BLESSED SACRAMENT PARISH Staten Island, New York Reverend Monsignor Peter G. Finn, Pastor Reverend Francisco Lanzaderas Reverend Albin Roby Reverend Monsignor Francis V. Boyle, Pastor Emeritus MASSES: Saturday in the Church: 5:00 PM (Vigil), Sunday 8:00, 9:30, 11:00 AM, 12:30 PM. Weekdays in the Church: 7:00 AM and 9:00 AM. Saturday in the Church: 9:00 AM. Holy Days in the Church: 7:00 PM (Vigil), 7:00, 9:00, 11:00 AM and 7:00 PM. SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION Saturday: 12:00 to 1:00 PM; 4:15 to 5:00 PM. Anytime upon reasonable request. SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM Sunday at 2:00 PM. (Except during July & August, then only on the First and Third Sunday and other specified days) Arrangements should be made at least one month in advance with the priest of the Parish. Parents of a first child and parents who are new to Blessed Sacrament must attend a Baptism Instruction Class which is held the second Wednesday evening of every month (except July and August) at 7:30 P.M. in the Parish House Meeting Room. Godparents should be Practicing Catholics, and must obtain a Sponsor Certificate from their Parish. SACRAMENT OF MATRIMONY Arrangements should be made about six months in advance, with a priest of the Parish. Couples must attend PreCana Conferences. SICK CALLS - At any time. MIRACULOUS MEDAL NOVENA - Every Monday after the 9:00 AM Mass. EUCHARISTIC ADORATION - First Friday from 12:00 Noon to 2:00 P.M. NEW PARISHIONERS - Welcome to our Parish. We invite all parishioners to participate fully in our spiritual and social life. If you are new in the parish, please introduce yourself after Mass and register at the Parish House Office weekdays 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Kindly notify us if you change your address. PARISH HOUSE 30 Manor Road 442-1581 http://www.blessedsacramentchurchsi.com SCHOOL Mr. Joseph Cocozello Principal 830 Delafield Avenue 442-3090 RELIGIOUS EDUCATION Sister Anne Dolores Van Wagenen, C.S.JB. - D.R.E. 830 Delafield Avenue 448-0378 PAGE TWO NOVEMBER 16, 2014 FAMILY THANKSGIVING MASS The Blessed Sacrament Family Thanksgiving Mass will be held on Tuesday, November 25th at 7:00 P.M. in the Church. Our parishioners, families and friends are all invited to attend. CATHOLIC CAMPAIGN FOR HUMAN DEVELOPMENT – Next week’s collection for the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) needs your help. CCHD was founded to end the cycle of poverty in the United States by funding organizations that help people help themselves. With the tradition of improving education, housing situations and economic developments, CCHD continues to make a positive impact on communities nationwide. Your contribution will defend human dignity and help those living on the margins of our society. Please give to the CCHD Collection. RICHMOND COUNTY ANNUAL RED MASS Tuesday, November 18, 2014 6:00 P.M. Blessed Sacrament Church All members of the legal community of all faiths are invited to attend the RED MASS which marks the beginning of the Court year. A light repast will be served in the GYM immediately following the Mass. PRAY FOR THE SICK The sick are comforted just knowing that you pray for them In your charity please remember: Margaret Pittman-Boyle, Douglas Pfleging, Jr., Phyllis Ribaudo, Ann Socci, James Burghardt, Concetta Chicolo, Kelly Ward, Catherine Crane, Amelia DiMauro, Mary Kenny, David Averack, Kathryn Haring, Jean Carter, Stephanie Barry, Jane Redmond, Carolyn DeStefano, Robert Tursi, Deirdre Westergren, Nicholas Toto, Marykate Rose, Peggy Travers, Mary Anne Blaine, Jean Cunningham, Jean Elmadary, Alan March, Sebastian Lattuga, Grayce Novaro, Angela Siuzdak, Helen Ramsey, Katherine Barbera, Phyllis Scharfenberg, Phyllis Giambruno, Margaret Romani, Phyllis March, Br. William Herbst, Barbara Brown, Michael Caruso, Patricia Connelly, Eugene Esposito, Hugh Kiernan, Mary Belli, Mark Volpe, Elaine Lydersen, Jane Margaret Tackett, Linda Hansen, Dean Robert Ziegler, Susannah Yates, Carol Stoltzfus, Grace Leddy, Margaret King, Joseph D’Amico, Michelle Harding, Garry Smith and Timothy Paar SYMPATHY Remember the souls of Rev. Joseph D. Sullivan, William Dillon, Victoria Magliocca, Margaret DePalma, Joseph Spoto and the souls for whom Mass will be offered during the week, especially: MONDAY 7:00 Pedro Maghuyop 9:00 Antoinette Petruzzelli TUESDAY SUNDAY COLLECTION COLLECTION SUNDAY 2014 2013 2010 2009 $7723.00 (Weekly) $7219.00 $5495.00 (Weekly) $6144.00 (Weekly) (Weekly) $2156.00<ThanksgivingPrograms>$2468.00 $1961.00 (AirCondition) $2136.00 (AirCondition) ATTENDANCE ATTENDANCE 2014 2010 790 (Adults) 776 (Adults) 7:00 Ana Lilia Herrera (2nd Anniv) 9:00 R.T. Crowe WEDNESDAY 7:00 William Ritter (20th Anniv) 9:00 John (Jack) Ahern THURSDAY 178(Children) (Children) 179 968 955 2013 2009 781 (Adults) 755 (Adults) 7:00 Rosetta Calandriello 9:00 Joseph D’Martino 165(Children) (Children) 198 946 953 7:00 Frank Gattuso 9:00 William Joseph Hanan FRIDAY SATURDAY THE SANCTUARY LAMP KEEPS ITS SILENT VIGIL BEFORE THE BLESSED SACRAMENT IN LOVING MEMORY OF MARIE DI NOIA 9:00 Anna LoCasto 5:00 Frances & Pasquale Marrapodi SUNDAY 8:00 Florence Abbate 9:30 Nora & Bernard Byrne 12:30 Mildred & William O’Shea PAGE THREE THIRTY-THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME SCHEDULE FOR NOVEMBER 23, 2014 5:00 PM Vigil 8:00 AM 9:30 AM 11:00 AM 12:30 PM ALTAR SERVERS Team 9 Team 10 Team 6 Team 7 Team 8 LECTORS L. Lagmay C.A. McNab Sr. Anne Dolores J. Pace L. Pillarella --The Titan League Golf Outing was a big success with over 40 golfers participating. The Titan league would like to THANK the following Gold sponsors-Dr. Alecia Giovinazzo and Barry, McTiernan & Moore, LLC, AND Platinum sponsors-Dr. Craig Campbell, Online Computer and Harmon Funeral Home. Thanks also to the Committee-Rich Kerney, Lisa Bifalco, Erin Colgan, Rich Gainer and Ted Ropiak. --The Holy Name Society wishes to THANK all parishioners and friends for supporting the Annual Pasta Dinner. Everyone’s generosity enables the Society, through Jesus’ Holy Name, to continue to help those in need. Thanks to our Sponsors—Nucci’s Italian Restaurant, Beyar’s Market and Alfonso’s Pastry Shop and our Contributors-Grand Floral Florist, Walgreens, Stop& Shop, Metro Pizza, Meislohn Funeral Home, Quick Lube & Repair Center, Renato’s Bakery, Eggers Ice Cream Parlor, Christopher Michael Hair Salon, MET Foods, Reimans Hardware and Cucina Mia Restaurant. BLESSED SACRAMENT MOTHERS’ GUILD VENDOR MARKET Sunday, December 7, 2014 9:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. If you would like to participate in this event and are a Vendor please contact Helen Maiello at 917-5838339 or Jacque Kerney at 718-986-8533. Each table is $25. PARISH NURSE PROGRAM The Parish Nurse’s office hours are on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:00 A.M. to 4:30 P.M. If you wish to make an appointment with the Parish Nurse, Peggy Smith, please call her at 718-4479657. The Senior Group will November 17th at 1:15 P.M. meet on Monday, EXTRAORDINARY MINISTERS A. Talaid & K. Byrne S. Coscia & E. Hodgens B. Collorec & K. Falcone N. Mata & Y. Mata E. Laub & H. Wodzinski FROM THE PASTOR Our Faith Journey during this month of November is one emphasizing the power of prayer and how it affects our own lives and is connected with our doctrine of the Communion of Saints. Our union with our loved ones who have gone home to God and are united with us in Purgatory and Heaven bonds us together in mutual support forever. We are one in the love of Jesus Christ. William A. Donohue, President of the Catholic League writes from the President’s desk of “The Power of Hope and Prayer” Lately, as the result of a new book I am finishing, I have given a lot of thought to the power of hope and prayer. So when I heard about the travails of Bret Baier and his wife, I knew I had to read it; their very personal ordeal is truly inspiring. What follows is a small excerpt from my new book. Bret Baier, the Fox News chief political anchor, and his wife Amy, know better than most what it is like to face adversity. Soon after their first child was born, they learned that Paulie had heart disease. “Heart disease can be simple or it can be complex,” said the cardiologist. “Your son has a complex heart disease. He has a very complicated heart.” The doctor then informed them that “If your son doesn’t have surgery within the next two weeks, he’s not going to make it.” Before the surgery, the Baiers had Paulie baptized. “Wiping away a few tears,” Bret said, “I prayed, ‘Dear Lord, thank you for all the blessings you have given us, and the biggest of our lives, the birth of our son, Paul Francis. We now turn him over to your care for his upcoming surgery and the recovery that will follow. PAGE FOUR Please be with all of us gathered here and help us get through this challenging time. Lord, please give us strength. Amen.”’ Paulie survived, underwent many more heart operations, and is now a happy young boy. You can read about this marvelous story in Bret’s book, Special Heart: A Journey of Faith, Hope, Courage and Love. The Baiers are practicing Catholics. What would they have done had they been atheists? It must be tough going it alone, and indeed the evidence shows exactly that. But Bret and Amy were not alone—they were one with the Lord. Bret’s prayer was quintessentially Catholic: he was not angry with God-he thanked the Lord for the gift of his son and asked for his help. But most of all, he did not despair. By praying for Paulie’s “recovery that will follow,” he evinced optimism and hope. Dr. Aron Kheriaty, a Catholic psychiatrist, draws our attention to a biblical story on the subject of despair that is particularly enlightening. He notes that both St. Peter and Judas sinned against Jesus, but with different outcomes. “The contrast between St. Peter’s repentance and Judas’ despair illustrates this: both men sinned grievously, but Peter repented with tears of contrition. He did not abandon hope. Peter’s repentance led him to become one of the greatest saints. Judas despaired, and this despair led him to take his own life. “There are two things which kill the soul,” wrote St. Augustine, “Despair and presumption.” Despair takes a command when hope is jettisoned, when we give up on God. Presumption is more typically a characteristic of atheism, the conviction that we have no need of God, and are quite capable of going it alone. It is an expression of pride, a sin that carries with it the seeds of self-destruction. Both despair and presumption leave no room for hope. “To be utterly without hope is to be in a hellish state,” notes Dr. Kheriaty. He reminds us what is written over the gates of hell in Dante’s Inferno: “Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.” Jesus said at the Last Supper, “You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn to joy.” How can this be? It is not something atheists can grasp. It eludes the secular mind. New York Archbishop Timothy Cardinal Dolan put it in a way that really drives home the essence of Jesus’ words. He explored what he called “the theological reasons for laughter.” Why are people of faith happy, he asked. “Here’s my reason for joy: the cross. You heard me right: the cross of Christ!” The death of Jesus was not the last word. His resurrection was. After Christ was crucified, Dolan says, it “seemed we could never smile again…But, then came the Sunday called Easter! The sun—S-U-N—came up, and the Son – S-O-N—came out as He rose from the dead. Guess who had the last word? God!” There is probably nothing more baffling to an atheist than this “theology of laughter.” It is a theology grounded in hope, and hope is the natural antidote to despair. When Pope John Paul II died, I happened to be at the studios of the Fox New Network in New York City. I know he was dying, but I had no idea that I would be the first guest to go on the air when he passed away. When asked by Shepard Smith what my thoughts were, I answered, “On the one hand, great sorrow. On the other hand, great joy. Sorrow that he’s no longer with us. Joy that he’s with God, with his Lord.” How sad it is that atheists can only accept the first half of my response. Even more perplexing to them is what Mother Teresa said about a man who know he was dying. He turned to her and said, “Sister, I’m going home to God.” She was more than moved by this—she exclaimed that she had never seen “such a radiant smile on a human face as the one I saw on that man’s face.” Tragically, no atheist could ever account for this man’s happiness. We Catholics are so lucky. We face just as much adversity as anyone, but we have at our disposal ths power of hope and prayer. If you want proof of how it works in real life, pick up a copy of Special Heart. You won’t be disappointed. OUR LADY OF HOPE, PRAY FOR US GOD BLESS YOU, MSGR. FINN