“For the Lamb who is in the center of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to springs of life-giving water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” Rv 7:17 (Symbol of the Trinity in the church’s Great Dome.
Photographic rendering by Todd Treat).

May 12 – May 19, 2019

Weekly Activities

Sunday, May 12 following 10:00 a.m. Mass ~ Mothers Day Breakfast in St. Charles Hall hosted by the Holy Name Society

Tuesday, May 14 at 7:00 p.m. ~ NO Choir rehearsal this week

Wednesday, May 15 from 12:00 noon – 4:00 p.m. ~ Catholic Central Food Pantry in St. Charles Hall (Food Pantry operates every Wednesday from Noon-4pm)

Wednesday, May 15 at 7:00 p.m. ~ Parish Council Meeting in St. Charles Hall

Thursday, May 16 at 8:00 p.m. ~ Bingo will be played in St. Charles Hall.*

Saturday, May 18 at 8:00 p.m. ~ Bingo will be played in St. Charles Hall.*

Sunday, May 19 following 10:00 a.m. Mass ~ Anointing of the Sick and Well-Aging in church

Sunday, May 19 from 12 Noon – 3:00 p.m. ~ Sacred Sites Open House and church tours

*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 12 ~ Mothers Day ~ Mass at 10:00 a.m. – Terrence Gress (Requested by Amy Johnson) and Pawlikowski (Requested by Dennis Pawlikowski)

Monday, May 13 ~ Our Lady of Fatima ~ No Service

Tuesday, May 14 ~ St. Matthias, Apostle ~ Mass at 11:00 a.m. – Alice Alfano (The Jost Family)

Wednesday, May 15 ~ St. Isidore ~ Mass at 11:00 a.m. – Deceased Members of the Ryan, Reilly, Reynolds and Pfeiffer Families (Estate of Mary Reilly)

Thursday, May 16 ~ Mass at 11:00 a.m. – For the intentions of our parishioners, both living and deceased (Blessed Trinity Parish)

Friday, May 17 ~ Mass at 11:00 a.m. – Deceased Members of the Ryan, Reilly, Reynolds and Pfeiffer Families (Estate of Mary Reilly)

Saturday, May 18 ~ St. John I ~ Mass at 4:30 p.m. – For the intentions of our parishioners, both living and deceased (Blessed Trinity Parish)

Sunday May 19 ~ Peace and Healing for Roy and Sionen Laciura (Your Friend, Seta)

Ministry Schedule for Saturday and Sunday, May 18/19, 2019:

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

Sunday, 10:00 a.m.  Readers: Mary Kresse, Simon Kresse; Eucharistic Ministers: Dan Korchowsky, Maggie Gatson; Choir – Sharon Dunnigan

Blessed Trinity will participate in the statewide
New York Landmarks Conservancy’s
Ninth Annual Sacred Sites Open House
Sunday, May 19, 2019 from Noon – 3pm.
Photo by Steve Mangione

News from our Parish Community

Mother’s Day Breakfast ~ Our Holy Name Society will once again host women of the parish at Sunday’s Mother Day Breakfast following the 10 AM Mass. Daughters, mothers, sisters, similar in-laws are welcome. A $5 donation for each non-parishioner guest will be collected at the door.

The Parish Council will meet on Wednesday, May 15, at 7 pm in St. Charles Hall. There are only two meetings remaining before the summer break. If you are unable to attend, please contact Mickey Dick (716-832-2540) as soon as possible.

A “match” for your Catholic Charities donation ~ Friday, May 17, is Hope Day. All donations made to the Catholic Charities 2019 Appeal on that day will be matched dollar for dollar. Why not make a gift for Mom. She has made a tremendous impact on you. Now you can make a tremendous impact in the lives of others in her honor. Or give a gift for your friend or neighbor. Visit give.ccwny.org/hope. Our parish has surpassed 50% of its goal for the 2019 appeal, but there is still a way to go. Here is a great way to double your contribution.

Your patience and courtesy are requested ~ The planning phase took much longer than expected, but restoration work — partially funded by a grant from New York State — has begun on the front steps and plaza area of our church, as well as the tile roof. We are fortunate to have ample off-street parking places for everyone attending religious services, and in the interest of safety for everyone using the driveway on the east side of church, we are asking that you PLEASE DO NOT PARK on the sidewalk near the garden and wheelchair ramp. Be courteous and leave the designated “handicapped” spaces for those who really need them. This accommodation is especially important now that construction equipment is present, but should continue long after the work is completed.

We are the “medieval” ~ On Sunday, May 19, from 12 noon to 3:00 pm, Blessed Trinity Church will participate in the New York Landmarks Conservancy’s Sacred Sites Open House Weekend.The theme of this ninth annual statewide event is “Medieval to Modern: Celebrating New York’s Religious Art and Architecture.” Special emphasis that afternoon will be on the “medieval” (12th Century Romanesque) features of our church and the Italian churches on which our house of worship is modeled. Free docent-led tours will be available. Click HERE to read more about this opportunity to learn about the history, art and architecture of our Landmark house of worship.

A Good Shepherd for the Ewes ~ We identify today as Good Shepherd Sunday, from the Gospel reading. Also, today is celebrated as Mother’s Day in the United States. Our musical selections encompassed what a good shepherd does to take care of the sheep while we also honored Mary, the mother of our Lord and Savior, the example to all Christian mothers. While it may seem to be quite a leap to link these two celebrations, our meditation hymn exemplifies it perfectly, I believe.

Like a child rests in its mother’s arms, so will I rest in You.
My God, I am not proud. I do not look for things too great.
My God, I trust in you. You care for me, You give me peace.
O Israel, trust in God, now and always trust in God.
Like a child rests in its mother’s arms, so will I rest in You.

The Good Shepherd takes care of all of the lambs of his flock, and today special blessings fall onto the ewes. Jesus found comfort as we do – in our Mother’s arms. Happy Mother’s Day! Choir practice resumes Tuesday, May 21, at 7:00pm in St. Charles Hall.  All are welcome….Elizabeth

Blessed Trinity featured on Channel 2 ~ WGRZ-TV’s Kevin O’Neill and Channel 2 photographer, Charles, visited Blessed Trinity very early Thursday morning April 25, for a live “Daybreak” feature. They also did a much lengthier Facebook Live session with members of our docent team. [Click HERE to view their video]. We invite you to gain a greater understanding of the inspiration and meaning behind our church’s art and architecture on Sunday, May 19, from 12 Noon-3pm, when we will be participating in the NY Landmarks Conservancy’s state-wide Sacred Sites Open House Weekend. In fact, we are — without a doubt — the “medieval” in their 2019 theme, “Medieval to Modern: Celebrating New York Religious Art and Architecture.” Parishioners will be on hand to greet you, and members of our docent team will share even more information than we were able to give our friends from Channel 2. You don’t have to travel to Europe to see amazing church architecture, and you can start your tour right in your home parish. Tours are free and open to the public, so please invite your friends and neighbors.

A Warning from Father Victor ~ In recent weeks, at least two parishioners have received text messages from someone claiming to be “Reverend Victor.” The message is a scam that requests purchase of a gift card (Google Play Card) for a cancer patient he is going to see. These messages are not coming from Father Victor and he asks that you please ignore them. Other similar scams claim to be sent from the IRS or law enforcement agencies. Protect yourself and your money by NEVER responding to this type of request to purchase gift cards.

Membership in the Ladies Sodality runs with the calendar year. If you have not yet paid your $5 dues for 2019 and submitted your preferred method of contact (phone or email), please do so as soon as possible. Membership Vice Pres. Mickey Dick will be revising the organization’s telephone tree based on your updated information. She can be reached at 716-832-2540. If you are not a member but would like to know more about the Sodality, please contact Mickey or President Vera Andrew (716-704-2944).

Your local Victim Assistance Coordinator is available to help you or anyone who has been abused or victimized by someone representing the Catholic Church. We will listen and make a formal compliant. Report Hotline: 716 895-3010 Diocese of Buffalo Victim Assistance Coordinator: jacqueline [dot] joy [at] ccwny [dot] org

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.

Presentation of Offertory Gifts ~ For those who have requested a Mass and would like to present the Offertory gifts, please see Head Usher, Ed Marien, prior to Mass. This also applies to those whose family members are being remembered during the Liturgy.

Blessed Trinity Needs Your Help! We’re not asking for money, but for something 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!

Is it time to update your contact information? We know that not everyone can attend church every weekend, so when there is important information to be shared, we often mail it.  If you have not received some of our recent mailings, please make sure that we have your correct contact information by completing this form. This is also a chance to let us know if you: wish to be included in our online email list, register as a parishioner, or request envelopes. You can also submit the requested information by phoning our secretary at 716-833-0301 any Tuesday-Thursday between 10:30am and 2:30pm; sending an email to blessedtrinitychurch [at] gmail [dot] com; or Clicking HERE to use the contact feature of our web site to submit the information. If you choose either of the last two, please use “Contact Update” 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.

Women of the parish shared photos and insightful stories of their remarkable mothers, grandmothers and godmothers at the Sodality May 5 meeting. A program-ending game found them matching each other’s youthful photos with those of their moms.

 

 

 

 

 

News from our Vicariate Cluster and the Wider Community

St. Louis Choir Concert on Thursday, May 16 at 7:30pm at St. Louis Church (35 Edward Street at Main in Buffalo). The program is free and open to the public. Featured will be works of Bach, Mozart, Farrant, Ouseley, Friedel, Poston, and others. The St. Louis Choir is an all-volunteer ensemble that leads the musical worship at 11 am Mass each Sunday, September through June. Please join us for a lovely hour of great choral music! For more information, contact St. Louis Church at 716-852-6040 or email scintaf [at] canisus [dot] edu.

A Spiritual Year of Prayer & Healing: Consecrate Yourself to Jesus through Mary! Thinking of a way to pray in the Year of Healing? The linked parishes of St. Martin of Tours / St. Thomas Aquinas, Buffalo will offer the 33 Days to Morning Glory Program (Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary) on six Wednesday evenings beginning on Wednesday, May 22, at 7pm at St. Martin of Tours (1140 Abbott Road in Buffalo. The consecration Mass will take place on the Marian Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (Saturday, June 29). Visit stmartinbuffalo.com, call 823-7077, or email    diacono [at] stmartinbuffalo [dot] com to register.

Eucharistic Adoration & Holy Hour for Life, Thursday, May 30, 6-7pm at St. Andrew Church (1525 Sheridan Drive in Kenmore). All invited to come and adore our Lord, Jesus Christ! Come for the hour or for ten minutes; our doors will be open! After Holy Hour, we will pray the rosary for our nation. Deacon Mike Ficorilli, presiding.