Week of August 11, 2019 – 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time

August 11 – August 18, 2019

Weekly Activities

Sunday, August 11 following 10:00 a.m. Mass ~ Parish Council “Meet and Greet” on newly repaved front plaza

Wednesday, August 14 from 12:00 noon – 4:00 p.m. ~ Catholic Central Food Pantry in St. Charles Hall (Food Pantry operates every Wednesday from Noon-4pm)

Thursday, August 15 beginning at 5:00 p.m. ~ Outdoor celebration of the Feast of the Assumption

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

Saturday, August 17 at 8:00 p.m. ~ Bingo will be played in St. Charles Hall.*

Sunday, August 18 following 10:00 a.m. Mass – Anointing of the sick and well-aging in 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 , August 11 ~ Mass at 10:00 a.m. – Thanksgiving for Malinda C. Cavitt (Requested by “Eldo”)

Monday, August 12 ~ St. Jane Frances de Chantal ~ No Service

Tuesday, August 13 ~ Ss. Pontian and Hippolytus ~ Mass at 11:00 a.m. – For the intentions of our parishioners, both living and deceased (Blessed Trinity Parish)

Wednesday, August 14 ~St. Maximilian Kolbe ~ Mass at 11:00 a.m. – Deceased Members of the Ryan, Reilly, Reynolds and Pfeiffer Families (Estate of Mary Reilly)

Thursday, August 15 ~ The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary  ~ Outdoor Mass at 6:00 p.m. – Deceased Members of the Ryan, Reilly, Reynolds and Pfeiffer Families (Estate of Mary Reilly)

Friday, August 16 ~ Mass at 11:00 a.m. – St. Stephen of Hungary ~ Blessings for Bud & Mickey Dick on their 50th Wedding Anniversary

Saturday, August 17 ~ Mass at 4:30 p.m. – For the intentions of our parishioners, both living and deceased (Blessed Trinity Parish)

Sunday, August 18 ~ Mass at 10:00 a.m. – Deceased Members of the Ryan, Reilly, Reynolds and Pfeiffer Families (Estate of Mary Reilly)

Ministry Schedule for Saturday and Sunday, August 17/18, 2019:

Saturday, 4:30 p.m.  Reader: Michael Ogoh; Eucharistic Minister: Lucille Venezia

Sunday, 10:00 a.m.  Readers: Judy Casassa, Avery White; Eucharistic Ministers: Dan Korchowsky, Maggie Gatson, Fidelia Ejimadu

News from our Parish Community

Sunday August 11 is our Parish Council “Meet & Greet” … Please join The Parish Council after Mass on Sunday for a small reception on the newly repaved front plaza. Ask questions, learn more about the upcoming elections in September. (In case of rain, we’ll greet you in the front vestibule.) Light refreshments will be served.

Have Faith! Be Ready! ~ “Brothers and Sisters: Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen.” – Hebrews 11:1. “Stay awake and be ready! For you do not know on what day your Lord will come.” – Matthew 24:42a, 44. “Gird your loins and light your lamps and be like servants who await their master’s return from a wedding, ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks.” – Luke 12:35. This weekend’s readings contained some of my favorite verses of all time.  At this time of great difficulty, disappointment, and shame, these readings remind us of great people who had faith when things seemed impossible. This week’s musical selections were made to reinforce these ideals:

Wake, O Wake, and Sleep No Longer told us to get up and get moving to make change in our world, following Christ. O God, You Search Me reminded us that God wants us to do his work in spite of our many faults. You are Near helped us to remember we are never, ever alone. Blest Be the Lord encouraged us not to be afraid as we do God’s work.

When our world becomes too overwhelming to bear, opening our hymnal and placing a song in our hearts that reminds us to be ready and have faith helps us to keep trying for the glory of God.  Praying you, too, were uplifted by this weekend’s music.  Now let’s get to work!

Choir practice resumes in September.  All are invited to participate. … Elizabeth

The Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a Holy Day of Obligation, is this Thursday, August 15. We will gather outside near the statue of Mary at 5pm for recitation of the Rosary and the Litany of the Blessed Virgin, followed by Mass at 6pm. Please bring a flower for presentation and a folding chair. In the event of inclement weather, the Liturgy will be celebrated in church. If physical limitations prevent you or a loved one from attending Thursday’s services, the Mass for the Holy Day is available all day at www.HeartoftheNation.org.

National Night Out ~ A Note of thanks and appreciation for a great committee from each parish, for all who helped set-up, take-down, donated food, cleaned-up, attended, danced, and celebrated the event, hosted by Blessed Trinity on Tuesday evening, August 6. A good time was had by all! Thank you from Sr. Maureen Harris.

Father Victor will be away until August 29. We wish him safe travels and a restful vacation.

What’s My Line? A few of you may be old enough to remember the long-running TV panel show (1950-75) of that name, in which celebrities questioned members of the public to try to guess their occupations. Fast-forward to the 2019 BT version. You are the celebrity, and our organist and choir director, Elizabeth Clay, is the mystery guest. How many guesses would you need to discover that Elizabeth leads a double life?

Monday-Saturday, Elizabeth Clay is a Pediatric Physical Therapist at Beyond Boundaries: Therapy for Kids. Three years ago, Elizabeth received a scholarship through The Make LemonAide for Cerebral Palsy Foundation to become certified in The Symptom Recovery Models. The Models are a series of techniques that accurately assess the primary dysfunction, prepare the body for healing, treat the problem, regulate the area of disruption, and provide exercises and activities to promote improvement. Since receiving the award, Elizabeth has traveled to Atlanta nine times for intensive weekend classes – the reason she was occasionally absent from the organ bench. Upon the successful completion of her certification exam at the end of July, our Elizabeth became the first therapist in the Northeastern United States to earn the distinction of Manual Structural Correction Specialist.

While Elizabeth’s area of expertise is with children, these techniques were actually developed in the adult population. Elizabeth plans to hold her first introductory class on the Symptom Recovery Models this fall with the ultimate goal of training all WNY therapists in these cutting-edge techniques.

We have long recognized that Elizabeth’s musical talents enhance the quality of our liturgies. Now we know that in her “other life,” she is equally dedicated to enhancing the lives of children. Please join in congratulating Elizabeth on her achievement and pray for her continued success in her dual careers.

Father George Reger is now undergoing rehabilitation at the McAuley Residence, 1503 Military Road, Kenmore, NY 14217. We are sure he would appreciate your prayers, cards and notes of encouragement as he works to regain his strength.

Travel AND stay connected ~ Even when you are away on vacation, you can keep in touch with your parish family by visiting www.blessedtrinitybuffalo.org. It is optimized for use with mobile devices, so whether you check in with a cellphone, tablet or desktop computer, there is all kinds of information at your finger tips. Just click on the post with the current week’s date; e.g., “Week of August 11, 2019 ~ 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time,” to find scheduled activities, coming events, and Mass intentions, not to mention examples of church symbolism and artwork relating to the week’s readings or feast days.

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 most recent financial report 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!

Our Kids Parent Education and Awareness Program (OKPEAP) is a Catholic Charities program available to families who are experiencing conflict related to custody issues. Visit ccwny.org/okpeap.

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.

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.

News from our Vicariate Cluster and the Wider Community

“Dancing Under the Stars,” Sunday, August 18 from 6-9 pm at St. Joseph University Parish (3269 Main Street, Buffalo). Big band and dance music featuring the fabulous Jim Tudini Band and Bobby Militello. Free dance lessons at 6:30 pm, Anderson’s food truck, raffle and theme baskets. Donation at the door.

Employment Opportunity ~ Full time Customer Service / Account Collections position available immediately.  Please send resume by August 12, 2019 to: Office manager, Catholic Cemeteries, 4000 Elmwood Avenue, Kenmore, NY 14217.