December 2 – December 9, 2012
Weekly Activities
Sunday, December 2 following the 10 a.m. Mass ~ Generations of Faith Program in St. Charles Hall.
Tuesday, December 4 at 7:00 p.m. ~ Choir Rehearsal in St. Charles Hall.
Thursday, December 6 at 8:00 p.m ~ Bingo will be played in St. Charles Hall.
Friday, December 7 from 9:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. and 6:oo p.m. until completion ~ Assembly of gifts bags for Christmas Prison Package Project
Saturday, December 8 at 8:00 p.m ~ Bingo will be played in St. Charles Hall.
We now have new games: Red, White & Blue; carry over Bonus Ball; and a progressive Share-the-Wealth!
Sunday, December 9 at 3:00 p.m. ~ A Brass and Organ Christmas concert in church.
Monday, December 10 at 6:30 p.m. ~ Sodality Service of Remembrance and Christmas Party in St. Charles Hall.
Mass Intentions
Sunday, December 2 ~ Mass at 10 a.m. – Bob Hamsik (Requested by Angela Jost) and Margaret Schimpf – Birthday Remembrance (Requested by Family)
Monday, December 3 ~ St. Francis Xavier ~ Communion Service at 11 a.m.
Tuesday, December 4 ~ St. John Damascene ~ Mass at 11 a.m. – Catherine M. Maher (Estate)
Wednesday, December 5 ~ Mass at 11 a.m. – Bernard H. Fix and Ruth R. Fix (Estate)
Thursday, December 6 ~ St. Nicholas ~ Mass at 11 a.m. – Deceased Members of Blessed Trinity Parish (Blessed Trinity Parish)
Friday, December 7 ~ St. Ambrose ~ Mass at 11 a.m. – Virginia Saxer (Estate)
Saturday, December 8 ~ Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception ~ Mass at 12:00 Noon – Anna Snyder (Estate)
Saturday, December 8 ~ Mass at 4:30 p.m. – Irene Rambus (Family)
Sunday, December 9 ~ Mass at 10 a.m. – Dan Stabler (Ed Marien) and Michael Plunkett (Bud and Mickey Dick)
News from our Parish Community
Photo by Derek Gee, The Buffalo News
Prisoner Gifts 2012 ~ Blessed Trinity will again host the assembly of Christmas gift bags for prison inmates. The Christmas Prison Package Project originated with Sr. Karen Klimczak, SSJ, at the Bissonette House over 20 years ago, and we are privileged to continue its message of forgiveness and non-violence. Janice Burns is coordinating the event with Peaceprints Prison Ministries. Previously, we have provided 1000 gift bags for men incarcerated at Wende Correctional Facility. This year, the ministry is being extended to women inmates at Albion and the target number is now 2000. Our parish has been asked to donate instant hot cocoa, and our goal is 4,000 individual serving envelopes. Please bring your donations to church by December 2, and place them in the labeled back pew. The white paper gift bags are now available for decoration. If your are interested, contact Jan Burns at 716-491-4223.
The actual assembly will take place on Friday, December 7. Help is needed for both shifts: 9:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. until completion. Please consider joining volunteers from area parishes in this work of mercy during our Year of Faith.
Our Trinity Concert Series continues at 3 p.m. on Sunday, December 9, with A Brass and Organ Christmas featuring The Buffalo Brass Choir under the direction of Nick DelBello and guest organist Peter Gonciarz playing our newly restored Tellers-Kent Organ. Please join us and enjoy your holiday favorites. A free-will offering will be taken. Click HERE for information about future concerts in the 2012-13 series.
The Ladies Sodality Christmas Party will be held on Monday evening, December 10, at 6:30 in St. Charles Hall. All women of the parish are invited to participate in the evening of prayer and fellowship with members of the Sodality and their friends in anticipation of the Christmas season. The evening will include a Service of Remembrance for recently deceased members. If you are willing to donate a hors d’oeuvre or dessert, please contact President Vera Andrew no later than December 2. The cost of the party is $5 per person, and guests are welcome. In lieu of a gift exchange, we will again be collecting small gifts to be used in Christmas gift bags for our parish shut-ins and those in senior care facilities.
Gifts for our Shut-ins ~ The Ladies Sodality will be assembling Christmas presents to be delivered to our homebound parishioners and those in senior care facilities. Instead of a gift to exchange, Sodality members are asked to spend approximately $15 and bring their unwrapped purchases to the December 10 dinner. Suggested items include: lap robes and fleece throws, shawls or shrugs, socks, hand/body lotion, baby powder, lip balm, squeezable stress balls, eyeglass wipes, large print books or word games, or cash in an unsealed gift card for a hair cut or shampoo & set. Ready-to-eat food items such as jam, jelly, toaster pastries, candy or cookies; jello, fruit or pudding cups; or “add water” mixes; e.g., soup cups, single-serving oatmeal packets, tea, cocoa or coffee are also acceptable for the homebound. You don’t have to be a Sodality member to participate, but it is important that all gift items be received no later than December 9 so that the presents are ready for delivery by Sunday, DECEMBER 15. Please place your items in the specially marked basket near the statue of St. Joseph. If you would like to contribute money so that others may shop, please give your donation to Vera Andrew or Mickey Dick.
Support Elderly Religious ~ A parishioner writes, “As a Catholic school student from grades K-12, I was formed to be the person I am by many religious brothers and sisters and I am forever grateful.” Show your thanks for the senior Catholic sisters, brothers, and religious order priests who made a positive difference in so many lives. Please give generously to the collection for the Retirement Fund for Religious on the weekend of December 8/9.
Giving Tree ~ We invite you again this year to be a part of bringing Christmas spirit to the refugees – men, women, and children, who reside at Vive La Casa on Wyoming Avenue. For many years this was a favorite tradition for Sister Flavia. This year we will be collecting hats, scarves, mittens/gloves for children and adults, and toys. If you would like to participate in this effort, please bring your gifts unwrapped and place them in the box near our tree by Sunday, December 16. The tree will be set up by December 8. Thank you.
We give thanks … for students in the Canisius College Masters in Sports Administration program who helped to clean our church as Community Day volunteers on November 10th. Click HERE for photos of “The Clean Team.”
A Special Request for our Helping Hands Food Pantry ~ Richard Plunkett advises that The Pantry has a critical need for volunteers with a pick-up truck who might be available a few hours each week or every other week for transport of food donations or extra food orders to the Helping Hands Food Pantry. If you can lend a hand or need further information, please contact Richard at 861-5022.
On a related note, The Helping Hands Food Pantry has been experiencing chronic shortages of cereal (store brands welcome). Their supply of cereal is usually gone by the end of the first week after the monthly food delivery from the Food Bank. They also are in need of any kind of canned vegetables, juice or canned soup, as well as flour or sugar and baking supplies. Many younger people and grandparents are asking for baby supplies, such as diapers and formula. You should also know that the food pantry now has used clothing that is clean and folded according to size for men, women, boys, girls and infants. They are in greatest need of clothing for men and infants. All clothing is donated and must be cleaned upon acceptance.
News from our Vicariate Cluster and the Wider Community
Solemn Choral Vespers ~ The Christ the King Seminary community invites you to celebrate Advent Sunday Vespers, the Church’s Solemn Evening Prayer, on Sunday, December 2, 2012, 4:00 p.m. in St. John Vianney Chapel on the Seminary campus at 711 Knox Road in East Aurora. Vespers opens with a chanted dialogue and seasonal hymn and then continues with sung psalms and New Testament Canticle. A reading from sacred scripture is followed by a sung “Magnificat,” the traditional Canticle of Mary. General intercessions, the Lord’s Prayer, closing prayer and final blessing with sung dismissal brings Solemn Vespers to a conclusion. The chorus is under the direction of Alan D. Lukas, Music Director at the Seminary. Most Rev. Richard J. Malone, Bishop of the Diocese of Buffalo, will preside. A free-will offering will be received and a holiday reception will follow the service.
Catholic Churches of Central Buffalo Advent Retreat Evenings, “God awaits us in our stories,” will begin next Monday, December 10, from 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. at St. Martin de Porres, 555 Northampton Street. Join us in reflecting together to awaken our faith and awareness of God’s presence in our lives. Our presenter will be Dennis Mahaney from the Office of Parish Life. In the post-modern age, the perennial question remains: ‘Is God with us or not?’ God still speaks. Let’s stop long enough to listen.