December 23 – December 30, 2018
Weekly Activities
Wednesday, December 26 from 12:00 noon – 4:00 p.m. ~ Catholic Central Food Pantry in St. Charles Hall – NEW HOURS
Thursday, December 27 at 8:00 p.m. ~ Bingo will be played in St. Charles Hall*
Saturday, December 29 at 8:00 p.m. ~ Bingo will be played in St. Charles Hall*
Sunday, December 30 at 12:30 p.m. ~ Explore Buffalo tour of our church
*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, December 23 ~ Mass at 10:00 a.m. – Birthday thanksgiving for our parishioners born during the month of December (Requested by Blessed Trinity Parish)
Monday, December 24 ~ Christmas Eve Choral Preludes at 9:30 p.m.
Monday, December 24 ~ Christmas Eve Mass at 10:00 p.m. – For the intentions of our parishioners, both living and deceased (Blessed Trinity Parish)
Tuesday, December 25 ~ The Nativity of the Lord ~ Mass at 10:00 a.m. – For the Families of Anthony and Mary Hartmann (The Hartmanns)
Wednesday, December 26 ~ St. Stephen ~ Mass at 11:00 a.m. – Deceased Members of the Ryan, Reilly, Reynolds and Pfeiffer Families (Estate of Mary Reilly)
Thursday, December 27 ~ St. John, Apostle & Evangelist ~ Mass at 11:00 a. m. – For the intentions of our parishioners, both living and deceased (Blessed Trinity Parish)
Friday, December 28 ~ The Holy Innocents ~ Mass at 11:00 a.m. – Deceased Members of the Ryan, Reilly, Reynolds and Pfeiffer Families (Estate of Mary Reilly)
Saturday, December 29 ~ St. Thomas Becket ~ Vigil Mass at 4:30 p.m. – For the intentions of our parishioners, both living and deceased (Blessed Trinity Parish)
Sunday, December 30 ~ Feast of the Holy Family ~ Mass at 10:00 a.m. – Ethel Grabenstatter (Bud and Mickey Dick)
Ministry Schedule for Saturday and Sunday, December 29/30:
Saturday, 4:30 p.m. Reader: John Curtin; Eucharistic Minister:
Lucille Venezia
Sunday, 10:00 a.m. Readers: Mary Kresse , Grace Iheke; Eucharistic Ministers: Dan Korchowsky Maggie Gatson, Pat Hartinger; CHOIR – Kathleen Marien
Photo Credit: Gary Kelley.
News from our Parish Community
Important Scheduling Notes ~ There will be NO coffee hour on Sunday, December 23, but the Catholic Central Food Pantry will operate during its regular hours on Wednesday, December 26 and Wednesday, January 2.
The Whole World is Waiting for Love
We’re waiting for Jesus like Mary,
We’re waiting for Jesus the Lord.
We’re laying a manger for Mary,
A manger for Jesus the Lord.
We’re making it lovely for Mary,
lovely for Jesus the Lord.
Come down, Lord Jesus!
Come quickly, Lord Jesus!
The whole world is waiting for Love,
The whole world is waiting for Love.
Marianne Misetich, SNJM
May the coming of our Christ fill your hearts with joy, music, and love…The Blessed Trinity Choir
Prayerful Thanks ~ We are extremely grateful to Bob Barnes; Tom, Nik and Drew Brodfuehrer; Judy Casassa, Bud and Mickey Dick, Alan Frank, Bob Heicklen, Amy Johnson, Althea Porter, Sr. Liz Savage and Palma Zanghi who took on the rigors of decorating the church for Christmas. May each of you enjoy many blessings on Christmas and into the new year.
Blessed Trinity Needs Your Help! We’re not asking for money, but for some-thing maybe even more valuable: a little bit of your TIME. Just a bit. ONE or TWO nights a month that will really help your parish. Our last financial report (included in a recent bulletin) shows the importance of BINGO. Clearly, this fundraiser is essential for our parish’s financial health. Just as clearly, it needs broad parish support in the way of MORE workers. We have Bingo every Thursday and Saturday night. Can you PLEASE commit to one or two nights a month? You can start simply by helping to sell things and — as you learn the routine — cross-train for other essential tasks. Our friendly team of workers stands ready to help you. Please contact Kathy Press at 716-445-8160 for more information. Your Parish Bingo Team thanks you!
Explore Buffalo Visits Blessed Trinity ~ Sunday, December 30, at 12:30pm, Explore Buffalo again visits our church for its third and final 2018 “Inside Blessed Trinity Church” tour. The tour is about ninety minutes. It’s a great opportunity for families to bring holiday visitors to our architectural gem and really impress them! Reservations can be made by contacting Explore Buffalo at 716-245-3032 or explorebuffalo.org…or simply show up for the event ($15 per person or $10 with Explore Buffalo Pass, a portion of which is returned to us). Tell your friends and bring your visitors!
Know Your Faith: Who is My Neighbor? My neighbor is the other person outside myself. My neighbor begins from my immediate family to outside my home. My neighbor is the other person living in the same apartment, the next apartment or house, the next street, and most importantly the foreigner. Jesus makes this clearer when a scholar of the law asked him, “who is my neighbor?” Jesus told the story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37). Jesus made it clearer that my neighbor cut across all boundaries and we are called to love them as ourselves. To help us love our neighbor as ourselves anytime, anywhere, and any day, there are two ways we are called to see others: as human beings created the way I am created (imago dei – image of God), and as God’s child, loved as God loved me. Also there are three ways we are called not to see people: as foreigners, from nationality/race/ language, and as inferiors. As we celebrate Christmas, the season of love, for God so love the world, that he gave his son… (John 3:16)… we are called to express that love to our neighbor in a unique and special way. Let us go out to be the instrument of God’s love to one another.
Prayerful Thanks from the Ladies Sodality to everyone who contributed to the success of our annual outreach to homebound parishioners, especially all the wonderful volunteers who delivered the gift bags and poinsettias and, most importantly, made time for a visit. We have already received calls from recipients expressing their gratitude and delight. Merry Christmas to each of you who carried Christ to another.
The holidays can be a hard time. If you or someone you love is struggling, turn to Catholic Charities. Our agency offers several different types of counseling support including: marriage counseling, individual psychotherapy, family and group therapy, substance abuse treatment, diocesan counseling for church ministers, children’s clinics, and individual, child and family counseling. To learn more, visit ccwny.org and click the “Counseling & Mental Health” tab on the right.
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.
News from our Vicariate Cluster and the Wider Community
Voices of Mercy Christmas Concert, Saturday, December 29 at 6:30pm. Our Lady of Fatima Shrine (1023 Swann Road, off Rt. 18E, Lewiston, NY). This annual Christmas concert will be held in the beautifully decorated National Shrine Basilica. Festival lights on every evening from 5-9 pm through January 6. Free parking and admission (handicap accessible). Gift shop open daily 9 – 9. For daily cafeteria hours and more information, call 716-754-7489.