Our Lady of the Snow 175 Blue Point Avenue, Blue Point, New York Telephone: August 12, th Sunday in Ordinary Time

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1 Our Lady of the Snow 175 Blue Point Avenue, Blue Point, New York Telephone: August 12, th Sunday in Ordinary Time It is by the saints, and not by the mediocre, still less by the great sinners, that the Church is to be judged. A medicine must be judged not by those who buy it but by those who actually take it. A Church must be judged by those who hear and obey, not by those who half-hear and disobey when obedience is difficult. Frank Sheed (from Theology for Beginners) Frank Sheed was one of the Church s most gifted expositors of the Catholic faith. He and his wife, Maisie Ward, an excellent writer herself, founded a publishing company that for many years put into print the works of a veritable who s who among Catholic authors. Sheed s Theology for Beginners is as good an introduction to theology and the Catholic faith as you ll find.

2 Rev. Msgr. Charles Fink, Pastor Rev. Joseph Gaspar Deacon Edward Karan Deacon Bob Gronenthal Deacon Frank Hartmann Religious Education: Monday Thursday 9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Mrs. Patricia Bartoldus, DRE olsbpre@aol.com (631) Mrs. Loren Christie, DRE Assistant Parish Outreach: 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Monday - Thursday in the cottage Mrs. Diana Mongan, Director Mrs. Patricia Fulco, Outreach Assistant (631) olsoutreach@yahoo.com Parish Office: (631) Fax: (631) Hours: Mon. - Thur. 9:00 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. Friday 9:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. CLOSED SATURDAYS IN AUGUST Ms. Loraine Drake, Asst., ext. 111 Mrs. Marlene Tully, Asst., ext. 110 ourladyofthesnowbp@gmail.com Director of Music: Mrs. Theresa Martin Deacon Frank Hartmann is currently at Bellhaven Rehab in Bellport. Feel free to stop down, give him a call or just remember him in your prayers. SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION: Saturday 4:00 PM - 4:30 PM in Large Church Monday 7:00 PM - 7:30 PM in Mother Church WEEKDAY MASSES: Monday - Friday 8:30 AM in Mother Church WEEKEND MASSES: Saturday 5:00 PM in Large Church Sunday 7:30 AM in Mother Church 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM in Large Church EUCHARISTIC ADORATION: Monday 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM in Mother Church MIRACULOUS MEDAL NOVENA & BENEDICTION: Monday 7:30 PM - 8:00 PM in Mother Church ROSARY: August 15, at 4:45 PM Mother Church Family Rosary Wednesdays, 7:00 PM in Mother Church Pray for Our Sick We pray for all who are sick, for their healing in both body and spirit. Deacon Frank Hartmann & Dari Delise In Sympathy For all who have died this past week, that they rejoice in the heavenly banquet

3 My dear parish family, Fr. Jerry Pokarsky is a priest of the Diocese of Arlington, VA. In a recent article he wrote for Crisis Magazine he stated some obvious but too often forgotten truths we all need to keep in mind as we negotiate the troubled waters churned up by the scandal of clerical misbehavior in the Church. Fr. Pokarsky, with good reason I think, focuses his attention on our bishops. Now I happen to believe we are very fortunate in our Bishop John Barres, and I personally know bishops whom I consider exemplary models of good shepherding. That said, there is no escaping the fact that not all bishops have lived up to their high calling. So what does Fr. Pokarsky have to say about all of this in his article entitled What Scripture Says About the Reliability of Religious Leaders? First, that when Jesus walked the earth, the Jewish equivalent of clergy the priests, chief priests, Sadducees and Pharisees do not generally make a very favorable impression in the New Testament. Second, that 1/12 of the original college of bishops that would be the Apostles betrayed Jesus, and only 1/12 were there to support him at the foot of the cross. Not exactly an impressive batting average. Third, and strikingly, that Jesus tells his listeners that in spite of their waywardness, the scribes and Pharisees (though their bad example must be spurned) should be obeyed in what they teach. Their problem was that they didn t practice what they preached, but that, said Jesus, was no excuse for anyone not to practice what their duly appointed religious leaders taught. If you are among those who are sickened by continuing revelations of clerical sexual abuse in the Church, even more by the apparent cover-ups of such abuse, believe me when I tell you that I m in complete sympathy with you. Nevertheless, I beg you not to give up on the Church Jesus founded on imperfect human beings. I ve given my life to this Church and am at least as sickened as you, but I m still here, and I hope you will remain so too. If we are called as Christians to love and pray even for our enemies, and we are, then surely the Church deserves our prayers and our pity more than our bitterness and rejection. Jesus knew what it was to be betrayed and abandoned by his own, yet he never abandoned or betrayed them. Let s try to follow his example. May God have mercy on his Church. May God have mercy on us all. With love and prayers, Fr. Charles Fink

4 Capt. Evan Bernstein Major Meghan Ederle Major. Kyle Brown Lt. Sean Brown Ensign Shannon Brown E3/ACAN Connor Rooney USN DO,CPT,MC Kate Desmond-Baker Sgt. Samuel Campanella Lt. Robert Fleming Altar Bread and Wine In loving Memory of Our Parishioners Sanctuary Candle in Mother Church In loving Memory of Our Parishioners Monday Aug. 13, St. Pontian 8:30 AM Virginia Magovney Tuesday Aug. 14, St. Maximillian 8:30 AM Jeanette Strain Wednesday Aug 15, The Assumption of BVM 8:30 AM Louise McQuade 7:30 PM Leonard Obser Thursday Aug 16, St. Stephen of Hungary 8:30 AM Jennie & Ray Verspeer Friday Aug 17, 8:30 AM Michael McHugh Saturday Aug 18, 5:00 PM Otto DiMiceli Sunday Aug 19, 7:30 AM Thomas C. Schaal (5th Anniv.) 9:00 AM Parishioners 11:00 AM Kathryn Scottaline Catholic Marriage for couples married outside the Church If you have a civil marriage but now desire a Catholic sacramental marriage, call the Rectory for more information about a Convalidation. Convalidation is having a couple s marriage recognized and blessed by the Church through the Catholic Rite of Marriage. Marriage: Arrangements must be made at least six to twelve months in advance. It is advisable to call the church prior to arranging the reception. Rite of Christian Initiation (R.C.I.A.) Persons interested in becoming Catholic and adults who have not received Confirmation or First Eucharist, please contact the rectory office. Communion for the Homebound: To make arrangements to have Communion brought to the home, please call the parish office at , ext For emergency sick calls, please call the parish at any time. Baptisms Are celebrated on the second Saturday and fourth Sunday of most months. Please visit our website for complete information or call the rectory office.

5 FR. JOHN KEEP: WHAT IS LOVE? This is what love is: It is the measure of how much you would be willing to do for someone else, how much you would be willing to give up for him, how much you would give up of time and pleasure and comfort for him. Love is not a thing you possess on your own and as your own. It relates to others. It measures your relationship with others. God is our common Father. Each member of His family should mean a lot to us. If we are going to take the simple, uncomplicated path of growing in love, then what we are going to do is grow in concern for the interests of others, and for God s interests first of all. If you are not concerned about God s interests, you do not love God even if you have ecstasies whenever you think of Him. One of God s interests is that we should love each other, show concern for each other. So we cannot love God if we are not concerned with our neighbor s interests. If you want to love someone more, you do not have to go and sit down and force yourself to feel warmer about him. If you want out of love for Jesus to obey Him by loving your enemy, you do not have to sit down and force yourself to feel that you like your enemy. All you have to do is be concerned about his interests, to take care of him, to do good to him. Your love is genuine even if your emotions make you feel you cannot stand the sight of him. So love is the measure of how much we care for someone. If we have it, we shall serve that person. Love and service go together. If you love someone you do things for him. Even God s love is like this. Jesus said on one occasion, The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve. He showed His love for us by what He did for us. Love is something deliberate. We can show how much we care for God s interests from morning until night, and when we take His gift of sleep with thanks, we love Him then as well. We can give Him glory in eating and sleeping and in all our activities. And we should. Let us take the advice of St. Therese and give Him a very large number of small sacrifices. We can do our daily work and all the day s round for God conscientiously. Jesus said that He wanted His followers to deny themselves and take up their cross each day; so we show our care for Him in each little sacrifice. We can make innumerable little prayers of love. We can be moderate in eating and drinking and sleeping and taking recreation. We can treat each moment of life seriously for the Lord. We can increase our love for God and our neighbor in very frequent and very many little ways. Sacrifice is the food of love, and we want to grow in love. Love serves.

6 Respect Life Ministry "Let us preserve freedom. Let us cherish freedom. Freedom of conscience, religious freedom, the freedom of each person..." - Pope Francis Upcoming Events: * OLS Respect Life Meetings will resume Thursday, September 6, 2018 at 10 a.m. in the Cottage. * The LI Coalition for Life holds a Prayerful Presence on the Second Saturday of the month in front of Planned Parenthood on Waverly Avenue in Patchogue from 10:30 a.m. -11:30 p.m. The next Prayerful Presence will be September 8th. * Future Meeting Dates for RLM: * Thursday, October 4th, 10 a.m. in the Cottage, Other Dates to Follow... For Men Suffering from Loss through Abor on August 18, 2018, at 7 p.m. Contact the DRVC Respect Life Office for loca on and to register at: Pat Fox Diocese of Rockville Centre Respect Life Office projectrachel@drvc.org An Evening of Prayer for Men is an opportunity to experience the loving mercy of God in a safe and sacred space. The evening is directed by a spiritual team who have a sensi vity and a heart for those who suffer. The evening will consist of Mass, Dinner, the Sacrament of Reconcilia on, and Adora on. Focus on Religious Freedom From Catholics for Freedom of Religion Good News for Health Professionals New Agency Protects Conscience & Religious Rights A new Conscience & Religion Freedom Division (OCR) in the Dept. of Health & Human Services (HHS) was established in January to restore and more vigorously and effectively enforce federal laws that protect the unalienable rights of conscience and religious freedom. "America's doctors and nurses are dedicated to saving lives and should not be bullied out of the practice of medicine simply because they object to performing abortions against their conscience," said OCR Director Roger Severino. "Laws protecting religious freedom and conscience rights are just empty words on paper if they aren't enforced. No one should be forced to choose between helping sick people and living by one's deepest moral or religious convictions. The new division will help guarantee that victims of unlawful discrimination will find justice. For too long, governments large and small have treated conscience claims with hostility instead of protection. But change is coming and it begins here and now." "The Founding Fathers knew that a nation that respects conscience rights is more diverse and more free," said acting HHS Secretary Eric Hargan. (hhs.gov, 1/18/18; townhall.com, 1/18/18; washingtonpost.com, 1/18/18; firstliberty.org) STEWARDSHIP FINANCIAL REPORT For the week of August 5th, $8,332.76

7 Parish Outreach Open Monday - Thursday 10:00 AM until 1:00 PM (631) Thank you for your continual support of our ministry. With your generous donations we can continue to help so many in need in our community. May God bless you for your kindness. The pantry is located in the lobby of the large church. All donations can be left outside the pantry door or at the Outreach office during business hours. ***Back to school*** We are in great need of Staples gift cards for back to school shopping for our families in need with school aged children. The Pantry is in need of the following: *** indicates greatest need items Hot and cold cereal Stew*** Coffee Cookies Chili*** Crackers Pancake mix and Syrup*** Salmon*** Toothpaste*** Laundry detergent Deodorant *** Shampoo*** Conditioner*** Toilet paper Paper Towels Tea*** Mayo Ketchup Peanut Butter Jelly Corn*** Canned Potatoes*** St. Sylvester's Community Social and Dance. Featuring Bill Wilkinson and his "Savoy Swing Band"; A live 20 pc. band with vocals playing for your listening and dancing entertainment. Birthdays and Anniversaries WELCOME. When: Saturday, August 18, 2018 from 7 pm to 10 pm. Where: St. Sylvester's Church, Patricia Desmond Hall, 68 Ohio Ave. Medford, NY Directions: LIE exit 64. Go south on Rte. 112 one light to Robinson Ave. Make a right. Go past first block and parking lot will be on the right. Admission: $15.00 pp - snacks and beverages included. Visit us on our website; or call (631) Thank you. Your host; Mike V. SAVE THE DATE Wednesday, October 3, 2018 Out Lady of the Snow Annual Golf Outing Rockhill Country Club

8 OUR LADY OF THE SNOW RELIGIOUS EDUCATION OFFICE (631) Office Hours: Monday through Thursday 9:30 a.m. un l 4:30 p.m. or by appointment The ministry of Religious Educa on strives to bring all into a closer rela onship with Jesus through Word, Worship and Service. The Religious Educa on Office will be closed for Summer Break. We will reopen on August 20th! CATECHISTS NEEDED Late Registra on for If you missed registra on on June 5 please complete the registra on forms for your child as soon as possible and return them to the Religious Educa on Office. Registra on forms can be found on the parish website ourladyo hesnowbluepoint.com or there are hard copies on the backstairs of the Religious Educa on Office. You can leave the completed forms in the mailbox on the backstairs while we are closed for the summer. Level 2-2 catechists are needed for Monday at 4:30 p.m. or Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. Level 6-5 catechists are needed for Monday, Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. or Wednesday 4:30 p.m. or 6:00 p.m. If you are interested in sharing faith with a group of 6 or 8 students once a week October - April please call or Pat in the Religious Educa on Office Who Are Catechists??? Parents Moms & Dads Grandparents & Godparents High School or College Students Parishioners Children Entering 1st Grade Sept should be registered in the Religious Educa on Program. Par cipa on in Level 1 is the first level of the Diocesan mandated 2 year prepara on program for the Sacraments of Reconcilia on and Eucharist. Registra on forms should be returned to the Religious Educa on Office. Please include a copy of your child s bap smal cer ficate.

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10 August 15th through October 7, 2018 The time is now to call upon God, through the powerful intercession of Our Lady of the Rosary, to heal our country and return it to holiness. The time is now to call upon God, through the powerful intercession of Our Lady of the Rosary, to heal our country and return it to holiness. This is a nationwide prayer campaign called the Novena for Our Nation. Everyone from around the nation is encouraged to join ranks as, united, we pray the very powerful 54 Day Rosary Novena from the Feast of the Assumption on August 15 to the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary on October 7. We continue to live in peace-less times with laws and court rulings in conflict with God s laws; especially the disregard for the rights of the unborn, elderly and weak in our society and the attacks on marriage and family values. Society and many levels of government continue to demonstrate intolerance towards biblically based religious belief and practice. In conflict with First Amendment constitutional rights, persecution of traditional religious expression has reached historically high levels. We are in a Spiritual Battle. We are called upon to help turn our country back towards God. We will accomplish that through prayer; prayer that can change hearts, change families, change our communities and change our country. There is no stronger weapon in this Spiritual Battle than the Rosary. Pray for America with the faithful from across the country Sign up to receive daily reflections straight to your inbox

11 BEREAVEMENT SUPPORT GROUP St. Mary s Parish in East Islip is offering a free 8 Week support group for adults who are coping with the death of a loved one. Registration is required for this group which begins on Wednesday, September 12, 2018 from 7:00 PM 9:00 PM. Refreshments will be served. In order to participate in this group the death must have occurred prior to June 12, For information and or registration please contact the rectory at ext A little humor from Father Fink A guy walked into the dollar store and asked an attendant if it was true that everything in the store cost a dollar. Yes, said the attendant, everything you see is only a dollar. Fine, said the man, I ll take the cash register.