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 in the church to emphasize the importance of preaching the Good News.
Photo Credit: Gary Kelley

September 9 – September 16, 2018

Weekly Activities

Sunday, September 9 at 10:00 a.m. Mass ~ Appointment of new Parish Council Members

Sunday, September 9 following 10:00 a.m. Mass ~ Ladies Sodality Meeting in St. Charles Hall

Tuesday, September 11 at 7:00 p.m. ~ NO Choir Rehearsal this Tuesday (see Sunday entry)

Thursday, September 13 at 8:00 p.m. ~ Bingo will be played in St. Charles Hall*

Friday, September 14 from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon ~ Catholic Central Food Pantry in St. Charles Hall – NEW HOURS

Saturday, September 15 from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon ~ Catholic Central Food Pantry in St. Charles Hall – NEW HOURS

Saturday, September 15 at 8:00 p.m. ~ Bingo will be played in St. Charles Hall*

Sunday, September 16 at 9:30 a.m. ~ Choir Rehearsal in the Loft

Sunday, September 16 following 10:00 a.m. Mass ~ Anointing of the sick and well-aging

Monday, September 17 at 7:00 p.m. ~ Bible discussion in St. Charles Hall.

*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 9 ~ Mass at 10:00 a.m. – Edward Wilbert (Seta and Family)

Monday, September 10 No Service

Feast of St. John Chrysostom
September 13

Tuesday, September  11 ~ Mass at 11:00 a.m. – Kevin Viola (Joseph Viola)

Wednesday, September 12 ~ Most Holy Name of Mary ~ Mass at 11:00 a.m. – For the intentions of our parishioners, both living and deceased (Blessed Trinity Parish)

Thursday, September 13 ~ St. John Chrysostom ~ Mass at 11:00 a. m. – Deceased Members of the Ryan, Reilly, Reynolds and Pfeiffer Families (Estate of Mary Reilly)

Friday, September 14 ~ Exaltation of the Holy Cross ~ Mass at 11:00 a.m. – Kathy Mallery (The Family)

Saturday, September 15 ~ Our Lady of Sorrows ~ Vigil Mass at 4:30 p.m. – John and Rita Curtin (The Family)

Sunday, September 16 ~ Mass at 10:00 a.m. – Ralph and Geraldine Stroh (Richard Stroh) and Celia, Robert, Aurora, and Emanuel Marien (Kathleen Marien)

Ministry Schedule for Saturday and Sunday, September 15 & 16:

Saturday, 4:30 p.m.  Reader: Gary Kelley; Eucharistic Minister: Michael Ogoh

Sunday, 10:00 a.m.  Readers: Chris Porter, David Iheki;  Eucharistic Ministers: Dan Korchowsky, Maggie Gatson, John Curtin; CHOIR – Sharon Dunnigan

News from our Parish Community

New Parish Council Member
Brenda St. John

Parish Council Candidates ~ The Council’s nominating committee is pleased to announce that the following parishioners have agreed to serve on the Parish Council for the 2018-21 term: Thomas Dinder, Brenda St. John, and Colleen Schroeder. They will be introduced at Mass on Sunday, September 9 and appointed at the next Council meeting on September 19. We are especially grateful to these individuals and the members of the current council who served on the nominating committee, chaired by Vice President Kathy Press.

New Parish Council Member
Thomas Dinder

Sodality September Meeting. The Ladies Sodality will hold its first meeting on Sunday, September 9, following the 11am Mass. All women of the parish are invited to join them as the board reveals their plans and proposed programs for the 2018-19 year.

New Parish Council Member
Colleen Schroeder

Special Collection ~ There will be a special collection for Christ the King Seminary on the weekend of September 15/16.

Piano or Organ? We are blessed at BT to have a beautiful pipe organ as well as a baby grand piano in our sanctuary.  You hear both utilized during the Mass, but what are their strengths and differences?

The organ has sixty-one keys on each of its three keyboards as well as an additional thirty-two notes on its pedalboard played by the feet. The sound of the instrument is made by the movement of air through pipes, each key on the organ opening a stop on a specific pipe to allow air to pass through and make sound.  The most distinct features of the organ are its ability to sustain sound indefinitely and its ability to play combinations of multiple sounds of different instruments from its ranks of pipes. A “rank” is a series of pipes that corresponds to the number of notes on the manual that sound like a different instrument – an oboe, trumpet or clarinet, for example.  The more ranks that are combined, the more an organ begins to sound like a full orchestra.

The piano is a single 88-note keyboard with each note playing a different pitch in the scale. The keys on the left side play very low notes and the keys on the right side play very high notes. The piano does not possess the ability to play sounds other than its natural one, and each note sounds and decays over a short time because the sound is created by a hammer striking a stretched string when the key is depressed. The length of decay can be prolonged by the use of a damper pedal, but the notes will have to be restruck to continue their sound.  Any sense of variety in the piano is created by the manipulation of chord structures by the pianist.While both the piano and organ share the same keys, the action and energy required by the hands to play them are actually quite different. The organ is a workout for the entire body, using arms, hands and feet constantly to play notes, adjust the volume, and change the instrumentation.  Pressing a key lightly or with force creates the same amount of sound on an organ. More hand strength is required to play the piano, as it is the physical action of the fingers that translates into the striking of the strings that controls the volume of the music. The case of the piano can be opened with either a short or long stick, which affects the volume and timbre of the music, but it is mostly the skill of the musician that creates the variety you hear. Music Ministry continues on Tuesday, September 18 at 7:00 p.m. in St. Charles Hall. All are welcome. Elizabeth

Parish Bible Discussion Meetings  will resume on Monday, September 17 at 7 pm in St. Charles Hall.  Readings for these meetings are taken from Genesis 12-23,  Abraham and Sarah’s Journey, by Kevin and Louise Perrotta: Loyola Press, 2002.  Assigned reading for September 17 is the entire Week 3 section. Please contact Althea Porter at 716-316-8395 if you wish to obtain the book and participate in the discussion.

The Parish Council will meet on Wednesday, September 19, at 7pm in St. Charles Hall. Any member who is unable to attend should call Mickey Dick at 716-832-2540.

Join the BT Family Promise Team ~ Our volunteer team, led by Amy Johnson, assists temporarily homeless families housed at Ss. Colomba-Brigid Parish under the Family Promise program. They will be preparing and serving a Monday evening dinner on October 22.  If you are able to help with this ministry by preparing part of the meal, please contact Amy Johnson at 716-836-4694.

Garden Angels ~ As summer draws to a close, we pause to recognize our “Garden Angel,” Judy Casassa, who has dutifully attended to the gardens on the church’s east side. Your devotion and hard work are greatly appreciated.

Military Veterans ~ The WNY Catholic is looking for military veterans to interview for the upcoming Veterans Section in November. If you are a vet or know of a vet who would like to tell his/her story, contact the Managing Editor, Patrick McPartland, at pmcpartland [at] buffalodiocese [dot] org.

Special Anniversaries Celebrated ~ Are you or someone you know celebrating your 50th, 60th, or 70th Wedding Anniversary this year? If so, you are invited to participate in a special Mass celebrated by Bishop Richard Malone at St. Joseph Cathedral on Sunday, October 14, at 10:30am. Contact your parish rectory as soon as possible if you wish to be included.

Do you know that Mass is the highest and greatest form of prayer? The Catechism of the Catholic Church reveals that “from the very earliest days of the Christian religion, [the Church] has honored with great respect the memory of the dead.” In its reference to the Second Vatican Council’s conclusion that “it is a wholly and a wholesome thought to pray for the dead that they may be loosed from their sins,” the Catechism adds: “Our prayer for them is capable of not only helping them, but also of making their intercession for us effective.” Consider contacting the church office (716-833-0301) to request a Mass for yourself, your deceased loved ones, or  for any intention. The stipend is $15.

Has your contact information changed? Our parish secretary is finding that our parish records contain a growing number of not-in-service phone numbers, and the recent parish mailing resulted in several letters returned for “expired forwarding.” If your contact information has changed, you can notify the rectory office in one of several ways: use the form on the back of the bulletin; phone our secretary at 716-833-0301 any Tuesday-Thursday between 10:30am and 2:30pm; send an email to blessedtrinitychurch [at] gmail [dot] com; or Click HERE to use the contact feature of our web site to submit the information. If you choose either of the last two, please use “New Contact” as the subject of the email or message.

Home Visits ~ Please notify the church office if you know of aged, sick, or homebound parishioners who may wish to receive a visit and the Eucharist on the last Friday of each month.

Prayerful thanks to David Folmar and Mickey Dick who performed some much needed weeding of Mary’s grotto garden — just in time for her September feastdays.

News from our Vicariate Cluster and the Wider Community

Deacon Ordinary ~ On Saturday, September 15, you are invited to attend the Ordination of Deacons with the Most Reverend Richard J. Malone, Bishop of Buffalo at 9:30am at Our Lady of Victory Basilica (Ridge Road and South Park Avenue in Lackawanna).

Open House at Mt. Olivet Cemetary (4000 Elmwood Avenue in Buffalo), Saturday, September 22 from 9am to 2pm. Pre-planning discount and incentives available.

Queen of Heaven: Mary’s Battle for You! An 8-part study on Mary, Queen of Heaven, begins Monday,  September 10 (7-8:30pm) at St. Gregory the Great (Gathering Room – 200 St. Gregory Ct. in Williamsville). Take a journey into a deeper encounter and understanding of our Blessed Mother. While Catholics know of her and honor her, the Queen of Heaven study will introduce you to her in a fuller and more intimate way. For more information, contact Dawn Iacono at stgregsmoms [at] gmail [dot] com.

Meeting God Encounters begins Wednesday, September 12, at 6:30pm at St. Casimir Social Hall (1833 Clinton Street in Buffalo). Have you ever installed a Heaven Door in your home? Here’s a home improvement project for the soul. Jesus is knocking; he’s dying, or rather has died, to enter your home. He invites himself saying, “If you open, I will enter and have supper with you.” (Rv. 3:20) Discover, with Fr. Czeslaw Krysa, Diocesan Director of Worship, how believing families have encountered the living God at home, not just in church. This meeting will be held on Wednesdays through November 14.  For more information and to register, call 716-847-5545.

Annual Men’s Retreat (September 14-16), sponsored by the Holy Name Societies of the dioceses of Buffalo and St. Catharines  Ontario, will be held at Christ the King Seminary in East Aurora. The theme is: “The Ministry of Jesus: It’s Heaven and Earth, Life and Death.” We are limited to 60 men. For reservations or more information, call the Holy Name Office at 716-847-2201 or Fr. Paul Sabo at 716-604-4948.

Monday Evening Faith Enrichment Series begins September 17 at Our Lady of Pompeii Parish (158 Laverack Avenue in Lancaster). “Forgiveness, baggage, fessing up, and difficulties in forgiving” with Bishop Edward Grosz at the OLP Ministry Center. Future dates this year are October 22, November 26, and December 17.

“Healing Through Meditation,” Tuesday, September 18, 7pm at Mt. Olivet Cemetery, 4000 Elmwood Ave., Kenmore with presenter, Dawn Iacono, Director of Parish Outreach at St. Leo the Great Church.  From scripture to quieting one’s inner self to a hands-on expression, Dawn will lead us on a meditative journey. Registration is limited and open to the community at no charge. Call Marianne Hubert, Director of Grief Support Services, at 716-873-6500.