on Sunday, July 12, at the 12noon Mass! They had been preparing since last Fall, and we had planned on celebrating their sacraments at the Easter Vigil this past April 11.

But then the Coronavirus shut us down, and we had to postponed everything. But now that we are back to our regular Mass schedule, we were able to finally welcome these gentlemen into the Catholic Faith.

Our Candidates for Full Communion, Carolyn Koleszar and Louisa Jelaco, already baptized in other Christian denominations, will make a Profession of Faith, be received into the Catholic Church, celebrate Confirmation, and receive their First Communion at a later date this summer.

If you feel God may be nudging you to become Catholic, or to complete your Sacraments of Initiation, please contact Maryann Tyrer. You may begin the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) Process at any time of the year!

BEREAVEMENT MINISTRY We are launching a new ministry here at the parish this fall for anyone who has lost a loved one over the past couple of years. Programming will begin in November, but we need to begin now to recruit and form a team for this ministry. If you feel God calling you to assist those who are grieving, to listen to their stories with compassion and affirmation, please contact Maryann Tyrer for further discussion. No prior experience is needed, although it would be welcomed. The Archdiocese will provide training once we have formed a team.

July 19th, 2020 Bulletin.indd 7

7/18/20 1:42 PM

Five Minute Jesus

Using the Gospel for Prayer – 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time – July 26, 2020 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 Matthew 13:44-52 Jesus said to his disciples: “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls.

When he finds a pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it.

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea, which collects fish of every kind.

When it is full they haul it ashore and sit down to put what is good into buckets.

What is bad they throw away.

Thus it will be at the end of the age.

The angels will go out and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.

“Do you understand all these things?”

They answered, “Yes.” And he replied, “Then every scribe who has been instructed in the kingdom of heaven is like the head of a household who brings from his storeroom both the new and the old.”

Sunday Examine your life in the light of the parables in this gospel reading. What could possibly be worth that much to you that in gaining whatever it was, you would give everything away with joy?

Monday St. Augustine once wrote, “You must love things in the right order so that you do not love what is not to be loved, or fail to love what is to be loved, or have a greater love for what should be loved less, or an equal love for things that should be loved less or more, or a lesser or greater love for things that should be loved equally.”

Have you ‘ordered your loves rightly’? What is it that tends to get out of order and jump ahead of Christ in line?

Tuesday Has gaining the kingdom of God ever cost you anything? How has that impacted how view the kingdom of God? Wednesday The Gospel mentions that with joy the person goes and sells all that he has and buys the field. Do you think that you could have the same disposition? If you could, spend some time thanking God for that grace and if you couldn’t, spend some time asking for that grace.

Thursday The Gospel notes that “the kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea, which collects fish of every kind”. Spend some time thinking about what you would like those fishes to be. Justice? Peace? Generosity?

Friday In this parable, treasures are buried in order to be protected. Today we put our treasures in safes and banks in order to protect them. God gifts us treasures in this life like joy, peace love and more but everyday life can rob those treasures for us. Spend some time today asking God to help you in protecting and keeping those treasures no matter what may come your way.

July 19th, 2020 Bulletin.indd 8

7/18/20 1:42 PM

From your Pastor July 19th, 2020

Where in the world is Father Baker?

Due to the restrictions placed upon us as a result of the pandemic, priests and people don’t often get to interact personally. One of my favorite things to do is greet people after mass, but that is no longer allowed due to limitations on congregating; especially in places like the back of the church. So, we don’t see each other as much. Nevertheless, next weekend you might notice I am not around the parish at all. I will be in Chicago, IL, performing the wedding of the oldest son of my longest friend. I was planning to go visit my brother and his family for a week or two after that, but since he lives in North Carolina, that is no longer a possibility. I am going to try and take something of a “staycation” this coming week. But I will definitely be here the following Sunday.

What is going on over at the School?

People who walk down East 82nd St. have noticed construction at our parish school, St. Stephen of Hungary.

There are steel girders, a translucent roof, dumpsters, - some of you have asked. “What is going on?”

That question takes on particular significance in the light of the recent announcement by the Superintendent of Schools of the Archdiocese of New York that 22 schools would be closing (20 schools outright, and two will be merged into a third school to form a larger school upstate). The reason for the closures is that there simply are not enough students enrolled in those school in the light of the pandemic, to warrant keeping them open. Many of these schools were being financially supported by the Archdiocese already; the Coronavirus was merely the final straw. Not only had enrollments collapsed, but the sources of money the Archdiocese depended upon for school support (investments, individual donors, monies from the annual Cardinal’s Appeal) have dried up or are greatly reduced.

However, St. Stephen is not one of those schools. In fact, as a parish-based school, our enrollment is holding steady. And while some families have left, other families whose schools have closed, are applying.

For several years now we have been facing a shortage of space for the growing number of students. We have long had a plan to renovate the Franciscan Friary next to the school and turn it into an annex, providing needed classroom and meeting space. Several rooms underneath the school playground have also needed repair and renovation, and the playground itself has needed a roof so that children can recreate even on rainy days.

All of that is to be paid for by a capital campaign, which we announced . . . on March 11, 2020 with a visit from our Cardinal. Three days later the lockdown began! Nevertheless, some funds were in place to begin projects; projects that were made all the more necessary in the light of the pandemic. how will we open for school in September? How will we maintain social distancing and see to it that both teachers and students are safe? We have reworked the renovations as a short-term solution to this question, so that as many children as possible can safely return to St. Stephen in September.

What we are now waiting on are final decisions from the Archdiocese as to what shape Catholic education will take in the fall, for those schools that will be opening.

Work Continues Starting next week you might also see people working on the façade of St. Monica, and also people working on the inside with lifts and other equipment. This is the beginning of actual work on the long-promised renovation of the lighting system. The lighting will be replaced, and we will have something of the warmer albeit far brighter lighting we once had. The lights will also be dimmable, and we will be set for different zones.

There will be a few additions as well; there will be “Pin lights” shining on the various portraits of the saints, so that they might be better illumined, and the exterior lights which once washed the front of the church will be restored.

Even in these terrible times we are moving forward.

Father Baker

July 19th, 2020 Bulletin.indd 9

7/18/20 1:42 PM

AD SPACE

AD SPACE

AD SPACE

July 19th, 2020 Bulletin.indd 10

AD SPACE

AD SPACE

AD SPACE

AD SPACE

7/18/20 1:42 PM