Fourth Sunday of Lent

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1 March 26, 2017 Page 1 Fourth Sunday of Lent T h i s We e k ' s Mass Intentions 8:00AM 9:30AM 11:00AM 12:30PM 5:00PM Sunday, March 26, 2017 Michael Mannarino (Mario & Grace Faulisi) Dianna FitzPatrick (M/M Alan Camhi) Phyllis Miranti (Loving Family) Anthony Russo (Ron & Natalie Carbone) For The Parishioners Monday, March 27, 2017 Tanyag Family (Aida Jocson) Tuesday, March 28, 2017 Henry Auwarter (Vita & Paul) Wednesday, March 29, 2017 Frank Bitetto (Barbara Bitetto) Miriam Americo, Lisa B., Baby Alexandra Bachert, Caroline Bachert, Frances Baio, Dolores Barbieri, Al Barton, Catherine Capato, Sally Capoziello, Shang Cheng, Antoinette & Catherine Chiarelli, Marge D Auria, Mary Ann D Angelo, Baby Christopher Brian Demmerle, Domenica DeVito, Virginia DiGangi, Mary Divers, Francesca Gaudino, Ian GenoveseWilliams, Joseph Gentile, John Joseph Gleeson, John Pierce Gleeson, Christine Healy, Aurea Hernandez, Maria Hernandez, Rosemary Hogan, Elizabeth Isolano, Jennie Iuggiano, Keri & Baby Tristan, Amelia Kalb, Pam Karwan, Baby T.J. Krieg, Kathleen Krieg, Klavdia Krieg, Anthony Lamantia, James Leung, Valerie Librizzo, Thomas & Patricia Lipari, William J. Litt, Cindy Maione, Maryann Maione, Ralph Maresco, Mary Mastrangelo, Camillo Mazella, Rosemary Menechella, Jordan Miller, John Myers, Salvatore Noto, Angela Ottomanelli-Hubbs, Michael Palermo, Gina Palya, Santo Pantina, Ann Parsell, Anna Petito, Doris, Carlo, Philip & Frank Pecchillo, Vivian Puglissi, Joseph Questore, Mary Romano, Jake Rothman, Louise Ruggiero, Bill Sangirardi, Felice Scimeca, Fred Sepulveda, Rosalia Sindone, Michael Tamburo, Chrissie Tremblay, Paul Tremblay, Paul John Tremblay, Ann Marie Vayda, Sr. Joanne Walters, Elizabeth Weimer. Deceased: Emilia Dandola Thursday, March 30, :30PM Theresa DiLorenzo (Angela Popolizio) Walter & Kay Schretzman (John Schretzman) Friday, March 31, 2017 Purgatorial Society Mass Saturday, April 1, :00PM Geraldine Azuwike-Nwachukwu (Maryann Kellen) Chester Cecere (Rosa DeSimone) Naiomi Raber (Stephen Tretter) Teresa Joan Braccia, Loretta Connors, Teresa DeCrescenzo, James O Toole, Margaret Rosina Sunday, April 2, :00AM 9:30AM 11:00AM 12:30PM Annette Verso (Madeline & Joe Bongiorno) Lucy DeCrescenzo (St. Helen Rosarians) Geraldine Azuwike-Nwachukwu (Vita & Paul) Alejandro & Fideligna Camelo (Loving Granddaughter) 5:00PM For The Parishioners GOOD SHEPHERD STATUE We would like to thank Jeri Formanek, 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. You re Invited to Participate in CRS Rice Bowl Encounter Community. We encounter a woman in Mexico, where a community of hardworking women share joys, sorrows and fellowship while growing economic opportunity at a greenhouse. How have your communities helped you encounter Christ anew this Lent? Visit crsricebowl.org for more information. St. Helen s Purgatorial Society Mass All parishioners have the opportunity to enroll the names of loved ones in the Purgatorial Society. The Purgatorial Society Mass will be held on the last Friday of each month. The offering to be enrolled in the Purgatorial Society is $120 per name (a total of 12 Masses for one year will be said for your loved one). Aside from listing one name, a husband and wife together, or a family name is also acceptable. Having a Purgatorial Society is wonderful way of living out the Scriptures and will be a relief for those who desire to have their loved ones remembered with prayers all year long at God s Altar. Please stop in at the Rectory if you are interested in having a loved one enrolled in the Purgatorial Society. The next Purgatorial Society Mass will be held next Friday, March 31, 2017! While The Church Is Undergoing Renovation Visiting the Church under any circumstances is prohibited during the renovation due to safety concerns. Please check the parish Facebook for updates on the work. In the unexpected event that a funeral should need to take place, the option of use of Fr. Dooley Hall or Our Lady of Grace will be presented to the family. All Funeral Masses at Our Lady of Grace for St. Helen s parishioners will be celebrated by priests from St. Helen. We apologize in advance for the inconvenience construction will present to all of our lives in the next few months. The Order of Franciscans Secular meet on the 3rd Saturday of every month in St. Helen s Rectory after the 9AM Mass. Come and learn more about the Franciscan way of life.

2 March 26, 2017 Page 2 St. Helen Parish Purgatorial Society Mass Intentions Friday, March 31, 2017 All Souls in Purgatory Antonino Allo Geraldine Azuwike-Nwachukwu Adriano & Lorenza Bello Gina Bender Josie & Pat Bernardo Frank W. Bitetto Paul Anthony Bono Gerald Braganza Mary & Jim Cabral Antoinette & Silvio Casazza Catherine Cleary William Cleary Jerry Codispoti Claire Louise Colamaria Vincent J. D'Amato Margarita & Gervasio Espada Louise & Vincent Festa William & Rose Fioto Frank Fogliano Gidaro Family Gorycki Family Gwardjak-Kosinski Family Eddie Juba Michael & Mary Leccese Dominic & Angelina Librizzi Catherine & Joseph Lumetta Justine Nigra Maguire Lillian & Charles Monastero Richard Pargansky Dominick Pepe Joseph Pepe Pepe-Bitetto Family Christine Piotrowski Markey Pullen Joseph Quagliariello Questore Family Joanne Relucchi Maria & Luciano Sannino Linda & James Scagnelli Kay & Walter Schretzman Frank T. Serpico Sica Family Antoinette Tomasello Turrigiano Family Walter & Elizabeth Ujazdowski Ruben & Ana Vega Carl Vigliarolo Frank J. Vigliarolo Mary Zurick Requested By: Kathleen Cocchiola Loving Friends-Heedles Annette & Marty Gould Bello Family Loving Aunt & Uncle Jean Bernardo Barbara Bitetto Bono Family Braganza Family Cabral Family Maria Russo Mrs. Frances Codispoti Fr. Colamaria D'Amato Family Luisa & Jeff Karoly Annette & Martin Gould Amelia Pepe Loving Family Catherine Gidaro-Izzo Helen Repstad Mystkowski Family Barbara Dorme Jo-Ann & Phyllis Leccese Rosalie Librizzi Pauline Mantineo Deidre McVey Vita Monastero Constance Chwalek Amelia Pepe Amelia Pepe Barbara Bitetto Loving Family Quagliariello Family Joseph Questore Cynthia Ottomanelli Rachele Sannino Heedles Family John Schretzman Serpico Family Irene DeStefano Linda Tomasello Antoinette Turrigiano Quagliariello Family Gloria Martinez Sophia Gadinis

3 March 26, 2017 Page 3 Renovation Update #12 "Beware the Ides of March" This past week began on a sad note. It began with the announcement I had made in the bulletin, that the architect gave a more reasonable date for opening the Church... Memorial Day. Although the project is moving along with no major work delays, the more reasonable date by the architect's estimation will be Memorial Day This affects many things here at the parish. First, Easter will have to take place in Fr. Dooley Hall, but even more, this later date affects all the first Holy Communions at the parish as well as two weddings. After the Mass on Sunday I met with the parents of our first Holy Communion children and broke the news to them. It was so sad to see the disappointment in their faces when I broke the news to them. In fact, it pained me. Through no fault of my own, or the builders, it s just a more realistic date for opening. Nevertheless, it s not happy news. Some of the parents posed a few good questions, while some did recognize this is the reality of doing a major renovation. All in all, I give our parents tremendous credit to their faith, recognizing that it is the Sacrament that is more important than the venue. That gave me a glimmer of hope! Unfortunately, two families complained to the Bishop. I say unfortunately, because instead of coming to me, they found it necessary to call the office of the Bishop. I am always available to speak to my people; that is what I find so disappointing. But we forge ahead! The shaving of the floor continues at a good pace and the marble floor of the Sanctuary continues to be installed. The appointments for the Sanctuary are due to arrive by end of this month. John Chiarelli visited the parish on Friday to discuss the purchase of votive candles for the Saints. The design and furbishing of the candles takes about three weeks. I also discussed the purchase of two statues, Saint Anthony and St. Theresa (the little flower). These two Saints will be placed together with Saint Francis of Assisi and Saint Jude in a new shrine area of the Church located where my confessional once stood. Many have complimented the location of the resurrected Christ that has been placed on the outside wall of the Church. It is in a position that seems to welcome people as they arrive to the Church, and can be clearly seen from the Belt Parkway. I suggest that if you happen to be on the Parkway, take a look this is if you are a passenger. Drivers keep your eyes on the road!! What I especially like about the position of the Resurrected Christ is that it will greet mourners when they pull up in front of the Church in a funeral procession... a reminder of the hope of Eternal Life. Fr. Colamaria

4 March 26, 2017 Page 4 Prayer Requests From All Parishioners This week, a priest friend departed on pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Upon his departure he asked if I had any prayer requests, and that he would leave that request at the Wailing Wall. His departure to the Holy Land brought back memories of my own visit to the Holy Land, and my visit to the Wailing Wall. For those who do not know, the Wailing Wall or the Western Wall is a place of pilgrimage in the Holy Land. Located at the base of the Temple Mount where all Jews at one time offered sacrifices to God, it is considered a Holy site, especially for Jews. Upon visiting the wall, devout Jews will get as close as they can to the wall and offer prayers, often leaving a piece of paper in the wall; a request or offering to God. The wall at one time supported the very Temple where Jews, for centuries, had offered sacrifices to God. The paper is a written prayer request that an individual places close to one of the holiest sites of Judaism. This got me thinking! In the next few weeks, we will be building a new Altar in the Church. The Altar is one of the more important items placed inside a Church. It is consecrated by the Bishop and is used for the Sacrifice of the Mass. It is at the Altar that we gather for all occasions to celebrate the great mysteries of Faith. Upon construction of the Altar, a stone (Altar stone) is placed on top of the Altar. The stone contains a relic of a Saint and is the place that the priest kisses every time he approaches the Altar. Like the previous Altar, the new Altar will not be a solid piece of stone. Instead, it is assembled of large marble pieces and the center will be empty. This is where all parishioners come in! Before assembling the altar, I am inviting parishioners to write their own personal prayer requests on paper, and these papers will be placed inside the new Altar. Imagine, every time the celebration of Mass takes place, your prayer will literally be contained and sealed within the Altar and be located very close to every Mass that takes place in the Church. Included as an insert in this issue of the bulletin is a sheet of paper; you may copy it and have as many prayer requests as you wish. We will collect them in the following weeks and have them prepared to be placed within the Altar. There is no need to include your name and the requests will not be read by anyone. All the requests will be assembled together and placed and sealed inside the new Altar. You may drop your prayer requests off at the rectory or simply place them in the collection. I mentioned this idea to a few people, and they commented, It s like a time capsule. I see it more like those who visit the Wailing Wall, placing our prayers as close as we can get, to the place of Sacrifice. I encourage everyone, young and old alike to participate! Fr. Colamaria

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7 March 26, 2017 Page 5 ST. HELEN CATHOLIC ACADEMY S 200-TO-1 RAFFLE! Only 200 tickets, at $100 per raffle ticket, will be available for sale. The Grand Prize of $10,000 will be awarded to the last ticket drawn at our Wine & Cheese Drawing. There will also be an additional $1,000 in prize money spread amongst other tickets as they are drawn. This special fundraiser will be held on Friday, April 7, 2017, beginning at 7:00PM in St. Helen Catholic Academy s cafeteria. To be successful, we need to sell all 200 tickets! Winners need not be present at the drawing. 200 to 1 Raffle Tickets are now on sale through Friday, March 31st. Please call Maria Elrose at or Diane Joseph at to purchase 200 to 1 Raffle Tickets. Ticket numbers will be given on a first-come first-served basis. Additional Monetary Prizes Listed As Tickets Are Drawn: First Ticket: $250 50th Ticket: $ th Ticket: $ th Ticket: $ th Ticket: $250 Deal will be offered for the last remaining 10 Tickets: 191st 200th : All ticket holders must be present for this deal to be offered. 200 th Ticket Drawn: $10,000 (Grand Prize!) For additional information, please call Thank You for Supporting St. Helen Catholic Academy! 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. APRIL MAY 2017 Mornings of Preparation-Required Before a Baptism: (All begin at the 11:00AM Mass and continue in the Msgr. McGinness Room) April 23 May 7 & 28 Schedule for Baptisms: (All begin at 2:00PM) No Baptisms in April May 21 & 28 Please call for more information and/or to schedule an appointment. Please realize that the Church building of Saint Helen is undergoing a renovation thru April The Church will be closed and Fr. Dooley Hall will be used as a worship space in the interim. Baptisms will still be offered in this time period in the Hall. Some may choose to wait for Baptism until the construction is completed and this is fully understandable. If there are any questions please contact the Deacons who can give more details as to the renovation period. ST. HELEN SCHOOL ALUMNAE 50 th Anniversary of St. Helen School Help us make our 50 th Anniversary one to remember! St. Helen Catholic Academy is in the process of updating our contact information for all graduates of St. Helen School. If you are a graduate or a family member, we are asking for your help by providing us with your name, , address, and phone number. Please fill out the form below and return it to the rectory or your information to mariaford216@gmail.com. Thank you. ST. HELEN SCHOOL ALUMNAE Name: Maiden Name if Married: Graduation Year: Address: Phone Number: