St. Kevin Roman Catholic Church Flushing, NY Most Reverend Raymond F. Chappetto Pastor Consecration of the Altar and Blessing of the Renovated Sanctuary Sunday, September 14, 2014 Exaltation of the Holy Cross 12:00 Noon Mass
Page 2 September 14, 2014 Dear Friends, Today during the 12:00 noon Mass our pastor, Bishop Chappetto, will consecrate our new altar and bless our newly renovated sanctuary. The liturgical renovation of our church could not have happened without your generous prayerful and financial support. Thank you! We hope that parishioners will continue to make gifts and pledges so that we can pay off the costs of the renovation by the end of this year. One of the key features of the work was to restore the tabernacle to the center of the sanctuary. Jesus is truly the center of our lives. Now, as parishioners and guests enter St. Kevin, the centrality of the Eucharist is clearly apparent, since the tabernacle is more visible wherever you are seated in the church. Also, now that the altar is lower and closer to the congregation, the movement of clergy and other ministers around the sanctuary flows more smoothly without any obstacles, and there is plenty of room for principal concelebrants to sit without blocking the area around the altar. May God continue to abundantly bless our parish family through the intercession of St. Kevin as we worship together in our beautiful church. When feasts of our Lord fall on a Sunday they replace the Sunday in Ordinary Time. On September 14 th the Church celebrates the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. This feast commemorates the discovery of the true cross by St. Helena in the year 320, and the dedication of the basilica and shrine at the site of the crucifixion in 335. Of course, we also celebrate the victory of Jesus over sin and death by His Passion and Death on the cross. Many Catholics proudly wear a cross around their necks and hang crucifixes in their homes to remind them of the salvation won for them by Jesus Christ. As we celebrate the Exaltation of the Holy Cross this year, we cannot help but pray in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Iraq and other places around the world who are suffering and being put to death for their faith in Christ. Be merciful, O Lord! Next weekend we will celebrate Catechetical Sunday with the theme: God s Gift of Forgiveness. Mercy and forgiveness should be the defining mark of any catholic community, whether it is the family gathered in the home or parishioners worshipping together in their local church. Catholics should always be willing to forgive, since our God so generously and unconditionally forgives us. As we are nourished by the Body and Blood of Jesus each week, may we grow in our capacity to forgive one another. Sincerely yours in Christ, Reverend John J. Costello Second Collection this Weekend The annual Catholic Education/St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Trust Fund Collection will take place this weekend, September 14th. The revenue from this second collection is used to support Catholic Education in the Diocese and assists the parish to pay our annual commitment to the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Fund for 2014. Thank you for your generosity! The Knights of Columbus will be at the doors of the Church this weekend selling chances. The proceeds from the raffle will enable the Knights to continue their many charitable outreach programs. Thank you for your support of the Knights of Columbus. St. Kevin Rosary Society Craft Ladies will meet on Thursday, September 18th, at 9:30 A.M. in the St. Kevin Room. Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion If you are an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion and think you would have the time to bring the Eucharist to a parishioner who is homebound and can no longer get to Mass, please contact Noreen Crummy at 917-617-8878 or 718-357-8408. We are receiving more and more requests and only have a limited number of EMHCs who are available to minister to the homebound. Your visits can be during the week or on the weekend and the frequency of your visits can be worked out between yourself and those whom you will visit. Thank you for your prayerful consideration of this very important request. Faith is the union of God with the soul.
Page 3 The Exaltation of the Holy Cross Today, Sunday, September 14th, is Feast of Catechetical Sunday The Exaltation of the Holy Cross. The This year, the Church will celebrate Catechetical readings for today s Liturgy begin at #1041 in the Hymnal. Sunday on September 21 st and will focus on the MASS INTENTIONS Saturday, September 13th 5:00 Pauline Angelucci Sunday, September 14th 8:00 Eamonn Higgins 10:00 Nicholas Rappold 12:00 In Thanksgiving to Jesus for Thomas Alsheimer and all the Survivors of 9/11 Monday, September 15th 9:00 Alex Fazzi (22nd Anniversary) Tuesday, September 16th 9:00 Nicholas Rappold Wednesday, September 17th 9:00 Emilio Vittiglio (17th Anniversary) Thursday, September 18th 9:00 Pamelia Floresta Friday, September 19th 9:00 Gerradina Avallone Saturday, September 20th 9:00 1) Lauren, Timothy, Jonathan & Thomas P. McGinley 2) Michele Evangelista 3) Patrick Costello Saturday, September 20th 5:00 Rosemarie Franklin Sunday, September 21st 8:00 In Honor of Padre Pio 10:00 Robert Mayors (1st Anniversary) 12:00 Fred & Ellen Riester theme Teaching About God s Gift of Forgiveness. Those whom the community has designated to serve as catechists will be called forth to be commissioned for their ministry. In our parish we will commission the St. Kevin Catholic Academy teachers and the catechists in the Faith Formation Program. Catechetical Sunday is a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the role that each person plays, by virtue of baptism, in handing on the faith and being a witness to the Gospel. Catechetical Sunday is an opportunity for all to rededicate themselves to this mission as a community of faith. News from the Faith Formation Office The Faith Formation Program at St. Kevin has begun. If you have not re-registered your child, please do so as soon as possible so we can provide the appropriate classes for them. If you are new to the parish, please know that our program is open to children in grades 1 through 8. There are two years of preparation for both First Communion and for Confirmation. Normally children receive First Communion in second grade (after attending grade 1 and grade 2) and Confirmation in grade 8 (after attending grades 3 to 8). Sunday, September 21st is Catechetical Sunday. All parish catechists and teachers from St. Kevin Catholic Academy will be commissioned to teach religion in our parish during the 10 a.m. Mass. Please call the Faith Formation Office at 718-357-5317 for additional information Memorial Gifts A Sanctuary Lamp and the Altar Candles will burn this week in loving memory of Maria & Felicio Gesualdi A Sanctuary Lamp will burn this week in loving memory of Joseph and Jose Nogueira. Please Pray... for our sick: Virginia Sefchick, Angela Rastelli, Katherine Kennedy, Tom Newby Jr., Shannon Acevedo, Jeno Papp, Letizia Salamon, James Brown, and Annette Raso...and our dear departed: Josephine Grigas and Joseph Montano The St. Kevin Shrine Lamp will burn this week for the Intentions of the Donor. Do not forget the works of the Lord! Psalm 78
Page 4 The AARP Meeting will take place on Monday, September 15th, at 1:00 P.M. in the Parish Center. Come and enjoy singer Johnny Hughes! We will have some tasty home-made desserts made by our members. Stewardship Thought: Today s second reading from the letter of Saint Paul to the Christian community at Philippi offers that beautiful testimony of Christ Jesus who loves us enough to give His life for us by death on a cross. There is great hope in the cross, yet very few of us will be called to die the way Jesus died. Saint Paul helps us understand that to be authentic stewards of our faith we must be willing to lay down our lives for Jesus. To be faithful to the Gospel is to be willing to take up our cross daily and follow Him. In that way we will find our dying and our rising equally assured. Reflect this week on how you embrace the cross and how you, at times, shirk the cross in your daily life. The Bible Timeline:The Story of Salvation Imagine how our parish would change if all of us had a profound encounter with God in Scripture. The Bible is at the heart of everything we do and believe as Catholics. A good Bible study has a way renewing parish life, and enriching the faith of parishioners. The Bible Timeline is a fascinating study that takes you on a journey through the entire Bible. You will go deep into each period of salvation history and discover the amazing story woven throughout all of Scripture. Using a unique color-coded system, you will learn the major people, places, and events of the Bible and see how together they form the foundation of our faith. Join us for The Bible Timeline here at St. Kevin, beginning September 18 at 7 p.m. and Sept. 19 at 10 a.m. at the Pro Sanctity Center, 45-30 195 th Street, Flushing (St. Kevin Convent). The program includes 24 DVD presentations, home study, and group sharing. The cost is $40 per Student Book and covers the 24 sessions. Please call Faith Formation Office 718-357-5317 to register as soon as possible so we know how many books we need to order or fill out the form below and bring it to the rectory office. ********************************************************* The Bible Timeline: The Story of Salvation Name: Address: Phone #: E-Mail: St. Kevin R.C. Church St. Kevin Senior Club will meet on Tuesday, September 16th, in the Parish Center, from 1:30 to 4:30 P.M. Hope to see you there! New members are welcome! A Defensive Driving Course, sponsored by the Girl Scouts, will take place on two Tuesday evenings, Sept. 23rd & 30th, in the Parish Center from 7 to 10 P.M. Upon completion of both classes, you will receive a Green Cross certificate, good for a 10% discount off your insurance for 3 years and point reductions. The cost is $45. Please reserve your seat by calling Rosanne at 718-279-4581. Boy Scout News - Boys 6-10 Years Old Scouting has been around for over 100 years. The program instills in our young boys character, morals and knowledge. If your son is between the ages to 6-10 years, we invite you to bring him to our first meeting of the year on Wednesday, September 17th, at 7 P.M., in the Parish Center. We will have games and refreshments for all. For additional information, please contact Marty Weinbaum at 917-560-1885. Vocation Committee Meeting - The parish staff has proposed some specific initiatives for the Vocation Committee during the coming year. We will have an important meting on Saturday, September 20th, at the Pro Sanctity Center after the 9:00 A.M. Mass to discuss and organize the activities and events and to divide up the responsibilities so that the initiatives will bear fruit within our parish. Everyone is welcome to join us! Please call Agnes at 718-357-5317 or 718-649-0324 to confirm your attendance or express your interest in being a part of the Vocation Committee. Vocation Thought... Whoever believes in the Son of Man will have eternal life. Are you called to bring faith in Christ and eternal life to others as a priest, deacon or in consecrated life? If you are discerning a vocation as a sister, brother, deacon or priest, you are invited to call the rectory to speak with one of the parish priests or contact the Vocation Office at 718-827-2454 The Auburndale Improvement Association will meet on Tuesday, September 16th at 7:30 P.M. in the St. Kevin Parish Center. The parking lot and the elevator make the Parish Center easily accessible. Refreshments will be available. Come and join us! September 7, 2014...$10,205.00 Catholic University of America...$1,418.00