PASTORAL STAFF Rev Frank Grieco, Pastor Ext. 116 E-mail: frgrieco@yahoo.com Deacon Lachlan Cameron Ext. 112 E-mail: cameron@optonline.net Deacon Douglas Ferreiro Ext. 171 E-mail: douglas.ferreiro@gmail.com Music Director: Mary Bolan Religious Education Office Ext. 132 E-mail:religiouseducation@holyspiritchurch.com Bulletin E-mail: bulletin@holyspiritchurch.com Carolyn Mueller Ext 117 E-mail: cmueller@holyspiritchurch.com Church of the Holy Spirit 16 South 6th Street, New Hyde Park, New York 11040 The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph - December 27th 2015 O Come, Let Us Adore Him Christmas Day - December 25th Parish Social Ministry Mr. Tom Friel, Director Ext. 138 E-mail: Tom.Friel@holyspiritchurch.com Website: www.holyspiritchurch.com Website Coordinator : May O Boyle Deegan E-mail: HolySpiritWebsite@gmail.com Rectory Office Phone: 516-354-0359 Fax : 516-354-2611 Rectory Hours: Mon/Tues/Thurs/Fri: 9:00am - 8:00pm Wednesday: 3:00pm - 8:00pm Saturday: 9:00am - 5:00pm Church Hours: Monday Through Friday 7:00am -8:00pm Saturday: 7:00am-6:15pm Sunday: 7:00am-2:00pm Emergency call (516) 880-2936 LITURGICAL CELEBRATIONS Mass Schedule Saturday: Sunday: Saturday Vigil Mass 5:00 PM 8:00 AM, 9:30 AM, 11:00 AM, 12:30 PM Monday Through Friday: 8:00 AM Holydays: As announced Family Mass: 9:30 AM Mass Confessions Saturday: 3:45 PM - 4:45 PM Call for an appointment (call the rectory to arrange a mutually convenient time.) Baptisms Please contact the rectory to make arrangements for your child s baptism. Sacrament of Matrimony Arrangements must be made at least six months prior to the ceremony and before arranging the reception.
PASTOR S PAGE Dear Friends, Today, only two days after Christmas Day, we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family. The Holy Family is a perfect model of family life; it is a model we can learn from and, if lived out, will bring us closer to God and closer to each other. The Blessed Mother, our spiritual mother, is the Mother of God. Mary made every sacrifice for her Son, especially when things were difficult. In fact, she gave of herself unconditionally for God. Joseph also gave of himself for the greater good. Remember when Joseph, at first, was considering divorcing Mary because he did not want to expose her to shame (another act of love), yet the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins. What many people do not realize (or do not think about), is that Mary and Joseph had free will (as we do) and could have chosen to ignore God speaking to them through the Angel. The difference between the Holy Family (Jesus, Mary and Joseph) and everyone else is that, we try but sometimes say no to God. They were faithful to him always, regardless of the cost. This is a perfect time, with the beginning of a New Year only days away, to make a greater commitment to Christ and make more of an effort to be faithful to him and supportive of each other. Although Christmas Day is December 25th, the Christmas season runs through the Epiphany of the Lord on January 6th. Although to most people this may not mean much, it is important to be vigilant and cognizant of this fact. This is why the Church sings Christmas music from Christmas Eve through the Epiphany of the Lord. We must be respectful to Christ during the entire Christmas season. It is important to me to thank all of our many ministries and volunteers who have made this season so special, especially those who have helped make the Church so beautiful. Mary Bolan, supported by Marilyn Mclean and Erica Marquardt, leads the music ministry; Loretta Lennox and Maureen Cavallaro lead the liturgy committee. These women have given selflessly of their time the past few weeks. There are many others, and they will be acknowledged within the next few weeks. The bulletin went to print before Christmas Day, so I do not know how well we did on the Christmas collection, yet, I do want to thank all of our many parishioners for your generosity. The collections are necessary for the sake of our Parish, and are appreciated! It is not too late if you have not yet made a contribution. We all use the Parish and we should all support the Parish. Thank you! On another note, this is a good time to consider making a personal New Year s resolution for something that is important to you. If our New Year s resolutions coincide with God s will, we have a much better chance of following through, and being successful. Stay well and be assured of my prayers. Merry Christmas! Fr. Grieco -2-
DEACON LACHLAN Today we celebrate the Holy Family..Jesus, Mary and Joseph, and yet there is much we don t know about them as a family. We know, of course the story of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we hear of Joseph and his reaction to the news, and then the angel appearing to him to tell him not to be afraid. We know the story of Mary and Joseph travelling to Bethlehem. We know of the birth of Jesus, and the flight into Egypt. We remember the story of Jesus being lost and Mary and Joseph finding Him in the temple. And then things go kind of quiet. We are told that they went about their lives in the normal manner of everyday families of the time. The story only picks up when Jesus begins His public life when he is thirty years old. Reading between the lines, Joseph died at some point in between, and Jesus took care of His mother. Otherwise, the Holy Family, led an ordinary life. They were neighbors, and friends, and school friends and so on, just like the rest of us. They also show us the love that a family can bring to one another, and how that love can hold us together during good times and bad. Although we might say that Mary and Joseph led an ordinary life, it certainly was not a bed of roses. They had as many problems as we all have, and then some, but they trusted in God to see them through these difficulties. They are a great example to all of us. Above is a picture of the Sagrada Familia (Holy Family) Basilica in Barcelona. The man who designed the building also had a great trust in God. Construction of Sagrada Família commenced in 1882 but then Antoni Gaudi became involved in 1883, taking over the project and transforming it with his architectural and engineering style, combining Gothic and curvilinear art nouveau forms. Gaudi devoted his last years to the project, and at the time of his death at age 73 in 1926, less than a quarter of the project was complete. Sagrada Família s construction progressed slowly, as it relied on private donations, and then it was interrupted by the Spanish Civil War. For the next 50 years construction was very slow, and it only really started to make progress in the last 30 years or so. I had the privilege of visiting the church about 15 years ago, and again 6 years ago it was categorized only as a church at that time, until granted basilica status by Pope Benedict in 2010. The progress between my two visits has been amazing, but there is still much to be done. It is hoped to complete the project by 2026 which will be the centenary of Gaudi s death. He trusted that God would see the project through to completion.. but he probably didn t expect it to take quite so long! What do we sometimes say?. it will happen in God s good time. A lesson in patience for all of us. This is an amazing work of sacred art. I am not a great fan of modern art, but the way Gaudi has blended the modern style with the gothic lines is amazing. He really was a gifted architect and engineer, and he recognized that his gifts were God given. The picture above doesn t do justice to the work, so if you have the opportunity to visit Barcelona it s a must see. Otherwise look it up online and enjoy some of the amazing photographs to be found there of this unique church. Gaudi also designed and built a number of other buildings in Barcelona and his distinctive style can be readily recognized. He used colors and materials which, at the time were considered (and for some still are) crazy. Thanks to Antoni Gaudi, a new word entered the English language..the word is..gaudy..meaning something bright, showy, flashy, or ostentatiously ornamented. At first glance that could apply to the Sagrada Familia, but it deserves a much closer inspection. It is a magnificent structure, dedicated to Holy Family, for the Greater Glory of God May Almighty God bless us, protect us from all evil, and lead us into everlasting life. Amen -3-
OUR SAVIOR IS BORN O Come, let us adore Him NEW YEAR S DAY MASS SCHEDULE The Church of the Holy Spirit will be celebrating Mass, observing THE SOLEMNITY OF MARY, THE HOLY MOTHER OF GOD December 31, 2015 Vigil Mass 5:00 p.m. and January 1, 2016 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon Please join us for this Holy Day of Obligation. -4-
SCRIPTURE READINGS DECEMBER 27th - JANUARY 3rd SUNDAY: SIR 3:2-6, 12-14; COL 3:12-21; LK 2:41-52 MONDAY: 1 JN 1:5 2:2; 1 JN 1:5 2:2 TUESDAY: 1 JN 2:3-11; LK 2:22-35 WEDNESDAY: 1 JN 2:12-17; LK 2:36-40 THURSDAY: 1 JN 2:18-21; JN 1:1-18 FRIDAY: NM 6:22-27; GAL 4:4-7; LK 2:16-21 SATURDAY: 1 JN 2:22-28; JN 1:19-28 NEXT SUNDAY: IS 60:1-6; EPH 3:2-3A, 5-6; MT 2:1-12 DAILY MASS All Parishioners, please be aware of a time change: Effective Saturday January 2 nd, 2016 the time of the daily morning Mass at Holy Spirit Church will be 8:30 a.m. The Sunday Mass schedule remains as is with Mass at 8:00 a.m. THIS WEEK S GIFTS AND CANDLES This week the Bread & Wine are in Thanksgiving for her Precious Grandchildren with Love from Carolyn Mueller This week the Candles are in Thanksgiving for her Precious Grandchildren with Love from Carolyn Mueller LET US PRAY Ninabeth Palces, Jola Griffen, Matthew Wargas, Eileen Hammond Damon Andrade, Joan Halstead, Rita Tynan, Jack Baierlein, Janet Rossano, Dolores Dragonetti For Those Who Died in the Lord Irene Haskins -5-
FAMILY MASS -6-
LET US PRAY FOR OUR PARISH FAMILY THIS WEEK AT HOLY SPIRIT SUNDAY 9:30AM 11:00AM 12:30PM MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY December 27th- The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph Parishioners of Holy Spirit Tom and Mary Lamb William Cutter Edward James Reilly December 28th - The Holy Innocents Purgatorial December 29th - Fifth Day within the Octave of the Nativity of the Lord Doris Nuzzi December 30th - Sixth Day within the Octave of the Nativity of the Lord James Prisco, Jr. Sunday, December 27th, 2015 No Activities Monday, December 28th, 2015 7:15 PM AA Meeting 7:30 PM Family Mass Band Tuesday, December 29th, 2015 7:30 PM Legion of Mary Wednesday, December 30th, 2015 No Activities Thursday, December 31st, 2015 7:15 PM AA Meeting Caf THURSDAY 5:00PM FRIDAY 10:00AM 12:00PM SATURDAY Deceased: Living: 5:00PM December 31st - Seventh Day within the Octave of the Nativity of the Lord Chiara Prisco Edward Bizub January 1st - Octave Day of the Nativity of the Lord; Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God Agnes Kozhimannil Chester Ostaszewski January 2nd - St. Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen Mass of Multiple Intentions Joanne Sharkey Vicki Lippolis, Joan Gray Elena Schmidt SUNDAY January 3rd - The Epiphany of the Lord Parishioners of Holy Spirit 9:30AM Theresa Hogan 11:00AM Joan Sheedy 12:30PM Ann Barilla Friday, January 1st, 2016 3:00 PM Rosary Saturday, January 2nd, 2016 Baby Bottle Campaign begins 7:00 AM AA Meeting 3:45 PM Confessions Sunday, January 3rd, 2016 Baby Bottle Campaign begins RECTORY OFFICE Please be aware that the Rectory Office will be closed at 12 noon on December 31 st and will reopen at 9:00 AM on January 2 nd. -7-
THANK YOU TO SOCIAL MINISTRY Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me. Matthew 25:40 Our Church is blessed to have a very active Social Ministry Department servicing our community. A sincere thank you to the team, under the leadership of Tom Friel, who volunteer so much of their time to provide for the needs of others. Tom s team members are: Regina Friel, Pat Blennau, Janet Pescia, Sue Conlon, Winnie Hughes and John Pettito. It is through the work of this team and the generosity of our parishioners that we are able to fulfill many of the Acts of Mercy, both Corporal and Spiritual, such as: feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, console the sorrowful. May God bless all of our volunteers and parishioners. RECTORY OFFICE NATIVITY SOCIAL MINISTRY Holy Spirit Social Ministry Food Pantry The Food Pantry is featuring items that are most needed in the pantry each week. Of course you are most welcome to donate any food product of your choice. If you prefer not to shop, small denomination supermarket gift cards are always welcome. We thank you in advance for your ongoing generosity to the pantry. This Nativity in the Rectory Office was donated in loving memory of Richard Kane from his family The items most needed this week are: Personal care items: Soaps, Shampoo, Toothpaste, Toothbrush, Deoderant, etc. -8-
COUNTLESS WONDERS O HOLY NIGHT A FAITH FILLED NIGHT WAS ENJOYED BY ALL -9-
FAMILY MASS LECTOR SCHEDULE December 27th January 3rd January 10th January 17th January 24th 1st reading: Pia Alana 2nd reading: Eamonn Lennon Petitions: Dan Corcoran Intro: Jason Padilla 1st reading: Allison Marzano 2nd reading: Larissa Scandura Petitions: Emma Cintron Intro: Victoria McGuigan 1st reading: Sarah Bush 2nd reading: Gabby Munge Petitions: Audrey Brooker Intro: Daniel Corcoran 1st reading: Ally Petricca 2nd reading: Darla Petricca Petitions: Jasmine Garnica Intro: Nicole Dana 1st reading: Allison Marzano 2nd reading: Emma Cintron Petitions: Victoria McGuigan Intro: Darla Petricca January 31st Feb. 7th Feb. 14th Feb. 21st Feb. 28th 1st reading: Ciara Lennon 2nd reading: Greg Marzano Petitions: Sarah Bush Intro: Sarah Hogan 1st reading: Daniel Corcoran 2nd reading: Jasmine Garnica Petitions: Jason Padilla Intro: Audrey Brooker 1st reading: Larissa Scandura 2nd reading: Nicole Dana Petitions: Ciara Lennon Intro: Alanis Navas 1st reading: Darla Petricca 2nd reading: Ally Petricca Petitions: Eamonn Lennon Intro: Pia Alana 1st Jason Padilla 2nd Alanis Navas Petitions: Darla Petricca Intro: Daniel Corcoran PARISH OFFERING May our Lord continue to bless Holy Spirit Parish and all those who give unconditionally. Last weeks collection, Sunday, December 20th was $11,670. Thank you! -10-