Church of Saint Monica Saint Elizabeth of Hungary Saint Stephen of Hungary 413 East 79 th St., New York, NY 10075 Church Offices and Parish Center: 406 East 80 th St., New York, NY 10075 (212) 288-6250 Fax: (212) 570-1562 Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time Sunday, January 28th 2018 Office Hours Our Offices are open: Mo. 9am 5pm Tu.-Th. 9am 7pm Fri. Closed Sat. 10am -2pm Sun. Closed Our offices close for lunch: 1pm 2pm daily Parish Staff Pastor Rev. Donald C. Baker frdcab@stmonicanyc.org Associates: Rev. Msgr. Leslie J Ivers msgrlivers@stmonicanyc,org Rev. Joslin K. Jose frjoslin@stmonicanyc.org Pastoral Associate: Ms. Maryann Tyrer mtyrer@stmonicanyc.org Parish Manager: Music Director Mr. Michael Ward Mr. John Zupan mward@stmonicanyc.org jzupan@stmonicanyc.org Asst. Music Director Ms. Lora Cohan lcohan@stmonicanyc.org Cantor: Mr. Joseph Neal Wedding Coordinator: Ms. Debbi Burdett DBweddingsnyc@gmail.com Mass Schedule Saturday: 12:00pm Saturday Vigil: 5:30pm Sunday: 7:30am 9:00am 10:30am 12:00pm 5:00pm Monday Friday: 7:30 & 12:00pm Confessions: Saturday 5:00 5:30pm and by appointment Our church is open: 7am 4pm daily for private prayer St. Stephen of Hungary School Pre-K through 8 th Grade Catholic Parochial School 408 East 82 nd St., New York, NY 10028 (212) 288-1989 Fax: (212) 517 5788 Ms. Caroline Walker www.saintstephenschool.org Principal: Interested in admissions to our parish school? admissions@saintstephenschool.org
TODAY S READINGS First Reading -- Moses spoke to all the people, saying: "A prophet like me will the LORD, your God, raise up for you" (Deuteronomy 18:15-20). Psalm -- If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts (Psalm 95). Second Reading -- Brothers and sisters: I should like you to be free of anxieties (1 Corinthians 7:32-35). Gospel -- The people were astonished at Jesus' teaching (Mark 1:21-28). The English translation of the Psalm Responses from Lectionary for Mass (c) 1969, 1981, 1997, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation. All rights reserved. READINGS FOR THE WEEK Monday: 2 Sm 15:13-14, 30; 16:5-13; Ps 3:2-7; Mk 5:1-20 Tuesday: 2 Sm 18:9-10, 14b, 24-25a, 30 -- 19:3; Ps 86:1-6; Mk 5:21-43 Wednesday: 2 Sm 24:2, 9-17; Ps 32:1-2, 5-7; Mk 6:1-6 Thursday: 1 Kgs 2:1-4, 10-12; Friday: SAINTS AND SPECIAL OBSERVANCES Sunday: Wednesday: Friday: Saturday: 1 Chr 29:10-12; Mk 6:7-13 Mal 3:1-4; Ps 24:7-10; Heb 2:14-18; Lk 2:22-40 [22-32] Saturday: 1 Kgs 3:4-13; Ps 119:9-14; Mk 6:30-34 Sunday: Jb 7:1-4, 6-7; Ps 147:1-6; 1 Cor 9:16-19, 22-23; Mk 1:29-39 Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time; Catholic Schools Week St. John Bosco The Presentation of the Lord; Groundhog Day; First Friday St. Blaise; St. Ansgar; First Saturday; Blessing of Throats; Blessed Virgin Mary Bread & Wine This Week s Bread & Wine In Memory of Berenice Blain Offered by Rita Bellevue SATURDAY January 27th Vigil 5:30 PM Anthony DeBono SUNDAY January 28th Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time 7:30 AM Anna Corra 9:00 AM Linda Esposito 10:30 AM Kevin McCarthy 12 NOON Parishioners of St Monica, St Elizabeth of Hungary, St Stephen of Hungary 5:00 PM William Anthony Wettingfeld MONDAY TUESDAY January 29th Weekday Priscilla Morse PJ Coughan January 30th Weekday Priscilla Morse Thanksgiving to St. Agata WEDNESDAY January 31st St. John Bosco 7:30 AM Priscilla Morse 12 NOON Grace & Hazel Johnson (Living) THURSDAY February 1st Weekday FRIDAY Priscilla Morse Nathaly & Vincent Dana February 2nd The Presentation of the Lord Luis Lopez Nathaly & Vincent Dana SATURDAY February 3rd Weekday 12 NOON Mike O Hara PRAYERS FOR THE SICK Please remember in your prayers Fr. Peter Colapietro, Fr. Jim Gavin, Rosemary Catalano, James Baker, Kathleen Roger & Franklin White, John Healey, John Shegina, Tobias Bustamante, Victor Worizid, James Leung, Raymond Feeley, Broley Gus, Frank Krescanko, Katie Kavanaugh, James Carberry, Fr. Ronald Stark, Alyssa Sardelli, Megan Driscoll & Loretta Pontcello AND ALL VICTIMS OF MILITARY ACTIVITY PRAYERS FOR THE DECEASED Bridget Murray, Donald Fitzgerald, Patricia McGuire-Randt, Larry Eivens, John Gambino, Donald Fitzgerald, Luis Gonzalez, & Gerhard Goede, Sotero Matta, Sebastian Fernandez Begne, Fr. Joseph Irwin, Agnes Lynch, Carol Dann, Sheila Evelyn Joseph, Gilbert & Ronald Karolczak, Rosa Albino & Kathleen Reddington Please pray for our deceased parishioners and family members If you wish to add the name of a loved one to the prayer list, please notify the parish center: (212) 288-6250
Family Faith Formation Sunday, February 11, 2018 9-11:30am in the Parish Center For all Religious Education Families The whole family is invited; at least one parent/guardian must attend with the children of each family This takes the place of regular Religious Education on that Sunday Families will visit several stations throughout the event to learn about the Catholic roots of Mardi Gras traditions, and to prepare for the season of Lent. There will be intergenerational activities, crafts, a snack, and take-home items. No charge (covered by your fees already paid) Don t miss this fun, faith-filled event! K-8 Religious Education and Adult Faith Formation meet in the Parish Center on Sundays, 10:15 11:45am. All adults are welcome in the Parish Center, 10:45-11:15am on Sunday mornings, to discuss the Scriptures over a cup of coffee or tea, led by one of our clergy or our pastoral associate. This Adult Faith Formation program is open to any adults drop in any Sunday and check it out! Considering becoming Catholic? Catholic adult but not yet confirmed? Contact Maryann to continue your faith journey with our Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults or Adult Confirmation processes. You can join at any time of the year!
Discover the Trail of Martin Luther The Reformation in Germany Hosted by Father Donald C. Baker September 12 22, 2018 11 days 14 meals included Highlights... Mainz Worms Gutenberg Museum Erfurt Wartburg Castle Lutherhaus Eisleben Dresden Leipzig St. Thomas Church Wittenberg St. Mary s Church Berlin For information contact Maryann Tyrer Pastoral Associate St. Monica St. Elizabeth of Hungary St. Stephen of Hungary mtyrer@stmonicanyc.org 212-288-6250 Since 1974, National Catholic Schools Week is the annual celebration of Catholic education in the United States. It starts the last Sunday in January and runs all week, which in 2018 is January 28 - February 3. The theme for the National Catholic Schools Week 2018 is Catholic Schools: Learn. Serve. Lead. Succeed. Schools typically observe the annual celebration week with Masses, open houses and other activities for students, families, parishioners and community members. Through these events, schools focus on the value Catholic education provides to young people and its contributions to our church, our communities and our nation.
SPECIAL DEVOTIONS After all weekday masses Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament Every Friday after the Noon Mass to 3 PM, with Benediction following the Divine Mercy Chaplet Devotions Miraculous Medal on Mondays after each Mass Divine Mercy The Divine Mercy Chaplet is prayed each Friday afternoon at 3 PM Sacrament of Reconciliation: 5:00 PM on Saturdays Anytime by appointment BAPTISMS & MARRIAGES: Please call the rectory office for more information. COMMUNION FOR THE HOMEBOUND: If you know of anyone who cannot attend church because of illness or age, and would like to have communion brought to them, please contact the parish office, so that we can arrange for a Eucharistic Minister to bring communion to them. Our next Family Mass will be Saturday, February 3rd at 5:30PM TREASURES FROM OUR TRADITION Walls. Like so many other churches, it was founded by the master-builder (or financier) Emperor Constantine about the year 315. Paul was martyred outside the walls of the City of Rome at a place called Tre Fontaine, probably on June 29, in the year 65, perhaps the first anniversary of St. Peter's crucifixion. Christians buried him in a quiet place about two miles away, and visited to pray. Constantine was running low on bricks, apparently, because the first church was tiny. In 386 it was demolished and today's basilica begun. This vast and towering space looks much the same today as it did in the fourth century. The centuries have not been kind to ancient Rome, but until the early 1800s St. Paul Outside the Walls survived beautifully, perhaps because it has been assigned for nearly a thousand years to Benedictine monks. It was therefore a vibrant place of daily prayer even through the centuries when Rome was a poor and nearly abandoned city. In 1823 a great fire resulted from a botched repair job to lead on the roof, and St. Paul's was destroyed. It is said that the whole world contributed to its restoration. Even the Russian czar and the viceroy of Egypt gave alabaster, malachite, and lapis lazuli for the pillars and the tabernacle. Several of the precious mosaics were able to be restored, bringing the ancient basilica back to life. One of the great treasures of the basilica is a set of prison chains, said to have been worn by the Apostle in the last days before his martyrdom. Unlike other Roman churches, St. Paul's stands in a garden-like suburban neighborhood, surrounded by stately palm trees, gardens, and parks. --Rev. James Field, Copyright (c) J. S. Paluch Co. Wednesday, January 31st The Feast of St. John Bosco Friday, February 2nd Is the Presentation of the Lord Eucharistic Adoration Seminar St. Joseph's Seminary (Yonkers) Friday, February 16, 7pm Presentation by James Monti, Author of "Praying in the Presence of Our Lord" More information and registration: nyliturgy.org/ workshops Contact: liturgy@archny.org or 914.968.6200, x8177
From The Dwelling Place Sister Nancy, and Sister Joann extend sincere gratitude to each of you for your warm welcome and out-pouring of support for The Dwelling Place which you offered during the Masses on January 20 and 21. Together, you raised $3,478 to support the homeless women they serve. Your generous response is greatly appreciated and is a blessing for the women who will be touched by your generosity and care. Thank you! TRUE PROPHETS In Deuteronomy today we hear that God's very words will fill the mouth of a true prophet, but a false prophet will, in a manner of speaking, put mere mortal words into God's mouth. In Mark's Gospel, we see Jesus teaching and healing as a true prophet, one filled with the authority of God's own voice. The whole history of our church is filled with both true and false prophets. Some false prophets were extremely popular and quite well-versed in scripture, and even held positions of authority. But in today's Gospel we learn that Jesus' fame spread because he taught with authority; he wasn't an authority because he was popular or famous. Elsewhere, we also learn from him, in his desert temptation confrontations with Satan, that anyone can quote scripture, even against God's purposes. Today we hear that his authority was not like that of the scribes, who held the official positions of religious authority in his day. Our work is to do our best to discern the true prophets in our midst, and to be true prophets as well. The psalmist tells us how to do this: by not hardening our hearts when God speaks. If we truly listen to God, it will be God's very words filling our mouths. Copyright (c) J. S. Paluch Co., Inc. One of the most difficult duties of a disciple is to follow the command of Jesus to spread the gospel to all nations. (Lk 24:47, Mk 116:15, Mt 28:19) I think one reason may be that we don't feel we have the authority to tell someone else what to believe. Most of us don't think we know the gospel well enough to preach it. The gospel this Sunday mentions twice that Jesus taught with more authority than any of religious leaders of Israel. So how can we get such authority? First, Jesus didn't threaten people with thunderbolts and lightning. He certainly didn't impress people by saying what they wanted to hear. He spoke the truth that he heard from his Father. His two main actions in his ministry were curing and forgiving people. Since the Jews thought sickness was a punishment for sins, by curing the sick and forgiving sins, Jesus showed that he got authority from his Father. How do we get that authority?" We get it from the Holy Spirit, in Baptism and Confirmation. And like an athlete who has to work-out and practice to be any good, we still need to grow in that authority. One way is to read the scriptures and pray with them, so that we get to know God through his Word and begin to listen to him in our prayers. We can consciously decide to see God in other people, not just those we love, but everyone, even the ones who annoy us. And of course, the Eucharist and other sacraments strengthen God's life in us. You'll know you have that authority when you can talk about your faith with confidence instead of hesitation, because you will be speaking from experience, not second hand knowledge. Tom Schmidt, Copyright (c) J. S. Paluch Co
From Your Pastor January 28th, 2018 Masses and Mass Schedules Last fall we were not the most popular people at the parish center with many of you. That was because when it came time to open the mass book for 2018, so that people could come and offer masses for their deceased loved ones in that year, we only opened it for approximately 2/3 of that year. We left the summer months free. I was honest as to why: Because looking at staffing in the coming years, I realize that we will not have more priests than we do now, and almost undoubtedly will have less. However, since we are going to have Fr. Joslin until spring of 2019, I have decided that we will postpone that discussion till next year. As a result, we are opening the mass book for the remainder of 2018. While we took intentions for daily masses, Sundays were not taken. If you wish to have mass said for your intentions or for a deceased loved one, please contact the parish center. However, you will hear more from me in the coming weeks and months about the future. We certainly will not have more priests in the future, and we need to begin to discuss how we will cover masses and other responsibilities in our growing parish. Bathrooms, Chapels and Contractors By now many of you have had enough. And you have told me so. How much longer are the bathrooms going to be out of order in the church!? What is going on with that hole in front of the parish center? Where is that statue of St. Monica that was there? Sigh. Well, to let you know in order: The floor of the women s bathroom collapsed right before Christmas and the bathroom needs to be reconstructed; there is also damage in the men s bathroom. The operative phrase in that last sentence is: before Christmas. At Christmas, in the week in between Christmas and New Year s even the week after New Year s it is difficult to get contractors to work regularly. The reconstruction of the chapel would probably have been completed, save for a complaint by a neighbor. That caused a second inspection by the Department of Buildings which required we erect a wall around our construction site (the first inspection said no wall was needed). I am hoping that by the time you are reading this those issues have been resolved. Several people have asked where the concrete statue of St. Monica that stood in front of the chapel went. Rest assured, she was not discarded; rather, she was stored. Renovations of the chapel are not the only thing we want to do St. Monica will eventually make her reappearance. Fr. Baker