June 26, 2016
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Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time T h i s We e k ' s Mass Intentions 8:00AM 9:30AM 11:00AM 12:30PM 5:00PM
Sunday, June 26, 2016
Ernesto Jocson (Aida Jocson) Frank Bifulco, Sr. (Loving Family) Rose Lamantia (John & Joan DeRiso) Zina Sisto (Stacey Mangiaracina) For The Parishioners
Monday, June 27, 2016 St. Cyril of Alexandria 9:00AM
Frank Cina (Caterina Cina)
Tuesday, June 28, 2016 9:00AM
St. Irenaeus
Joseph Albergo, Karl Albrecht, Lisa B., Baby Alexandra Bachert, Caroline Bachert, Frances Baio, Dolores Barbieri, Catherine Capato, Sally Capoziello, Antoinette & Catherine Chiarelli, Marge D’Auria, Mary Ann D’Angelo, Baby Christopher Brian Demmerle, Domenica DeVito, Virginia DiGangi, Francesca Gaudino, Ian Genovese-Williams, Joseph Gentile, John Joseph Gleeson, John Pierce Gleeson, Christine Healy, Aurea Hernandez, Maria Hernandez, Rosemary Hogan, Michael Hegel, Elizabeth Isolano, Keri & Baby Tristan, Amelia Kalb, Pam Karwan, John Killcommons, Baby T.J. Krieg, Kathleen Krieg, Klavdia Krieg, Anthony Lamantia, James Leung, Thomas & Patricia Lipari, William J. Litt, Ralph Maresco, Mary Mastrangelo, Camillo Mazella, Rosemary Menechella, John Myers, Salvatore Noto, Angela Ottomanelli-Hubbs, Michael Palermo, Gina Palya, Santo Pantina, Doris & Carlo Pecchillo, Joseph Questore, Mary Romano, Jake Rothman, Louise Ruggiero, Anthony Russo, Felice Scimeca, Rosemarie Secreti, Fred Sepulveda, Rosalia Sindone, Michael Tamburo, Chrissie Tremblay, Paul Tremblay, Paul John Tremblay, Ann Marie Vayda, Sr. Joanne Walters, Elizabeth Weimer, Brittany Zaita.
Deceased:
Iolanda Natale (Evie & Nico Soulas)
Wednesday, June 29, 2016 9:00AM
Sts. Peter & Paul
Salierno Family (Jo-Ann & Phyllis Leccese)
Thursday, June 30, 2016 9:00AM
First Martyrs of the Holy Roman Church
Alfonso Chiarello (Grace & James Denza)
Friday, July 1, 2016 Blessed Junipero Serra 9:00AM
The Order of Franciscans Secular m eet on the 3r d Satu r day of every month in St. Helen’s Church Meeting Room. Come and learn more about the Franciscan way of life.
Mary Camelo (Rosetta Liuba)
Saturday, July 2, 2016 9:00AM
Hernando Camelo (Loving Sister) Mariano & Nancy Pulomena (Loving Family) Cristina Spiniello (Maria & Katrina Comella) Wilma R. DeCicco, Yolanda Rainone, Lucille Reidy, Philip Rodriguez, Anthony J. Viola
5:00PM
Sunday, July 3, 2016 8:00AM 9:30AM 11:00AM 12:30PM 5:00PM
George & Claire Cox Dr. Geraldine D. Chapey (St. Helen Support Grp.) Joseph Accardi (Robert & Susan Getchell) Joseph A. Quagliariello (Lorraine& Joe Trotta) For The Parishioners
PLEASE NOTE! St. Helen Parish will not have a different Summer Schedule of Masses. All Mass times will remain the same as throughout the year: Monday—Friday: 9:00AM Saturday: 9:00AM & 5:00PM Sunday: 8:00AM, 9:30AM, 11:00AM, 12:30PM & 5:00PM
The Rectory office hours for July 5thSeptember 4th will be:
GOOD SHEPHERD STATUE
We would like to thank Agatha Kesselman, who kept the statue this past week. Anyone interested in keeping the statue in their home and praying for vocations for one week should contact the Rectory.
If you are new to St. Helen Parish, please remember to stop in at the Rectory to register your family!
Monday—Friday: 9AM-12:00PM, & 1:00-4:00PM No evening hours Monday-Friday during the summer. Saturday & Sunday: 9:00AM-12:00PM
Please Note:
The Rectory will be closed: August 15 (Feast of the Assumption) and September 5 (Labor Day).
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Fr. Lucasz Kubiak, who was just ordained by Bishop DiMarzio and assigned to Saint Helen parish, will begin ministry at the parish beginning July 15th. Father Kubiak, a native of Poland, has returned to Krakow, Poland to celebrate a Mass of Thanksgiving and to visit his family. Upon his arrival back to the States he will begin his ministry at Saint Helen Parish.
Second Collections
Very often people ask what are the second collections all about! As you know, the first collection is always your support to the parish for the operations of the parish...it is your support to the Mission of the parish. Second collections can be divided into 4 categories: International, National, Diocesan, and Parochial. International Second Collections: A second collection, such as the Peter's Pence or Catholic Relief, is a collection that is taken up by every parish throughout the world. The monies collected in such international collections are then sent to Rome for the missionary work of the Holy Father. A collection such as Peter's Pence is very ancient! On occasion, disasters such as earthquakes or other natural disasters may trigger an international second collection. National Second Collection: These occurring collections take place on a national level. So in the United States, collections such as the Campaign for Human Development, Catholic University, or Black and Indian Missions, are taken up in every parish throughout the country. The monies from these collections are forwarded to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops to be distributed to such entities. Diocesan Second Collection: An example of a Diocesan collection is the Seton Fund (support of Catholic Schools) or Retired Priest collection. These collections are sent to the Diocese for distribution within our own Diocese. Parochial Second Collection: There are two of these each month. One is the maintenance collection, the other is Catholic Education collection. Both of these second collections directly impact Saint Helen Parish and Saint Helen Catholic Academy. These monies go directly into parish accounts like the first collection
and remain within the parish assisting the parish in extraordinary expenses. On occasion, such as the Feast of Saint Anthony or Thanksgiving Day, a collection is taken up for our Saint Vincent DePaul group. These monies, along with what is collected in the poor box, assist those who come to the rectory seeking assistance. Second collections are scheduled to a specific time of year. International, National, and Diocesan collections take place only once a year, albeit there are a number of them. On a monthly basis there two Parochial Second collections: Parish Maintenance and Catholic Education. There is not a second collection every week! All second collections are announced by Mr. Steve Giusto (the organist) before they are taken up. All collections are first deposited to Saint Helen bank accounts and then distributed promptly to said organizations. So all checks made for second collections should be made out to Saint Helen Church. Recently, I was asked by a parishioner who to make a check to and I jokingly responded... Father Colamaria's Vacation Fund. I promptly received a check in the amount of $1.00 payable to Father Colamaria's Vacation Fund (thanks!)...the check is prominently displayed in my office! I offer this information to all so that you know exactly the purpose of these second collections and how they work. Thank you for your support in the regular collection as well as these special second collections. Fr. Colamaria
Fr. Anthony has resumed the Wednesday Scripture classes beginning at 10:00AM in the Church Meeting Room. All are invited. Rosary for Peace….New Place, New Time
The Rosary for Peace, sponsored by Saint Helen Secular Franciscan Fraternity, takes place in the Church at 6:45 PM every Wednesday. The group prays for our Blessed Mother’s intercession to end violence (domestic, civil, national) and the persecution of Christians throughout the world. All parishioners are invited to join us in praying for an end to violence and persecution. Anyone willing to lead a decade of the Rosary in a language other than English is welcome.
CELEBRATE LIFE THANK YOU! To the Parishioners & Staff of St. Helen's Parish: Thank you so much for the huge truckload of donations that we received this week. Your generosity is appreciated by Bridge and by the mothers that come to our centers weekly. It is because of people like you that we are able to continue saving lives and assisting families throughout the 5 boroughs of NYC. God Bless you. Sincerely, The Bridge to Life Inc.
June 26, 2016
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St. Helen’s Religious Education Office is now accepting r egistr ations for the 2016-2017 school year. Office hours are Tuesday—Thursday from 12:30-3:00PM. The fee for one child is $75.00, and the fee for 2 or more children is $100.00. All new registrants will need to provide a copy of their Baptism Certificate. For more information please call 718-916-2319.
Policies Regarding Infant Baptism at St. Helen Parish Parents seeking Baptism for their children who live within the territory of St. Helen Parish are asked to register as members of the parish before requesting an initial interview for Baptism. Registration is easily done at the parish office anytime during business hours. Parents seeking Baptism for their children who live outside the territory of St. Helen Parish are asked to obtain a letter from the parish in which they live authorizing the Baptism to take place at St. Helen. Initial meetings with parents seeking Baptism for their children will normally take place on the second Wednesday of each month from 7:00–9:00PM and on the fourth Saturday of each month from 10:30AM–12:30PM.
JULY — AUGUST 2016 Mornings of Preparation Required Before a Baptism: (All begin at the 11:00AM Mass and continue in the Msgr. McGinness Room) July 24 — August 28 Schedule for Baptisms: (All begin at 2:00PM) July 24 — August 28 Please call 718-738-1616 for more information and/or to schedule an appointment.
TD BANK AFFINITY PROGRAM There is now a program in place at TD Bank where one can simply name Saint Helen as a beneficiary to a bonus based on the sum total of those who are associated to Saint Helen Parish. It costs nothing for the customer, but benefits the parish greatly. We encourage you to participate in this program. Please contact Mr. John Spagnuolo, at TD Bank (718-529-0548) on Crossbay Blvd., for information on how to participate. The parish is grateful to all those who are presently part of this program.
Catholic Charities, Br ooklyn & Queens Office of Mission Bereavement Services invites family members and their children to a workshop on How To Help Children Deal With the Death of a Loved One, Thursday, June 30th at 4:30PM at Catholic Char ities, 191 Joralemon St., 7th Fl Conference Room. Seating is limited, so please call (718) 722-6214 to reserve your seats. TELEMATER: THE CATHOLIC TELEVISION CHANNEL FOR ITALIANS IN THE U.S. TeleMATER (translated: Our Mother’s Television) is comprised of a mix of content from Italy and content produced in its studios in NYC. The programs from Italy are provided via a partnership with two Catolc channels: “telepace.it, TV 2000 and the “Centro Televisivo Vaticano”. TeleMATER can currently be seen on local cable television on NET TV, (TWC 97, Cablevision 30, Verizon Fios 48) and Queens Public Television (TWC 56, RCN 84, Verizon Fios 36). For more information visit www.telemater.org, or call 646-823-9697.
Catholic Charities Senior Center Events On Tuesday, June 28th, at 10:30AM, the Center will be conducting a program Tenant/Landlord Problems and Real Estate Scams, given by Bette Engle. Every Friday, from 1:00-2:30PM the Center will have Karaoke Every Friday, from 1:00-2:30PM the Center will have Karaoke. All seniors are invited. Every Wednesday, from 1:15-2:15PM the Center will have Zumba classes for seniors, a very good form of exercise.
Every Wednesday, from 10:30-11:30AM the Center is introducing the latest craze: Adult Coloring (all materials provided). Come and join the fun! The Center is located at 155-55 Crossbay Blvd., across from Stop-N-Shop. For more information on these and many more activities, contact Rosalie at 718-738-8100.
June 26, 2016
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June 26, 2016
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Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are Mon., June 27: Amos 2:6-10, 13-16; forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? Jesus lived among Matt 8:18-22 us and understood our tendency to think that if we can’t Lord, let me go first and bury my fasee it, it can’t be true. After all, he became flesh to be the ther. There’s always an excuse. We visible image of the invisible God. Visible elements of make a lot of plans for “someday.” faith guide us to an understanding of the spiritual. ForHomiletic starters We’ll volunteer or get more involved giveness cannot easily be seen; we need an earthly conand scriptural in the church when the kids are grown reflection points for nection. Humans like evidence and signs. Here, the eartheach day of the month or when we retire. Yet we seem to ly is directed toward, and subordinated to, the divine, make time now for all kinds of other from the sign to the thing signified, but both acts require activities. We say we don’t have enough time, but are we God. No human could immediately heal paralysis, let consciously, and consistently, putting the Lord on the alone forgive sins. When those present see the man walk agenda? Do we try to give what’s left, but have nothing? without assistance, rehabilitation, medication or anything Like any other important relationship, if we don’t protect else, the understanding of the power to forgive sins beit and prioritize it daily, it will fail. The best thing that we comes concrete. More than the paralytic were healed that can do to grow closer to God is to be present now. Free day. Heal us, Lord, of weakness and doubt. me from distraction, Lord.
THIRTEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
Tues., June 28: Amos 3:1-8, 4:11-12; Matt 8:23-27 Lord, save us! We are perishing! Thrashing about on the stormy sea, the disciples fear for their lives. Jesus sees the greater threat: their lack of faith. It’s certainly appropriate to cry out in moments of terror, but if we don’t trust that Jesus is by our side at all times, calling to him in any situation is a pretty fruitless endeavor. Saint Irenaeus led a life of exemplary Christian witness, defending the faith from the very real threat of Gnosticism, arguing that the true gnosis is knowledge of Christ. His many writings expound Christian doctrine, proclaim that the Gospel message is universal, and are an incredible testament to his own deep faith. Lord, help us to be steadfast, we pray. Wed., June 29: Acts 12:1-11; 2 Tim 4:6-8, 17-18; Matt 16:13-19 You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. Peter confidently declares Jesus is God, the Christ, the Anointed One sent to save us. It’s a powerful proclamation of faith that we must make our own. Peter states that his friend and companion is not simply another prophet or even an angelic messenger, but God’s only Son — God concretely and lovingly revealing himself. Peter isn’t merely repeating something he heard or read. He knows it, believes it and professes it through divine revelation, and Jesus confirms that despite Peter’s doubt and weakness, he’s the rock upon which Jesus will build his church. St. Augustine of Hippo wrote of the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, “Let us embrace what they believed, their life, their labors, their sufferings, their preaching, and their confession of faith.” May we boldly profess our faith.
Thurs., June 30: Amos 7:10-17; Matt 9:1-8
Fri., July 1: Amos 8:4-6, 9-12; Matt 9:9-13 Go and learn the meaning of the words, I desire mercy, not sacrifice. Today we are a little over halfway through the Year of Mercy. How’s it going? Are we more accepting of refugees? Has crushing debt been forgiven by those who can afford to do so? Are prisoners who are no threat to others set free? And if we don’t seem to be in a position to affect these matters, have we tried? A letter? A phone call? How about locally, where it always begins? Have we sought forgiveness of someone we’ve offended? Forgiven someone who has offended us? Tried to speak with a little more kindness? More understanding? We have a few more months. Might be good to try and Get Our Mercy On. We never know when it’s too late. It’s never too early. Make me merciful, dear God, and grateful for your mercy. Sat., July 2: Amos 9:11-15; Matt 9:14-17 People do not put new wine into old wineskins. Today’s Gospel reflects the history of our church as it struggles to maintain the integrity of its traditional teachings while adapting to an ever-changing world. The readings also reflect my own faith journey. Beliefs I once held as unalterable were confronted by experiences or people who forced me to re-examine their truth or to question those whom I believed held the truth. Each time, I needed to discern whether to keep the “old wineskins” or to place newfound truths into “new wineskins.” Rarely did the new truths fit into old configurations. Occasionally, as in Amos, ruined walls have been rebuilt into improved cities, ready to be tested by new assaults. Grant us wisdom and courage, Lord, when we are discerning future directions.
