The Archangels Gabriel, Michael and Raphael – whose feast day we celebrate on September 29 – are depicted in the stained glass windows of the skylight over the altar, on either side of the ten foot long central panel of Christ the King. In this photo, Gabriel is the partial figure at the far left, holding a palm branch. St. Michael appears in the third panel from the left holding a sword, and St. Raphael is the partial figure seen in the panel on the far right. Installed in 1953, the skylight windows contain 20,000 pieces of glass set in approximately one half mile of lead strips. Together, the 15 panels weigh about 1,000 pounds. (Rev. Walter Kern’s Guidebook to Blessed Trinity Roman Catholic Church at page 44). Photo credit: Jeannette Pikturna

The Archangels Gabriel, Michael and Raphael – whose feast day we celebrate on September 29 – are depicted in the stained glass windows of the skylight over the altar, on either side of the ten foot long central panel of Christ the King. In this photo, Gabriel is the partial figure at the far left, holding a palm branch. St. Michael appears in the third panel from the left holding a sword, and St. Raphael is the partial figure seen in the panel on the far right. Installed in 1953, the skylight windows contain 20,000 pieces of glass set in approximately one half mile of lead strips. Together, the 15 panels weigh about 1,000 pounds. (Rev. Walter Kern’s
Guidebook to Blessed Trinity Roman Catholic Church at page 44).
Photo credit: Jeannette Pikturna

September 25 – October 2, 2016

Weekly Activities

Sunday, September 25 following 10:00 a.m. Mass ~ Retirement Party for Jerry Gallisdorfer in St. Charles Hall

Thursday, September 29 at 8:00 p.m. ~ Bingo will be played in St. Charles Hall*

Friday, September 30 from 9:00 a.m. to 12 Noon ~ Helping Hands Food Pantry in St. Charles Hall

Saturday, October 1 from 9:00 a.m. to 12 Noon ~ Helping Hands Food Pantry in St. Charles Hall

Saturday, October 1 at 8:00 p.m. ~ Bingo will be played in St. Charles Hall*

Sunday, October 2 following 10:00 a.m. Mass ~ Sodality Meeting in St. Charles Hall

Sunday, October 2 at 3:00 p.m. ~ Trinity Series Concert featuring Charles Reedy and the Touch’e Band in church

*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.
Our Trinity Series opens October 2 with Charles Reedy and the Touch'e Band.

Our Trinity Series opens October 2 with Charles Reedy and the Touch’e Band.

Mass Intentions

Sunday, September 25 ~ Mass at 10:00 a.m. ~ Michelle Clemons (Requested by Shirley Blinkenderfer) and James Lojacono (Requested by Bob and Mary Kresse)

Monday, September 26 ~ Ss. Cosmos and Damian ~ No Service

Tuesday, September 27 ~ St. Vincent de Paul ~ Mass at 11:00 a.m. – Eugene Prystawski (Dorothy Prystawski)

Wednesday, September 28  ~ St. Wenceslaus; St. Lawrence Ruiz & Companions ~ Mass at 11:00 a.m. – Catherine M. Maher (Estate)

Thursday, September 29 ~ Ss. Michael, Gabriel & Raphael, Archangels ~ Mass at 11:00 a.m. – Anna Snyder (Estate)

Friday, September 30 ~ St. Jerome ~ Mass at 11:00 a.m. – Deceased Members of Ryan, Reilly, Reynolds and Pfeiffer Families (Estate of Mary Reilly)

Saturday, October 1 ~ Vigil Mass at 4:30 p.m. – Deceased Members of Blessed Trinity Parish (Blessed Trinity Parish)

Sunday, October 2 ~ Mass at 10:00 a.m. ~ Maria Mejuto (Family) and Aileen Horan Townsell (Madonna Hartzell)

Assisting on the Altar – Ministry Schedule for Saturday, October 1 and Sunday, October 2:

Saturday, 4:30 p.m.  Reader: Michael Ogoh; Eucharistic Minister: Lucille Venezia

Sunday, 10:00 a.m.   Readers: Angela Jost, Sharon Dunnigan; Eucharistic Ministers: Fran Cahill, Pat Hartinger, Mary Kresse, Dan Korchowsky, (Loft)

Readings for the Week of September 25

Sunday: Am 6:1a, 4-7; Ps 146:7-10; 1 Tim 6:11-16; Lk 16:19-31
Monday: Gal 1:6-12; Ps 111:1-2, 7-10; Lk 10:25-37
Tuesday: Gal 1:13-24; Ps 139:1-3, 13-15; Lk 10:38-42
Wednesday: Gal 2:1-2, 7-14; Ps 117:1-2; Lk 11:1-4
Thursday: Gal 3:1-5; Lk 1:69-75; Lk 11:5-13
Friday: Gal 3:7-14; Ps 111:1-6; Lk 11:15-26
Saturday: Gal 3:22-29; Ps 105:2-7; Lk 11:27-28
Sunday, Oct. 2: Hab 1:2-3, 2:2-4; Ps 95:1-2, 6-9; 2 Tim 1:6-8, 13-14; Lk 17:5-10

News from our Parish Community

Jerry Gallisdorfer

Jerry Gallisdorfer

Celebrate with us on September 25 ~ After more than twenty-three years as our parish custodian, Gerard “Jerry” Gallisdorfer is retiring. You are cordially invited to a parish reception honoring Jerry on Sunday, September 25 in St Charles Hall, following Sunday Mass. Please join in thanking Jerry for his service and wishing him well in this new phase of his life.

The Parish Council thanks the sixty plus parishioners who attended Monday evening’s meeting with Rev. Joseph Rogliano, a member of the priest’s personnel board and diocesan representative. Your presence spoke volumes in support of our parish as community, and was impressive not only in terms of number but in the thoughtful comments and questions presented. Father Rogliano, who also serves as pastor of our neighboring parishes of St. Mark’s and St. Rose of Lima, complimented our attendance and promised to convey his impressions and our hopes to the other members of the personnel board. They are responsible for recommending a replacement candidate to Bishop Malone. Please continue to pray for a successful search and, as Father Rogliano suggested, “reach out” to priests we know and encourage them to consider the position.

Ladies Sodality ~ The first general meeting of the Ladies Sodality will take place on October 2, and all women of the parish are invited to join us in St. Charles Hall, immediately following the 10am Mass. We will be continuing our Celebrating Women Witnesses series from last year, as Dr. Althea Porter leads us in a discussion of the life of Penny Lernoux (1940-1989), an American Journalist in Latin America who worked to expose social injustice and became a strong advocate for Church reform. As an aid to your participation, a handout about Ms. Lernoux will be available at Masses on September 24/25.

More jazz, more swing, more blues … Sunday, October 2, marks the first musical performance in our 2016-17 Trinity Concert Series. Back by popular demand after his 2014 concert at Blessed Trinity Church, Charles Reedy brings the talented musicians and singers of Touch’e with their exciting blend of jazz, blues, gospel and swing music. Performance time is 3 pm. A free-will offering will be taken, with a per person suggested donation of $10. Come and bring a friend – you’ll be glad you did! We have it on good authority; i.e., several parishioners who’ve heard them play, that these guys and gals are REALLY great!!

Blessed Trinity School Alumni ~ Members of the Blessed Trinity School Alumni joined parishioners at Blessed Trinity on Sunday, September 18, for the 10am Mass. Their annual Memorial Mass honored twelve graduates and one former teacher who have died since last September. Docent-team members and graduates of the school, Margaret Stiffler Dick, ’59, and Thomas Brodfuehrer, ’75, provided early arrivals with a guided mini-tour of the church. Following the Mass, the alumni committee hosted an all-class  reception 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.

Connected in Faith ~ Through the generous support of the people of God in Western New York, Christ the King Seminary is able to build a strong community of faith for our local church by providing exceptional theological education, pastoral field experience, and spiritual formation. Seminary graduates form relationships that serve our community in many ways and are well prepared to navigate the spiritual future of our diocese. Next week our parish will hold our annual collection to benefit Christ the King Seminary during all the Masses. There are many people ready to answer the call to ministry to meet the needs of today’s church in our diocese. Please help them to do so by giving generously and remembering Christ the King in your prayers. For more information on our seminary’s mission or programs, or to give online, go to www.cks.edu.

Weekly Highlight from Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship #9 – Observations from Sister Maureen Harris: This week begins Part II of the document which applies Catholic teaching to 13 major issues. It gives a summary of policy positions of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). It calls attention to issues with significant moral dimensions that should be carefully considered in each campaign and as policy decisions are made in the years to come. I’ll start with the Importance of Human Life – #64: Living the Gospel of Life, declares, “Abortion and euthanasia have become preeminent threats to human life and dignity because they directly attack life itself, the most fundamental good and the condition for all others.” Laws that legitimize any of these practices are profoundly unjust and immoral. The USCCB conference supports laws and policies to protect human life to the maximum degree; constitutional laws to end abortion, assisted suicide, and euthanasia. They promote a culture of life by supporting programs for adoption over abortion and by addressing poverty, providing health care, and offering other assistance to pregnant women, children, and families. How do we live out the respect for human life and dignity every day?

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

“Concerts for the Soul,” with tenor vocalist, Cory James Gallagher and writer-poet, Amy  Gallagher, present “An Evening of Healing” on Sunday, September 25 after the 5pm mass at St. Michael’s Church, 651 Washington Street, Buffalo. Come join us for a musical-poetic journey of the heart. Cory’s tender singing will soothe your soul, while Amy’s reflections will uplift and inspire. An evening to cherish and remember. A reception will follow. Event is by donation.

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.