Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

Transcription

1 February 19, 2017 Page 1 Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time T h i s We e k ' s Mass Intentions 8:00AM 9:30AM 11:00AM 12:30PM Sunday, February 19, 2017 George & Claire Cox Johnny Feeley (Barbara DiPierro) Vincent Macagnone (Vita & Paul) Pasquale Ciullo (Wife, Antoinette) For The Parishioners Monday, February 20, 2017 Presidents Day Angelina Weltick (Loving Family) Tuesday, February 21, 2017 St. Peter Damian Aniello Gurriero (Brother, John & Family) Wednesday, February 22, 2017 Chair of St Peter the Apostle St. James (Maria DaRita) 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, Anthony Giampietro, 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, Marge Rosina, Jake Rothman, Louise Ruggiero, Anthony Russo, 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: Catalina Reguera Thursday, February 23, 2017 St. Polycarp Ortenzia & Joseph, Jr. Serpico (Betty & Virginia) Friday, February 24, 2017 St. Helen Purgatorial Society Mass Saturday, February 25, 2017 Antonino Allo (Spina Family) Edward Letteri (Ben Sontarp) Maria Scarpulla (Ann & Frank LoPiccolo) Carmen Arcos, Joan Egan, Marie McGovern, Roberto Merendino, Michelina Tirolo Sunday, February 26, :00AM 9:30AM 11:00AM 12:30PM Maria Sannino (Rachele Sannino) Theresa Sannino (Rachele Sannino) Gloria Espinal (Carmen Pagan) Phyllis Zehro (Mihaila Family) For The Parishioners 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. Please Note: The Rectory office will be closed on Monday, February 20th in observance of Presidents Day, and will reopen on Tuesday at. GOOD SHEPHERD STATUE We would like to thank Maryann Kellen, 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. 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 Friday, February 24, 2017! 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 February 19, 2017 Page 2 Update ON Church Renovation #7 Week number six was slow moving, but week number 7 was quite busy! This past week, the renovation was occupied mostly by the Terrazzo company. I must say the process is intriguing. First, the original concrete floor (which is in great condition) is sanded with a machine that looks like a mini Zamboni. While sanding, something like graphite is sprinkled to remove any topical irregularities in the floor. After the floor is sanded, a fine mesh similar to a mosquito netting is placed on the floor. Over the mesh an epoxy is spread. The epoxy pours like a glue and adheres to the original floor and the mesh creates a membrane, permitting movement, which is a natural feature for all buildings. The membrane has a white look to it, which can be seen on Facebook. This membrane becomes the base which the new floor adheres to, but simultaneously prevents the new floor from cracking. A final decision was made on the colors that will be added to the Terrazzo. Terrazzo is basically concrete with marble chips. The marble chip color selection is endless. A sample of two designs was created, one sample included more color; a decision was made to go with less as too many chips created a busy look. The border of the floor (where the floor meets the brick wall) is darker. All the marble chips coordinate very well with the wood and brick tones of the Church. The sample will be placed in the hall for you to see firsthand! The marble chips were delivered on Friday. I also learned the strength of Terrazzo. The floor will have a strength of 22,000 PSI. The PSI strength relates to pounds per square inch of pressure; this is important for longevity. To give you a little perspective your driveway at home will average from PSI. Commercial grade concrete is 5000 PSI and, as you know, over the years, driveways do crack. The sublevel concrete to the runways at Dulles Airport is 15,000 PSI and the manhole covers at the same airport are 35,000 PSI. Terrazzo s strength falls midway between airport runways and manhole covers! The chance of cracking is virtually impossible. Especially due to the fact that the foundation of our Church is built similarly to buildings in Venice; permitting the flow and movement of water beneath and through the structure. Again, Terrazzo is a one and done solution to flooring; especially in high traffic spaces. No more musty smell, no stains, no more vacuuming, and most importantly, no more replacing the floor every decade or so. And in the rare event a crack would ever appear, it s easily repaired! On a positive note, the Alt.1 application was approved this week, and delivered to the parish. Basically, this is what we paid the architects for. The Alt. 1 application approval permits the parish to expand the amount of seating in the church. It approves all egress and gives us approval to apply for a new Certificate of Occupancy. This is very important for inspections from the Buildings Dept. and the FDNY; and that s why we had to hire an architect! Please check out the link, on the parish Facebook page, that shows a video demonstration of the organ we have purchased. What s interesting in the video, is the explanation how the same organ, if it were a pipe organ, would cost anywhere between $500,000 to 1,000,000 dollars!!!! Thank God for modern technology! Fr. Colamaria

3 February 19, 2017 Page 3 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. Please realize that the Church building of Saint Helen will undergo a renovation January 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. Please call for more information and/or to schedule an appointment. Catholic Charities Brooklyn & Queens Office of Mission Witness of Mercy Program invites all those who minister to the sick or homebound to a special morning of reflection at the Immaculate Conception Center (7200 Douglaston Pkwy., Douglaston) on Saturday, March 11th from 9AM-12PM. Registration is required for your participation. Seating is limited. Parking is available. A light breakfast will be served after Mass and will end with a lunch. If you are interested in attending, please RSVP to Deacon Andrew Mastrangelo at , ext. 6458, or you may also Deacon Andrew at Andrew.Mastrangelo@ccbq.org. This season of Lent should challenge each one of us to deepen our commitment to the Word of God, as well as offer us the opportunity to bring His Word to life as we reach out to those in need. St. Helen Intramurals Basketball sign-ups will be held in St. Helen s cafeteria on Monday, 2/20, Tuesday, 2/21 & Wednesday, 2/22 from 7-8:30 p.m. Sign-ups are for grades The fee for intramurals is $125. If more than one family member signs up, there will be a discount. For more information please come to sign-ups, call Anthony at , or you may also sthelencyobb@gmail.com. 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:

4 February 19, 2017 Page 4 St. Helen Parish Purgatorial Society Mass Intentions Friday, February 24, 2017 Requested By: All Souls in Purgatory Antonino Allo Adriano & Lorenza Bello Josie & Pat Bernardo Frank W. Bitetto Paul Anthony Bono Gerald Braganza Mary & Jim Cabral Antoinette & Silvio Casazza 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 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 Mary Zurick Kathleen Cocchiola Loving Friends Bello Family 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 Loving Family Catherine Gidaro-Izzo Helen Repstad Gertrude Gwardjak Barbara Dorme Jo-Ann & Phyllis Leccese Rosalie Librizzi Pauline Mantineo Deidre McVey Vita Monastero Constance Chwalek 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

5 February 19, 2017 Page 5 Homiletic starters and scriptural reflection points for each day of the month Mon., Feb. 20: Sir 1:1-10; Mk 9:14-29 This kind can only come out through prayer. A Greek text, a late entry, the Book of Sirach is apocryphal. A poor substitute for the prophets who had fallen silent for hundreds of years, it gives us pleasantries such as The sand of the seashore, the drops of rain, the days of eternity: who can number these? Post that on Facebook and you ll get a hundred likes. But it s no help for the mess Jesus finds himself in today s reading as he encounters a desperate father turning every which way to save his bedeviled son. Have faith, Jesus tells the father, who startles us with his honesty: I do believe, help my unbelief! That for Jesus is the kind of prayer to chase away a demon! Your decrees are worthy of trust indeed, O Lord; holiness befits your house. Tues., Feb. 21: Sir 2:1-11; Mk 9:30-37 If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all. Jesus announces his passion and his resurrection, don t forget! and the apostles react like children, arguing about who s first. At least they have sense enough to be embarrassed when Jesus asks them about it. So, Jesus has to take an actual child, still blessed presumably with some sense of wonder, to set the standard for greatness. Jesus is going to Jerusalem; it would be really helpful if the apostles at least tried to understand what that means. Sirach tries to help: My son... prepare yourself for trials. But what about me? Can I wonder like a child and simply just try to stay very close to Jesus. Take delight in the Lord, and God will grant you your heart s request. Wed., Feb. 22: 1 Pt 5:1-4; Mt 16:13-19 You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church. A chair might be the last place we expect to find Peter, who was hardly the sedentary type! Jesus calls him a rock, (certainly, he was hardheaded), but in his own ministry, as portrayed in his first letter, he reminds us of the present pope, a fellow presbyter, and leader by example. From Peter to Francis that s a long arc! They both love the church, because they know the chief Shepherd is Jesus Christ, who binds us to himself. Some find organized religion a little stale, yet Peter s declaration still sounds fresh: You are the Christ, Son of the living God! The church is alive, too! Even though I walk in the dark valley, I fear no evil. Salt is good, but if salt becomes insipid, with what will you restore its flavor? Much of Sirach might be the tasteless salt Jesus has in mind. But today it s got a kick to it: Say not, I have sinned, yet what has befallen me? Still, that s nothing compared to Jesus, who salts his words with fire: If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off! Same goes for your foot or your eye. Oh, we know Jesus is just being metaphorical. Really? So, cut off your metaphorical hand then! Lent hasn t even started yet, and we re already getting an examination of conscience. But you have to take seriously someone who will literally have his hands and feet nailed to a cross. Dear Lord, plant us like a tree near running water, whose leaves never fade. SEVENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME Fri., Feb. 24: Sir 6:5-17; Mk 10:1-12 and the two shall become one flesh. Jesus cites creation itself for the equality of all persons, a reality unchanged even by original sin. Thus, divorce is no longer an indulgence of male privilege. The Pharisees didn t realize that testing Jesus would shatter their sexist worldview. But over the years, Jesus teaching took on some of the hardheartedness that he wished to eliminate from the commandments given to Moses. As Pope Francis has established, adultery is serious, sure, but no sin cancels the mercy of God. Equality was meant to elevate our relationships, not subject spouses and their children to sacrament-shaming. Sirach s platitudes actually may be helpful here, if we can define a marriage as the ultimate friendship: A faithful friend is a sturdy shelter. Open my eyes, O Lord, that I may consider the wonders of your law. Sat., Feb. 25: Sir 17:1-15; Mk 10:13-16 Let the children come to me; do not prevent them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these. After a new teaching about divorce, Jesus asks us to be like children. It s the same point Pope Francis keeps underscoring: Children remind us to be true to God s mercy, no matter who their parents are. Sirach credits human beings with an inventive heart. As the image of God, we certainly shouldn t be inventing barriers between children and their parents, as if we controlled the keys to the sacraments. When my adopted son Juan Anselmo finally made his first Communion at age 21, we kept an informal count. He just made his sixtieth Communion. Don t you think Jesus wishes that for everyone? Your kindness, O Lord, is from eternity, and your justice toward our children s children. Thurs., Feb. 23: Sir 5:1-8; Mk 9:41-50