November 25 – December 2, 2018
Weekly Activities
Tuesday, November 27 at 7:00 p.m. ~ Choir Rehearsal in St. Charles Hall
Wednesday, November 28 from 12:00 noon – 4:00 p.m. ~ Catholic Central Food Pantry in St. Charles Hall – NEW HOURS
Wednesday, November 28 at 7:00 p.m. ~ Parish Council Meeting in St. Charles Hall
Thursday, November 29 at 8:00 p.m. ~ Bingo will be played in St. Charles Hall*
Saturday, December 1 at 8:00 p.m. ~ Bingo will be played in St. Charles Hall*
Sunday, December 2 at 3:00 p.m. ~ Freudig Singers in Concert in the 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, November 25 ~ Mass at 10:00 a.m. – Deceased Members of the Choir (Requested by Blessed Trinity Choir); Laurence Miano (Requested by Bob and Mary Kresse); and In Thanksgiving for all born during the month of November
Monday, November 26 ~ No Service
Tuesday, November 27 ~ Mass at 11:00 a.m. – Deceased Members of the Ryan, Reilly, Reynolds and Pfeiffer Families (Estate of Mary Reilly)
Wednesday, November 28 ~ Mass at 11:00 a.m. – Birthday Remembrance for Edward Hodur (Bonnie and Don Williams)
Thursday, November 29 ~ Mass at 11:00 a. m. – For the intentions of our parishioners, both living and deceased (Blessed Trinity Parish)
Friday, November 30 ~ St. Andrew, Apostle ~ Mass at 11:00 a.m. – Deceased Members of the Ryan, Reilly, Reynolds and Pfeiffer Families (Estate of Mary Reilly)
Saturday, December 1 ~ Vigil Mass at 4:30 p.m. – Bernadette Dorsheimer (Family)
Sunday, December 2 ~ Mass at 10:00 a.m. – Joseph M. Rutowski (Bob and Mary Kresse) and Papa Ndombasi Edouard (Pedro and Family)
Ministry Schedule for Saturday and Sunday, December 1/2:
Saturday, 4:30 p.m. Reader: John Curtin; Eucharistic Minister: Michael Ogoh
Sunday, 10:00 a.m. Readers: Mary Kresse, Simon Kresse; Eucharistic Ministers: Fran Cahill, Bernice Bradley, Pat Hartinger; CHOIR – Dan Korchowsky
News from our Parish Community
Birthday Blessing ~ After Mass on Sunday, November 25, there will be a birthday prayer for all those who celebrated birthdays during November.
The Parish Council will meet this Wednesday, November 28 at 7pm in St. Charles Hall. If you are unable to attend, please contact Mickey Dick (716-832-2540).
Giving Thanks ~ Did you know that the feast of Saint Cecilia, the Patroness of Musicians, fell on Thanksgiving this year? That means the Blessed Trinity Choir is even *more* grateful than usual.
Part of our ministry as liturgical musicians is to provide musical prayer for the worshiping community. Our task is to enable them to be united in musical prayer, which is even closer than speaking together. When we sing our prayer we are one in melody, word, and rhythm. Liturgical music becomes more of a servant of the liturgy than ever when we do that. This is very different than making music for our people. Music at Mass is not a performance – it is a comprehensive, integral community prayer.
We are grateful for the people of Blessed Trinity, our beautiful space (with an amazing acoustic), and the wonderful instruments used to praise God. We are grateful to the women of the parish who came up to the loft last week to clean for advent. We are grateful for the 70+ year tradition of choral music ministry at BT. We are grateful for each other.
Blessed Cecilia, appear in visions to all musicians – appear and inspire!
Choir practice continues on Tuesday, November 27 at 7:00 in St. Charles Hall. All are welcome – let’s be inspired together! …. Elizabeth
This year’s Christmas concert is Sunday, December 2, at 3 p.m. The German word “freudig” means “joyful,” and that is exactly what the “Christmas Through the Ages” concert by the Freudig Singers of WNY will be. Their blend of beautiful Advent and Christmas music will definitely put you in the mood for the coming season of hope, expectation, and joy! And then, of course, there is the promise of Christmas pie for everyone after the concert! The Freudig Singers have made a tradition of their Christmas concerts at Blessed Trinity – and we love to have them! Bring your friends and relatives. Suggested donation: $15.
Cocoa Challenge 2018 is underway and we need YOU! Blessed Trinity’s goal is 4,200 plus individual packets of Instant Hot Cocoa to help fill over 2,100 gift bags for inmates at the Albion and Wende Correctional Facilities. Two more weekends until our December 9 deadline for donations. Put it on your “to do” list today. If shopping is inconvenient, please consider a cash donation in an envelope marked “Prisoner Gifts” placed in the weekend collection basket. The gift bags will be assembled here at Blessed Trinity during morning and evening sessions on Friday, December 14. There will be two project packing shifts 10am-1pm and 6pm-completion.
Gifts for Homebound Parishioners – This coming Sunday, December 2, marks the end of the Ladies Sodality collection of items for inclusion in Christmas gift bags to be delivered to our homebound parishioners and those in senior care facilities. Please leave your new, unwrapped items in the basket at the far left end of the communion rail. Presents and plants will be ready for delivery on the weekend of Dec. 8/9. The success of this project is dependent on volunteers willing to deliver a gift bag and visit with one of our 14 recipients. If you can help, please contact Vera Andrew (716-704-2944) or Mickey Dick (716-832-2540).
Sodality Christmas Dinner ~ The Sodality’s annual Christmas dinner is Wednesday, December 5, at The Family Tree Restaurant, 4346 Bailey Avenue in Amherst. We will gather at 6pm, with dinner being served at 6:30. The all inclusive $25 per person price includes a choice of five dinners: broiled fish, pot roast, lamb shank, stuffed Greek chicken (rice, spinach, olive, feta cheese, artichoke filling), or Chicken Souvlaki (marinated in herbs). Diners can also choose soup or salad and potato. Friends are always welcome. Amy Johnson (716-836-4694) is accepting reservations until Thursday, November 29; payment is due Sunday, December 2.
This Thanksgiving, we give prayerful thanks for Canisius High School Associate Campus Minister Joe Van Volkenburg and students Patrick Crowe and Jack Manka, who chose Blessed Trinity as their Canisius Family Service Day volunteer project. On Saturday, November 17, the young men and their family members (Cortney, Pat, Thomas and Lauren Crowe and Jennifer, Mike, Madeline and Alex Manka) washed our pews, scrubbed our floors, and carried in hundreds of books donated for next month’s Christmas Prison Package Project. We are grateful to Mr. Van Volkenburg for his continued support of our parish and delighted to have benefitted from the youthful energy and enthusiasm of the Canisius team. At the same time, we acknowledge the dedication of parishioners Judy Casassa, Bud and Mickey Dick, Dan Korchowsky, Dorothy Manuppelli, Kathy Press, Sr. Liz Savage and Colleen Schroeder who worked along with them and provided direction.
Know Your Faith: Do we each have a guardian angel? Angels are messengers of God. They are spirit beings that sometimes reveal themselves in human form. The message they communicate or actions they carry out sometimes depend on how they present themselves. And because they are spirit beings, they can also work through humans.
Some people believe that each person on Earth has his or her own guardian angel that focuses mainly on helping that one person throughout the person’s life. Others believe that people receive help from various guardian angels as needed, with God matching guardian angels’ abilities to the ways that any person needs help at any given time.
The Bible clearly teaches, “The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them” (Psalm 34:7). Psalm 91:11 tells us, “For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways.” And Hebrews 1:14 says of angels, “Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?” In Hebrews, we read that “some have unwittingly entertained angels” (13:2).
No one can say for certain whether individually we have a guardian angel, but something Jesus said would imply that perhaps children have guardian angels. He said, “Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 18:10). This is reassuring, knowing how easily children can get themselves into trouble. Even if they don’t have a personalized angel, we can know that angels are involved in their lives.
Angels are involved in the lives of Christians. We have angelic activity around us every day. Angels are at work in our lives, protecting us, guiding us, and sometimes even speaking to us. But they work undercover. We could describe them as God’s secret agents. From the transitional catholic prayer, “Angel of God, my guardian dear, To whom God’s love commits me here, Ever this day be at my side, To light and guard, to rule and guide” one can say we have guardian angels. One cannot categorically say if they are personalized ones.
Under This Roof Fund ~ We are extremely grateful to everyone who responded to our “Fall Fest” fundraiser — both party attendees and financial supporters. Your response exceeded our expectations and, to date, proceeds total $7,260.00. Thank you to all!
Attention Lectors ~ In anticipation of Advent and the new church year, please pick up your copy of the 2018-19 Manual in the priest’s sacristy. They are available now.
Important News from our Bingo Team ~ After almost ten years as our bingo chair, Francis (“Fran”) Cahill has resigned and is being succeeded by Kathy Press. We are very appreciative of Fran’s decade-long stewardship and of Kathy’s willingness to assume responsibility for the parish’s primary fundraiser.
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
“Advent Anticipation” with Sister Lucette Kinecki, Monday November 26 at 7pm at Our Lady of Pompeii, (129 Laverack Avenue in Lancaster). Learn about this special time where “Emmanuel” God-with-us calls us to come and be refreshed in spirit with God’s warming grace and peace. During this sacred time, learn how to relax, reflect, and celebrate the season of Advent anticipation. For more information, call 716-683-6522.
Dinner at Ss. Columba-Brigid ~ Friday, November 30, at 12pm noon, Ida’s Kitchen invites you to join the table at Ss. Columba-Brigid (418 N Division Street in Buffalo) for a Christ-Giving Community Dinner with the neighborhood for a Thanksgiving-Christmas Celebration (donation is $5). Call 716-310-0840 to reserve a spot.
Camp Turner’s WinterCamp ’18 is Friday December 28 at 10am through Sunday December 30 at 6pm for Boys and girls, ages 7-15. An optional round trip bus is available from Williamsville and Hamburg. The cabins are toasty, the food is delicious, and our experienced staff is excited to make this a great experience for everyone. An RN is on-site at all times. Visit CampTurner.com for activity descriptions and online registration. If you have any questions, e-mail CampTurner [at] gmail [dot] com or call 716-354-4555.