Parish Staff Church of St. Ephrem 929 Bay Ridge Parkway Brooklyn, New York 11228 Sunday, December 10, 2017 Second Sunday of Advent Rev. Robert B. Adamo, KHS, Pastor Rev. Msgr. Peter V. Kain, Pastor Emeritus Rev. Anthony S. Chanan, Parochial Vicar Mr. Robert Cote, Youth Minister Mrs. Michele James, Business Manager Rev. Msgr. Theophilus Joseph, Parochial Vicar Ms. Eileen Maguire, Director of Faith Formation Mr. Thomas Marchesiello, Director of Music/Liturgy Deacon Kevin McLaughlin, Permanent Deacon Mr. Craig Mercado, School Principal Sr. Ann Martha Ondreicka, O.P., Director of the Spirituality Center Mrs. Lisa Pinsky, Parish Secretary Mr. Thomas J. Sbordone, Christian Awareness Program/Pastoral Care Deacon Anthony Stucchio, Permanent Deacon Rectory Office Spirituality Center Christian Awareness Program Faith Formation Office 929 Bay Ridge Parkway 935 Bay Ridge Parkway 929 Bay Ridge Parkway Office in School Room 307 718-833-1010 718-921-9518 718-833-1143 718-745-7486 Fax 718-921-5232 stephremreligioused@gmail.com St. Ephrem School 924 74th Street, Brooklyn, New York 11228 718-833-1440 Fax 718-745-5301 www.stephremschool.org Schedule of Masses Saturday Vigil 5:00 PM Sunday 8:00 AM, 10:00 AM, 12 Noon, & 5:00 PM Weekdays 7:00 AM & 8:45 AM Rectory Office Hours Monday Friday: 9:00 AM 12 Noon 1:00 PM 8:00 PM Saturday 9:00 AM 5:00 PM Sunday No Office Hours Parish Registration All are welcomed and invited to register at the Parish Office and participate in our parish. Devotions Miraculous Medal Novena, Mondays following the 8:45 AM Mass Recitation of the Rosary at 8:15 AM before weekly morning Mass. Divine Mercy Chaplet every Friday at 3:00 PM First Friday Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament following the 8:45 AM Mass and Benediction at 12:30 PM. Our Mission Statement Baptism Parents should call the rectory to make an appointment. Please note that there are no baptisms during the season of Lent. Marriage The Sacrament of Marriage requires a time of serious spiritual preparation. Couples should make arrangements for their marriage at least six months before the date of the wedding by making an appointment with a priest or deacon. Please log on to www.pre-cana.org for complete information about marriage preparation in the Diocese. Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession) Saturday 3:30 4:30 PM. By appointment for all other times. Anointing of the Sick/Communion To make arrangements for communion to be brought to any parishioner who is seriously ill or confined to the house, or if they wish to receive the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick. To see a particular Staff Member, please call for an appointment. We, the parish family of St. Ephrem, baptized into the life of Jesus Christ and nourished by the Word and the Eucharist, strive to be a welcoming and responsive Roman Catholic faith community. Together we are committed to put our faith into action by: Responding to the spiritual and physical needs of the community through service and charity. Reaching out to those who are searching for a faith community, including the young and those seeking to re-kindle their relationship with God. Reaching out to all without distinction. Passing on our faith and traditions through teaching by word and example. Connecting to where people are on their faith journey. Actively participating in the worship, sacrament and devotional life of the church.
Second Sunday of Advent December 10, 2017 Make straight the paths of the Lord. John the Baptist s brief appearance in Mark s gospel begins a new era in the history of salvation. Mark s details about John the Baptist s appearance recall the austere dress of the great prophet Elijah. Some of the Jews in Jesus time believed that Elijah would return from heaven to announce the long-awaited restoration of Israel as God s kingdom. For Mark and Matthew, this expectation is fulfilled in John the Baptist. John the Baptist proclaims, One mightier than I is coming after me. In John the Baptist s proclamation of Jesus as the Messiah, the age of the prophets is fulfilled and the age of the Messiah begins. John the Baptist s baptism with water is an act of hope and expectation in the Messiah s baptism in the very Spirit and life of God. Perhaps it is appropriate that we read these opening verses on the Second Sunday of Advent with our busy lives, shopping lists, and details to which we must attend. The gospel, and especially its opening, seems to lend itself to our frenetic pace. Still there is the proclamation that something, someone, is coming. He is mightier than John the Baptist, mightier than our concerns for the season, mightier than our lists of things to get done. He will baptize with the Holy Spirit and our lives will never be the same. These days of Advent are a microcosm of our lives: we work to become, we struggle to change, and we adjust to the new. The completion of a straightened path leads to new directions to travel; the discovery of God reveals new possibilities for our lives; the waters of baptism recreate us in the Spirit of God s compassion and grace. Our own baptisms call us to take up the Advent work of John the Baptist: to straighten the crooked road of our lives, to transform deserts barren of love into places of welcome and reconciliation, to gather up the lost and forgotten, to proclaim the coming of God s Christ in our midst. Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God. Today s special collection is for the Retirement Fund for the Religious. It is an opportunity of us to give back to those who have given a lifetime of service as teachers, administrators, doctors, nurses, missionaries and a witness of Christ in the world. Please be as generous as possible. In the Good Shepherd, Fr. Robert December 3, 2017 316 Envelopes $10,328.00 Christmas Flowers 165 Envelopes $2,043.00 We Share (Online Giving) 40 Families $220.00 Mass Attendance 735 Thank you for your generosity to St. Ephrem Parish! Generations of Faith continues across the Diocese! Generations of Faith Campaign Update as of November 16th at St. Ephrem R.C. Church Campaign Goal $980,000 Total Pledged $1,068,619.00 Total Payments to Date by $727,543.77 Parishioners Total # Donors 195 Total Funds To Be Returned to Parish to Date $336,719.00 On behalf of the parish, and all of the volunteers who helped with Generations of Faith thank you for your prayers and support of this historic effort! While we have completed our campaign, many parishioners are choosing to make their pledge payments to Generations of Faith automatically through online giving! Enroll in online giving today! Follow These Easy Steps: 1. Visit: www.cfbq.org/pledge 2. Enter banking or credit card information 3. Confirm your payment method, reference and contact information 4. Welcome! You are now enrolled for easy, convenient and free online payments! What if I need help setting up an online account so that I can pay my pledge? To provide this service, we have partnered with Faith Direct, a leading online provider for the Church. Should you need help enrolling or if you do not have an email address, please contact them at (866) 507-8757. If you have further questions, call Catholic Foundation at (718) 965-7375, ext. 2210 and they will assist you further. 2
Saturday, December 9th 8:45 AM For the Intentions of Jane May 5:00 PM Joseph, Pauline & Alexander Mottola Donato Serini Frank Losauro John Summa Peter Tji Sunday, December 10th 8:00 AM Msgr. Douglas L. Brown (1996) 10:00 AM Costanza & Guariglia Family 12 Noon Aida Offitto 5:00 PM For the People of St. Ephrem Monday, December 11th 7:00 AM For the People of St. Ephrem 8:45 AM Emilia Diaz Tuesday, December 12th 7:00 AM Florence Miglino (25th Anniversary) 8:45 AM Emilia Diaz Wednesday, December 13th 7:00 AM For the Intentions of St. Lucy 8:45 AM Luigi & Lucia Marsillo Thursday, December 14th 7:00 AM James J. Scully 8:45 PM Sharon Pascale Friday, December 15th 7:00 AM For the People of St. Ephrem 8:45 AM Eleanor Trombone Saturday, December 16th 8:45 AM Maria Valentin 5:00 PM Marie Cogan Bernstein Peter Carlin Cataldo Piccarreto John Mollica Mass Intentions for the week Sunday, December 17th 8:00 AM Clement McHugh 10:00 AM Nancy &Michael Bagnato & Family 12 Noon Thomas & Julia Costanza 5:00 PM For the People of St. Ephrem Thank you to Mc Laughlin & Sons, Funeral Home and Mr. Jay Sessa for providing us with the beautiful annual Catholic calendars. Altar Candles & Sanctuary Lamp In Loving Memory of The Deceased Members of the McGuirk and Delehanty Families Requested by:lucy McGuirk The Bread & Wine In Loving Memory of The Deceased Members of the McGuirk and Delehanty Families Requested by: Lucy McGuirk Our Parish Goal: $104,459.00 All monies collected over goal is returned to St. Ephrem Parish 254 Donors Amount Pledged: $103,478.00 Paid to Date: $101,275.00 Reached 99.06% of Goal Thank you for your continued generosity we are now over 99% of goal!!!! Just a few more and we will achieve our goal!!!!! Our Advent Giving Trees are placed in our church. Please take one of the gift giving tags. These gifts will go to children ranging in age from infants to teenagers. Heartshare and Hour Children are the agencies servicing these children. Please return all gifts No Later than the 5:00 pm Mass on Sunday, December 17th. Welcome to our Parish Family Sister Edyth Fitzsimmons Sister Marie Antoinette Mannuzza Sister Joan Gavigan Sister Elizabeth O Brien Sister Theresa Grant Sister Rosalind Picciano Sister Margaret Kelly Sister Rene Marie Randon Sister Mary Margaret Kennedy Sister Patricia Maris Tully We welcome these Sisters of St. Joseph, Brentwood, N.Y. to our convent. Your presences in a blessing to us! 3
YOUTH MINISTRY PARISH NEWS Spirituality Center Bereavement Support Group Monday, December 11 at 7:00 PM Youth Group (Grades 6-9) Sunday, December 17th at 6:00 PM in the Rectory Meeting Room St. Ephrem High School Night (Grades 9-12) Friday, December 15th at 7:00 PM in the Rectory Meeting Room SAVE THE DATE World Youth Day Information Session Sunday, December 17th 1 PM in the Rectory Meeting Room Join us for one night or for every event. For more information please email: stephremyouthministry@gmail.com @stephremyouth Please see brochure in the church for the full schedule of events! SCHOOL NEWS An Advent Retreat A Welcoming Nest Tuesday, December 12th at 1:00 PM Session 1 Homecoming Spiritual Direction Sister Ann Martha, (718) 921-9518 All are welcome! DEANERY ADVENT EUCHARISTIC Adoration With evening prayer Thursday, December 14, 2017 7:30 PM Shrine Church of St. Bernadette 8201 13th Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11228 Fr. Justin Cinnanti, O Carm. Guest Preacher All are invited to take a few quiet moments to prepare spiritually for Christmas! Christian Awareness Program (CAP) Our next meeting is on December 12 th at 12 Noon in the Rectory Meeting Room St. Ephrem School Presents A Christmas Show for the whole family! Friday, December 8th at 7:00 PM Saturday, December 9th at 2:00 PM & 7:00 PM Sunday, December 10th at 2:00 PM Msgr. Kain Hall Tickets $10.00 For information and to purchase tickets please visit the School Office. Tickets will be available at the door. (718) 833-1440 A word of sincere appreciation to all those kind and generous parishioners who contributed to the cost of the new handbells. The children will play the new bells for the first time at our Christmas Eve, 5:00 PM Mass. Thank you again, Tom Marchesiello 4
SCHOOL NEWS ACADEMY PROCESS OFFICE OF THE SUPERINTENDENT ~ CATHOLIC SCHOOL SUPPORT SERVICES ROMAN CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF BROOKLYN 310 PROSPECT PARK WEST BROOKLYN, NEW YORK 11215 718-965-7300 FAX: 718-965-7353 Preserving the Vision Newsletter #1 of 5 Catholic schools are one of the educational environments where one grows by learning how to live, how to become grown-up, mature men and women. Following what St. Ignatius teaches us, the main element in Catholic schools is learning to be magnanimous. This means having a big heart, having a greatness of soul. It means having grand ideals, the desire to achieve great things in response to what God asks. Pope Francis Dear Parents/Guardians, In September 2008, the Diocese of Brooklyn began a strategic planning process for Catholic education called Preserving the Vision Strategic Plan. The long-term goal of this process is to strengthen the mission of Catholic education in Brooklyn and Queens by creating a new governance model for each elementary school that draws assistance from multiple partnerships designed to strengthen every aspect of a Catholic school s life for the benefit of our children. In September 2014, the Preserving the Vision Strategic Plan was updated to include: the New Evangelization, Political Advocacy, Expanded Collaboration with Catholic High Schools and Catholic Colleges and Universities and Maintenance of School Infrastructure. A singular benefit of the academy model is the expansion of programs to enhance the academic rigor of the academy. We believe that the mission of Catholic schools is to educate our young people in the Catholic faith intellectually, socially and morally. Schools and academies must seek to strengthen families as the prime place for faith formation. We reaffirm our desire to make Catholic education accessible to all children who desire to attend a Catholic school and academy, regardless of where they live within the Diocese of Brooklyn (Adopted from Preserving the Vision Executive Summary 2008). By September 2018, all parish elementary schools within the Diocese of Brooklyn will have taken part in the academy formation process to allow for lay leadership in each school s governance. The participation of the laity in the Church s educational mission is critically important for its long-term vitality. Why the Catholic Academy? Since the Second Vatican Council, the Roman Catholic Church has recognized that lay men and women, possessing unique talents, abilities and skills are essential to help the Church maintain vital ministries and to plan for its future. The participation of the laity in the Church s educational mission remains critically important as we address the future of Catholic education within the Diocese of Brooklyn. This new model and its partnerships will strengthen Catholic education in our neighborhoods and communities for generations to come. Already, as part of Preserving the Vision, seventy academies have been established. Each new Catholic academy is chartered by the Board of Regents of the State of New York and includes a two-tier governance model made up of Members and Directors. Both of these bodies share in the academy s governance, aid in developing policies that reflect the academy s mission and work to ensure its future through strategic planning and outreach. Also, the Board of Directors brings to the academy their expertise in finance, marketing, recruitment and retention, development, education and grant writing. Below please find a chart which clearly outlines the two-tier governance model for the academies. Parents, pastors, teachers and administrators remain the key to our students success, and we look forward to sharing the exciting news of Preserving the Vision with you and exchanging ideas for greater success. More information will be available in the coming days. Please find Preserving the Vision on the Diocesan Website for Catholic Education, http://dioceseofbrooklyn.org/schools/faq-catholicacademies/. To provide you with additional information on the academy process, a parent meeting has been scheduled for January 4, 2018 at 7:00PM. Sincerely, Tom Chadzutko Thomas Chadzutko, Ed.D. Superintendent Function as the governing body of the academy. Select principal and serve as immediate supervising body. Board of Board of (Tier 2) Academy Governance Model Board of Members (Tier 1) Board of Directors (Tier 2) Function as prime sponsors of the academy. They appoint the Directors and ensure the overall Catholic identity of the academy and its programs. Directors Directors The instructional, educational, and spiritual leader of the academy, and chief educational operating officer. Academy Principal The teachers and staff members fulfill the mission of the academy. The teachers plan, guide, and evaluate the learning process of the students for whom the teachers are responsible within the framework of the academy's philosophy, organization, and curriculum. The staff implements the mission through their assigned responsibilities. 2) Teachers Staff 5 Home/Academy Association Serves to support and enrich the educational and formational endeavors of the academy, and works to promote a connection from home to academy. Brother Ralph J. Darmento, F.S.C., 2013
ADVENT OPPORTUNITIES Advent Reconciliation Monday Monday, December 18th As we prepare to welcome the new born Saviour, Jesus, once again this Christmas, let us spiritually and sacramentally make room for Jesus in our hearts. The Sacrament of Reconciliation will be offered at St. Ephrem Church from 4:00 to 8:00 PM. Nothing can Separate you from His Love Romans 8:38-39 YEAR OF VOCATIONS YEAR OF VOCATIONS DIOCESE OF BROOKLYN 2017-2018 It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go an bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you. John 15:16 A Blessing for Your Nativity Baby Jesus You are invited to bring the baby Jesus from your home Nativity scene to church for a special blessing that will be given at each of the Masses after Communion on the Third Sunday of Advent, December 17th. So in this way, your Nativity and home will be blessed for the Holy Season of Christmas. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for then in the inn. Luke 2:7 Christmas Mass Schedule Christmas Eve Sunday, December 24th 5:00 PM Mass With Children s Choir and Children s Hand Bell Choir 11:30 PM Lessons & Carols With Adult Choir 12 Midnight Mass Christmas Day Monday, December 25th 8:00 AM Mass, 10:00 AM Mass & 12 Noon Mass New Year Mass Schedule Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God Monday, January 1, 2018 8:45 AM We wish you a Merry Christmas & Happy New Year! 6 PRAYER FOR VOCATIONS ] Lord of the Harvest, we petition you as you have instructed us to ask for more laborers to serve in the vineyard of your Church. You have told us that the harvest is rich and laborers are few and we experience this great need in the face of the challenge of the New Evangelization. We ask the Holy Spirit to inspire young men and women to seriously consider vocations to the priesthood and religious life. Help all of us to be effective instruments to encourage and support those whom you are calling to serve and lead the Church of Brooklyn and Queens in the future. Lord, you told the Apostles to put out into the deep. We ask for the grace and courage to respond to your call as we pray and work for an increase in vocations to the priesthood, diaconate and religious life. We ask this in the Name of Jesus Christ, the Great High Priest, Amen.