Mary and her mother, St. Anne, depicted in stained glass in the shrine area of the transept on the east side of the church.
May 11 – May 18, 2014
Weekly Activities
Sunday, May 11 immediately following 10:00 a.m. Mass ~ Mother’s Day Breakfast in St. Charles Hall hosted by the Holy Name Society.
Tuesday, May 13 at 7:30 p.m. ~ Choir Rehearsal in Church.
Thursday, May 14 at 8:00 p.m. ~ Bingo will be played in St. Charles Hall.
Saturday, May 17 ~ Helping Hands Food Pantry closed due to renovations to St. Charles Hall.
Saturday, May 17 from 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. ~ Sacred Sites Open House and Tours of the Church.
Saturday, May 17 at 8:00 p.m. ~ Bingo will be played in St. Charles Hall.
Sunday, May 18 immediately following 10:00 a.m. Mass ~ Ladies Sodality Meeting in rectory dining room.
Sunday, May 18 from 12:00 Noon – 2:00 p.m. ~ Sacred Sites Open House and Tours of the Church.
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, May 11 ~ Mass at 10 a.m. – Joan Fiffik (Requested by Bud and Mickey Dick) and Our Mothers (Requested by Bob and Mary Kinmartin)
Monday, May 12 ~ St. Nereus & St. Achilleus, St. Pancras ~ Communion Service at 11 a.m.
Tuesday, May 13 ~ Our Lady of Fatima ~ Mass at 11 a.m. – Bernard H. Fix and Ruth R. Fix (Estate)
Wednesday, May 14 ~ St. Matthias, apostle ~ Mass at 11 a.m. – Winifred Enright (Estate)
Thursday, May 15 ~ St. Isidore ~Mass at 11 a.m. – Deceased Members and Family Members of Blessed Trinity Church (Blessed Trinity Parish)
Friday, May 16 ~ Anthony and Teresa Hafner (Estate)
Saturday, May 17 ~ Vigil Mass – Anna Snyder (Estate)
Sunday, May 18 ~ Mass at 10 a.m. – Margaret Schirmann (Mary and Thomas Stoddard) and Veronica Deck (Abbick Family)
News from our Parish Community
Judy Casassa
Mother’s Day Breakfast ~ The Holy Name Society treated women of the parish and their guests at the annual Mother’s Day Breakfast, Sunday, May 11, following the 10:00 a.m. Mass. Click HERE for photos from this event.
Sodality Meeting Rescheduled ~ Since our normal May meeting date falls on the holiday weekend, the next general meeting has been rescheduled for Sunday, May 18 in the dining room of the rectory. This will be a brief business meeting to firm up arrangements for our June 11 dinner.
Congratulations to Judy Casassa, who received the Lay Award of St. Joseph the Worker in recognition of her devotion and unselfish labors on behalf of the Blessed Trinity Parish Community. The award was conferred by Bishop Malone during a Mass in St. Joseph Cathedral on Sunday, May 4. Judy chairs our building heritage committee and is the lead contributor to our grant writing efforts. She has spearheaded the creation of our docent team, is a member of the choir and the music/concert committee, and a major presence in our volunteer gardening efforts. In the past, she has also served as secretary and president of the Parish Council.
You’re Invited to an Open House ~ As you know, we will participate in the fourth annual NYS Landmarks Conservancy’s Sacred Sites Open House Weekend with free guided tours of our church on Saturday, May 17 from 2:00 – 4:00 p.m., and on Sunday, May 18, from 12:00 noon – 2:00 p.m. Docents will be on hand to describe the church’s architectural features, including its medieval style brickwork and extensive use of terra cotta, and interpret its artworks and selected iconography. There will be informational handouts, a historical display area, and a sales table. Visitors will also get to hear fascinating video-taped stories from long-time parishioners. So – invite your friends and neighbors to “come by our house” that weekend to see our amazing building and meet our friendly folks. Open house hours are scheduled before and after weekend services, which they are also invited to attend. Visitors are encouraged to bring binoculars and cameras. Click HERE for additional information.
Collection for the Church in Latin America ~ Catholics in Latin America and the Caribbean face many challenges, including violence and a lack of both clergy and lay leadership to witness to the gospel message. Your support shares the faith with those in need, including the youth of Holy Family Parish in San Miguel, El Salvador. These young people, at high risk for violence, often lack an education in values and critical-thinking skills. To address this need, the parish designed a youth enrichment program. Funded by the Collection, this program gives the youth an opportunity to share their faith and break the cycle of violence in their neighborhoods. Please give generously to the Collection for the Church in Latin American on the weekend of May 17/18.
UB volunteers, l. to r.: Catherine Chen, Elina Nova, Baylee Richards and Kailey Mahar.
UB Pride and Service Day was Friday, May 9, and Blessed Trinity welcomed a team of volunteers from the State University at Buffalo. Catherine Chen, Kailey Mahar, and Elina Nova, along with team leader, Baylee Richards, joined parishioners Judy Casassa, Mickey Dick, and Jerry Gallisdorfer in a much needed spring cleanup. They worked to remove all the telltale signs of winter in and around our gardens and on the Dewey side of the property and then “bagged” the wilted Easter lilies for adoption by green-thumbed members of the parish. An additional group of UB volunteers joined with neighbors and members of FLARE in cleaning up Leroy Avenue between Fillmore and Grider, and we thank them ALL for helping to beautify our little corner of Buffalo. And kudos to Judy, Mickey and Jerry who treated our volunteer work team and their bus driver to a tour of the church at the end of their work day.
Saluting Our Bingo Workers ~ Over the past few months, our bingo workers have really proved their mettle. Despite the incredibly difficult winter, they have turned out week after week. (We had only one cancellation). On February 27 we introduced electronic verification – so popular with local players. We are indebted to Don Blesnuk, Fran Cahill, and Bud Dick for locating and arranging for installation of the necessary equipment and TV monitors. Computerized equipment requires new skills, and our bingo callers – Don, Shammy Dunnigan, Kathy Press, and Sr. Liz Savage – have met the challenge. At the same time that our workers were adjusting to these changes, our Saturday night Bonus Ball Jackpot was attracting record numbers of players: more than 300 on five consecutive Saturdays, with lines forming 90 minutes before game time. In order to handle these large numbers it was necessary to also equip and staff the downstairs dining room. Some Thursday night volunteers doubled-up, working on both Thursday and Saturday, and everyone was required to start early. On March 29, one lucky player won the record Bonus Ball Jackpot of more than $5,400.00, and our amazing team of volunteers is enjoying a bit of a “breather.” With attendance at more normal levels, this would be an excellent time to train as a bingo worker. Bingo is the largest source of parish operating funds and an important form of stewardship. Please consider a gift of time to your parish family. Fran Cahill will be happy to assist you in joining the team. You can leave your name and contact information for Fran by clicking HERE, or call the parish office (833-0301) and Fran will contact you.
News from our Vicariate Cluster and the Wider Community
World Day of Prayer will be observed on Sunday, May 11, also known as “Good Shepherd Sunday.” The purpose of this day is to publicly fulfill the Lord’s instruction to, “Pray the Lord of the harvest to send laborers into his harvest” (Mt 9:38; Lk 10:2). Please pray that young men and women hear and respond generously to the Lord’s call to the priesthood, diaconate, religious life, societies of apostolic life or secular institutes. You can find many resources to promote a culture of vocations on the USCCB webpage at (www.usccb.org/vocations).
A Compassion Ministry has been developed to assist our Catholic Churches of Central Buffalo (CCCB ) faith communities with the pastoral care of persons in need and to assist the pastoral care staff with visits to the sick and home bound. The Compassion Ministry committee has created an eight-week training session to support people as they visit with someone who is ill. This includes: The Role of the Christian Minister; Developing Supportive Relationships; Reviewing Settings of Visitation – Hospital, Nursing Home, or Home; Discussing Grief and Loss Issues; Eucharistic Training for those in ministry to the sick; Hospice, Dying and Palliative Care; Dealing with Transitions/Change; and Record Keeping, On-going Support; Care Giver Support. The eight week training experience begins on Thursday, June 5, 6:30 – 8:30 pm at St. Lawrence. Interested persons should contact their pastor for approval by May 12.
Ss. Columba-Brigid Church is holding its annual Chiavetta’s Chicken Dinners on Sunday, June 1 from 12 noon until “sold out.” There will also be 100 theme baskets and 3 Entertainment Explosion Baskets (with gift certificates for restaurants, stores, movie theatres, etc) that people can win. They’re at 75 Hickory St. in downtown Buffalo – one block south of Clinton St. Dinners are $9 and can also be taken out.
St. Vincent de Paul Society News ~ We are in need of furniture, appliances and household items for new families that are settling into our area. Our furniture truck schedules pick up in the Buffalo and suburbs on a daily basis. If you wish to donate, please call 882-3360 for a date and approximate time. Please consult our website www.svdpwny.org for information as to what we will accept and what we cannot accept. Thank you for your support and God Bless you in the name of St. Vincent de Paul and Blessed Frederic.
Family Justice Center ~ If you are a victim of Domestic Violence in need of access to safety planning, spiritual care, legal assistance, limited medical assistance counseling, or law enforcement, the Family Justice Center of Erie County, Inc. — “Where Families Come First” — is for you! All services are free. All conversations are strictly private. Further information: 716-558-7233 or http://www.fjcsafe.org.