The Baptism of the Lord – Week of January 10, 2016

 

January 10 – January 17, 2016

Weekly Activities

Tuesday, January 12, 2016 at 6:30 p.m. ~ Take-Down [Christmas Decorations] Party in Church

Thursday, January 14, 2016 at 8:00 p.m. ~ Bingo will be played in St. Charles Hall*

Saturday, January 16, 2016 ~ from 9:30 a.m. to 12 Noon ~ Helping Hands Food Pantry in St. Charles Hall

Saturday, January 16, 2016 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, January 10 ~ Mass at 10:00 a.m. – Joseph Kohn (Requested by Family) and John Duffy (Requested by Duffy Family)

Monday, January 11 ~ Communion Service at 11:00 a.m. in Daily Mass Chapel

Tuesday, January 12 ~ Mass at 11:00 a.m. – Beatrice Hamsik (Angela Jost)

Wednesday, January 13 ~ St. Hilary ~ Mass at 11:00 a.m. – Anna Snyder (Estate)

Thursday, January 14 ~  Mass at 11:00 a.m. -Catherine M. Maher (Estate)

Friday, January 15 ~ Mass at 11:00 a.m. – Winifred Enright (Estate)

Saturday, January 16 ~ Vigil Mass at 4:30 p.m. – Deceased Members of Blessed Trinity Parish (Blessed Trinity Parish)

Sunday, January 17 ~ Mass at 10:00 a.m. – Geraldine Waters (The Gallisdorfers) and James Hartzell (Judy Casassa)

Readings for the Week of January 10

Sunday: Is 42:1-4, 6-7 or Is 40:1-5, 9-11; Acts 10:34-38 or Titus 2:11-14, 3:4-7; Lk 3:15-16, 21-22
Monday: 1 Sm 1:1-8; Ps 116:12-19; Mk 1:14-20
Tuesday: 1 Sm 1:9-20; 1 Sm 2:1, 4-8; Mk 1:21-28
Wednesday: 1 Sm 3:1-10, 19-20; Ps 40:2, 5, 7-10; Mk 1:29-39
Thursday: 1 Sm 4:1-11; Ps 44:10-11, 14-15, 24-25; Mk 1:40-45
Friday: 1 Sm 8:4-7, 10-22a; Ps 89:16-19; Mk 2:1-12
Saturday: 1 Sm 9:1-4, 17-19; 10:1a; Ps 21:2-7; Mk 2:13-17
Sunday, January 17: Is 62:1-5; Ps 96:1-2, 2-3, 7-8, 9-10; 1 Cor 12:4-11; Jn 2:1-11

News from our Parish Community

Take-Down Party ~ “What does up, must come down.” Please join us in church for a quick ‘n easy Take-Down Party on Tuesday, January 12, beginning at 6:30 p.m. With your help, we will be able to remove our beautiful Christmas decorations and safely stow them away for another year. Please use the side entrance near the wheelchair ramp and THANK YOU.

Celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King ~ The Diocesan Mass celebration of the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is Sunday, January 17, at 10:30 AM at St. Martin de Porres Church, 555 Northampton St., Buffalo. The celebrant and homilist, Rev. Bishop Martin D. Holley from the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., will expand on the theme of “Do You Know Mercy?” and the concept of love as the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend. The annual event is sponsored by the African American Commission of the Office of Cultural Diversity of our diocese. A reception featuring theme baskets will follow the Mass, with proceeds benefiting the MLK Scholarship Fund.

Coffee Hour ~ Because a number of parishioners will be involved in the Diocesan Martin Luther King celebration at St. Martin de Porres, our coffee hour scheduled for Sunday, January 17 has been rescheduled for Sunday, January 24. The Holy Name Society will host.

Basket of Cheer Raffle ~ In the coming week, you should receive chances in the mail for the Ladies Sodality’s annual raffle, which will take place on Sunday, February 7. This is expected to be the organization’s only fundraiser this year, and all proceeds are returned to the parish. Please be generous in your support of their efforts.

Reminder to Sodality Members ~ Membership in the Ladies Sodality runs with the calendar year, and annual dues of $5.00 for 2016 are now due. Please return the request form you will receive in the mail along with your dues and contact information by the end of January so that Mickey Dick can update the member directory and telephone tree. Those who have reached the age of 80 are NOT required to pay dues, but please be sure to let us know if you have changed your address or phone number. Membership is open to all women of the parish; for more information about this organization and how to join, Click HERE.

The Christ Child accepted human nature. Have you? 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. Some of our “loaner copies” have already been read and returned and are once again available to borrow.

A CCCB Family Thank you! Blessings of the New Year 2016 to All. As this year begins, I want to thank everyone for their participation in “Christmas in the City.”  I heard many comments of how enjoyable the occasion was. With all of our different cultures and gifts of music, everyone needs to be congratulated!  As Fr. George stressed in his opening prayer, we celebrated the Epiphany but also “Christ born in us” this day. We also celebrated the witnessing of all our parishes as one family in Christ. My deep appreciation to all the music directors, musicians, youth and adult choirs, those who set up the sound system, brought cookies, washed dishes, planned the program and especially to our hosts at Blessed Trinity Church. My deep gratitude, Sr. Maureen Harris.

Blessed Trinity 2016 Calendars are still available in the Ushers Pew. Share one with a friend.

Give the gift of food. Just as the three kings brought gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh, you can give gifts to those in need. There are containers in each of the church’s side vestibules where you can place non-perishable food items for our own Helping Hands Food Pantry. If you find it easier to make a monetary donation, please use a separate envelope clearly marked “HELPING HANDS,” and place it in the collection basket.

Many thanks to all of the parishioners from Blessed Trinity Church who came to the Catholic Central Helping Hands Food Pantry (CCHHFP) to lend their support. During the year 2015 these included the following: Luis Clay, Cathy Cummings, Darvan Draper, Marquis Draper, Vontrese Draper, Sharon “Shammy” Dunnigan, Nashelle Gittens, Lorena James, Miles James, Dan Korchowsky, Dianne Riordan, Elizabeth Bailey Sands and Palma Zanghi. I am especially grateful for those who gave their support during the months of May to September on many Saturdays. Due to the lack of participating school programs during this time period, we relied on parishioners plus regular volunteers who come weekly to carry us through the summer. Sincerely, Richard Plunkett.

News from our Vicariate Cluster and the Wider Community

BISON Children’s Scholarship Fund ~ This fund believes that all children, whether rich or poor, should have access to the widest array of educational opportunities as possible. By offering partial scholarship assistance to economically disadvantaged families, BISON is empowering parents, often for the first time, with the ability to choose the school which best meets their child’s needs. Visit the website at www.bisonfund.com and complete an electronic Scholarship Pre-Application for the 2016-17 school year. Please note the scholarship amounts very depending on the family’s income, household size and the school’s tuition cost. The highest scholarship amount for 2016-17 will be $1,800. Families will be expected to contribute partial tuition towards their child’s education. Time of the essence! Our first deadline is February 29, 2016. All pre-applications will be entered into a lottery drawing in early March. If your name is drawn in the lottery, you will received notification with instructions on how to proceed with the application. If you have questions or need further information, call the BISON Fund office at 716-854-0869.