May 4 – May 11, 2014
Weekly Activities
Sunday, May 4 immediately following 10:00 a.m. Mass ~ Coffee Hour in St. Charles Hall hosted by the Bingo Workers.
Tuesday, May 6 at 7:30 p.m. ~ Choir Rehearsal in St. Charles Hall.
Thursday, May 8 at 8:00 p.m. ~ Bingo will be played in St. Charles Hall.
Friday, May 9 from 9:00 a.m. to 12 noon ~ Blessed Trinity welcomes UB Pride & Service Day Volunteers.
Saturday, May 10 from 10:30 a.m. to 12 Noon ~ Helping Hands Food Pantry in St. Charles Hall.
Saturday, May 10 at 8:00 p.m. ~ Bingo will be played in St. Charles Hall.
Sunday, May 11 immediately following 10:00 a.m. Mass ~ Mother’s Day Breakfast in St. Charles Hall hosted by the Holy Name Society.
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 4 ~ Mass at 10 a.m. – Enza Petrino (Requested by Mary Anne Dee) and Richard and Mary James (Requested by Dorothy Lein)
Monday, May 5 ~ Communion Service at 11 a.m.
Tuesday, May 6 ~ Mass at 11 a.m. – Agnes Witherspoon (Family)
Wednesday, May 7 ~ Mass at 11 a.m. – Deceased Members and Family Members of Blessed Trinity Church (Blessed Trinity Parish)
Thursday, May 8 ~ Mass at 11 a.m. – Anthony and Teresa Hafner (Estate)
Friday, May 9 ~ Catherine M. Maher (Estate)
Saturday, May 10 ~ St. Damien de Veuster ~ Vigil Mass – Anna Snyder (Estate)
Sunday, May 11 ~ Mass at 10 a.m. – Joan Fiffik (Bud and Mickey Dick) and Our Mothers (Bob and Mary Kinmartin)
News from our Parish Community
Judy Casassa
Congratulations to Judy Casassa, who will receive 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 will be 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.
For Prayer Partners: In this season of new life, we have celebrated the gift of Jesus’ risen life. Jesus promises us the same risen life. Alleluia! As we continue to pray for our prayer partners in this Easter season, remember to mark your calendars for the pot luck dinner this Thursday, May 8, 5:30 at Ss. Columba-Brigid. This will be a chance to meet your prayer partner and share a meal. If you did not sign-up at church but plan to attend, please RSVP by calling Sr. Maureen at 897-9948, ext. 114.
Mother’s Day Breakfast ~ Women of the Parish are invited, as guests of the Holy Name Society, to our traditional Mother’s Day Breakfast, to be held on Sunday, May 11, following the 10:00 a.m. Mass. Reservations for the breakfast are necessary and may be made by calling the Rectory Office (833-0301). Non-parishioner adult guests, such as daughters, mothers, sisters, similar-in-laws, etc. are welcome. No children please. Cost for the guests is $5.00 per person, payable at the door.
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.
Blessed Trinity Hospitality ~ On the weekend of May 17-18, 2014, Blessed Trinity will participate in the New York Landmarks Conservancy’s Fourth Annual Sacred Sites Open House weekend. We will join dozens of houses of worship all over the state showcasing their landmark buildings. It’s an opportunity to highlight BT as a perfect example of art preserved by faith and faith preserved in art. WE NEED VOLUNTEERS!! The Open House will take place on Saturday, May 17 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. (before 4:30 Mass), and on Sunday, May 18 from 12:00 noon (after 10:00 Mass) to 2:00 p.m. We will need docents, greeters, sales associates, and general hosts. If you have worked any of our Open Houses in the past, you know everything you need to do. If you are new to Open House tours, we will happily train you. If you can help on either of these two days, please fill out one of the forms on the Communion rail indicating what type of role you are willing to play and which date/time you are available. Place the completed form in the basket. Judy Casassa will contact you with confirmation of your assignment. Please sign up to participate by Sunday, May 4. Thank you!! Click HERE for additional information.
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. This will be a brief business meeting to firm up arrangements for our June 11 dinner.
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.
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.