December 20 – December 27, 2015
Weekly Activities
Monday, December 21 at 6:30 p.m. ~ Phase II of Decorating our Church (please use wheelchair ramp side door).
Tuesday, December 22 at 7:00 p.m. ~ Choir Rehearsal in St. Charles Hall
Wednesday, December 23 at 7:00 p.m. ~ Choir Rehearsal in Church
Thursday, December 24 at 8:00 p.m. ~ Christmas Eve: NO Bingo games
Saturday, December 26 ~ Helping Hands Food Pantry CLOSED
Saturday, December 26 at 8:00 p.m. ~ Bingo will be played in St. Charles Hall*
*In response to requests from our players, we have instituted age restrictions for admission to Bingo. As of Thursday, October 15, we no longer admit children under 8 years of age.
We now have a Bingo camera with TV monitors and electronic verification!
To check the Red, White & Blue and progressive Share-the-Wealth carry over amounts
and progressive numbers for this week, click HERE and visit our Facebook page.
Mass Intentions
Sunday, December 20 ~ Mass at 10:00 a.m. – For the Intentions of the Ejimadu Family in U.S.A. (Requested by Fidelia and Family) and Leonard Dinder (Requested by Richard Plunkett)
Monday, December 21 ~ St. Peter Canisius ~ Communion Service at 11:00 a.m. in Daily Mass Chapel
Tuesday, December 22 ~ Mass at 11:00 a.m. – Frances Pernick (Children)
Wednesday, December 23 ~ St. John of Kanty ~ Mass at 11:00 a.m. – Catherine M. Maher (Estate)
Thursday, December 24 ~ Mass at 11:00 a.m. – John J. Horan, Jr. (Family)
Christmas Eve Mass at 10:00 p.m. – Blessed Trinity Parish Community
Preceded by Choral Program at 9:30 p.m.
Friday, December 25 ~ The Nativity of the Lord
Christmas Morning Mass at 10:00 a.m. – Blessed Trinity Parish Community
Saturday, December 26 ~ Vigil Mass at 4:30 p.m. – Anna Snyder (Estate)
Sunday, December 27 ~ Feast of the Holy Family ~ Mass at 10:00 a.m. – Ethel Grabenstatter (Bud and Mickey Dick) and Elizabeth Harasimowicz (Mickey Dick)
Readings for the Week of December 20
Sunday: Mi 5:1-4a; Ps 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19; Heb 10:5-10; Lk 1:39-45
Monday: Song 2:8-14 or Zep 3:14-18a; Ps 33:2-3, 11-12, 20-21; Lk 1:39-45
Tuesday: 1 Sm 1:24-28; 1 Sm 2:1, 4-8; Lk 1:46-56
Wednesday: Mal 3:1-4, 23-24; Ps 25:4-5, 8-10, 14; Lk 1:57-66
Thursday: 2 Sm 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16; Ps 89:2-5, 27, 29; Lk 1:67-79
Thursday/Friday: Vigil: Is 62:1-5; Ps 89:4-5, 16-17, 27, 29; Acts 13:16-17, 22-25; Mt 1:1-25 or 1:18-25. Night: Is 9:1-6; Ps 96:1-3, 11-13; Ti 2:11-14; Lk 2:1-14. Dawn: Is 62:11-12; Ps 97:1, 6, 11-12; Ti 3:4-7; Lk 2:15-20. Day: Is 52:7-10; Ps 98:1-6; Heb 1:1-6; Jn 1:1-18 or 1:1-5, 9-14
Saturday: Acts 6:8-10; 7:54-59; Ps 31:3-4, 6, 8, 16-17; Mt 10:17-22
Sunday, December 27: Sir 3:2-6, 12-14 or 1 Sam 1:20-22, 24-28; Col 3:12-21 or 3:12-17 or 1 John 3:1-2, 21-24; Luke 2:41-52
Please remember, there will be NO BINGO games on Christmas Eve or New Year’s Eve. Happy Holidays from our volunteers.
News from our Parish Community
Phase II of Decorating our Church will take place Monday, December 21 at 6:30 pm. Sincere thanks to all who have helped with Phase I. As you can see, we have a good start, but there is more to do to finish the job. Please use the side entrance near the wheelchair ramp to enter the church.
Change in Time of Christmas Eve Service ~ Please remember that our Christmas Eve Mass will be celebrated at 10 PM this year instead of the traditional Midnight, with a choral program beginning at 9:30 PM. Click HERE for a complete schedule of our services for the 2015-16 Christmas Season.
Our Spiritual Journey from Advent to Lent ~ During the Advent season, our Parish Council invites you to join your fellow parishioners in reading A Spirituality of Being Human by local author Hugh Brady, D. Min. In Dr. Brady’s own words, “a spirituality of being human…is loving and accepting human nature in its brokenness and in its state of grace. It is awareness of the deeply transformative experience of being human.” A group discussion of the book is planned for the Lenten season, which begins on February 10. Copies of the book are available after Sunday Mass from Dianne Riordan, or you can pick one up at the rectory. The purchase price is $20, with a portion being donated to the Little Portion Friary. There will also be a limited number of copies available to borrow and return for someone else to read.
Sodality Members are reminded to reserve some time on Saturday, January 9, 2016 to help with the mailing of tickets for the Basket of Cheer raffle. The “work party” will take place at 1 PM in St. Charles Hall.
Religious Give Thanks ~ “We cannot begin to repay all who contribute,” writes a Catholic sister. “We pray to God, who is never outdone in generosity, to reward you.” Heartfelt thanks for your donation to last week’s collection for the Retirement Fund for Religious. May God bless you for your goodness!
Report on Prisoner Project 2015: 2,100 Gifts Prepared & Delivered December 16. A big “Thank You” for your donations: 4,200+ packs of hot chocolate; your time decorating gift bags (170 bags); $127 to cover shortages, truck rental and gas expenses; 1,000 soft cover books which, with books received from Harlequin and Project Flight, allowed two books in each gift bag; and your efforts on Friday 12/11 when you joined volunteers from area churches, agencies, and friends of Sister Karen Klimczak to fill the gift bags and pack them into shipping boxes for delivery to Albion and Wende Correctional Facilities this past Wednesday. We acknowledge and thank Janice Burns for again successfully coordinating this project of Peaceprints of WNY aimed to give support and hope to prisoners. We also acknowledge and thank Amy Johnson, Judy Casassa, and Dan Korchowsky who worked tirelessly to coordinate the project here at Blessed Trinity. Thank you.
Christmas Deliveries ~ The Sodality wishes to thank everyone who helped in the assembly and delivery of Christmas gift bags and poinsettias to our homebound parishioners and those in senior care facilities. If you have not already done so, please update Mickey Dick about the person you visited.
Open hearts follow Jesus’ lead. Last year, through the generous support of donors throughout Western New York, Catholic Charities of Buffalo was able to positively impact the lives of children, families and seniors in our community with basic needs like food, clothing and shelter, as well as mental health counseling and educational services. Bishop Richard Malone has announced our goal of $11 million and St. Nicholas as the patron saint of the 2016 Appeal. St. Nicholas provided for the poor and the sick, and was known for his secret gift-giving. When you support the Appeal, you’re “finding good within” and offering the gift of comfort and relief to people in need. Find out more at www.ccwny.org or call 716-218-1400.
News from our Vicariate Cluster and the Wider Community
The St. Joseph Cathedral Choir will present a concert of Christmas Lessons & Carols on Monday, December 21 at 7:30 pm, under the direction Organist-Choir Director, Tim Socha. Music will include compositions by Marc-Antoine Charpentier, Matthew Culloton, Ola Gjeilo, Philip Stopford, Louis Vierne, Bob Chilcott and others. The Cathedral Choir will be joined by memebers of the Nicholas Upper School Chorus and the Christ the King Seminary Schola. There will be a free-will offering. All are welcome. St. Joseph Cathedral is located at 50 Franklin Street, downtown Buffalo, between Church & Swan Streets. Call 716-854-5855 for more information.
Christmas Crèches on Display ~ Fr. Roy Herberger invites you to experience a display of 560 nativity sets from 59 countries. These international crèches will be shown at Ss. Columba-Brigid Church located at 75 Hickory and Eagle St. (one block south of Clinton). The building is handicapped accessible. The hours are 1 – 4 p.m. every weekend in December (EXCEPT December 26 and 27) and on January 2 and 3. There is no charge, and there is a special section for children.
Catholic Charities needs your help in collecting gently worn unwanted shoes during the months of December and January. For information drop-off points for your donation, call Cassandra Carleton at 716-218-1400. All types of shoes accepted. Drop them off in bags, boxes or totes. All shoes collected will be donated to poverty stricken communities across the world.