March 25 – April 1, 2018
Weekly Activities
Sunday, March 25 following the 10:00 a.m. Mass – Coffee Hour in St. Charles Hall
Monday, March 26 at 7:00 p.m. ~ Choir Rehearsal in St. Charles Hall
Tuesday, March 27 at 7:00 p.m. ~ Choir Rehearsal in church
Thursday, March 29 ~ NO Bingo in observance of Holy Week
Friday, March 30 at 6:30 p.m. ~ Decorating the church for Easter
Saturday, March 30 from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. ~ Catholic Central Food Pantry in St. Charles Hall
Saturday, March 30 ~ NO Bingo in observance of Holy Week
*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.
Holy Week 2018
Blessed Trinity Church
Passion Sunday/Palm Sunday – March 25
Blessing of Palms and Holy Mass
4:30 p.m. – Saturday, March 24
10:00 a.m. – Sunday, March 25
Weekday Masses
March 27 and March 28
Tuesday at 11:00 a.m.
Wednesday at 11:00 a.m.
Daily Mass Chapel
Reconciliation Service
Wednesday, March 28, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Opportunity for private confession
Holy Thursday – March 29
7:00 p.m. – Mass of the Lord’s Supper
followed by Private Prayer at the Repository
Our church will be open until 10:00 p.m.
for Private Prayer at the Repository.
Reflection material will be available.
Good Friday – March 30
2:00 p.m. – Stations of the Cross
3:00 p.m. – Solemn Service
St. John’s Passion
Veneration of the Cross
Holy Communion
Easter Vigil – March 31
7:00 p.m. – Easter Eve Mass with Choir
Fire and Light
Scripture
Renewal of Baptismal Vows
Easter Sunday – April 1
10:00 a.m. – Easter Sunday Mass with Choir
Mass Intentions
Sunday, March 25 ~ Mass at 10:00 a.m. – Robert Santo Venti (Requested by Patty and Jerry Gallisdorfer) and Sylvia Griffin (Requested by Bud and Mickey Dick)
Monday, March 26 ~ No Service
Tuesday, March 27 ~ Mass at 11:00 a.m. – Catherine M. Maher (Estate)
Wednesday, March 28 ~ Mass at 11:00 a.m. – Catherine M. Maher (Estate)
Holy Thursday, March 29 ~ Mass at 7:00 p. m. – Blessed Trinity Parish Community
Good Friday, March 30 ~ Stations of the Cross at 2:00 p.m. ~ Solemn Good Friday Service at 3:00 p.m.
Holy Saturday, March 31 ~ Easter Vigil at 7:00 p.m. – Antoinette Allen (Nancy DeBoy)
Easter Sunday, April 1 ~ Mass at 10:00 a.m. – Deceased Members of the Ryan, Reilly, Reynolds and Pfeiffer Families (Estate of Mary Reilly)
News from our Parish Community
Amy Johnson
Good Friday at 6:30pm, parish volunteers will begin decorating the church for Easter. There are tasks for all skill levels, so please join us. Enter the church through the side door near the wheelchair ramp.
Palm Sunday Coffee Hour ~ There is a coffee hour, this Sunday, March 25, following the 10 o’clock Mass. The parish council invites you to join them in honoring Amy Johnson, our 2018 recipient of the Lay Award of St. Joseph the Worker.
On Sunday, March 25, there will be a display of olive wood items, a fundraiser to support Catholics of the Holy Land. The hand crafted crosses, Rosaries, sculptures of the Last Supper and Holy Family and other religious items hand crafted in Jerusalem and Bethlehem may be viewed in the church vestibule.
Tradition ~ As pastoral musicians, we are more than just people who love music. We love serving our Lord and our community by augmenting the liturgy. Musical selection, and then its implementation, is particularly difficult during Lent and the Triduum. Palm Sunday is exceptionally demanding because we go from joyful Hosannas as our Savior enters Jerusalem to the reading of the Passion just minutes later. You may have noticed “Ours Were the Griefs He Bore,” the Communion meditation, was very different from “Ride On, King Jesus.” Both are so appropriate for this weekend, yet send completely different messages. Pastoral musicians have to be sensitive not only to “what” we sing at mass, but “when” we sing it. Music Ministry can become quite complicated, especially this time of year! As we travel the road to the Cross and Resurrection, we hope you will notice respect for the 70+ year tradition of choral music at Blessed Trinity while we explore new favorite ways of praising our Lord. Our goal is always to engage your hearts as we celebrate the liturgy. Let’s link arms and raise our voices as we journey together. Choir practice continues Monday at 7pm in St. Charles Hall and Tuesday at 7pm in the loft. All are welcome. Elizabeth
Lenten Reconciliation Service ~ The final service in our CCCB Lenten Journey is this Monday, March 26. Please prepare for Holy Week by attending the Reconciliation Service scheduled for 6:30pm at Ss. Columba-Brigid, 75 Hickory St. near Clinton. There will be another opportunity for private confessions at our church on Wednesday, March 28, from 6-8pm.
The Ladies Sodality’s meeting, normally held on the first Sunday of the month, has been rescheduled for Sunday, April 15, following the 10am Mass.
Parish Agape Feast is April 8 ~ You are cordially invited to our parish family’s Agape or Love Feast on Sunday, April 8, beginning at 4pm in St. Charles Hall. Recalling the meals Jesus shared with disciples during his ministry, we hope ours will prove to be an expression of community, sharing, and fellowship for all ages. In the Agape tradition, we are asking everyone who is able to contribute something to the feast. Our 2017 Agape produced a bountiful array of salads, pasta, meat and vegetable dishes, pizza, desserts, and more. We trust that this year’s feast will be even better. Beverages will be provided. Please join in celebrating the Easter season and the family of Christ at Blessed Trinity on April 8.
Parish adds Human Resource team. Blessed Trinity Parish now has a Human Resource team. We thank Kathleen Marien, Darvan Draper, and Bob Heicklen for agreeing to be a part of this effort. The group will be headed by Bob Heicklen.
Holy Week Office Hours ~ There will be a change in office hours at the rectory during Holy Week. Our secretary, Pat Pendleton, will be present on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday from 10:30am to 2:30 pm, but the office will be closed on Holy Thursday. Holy Week is especially busy for both staff and parish volunteers so, if you have any announcements to be included in the bulletin, please get them to Pat on Monday, March 26. She can be reached at 716-833-0301 or blessedtrinitychurch [at] gmail [dot] com.
Lenten Series ~ Our Wednesday evening Lenten programs concluded on March 14 with “Connections: Reflection on Passover and the Lord’s Supper.” Parishioner Bob Heicklen narrated a ceremonial Seder meal, explaining its symbolism and similarities to our Eucharistic celebration. Assisted by Dan and Jacquie Korchowsky and David Folmer, we were also treated to a supper of matzo ball soup, matzo, and symbolic foods which are an integral element of the Passover festival. We are especially grateful to each of them for creating such a prayerful and memorable evening.
Religious Ed Volunteers ~ We are in need of volunteers to help with the Religious Education of our parish children. Anyone interested in helping, please sign up on the orange sheets at the church entrances or call Father Victor (716-833-0301) during rectory office hours. You are also asked to call Father Victor if you are interested in enrolling a child or young adult preparing for Confirmation.
Bible Study will resume at 7pm on Monday April 16 (not March 19 as posted earlier) in St. Charles Hall. This will be a two-hour meeting to determine future plans. The first assigned reading is from the booklet, Genesis 12-23 Abraham and Sarah’s Journey, by Kevin and Louise Perrotta (Loyola Press, 2002), pages 4-23. Please contact Althea Porter at 716-316-8395 to obtain the booklet and participate in this group.
Family Promise of WNY is one of only three local agencies that keeps homeless families together in emergency shelter. Ss. Columba-Brigid Parish is a host congregation and shelters families for a week, several times during the year. As a support parish, we at Blessed Trinity provide one dinner during the hosting weeks. Special thanks to Judy Casassa, Vontrese Draper, Amy Johnson and Palma Zanghi for preparing dinner for the guests at Ss. Columba-Brigid on March 3. If you are able to donate a food dish for a dinner on April 21, please contact Amy Johnson at 716-836-4694.
Our food pantry has a new name. The former Helping Hands Food Pantry is now known as the Catholic Central Food Pantry. The pantry’s hours, services and qualifications for assistance remain unchanged.
News from our Vicariate Cluster and the Wider Community
May 20 is a celebration for Fr. Roy Herberger’s fiftieth anniversary of priesthood. There will be a 3pm Mass at Ss. Peter and Paul (5480 Main Street in Williamsville), followed by a 6:30pm dinner at the Grapevine Banquet Facility (333 Dick Road in Depew – the former Hearthstone Manor). If you wish to attend, please mail your name and address to Fr. Roy (15 Greenwish Drive, #2, Amherst, NY 14228) by March 25.
St. Mary’s High School will hold a practice exam for all seventh graders planning to take the Catholic High School Admissions Exam this fall. The practice exam will take place Saturday, April 21, 8-11am, 142 Laverack Avenue in Lancaster. Reserve a spot for $20 at smhlancers.org.