The Church celebrates All Saints Day on November 1. Saints from the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament are depicted in the lower ring of figures in Joseph Mazur’s painting in the dome of our church.
Photo credit: Gary Kelley.
October 27 – November 3, 2019
Weekly Activities
Sunday, October 27 following 10:00 a.m. Mass ~ Coffee Hour in St. Charles Hall, hosted by Parish Council
Sunday, October 27 following 10:00 a.m. Mass ~ Liturgy Committee meeting
Wednesday, October 30 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, October 30 at 7:00 p.m. ~ Choir rehearsal in St. Charles Hall
Thursday, October 31 at 8:00 p.m. ~ Bingo will be played in St. Charles Hall.*
Saturday, November 2 at 8:00 p.m. ~ Bingo will be played in St. Charles Hall.*
Sunday, November 3, following 10:00 a.m. Mass ~ Ladies Sodality Meeting & Service of Remembrance in St. Charles Hall
*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 , October 27 ~ Mass at 10:00 a.m. – Eternal Rest for Edward F. Schroeder – (Requested by Robert and Mary Riley)
Monday,October 28 ~ St. Simon & St. Jude, Apostles ~ No Service
Tuesday, October 29 ~ Mass at 11:00 a.m. – Deceased Members of the Ryan, Reilly, Reynolds and Pfeiffer Families (Estate of Mary Reilly)
Wednesday, October 30 ~ Mass at 11:00 a.m. – For the intentions of our parishioners, both living and deceased (Blessed Trinity Parish)
Thursday, October 31 ~ Mass at 11:00 a.m. – Deceased Members of the Ryan, Reilly, Reynolds and Pfeiffer Families (Estate of Mary Reilly)
Friday, November 1 ~ All Saints Day ~ Mass at 6:00 p.m. – Lois Knapp Gillen on the first anniversary of her death (Her sisters)
Saturday, November 2 ~ All Souls’ Day ~ Mass at 4:30 p.m. – For the intentions of our parishioners, both living and deceased (Blessed Trinity Parish)
Sunday, November 3 ~ Mass at 10:00 a.m. – Eternal Rest for Deceased Members of The Ladies Sodality (Blessed Trinity Ladies Sodality)
Ministry Schedule for Saturday and Sunday, November 2/3, 2019:
Saturday, 4:30 p.m. Reader: Michael Ogoh; Eucharistic Minister: John Curtin
Sunday, 10:00 a.m. Readers: Chris Porter, Simon Kresse; Eucharistic Ministers: Fran Cahill, Fidelia Ejimadu, Maggie Gatson; Choir – Sharon Dunnigan
“I believe in … the Communion of Saints….and life everlasting. Amen.”
The Feast of All Saints on November 1 and the Commemoration of All Souls on November 2 remind us of these tenants of our Faith, expressed in The Apostles Creed and depicted in symbols on the right side of the main doors to our church.
Photo credit: Margaret Dick
News from our Parish Community
Friday, November 1, is All Saints Day. Our Mass for this Holy Day of Obligation will be celebrated at 6:00 p.m. There will be NO 11:00 a.m. Mass on Friday.
The Ladies Sodality’s will hold a Service of Remembrance for all deceased members next Sunday, November 3, in St. Charles Hall, immediately following Mass. Our focus this year will be on 20 women who served as president beginning in 1906. All women of the parish are invited to join us in remembering our “founding mothers” and those who have honored our Blessed Lady and sustained our sisterhood for more than 100 years. A brief meeting will precede the service; light refreshments will be served.
Gifts for The Homebound – Starting on the weekend of November 2/3 and continuing through December 1, the Ladies Sodality will be collecting items for their annual Christmas gift bags to be delivered to our homebound parishioners and those in senior care facilities. It may SEEM as if we have plenty of time to prepare for the holiday, but an early completion date for the drive is necessary so that presents are ready for delivery on the weekend of Dec. 7/8. Please bring your new, unwrapped items to church and leave them in the designated basket at the left end of the communion rail near the statue of St. Joseph. If you prefer to donate money, please do so BY NOVEMBER 21 so that our volunteers have time to shop. To share information about someone you think should be included, please contact Vera Andrew (716-704-2944) or Mickey Dick (716-832-2540).
The 2019 Cocoa Challenge is underway! Blessed Trinity is again asked to donate Instant Hot Cocoa to help fill 2,100 Christmas gift bags for inmates at the Albion and Wende Correctional Facilities. This Holiday Prison Package Project was begun by Sr. Karen Klimczak, SSJ, and is now continued by Peaceprints of WNY. Our goal is 4,200 packets by December 1! You can participate in this work of mercy and honor Sr. Karen’s memory when you:
Donate instant hot chocolate packets and place them in the back pew.
Make a monetary donation to purchase needed items. Cash or Checks (payable to “Peaceprints of WNY”) can be placed in an envelope marked “Prisoner Gifts” and dropped into the weekend collection basket.
Decorate Gift bags. Artistic talent is not necessary. Draw, trace, or just write season greetings or lines from carols & hymns to personalize the gift bags. Bags will be available at Sunday Mass from Amy Johnson (716-836-4694).
Help assemble the gifts on Friday, December 6, here at Blessed Trinity.
“For I was…..in prison and you visited me.” Matthew 25: 35-36.
Special collection for the Catholic University ~ There will be a second collection on the weekend of November 2/3 for The Catholic University of America, located in Washington, DC. Distinguished as the national university of the Catholic Church in the United States, its Schools of Religious Studies and Philosophy are internationally recognized. Quality education and financial aid programs are also available in the following areas: music, nursing, arts and sciences, law, social service, library and information science, and engineering and architecture.
Italian Dinner, Sunday evening, November 17. Tickets are now on sale for our November 17 in-house Italian dinner with homemade pasta and specialty sauces prepared by Cugino’s Restaurant in Williamsville. Dinner will be served from 5 – 7 p.m. Reservations are required by November 10 and seating will be limited, with no sales at the door. Tickets — priced at $15 for adults and $8 for children 12 & under — are available from Kathy Press or Cathy Cummings, or by calling 716-832-2540.
So Much to be Thankful For ~ Our October 25 Fall Wine Tasting was a tremendous success, and there are so many people to thank for this all-around team effort: the shoppers; the folks who obtained business donations and auction items; the team that cleaned corners and transformed our familiar dining room into a restaurant-worthy event space; the oven-watchers, food servers and dishwashers; and of course, our parishioners who – once again – provided an incredible variety of hors d’oeuvres and desserts to the amazement of our first-time guests and the satisfaction of the “regulars.”
We are extremely grateful to members of the local business community who supported our fundraiser with their donations. In Buffalo: The Martin House (125 Jewett Parkway), Just Pizza (3172 Main Street), Lone Star Grill (1853 Hertel Avenue), Raymondo’s Pizzeria (1580 E. Delavan Avenue), and Wegman’s Markets (601 Amherst Street); Salvatore’s Hospitality, 6461 Transit Road in Depew; Paula’s Donuts, 2319 Sheridan Drive in Tonawanda; Russell’s Steaks Chops and More (6675 Transit Road) and Share Kitchen & Bar Room (5590 Main Street) in Williamsville; and – from across the worldwide web – casemates.com and gourmet.WOOT.com. We ask that you remember to return that support with your patronage.
Special recognition is also due to those “Friends of the Wine Tasting” who contributed auction items and/or invaluable advice, assistance, and musical entertainment: The Sisters of St. Francis of the Newman Communities, Bill Warren, Don and Bonnie Williams, Bud and Mickey Dick, and Elizabeth Clay.
Be Praised, O God! In Chapter 4 of Pope Francis’ apostolic exhortation, Gaudete et Exultate, he tells us about the attitudes we must have in order to become holy in today’s world. He names the following: perseverance, patience, and meekness (112-121); joy, and a sense of humor (122-128); being part of a community (140-146); and praying constantly (147-157). Pope Francis calls the Beatitudes “the Christian’s identity card.” Our closing hymn, Laudato Si’! Be Praised, O God!, was inspired the Pope’s encyclical by the same name. Within the text, the theme of both the Beatitudes and Gaudete et Exultate can be heard.
Laudato si’! Be praised, O God! All the nations sing creation’s song, that we may share with those in need.
Now all creation cries out in praise: Laudato si’
All praise be to you through Brother Sun, who brings us the light of the day.
For we are the stewards of nature and earth; this light is a source of rebirth.
All praise be to you through Sister Moon, so precious and so bright and fair.
For those who seek refuge and shelter in the night, may nations shine as beacons of light.
All praise be to you through Brother Wind and Air, whose fair and stormy weather you made.
For those who are dreading calamities and storms, may charity and love be the norm.
All praise be to you through Sister Water, so precious and quenching and pure.
For those who are thirsting for water pure and clear, may springs and rivers flow everywhere.
All praise be to you through Brother Fire, through whom you brighten the night.
For those who are frozen, who dread the cold nights’ air, may we provide warmth for their care.
All praise be to your through Sister, Mother Earth, sustaining and governing all.
For those who are hungry for sustenance and food, may we provide the means from the few.
Did you know that singing is praying twice? Do you have suggestions for hymns? Don’t hesitate to let a member of the choir know, or, better yet, join us up in the loft and help enhance our Liturgies. Choir practice continues on Wednesday October 30, at 7:00 p.m. in St. Charles Hall. All are welcome to attend.
Know Your Faith: Why is scripture read at every Mass? Does the spirit not speak outside of this text? Sacred Scripture is used at every Mass because we believe that God speaks to the church through the scripture. The scripture is one of the two sources of Revelation, along with tradition. We are told that faith comes from hearing the word of God. The word of God is found in the scripture and traditions. The Spirit can speak anyway, at anytime, and however the Spirit wishes to address us. When it comes to the celebration of the Eucharist (Mass), the church has arranged the readings from the scripture (liturgical cycle) as deemed fit for spiritual growth of the people of God. Speaking outside the prescribed text for the day would be out of the context.
As (catechist or instruments) ministers of the word, during the liturgy of the word, the Christian community is encouraged to stay within the context of the text and to avoid preaching outside the text for the day. From within the text, the spirit speaks to the church–examples and daily life experience can be related to the day’s scriptural text or as it is called in homiletics applied to life experience.
There are some exceptions when scriptural text other than the day’s text may be chosen; special occasions, such as weddings, anniversaries, feasts, solemnities, funerals, etc.
In conclusion, the scripture is the central message for Christians and through it God speaks to his people. And the spirit of God can speak in different ways, most importantly through the words of the scripture.
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!
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.
We give prayerful thanks for everyone who supported our Fall Wine Tasting, benefiting the “Under This Roof Fund.”
News from our Vicariate Cluster and the Wider Community
Requiem for the Homeless, Friday November 1, 7:30pm at Westminster Presbyterian Church (724 Delaware Avenue in Buffalo). The Choirs of St. Joseph Cathedral, Westminster Presbyterian Church and Calvary Episcopal Church, along with a chamber orchestra directed by Garrett Martin, will present Bob Chilcott’s Requiem in its entirety. There will be a free-will offering with proceeds distributed among local agencies that seek to combat homelessness in Western New York. All are welcome.
Chris Wilson Concert, Saturday November 9 at 7:30pm at Church of the Annunciation (7580 Clinton Street in Elma). Join singer and songwriter, Chris Wilson, for a free concert featuring songs of faith, popular songs, and a touch of Christmas. A New York native, Wilson has gained celebrity status for his vocally driven songwriting and passionate live performances. This event is open to the public; a free-will offering would be appreciated to help defray expenses. For more information call 716-683-5254 or visit annunciation.cc.
Francis and the Sultan: A Hidden Story, An Urgent Message, Saturday, November 16, from 9am to 3pm at St. Francis Park (5229 South Park Avenue in Hamburg). Presented by Sr. Kathy Warren, OSF, a scholar of inter-religious dialogue (particularly Muslim-Christian interaction), from a Franciscan perspective. This program will focus on the uncommon vision that motivated Francis of Assisi to make contact with the leader of the Muslim forces, Sultan al-Kamil, during the brutal battles of the Fifth Crusade. That remarkable encounter deepened and expanded Francis’ vision and actions for the remainder of his life. Join us to explore the story and address the questions! Call 716-649-1205 for reservations.