The Baptism of the Lord 13 January 2013 Saint Luke Church, Whitestone, New York From the Desk of Msgr. Tosi--- O God, Creator of all things, who laid down for the human race the law of work, graciously grant that by the example of Saint Joseph and under his patronage we may complete the works you set us to do and attain the rewards you promise. (Opening Prayer - St. Joseph the Worker) The Advent/Christmas Season presents for our reflection some of the most striking figures to be found in Sacred Scripture: Isaiah, John the Baptist, the Blessed Mother Mary, the Three Kings, Shepherds and Angels. Yet one among them stands out - that of Saint Joseph. Given care of Mary and Jesus, Joseph has been designated Patron of the Universal Church. Joseph - the good and just man - truly followed the will of God and at great personal sacrifice. Yet Joseph is often the forgotten person of the Christmas Season. Yes, Joseph is always part of every Nativity set but seems to take a back seat. Perhaps that is his greatest virtue - humility; perhaps that is why Saint Joseph is one of only a few saints who has been honored with two feast days: March 19th - Husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary and May 1st - Saint Joseph the Worker. There is a beautiful church in Brooklyn dedicated to Saint Joseph. On top of the Baldachino over the altar is a magnificent marble statue of Saint Joseph with the words in Latin: Ite ad Joseph: Go to Joseph. As work begins on the restoration of our church let us Go to Joseph under his title of the Worker. Let us place this work under his care and guidance. Through his intercession may the work begun in God s will be brought to completion. May the workers be kept safe and may the work of their hands - like that of Jesus - be for the glory of God. May our beautiful church building be restored to continue its mission of service and preaching the Good News of Christ. Go to Joseph! To help us deepen our love for and devotion to Joseph; to help us imitate his example and benefit by his intercession, holy cards in honor of Saint Joseph have been placed at the doors of the church. Take one and offer the prayer to Saint Joseph each day for the successful completion of the work which has begun. This prayer will be said every day at Mass until the work s completion Saint Joseph --- Pray for us! Let us pray for one another, 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. Page 1
SUNDAY COLLECTION January 6 $13,345 Envelopes Mailed 1,988 Amount Needed $13,425 Envelopes Received 604 IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT --- With the start of the new year, the ongoing restoration of the church will move inside. Work will begin on the interior of the upper church and conversion of the former lower church. In order to facilitate this much needed work, the church will be closed beginning January 5th, 2013 until the completion of the work no later than July 1st, 2013. During this time Mass will be celebrated according to the normal schedule in the following locations: Weekday Masses (Mon. - Tues. - Wed. - Thurs. - Fri.) - 7:00am/8:30am & 12 Noon Masses in the Rectory Basement Meeting Room N.B. The rectory will open for Mass a half hour before the Mass is scheduled to begin and will close immediately upon completion of Mass. Weekend Masses (Saturday and Sunday) - All Masses on Saturday and Sunday will be celebrated in the School Hall. This includes the 8:30am Mass on Saturday morning. N.B. Confessions will be held in the School Hall from 3:30pm to 4:30pm on Saturdays. First Fridays : The monthly Eucharistic Devotion held on the First Friday of each month will not take place while the church is closed. This includes both the 8:30am Mass on First Fridays and Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. Both will NOT be celebrated. Funeral Masses: Arrangements have been made with the neighboring parishes to use their church for the funerals which would normally be held here at Saint Luke. The priests of Saint Luke will celebrate the funeral Masses held in other churches. The organist and cantor will also provide the music ministry. The Funeral Home will assist the family in making the necessary arrangements. Baptisms: Weddings: will be celebrated in the School Hall on the scheduled Sundays of each month. Letters will Be provided to the parents who wish the baptism in another church. Parents should call the Rectory to make the necessary arrangements including attendance at the required class. No weddings are scheduled for the church during this time. Your continued cooperation, patience and understanding is most appreciated. Working together we can complete the work and soon return to our beloved church. Page 2
SCHOOL PLAYGROUND TO OPEN --- The new school playground has become a big hit with the boys and girls of Saint Luke School. They certainly enjoy the play equipment while the upper grades enjoy the tables and benches included in the area. Also included is a memorial to the Dominican Sisters consisting of the statue of Our Lady of Lourdes formerly located in the Convent garden. We wish to thank those who donated a memorial stone at the shrine in memory of a loved one. Their generosity helps to make this memorial possible. The playground will be open on the following Sundays from after the 7:30am Mass to 2:00pm for you to visit: January 13 & January 27 March 17 April 14 May 12 June 16 Come and see the newest addition to the parish; say a prayer at the statue of Our Lady and for our young members - enjoy the play equipment. The following parishioners have donated a memorial stone at the shrine: Gerardine Johnson-Carpenter Christian Platt In Memory of Anne & George Johnson Monica Agnes Coughlin In Memory of Fred and Jo Carpenter Mildred Theresa McCormick Alfred and Rose Caruso Assunta Prebenna Families of Alfred Caruso & Rose Varlese The Grech Family In Memory of Peter P. Grech 1961-2003 In Memory of A. Debattista 1966-2001 In Memory of Theresa Grech 6/1993-12/1993 In Memory of Ramond Rapa 1964-1968 Families of Grade 1-2 In Honor of Grade 1-2 November 2012 Families of Grade 1-1 In Honor of Grade 1-1 2012-2013 James and Ellen Creagh For our Eight Children with Love 1970 to 1994 Monsignor John C. Tosi In Loving Memory of our Parents Enrico and Lucy Tosi Barbara Reiter In Loving Memory of our Parents Joseph and Anne Portanova Henry and Virginia Skoros Virginia Rentos and Henry Skoros May 7, 1966 Anthony Liuzzi In Loving Memory of the Liuzzi Family Katharina Engel Maria Petri Beloved Mother Patricia Tanon In Honor of Catherine and Martin Higgins Page 3
PRE-BAPTISM PROGRAM --- When preparing for the Baptism of your child, parents must attend a Pre-Baptism Class for their first and second child only. Godparents are welcome to attend. The class is held once a month usually on the third Monday night of the month in the rectory 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: Starting in January all Baptisms will take place in the school hall until July. Baptism Sunday Baptism Class January 27 January 14 February 10 & 24 February 11 March 10 & 17 March 18 April 14 & 28 April 15 May 19 & 26 May 20 June 9 & 23 June 17 Permission letters will be given to those who wish to baptize their child in another church. However, they still need to attend the Pre-Baptism Class which is required in order to give the letter of permission. For more information, please call the rectory at 718-746-8102. **************************************************************************************** DIOCESAN MISSION COLLECTION --- This weekend, January 12 & 13, there will be two collections. The first collection is for the support of the parish. The second collection is for the support of the Diocesan Mission. Your generosity to both collections is greatly appreciated. **************************************************************************** SAVE THE DATE --- Members of the Monsignor Dillon Knights of Columbus will be outside all the Masses on January 19 & 20 conducting their first Baby Item Drive. This weekend precedes the anniversary of the Roe v Wade Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion in America. They will be collecting the following items for the Bridge to Life and the Sisters of Life: (all NEW) diapers; gift cards; toddler clothes (winter) for boys and girls in sizes 2,3,4,5, 6 & 7; underwear and socks for boys and girls in toddler sizes; baby layette items: hooded towels and washcloths for infants & toddlers; baby wash & shampoo; receiving blankets for infants; infant stretchies for girls; infant gowns; strollers; car seats (not older than 5 years old). For further information, please contact Eddie at 917-667-2835 or eaw20@aol.com. VOCATION CORNER --- This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. Are you considering making known the love of our Heavenly Father as a priest, deacon, sister or brother? Contact the Vocation Office at (718) 827-2454 or email: vocations@diobrook.org. Page 4
GIVING TREE Once again, the parishioners of St. Luke have helped brighten so many loves and brought a magical Christmas to those who have so little. Your generous gift-giving of 1,290 gifts through the Giving Tree project made it possible for organizations to distribute these gifts to underprivileged children, incarcerated women and their children, residences for women in crisis and their children, the homeless, those parishes affected by Hurricane Sandy, the poor and many others. On their behalf, we thank you. May God bless you for your generosity and may peace and joy be yours in abundance throughout the New Year. St. Luke Disciples in Mission A THANK YOU ---From Rev. William M. Hoppe, Pastor of St. Leo Parish, Corona Page 5
Page 6
Page 7
Page 8
Page 9
Page 10
PRE-K 2 SUPERSTARS The children in Ms. O Brien s Pre-K class learned about the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. They created beautiful Christmas wreaths complete with a Nativity scene in the center. They learned the song It s Christmas Day and sang like angels at the School Christmas Concert. Pre-K students use both art and music as mediums to learn about their religion. Page 11
!SANTA VISITS THE NURSERY! Santa came to Mrs. Pappalardo's Nursery Class checking to see if the children were naughty or nice. Everyone received a candy cane! The class reenacted the birth of Jesus and made reindeer hats. The children were truly filled with the Christmas Spirit!!! Ms. Lynch's Nursery class celebrated the New Year first thing back from vacation! Each child made their very own New Year Party Hats to wear while they marched around the room singing "Happy New Year to You!" They even had their own countdown from 10 as an ending to the celebration! They're excited and ready for the new year... Happy 2013!! Page 12
CLASS 6-2 SHARES THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT This Christmas season, Class 6-2 participated in the annual Saint Luke Advent Tree Gift Drive. The students selected one gift tag from the parish Giving Tree which was a request for a woman s wrist watch to be given to a lady from a less fortunate, but most deserving parish. What made this gift giving experience so special for the children was the fact that the class collection came from the students own savings; they did not ask their parents for money for the collection, but rather made a monetary sacrifice from their own allowance or from savings they had from their snack money. A lovely wrist watch was purchased, wrapped and delivered to church in time for Santa s helpers to take the gifts to the participating parish. The children were most generous, and shared the true spirit of Christmas. Thank you, Class 6-2; we are so proud of you. GET YOUR PASSPORTS READY! Page 13 December is a time to celebrate for many reasons. Most importantly, we celebrate the birthday of Our Lord Jesus Christ! In celebration of this most wonderful time of the year, Mrs. Molen s Kindergarten class took a trip around the world! The children learned about how people celebrate Christmas all over the world. We began our journey by making passports and learned that we need this special book in order to travel outside the U.S.A. The children traveled to France, Germany, and Mexico. While in France the children learned that the French children place their shoes by the fireplace on Christmas Eve in hopes that Pere Noel (Santa Claus) will leave them toys and treats. We also listened to some popular Christmas songs in French. Our next stop was Germany. The children learned that Christmas trees are very important in Germany. Many families actually have more than one Christmas tree in their home at Christmas time. The children then listened to the song O Christmas Tree in German. Our final destination was Mexico where the children learned about the pointsettia plant. Nothing seems to say Merry Christmas better than a beautiful red and green pointsettia. We then listened to Feliz Navidad. What an exciting adventure we had as we experienced Christmas Around the World!
Page 14
SCRIPTURE READINGS Mon. - Heb 1:1-6; Mk 1:14-20 Tues. - Heb 2:5-12; Mk 1:21b-28 Wed. - Heb 2:14-18; Mk 1:29-39 Thurs. - Heb 3:7-14; Mk 1:40-45 Fri. - Heb 4:1-5,11; Mk 2:1-12 Sat. - Heb 4:12-16; Mk 2:13-17 WE PRAY FOR THE SICK OF THE PARISH: JENNIE ROMANO LOUIS FIAMMA RITA SCHIAVELLO GRACE GAMBY THOMAS GEORGE BREEN GILBERT CUS BABY EMMA SERBER UNITA JANEK SHAWN GRAHAM CHANTEL JOHNSON ANNA VANGI AND FOR THE DECEASED FRANCIS WILL FABRIZIO BARBATI *********************************** MEMORIALS The Altar Bread is given in loving memory of ANNA BULLARO requested by Maria, Concetta, Caterina & Enza Belmonte & Family. The Altar Wine is given in loving memory JAMES DWYER (30th Anniversary) at the request of wife & sons, Anne, Jimmy & Dennis. ANNOUNCED MASSES FOR THE WEEK OF JANUARY 14, 2013 Monday, January 14 7:00 Maria & Nick Purich 12:00 Francesco DelGreco Tuesday, January 15 8:30 Cardinal John O Connor 12:00 Louis Condron Wednesday, January 16 7:00 Joseph & Salvatore DiTucci & Mary Kelly 12:00 Giovanni & Maria Cicero Thursday, January 17 8:30 Carmine, Michael & John Colalillo 12:00 Francis M. Malichek Friday, January 18 7:00 Mary Cazzorla 12:00 Daniel Conway Saturday, January 19 8:30 Vincent Keegan (Anniversary) *********************************** COLLECTIVE INTENTIONS MASS The next Collective Intentions Mass will be celebrated on Sunday, January 27 at 11:45am. At this Mass we pray for: ANNA BULLARO The Altar Candles are burning in loving memory of ANNA BULLARO at the request of Maria, Concetta, Caterina & Enza Belmonte & Family. Page 15
Page 16
Page 17