3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time – Week of January 24, 2016

January 24 – January 31, 2016

Weekly Activities

Sunday, January 24 following 10:00 a.m. Mass ~ Coffee Hour in St. Charles Hall, hosted by our Holy Name Society

Thursday, January 28 at 8:00 p.m. ~ Bingo will be played in St. Charles Hall*

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

Saturday, January 30 at 8:00 p.m. ~ Bingo will be played in St. Charles Hall*

*In response to requests from our players, we have instituted age restrictions for admission to Bingo. As of  Thursday, October 15, 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, January 24 ~ Mass at 10:00 a.m. – Bridget Blesnuk (Requested by Duffy Sisters) and John Allen (Requested by Bud and Mickey Dick)

Monday, January 25 ~ Conversion of St. Paul the Apostle ~ Communion Service at 11:00 a.m. in Daily Mass Chapel

Tuesday, January 26 ~ St. Timothy and St. Titus ~ Mass at 11:00 a.m. – Deceased Members of Blessed Trinity Parish (Blessed Trinity Parish)

Wednesday, January 27 ~ St. Angela Merici ~ Mass at 11:00 a.m. – Deceased Members of the Ryan, Reilly, Reynolds, and Pfeiffer Families (Estate of Mary Reilly)

Thursday, January 28 ~  St. Thomas Aquinas ~ Mass at 11:00 a.m. – Anna Snyder (Estate)

Friday, January 29 ~ Mass at 11:00 a.m. – Catherine M. Maher (Estate)

Saturday, January 30 ~ Vigil Mass at 4:30 p.m. – Winifred Enright (Estate)

Sunday, January 31 ~ Mass at 10:00 a.m. – Norm Shoeing (Ed Marien) and Robert, Celia and Emmanuel Marien (Kathleen Marien)

 

Readings for the Week of January 17

Sunday: Is 62:1-5; Ps 96:1-2, 2-3, 7-8, 9-10; 1 Cor 12:4-11; Jn 2:1-11
Monday: Acts 22:3-16 or 9:1-22; Ps 117:1-2; Mk 16:15-18
Tuesday: 2 Tm 1:1-8 or Ti 1:1-5; Ps 96:1-3, 7-8, 10; Mk 3:31-35
Wednesday: 2 Sm 7:4-17; Ps 89:4-5, 27-30; Mk 4:1-20
Thursday: 2 Sm 7:18-19, 24-29; Ps 132:1-5, 11-14; Mk 4:21-25
Friday: 2 Sm 11:1-4a, 5-10a, 13-17; Ps 51:3-7, 10-11; Mk 4:26-34
Saturday: 2 Sm 12:1-7a, 10-17; Ps 51:12-17; Mk 4:35-41
Sunday, January 31: Jer 1:4-5, 17-19; Ps 71:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 15, 17; 1 Cor 12:31-13:13 or 13:4-13; Lk 4:21-30

News from our Parish Community

Deacon Jimmie L. Boyd ~ We at Blessed Trinity wish to thank all who came together this past week to mourn the loss of our Deacon, Jimmie L. Boyd, who passed from death into life on January 20, 2016. On behalf of the Boyd family, our parish family, and his many friends, we express gratitude for your comforting presence.  We would also like to acknowledge the members of the deacon community for their prayerful remembrance of Jimmie at our church on Friday evening, and for all who helped to make the Mass of Christian Burial on Saturday such a meaningful “homecoming” and celebration of his life.

The Trinity Series of “beautiful music in a beautiful space…” continues with a Celebration of Love, Sunday February 14, at 3:00 p.m. Be with us on Valentine’s Day as Tenor Robert Zimmerman and Soprano Amy Grable, accompanied by pianist Dr. Lori Abbott, perform some of musical theater’s most cherished loved songs. Following this sweet treat for your heart and soul, you’ll be able to satisfy your sweet tooth AND meet our musical guests at a post-concert reception. A free-will offering will be taken, with a $10 suggested offering.

Coffee Hour ~ Our January Coffee Hour is Sunday, January 24, following the 10 AM Mass. It will be hosted by the Holy Name Society.

MLK Scholarships ~ If you would like to support the mission of the Martin Luther King Scholarship Fund – extending quality Catholic education to all – please use the “Thank You” envelope found in each pew and place your donation in the collection on January 23/24. You may direct any questions regarding the Fund or how to apply for a scholarship to parishioner Jessie Wells.

Are you ready to join the discussion? Our Lenten program is taking shape, with three of four Wednesday evenings – February 17 and 24 and March 2 – devoted to prayer, meditation and discussion led by Evelyn Brady.  We encourage everyone to participate, whether or not you have read A Spirituality of Being Human by  Dr. Hugh Brady. Copies of the book, which will be basis of the meditation and discussion, are still available after Sunday Mass from Dianne Riordan or during the week at the rectory. A portion of the $20 purchase price is being donated to the Little Portion Friary. Additional information about the Lenten program will be provided in the weeks to come.

Prayer Partners for Lent ~ During this Jubilee Year of Mercy, members of the Catholic Churches of Central Buffalo will once again join as Lenten prayer partners. If you would like to participate, please use the sign-up sheet found on the altar rail. You will receive a “partner” from one of the other parishes to pray for during the Lenten season and a special prayer that you can recite when remembering their needs. And someone in another parish will be praying for you. If you are willing to be contacted by your prayer partner, you may include your phone number when signing up, but this is not required. Homebound persons can sign-up by calling Sr. Maureen at 897-9948, ext. 114, or 882-3129.

The Catholic Relief Services Collection will take place in our parish next weekend, January 30 & 31.  You can “help Jesus in disguise,” providing food to the hungry, support to displaced refugees, and Christ’s love and respect to all people. Please give generously to this collection which supports six Catholic agencies that touch more than 100 million lives around the world.

Basket of Cheer Raffle ~ Please support the Ladies Sodality’s annual raffle, which will take place in two weeks on Sunday, February 7, at a special coffee hour. If you need additional chances, you will find the purple sheets on a table at the church divide. Thank you for returning your raffle tickets.

Reminder to Sodality Members ~ Please remember to pay your annual dues (still only $5) by the end of the month. Mickey Dick hopes to have the member directory and telephone tree updated before the March 6 general meeting, but she needs accurate information from all. Membership is open to all women of the parish, and forms are available on a table at the church divide.  If you would like more information, please leave your inquiry for Membership VP Mickey Dick  by Clicking HERE.

The Choir is now on its winter break. For the next 2 weeks, they’ll be individually backing up our sung praise. We thank Music Director Nick DelBello and all the choir members for their dedication over the past months and look forward to their return on the February 14, the First Sunday of Lent.

Find Good Within. Open hearts follow Jesus’ lead. The reach of Catholic Charities extends throughout the eight counties of Western New York. Thousands in our area struggle daily to provide food for their family, complete their education or start a new life away from abuse. Have you made a contribution reflecting your care and concern? Support our efforts to improve the lives of those in need. Please watch for your letter and card from Catholic Charities and promptly respond. Give hope to those in need. Please give to the 2016 Catholic Charities Appeal. Find out more at ccwny.org to call 716-218-1400.

Prisoner Gift Project ~ Peaceprints has received many thank you notes from the inmates of Wende and Albion Correctional Facilities for the Christmas gift bags assembled in our church. Here are a few of their comments: “Being here is hard but being here during the holidays is even harder. Your bag was uplifting…. Your gift each year truly warms my heart and soul…. You put a lot of smiles on the ladies of Albion…. It is nice to know that we are not forgotten – we were touched…. It was a surprise to me because I don’t have family to help me. I’ll wait until next year for that special bag…. It means a lot to those of us who have no family on the outside…. Your prayers will strengthen me in these hard times.”

“Explore Buffalo” invites “[v]isitors, residents, and students of all ages…to experience Buffalo’s unique architectural and historical legacy up-close with expert volunteers…dedicated to providing the city’s friendliest, most comprehensive, best informed tours.” On December 29 and 30, Explore Buffalo came to Blessed Trinity, and a total of 65 WNYers did just that as Judy Casassa, Mickey Dick, Sr. Liz Savage, Eleanor Ash and Nancy Yager welcomed them and provided facts and a few fables about the church building as well as parish and neighborhood history. Tour admissions resulted in proceeds of $985.00 for the Under This Roof Fund. Thanks to our dedicated docents and Explore Buffalo’s Brad Hahn for helping more folks discover Blessed Trinity.

Blessed Trinity 2016 Calendars are still available in the Ushers’ Pew. Share one with a friend.

News from our Vicariate Cluster and the Wider Community

Mardi Gras Party and Wine Tasting & Pairing at Assumption Church, 425 Amherst St., Buffalo, on Friday, February 5, from 6-9 PM. Wines crafted by O-Neh-Da and Eagle Crest Vineyards. Refreshments available and also Games of Chance. Call 716-875-7626 for tickets and more information.

BISON Children’s Scholarship Fund ~ This fund believes that all children, whether rich or poor, should have access to the widest array of educational opportunities as possible. By offering partial scholarship assistance to economically disadvantaged families, BISON is empowering parents, often for the first time, with the ability to choose the school which best meets their child’s needs. Visit the website at www.bisonfund.com and complete an electronic Scholarship Pre-Application for the 2016-17 school year. Please note the scholarship amounts very depending on the family’s income, household size and the school’s tuition cost. The highest scholarship amount for 2016-17 will be $1,800. Families will be expected to contribute partial tuition towards their child’s education. Time of the essence! Our first deadline is February 29, 2016. All pre-applications will be entered into a lottery drawing in early March. If your name is drawn in the lottery, you will received notification with instructions on how to proceed with the application. If you have questions or need further information, call the BISON Fund office at 716-854-0869.