Sixth Sunday of Easter 10 May 2015 Saint Luke Church, Whitestone, New York

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1 Sixth Sunday of Easter 10 May 2015 Saint Luke Church, Whitestone, New York From the Pastor -- A MOTHER S DAY BLESSING Loving God, as a mother gives life and nourishment to her children, so you watch over your Church. Bless our mothers, that they may be strengthened as Christian mothers. Let the example of their faith and love shine forth. Grant that we, their sons and daughters, may honor them always with a spirit of profound respect. Grant this through Christ our Lord. Amen Happy Mother s Day! May God grant peace and the fullness of life to all our mothers who have died. May they receive the reward of their goodness. May they rest in peace. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy might be complete. (John 15:9-17) These words of today s Gospel on this the Sixth Sunday of Easter, serve well to characterize the entire Easter Season and in fact the entire Christian life. Our Holy Father, Pope Francis, wrote his first letter to the Church universal with the title: The Joy of the Gospel. It is true that JOY is a chief characteristic of the Christian life. Why? Perhaps the second reading from the first letter of John gives the reason. St. John writes: In this is love: Not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as expiation for our sins. (1 John 4:7-10) The joy of a Christian is found in the love of God for us - a love so deep and strong that God sent us Jesus as savior and redeemer. Even in the darkest moments of life; even in times of suffering and pain; during times of sickness and loneliness, a Christian finds a reason to be joyful in the love God has for us in Christ. The joy of our Christian life expresses itself in our love for God and our love for others. Jesus said: This is my commandment: love one another as I love you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one s life for one s friends. The Easter Season provides us the opportunity to renew the joy of being a Christian - no matter what! Let the joy of the Gospel fill our hearts - and motivate our actions. In this will others know we are Christ s disciples. God bless. Let us pray for one another, Page 1

2 THE ASCENSION OF THE LORD Thursday, May 14, 2015 Schedule of Masses Wednesday, May 13 7:30pm Thursday, May 14 8:30am 10:30am 12 noon 7:30pm The Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord is a holyday of obligation. *************************************************************************** CELEBRATION OF THE EUCHARIST AND THE CROWNING OF MARY Friday, May 22nd at 10:00am All are welcome! Please bring a lawn chair. In the event of rain, our celebration will be held in Saint Luke Church. Please join the children and faculty of Saint Luke School for this beautiful Mass. Page 2

3 MISSION STATEMENT As a community of believers in Jesus Christ and in Communion with the universal church, we strive to follow the Lord s command to love God and one another. Rooted in word and sacrament, we grow together as a Eucharistic community inviting all to the Good News of Jesus. Of Many Things Hospitality Sunday All are invited to join with other parishioners for some light refreshments after all the Masses on Sunday, May 17th in the Pastoral Center. A special welcome to all the boys and girls who made their First Communion with their parents who will be attending the 11:45am Mass. Liturgical Ministers All Lectors and Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (those long serving and those newly installed) are asked to meet with Msgr. Tosi on Wednesday, May 27th at 7:30pm in the church. Your participation is greatly appreciated. Thank you To those who supported the recent Doo Wop Party and a special thank you to the committee for their hard work and enthusiasm. A donation of $3,906 was presented to Msgr. Tosi. The evening was a great success - lots of good music, enjoyment, good company and food and even some profit!! *************************************************************************** WELCOME -- Dear Msgr. Tosi, Allow me to thank you for your generous response in accepting the responsibility of serving as a pastoral supervisor in this year s placement of our major seminarians over the summer of The seminarian assigned to you, Karl Mercieca, is expected to report to you, his pastoral supervisor, on Wednesday, June 24th and remain through Sunday, August 9th Fraternally in the Lord, Rev. Msgr. Robert J. Thelen, Secretary for Priestly Formation for the Diocese of Brooklyn We are pleased to have Karl with us for part of the summer of During his time here at Saint Luke Karl will experience some of the pastoral life of our parish and have an opportunity to learn more about parish ministry as he discerns his vocation. His placement in our parish is a testament to the vitality of our parish, the goodness of our parishioners and priests and the quality of our faith, hope and charity. Please welcome Karl with the warmth and openness that so mark your hospitality. Please keep him in your prayers. Msgr. Tosi Page 3

4 COLLECTIONS May 2 & 3 $12,313 Envelopes Mailed 1974 Amount Needed $13,425 Envelopes Received 651 ANNUAL CATHOLIC APPEAL 2015 Msgr. Tosi would like to express his thanks and gratitude for your generous response to the Annual Catholic Appeal As of May 4th, a total of $77,683 has been pledged by 315 donors with $55,084 already received. Thank you for your support and encouragement. Have you made your gift/pledge yet? Your gift is important to fund the mission and ministry of both the diocese and the parish. It s not too late to lend your support! SHARE THE JOY OF THE GOSPEL *************************************************************************** The parish will have the opportunity to express their thanks and bid Father Bruno farewell at a special Mass of Thanksgiving on Sunday, June 14th at the 11:45am Mass. A parish reception will follow in the Pastoral Center. All are invited! ************************************************************************** NOVENA TO SAINT ANTHONY The annual Novena in preparation for the June 13th feast of Saint Anthony continues every Tuesday, after the 12 noon Mass, until the celebration of Saint Anthony s feast day - Saturday, June 13th. The 8:30am Mass will be celebrated in honor of Saint Anthony. There is NO 12 noon Mass. The 8:30am Mass is the only Mass of the day as it is a regular Saturday schedule. ************************************************************************** THANK YOU -- For your support of last weekend s diocesan collection for Catholic Relief Services. Through your goodness, a total of $3,058 was collected. Thank you and God bless! Page 4

5 THANK YOU Dear Parishioners and Friends, The Altar Servers, Fr. Bruno, Fr. Peter, and all the parents of the Altar Servers want to sincerely thank all of you for your generosity and goodness of heart in supporting the Altar Servers Bake Sale this past weekend. A total of $1,229 was collected. It was a great success and your generosity has helped us continue the ministry of our wonderful Altar Servers we have here at St. Luke. Also, it has helped us with the activities that we have for our Altar Servers throughout the year in giving thanks for their generous service and good works. May God bless all of you abundantly for your goodness, and let us pray for our Altar Servers and that our parish will be blessed with many young men and women who are willing to serve at the table of the Lord. A special thank you for all the parents who assisted in making this event a great success and for those who baked or bought baked goods. The treats were well appreciated and enjoyed. Let us continue to pray for one another. God bless. Fr. Peter Penton *************************************************************************** CONGRATULATIONS Please keep these couples in your prayers as they prepare to receive the Sacrament of Marriage here in our parish. Saturday, May 23 rd at 1:00pm DANIEL RICHARD SCAGNELLI & BRIDGETTE MICHAELA GAROFALO Page 5 Saturday, May 30 th at 3:00pm CARLO GIUSEPPE VERTUCCI & ERIKA DANIELLE LITTLE

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7 CATHOLIC COMMUNICATION CAMPAIGN -- How the Good News Gets Around The mission of this collection is to contribute to the process of evangelization by fostering activities in relation to television, radio, internet, other media, and through special projects of the Catholic press. The Office of National Collections of the Catholic Communication Campaign (CCC) received 50% of the funds collected. Grants are made by the USCCB Subcommittee on the CCC from these funds. The remaining portion of the collection is retained by the diocese for the use in local communication projects. Next weekend, May 16 & 17, there will be two collections. The first collection is for the support of the parish. The second collection is for the Catholic Communication Campaign. Your generosity to both collections is greatly appreciated. **************************************************************************** BEREAVEMENT SUPPORT GROUP A Bereavement Support Group provides a safe place where people who are grieving the loss of loved ones can share their experiences with others who are in similar situations, who have similar concerns and who are better able to understand the grief process. Our Bereavement Group at Saint Luke Parish currently meets on the first Tuesdays of each month at 7:30pm. The next meeting of the Bereavement Group will take place on Tuesday, May 5 in the Pastoral Center followed by meetings on Tuesday, May 26 and Tuesday, June 30. (The May 26 meeting will be held in the Rectory Basement with access on Clintonville St.) If you need further information or if you are interested in attending the bereavement sessions, please contact Sister Theresa at (718) who facilitates the group and who also offers Bereavement Counseling where needed. VOCATION REFLECTION -- Fifth Sunday of Easter God sent His only Son into the world so that we might live through Him. Are you open to the call to be sent into the world as a priest or consecrated religious, that others might live in Christ? If you think God may be offering you this grace, call the Vocation Office at , or vocations@diobrook.org Page 7

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9 CONGRATULATIONS -- To the boys and girls of Saint Luke Religious Education Program who received First Holy Communion on Saturday, May 9th. A special thank you to their teachers, Lisa Scardamaglia, Loretta Latham, Danielle Vargas, Sabrina Moller, Hai Nguyen, Gabriella Giaccone and to Sister Katherine Burke, Director of Religious Education and to all those who helped prepare the boys and girls for their First Communion. Stefano Abicca Salvatore Augello Julia Bacac Nicholas Barco Sebastian Barco Sofia Busso Michael Caporale Isabella Cicillini Julianna Daddio Grace Deleso Anthony DiFilippi Sophia Gabriel Isabella Gallo Gianluca Gatt Sergio Giaccone Juliana Herzog Michael Lentini Daniel Leone Nicole Magnozzi Calogero Nicotra Alessia Rappa Joseph Reeth Antonio Romano Dylan Schaefer Bianca Serifovic Keira Sestak Jonas Suazo Clovia Vargas Zoe Vicioso Addison Villanueva John Vira Caterina Zerillo Graziella Zerillo Page 9

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13 BAPTISM PROGRAM When preparing for the Baptism of your child, parents must attend a Pre-Baptism Class. Godparents are welcome and encouraged to attend. The class is held once a month usually on the third Monday night of the month at 7:30pm. The Baptismal Liturgy is usually celebrated on the second and fourth Sunday of the month at 3pm. No Baptism can take place until the church receives a copy of the child s Birth Certificate as required by the diocese. If you are planning a Baptism, please note the following dates: Baptism Sunday Baptism Class May 17 May 11 June 14 & 28 June 22 July 12 & 26 July 20 August 9 & 23 August 17 When considering godparents, please understand that a Godparent should: 1. be a firm and enthusiastic believer, ready, willing, and able to help his or her godchild live a Christian life. 2. be at least sixteen years old. 3. lead a life in harmony with the faith and the role to be undertaken. 4. have received all three of the Sacraments of Initiation: Baptism, Eucharist and Confirmation. 5. not be the child s parent. For more information and to schedule a baptism appointment, please call Sister Theresa at (718) Page 13

14 ST. LUKE SCHOOL WHERE FAITH AND KNOWLEDGE MEET Celebrating 104 Years of Excellence in Catholic Education May is the Month of Mary Kindergarten classes have been learning about our Blessed Mother and how we can honor her. During the day the classes visited the Mary statue to read scripture stories about Mary. The students prayed the Hail Mary together to honor Mary and shared their special intentions. Page 14

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17 SCRIPTURE READINGS Mon. - Acts 16:11-15; Jn 15:26-16:4a Tues. - Acts 16:22-34; Jn 16:5-11 Wed. - Acts 17:15,22-18:1; Jn 16:12-15 Thurs. - Acts 1:1-11; Eph 1:17-23; Mk 16:15-20 Fri. Acts 18:9-18; Jn 16:20-23 Sat. - Acts 18:23-28; Jn 16:23b-28 WE PRAY FOR THE SICK: GEORDANO GALEOTTI MARIE CESTRO GERADINA D ANGELO SUE WINSHIP PATRICIA A. ANNA BRANDT ENRICO GABRIELLI AMY MAGGIPINTO JOSEPH FORTUNATO UGO BRUNI CHARLES BRODERICK, JR. VITO PASCIUCCO HAYES IRONS AND FOR THE DECEASED: ******************************************* MEMORIALS ANNOUNCED MASSES FOR THE WEEK OF May 11, 2015 Monday, May 11 7:00 Rev. Msgr. James W. Asip 12:00 Albino Surian Tuesday, May 12 8:30 Fiamma, DeMarco, Tamborello & Costanzo Families 12:00 Vito Riina Wednesday, May 13 7:00 Catherine & Michael Goggin 12:00 Edward Lark 7:30 Holy day Mass Ascension Thursday, May 14 8:30am, 10:30am, 12 noon & 7:30pm Friday, May 15 7:00 Paul DeRosa 12:00 Damiano & Maria Scardamaglia Saturday, May 16 8:30 Franica Grando The Altar Bread is given in memory of MARIA & DAMIANO SCARDAMAGLIA (Birthdays) at the request of The Scardamaglia & Neglia Families The Altar Candles are burning in memory of JOSEPH ROMANO (Birthday) & MARIA ROMANO (Mother s Day) at the request of their children Page 17

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19 THE ANNUAL WORLD COMMUNICATIONS DAY hosted by the Diocese of Brooklyn, will be held on Wednesday, May 13 at 10am at the Marriott in Downtown Brooklyn. Free and open to the public. Space is limited and registration is required. For more information and to register for the event visit OZANAM HALL OF QUEENS NURSING HOME, BAYSIDE is delighted to be celebrating it s 18th Annual Rose of Carmel Benefit Gala, honoring John & Lori Golden, Thomas & Anna Golden, Co-Owners of Martin A. Gleason Funeral Home with the Rose of Carmel Award. This event will be held on Tuesday, May 19, 2015 at Russo s on the Bay. All proceeds to benefit the Ozanam Geriatric Foundation, assisting the Carmelite Mission of Compassionate Care for the elderly. For further information, raffles or tickets please contact Gail D. O Donovan/Sr. Charlotte Michael/Kathleen Baratta in the Development Office at /2021 or St. Josaphat s Church Annual St. Padre Pio Mass & Procession th St., Bayside, NY Wednesday, May 20th at 7:00pm Mass The Most Reverend Frank J. Caggiano will be the Celebrant and Homilist. There will be a Candle Light Procession through the streets immediately following Mass. St. Francis of Assisi Rectory in Astoria is in need of a cook from Monday - Thursday, 3:00pm to 6:30pm. Some shopping required. If you are interested, please call Susan Woods at (718) Monday through Friday 9am-5pm. Page 19

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