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January 11, 2015
Page Two
January 11, 2015
From the Pastor’s Desk
Missionary Focus (cont.)
Without a mission focus, parishes easily become inward gazing rather than outward moving. What begins to
emerge is a sense of self-satisfaction — a desire to maintain what we have rather than see the periphery (the
poor, the vulnerable, the disenfranchised) as the place where we’re called to travel proclaiming the Gospel.
Lacking a mission focus, a parishes can grow stagnant, lacking growth both spiritually and numerically. I
know that some would claim that growth in numbers doesn’t matter. The reality, however, is that growth is a
sign of life. When a parish does not attract new members, when a parish does not embrace as a goal a willingness to try new forms and methods in order to draw others into a relationship with Jesus, when a parish does
not readjust its parochial “church culture” to see itself as existing for those who are not yet members, such a
parish will find itself with diminishing numbers and a diminishing sense of God’s power working in its midst.
For this reason, a mission focus is essential, one which we must support whenever it emerges. Note, however,
that a mission focus is not simply about doing good things. It’s about reaching those who have not heard the
Good News of God’s love revealed in Jesus. Oftentimes that proclamation can be done in the process of helping others. Simply helping, however, does not complete the process. The truth of Jesus’ Gospel invitation to
life with God must be part of the process, a process that involves a willingness to share what we have come to
know in knowing Jesus as our Lord. How do we do this? One person at a time!
Mission Concert — February 8th
That’s one of the reasons I’m asking the parish to support the efforts of Theresa Marino who will be working
in an orphanage in Tanzania for ten weeks, starting the end of February. In the process of being with the children, she will have the opportunity to share her faith with others as she works to build better living facilities
for those who reside there. Her special gift is music, which she will share throughout her time in Tanzania. I
invite everyone to hear Theresa’s story and experience her musical talents — she is a trained musical therapist
— at a free concert on Sunday, February 8th, at 2:00 P.M. in the Parish Center. During that time she’ll talk
about the mission, show photos, and sing some original compositions. A free will offering will be taken. The
goal is to send her off with five thousand dollars which she can give to the orphanage to help them in their
work. If you’re interested in learning more about the orphanage she’ll be visiting, check out the work they do
by visiting neemainternational.org. In the meantime, please make sure that you put Theresa on your prayer list,
asking the Lord to bless her as she prepares for this missionary journey of grace.
Remember Our Parish
A gift to the parish in your will or trust affirms your everlasting commitment to the parish’s life and works.
You can instruct your attorney to use this wording: “I hereby give, devise and bequeath to Assumption of the
BVM parish, with offices at 20 Chestnut St., Centereach, NY 11720, the sum of $____to be used for its most
urgent needs.” As an alternative, you can make a gift of what remains in your estate or living trust after all other bequests and expenses have been paid: “I hereby give, devise and bequeath to Assumption of the BVM parish, with offices at 20 Chestnut St., Centereach, NY 11720, all the rest, residue and remainder of my estate
(trust) to be used for its most urgent needs.” For more information about remembering the parish in your will
or living trust, contact Fr. Chris at 585-8760 ext. 211 or [email protected] or Barbara Kilarjian at
516-379-5210 x 229.
Parish Anniversary
Don’t forget to mark down the date — Saturday, August 15th. At that time our parish will celebrate its Sixtieth
Anniversary with mass, a barbeque, games, fellowship. Our goal will be to have this event accessible to our
entire parish family. Our committee is working hard to keep the cost to a minimum so that no family would be
excluded because of finances. To accomplish this we’ll be seeking corporate sponsorship in the months ahead.
In the meantime, mark the date on your calendar and make sure you don’t accept any wedding invitations, vacation invites or schedule other activities. We want everyone to be there for our anniversary celebration!
Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Page Three
Mass Intentions
for the Week
Sunday, January 11th
8:00 A.M. — Janusz Enzinger (M/M P. O’Boyle)
9:30 A.M. — Joseph Tingo (Petroccione Family)
11:30 A.M. — People of the Parish
Monday, January 12th
7:30 A.M. — Philip M. Mascia (McMahon Family)
9:00 A.M. — Priests of the Parish (Legion of Mary)
Tuesday, January 13th
7:30 A.M. —
9:00 A.M. — Deceased Members of Romeo &
Wolz Family
Wednesday, January 14th
7:30 A.M. —
9:00 A.M. — Helen Schmidt (Caroline Stevens)
Thursday, January 15th
7:30 A.M. —
9:00 A.M. — Frank Amore (M/M R. Della Croce)
Friday, January 16th
7:30 A.M. — Abelardo Angeles (Gochan Family)
9:00 A.M. — Peter Staab
Saturday, January 17th
8:30 A.M. — Intention of Rosemary O’Connor
(Ed Uy & Family)
5:30 P.M. — Joseph Tingo
Sunday, January 18th
8:00 A.M. — Rose Altamore
9:30 A.M. — Raymond Bridgwood
11:30 A.M. — People of the Parish
Middle School Ministry Program
We invite all sixth, seventh, and eighth graders to
participate in our parish’s MSM — Middle School
Ministry. We’ll meet every Thursday, from 7:00—
8:30 P.M. Come as you are and enjoy the fun!
Assumption Youth Ministry (AYM)
AYM welcomes all high school teens grades 9-12 to
“Come & See.”
 When: Wednesday
Nights, 7:30-9 P.M.
 Where: Parish Center.
 Why: To inspire you,
ignite your experience of God within your
heart, and illuminate your mind to God’s plans
for you!
 How: Details on the parish webpage and AYM
Facebook.
Rest in Peace
Michael Colaianni
Time, Talent & Treasure
Fostering Stewardship as a Way of Life
Parish Sacrificial Giving Summary
(Regular Sunday Offering)
Last Week’s Collection $10,818
(includes Faith Direct)
New parishioner? Moving out of the parish? Kindly
fill out the form below and drop it in the collection
basket or mail it to the rectory. It will help us keep
our files up-to-date and welcome newcomers.
Name ___________________________
Address _________________________
Last Year’s Collection $9,000
Town/Zip ________________________
Thank You!
Telephone _______________________
New Parishioner ______ Moving ____
Page Four
The Baptism of the Lord
You Can Help Heal Your Marriage
Do you feel alone? Are you frustrated or angry with
each other? Do you argue or have you just stopped
talking to each other? Does talking about it only
make it worse? Retrouvaille helps couples through
difficult times in their marriages. This program has
helped thousands of couples worldwide experiencing
all types of marital difficulties. For confidential information about the Retrouvaille program, or to register
for the upcoming weekend that begins on Friday,
February 6th, 2015 at the Immaculate Conception
Seminary in Huntington. Please call 1-800-470-2230
and you will be connected directly and confidentially
to a couple from Long Island/Metro Retrouvaille who
can help.
Parish Website
Our parish website in one of the best in the diocese—
easy to navigate and filled with lots of helpful information. You can view the parish calendar, bulletin,
ministry schedules, office hours, mass schedule, and
other helpful information. In addition, we list parish
hours, email addresses, RE information, AYM permission forms, important links to other sites and upto-date information regarding various parish activities. Check it out at www.abvmcentereach.com.
A lectionarybased, electronically delivered resource for individuals, families and parish groups. Readings for Sunday and the
week following are listed, as well as helpful articles,
faith-filled family reflection activities, and various
prayers. Offered as a resource to help our parish family grow in faith, BHTW is on our parish website
www.abvmcentereach.com, Check it out and tell us
what you think.
Faith Direct
Faith Direct today is a great way to offer your gifts
of treasure to our parish family in a timely and convenient fashion. Please pick up an enrollment form
from the parish office today or enroll online at
www.faithdirect.net — our Church Code is NY563.
Already using Faith Direct? Don't forget to add your
End-of-Year contributions to your account. Thank
you in advance for your support and for using Faith
Direct!
Joining Our Catholic Community
The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults
(RCIA) might be what you are seeking if:


January 16th

You were never baptized or
You were baptized in another religious
tradition, or
You were baptized Catholic but have not
celebrated Confirmation or Eucharist.
Our parish desires to share our faith with all who
wish to discover the beauty and power of a shared
life in Christ the Lord. If you are interested, therefore, send the form below to the rectory (20 Chestnut Street, Centereach, NY 11720) and a member of
our RCIA team will contact you with further details.
Name _____________________________________
Address ___________________________________
Town ___________________ Phone ____________