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Sunday, November 02, 2014
Saturday
5:00 PM
Sunday
8:30 AM
10:00 AM
12:00 PM
6:00 PM
Monday
8:30 AM
12:00 PM
Tuesday
8:30 AM
12:00 PM
Wednesday
8:30 AM
12:00 PM
Thursday
8:30 AM
12:00 PM
Friday
8:30 AM
12:00 PM
Saturday
8:30 AM
5:00 PM
Sunday
8:30 AM
10:00 AM
12:00 PM
6:00 PM
MASS INTENTIONS
November 1st
Gabriella Fojtik
November 2nd
Nellie Arceo
Parish Mass
Jack Bernardone
Maria Antonia Patti
November 3rd
Dorothy Mele
Victoria DeMarco
November 4th
Edmund Forno
George D’Antonio
November 5th
John Vecchione (Birthday Remembrance)
Joan Smolinski
November 6th
Robert Casaccio
Robert Hogan
November 7th
Bambino Diplacido
Rita Keane
November 8th
Niccolo Gianni
Joan Sauro
November 9th
Michael Minischetti
Parish Mass
Louis Adissi
Michael & Ursula Perricone &
Deceased Family Members
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
PRAY FOR THE SICK
Cecilia Koluch, Carolyn Kalnberg, Christopher Kasten, Philip
Aniguili, Elvira Klein, Susan Davis, Frank Kalnberg, Sharon
Kalnberg, Marge Hefferon, Vincent Lucanie, Bill Heilman,
May Chocko, Michael & Sasha Epter, Kimberly Salotti, Jim
Redmond, Robert Ryan, Patricia O’Sullivan, Giuseppina
Bellina, Susan VanRemmen, Rosalind Rapoport, Roberta
Papagni, and for all of our parishioners who are currently
hospitalized or homebound.
PRAYERS FOR THE DECEASED
Irene Berchtoldt
THIS WEEK IN THE PARISH
SUNDAY – November 2nd
All Souls Day
-Remembrance of Deceased-10:00am Mass
-Duo Concert-Church at 7:30pm
MONDAY – November 3rd
Ordinary Time Weekday
-Scripture Study-Convent at 7:30pm
-Zumba-School Gym at 8:00pm
TUESDAY – November 4th
Saint Charles Borromeo
-Cub Scouts-Parish Hall at 7:00pm
WEDNESDAY – November 5th
Ordinary Time Weekday
-Golden Age-Parish Hall at 12:00 Noon-ALL WELCOME
-CCD-Church at 2:30pm
-Divine Mercy Healing Mass-Church at 7:30pm
THURSDAY – November 6th
Ordinary Time Weekday
-Boy Scouts-Parish Hall at 7:30pm
FRIDAY – November 7th
Ordinary Time Weekday
-Girl Scouts-Parish Hall at 4:20pm
SATURDAY – November 8th
Ordinary Time Weekday
-Youth Group-Parish Hall at 6:30pm
MARRIAGES
Congratulations to the couple married during the month of
October 2014:
Daniel John Wooding & Victoria C. Inting
BAPTISMS
We welcome into our faith community all those who were
baptized in the month of October 2014:
Klaudio Joseph Nikolla
Lucas Duvier Saracino
Thomas James Corrigan
Timothy Sebastian Wang
PRAY FOR THE ARMED SERVICES
PFC Cody Glass, U.S. Army; Capt. Peter
Sulewski, U.S. Army; Major Patrick Davis, U.S.
Army (JAG); P.O.A.C.2 William Kasten, U.S.
Navy; Vincent Adamovich, U.S. Navy; Chief
Ajay James, U.S. Navy NSW; and all
parishioners in the Military.
Pray for all of our police, fire and corrections officers, who
risk their lives daily to insure our safety.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
MEMORIALIZE A LOVED ONE
Consider the possibility of a donation of the Bread & Wine,
Flowers for the Altar, Tabernacle Light, or the Memorial
Worship Fund in memory of a special person. Names of all
those memorialized will be published in the bulletin. Call or
stop by the Rectory for more info.
ALTAR FLOWERS
Many thanks for this week’s flower donation given in loving
memory of:
Francis Morison
by
Ann & Family
BREAD AND WINE
Many thanks for this week’s donation of Bread & Wine given
in loving memory of:
Francis Morison
by
Ann & Family
TABERNACLE LIGHT
Many thanks for this week’s donation of the Tabernacle Light
given in loving memory of:
Francis Morison
by
Ann & Family
The Commemoration Of All The Faithful Departed
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Dear Parishioners,
This weekend we celebrate two related feasts: on Saturday, November 1st, All Saints' Day and on Sunday, November 2nd, All Souls'
Day. Oddly the All Souls' liturgy trumps the usual liturgy for the thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time. Also in an odd development, because it
falls on a Saturday, All Saints' Day which is normally a day of obligation is not so this year.
In recent years Hallowe'en receives a great deal of attention - yet I wonder does anyone really know what we are celebrating in these
rather overdone Hallowe'en festivities? One gentleman told me that after Mass last Sunday that Hallowe'en is nothing more than devil worship. It's
not the first time I have heard that objection. I do think that it is a stretch to equate the silly puerile celebrations of Hallowe'en as "devil worship”.
If it is, then the devil apparently expects very little from his adherents!
In fact the modern celebration of Hallowe'en is an amalgam rooted in European pre-Christian celebrations particularly among the Celtic
people who occupy the fringes of Europe. The Celtic nations are Ireland, Scotland, Wales, the Isle of Man, the province of Brittany in northern
France and the province of Galicia in northern Spain. The advance of other tribes around the fall of the Roman Empire drove the Celts, who once
dominated central Europe, to the fringes of the continent. Nonetheless, among them there was a consistency of culture and to a degree there still is.
Pre-Christian Celts celebrated the new year around what is now early November. In the Celtic calendar the New year is called
"Samhain". As the winter drew closer it was thought that the veil separating the next life from this life was thinner and more permeable. The "Old
Ones" could return and sometimes assume different shapes. Things appeared one way but in reality they were something else. Life-giving water
enjoyed a high regard. Some of these beliefs were the stepping stones on which Saint Patrick and other early evangelists among the Celts were able
to build. The belief in the efficacy of Baptism, the transubstantiation of the Eucharistic elements (they appear to be bread and wine but in fact they
are the Lord Jesus), the after-life and Communion all had resonances in Celtic culture and thus were easily accepted.
But old habitual beliefs do not simply disappear overnight. Many of the customs of Halloween are distant echoes of former beliefs: the
jack o' lantern (in this county a pumpkin, in Europe often a gourd), the disguise as "monsters" or ghosts combined with folks customs such as
dunking for apples. For most people the celebrations is just silly fun and is not taken seriously. Certainly for most people it does not involve
worshipping the devil or his cohorts.
The word "Hallowe'en" is a contraction of Hallow (Old English for "holy" as in …"hallowed be Thy Name”…in the Lord's Prayer) and
the word "evening". The "holy evening" was the Vigil of All Saints Day. While the Church formally recognizes certain individuals as saints, it
does not "make" them saints. After a lengthy process it declares this person to be (already) in heaven. The vast majority of human beings never
appear on that list (or canon - thus the word "canonization”); however, they are no less in heaven if they have led lives pleasing to Almighty God.
This cloud of heavenly witnesses can include parishioners who have died, our parents, our friends and others close to us when they were on earth.
All of those Saints, canonized or not, are venerated for their virtue on All Saints Day! Like all the saints they are reflections of God's love, which
passes through them as if the rays of the sun through a window. They are not God but they lived "godly" lives and show us how to do likewise.
All Souls Day goes hand in hand with All Saints' Day. On this feast we remember those who have gone ahead of us but have yet to attain
the fullness of life in God's Presence. They have some housecleaning to do first! This group is on the front porch of heaven and probably most of
us will make that scene sooner or later. But we have every hope of leaving the front porch and entering the living room of heaven after those
housecleaning chores are resolved. Purgatory, as it is called, is where the final imperfections are "purged".
Purgatory has been represented in various ways. A representation that I find appealing often appears on our Diocesan NET TV Station.
A large airport hangar is pictured, which might have housed a dirigible or zeppelin. In this hanger there is large movie screen and in front of it a
recliner chair. Individual people are shown entering the hanger and sitting in the chair while their life is unfolded on the screen before them. A
husband sees how he may have unfairly yelled at his wife and brought her to the point of tears. A woman sees herself in her office engaging in
brutal gossip about a co-worker. A young person sees her dangerous involvement with the drugs which in effect ended her earthly life. These and
others have a chance to repent of these life-destroying activities. And when they do so, they are bidden to come out of the huge doors of the hanger
into a blinding light which symbolizes the life they now have with God. Indeed they have stepped off the front porch and joined the banquet of the
Lord. Of course all of this is imagery. Once we leave this world time and space are not as they are here.
Jesus often spoke of a judgment and yet He also consistently spoke of God's loving mercy. From that the Church over the centuries
developed the sense of a "waiting" place before our accession into the fullness of Life. Part of this development was Biblical references regarding
prayers for the dead. If the dead are in heaven, they need no prayers; unfortunately if they have condemned themselves to hell, they need no
prayers. Prayers are meant for those in a transitory state but still on the journey to heaven All our images limp, including those that spoke of
"days, or years or months in purgatory" or punishment in flames not dissimilar to the images of hell.
In any event on All Souls Day we remember all those who are still in that last lap of the race. They are heaven bound but they are not yet
perfected by God's searing and all encompassing love. But they will be and so they (and we ) live in hope
Often in the past the saints in Heaven were called "The Church Triumphant"; those in purgatory, "The Church Suffering" and those yet in
the earthly struggle, " The Church Militant". Every time we say the Nicene Creed at Mass, we profess a belief in the "communion of the saints".
The "communion of the saints" means that we are in one large family called by God through Christ to share His life. Some already enjoy that new
life fully; some on earth are striving to be worthy of it and some are well on the road but not quite there. Our familiar associations do not die
completely at death. Our prayers offer comfort and support to those in purgatory while the saints clamor around the Throne of Mercy with our
names on their lips.
This weekend we celebrate two feasts that manage to encompass all of us. Hallowe'en (the holy evening) can have its place but we
should not lose a sense of its origins nor the true purposes of All Souls and All Saints Days. Let us hold our deceased brothers and sisters in prayer,
ever hopeful of God's paternal love. May the saints hold all of us in prayer until we join them in the fulfillment of Life with Our Lord Jesus the
Christ.
In Christ,
Monsignor John A. McGuirl
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Sunday, November 02, 2014
MEMORIAL WORSHIP FUND
Many thanks for donations to the Parish Memorial Worship
fund given in memory of:
Father John J. Cremins
by
Sue Karcher
by
Macapinlac Family
by
Diane McGinley & Maria Saab
Sal Bullaro
by
The Gorman Family
CHILDREN’S LITURGY OF THE WORD
Children’s Liturgy of the Word will not be held today, Sunday,
November 2 as we are celebrating our annual All Souls Day
Parish Remembrance liturgy at the 10:00 AM Mass today
(please see the Parish All Souls Remembrance Mass message
in this bulletin). Children’s Liturgy will be held next Sunday,
November 9. All children are invited to join our catechists in
the Parish Hall to hear the Sunday readings at their level of
understanding. We are still looking for some of our 7th graders
(you will get Confirmation service time) to help us as
puppeteers so we can make the gospel stories come alive for
our younger children. If you are interested in helping as a
puppeteer, please call Sue Karcher in the Religious Education
Office at 718-261-6285. We are planning a Family Mass for
Sunday, November 16. Watch for further details
ADVANCE NOTICE
THANKSGIVING CLOTHING DRIVE
As we did at Thanksgiving time last year and also during Lent,
we are again conducting a Clothing Drive in conjunction with
Blessed Sacrament Parish in Cypress Hills, Brooklyn. Since
Hurricane Sandy hit the New York area in 2012, one of our
faithful parishioners, Mrs. Susan McCabe, has been bringing
clothing donated by our parishioners to Blessed Sacrament on a
weekly basis. The people there are extremely grateful for all of
the assistance we have provided and they have received.
On Saturday, November 22, we will be conducting our
Thanksgiving Clothing Drive. We will be renting a U-Haul
truck for the day to bring the used clothing to Blessed
Sacrament. The truck will be in front of the Church from 10:00
AM until 12:00 PM to collect clean clothing in good condition.
Take time to do some Fall Cleaning of your closets and share
your unused or outgrown clothing with the needy at Blessed
Sacrament Parish. Your generosity is greatly appreciated!
WEDDING ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
Did you celebrate your 25th, 50th or any other “significant”
wedding anniversary in the years 2013 or 2014? We will be
having our parish wedding anniversary celebration at the 10:00
AM Mass on Sunday, November 23, 2014. Any couple who
would like to renew wedding vows at that Mass is asked to
notify the Rectory Office as soon as possible and submit your
names, phone number and the number of years you are
celebrating. Couples celebrating a 25th or 50th anniversary
will receive a scroll. The Mass will be followed by a reception
in the Parish Hall. All parishioners are welcome to attend.
PARISH ALL SOULS REMEMBRANCE MASS
Each year, on All Souls Day, we celebrate a special candlelight
Mass at which we make special remembrance, by name, of all
those parishioners who died during the past year. All the
names are inscribed in the “Book of the Dead,” which will be
enshrined in a special prominent place near the altar during the
Mass, and the names will be called solemnly during the liturgy.
Since All Souls Day, November 2, falls on a Sunday this year,
we will celebrate this special liturgy at the 10:00 AM Mass that
day. A simple Coffee Hour will be held in the Parish Hall after
Mass.
ADVANCE NOTICE
THANKSGIVING DAY FAMILY MASS
Join us on Thanksgiving morning, Thursday, November 27 at
9:00 AM for our annual Thanksgiving Day Family Mass. As a
community, let us gather to give thanks to God for all of the
abundant gifts and blessings He has bestowed on us and our
families. To help us better serve those who come to us for
help, we ask that you bring a food or monetary donation to
assist our Food Pantry and Human Services outreach. Have a
blessed Thanksgiving Day!
HELP KEEP OUR FOOD PANTRY
SHELVES STOCKED
We are extremely grateful to everyone who donated food so
abundantly last week. Our shelves had been a bit bare but
through your generosity, they are looking a lot better. This
week, we still need your help to re-stock the following items:
Parmalat milk, jelly, canned fruit, jar tomato sauce, canned
hams, plain rice, coffee (regular/decaf/instant), fruit juices,
bottled water, cookies/snacks, mayonnaise,
shampoo,
toothpaste, soap, individually wrapped paper towels, paper
napkins, and facial tissues. A continued helpful hint – watch
for the weekly specials at our local supermarkets. Taking
advantage of them is a great way to help our Food Pantry. If
everyone donated just one item each week, we would be able to
adequately maintain our Food Pantry inventory. As always,
many, many thanks for your continued generosity to our Food
Pantry ministry – it is very much appreciated.
LEFTOVER HALLOWEEN CANDY
If you have any candy or other goodies left after the trick-ortreaters have come and gone on Halloween, please consider
donating it to our Food Pantry. We can use your donations to
share the holidays with our needy neighbors by providing them
with some sweet treats.
INFORMATION SESSIONS ON THE PROCESS
FOR ANNULMENTS
Sessions providing information about the diocesan process for
annulments will be held on Saturday, November 8 at 11:00 AM
and Wednesday, November 19 at 7:00 PM at ResurrectionAscension Parish, 61-11 85 Street, Rego Park. The sessions
will be devoted to clarifying misconceptions about the
annulment process in the Diocese. Questions about the process
will be answered. You will also hear about annulments from
the perspective of what it means for family life and Christian
marriage.
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Sunday, November 02, 2014
CONFIRMATION CLASS OF 2014
The Sacrament of Confirmation will be conferred on our
current 8th grade Confirmation candidates on Friday, November
14, 2014 at 5:00 PM by retired Auxiliary Bishop Guy
Sansaricq. Please continue to pray for the Confirmation
candidates as they continue to prepare to receive the sacrament.
CONFIRMATION CLASS OF 2015
The 7th Graders in Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Academy and
our CCD Program who are planning to receive the Sacrament
of Confirmation in the Fall of 2015 have begun their year-long
program preparing them for the reception of the sacrament.
Slips of paper with the names of next year’s candidates for the
Sacrament of Confirmation are in baskets at the doors of the
Church. Please take a name and pray for that young person
throughout the coming year.
•
•
•
•
COMMUNITY NEWS
Consider joining the Helpers of God’s Precious Infants
at the All Women’s Pavilion, 69-30 Austin Street, on
Saturdays between 7:00am and 11:30am in a peaceful,
prayerful witness to life. Lives are saved and the way to
conversion is opened. Join us for any amount of time.
Women of Beauty Catholic Women’s Conference will be
held on Nov. 8th from 9am – 4pm at St. Joseph Parish,
Nolan Hall (39 N. Carll Ave., Babylon, NY). The keynote
speaker will be Pat Gohn, author of “Blessed, Beautiful
and Bodacious-Celebrating the Gift of Catholic
Womanhood”.
Molloy College will host a Fall Open House for
prospective students and their guests on November 16th at
1:00pm. For more info contact Molloy College, Rockville
Centre, NY (516-323-4000).
Theology On Tap will be held on November 24th at the
12th Street Bar & Grill (1123 8th Av., Brooklyn) at
7:00pm. The topic will be Christian-Islamic Interactions
in the Middle Ages. Grab a bite to eat and a drink while
we discuss important issues to Young Adult Catholics.
For more info call 718-965-73 xt.5556.
SECOND ANNUAL CHRISTMAS TREE
LIGHTING CEREMONY
On Saturday, December 6th we will have our Tree Lighting
Ceremony and dedication of a marker in memory of Msgr.
Langelier. Since it is St. Nicholas Day as well, we expect a
visit from Santa who will join us in festivities in the Parish Hall
afterwards. Holiday greenery , craft items, Mrs. Claus baked
goods, and original wood carvings will be available.
OLM GOLDEN AGE CLUB NEWS
The Golden Age Club is sponsoring a trip to Tropicana Casino in Atlantic City on Tues., Dec 2nd. The cost of the trip
is $49.00, which includes: coach, $25 buffet $15 slot play & a
Christmas show. To reserve a seat, please make checks payable to OLM Golden Age Club and send to the Rectory at 7001 Kessel St., Forest Hills, NY. The coach will leave OLM
promptly at 8:00am and from Queen of Martyrs at 8:15am. All
are welcome. Any Questions, call Ed (718-849-0234)
OLM MUSICAL NOTES
On Sunday, November 2nd Josue Pagan & Elena Acosta-Diaz
will present a Guitar & Voice Concert at 7:30pm in the
Church.
On Sunday, Nov.16th, join us in the parish hall for Singer —
Songwriter Night. Admission is free. If you have an act that
you wish to be included, please e-mail Joseph Martin at
[email protected].
CHILDREN’S CHOIR (Ages 9 & Up) meets every Wednesday, from 2:00 to 2:45 in the Church Choir loft. All are welcome.
SOCIETY OF ST. VINCENT de PAUL
GIVES BACK
Our Lady of Mercy will share in the profits. For each donated
car, truck or van, running or not, the Society of St. Vincent
de Paul will give back to our parish $50/$100 per vehicle.
Maybe you don’t have a vehicle, but a family member, friend
or neighbor has an old or neglected vehicle in their driveway
that they would like to dispose of. Call the Society of St. Vincent de Paul at 718-491-2525. Please continue spread the
word, and thank you for your support.
FAMILY, MARRIAGE AND INDIVIDUAL
COUNSELING
Professional therapy, provided by New York State licensed
therapists, is available to our parish and 148 other parishes.
Services are provided by the Catholic Counseling Center,
which is independent of and not controlled or supervised by the
parish or diocese. Most insurance policies, including Medicare, are honored. Confidential information and appointments
are available by calling Dr. George Giuliani at 631-243-2503 or
v i s i t
t h e
w e b s i t e
a t
h t t p : / /
www.thecatholiccounselingcenter.com.
50-50 RAFFLE WINNERS
DIVINE MERCY SCHEDULE
November 05, 2014
7:00 PM-Devine Mercy Chaplet
7:30 PM-Healing Mass
November 12, 2014
7:00 PM-Divine Mercy Cenacle
(will be held in Rectory Meeting Room)
November 19, 2014
7:00 PM-Divine Mercy Devotion
November 26, 2014
7:00 PM- Divine Mercy Cenacle
Congratulations to the October Winners of the 50-50 Raffle:
1st Prize: Richard & Joyce Bartz
$258.00
2nd Prize: Rami & Maureen Abdel-Misih
$129.00
$129.00
3rd Prize: Mildred McSkimming
4th Prize: Matt Fitzgerald
$64.00
5th Prize: Mary Beth Colgan
$64.00