22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time – Week of Sept. 2, 2018

September 2 – September 9, 2018

Weekly Activities

Tuesday, September 4 at 7:00 p.m. ~ Choir Rehearsal in St. Charles Hall

Thursday, September 6 at 8:00 p.m. ~ Bingo will be played in St. Charles Hall*

Friday, September 7 from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon ~ Catholic Central Food Pantry in St. Charles Hall – NEW HOURS

Saturday, September 8 from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon ~ Catholic Central Food Pantry in St. Charles Hall – NEW HOURS

Saturday, September 8 at 8:00 p.m. ~ Bingo will be played in St. Charles Hall*

Sunday, September 9 at 10:00 a.m. Mass ~ Appointment of new Parish Council Members

Sunday, September 9 following 10:00 a.m. Mass ~ Ladies Sodality Meeting in St. Charles Hall

*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, September 2 ~ Mass at 10:00 a.m. – William Stiffler (Requested by Family)

Monday, September 3 ~ St. Gregory the Great ~ Labor Day Holiday ~ No Service

Tuesday, September  4 ~ Mass at 11:00 a.m. – Randy and Rosanne Burgio (Bud and Mickey Dick)

Wednesday, September 5 ~ Mass at 11:00 a.m. – For the intentions of our parishioners, both living and deceased (Blessed Trinity Parish)

Thursday, September 6 ~ Mass at 11:00 a. m. – Deceased Members of the Ryan, Reilly, Reynolds and Pfeiffer Families (Estate of Mary Reilly)

Friday, September 7 ~ First Friday ~ Mass at 11:00 a.m. – Kathy Mallery (The Family)

Saturday, September 8 ~ Nativity of the Bl. Virgin Mary ~ Vigil Mass at 4:30 p.m. – In Honor of the Sisters of St. Francis (Sr. Ann Helene Koenig)

Sunday, September 9 ~ Mass at 10:00 a.m. – Edward Wilbert (Seta and Family)

Ministry Schedule for Saturday and Sunday, September 8 & 9:

Saturday, 4:30 p.m.  Reader: John Curtin; Eucharistic Minister: Lorna Cameron

Sunday, 10:00 a.m.  Readers: Palma Zanghi, Richard Plunkett;  Eucharistic Ministers: Fran Cahill, Pat Hartinger, Mary Kresse

News from our Parish Community

First Friday ~ There will be NO Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament or Benediction this Friday, September 7. However, daily Mass will be celebrated at 11:00 a.m.

Parish Council Candidates ~ The Council’s nominating committee is pleased to announce that the following parishioners have agreed to serve on the Parish Council for the 2018-21 term: Thomas Dinder, Brenda St. John, and Colleen Schroeder. They will be introduced at Mass on Sunday, September 9. We are especially grateful to these individuals and the members of the current council who served on the nominating committee, chaired by Vice President Kathy Press.

Sodality September Meeting. The Ladies Sodality will hold its first meeting on Sunday, September 9, following the 11am Mass. All women of the parish are invited to join them as the board reveals their plans and proposed programs for the 2018-19 year.

There’s a Song in the Air ~ Music Ministry provides beauty, joy, comfort, inspiration, and musical prayer for our communal liturgies and various parish celebrations. This is possible due to a generous sharing of time and talent of diverse and committed members. If you have a song in your heart and want to learn, come sing with us. Our organ restoration continues and the instrument is in better shape than it has been for years. The choir loft has been thoroughly cleaned and organized and is finally ready to welcome your voice. Come learn more about Music Ministry on Tuesday, September 4 at 7:00 p.m. in St. Charles Hall.  All are welcome and refreshments will be served … Elizabeth

Parish Bible Discussion Meetings  will resume on Monday, September 17 at 7 pm in St. Charles Hall.  Readings for these meetings are taken from Genesis 12-23,  Abraham and Sarah’s Journey, by Kevin and Louise Perrotta: Loyola Press, 2002.  Assigned reading for September 17 is the entire Week 3 section. Please contact Althea Porter at 716-316-8395 if you wish to obtain the book and participate in the discussion.

Join the BT Family Promise Team ~ Our volunteer team, led by Amy Johnson, assists temporarily homeless families housed at Ss. Colomba-Brigid Parish under the Family Promise program. They will be preparing and serving a Monday evening dinner on October 22.  If you are able to help with this ministry by preparing part of the meal, please contact Amy Johnson at 716-836-4694.

Know Your Faith ~ What are the sins against the Holy Spirit? According to the teaching of the church, there are six sins that blaspheme against the Holy Spirit. They are:

• Despair (believing that one’s evil is beyond God’s forgiveness);
• Presumption (glory without merit, that is, hope of salvation without keeping the Commandments, or expectation of pardon for sin without repentance);
• Envying the goodness of another (sadness or repining at another’s growth in virtue and perfection);
• Obstinacy in sin (willful persisting in wickedness, and continuing to sin, after sufficient instructions and admonition);
• Final impenitence (to die without either confession or contrition for our sins), and
• Impugning the known truth (to argue against known points of faith, including misrepresenting parts or all of the Christian faith to make it seem undesirable).

Military Veterans ~ The WNY Catholic is looking for military veterans to interview for the upcoming Veterans Section in November. If you are a vet or know of a vet who would like to tell his/her story, contact the Managing Editor, Patrick McPartland, at pmcpartland [at] buffalodiocese [dot] org.

Special Anniversaries Celebrated ~ Are you or someone you know celebrating your 50th, 60th, or 70th Wedding Anniversary this year? If so, you are invited to participate in a special Mass celebrated by Bishop Richard Malone at St. Joseph Cathedral on Sunday, October 14, at 10:30am. Contact your parish rectory as soon as possible if you wish to be included.

Do you know that Mass is the highest and greatest form of prayer? The Catechism of the Catholic Church reveals that “from the very earliest days of the Christian religion, [the Church] has honored with great respect the memory of the dead.” In its reference to the Second Vatican Council’s conclusion that “it is a wholly and a wholesome thought to pray for the dead that they may be loosed from their sins,” the Catechism adds: “Our prayer for them is capable of not only helping them, but also of making their intercession for us effective.” Consider contacting the church office (716-833-0301) to request a Mass for yourself, your deceased loved ones, or  for any intention. The stipend is $15.

Has your contact information changed? Our parish secretary is finding that our parish records contain a growing number of not-in-service phone numbers, and the recent parish mailing resulted in several letters returned for “expired forwarding.” If your contact information has changed, you can notify the rectory office in one of several ways: use the form on the back of the bulletin; phone our secretary at 716-833-0301 any Tuesday-Thursday between 10:30am and 2:30pm; send an email to blessedtrinitychurch [at] gmail [dot] com; or Click HERE to use the contact feature of our web site to submit the information. If you choose either of the last two, please use “New Contact” as the subject of the email or message.

Home Visits ~ Please notify the church office if you know of aged, sick, or homebound parishioners who may wish to receive a visit and the Eucharist on the last Friday of each month.

News from our Vicariate Cluster and the Wider Community

Catholic Charities’ A Gathering Place is a social program for older adults over the age of sixty. The program is designed to provide assistance with activities of daily living (physical, cognitive, and socialization). The program is held in a safe supervised environment at 128 Wilson Street in Buffalo. Nutritious meals and snacks are included, as well as shower services. For more information call 716-896-6388 or visit ccwny.org.

Workshop / Retreat / Concert with David Haas and Lori True, Saturday, September 8, at Sacred Heart Church (380 East Fairmount Avenue in Lakewood). Workshop ($15) begins at 9am with concert ($25) at 7pm. Call Maria Perron at 716-490-4187 for information or visit eventbrite.com.

The Congrega Society of Buffalo invites you to attend their Biannual Mass  at St. Lawrence Church (1520 East Delevan Avenue in Buffalo)  on Saturday, September 8 at 9am with Celebrant Rev. Paul Seil. Prayer and music included and a continental Breakfast / Meeting will follow in the Church Hall. All are welcome to attend. For more information, call 716-870-3864. The Congrega Society has 45 members from the WNY area.  We honor the Mother of God under the title of “Crowned Virgin” through prayers and sacrifice.  The Society was founded in 1920 at St. Lawrence and is linked with the same ancient devotion in Pescasseroli, Italy.

Queen of Heaven: Mary’s Battle for You! An 8-part study on Mary, Queen of Heaven, begins Monday,  September 10 (7-8:30pm) at St. Gregory the Great (Gathering Room – 200 St. Gregory Ct. in Williamsville). Take a journey into a deeper encounter and understanding of our Blessed Mother. While Catholics know of her and honor her, the Queen of Heaven study will introduce you to her in a fuller and more intimate way. For more information, contact Dawn Iacono at stgregsmoms [at] gmail [dot] com.

Meeting God Encounters begins Wednesday, September 12, at 6:30pm at St. Casimir Social Hall (1833 Clinton Street in Buffalo). Have you ever installed a Heaven Door in your home? Here’s a home improvement project for the soul. Jesus is knocking; he’s dying, or rather has died, to enter your home. He invites himself saying, “If you open, I will enter and have supper with you.” (Rv. 3:20) Discover, with Fr. Czeslaw Krysa, Diocesan Director of Worship, how believing families have encountered the living God at home, not just in church. This meeting will be held on Wednesdays through November 14.  For more information and to register, call 716-847-5545.

Annual Men’s Retreat (September 14-16), sponsored by the Holy Name Societies of the dioceses of Buffalo and St. Catharines  Ontario, will be held at Christ the King Seminary in East Aurora. The theme is: “The Ministry of Jesus: It’s Heaven and Earth, Life and Death.” We are limited to 60 men. For reservations or more information, call the Holy Name Office at 716-847-2201 or Fr. Paul Sabo at 716-604-4948.

Monday Evening Faith Enrichment Series begins September 17 at Our Lady of Pompeii Parish (158 Laverack Avenue in Lancaster). “Forgiveness, baggage, fessing up, and difficulties in forgiving” with Bishop Edward Grosz at the OLP Ministry Center. Future dates this year are October 22, November 26, and December 17.

“Healing Through Meditation,” Tuesday, September 18, 7pm at Mt. Olivet Cemetery, 4000 Elmwood Ave., Kenmore with presenter, Dawn Iacono, Director of Parish Outreach at St. Leo the Great Church.  From scripture to quieting one’s inner self to a hands-on expression, Dawn will lead us on a meditative journey. Registration is limited and open to the community at no charge. Call Marianne Hubert, Director of Grief Support Services, at 716-873-6500.