Third Sunday of Lent 8 March 2015 Saint Luke Church, Whitestone, New York From the Pastor -- Please accept my invitation to join the parish in celebrating the annual FORTY HOURS DEVOTION. This Eucharistic devotion has become an important part of the parish life. The parish will celebrate Forty Hours of Eucharistic Devotion beginning on Sunday, March 8th at the 5:00pm Mass and concluding on Tuesday, March 10th at a special Solemn Closing Mass at 7:30pm. We are honored and pleased to welcome Very Reverend Thomas Pettei, V.E., the Episcopal Vicar for Queens who will be the main celebrant and homilist of the Mass. Please mark your calendar and plan to spend some amount of time in prayer and thanksgiving before the Lord Jesus present in the Blessed Sacrament. This devotion is a time of special graces for our parish as we honor our Eucharistic Lord. We are especially in need of people to be with the Blessed Sacrament during the hours of the night - Sunday night to Monday morning and Monday night into Tuesday morning. If you wish to commit yourself to a particular hour, day or night, please call Mary or Sean Brett at 718-352-8769 or call the rectory. Forty Hours Devotion Sunday March 8th starting at the 5:00pm Mass Tuesday, March 10th closing with 7:30pm Mass Let us pray for one another, Page 1
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SHARE THE JOY OF THE GOSPEL Last weekend I spoke at all the Masses as the Diocese marked the beginning of the Annual Catholic Appeal 2015. I am grateful for your attention to the request of Bishop DiMarzio and myself to support this important annual fundraiser. Your gift to the Annual Catholic Appeal goes to support the mission and ministry of both the diocese and parish. On the Diocesan level your gift will be used for: Vocations Support Care for Retired Priests Faith Formation Catholic Schools Scholarship Assistance Catholic Charities Chaplaincies Catholic Migration Services Parish Assistance Here in the parish your gift will be used to help support a variety of parish ministries. To help meet financial obligations and bills. To maintain our parish buildings and property. In my talk I read from a letter written by one of the eighth grade candidates for Confirmation in our parish school. Let me quote a few lines: I learned that there is an enormous multitude of less fortunate people out there who need our help. We have our cup filled with everything we need and we need to share more with others and less with ourselves. Even though sometimes we can t help all of those people, a small thing always makes the world a better place. This experience taught me that the Church needs all the support and help they can get. If everyone thought that someone else was going to help the Church no one would help the Church. I am confident of your generous support of this year s Appeal which will help us not only to meet our parish goal of $100,580, but to go beyond the goal which will be returned to the parish. An opportunity to make your gift to the Annual Catholic Appeal will be provided at all the Masses on the weekend of March 14th & 15th. Please think about your gift and come ready to make your donation. Page 3
NOVENA TO SAINT ANTHONY The annual Novena in preparation for the June 13th feast of Saint Anthony will begin on Tuesday, March 10th immediately following the 12 noon Mass. The Novena will continue every Tuesday, except for Tuesday, March 17th, until the celebration of Saint Anthony s feast day - Saturday, June 13th. The 8:30am Mass will be celebrated in honor of Saint Anthony. *************************************************************************** You are invited -- On Sunday, March 22, 2015 at the 11:45am Mass at Our Lady of Grace Church in Brooklyn, Father Vincent Chirichella will be installed as pastor by the Most Rev. Paul Sanchez, D.D., Auxiliary Bishop of Brooklyn. Father Vincent invites everyone to share in the Installation Mass and lunch to follow as he remembers his years of service here at Saint Luke. Our Lady of Grace Church, 430 Avenue W, Brooklyn, New York 11223 *************************************************************************** Save the Date -- Come Celebrate Feast of Saint Patrick - Tuesday, March 17th Masses at 8:30am and a special Solemn Mass at 12 noon followed by light refreshments in the Pastoral Center. Feast of Saint Joseph - Thursday, March 19th Masses at 8:30am and a special Solemn Mass in English at 12 noon followed by light refreshments in the Pastoral Center. And a Solemn Mass in Italian at 7:30pm followed by light refreshments in the Pastoral Center. All are invited to honor these saints of the church. Page 4
COLLECTIONS February 28 & March 1 $13,240 Envelopes Mailed 2,031 Amount Needed $13,425 Envelopes Received 719 Way of the Cross Over the Brooklyn Bridge On Good Friday, April 3, 2015, Communion and Liberation will sponsor the Way of the Cross over the Brooklyn Bridge. Participants will congregate for the first station at St. James Cathedral, Brooklyn, at 10:00am. After a station on the Brooklyn Bridge, the procession will follow the cross to a third station at City Hall Park in Manhattan, and a fourth station near Ground Zero. The final station will be at St. Peter s Church, on Barclay Street, concluding at 1:30pm. At each station, there will be readings from the Passion, a meditation, a reflection and hymns. All are invited. For more information, please call Communion and Liberation at (212) 337-3580 or visit its website at www.wocbrooklynbridge.org. **************************************************************************** 10th Annual Divine Mercy Conference March 21, 2015 from 9am - 5:30pm at Cardinal Spellman H.S., Bronx, N.Y. Sponsored by the Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception and Franciscan Friars of the Renewal. Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron will be the Main Celebrant for Holy Mass. Confession, Q & A Panel of Divine Mercy Experts, Book Store & Book Signings. Featured Speakers will be Msgr. James Lisante, Fr. Glenn Sudano, CFR and Catherine Wiley. For more information and registration please call 1-800-462-7426 or online at www.thedivinemercy.org/bronx. Registration $60. **************************************************************************** THANK YOU FROM THE PROPAGATION OF THE FAITH -- Page 5
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. 36th ANNUAL ITALIAN DINNER DANCE IN HONOR OF SAINT JOSEPH Sunday, March 15, 2015 from 4:30pm to 8:30pm Douglaston Manor, Douglaston, New York Tickets - $75 per person For tickets and more information, please call Damiana Testa at 718-746-6269. **************************************************************************** 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! **************************************************************************** CONGRATULATIONS -- Please keep this couple in your prayers as they prepare to receive the Sacrament of Marriage here in our parish. Friday, March 20th at 2pm GERARD N. CAVERA & ROMINA L. CAPORRINO **************************************************************************** VOCATION REFLECTION -- The Knights of Columbus Msgr. Dillon Council will be sponsoring a Blood Drive for the New York Blood Center on Sunday, March 22nd in the school hall from 8:30am to 2:30pm. Please stop by to donate blood and give the gift of life! Third Sunday of Lent We proclaim Christ crucified...the power and wisdom of God. Could Jesus be calling you to proclaim His life, death and resurrection as a priest, deacon or in the consecrated life? Call the Vocation Office at 718-827-2454, or email: vocations@diobrook.org Page 6
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 March 8 & 22 March 9 April 19 & 26 April 13 May 3 & 17 May 11 June 14 & 28 June 15 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) 746-8531. Page 7
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ST. LUKE SCHOOL WHERE FAITH AND KNOWLEDGE MEET 718-746-3833 www.slswhitestone.org Celebrating 104 Years of Excellence in Catholic Education 1910 2015 WELCOMING A NEW STUDENT TO ST. LUKE! When Mrs. Kenny s nursery class returned from vacation, they got the very pleasant surprise of having a new friend join our class! We are all so happy Filip has come to play and learn with us. The other children are enjoying teaching him our classroom routines and learning new things from Filip as well. Thank you Filip for coming to make our nursery class even better. We know you will love coming to school at St. Luke s just like we do! Page 15
St. Luke School held the Middle Grades Math Bee in February. CONGRATULATIONS!! First Place Jennifer D Elia Second Place Theodore Moyen Alternate Maksim Sadeghi Jennifer will represent St. Luke School at the Regional Math Bee on March 24 at Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament School. Page 16
Registration for New Students for the 2015-2016 School Year Currently Underway Call for a tour of our building and see for yourself what is going on in our parish school and why we are so very proud of St. Luke! (718) 746-3833 Visit us at www.slswhitestone.org A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops. ~Henry Adams By: Ericka Conlon I learned early on that teaching was not just a job; it requires long hours, patience and care. However, it was also clear that the rewards far exceeded the many hours of planning, grading and innovation. This was never more evident than this Christmas when I received a beautiful Christmas ornament frame with a photo of a young girl I had never met. Attached to the gift was a note from the mother of a former student of mine. You may wonder who this little girl is and how she relates to you. Well, back in 7 th grade you had Sarah and the class write a report about helping the community and reaching out. We started looking into this organization because of it. We sponsored this child when Sarah was in your 7 th grade class and still sponsor her today. Her most recent photo is in this picture frame. Please know that all your kind words and actions branch out further than the horizons you may see- but the heavens are gently touched by your caring. We are grateful to have you in our lives. The picture frame has a seed to remind you that because of your actions a seed of caring and love was planted in our hearts to reach out and touch the life of another. Her words of gratitude and encouragement left me in tears. This note was just what I needed to realize that teaching is a mission, a life calling. A teacher s influence knows no boundaries. I thank Sarah and her lovely family for reminding me of that during this Christmas season. Page 17
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SCRIPTURE READINGS Mon. - 2Kgs 5:1-15b; Lk 4:24-30 Tues. - Dn 3:25,34-43; Mt 18:21-35 Wed. - Dt 4:1,5-9; Mt 5:17-19 Thurs. - Jer 7:23-28; Lk 11:14-23 Fri. Hos 14:2-10; Mk 12:28-34 Sat. - Hos 6:1-6; Lk 18:9-14 WE PRAY FOR THE SICK: GEORDANO GALEOTTI MARIE CESTRO GERADINA D ANGELO SUE WINSHIP MARY MIRRO JOHN MARTINELLI PATRICIA A. ANNA BRANDT ENRICO GABRIELLI FATHER PETER COFFEY AND FOR THE DECEASED ANN PEZZANITE CHRISTINA DENNING TARA JO GEORGIO-ZENI LUCIA CASTELLANO ***************************************** MEMORIALS ANNOUNCED MASSES FOR THE WEEK OF March 9, 2015 Monday, March 9 7:00 Giulia Franch (1st Anniversary) 12:00 Rosa Varlese Tuesday, March 10 8:30 Fiamma, Demarco, Tamborello & Costanzo Families 12:00 Emilia & Karlo Jurasic Wednesday, March 11 7:00 Julia Luca 12:00 Giovanna & Josip Pezzulich Thursday, March 12 8:30 Mae, Bernard & Barbara Beck 12:00 Maria & Francesco Salemi Friday, March 13 7:00 Cecilia & Cosmo DiTucci & Peter Delle Donna 12:00 Mary Louise Reichhardt (Living - 101st Birthday) Saturday, March 14 8:30 Michael Iracondo (Anniversary) The Altar Bread is given in memory of VINCENT TIERNEY requested by his wife & family. Page 19
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