Sixth Sunday of Easter – Week of May 21, 2017

May 21 – May 28, 2017

Weekly Activities

Sunday, May 21 from 12 Noon – 2:00 p.m. ~ Guided tours of the Church – 7th Annual Sacred Sites Open House Weekend

Tuesday, May 23 at 7:00 p.m. ~ Choir Rehearsal in St. Charles Hall

Thursday, May 25 at 8:00 p.m. ~ Bingo will be played in St. Charles Hall*

Friday, May 26 from 9:00 a.m. to 12 Noon ~ Helping Hands Food Pantry in St. Charles Hall

Saturday, May 27 from 9:00 a.m. to 12 Noon ~ Helping Hands Food Pantry in St. Charles Hall

Saturday, May 27 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  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, May 21 ~ Mass at 10:00 a.m. ~ Claire E. Martoche (Requested by Bob and Mary Kresse)

Monday, May 22 ~ St. Rita of Cascia ~ Mass at 8:00 a.m. – Catherine M. Maher (Estate)

Tuesday, May 23 ~ Mass at 8:00 a.m. – Deceased Members of Ryan, Reilly, Reynolds and Pfeiffer Families (Estate of Mary Reilly)

Wednesday, May 24 ~ Mass at 11:00 a.m. – Tilly Fuponsic (Pauline Rollek)

Thursday, May 25 ~ Ascension of the Lord ~ Mass at 6:00 p.m. – Catherine M. Maher (Estate)

Friday, May 26 ~ St. Philip Neri ~ Mass at 11:00 a.m. – Deceased Members of Ryan, Reilly, Reynolds and Pfeiffer Families (Estate of Mary Reilly)

Saturday, May 27 ~ St. Augustine of Canterbury ~ Vigil Mass at 4:30 p.m. – Virginia Tapley (John Curtin)

Sunday, May 28 ~ Mass at 10:00 a.m. ~ Dr. Robert A. Baumler (Bob and Mary Kresse) and Healing for Barbara Draper (Nancy DeBoy)

Ministry Schedule for Saturday and Sunday, May 27 and 28:

Saturday, 4:30 p.m.  Reader: Lorna Cameron; Eucharistic Minister: Lucille Venezia

Sunday, 10:00 a.m.  Readers: Angela Jost, Maggie Gatson;  Eucharistic Ministers: Fran Cahill, Mary Kresse, Pat Hartinger;  Maggie Gatson (Choir)

News from our Parish Community

A Parish “Garden Party” is set  for Wednesday, May 24. Members of the local meet-up group, Buffalo Underground, have volunteered to help weed and plant our church gardens. We are hoping for a turnout of parishioners to work along with them. Please plan to join us on Wednesday evening, May 24, beginning at 6pm. Bring your favorite gardening tools and work gloves. Rain date is June 5.

Thursday, May 25, is the feast of The Ascension of the Lord. There will be 6pm Mass but no 11am Mass.

Summer Mass Schedule goes into effect on June 1. Please note that there will be NO Mass on Mondays, and the Tuesday Mass time is changing to 11:00am. Masses on Wednesday through Friday will continue at 11:00am.

Our Trinity Festival Weekend is only 3 weeks away, June 9-11. In honor of our feast day, Trinity Sunday, the parish is planning 3 days of events and opportunities for you to “bring a friend to church.” Our lead-off event is an organ recital on Friday evening, June 9, at 7:30pm. William Maddox, music director at Toronto’s Yorkminster Park Baptist Church, is returning to perform a benefit recital, a promise he made in 2011 when he first visited Blessed Trinity as part of a tour of Buffalo churches. He has chosen pieces that “showcase various colors” of our 1927 Tellers-Kent pipe organ and what he has termed the church’s “splendid acoustic.” Those of us who were lucky enough to hear him practice on May 8 know you are in for a sensory treat, and you’ll have a chance to visit with Mr. Maddox at a post-concert reception. A free-will offering for the Under This Roof Fund will be taken. On Saturday afternoon, June 10 (2-4pm), you and your friends can take a guided tour of our landmark church. If you’ve ever wondered about the seemingly haphazard arrangement of bricks or the terra cotta decorations on the church façade, here is your chance to ask questions of our knowledgeable docents. Then celebrate the Feast of the Most Holy Trinity at the 10am Mass on Sunday, June 11, and bring your guests to brunch in St. Charles Hall.

Sixth Sunday of Easter:  Jesus’ love for us is unparalleled, and Jesus asks us to remain faithful to this love. Is God calling you to help his children know His love? If God is calling you to a Church vocation, call Fr. Andrew Lauricella at 716-847-5535. You can also check out the “Priest of the Month” stories on our website www.buffalovacations.org.

Sacred Sites Weekend ~ A sincere “thank you” to everyone who facilitated our participation in the New York Landmarks Conservancy’s Seventh Annual Sacred Sites Open House Weekend on May 20/21 by volunteering as docents, greeters, and friendly hosts. As usual, first-time visitors were overwhelmed by our art and architecture. However, what we really love are visitors’ comments about how much they enjoyed the experience of meeting the volunteers who shared Blessed Trinity’s story. And if you weren’t able to help this weekend, you’ll have another opportunity to volunteer when we again welcome visitors during our Trinity Festival Weekend, June 9-11.

Anointing of the Sick ~ The next communal anointing of the sick and well-aging will take place on Sunday, June 18, immediately after Mass and continue on the third Sunday of each month. Please feel free to invite those who are chronically ill or facing surgery and who would like to be anointed.

Blessed Trinity receives Hope Award ~ On Friday, April 28, Peaceprints^TM of WNY honored Blessed Trinity Church with its prestigious Hope Award in recognition of our many years of hosting and contributing to the annual Christmas Prisoner Gift Project. The presentation took place at the organization’s annual awards dinner held at Kloc’s Grove in West Seneca. Peaceprints^TM of WNY provides positive experiences for individuals in prison and former offenders transitioning back to the community. The Hope Award is given to a community partner who, through volunteers, donations and community service, instills hope in their residents and furthers programs for ex-offenders. Many of our parishioners have been active in this project, bringing in thousands of packages of hot chocolate, decorating bags, assembling donations, packing bags and boxes, loading trucks, etc. A sincere “Thank You” to everyone, especially Amy Johnson, who has coordinated BT’s efforts, in addition to filling countless pews with donated books. Special thanks go to Jan Burns, overall coordinator of the project, for her tireless and enthusiastic approach to continuing the legacy of Sister Karen Klimczak who initiated the prison project. In his closing remarks at the Awards Dinner, Father Victor assured the group that we look forward to continuing to host this wonderful program.

Congratulations, Helen ~ Parishioner Helen Roddy Gray was honored at the YMCA Buffalo Niagara’s 165th Annual Meeting and banquet held at Statler City on Thursday, April 27. She was recognized for her many contributions as the 2017 “Volunteer of the Year” at the Y’s William-Emslie branch.

Openings for Mass Intentions ~ Thank you to all who have recently placed Mass intentions. Please contact the church office (716-833-0301) with your requests. Office hours are: 10:30am-2:30pm, Tuesday through Thursday. The Mass Stipend is $15.

We thank you for all your generous donations and ask that you consider increasing your weekly offerings, if at all possible.

Important Deadlines to Remember ~ Our bulletin is printed on Thursdays, so please remember to submit your announcements to our secretary, Pat Pendleton, no later than Noon on the Wednesday prior to the weekend you wish it to appear. Announcements to be read at weekend Masses are due on Thursday. You may contact Pat at blessedtrinitychurch@gmail or 716-833-0301 any Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday between 10:30am and 2:30pm.

Parish Record Keeping ~ If you need to update your contact information or would like to register as a parishioner, please call the church office (716-833-0301) on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday during office hours: 10:30am-2:30pm, email your contact information to blessedtrinitychurch [at] gmail [dot] com, or use the CONTACT feature of this web site.

News from our Vicariate Cluster and the Wider Community

Healing Mass on June 2 at 7pm at Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (4375 Harris Hill Road in Williamsville, 716-632-8838). Join Fr. Daniel Ogbeifun to pray for our families, for our community, for one another, especially the sick, those in hospitals, those with cancer, the homebound, those preparing for surgery, those with special intentions, the travelers, etc. This Service is for anyone seeking physical, spiritual healing.

Chiavetta’s Chicken Dinner (17^th Annual) on Sunday, June 4 (noon until sold out) at Ss. Columba-Brigid Church, 75 Hickory Street at Eagle (a block south of Clinton). Tickets are $10.

Catholic Health is sponsoring a free* community dinner program entitled, “Walk This Way” on Monday, June 5, from 5:30 – 7:30pm at Grapevine Banquets (333 Dick Road, Depew). Join local knee expert, orthopedic surgeon Keith Stube, MD, for dinner and a discussion about the latest treatment options for knee pain, from conservative approaches, to total knee replacement surgery. Reservations are required by calling Catholic Health’s HealthConnection at 716-447-6205. (*Catholic Health invites area residents to attend up to three free dinner programs per calendar year. After that, admission for each program is $20 and includes dinner).

Cardinal O’Hara Summer Camps and Clinics (enrichment in academics, arts, and athletics) for students in grades 5 – 9 starts in June. Visit cardinalohara.com for details.

Looking for a way to get your kids off the couch this summer?  St. Mary’s High School is offering summer camps for soccer, volleyball, and basketball players of all ages as well as for cheerleaders, runners, and aspiring leaders. Visit smhlancers.org or contact Brittany Heist at bheist [at] smhlancers [dot] org or 716-683-4824.