Feast of St. Peter Claver ~ September 9
St. Peter Claver (1581-1654) was a servant and missionary to the newly-arrived African slaves in South America. In addition to the Four Evangelists, Blessed Trinity places Peter Claver and other missionaries in a prominent position to emphasize the importance of preaching the Good News.
Photo Credit: Gary Kelley
September 4 – September 11, 2016
Weekly Activities
Thursday, September 8 at 8:00 p.m. ~ Bingo will be played in St. Charles Hall*
Friday, September 9 from 9:00 a.m. to 12 Noon ~ Helping Hands Food Pantry in St. Charles Hall
Saturday, September 11 from 9:00 a.m. to 12 Noon ~ Helping Hands Food Pantry in St. Charles Hall
Saturday, September 11 at 8:00 p.m. ~ Bingo will be played in St. Charles Hall*
*Please remember that we have instituted age restrictions for admission to Bingo in response to requests from our players. As of October 15, 2015, we no longer admit children under 8 years of age.
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, September 4 ~ Mass at 10:00 a.m. ~ Intentions of the Mgbenka Family (Requested by Fidelia Ejimadu)
Monday, September 5 ~ Labor Day Holiday ~ No Service
Tuesday, September 6 ~ Mass at 11:00 a.m. – Deceased Members of Blessed Trinity Parish (Blessed Trinity Parish)
Wednesday, September 7 ~ Mass at 11:00 a.m. – Deceased Members of Ryan, Reilly, Reynolds and Pfeiffer Families (Estate of Mary Reilly)
Thursday, September 8 ~ Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary~ Mass at 11:00 a.m. – Catherine M. Maher (Estate)
Friday, September 9 ~ St. Peter Claver ~ Mass at 11:00 a.m. – Anna Snyder (Estate)
Saturday, September 10 ~ St. Gregory the Great ~ Vigil Mass at 4:30 p.m. – John and Rita Curtin (Family)
Sunday, September 11 ~ Mass at 10:00 a.m. ~ Joseph Kohn (Family) and Msgr. Anthony Caligiuri (Blessed Trinity Parish)
Assisting on the Altar – Ministry Schedule for Saturday, September 10 and Sunday, September 11:
Saturday, 4:30 p.m. Reader: Lorna Cameron; Eucharistic Minister: Lucille Venezia
Sunday, 10:00 a.m. Readers: Bonnie Williams, Pam Zanghi; Eucharistic Ministers: Fran Cahill, Don Williams, Sr. Liz Savage, Kathleen Marien (Loft)
Readings for the Week of September 4
Sunday: Wis 9:13-18b; Ps 90:3-6, 12-17; Phlm 1:9-10, 12-17; Lk 14:25-33
Monday: 1 Cor 5:1-8; Ps 5:5-7, 12; Lk 6:6-11
Tuesday: 1 Cor 6:1-11; Ps 149:1-6, 9; Lk 6:12-19
Wednesday: 1 Cor 7:25-31; Ps 45:11-12, 14-17; Lk 6:20-26
Thursday: Mi 5:1-4a or Rom 8:28-30; Ps 13:6; Mt 1:1-16, 18-23 or 1:18-23
Friday: 1 Cor 9:16-19, 22b-27; Ps 84:3-6, 12; Lk 6:39-42
Saturday: 1 Cor 10:14-22; Ps 116:12-13, 17-18; Lk 6:43-49
Sunday, Sept. 11: Nm 21:4-9; Ps 78:31-32, 34-38; Phil 2:6-11; Jn 3:13-17
Photo Credit: Bridget Blesnuk
News from our Parish Community
Important Parish Meeting ~ As announced at Masses last weekend, Father Reger will be retiring October 31, 2016 after serving our parish for twenty-five years. On Monday, September 19, following diocesan protocol, representatives of the Diocese and Bishop’s Department for Parish Leaders will meet with our congregation. All members of the parish are invited to attend this meeting at 7pm in St. Charles Hall.
Employment Opportunity at BT ~ We’re still hoping to bring on a new custodian before Jerry Gallisdorfer retires in September. If you know of someone qualified for the job, please have him/her submit a resume to the rectory as soon as possible. (Email address: blessedtrinitychurch [at] gmail [dot] com). The Custodian is responsible for maintaining the cleanliness of several buildings and assisting with a variety of semi-skilled manual work in the maintenance, repair and energy management of the church and other parish buildings. Requires a high school education, completed police background check, basic knowledge of plumbing and electrical work and ability to maintain the buildings and grounds of the parish. This position can be full- or part-time, with salary commensurate with education and experience. For detailed questions about the job, contact Bud Dick (716-832-2540).
Blessed Trinity School Alumni will hold their annual Alumni Sunday on September 18. A 9:30am guided mini-tour of the church will precede our 10 am Memorial Mass at which recently deceased alumni and faculty of the school will be remembered. Blessed Trinity School operated from 1909-1975, educating more than 2,300 students. If you know anyone who attended the grammar school, please be sure to mention the annual all-class gathering to them. Additional information regarding planned activities and the alumni committee raffle are available by Clicking HERE, or by calling Bud or Mickey Dick at 716-832-2540.
Our Parish Council will meet Wednesday, September 21 at 7pm in St. Charles Hall.
Our Annual WATCH FOR WATCHES Campaign to assist the St. Vincent de Paul Society will begin on October 1 and continue through the month of October. Your watch does not have to have a strap or be in working order. Watches are repaired and sold to further the work of the Society which is to help the poor. Last year we collected 104 watches. The Watch for Watches box will be next to the statue of St. Joseph. For further information see Marianne Pernick.
Rooted in Our Faith: Day of Reflection for the National Black Catholic Congress XII ~ The African American Commission of the Office of Cultural Diversity will be hosting a Day of Reflection on Saturday, September 10, at Ss. Columba-Brigid. Every five years since 1987, the National Black Catholic Congress convenes a congress culminating in a pastoral plan of action. Months before each congress, dioceses across the U.S. hold a Day of Reflection on the chosen theme. The Congress XII theme is “The Spirit of the Lord is Upon Me; Act Justly, Love Goodness, and Walk Humbly with Your God.” The Day of Reflection will begin with onsite registration at 9:30am and conclude with Mass at 4pm. Anyone may register for the Day of Reflection by completing a registration form. Registration forms are available at our church and should be returned to the Office of Cultural Diversity by September 5. For more information please contact Althea Porter at 716-316-8395 or Milagros Ramos at 716-847-2217.
High School Happenings ~ Information on open house schedules and other school material is beginning to come to our office. All school-related material will be displayed on the table in the front vestibule of church.
Weekly Highlight from Faithful Citizenship: A message from Sister Maureen Harris ~ How does the Church help the Catholic Faithful to speak about political and social Questions? How will we consider the moral principles on Election Day? The conclusion of Part 1 suggests:
#57 ~ Building a world of respect for human life and dignity, where justice and peace prevail, requires more than just political commitment. Individuals, families, businesses, community organizations, and governments all have a role to play. Participation in political life in light of fundamental moral principles is an essential duty for every Catholic and all people of good will.
#58 ~ The Church is involved in the political process but is not partisan. The Church cannot champion any candidate or party. Our cause is the defense of human life and dignity and the protection of the weak and vulnerable.
#61 ~ In light of these principles and the blessings we share as part of a free and democratic nation, the Bishops vigorously repeat the call for a renewed kind of politics, focused more on: moral principles than on the latest polls; the needs of the weak than on the benefits for the strong; the pursuit of the common good than on the demands of narrow interests.
From “A Call to Political Responsibility” from the Catholic Bishops of the United States – “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship.” It is online if you want to read it yourself at www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/faithfulcitizenship/upload.
TRY (Teaching and Restoring Youth), a program for homeless young women ages 16 to 21, is in need of a variety of donations for our Annual Fund Raising Dinner to be held Friday, September 23 at 6 p.m. at Salvatore’s Italian Gardens Restaurant. If you can donate anything for our baskets, please leave them at church marked “TRY” and we will pick them up. Monetary donations can be sent directly to Annual Dinner, c/o Sr. Mary Augusta, 228 Brinkman Ave, Buffalo 14211. For dinner reservations call 716-896-5332. If there are any questions email SMAKaiser [at] roadrunner [dot] com.
Looking for a Bible Study? There is a lot of information out there now: video programs, the internet, social media. But, if you are looking for a solid Bible study program that has withstood the test of time, the Catholic Biblical Studies program may be just what you are looking for. The CBSP has been conducting classes in the Buffalo Diocese for 25 years. Entry into a study of the Bible is a lifelong journey. It begins with the first step! Please join us in September at one of our introductory classes: Tuesday 7-9pm at St. Mary’s Church, 1 St. Mary’s Hill, Lancaster; or Wednesday 10am-noon at Newman Center, UB North Campus, 495 Skinnersville Rd, Amherst. Registration information, including class dates and cost, is available on their website where you can also learn more about who we are and other upcoming events and programs. Visit us at www.cbstudies.org or call 716-871-9180. For “first-hand information,” see our parishioner Elsieta Chapman.
Rectory office hours are Tuesday-Thursday from 10:30 AM – 2:30 PM. Please call our secretary, Barbara Sercu, at 716-833-0301 if you have information for the bulletin, changes to your phone number or mailing address, or would like to register as a parishioner.
Our Helping Hands Food Pantry has extended its hours and now operates on both Friday and Saturday mornings from 9 AM – 12 Noon. If you are interested in volunteering, contact Luis Clay at 716-812-3461.
News from our Vicariate Cluster and the Wider Community
Celebrate Saint Mother Teresa ~ On the day of her canonization, September 4, 2016 , celebrate the heroic life Saint Mother Teresa by entering through the Holy Doors of Mercy at St. Leo the Great Church, 885 Sweet Home Rd, Amherst at the Hour of Mercy, 3 pm, as we recite the Chaplet of Divine Mercy followed by a movie of her life, “Mother Teresa,” starring Olivia Hussey. The film is free and 177 minutes long, so feel free to bring a “pillow for the pew” and enjoy being inspired by the extraordinary life of our new saint. Questions, contact Dawn Iacono at diacono [at] stleothegreatamherst [dot] com.
September Concert ~ The Evangelization Committee at St. Martin de Porres (“SMDP”) is sponsoring The George Scott Big Band in concert at the church on Saturday, September 10 from 5-7 p.m. Tickets are available for $10. Please call the SMDP office at 883-PRAY for further information.
WNY Coalition of Peace, Justice & Nonviolence Advocates are “joining together for all our Brothers and Sisters and Mother Earth” for their 3rd Annual Peace – Justice – Nonviolence Festival & Walk on Sunday, September 11, from 2:30pm to dusk at Canalside. There will be music, tabling, children’s activities and more. If you or your organization would like to be part of the event or event planning, please contact Vicki Ross, 716-931-3520 or victoryross9 [at] gmail [dot] com; Tom Casey, 716-491-9172 or caseytpc [at] aol [dot] com; or Paul McQuillen, 716-997-8659 or paulmcqesq [at] nyagv [dot] org.
Prayer Service for Mercy ~ Join women and men Religious of the Diocese of Buffalo during this Year of Mercy for a Prayer Service for Mercy. The Buffalo Leadership Conference of Women Religious is inviting the public to join us in a prayer for Mercy. Host sites include: September 9 at 7 pm, St. Mary Center, 241 Lafayette Ave, Buffalo; September 11 at 2 pm, Immaculate Conception Convent, 5229 South Park Ave, Hamburg; Sacred Heart Center, 22 Meadowbrook Pkwy, Cheektowaga; St. Mary of the Angels Convent, 210 Reist St, Williamsville.
On September 10 The Community Service Department of Christ the King Seminary is hosting a big outreach event for those in their 20s and 30s at Canalside. Young adults are invited to “Give Back!” by providing community service at agencies throughout the greater Buffalo area, and then re-gathering for a party with free food truck lunch. Be watching for a billboard on the 33 advertising this event next week as well as radio ads on KISS and other Town Square stations. If you are a young adult PLEASE JOIN US & invite friends! Saturday, Sept 10, 8:30am-3pm. Free breakfast, lunch and a T-shirt for giving of your time to others. Meet at Canalside for grab-and-go breakfast, head off to assigned work-sites, then re-gather for lunch, music and fun! Please spread the word to all you know. You most definitely do not have to be a practicing Catholic to attend – you just have to be 18-39. This is a fun way for young adults to meet each other and live out the year of mercy in the community. The event is free but pre-registration is required to help organize the service sites, food and give-aways. Any questions about the event or ways you can be involved can be directed to Kaitlyn Buehlmann. Register at www.HaveFaithBuffalo.com.
Uptown Fresh ~ A Healthy Lifestyle Market featuring fresh fruits and vegetables is now taking place every Saturday from 10 AM – 2 PM at the corner of Bailey and Dartmouth in Buffalo. It began operation on June 25 and will continue every Saturday (except Labor Day weekend, Sept. 3) through September 24.
Bishop Edward M. Grosz, D.D., V.G. will present an insightful talk, “The Role of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, In the Mystery of Christ and the Church.” Ardently devoted Catholics accept the Blessed Virgin Mary as the Mother of God, but she takes us with her to understand how we can be disciples of the Lord to whom she gave birth. All are welcome. The gathering is free of charge; refreshments to follow. Our Lady of Pompeii, Parish Ministry Center, 129 Laverack Ave, Lancaster, Monday, September 26 from 7-9pm.