Fifth Sunday of Easter – Week of April 29, 2018

April 29 – May 6, 2018

Weekly Activities

Tuesday, May 1 at 7:00 p.m. ~ Choir rehearsal in St. Charles Hall

Thursday, May 3 at 8:00 p.m. ~ Bingo will be played in St. Charles Hall*

Saturday, May 5 from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. ~ Catholic Central Food Pantry in St. Charles Hall

Saturday, May 5 from 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. ~ Sacred Sites Open House – Docent Guided Tours of Church

Saturday, May 5 from 4:00-4:30 p.m. in Church ~ Performance by Blessed Trinity Choir

Saturday, May 5 at 8:00 p.m. ~ Bingo will be played in St. Charles Hall*

Sunday, May 6 following 10:00 a.m. Mass ~ Ladies Sodality Meeting in St. Charles Hall

Sunday, May 6 from 12 Noon – 2:00 p.m. ~ Sacred Sites Open House – Docent Guided Tours of Church

Sunday, May 6 from 2:00 – 3:00 p.m.  in Church ~ Performance by St. John Paul II Schola Cantorum

*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, April 29 ~ Mass at 10:00 a.m. – Marjorie Weber (Requested by Barbara A. Blantern)

Monday, April 30  ~ St. Pius V ~ No Service

Tuesday, May 1 ~ St. Joseph the Worker ~ Mass at 11:00 a.m.  – Deceased Members of the Ryan, Reilly, Reynolds and Pfeiffer Families (Estate of Mary Reilly)

Wednesday, May 2 ~ St. Athanasius~ Mass at 11:00 a.m. –  Deceased Members of the Ryan, Reilly, Reynolds and Pfeiffer Families (Estate of Mary Reilly)

Thursday, May 3 ~ Ss. Philip and James, Apostles ~ Mass at 11:00 a. m. – Deceased Members of the Ryan, Reilly, Reynolds and Pfeiffer Families (Estate of Mary Reilly)

Friday, May 4 ~ Mass at 11:00 a.m. – Deceased Members of the Ryan, Reilly, Reynolds and Pfeiffer Families (Estate of Mary Reilly)

Saturday, May 5 ~ Vigil Mass at 4:30 p.m. – Msgr. Paul Juenker (John Curtin)

Sunday, May 6 ~ Mass at 10:00 a.m. – Suzanne M. Dulski (Colleen Schroeder) and Edward Wilbert (Sam)

Ministry Schedule for Saturday and Sunday, May 5 and 6:

Saturday, 4:30 p.m.  Reader: Lorna Cameron; Eucharistic Minister: Michael Ogoh

Sunday, 10:00 a.m.  Readers: Richard Plunkett, Joseph Nwogu;  Eucharistic Ministers: Dan Korchowsky; Pat Hartinger, Alice Davis; Sharon Dunnigan (Choir)

News from our Parish Community

Stewardship: Time … Talent … Treasure

Women of the Parish: You are invited, as guests of the Holy Name Society, to our traditional Mother’s Day Breakfast, to be held on Sunday, May 13, following the 10am Mass. Reservations for the breakfast are necessary and may be made by calling the Rectory Office at 716-833-0301 between 10:30am and 2:30pm Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday. Non-parishioner adult guests (daughters, mothers, sisters, similar-in-laws) are welcome. No children, please. Cost for each guest is $5 and payable at the door.

Sacred Sites Weekend ~ On May 5 and 6, we are again participating in the NY Landmarks Conservancy’s Sacred Sites Open House Weekend, with its theme of “Sacred Sounds and Settings.” We hope to demonstrate the splendid acoustic our house of worship provides, as well as its status as a repository of faith, art, and history. On Saturday at 4pm, choral music with organ accompaniment will soar from the loft as it has since 1928 in a brief concert by the parish choir prior to 4:30pm Mass. Sunday at 2pm, you can enjoy the building’s acoustical embrace in the a cappella choral offerings of the St. John Paul II Schola Cantorum, including seasonal selections and Gregorian chant. Docents will be on hand both days (Saturday, 2–4pm and Sunday, Noon–2pm) to explain the unique features of our building’s 12th century Lombard-Romanesque architecture. Church tours are free, and a free-will offering will be taken at the musical events. We hope you are planning to attend on one or both days and that you will bring a guest.

Water With Blessings ~ The Ladies Sodality’s special collection to provide mothers (“water women”) in Jacmal, Haiti with water purification systems will continue until Mother’s Day, May 13. Each filter system costs $60, and we welcome your donation in any amount (checks payable to: Ladies Sodality). Special envelopes for this purpose are found on the tables as you enter church. There are additional ways in which you can help the Water with Blessings project: Please join their supporters throughout the world who pause each day at 9am for a moment of prayer “in solidarity with all God’s thirsty children.” This assures that prayers for the world’s water women will “rise in waves from each time zone … crossing every dividing border.” And, if you have a talent for crocheting or knitting, you can help by creating colorful protective “socks” for the water filters. For instructions, visit https://www.waterwithblessings.org/crochet-for-a-cause.html or request a copy from Mickey Dick.

Notes from the Loft ~ The words to this week’s meditation were written by two of the longest-lasting performing couples of Christian contemporary music, Gloria (b. 1942) and William (b. 1936) Gaither. Because He Lives was awarded the recognition of Gospel Song of the Year for 1974 by the Gospel Music Association and the American Society of Composers and Publishers (ASCAP). The Gaithers said the following about their work: “Because He Lives [1971] was written in the midst of social upheaval, threats of war, and betrayals of national and personal trust. It was into this world at such a time that we were bringing our third little baby. Assassinations, drug traffic, and war monopolized the headlines. It was in the midst of this kind of uncertainty that the assurance of the Lordship of the risen Christ blew across our troubled minds like a cooling breeze in the parched desert. Holding our tiny son in our arms we were able to write:

‘How sweet to hold our newborn baby,
And feel the pride, and joy he gives;
But greater still the calm assurance,
this child can face uncertain days because He lives.’”

Because He Lives begins with the empty grave on Easter Sunday. Stanza two is about hope, even in uncertain days, because of the singular significance of the Resurrection event. Stanza three takes us to heaven where we will “see the lights of glory and… know [Jesus] reigns.” This gospel song has undoubtedly offered hope for many people because of its connection between the Resurrection and a “life… worth the living.” Choir practice resumes on Tuesday May 1, at 7:00 in St. Charles Hall. All are welcome! Elizabeth

Upon This Rock Update~ Last year Blessed Trinity received two distribution checks from the diocesan Upon this Rock Campaign totaling $16,148. There are two distributions scheduled per year, and thus far this year, we’ve received our first payment for $6,062.00, giving us a total to date of $22,210.00. Thank you to all who generously pledged to Upon this Rock believing in the future of our diocese and our parish community. These funds must be used for repairs and capital improvements. Late last Fall we used Upon this Rock funds to extend and pave the handicapped parking lot on the east side of the church — additional, convenient parking spots — at a cost of $13,934.00. Later this Spring, the extension spots will be striped for easier alignment. These are the first slots filled, so we think this has been a welcome improvement!! Reminder: The amount of our distribution checks is determined by the amount of actual monies received in a given time period. Please continue to make your scheduled payments so that our parish portion, 35% of monies collected, will keep coming in. Thank you all!

Save the Date ~ Members of the Ladies Sodality invite women of the parish to join them for their annual season-ending dinner on Wednesday evening, June 13. Sister Maureen Harris, OSF, the Spiritual Care Outreach Coordinator for our Catholic Churches of Central Buffalo, will speak on her recent experiences in Tanzania. Details will follow.

Religious Ed Volunteers ~ We are in need of volunteers to help with the Religious Education of our parish children. Anyone interested in helping, please sign up on the orange sheets at the church entrances or call Father Victor (716-833-0301) during rectory office hours. You are also asked to call Father Victor if you are interested in enrolling a child or young adult preparing for Confirmation.

Family Promise of WNY ~ Thanks to our volunteer team, led by Amy Johnson, who prepared dinner on Saturday, April 21, for temporarily homeless families sheltered for the week at Ss. Colomba-Brigid Parish. Our next scheduled dinner dates are June 16 and July 21. If you are able to help with this ministry by preparing part of the meal, please contact Amy Johnson at 716-836-4694.

Spring Cleaning? Donate your gently used clothing items to St. Vincent de Paul. There is a blue bin located in the back parking lot to the right of St. Charles Hall. They ask that no loose items be left there–pack your donations in plastic bags. This bin is for clothing only. If you have appliances of other household goods, schedule a pick up by calling 716-882-3360.

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.

Mass Intentions Available ~ The Sacrifice of the Mass is the highest and greatest form of prayer. Contact the church office to request a Mass for yourself, your loved ones, or for any intention. We have both weekday and weekend availability.

Our food pantry has a new name. The former Helping Hands Food Pantry is now known as the Catholic Central Food Pantry. The pantry’s hours, services and qualifications for assistance remain unchanged.

News from our Vicariate Cluster and the Wider Community

How do we deal with end of life issues for myself and my loved ones? Presentation by Patricia Bomba, MD, Medical Director of Geriatrics for Univera Healthcare is Tuesday, May 1 at 7pm at St. John Paul II Community Room (2052 Lakeview Road in Lake View). Visit jp2parish.org for more information

May 1 to May 9 is Novena in Honor of Our Lady of the Rosary of Fatima. The Dominican Nuns will celebrate a Novena to Our Lady at the Monastery of Our Lady of the Rosary (335 Doat Street in Buffalo). Confessions will be heard beginning at 6:15pm. The recitation of the Rosary will begin at 6:40pm and Holy Mass is at 7pm. All are welcomed to attend. Call 716-892-0066 for further information.

Food & Wine Tasting is being held to benefit the Sisters of St. Francis on Tuesday, May 8 (5-7pm) at St. Mary of the Angels (201 Reist Street in Williamsville), featuring fine wine, gourmet food, silent and live auctions, a “Wine Pull,” and “Nun-Sweeter” bake sale. Contact Cindy Munschauer at 632-2155 or cmunschauer [at] osfs [dot] org.

Have you experienced a loss in your family that your children are having a hard time with? The Office of Family Life Ministries can send you a packet of unique resources that can help you talk about death with children ages pre-school through teens. Please let us know the ages of the children that you are communicating with when you request this information. Contact us at familylife [at] buffalodiocese [dot] org or call 716-847-2210.

St. Mary’s High School is looking for interested applicants to become host families for incoming international students for the next school year.  If you would like more information, please reach out to Andrea Drabik, Dean of Student Life & Enrollment at adrabik [at] smhlancers [dot] org.

Healing the “Broken” Heart…Monday, May 7 at 4pm at St. Aloysius Gonzaga Church (157 Cleveland Drive in Cheektowaga), presented by Sister Donna Lord, GNSH, Mercy Hospital Chaplain. Losing a loved one can result in a broken heart. Grief affects the heart. There is a void that cannot be filled. Speaker, Sister Donna will focus on the testimony of love shared and ways to honor that love as one strives towards healing the broken heart. Bring a 4×6 picture of your loved one and RSVP for supplies. For more information or to reserve a spot, call Marianne Hubert, Director of Grief Support, at 716-873-6500.

The African American Commission of The Office of Cultural Diversity Presents a retreat on Saturday, May 19 (9:30am-3:30pm) for those over 55 years old.  EMBRACING LIFE CHANGES: God + Self + Others, will be held at St. Anthony’s Church (306 Ingham Avenue in Lackawanna). Call 716-847-2217 for more information or email  mramos [at] buffalodiocese [dot] org.

TOLTON: From Slave to Priest – performed live with Jim Coleman ~ Learn about Fr. Augustus Tolton, the first African-American priest, in a powerful multimedia performance on Wednesday, May 23, at 7pm (Our Lady of Victory Basilica in Lackawanna) and Thursday, May 24 at 2pm and 7pm (Marie Maday Theater at Lyons’ Hall, Canisius College in Buffalo). Free-will Offering. Sponsored by Paul and Susan Santandreu and the Diocese of Buffalo. Find out more at ToltonDrama.com or call Luz Milagros Ramos at 716-847-2217.

Thursday May 24 is Rock Around the Block, hosted by St. John School (1085 Englewood Avenue in Kenmore) with food trucks and music by Vinderosa Trio. Call 716-873-6500 for more information.

Celebrating Memorial Day at a Catholic Cemetery is truly a mixture of flags and wreaths and tributes and taps. Join us as we honor those who have served our country in the military at one of our Memorial Day Masses. On Saturday, May 26 at 10am, Masses will be held at the following cemeteries: Mount Olivet in Kenmore, Holy Cross in Lackawanna, Gate of Heaven in Lewiston, and Holy Sepulchre in Cheektowaga. On Monday, May 28 at 10am, Masses will be held at Queen of Heaven Cemetery in Lockport and St. Adalbert Cemetery in Lancaster. Honoring all those buried in the cemetery is the focus of our Eucharistic celebrations and our voiced intercessions. For more information, please call 716-873-6500.