Week of April 19, 2020 – Second Sunday of Easter

April 19 – April 26, 2020

Weekly Activities –

As of March 16, 2020, all services, meetings and activities are cancelled until further notice, with the exception of the Food Pantry.

 Wednesday, April 29, from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. ~ EXTENDED HOURS ~ Catholic Central Food Pantry in St. Charles Hall
Now operating every other Wednesday (April 15, April 29, May 13, etc.) but with extended hours. Volunteers will distribute pre-prepared bags of groceries.

Mass Intentions – As of March 16, 2020, all services are cancelled until further notice.

Mass for the Second Sunday of Easter (or Sunday of Divine Mercy) celebrated at neighboring St. Joseph University Church is available on YouTube. You can watch it at any time by Clicking HERE.

We also invite you to follow the daily Mass readings for the week.

Readings for April 19 – 26, 2020
Sunday: Acts 2:42-47; Ps 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24; 1 Pt 1:3-9; Jn 20:19-31
Monday: Acts 4:23-31; Ps 2:1-3,4-7A, 7B-9; Jn 3:1-8
Tuesday: Acts 4:32-37; Ps 93:1AB, 1CD-2, 5; Jn 3:7B-15
Wednesday: Acts 5:17-26; Ps 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9; Jn3:16-21
Thursday: Acts 3:11-265:27-33; Ps 34:2 and 9, 17-18, 19-20; Jn 3:31-36
Friday: Acts 5:34-42; Ps 27:1, 4, 13-14; Jn 6:1-15
Saturday: 1 Pt 5:5B-14; Ps 89:2-3, 6-7, 16-17; Mk 16:5-20
Third Sunday of Easter: Acts 2:14, 22-33 (46A); Ps 16:1-2, 5, 7-8, 9-10, 11; 1 Pt 1:17-21;Lk 24:13-35

Easter 2020
by Malcolm Guite

And where is Jesus, this strange Easter day?
Not lost in our locked churches, anymore
Than he was sealed in that dark sepulchre.
The locks are loosed; the stone is rolled away,
And he is up and risen, long before,
Alive, at large, and making his strong way
Into the world he gave his life to save,
No need to seek him in his empty grave.

He might have been a wafer in the hands
Of priests this day, or music from the lips
Of red-robed choristers, instead he slips
Away from church, shakes off our linen bands
To don his apron with a nurse: he grips
And lifts a stretcher, soothes with gentle hands
The frail flesh of the dying, gives them hope,
Breathes with the breathless, lends them strength to cope.

On Thursday we applauded, for he came
And served us in a thousand names and faces
Mopping our sickroom floors and catching traces
Of that virus which was death to him:
Good Friday happened in a thousand places
Where Jesus held the helpless, died with them
That they might share his Easter in their need,
Now they are risen with him, risen indeed.

The above poem was written for the extraordinary day that was Easter 2020 by Malcolm Guite (pronounced “gait”). Father Guite is a 62-year-old English poet, singer-songwriter, Anglican priest, and academic. Born in Nigeria, he earned degrees from Cambridge and Durham universities. Guite is currently Bye-Fellow and chaplain of Girton College, Cambridge, and associate chaplain of St. Edward King and Martyr in Cambridge, England. You can find out more about him and read his inspirational poetry by clicking on his highlighted name below the title of the poem above.

News from our Parish Community

Prayer for Times of Confusion

Lord Jesus Christ,
who feels the struggles of every heart,
sees the doubts of every mind,
we lay our confusions before you.

Already you know our thoughts.
You hold our bewilderment in your hand.
Whatever our falterings, you call us
to be your witness in the world.

Love us through this uncertainty.
Be present in this dim place.
Give us the light and hope of your presence
We pray in your name. Amen

Stewardship ~ In late March, Father Victor mailed a letter to all parishioners enclosing a copy of the the Annual Parish Financial Report for the fiscal year 2018-19. At this time, Father Victor and the parish finance council have done everything possible to cut expenses. Members of our relatively small staff are making great sacrifices, working drastically reduced hours or none at all. However, expenses — including large utility bills — continue. We realize that many of you may have experienced a loss of income during the economic shutdown. However, if you are in a position to continue supporting the parish financially, please consider your responsibilities as a “good steward” and help us to survive the difficult weeks ahead. Checks payable to “Blessed Trinity Church” should be sent to the church at 317 Leroy Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14214.

New Office Hours ~ The parish has temporarily reduced office hours to one day each week. Our secretary, Pat Pendleton, will be in the office every Wednesday from 10:30am-2:30pm.

Until the current COVID-19 restrictions on services and activities are lifted, we will not be preparing a weekly bulletin. However, there may well be announcements that Father Victor would like to share with our parish family. The most efficient way to do this is to utilize email messaging, but our secretary has email addresses for only about 40 parishioners. Please share your current email address with Pat so that you will be able to receive such announcements in a timely fashion. You may submit this information using the contact feature at the bottom of this page or by calling Pat at 716-833-0301 on Wednesdays between 10:30am and 2:30pm.

Keep abreast of the latest Diocesan announcements by visiting their Facebook page.

A Message from Catholic Charities Appeal 2020:

Catholic Charities is doing everything possible to continue to serve our neighbors in need at this time. We are operating every service we safely can and especially those most vital at this time such as basic emergency assistance, including our food pantries (all nine are up and running, assisted by CC staff from other departments) and counseling and mental health services. We are here to help! Many of our staff are working remotely and returning office calls daily.

For the Appeal, our office at 741 Delaware Ave. is closed to visitors. Parishes (and even individual parishioners) are asked to mail donations to our office, 741 Delaware Ave., Buffalo, NY 14209, Attn: Appeal Department. We also encourage online donations:https://www.ccwny.org/donation when possible. Appeal staff are working remotely and returning office calls daily. Please call Clara Moran, 716-713-4410, with questions or concerns. We are grateful for the returns that are being mailed already!

For a daily update about Catholic Charities, go to our home page at ccwny.org. Thank you!

Our “Congregation Book Read” ~ We hope that you have been participating by following along in your copy of Matthew Kelly’s Rediscover Jesus,and that it has inspired you on your journey to a joyful Easter.

Faith Formation Program Provides On-line Opportunities ~ Buffalo’s Department of Lifelong Faith Formation’s Youth and Young Adult Ministry has officially partnered with “ProjectYM Live” a program designed especially for youth and young adults. In this time of “Social Distancing,” try Church in a way our parents could never have imagined. And, everyone in the parish is invited to join our Confirmation students as they prepare for receipt of the Sacrament. Here is a link to Lesson 2: Catholic Social Teaching: A Brief Overview.

Our Faith Formation Program now has its own page on our web site. Click HERE to find complete information on the resumption of programs, classes and volunteer opportunities as it becomes available. 

Call to Stewardship ~ Our Parish Finance Council seeks a parishioner with accounting skills to join our committee. Please see Father Victor if you are able to serve in this capacity.

The Diocese of Buffalo has joined other faith communities and civic organizations in partnering with the Census Bureau to help encourage all people in our community to participate in the 2020 Census. The census is a once-in-a-decade chance to inform how billions of dollars in funding are allocated for critical public services. Census statistics are used to determine the number of seats each state receives in the U.S. House of Representatives, and will also have an impact on planning and funding for health clinics and highways, fire departments and disaster response, education programs such as Head Start and college tuition assistance, and so much more. You can inspire others. Tell everyone – your friends and family, your neighbors and co-workers – that you will complete the census, and tell them why it’s important that they respond too. For more information, contact 2020census.gov.

The Buffalo Diocese “has determined that it is in the best interests of victims of past clergy sexual abuse, as well as the ongoing and essential work of Faith in WNY to pursue reorganization through Chapter 11 [Bankruptcy].” Their Office of Communications has created a web page, “Reorganizing for the Future…together” to help explain this choice. Find it at buffalodiocese.org

Is it time to update your contact information? During this period when the COVID-19 Protocols prevent us from attending church services, there will surely be occasions when the parish has important information to convey to the faithful. Does the church office have your correct mailing address and phone number? Have you shared your email address? Make sure that we have been notified of any changes in your 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 Wednesday between 10:30am and 2:30pm; sending an email to blessedtrinitychurch [at] gmail [dot] com; or using the contact feature below 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 ~ Because of the COVID-19 protocols, Father Victor has had to discontinue his “last Friday” visits to homebound parishioners. However, if someone is ill and in need of Last Rites, please call him at the rectory.

News from our Vicariate Cluster and the Wider Community

Food Assistance for Seniors ~ The County of Erie advises anyone over the age of 60 who is in need of food assistance to call 716-858-8526.