The Epiphany of the Lord – Week of January 7, 2018

 

January 7 – January 14, 2018

Weekly Activities

Thursday, January 11 at 8:00 p.m. ~ Bingo will be played in St. Charles Hall*

Saturday, January 13 from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. ~ NEW HOURS – SAT. ONLY – Helping Hands Food Pantry in St. Charles Hall

Saturday, January 13 at 8:00 p.m. ~ Bingo will be played 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, January 7 ~ The Epiphany of the Lord at 10:00 a.m. – Deceased Members of the Blessed Trinity Choir (Requested by The Choir)

Monday, January 8 ~ The Baptism of the Lord ~ Mass at 10:00 a.m. – Vincent, Frances and Agnes Manion (Estate)

Tuesday, January 9 ~ Mass at 11:00 a.m. – Catherine M. Maher (Estate)

Wednesday, January 10 ~ Mass at 11:00 a.m. – Deceased Members of the Ryan, Reilly, Reynolds, and Pfeiffer Families (Estate of Mary Reilly)

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

Friday, January 12 ~ Mass at 11:00 a.m. – Deceased Members of the Ryan, Reilly, Reynolds, and Pfeiffer Families (Estate of Mary Reilly)

Saturday, January 13 ~ Vigil Mass of the Epiphany at 4:30 p.m. – Vincent, Frances and Agnes Manion (Estate)

Sunday, January 14 ~ Mass at 10:00 a.m. – Catherine M. Maher (Estate)

Ministry Schedule for Saturday and Sunday, January 13 and 14:

Saturday, 4:30 p.m.  Reader: Lorna Cameron; Eucharistic Minister: Michael Ogoh

Sunday, 10:00 a.m.  Readers: Helen Roddy Gray, Bob Heicklen;  Eucharistic Ministers: Dan Korchowsky, Maggie Gatson, Sr. Liz Savage, Mary Kresse, Bernice Bradley

    

News from our Parish Community

Ordinary Time begins on Tuesday, January 9 and continues through Tuesday, February 13, the day before Ash Wednesday and the beginning of the Lenten season. Ordinary Time then resumes when the Easter season ends on Monday May 21, the day following Pentecost.

The Annual Diocesan Mass Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr will be held at Ss. Columba-Brigid at 10am, Sunday, January 14. Bishop Malone will be the celebrant of the Mass with guest homilist, Deacon LeRoy T. Gill, Jr. Deacon Gill is chair of the Black Deacons of Chicago. Their priority is to address the violence against black male youth. This year’s theme is The Cost of the Call to Discipleship. It is a goal of the African American Commission of the Buffalo Diocese to raise funds for students of color attending Catholic schools with a collection of theme baskets for an auction. The Commission hopes to collect five or more baskets from each parish of the CCCB. Contact Arlene Feaster at  716-381-3856 if you are planning to donate baskets. Following the Mass, attendees are welcome to participate in the silent auction featuring donated theme baskets.

MLK Day of Organizing ~ The Catholic Churches of Central Buffalo (“CCCB”), including Blessed Trinity, will be participating in The Martin Luther King Day of Organizing on Monday, January 15. It is an opportunity not only to honor Dr. King, but to learn about the importance of developing relationships across race, religion and other backgrounds. Speakers will include Dr. Barry Gan, a professor at St. Bonaventure and an expert on Dr. King’s life and the civil rights movement; Pastor James Giles, Executive Director at Greater Works Fellowship and Founder of the Peacekeepers; and Brian Zralek, a VOICE-Buffalo community organizer. The program, which is free, runs from 9am-12Noon in the Ss. Columba-Brigid Church Hall, 75 Hickory Street. Coffee and snacks will be provided. For more information, phone 716-852-3331. We hope that you can attend for at least part of the morning.

May Christ Bless Our Home ~ Epiphany marks the celebration of the manifestation of Christ to the entire world, as the three kings represent “outsiders” who acknowledged Christ as the Son of God.  On Epiphany, there is an ancient custom of chalking the doorway above church doors and homes that marks the household for Christ.  This year, you will see the inscription “20+C+M+B+18”. The year, 2018, is placed at the beginning and the end; the “+” represents the sign of the cross; the initials CMB stand for Caspar, Melchior and Balthazar as well as the Latin phrase “Christus mansionem benedicat,” which translates to “May Christ bless this house.” You may notice this marking over the doorways leading to the choir loft.  We pray Christ will continue to bless and be present in the Music Ministry at Blessed Trinity as we head back into ordinary time.  May this Epiphany be a reminder that Christ is incarnate in the love and care we manifest to each other in our ordinary daily lives. Choir practice resumes on February 6, 2018 at 7:00 p.m.

MLK Day of Organizing ~ The Catholic Churches of Central Buffalo (“CCCB”), including Blessed Trinity, will be participating in The Martin Luther King Day of Organizing on Monday, January 15. It is an opportunity not only to honor Dr. King, but to learn about the importance of developing relationships across race, religion and other backgrounds. Speakers will include Dr. Barry Gan, a professor at St. Bonaventure and an expert on Dr. King’s life and the civil rights movement; Pastor James Giles, Executive Director at Greater Works Fellowship and Founder of the Peacekeepers; and Brian Zralek, a VOICE-Buffalo community organizer. The program, which is free, runs from 9am-12Noon in the Ss. Columba-Brigid Church Hall, 75 Hickory Street. Coffee and snacks will be provided. For more information, phone 852-3331. We hope that you can attend for at least part of the morning.

Sodality Dues Reminder for 2018 ~ Membership in the Ladies Sodality of Blessed Trinity runs with the calendar year, and dues become payable each January. Since 2016, we have only one category of membership – member in good standing – and annual dues are $5.00 with checks payable to “Ladies Sodality of Blessed Trinity.” You do not have to pay dues if you are a member in good standing and have reached your 80th birthday. Our Membership Chair, Mickey Dick, is now accepting dues for 2018. If you would like information about the Sodality or becoming a member, please call her (716-832-2540).

Remembering Pauline Rollek ~ The Ladies Sodality would like to recognize Pauline Rollek, a member of their board of directors and former treasurer, who passed on December 30, just a month before her 90th birthday. Pauline was a beautiful example of stewardship, contributing her time and talent in many ways during her more than 50 years as a parishioner. Until health issues forced her retirement several years ago, Pauline volunteered as our “Rectory Coordinator,” performing administrative duties as well as cooking and housekeeping. She also cooked for parish functions and fundraisers. Her earliest leadership activities were as a member of the Parent Teacher Association of our grade school. For many years she was one of a group of women who met every Saturday morning to clean the church and care for the altar linens. Pauline loved decorating and flower arranging. Her talents in these areas were displayed in church throughout the year, especially during the Christmas and Easter seasons. She was also a bingo volunteer for more than four decades, working both Thursday and Saturday nights. We ask that you remember Pauline and her family in your prayers and give thanks for the many ways in which she cared for her parish family. A Mass of Christian Burial for Mrs. Rollek was held on Saturday, January 6, with Father Victor Ibhawa and our former pastor, Father George Reger, concelebrating.

Openings for Mass Intentions ~ Thank you to all who have recently placed Mass intentions. We again have openings on Saturdays and Sundays, so please contact the church office (716-833-0301) with your requests. Office hours are: 10:30am-2:30pm, Tuesday through Thursday. The Mass Stipend is $15.

New parking spaces have been added to the wheelchair ramp side of the church to compensate for losing ten spaces behind the old school building (FLARE) with the sale of the building. The new owner plans to rehab the structure into twenty apartments, a project that will certainly benefit the neighborhood.

Important Deadlines to Remember ~ As we begin the new year, please remember to contact our secretary, Pat Pendleton, with dates (even tentative ones) that should appear on the parish calendar. Our bulletin is printed on Thursdays, so announcements should be submitted no later than Noon on the Wednesday prior to the weekend you wish it to appear. Announcements to be read at weekend Masses are due on Thursday. You may contact Pat at blessedtrinitychurch@gmail or 716-833-0301 any Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday between 10:30am and 2:30pm.

Parish Record Keeping ~ We have created a parish group email to be used for notification of time-sensitive information; e.g., a mid-week funeral service. If you would be interested in receiving such messages, please make sure that the church office has your email address. If you need to update your contact information or would like to register as a parishioner, please call the church office (716-833-0301) on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday during office hours: 10:30am-2:30pm, email your contact information to blessedtrinitychurch [at] gmail [dot] com, or use the CONTACT feature of this web site.

News from our Vicariate Cluster and the Wider Community

Tomorrow’s Youth Today Program can help you obtain your high school equivalency diploma and gain job readiness. The Catholic Charities program through the Workforce and Education Department is available to those ages 16-24 who are out of school. Visit ccwny.org/ReadySetJob or call 716-893-3500.

Journey into Love Program for engaged couples seeks married couples willing to offer a 20-minute talk to share their experiences. Contact the Family Life Office at 716-847-2210 or visit buffalodiocese.org for more details about volunteering.

The Calix Society meets on the last Sunday of each Month at 3pm in the basement of St. Michael’s Church Rectory (651 Washington Street in Buffalo) for those seeking a spiritual-based program for recovery of alcoholism.  More information at calixsociety.org or 716-847-2210.