St. Vincent de Paul
Roman Catholic Church
1500 DePaul Street
Elmont, N.Y. 11003
“A Parish with Heart”
Pastoral Staff
Rev. Msgr. Richard M. Figliozzi
Administrator
(516) 352-2127
Parish Social Ministry
Monday, Wednesday and Thursday
9:00 am to 1:00 pm
(516) 354-4976
Fifth Sunday of Lent
March 22, 2015
Scriptural Reflection for the Week
“Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am,
there also will my servant be.” (see John 12:20-33) As
we approach Holy Week and Easter, the Lord Jesus
issues us another invitation to be with Him. This invitation should cause us to really stop and think. Am I willing to be where my Lord would go to serve His people?
Where may the Lord Jesus be found? We have only the
Gospels to answer this question. And, of course, what
do they reveal? That Jesus is found among the sinners,
the outcasts, the poor, the lonely, the physically and
emotionally ill, the forgotten one. Let’s now take a look
at our own lives. Are we with Jesus among these, His
people, His chosen ones, those dearest His heart? We
should realize by now, at this point in Lent, that these
may not be far from us at all! To follow Jesus may mean
we are called to serve Him in our next door neighbor, in
our co-worker, in our enemy! But do we only want to
serve Jesus where we are comfortable serving Him? Do
we fear leaving our comfort zones in order to see Him
where He really is? We may prefer the comfort of the
quiet, incense, and protective walls of the Church. But
Jesus calls you to see Him and serve Him in the suffering one. Are you faithful enough to follow Him? Does
your love for Jesus include love for those He Himself
went out of His way to demonstrate love?
Lenten Examination of Conscience
♦ Where is my life really leading me? Is the hope of
eternal life my inspiration? Have I tried to grow in
the life of the Spirit through prayer, reading the
Word of God and meditating on it, receiving the Sacraments, self - denial?
♦ Have I been attentive to control my vices, my bad
inclinations? Have I been proud and boastful thinking myself better in the sight of God and despising
others? Have I sought to impose my will and my
way on others? Must I always get what I want? Do I
respect the feelings of others?
♦ What use have I made of my time, my talents, my
money—of the gifts God has given me to be used
for the building up of His Church? Have I been lazy
and self– absorbed, too much given to leisure?
An Act of Contrition
“Lord Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”
March 30th: Day of Reconciliation
Monday of Holy Week, March 30th, confessions
will be held from 4pm to 5pm in our Church. At
St. Catherine’s, confessions will be held from
3pm to 9pm.
Soup Supper @St. Catherine
This Thursday, March 26th, at 6pm. Join with us
as we share a simple meal. All donations collected go to the serve the poor and needy.
Last Weekend’s Collection and Attendance
Parish: $4,198.00
Attendance: 4:00pm—367
8:30am—144
12:30pm —132
Total: 643
Thank you for your support.
One Final Thought
“All of us must cling to God through prayers and
sacrifice. Only then will we be able to see Christ
in the needs of our neighbors.”
Blessed Teresa of Calcutta
Saturday
4:00 pm
Sunday
8:30 am
12:30 pm
March 21
Bernard DeMatteis ; For the Living
Intentions of Stephanie Casseus
March 22
Rossi Celso
Jack Martinez
SAINTS AND SPECIAL OBSERVANCES
Sunday:
Fifth Sunday of Lent; Third Scrutiny
Monday:
St. Turibius of Mogrovejo
Wednesday: The Annunciation of the Lord
Friday:
Abstinence
Monday
8:30 am
Tuesday
8:30 am
Wednesday
8:30 am
Thursday
8:30 am
Friday
8:30 am
Saturday
4:00 pm
Sunday
8:30 am
12:30 pm
March 23
Evelyn Zanca
March 24
Deceased Members of The Tomaskovic
Family
March 25
Frank Spivey
March 26
For the People of the Parish
March 27
———
March 28
Joseph Conter; Bruno & Nicola Varano
March 29
Rosa Cassara
Pasquale Correale; Encarnacion Matute
BREAD & WINE
For the week of March 22 thru March 28
Is in Loving Memory of
Mary Ramsden
As requested by Tom Cusack Jr.
Stewardship…..
Reflection
“If anyone would serve Me,” says Jesus in today’s
Gospel, “let him follow Me; where I am, there will
My servant be.” In what ways is Jesus inviting me to
follow Him? What service is He asking of me?
Living Stewardship
The Mass Intentions Book is opened for
2015. There are still many current dates
available for Altar Candles as well as the
Wine and Host. Please consider this
special way to honor a loved one,
living or deceased.
We are grateful this week for all stewards in our
parish who embrace every aspect of their lives as
“gift” by surrendering to Christ their very selves
through service to the parish and the wider
community.
MISSION STATEMENT
As members of St. Vincent de Paul Roman Catholic Parish, we are committed to assisting our members in both
the spiritual and temporal needs of life. We are a parish with heart who are committed to
“Let all things be done with Charity” and show we are disciples of Christ by our love for one another.
PREPARING FOR HOLY WEEK
By Rev. Johnny R. Mendonca
Holy Week is most definitely a very sacred time of the year, for it is during these days
that we will commemorate and remember the last week of Jesus' life on this earth. These are the days leading up to the great Easter Feast. The Lenten season of sacrifice
and self-denial is about to come to an end, but this coming week is extremely important
for all Christians. The greatest focus of the week is the Passion, suffering, Death and
Resurrection of Jesus Christ and the events that led up to it.
Historical documents tell us that as early as the fourth century the Church celebrated
this "Great Week" with a feeling of profound sanctity. It begins with Palm Sunday, which
marks Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem. The central feature of the service proper
to this day, as it was in the earliest times, is the procession of palms. The palms are
blessed and are then borne in procession to the church, where an entry is made with a
certain amount of ceremony, after which the Mass is celebrated. The other notable and
very ancient feature of the present Palm Sunday service is the reading of the Gospel of
the Passion.
Especially important for Catholics is the Easter Triduum. This is the three days just before Easter. On Holy Thursday, we relive the Lord's Last Supper, which He shared with
His apostles on the night before he died. This is one of the most beautiful liturgies of
the entire liturgical year. Jesus is washing their feet, and showing that the mark of a true
leader is whether they can serve others. It's Jesus still loving those disciples even
though he knew that, at best, they would abandon him, and at worst, they would betray
him. And it's Jesus in the garden, alone, heart-broken, and struggling between what he
wanted to do and what he knew he had to do.
On Good Friday, it continues. The world turns against him, and the ones who cheered
his entry in Jerusalem instead cheer his death. He suffers. He calls out to a God who
does not seem to answer. He feels pain, and loss, and grief. And in the end he loses the
life he knew. On this day of the crucifixion and death of our Lord, we have the veneration of the Cross. A service is held at three o'clock in the afternoon. There is no consecration of the Eucharist on this day, and the Communion we receive will be from the
night before, which has been reserved in the tabernacle.
Holy Saturday is a vigil. We keep watch for the expectant rising of Our Savior. This was
the day He went down into the netherworld in order to bring back up with Him into heaven those who had died before His coming. Up to this time, the gates to heaven were
closed and no one could go there because of the original sin of Adam. Jesus changed
all that. By paying the price for our sins on the Cross, He gained for us our eternal salvation, and heaven was opened once more. Also on this night, persons who have spent
months of preparation will be received through Baptism and Confirmation into the Catholic Church for the first time. It is a joyous occasion.
However, when many of our parishioners leave Church on Sunday, they step into a different world. And we must remember, if we just come to church on Palm Sunday and
Easter, we might not experience the power and Grace of the Paschal Mystery; but if we
come between Sundays, we will find faith to know what that is like. More than that, we
will find a God who knows what suffering, pain and struggle is like. To me, the most
comforting part of Holy Week is not the waving of triumphal palms on one Sunday
morning, or the flowers and joyous hymns on the next. It's what happens in between.
Those who engage themselves wholeheartedly in living the entire paschal cycle -Lent,
Triduum and Easter's Fifty Days - discover that it can change them forever. This is especially so of the Triduum, which stands at the heart of the Easter season, is an intense
immersion in the fundamental mystery of what it is to be a Christian. During these days,
we suffer with Christ so that we might rise with Him at His glorious Resurrection. Holy
Week is a time to clear our schedules of unnecessary activities. Our minds and hearts
should be fixed on Jesus and what He did for us.
We have the capacity to be a people who journey with Jesus. We have it because Christ
has called us to be those people. All we have to do is be willing to make the journey with
him, not just on Sundays, but on the days in between. The world has plenty of Sunday
morning Christians. It needs a few more of the Holy Weekday ones.
‘IN HOME’ PARISH
PRAYER
PROGRAMS
ENCOURAGING FAMILIES AND
INDIVIDUALS TO PRAY DAILY IN THE
HOME
Our CUP OF PRAYER program reminds
us of the importance of daily prayer for
vocations, priests and our family. It has
traveled throughout our parish community weekly to families and individuals.
It was initiated in 2010 by a group on a
pilgrimage that visited Ars, the home of
Saint John Marie Vianney, the Patron of
Parish Priests. The parish was presented the CUP by the group to encourage
increased daily prayer in the home.
Through the program, intentions are
presented for much needed vocations to
the priesthood, our parish priests and
their intentions, our own parish family,
and also family and individual intentions.
OUR LADY OF FATIMA PILGRIM
VIRGIN STATUE program promotes the
daily praying of the Rosary and has been
a parish prayer program for 26 years.
Initiated here due to the deep devotion
to Our Lady of Fatima and praying of
the Rosary, it has since touched the lives
of hundreds of families and individuals
over the years. A ‘pilgrim’ statue of Our
Lady of Fatima travels to a home, delivered by a member of the parish, and
displayed to inspire praying the Rosary DAILY. THE WEEKLY HOST
FAMILY OF EACH PROGRAM IS LISTED
IN THE BULLETIN
RESERVE YOUR WEEK
SIGN UP FOR EITHER PROGRAM
AFTER ALL MASSES THIS WEEKEND
OR CALL THE PARISH OFFICE AT
516-352-0146
(SCOS)
Please Pray for our Sick relatives and
Friends:
Rev. Msgr. Thomas Hartman
Matthew Haygood ; Anthony Gangemella
Madelyn Kushner; Maria Scuccimarra; Pat DeRosa
Linda Rome; Charlotte Orlando; Bob Soveign; Maria Gloe
Helen Strohm; Maria Rossi Pashayen; Ann Parazelli
Patricia DeRosa; Kaelyn Judith Donlon
Ann Mitarotonda; Margaret McCabe; Mary Hicks
Arlindo Marcelino; Jack Musolino
Janet Falco; Diane Drescher; Ralph Wilson
Diane Wilson; Brittany Wilson; Raul Matos; Mary Italo
Penny Wyckoff; Matthew Noah; Karen Hoffmeyer
Tommy Lannan; Vincente Mejias; William Ross
George McAuliffe; Michael O’Malley; Ann Donahue
Thomas McCreight; Jean Henry; Dominick Consolazio
Anna Marie Orlando; Theresa Chevalier; Frank Saccone
Eugenia Lane; Barbara Ostipwko; Dorie Harbin
Carlos Mackey; Shane Harbin; Veronica Dixon
Florence Kobel; Bill Gilbert; Madeline Corrigan
Karen Carlucci; Tom Camberiarti; Howard Wirth
Albert Bartlett; Dorothy Mink Honald
St. Vincent de Paul
Parish Office – (516) 352-2127
Hours:
Monday thru Thursday - 9:00 am to 2:00 pm
Saturday - 9:00 am to 2:00 pm
Friday and Sunday – Closed
Fax – (516) 305-5474
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.stvincentdepaulparish.org
For Emergency relating to death or dying after 2 pm call
St. Catherine of Sienna - (516) 352-0146
We Celebrate the Eucharist
Saturday Vigil – 4:00 pm
Sunday – 8:30 am & 12:30 pm
Weekdays: Monday thru Friday 8:30 am
Holy Day Mass Schedules will be announced in the
Bulletin on the prior Sunday.
We Celebrate the Sacraments
Sacrament of ReconciliaƟon – Saturdays
immediately after celebration of the Vigil Mass, or by
calling the Parish Office for an appointment with a
Priest.
Sacrament of BapƟsm – call the Parish Office to
arrange for an interview. This should be done while
awaiting the birth of your child.
Sacrament of Marriage – call the Parish Office to make
an appointment with a priest before making social
arrangements.
Visitation of the Sick and Homebound
call the Parish Office to arrange for a visit by a Priest to
receive the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick, and
also to receive Holy Communion.
Holy Hour – on the first Friday of the month after the
8:30 am Mass with Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament
and concluding with Benediction.
Devotions
Kindly inform the Parish Office when names need to be taken
off the list @ 352-2127.
Please Pray for our Men & Women
in the U.S. Armed Forces:
Diane Rosemary Patrick
Aaron J. Shattuck; Thomas Bradshaw;
Arlindo Almida; Thomas Lainis; Peter Dilos
Frankie Umile; Rev. David Kruse (Chaplain)
Joseph Giordano ; John Marco Militano
Joseph A. Galante; Jimmy Bustamante
Latasha Coward; Nicholas Russo
Max Haerter; James E. Allen
Brian Kevin Corrigan
Michael Borg; Christopher Messano
Carlos Felix; Michael Arana
The Rosary – is recited daily before the 8:30 am Weekday
Masses. Miraculous Medal Novena and Special Prayers
to St. Anthony are said on Thursdays after the 8:30 am
Mass.
The Clergy from St. Catherine of Sienna who serve us
here at St. Vincent de Paul are as follows:
Pastor/Administrator
Rev. Msgr. Richard M. Figliozzi
Associate Pastors
Rev. Allan Arneaud
Rev. Johnny Mendonca
Rev. Charles N. Srion
Deacons
Joseph Benincasa
Frank Gonzalez
St. Louis appearance by Medjugorje 'seer' cancelled at Vatican request
Catholic World News - March 13, 2015
A scheduled appearance in St. Louis, Missouri, by one of the “seers” of Medjugorje has been cancelled, at
the request of the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Ivan Dragicevic, one of several people who claim to have experienced visions of the Virgin Mary for years at Medjugorje, was scheduled to
speak in St. Louis on March 18. But the event was cancelled without explanation by the sponsors.
Now Archbishop Robert Carlson of St. Louis has released a statement, saying:
I have received a request from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith to remind everyone that they
are not to participate in events that promote the so-called visionries of Medjugorje and in particular Mr.
Ivan Dragicevic. Please make this information available to the Lay Faithful.
Controversy over the authenticity of the claimed apparitions at Medjugorje has continued for years. In 2013,
the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith issued a directive that discouraged events or activities that
would assume the apparitions were taking place. A special Vatican commission investigating the Medjugorje
phenomenon has reportedly completed its work, but its conclusions have not been made public.
We will be decorating for Palm Sunday
on Saturday March 28.
We will be meeting in the
lower church at 9:30AM.
If you have an hour or two free,
please come help us.
The Easter decorating will start at 9:30AM
on April 4. We will meet in the lower
church. There is much to do to prepare the
church for the Easter Celebration. Please join
us, help is needed. The more hands we have
the better.
We would like to
Thank Tulip Bakery
for the kind contribution
to our St. Patrick’s Day
Hospitality. Please
remember to support
the local vendors who
generously support our
Parish.
Lit - ur- gy n.
a form of public
worship; a collection of
formularies for public
the celebration of the
Eucharist
Sharing faith through the
eyes of our
Catechists:
I grew up attending Mass every Sunday
with my family. My parents taught us to
treat others as we would want to be
treated, as well as, to help others when
they were in need. They also encouraged us to pray for those who we could
not help. My mother was, as I called
her, “an angel on Earth”. She always
had a way of fixing any problem, whether it was a broken item or a broken
heart. She was a wonderful woman who
gave her time to all who needed it, even if she didn’t have
the physical time to give. My mother passed away 5 years
ago and she finally received ‘those wings’ she earned. My
mother is the reason I became a catechist. I wanted to
continue her passion of instilling God’s Love on the world.
This is the fourth year I am teaching a Level 1 Faith Formation class. My experience as an elementary school
teacher, in addition to having the Catholic Faith devotion
my parents taught me, made me feel that I was qualified
for this position. Teaching these young children each
week about the stories of God, Jesus, the apostles and
the saints makes being a catechist an important job.
Watching their eyes fill up with wonder during the telling of
Jesus’s birth, and listening to so many questions about his
death, make me feel fulfilled. Adding my excitement and
enthusiasm to each lesson allows the children to show
their own curiosity about the life of Jesus. Teaching a
Faith Formation class is not easy. It takes dedication to
the program, an understanding of one’s beliefs and of
course, a love of children. I believe my mother is very
proud of me for teaching children a faith in which she and
her family so fondly believed. This is an experience I
would not trade for anything! If you would like to share
your love of the Lord, please consider becoming a catechist in our parish.
Jessica Labianca
1st grade Catechist
Faith Formation News
Level 1 Mass
All first grade students and their families are invited to attend Mass on:
Sunday, March 29, 2015
9:30 am
Sienna Center at St. Catherine’s
Let Us Pray For Our Confirmation Candidates
For our young people
preparing for Confirmation,
that they may be open
to receiving the fullness
of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit.
God, our loving Father,
these young people come before you
open to receiving the fullness
of the Gifts of your Spirit.
Send your gifts in abundance
that they may be instrument
in realizing the fullness of your Kingdom.
Amen
St. Vincent de Paul Society & Parish
Social Ministry (Outreach)
We have reached the fifth Sunday of Lent. Jesus said that the Father will honor those
who serve him. During Lent we especially try to reach out in compassion. Our parishioners do this each week by contributing to the St. Vincent de Paul food pantry.
This week the pantry is in need of:
♦ tomato sauce
♦ tea
♦ canned vegetables especially, carrots & potatoes
♦ Pork & beans
♦ Any non-perishable food items
Thank you for your continuing generosity.
Pope Francis Hospitality
Center
We have started this center for seniors, veterans, those in
need and for anyone wishing to share a simple meal.
It is open on Saturdays from 9:30am to 1:00pm.
The Center meets in the former school cafeteria
(entrance off de Paul street)
♦
♦
Referrals
clothing
PARISH ‘IN HOME’ PRAYER
PROGRAM
Host Family/Individual:
PILGRIM STATUE OF OUR
LADY OF FATIMA
Jim Licato
CUP OF PRAYER
The Licato Family
UPCOMING EVENTS
& NEWS
Update from Maintenance Department
NECESSARY FUTURE
PROJECTS FOR APRIL
•
•
•
Remove old warped floor
in the DeVita Room
(Church)
Drywell north side of parking lot is
caved in and danger for pedestrians and
cars
Steeple leak needs fixing & damaged
choir ceiling
GOLDEN WEDDING
JUBILEE
This Spring, couples that have been married
fifty years or more will be honored at liturgies
on Sunday, April 19 at the Church of St. Lawrence the Martyr
in Sayville & Sunday April 26 at the Church of Maria Regina in
Seaford. Both liturgies will begin at 2:30pm. Registration
forms and complete instructions can be obtained at the rectory or by church doors. Registration must be received by the
Office of Worship by April 6th or April 13th respectively.
If you have any questions you may call
516-678-5800— ext. 207
“At Camp Sienna we recognize that each child is a
unique gift from God. We create a safe, supportive, and
fun summer environment where every child can make
memories and build lasting friendships.”
June 29th—August 7th
(Closed July 3rd in observance of Independence
Day)
Camp Sienna Hiring: (16 & over)
33 New Hyde Park Rd.
Franklin Square, NY 11010
Attn: Human Resources
CAMP HOURS:
Regular Day: 9:00am-3:00pm
Extended Day: 9:00am-6:00pm
Camper Registration Starts SOON!
If you have any further questions:
Phone (516) 352-0146. Email:
[email protected]