Twelfth Sunday In Ordinary Time 6/25/2023

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 familya family seeking to know and love Jesus Christ.

Parish Staff

Pastor: Rev. Donald C. Baker ............................ frdcab@stelmo79.org

Weekend Associate: .................................... Rev. Anthony Ciorra, IVD

Weekend Associate:...............................................Rev. Edward Beck, CP

Pastoral Associate: Ms. Maryann Tyrer ........ mtyrer@stelmo79.org

Music Director: Mr. John Zupan .................... jzupan@stelmo79.org

Wedding Coordinator: Ms. Debbi Burdett.....dbweddingsnyc@gmail.com

Parish Manager: Jennifer DeSpirito.............................jdespirito@stelmo79.org

Plant Manager: Guillermo Vanegas .......... gvanegas@stelmo79.org

Sacristan: Pedro Pizarro ...................................ppizarro@stelmo79.org

Administrative Assistant: Gladys Tejada ..... gtejada@stelmo79.org

Mass Intentions

Saturday, June 24th Vigil 24th

5:30pm Eilene Kennedy Eilene

Sunday, June 25th 25th

Twelfth Sunday in Ordinar y Time Twelfth in Ordinary Time

8:00am Catherine Fer ro 8:00am Ferro

10:00am Mercedes Babot 10:00am

Church Address : 413 East 79th Street, NYC 10075

Parish Center: 406 East 80th Street, NY, NY 10075

Tel: 212-288-6250 Fax: 212- 570-1562

Email: info@stelmo79.org

Our Offices are open:

Monday & Wednesday 9am - 4pm

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 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 All Parishioners

12:00pm All Parishioners

5pm Rober t Ratcliffe 5pm Robert Ratcliffe

Monday, June 26th Weekday 26th

12pm Vincent James Dana Vincent James Dana

Tuesday, June 27th Weekday 27th Weekday

12pm Vincent James Dana Vincent Dana

Wednesday, June 28th St. Ir enaeus 28th St. Irenaeus

12pm T hanksgiving to St. Ag ata Thanksgiving to St. Agata

T hur sday, June 29th Thursday, June 29th

St. Peter & St. Paul

12pm Charles Weissman 12pm Charles Weissman

Friday, June 30th Weekday June 30th Weekday

12pm Vincent James Dana Vincent Dana

Saturday, Jul y 1st July 1st

12pm Purg atorial Society Purgatorial Society

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

Caroline Yurkutat, Christopher Elliot Lewis, Maurine Lynch, Danielle Boros, Linda Clarke, Mary O’Connor Lynch, Bruno Franco Adame, Susan Bacerra, Michael Reilly, Dorothy Condon, Marcelle Ferrier, Joanna Jack, all those ill and Victims of Military activities

PRAYERS FOR THE DECEASED

Thomas Acheson, Margaret Biggs, John Paul Chihorek, William Bahr, Juzefa Rezgiene, Patrick P. Keating & Eugene Flynn

Weekly Readings & Observances

Readings for the week of June 25, 2023

Sunday: Jer 20:10-13/Ps 69:8-10, 14, 17, 33-35 (14c)/Rom 5:12-15/Mt

10:26-33

Monday: Gn 12:1-9/Ps 33:12-13, 18-19, 20 and 22/Mt 7:1-5

Tuesday: Gn 13:2, 5-18/Ps 15:2-3a, 3bc-4ab, 5/Mt 7:6, 12-14

Wednesday: Gn 15:1-12, 17-18/105:1-2, 3-4, 6-7, 8-9/Mt 7:15-20

Thursday: Vigil: Acts 3:1-10/Ps 19:2-3, 4-5/ Gal 1:11-20/Jn 21:15-19 Day: Acts 12:1-11/

Ps 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9/2 Tm 4:68, 17-18/Mt 16:13-19

Friday: Gn 17:1, 9-10, 15-22/Ps 128:1-2, 3, 4-5/Mt 8:1-4

Saturday: Gn 18:1-15/Lk 1:46-47, 48-49, 50 and 53, 54-55/Mt 8:5-17

Next Sunday:2 Kgs 4:8-11, 14-16a/Ps 89:2-3, 16-17, 18-19 (2a)/Rom 6:3-4, 8-11/Mt 10:37-42

Observances for the week of June 25, 2023

Sunday: 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Monday: Tuesday: St. Cyril of Alexandria, Bishop, and Doctor of the Church

Wednesday: Saint Irenaeus, Bishop, and Martyr

Thursday: Sts. Peter And Paul, Apostles

Friday: The First Martyrs of the Holy Roman Church

Saturday: St. Junipero Serra, Priest

Next Sunday:13th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Welcome Little Sprouts Pre-K 2Program

Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 8:30 am –10:30 am

Introducing a New Program for 2023-2024 School Year

Students (age 2 by 12/31/23) will participate in enjoyable learning activities, free play, music and movement, arts and crafts, and story timewhile Mom, Dad or a caregiver has access to acomfortable areafor the duration of the class.Take time to socialize with other adults or catch up on work!

Tuition & Fees

Application Fee = $225

Yearly Tuition = $5,000

Fees=Pre-K Supplies$75 / Parent Association Dues Waived

Please enroll by Tuesday, August 8. A minimum of 10 students must enroll in order to hold the class. SSHS will confirm with you by Friday, August 18. Class will follow Early Childhood calendar.

In order to Apply: Click Here. Or email admissions@saintstephenschool.org for details

Parish Religious Education (K-8) Registration is now open online!

Go to https://www.stelmo79.org/reledk8. You’ll find information about our programs, and all the forms you need.Inperson registration is also available at the parish center.

All registrations completed and paidby July 4 will be at the current fee scale Registrations/payments received after July 4 will be at an increased rate.

Please remember that the Archdiocese of New York requires a minimum of two years of religious education (or Catholic School) prior to the reception of First Communion, and two additional years prior to the reception of Confirmation

Religious Education is offered on Sunday mornings between the 10am and 12noon Masses, from September through early June. Participation onSunday (or Saturday evening) Eucharist year-round as a family is expected, as it is an essential part of faith formation!

Please contact Maryann Tyrer, Pastoral Associate for Christian Formation, at mtyrer@stelmo79.org with any questions.

FINDING OUR WAY IN THE CHURCH OF TODAY AND TOMORROW

We are all familiar with the contemporary challenges of religion andtheCatholic Church today. To mention only a few areas of concern: the declining number of ordained clergies, the absence of the younger generation in active membership in the Church, the opportunity of greater participation of male deacons and the prospects ofwomen being engaged in roles of greater service in and for the Church. Participants may wish to introduce other themes for discussion.

This seminar of four meetings, 90 minutes each, will offer the participants an opportunity to reflect on the theme and these topics. We will examine the personal, social, emotional, and spiritual/religious dimensions as they developed and have been experienced individually and communally.

Is God calling you to be a catechist?

Volunteers are needed to help to pass on the faith to the next generation of children and teens, to help form adults who are preparing for sacraments, and toassist with adult faith sharing. No experience needed –all training and materials are provided. Contact Maryann at mtyrer@stelmo79.org to learn more!

Fr. Jim Dugan, SJ, invites you to participate in the 4 sessions on the Mondays of July 3, 10, 17, and 24, 7-8:30pm, in the Parish Center (406 East 80th Street.) Please register on our website stelmo79.org or call the Parish Center at 212-288-6250.

Fr. Jim Dugan, SJ returns, and will offer a seminar in July!

K-8 Religious Education and Sacramental Preparation:

Registration online for next year is now open at https://www.stelmo79.org/reled-k8

Please remember that two years of religious education or Catholic school participation is required for reception of First Communion (in 2nd grade or older), or for Confirmation (8th grade or older.) Ideally, children are also enrolled in religious education during the “inbetween years” and not just for sacramental preparation.

Participation onSunday (or Saturday evening) Mass as a family is expected andis an essential part of faith formation and sacramental preparation!We schedule Religious Education in between Masses to make it easy to participate in Sunday Mass.

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? You, and your questions, are warmly welcomed! Come and share the journey with others.Please contact Maryann Tyrer at mtyrer@stelmo79.org to discuss our adult initiation process (commonly known as the RCIA).

Adult Faith Formation Opportunities

Our Sunday afternoon Adult Faith Formation will resume in the fall. Use our 5-Minute Jesus as a way of preparing for each Sunday’s Scriptures throughout the summer. 5-Minute Jesus can be found every week in the bulletin, on our website, and on our social media platforms (stelmo79).

Men’s Faith Sharing –our Group of Guys meetson Tuesdays at 12noonin the Parish Center– Please register online at stelmo79.org orcall 212-288-6250 so we have a head count to prepare materials.This group will continue to meet through the summer. Theology Thursdays will resume in the fall with more Adult Faith Formation opportunities.Keep Thursday evenings clear beginning in September –we will have lots of classes, discussions, and programs happening throughout the year!

Help

Wanted!

Catechists, assistants, and other volunteers needed for Sunday morning K-8 Religious Education, for Children’s Liturgy of the Word during the 10am Sunday Mass, for High School Youth Ministry (1st Saturdays after the Family Mass), and for Adult Faith Formation and Adult Initiation (Sunday afternoons). Email Maryann at mtyrer@stelmo79.org to inquire!

“We are witnesses of these things.”

seized by Jesus’ message.

the Jesus movement, referring to himself as “one untimely born” (1 Cor 15:8). However, following his encounter with

Coming Home: What It Means to Gather

Remember the last time you traveled somewhere? Most likely, you were excited about the experiences you would share with fellow travelers and the places you would go. As the People of God, we too are on a journey—a spiritual journey to the Kingdom of God.

Did you ever look around at Sunday Mass to discover just who your traveling companions are? Walking into church, we are part of an activity that is in progress. We are in the process of gathering as a people.

Some people use the gathering time before Mass exclusively for quiet prayer, while others might use some of that time to socialize in the narthex with fellow parishioners. Many people both exchange greetings and pray prior to Mass. The way that the faithful gather does not matter as much as who comes to the gathering. The people gathered at prayer arrive with many experiences of joy, heartbreak, and challenge.

On a recent Sunday, I reflected on those who were gathered. There was Shirlie, awaiting test results and word of further treatment for cancer. Sofia was soon to be off to New York to audition for Julliard and other colleges, and Joe was trying to stay sober one more day. Tom was eagerly anticipating retirement, and Jane was facing yet another week of trying to make ends meet. Ben and Laura, young and in love, were in the midst of planning their wedding, and Katrina and Rajeev were elated that after nearly twenty years of waiting, they will soon have a grandchild. These stories put flesh on what it means to die and to rise again. They are stories of pain and loss and joy and thanksgiving and hoping against hope.

Our gathering expresses the Paschal Mystery of Jesus Christ. His story of dying and rising is within each of us. Recognizing this, the liturgical documents emphasize the gathering of the assembly. The

Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, a document of the Second Vatican Council, states that Christ is present “when the Church prays and sings” (7). The General Instruction of the Roman Missal states that Mass begins “when the people are gathered” (120). These statements show that the Church holds that the gathered community has significance.

Before the first note is played or the first prayer uttered during the liturgy, our gathering is a holy event. The very gathering of the faithful is a sign of God’s presence in and solidarity with the world.

Photo © John Zich. Permission to publish granted by the Archdiocese of Chicago on October 25, 2018.

The gathering of the faithful at the liturgy is a sign of God’s presence in and solidarity with the world.

Five Minute Jesus

Using the Gospel for Prayer - Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

July 2, 2023

It’s simple. 1. Read the Gospel for the following Sunday, reflecting on the story it tells. 2. Reflect on the questions assigned for each day. 3. Make some resolutions about how what you read can be lived that day. 4. Then thank God for speaking to you through this reflection.

Gospel Matthew 10: 37-42

Jesus said to his apostles: “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” “Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me. Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man’s reward. And whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones to drink because the little one is a disciple - amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward.”

Monday

Was there something in the reading that spoke to me? Comfort me? Challenged me? What was it? Why did it have this effect on me?

Tuesday

In this Gospel, I am asked to become an agent, that is, a disciple of God. In doing so, I must accept. Therefore, I must acknowledge that sacrifice and suffering will be part of the journey. Do the choices I make in my life prove worthy of this Jesus? How do my choices show that following Jesus is worth everything?

Wednesday

Jesus was a cross bearer. He led the way. He carried the cross for me by divine love. In this Gospel, I am asked to lose my life for his sake to find my own. What do these words mean to me? How can I make myself worthy of Him?

Thursday

All actions for Jesus’ sake do not go unnoticed by an all-seeing Jesus. We have no need to keep our own account, to brag about our work. Through the power of the Holy Spirit praise will come from the Father. How do I not stroke my own pride and not seek the praise of men? How do I know that in serving others, I am serving Jesus?

Friday

This Gospel teaches us that Jesus is to be our life and our sufficiency. We find our identity in Him and not in the lesser things of nature. “We received without payment, give without payment” (Matt 10:6). How can I make God the forefront of my heart?

Saturday

Now, make one resolution about how what you have read today, lived today. Express a sentiment of gratitude to God the Father for your reflections on this Gospel today.

Just a Word

From the Pastor 06.25.23

Father Zachary Alspaugh Class of 2023

Recently one of the newly ordained of the 2023 seminary class for the Archdiocese of New York, Zachary Alspaugh, contacted me. He had lived in our neighborhood for several years in the early 2000’s, had prayed in St. Monica’s church, but most of us would n of course, I

This weekend at the 5:30pm mass on Saturday, Fr.

-ago experiences, I believe God was drawing me to the Eucharist, to prepare me

great. The men have lived the Gospel by virtue of th profoundly for his grace and hope.” assignment.

Façade Update

seems eternally erected in front of our church. Those same parishioners have commented that for weeks there seemed the , began to arrive last week, and the workers returned, and have begun reassembling the spires. The manufactured piecesLabor Day. It would be wonderful to see the face of our church when we celebrate our patronal feast day at the end of September.

3rd

help, and I thank in advance our Weekend and mass schedule.

Father Baker