April 5 – April 12, 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 15, 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 1, April 15, April 29, 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.
During these extraordinary times, several area Catholic churches are live-streaming weekend Masses. For your convenience, we are providing links to two of them:
Ss. Columba-Brigid
Live-streaming Saturdays at 4pm and Sundays at 9am (Spanish) and 11am (English)
St. Leo the Great (scroll down to “Live Stream”)
Live-streaming Saturdays at 4pm and Sundays at 9am and 11am; weekdays at 8am
We also invite you to follow the daily Mass readings for the week.
Readings for Holy Week, April 5-12, 2020
Sunday: Is 50:4-7; Ps 22:8-9, 17-20, 23-24; Phil 2:6-11; Mt 26:14–27:66
Monday: Is 42:1-7; Ps 27:1-3, 13-14; Jn 12:1-11
Tuesday: Is 49-1-6; Ps 71:1-4a, 5ab-6ab, 15, 17; Jn 13:21-33, 36-38
Wednesday: Is 50:4-9a; Ps 69:8-10, 21-22, 31, 33-34; Mt 26:14-25
Holy Thursday: Ex 12:1-8, 11-14 (39ABC); Ps 116:12-13, 15-16bc, 17-18; 1 Cor 11:23-26; Jn 13:1-15
Good Friday: Is 52:13 – 53:12; Ps 31:2, 6, 12-13, 15-16, 17, 25; Heb 4:14-16, 5:7-9; Jn 18:1 – 19:42
Holy Saturday: Gn 1:1 – 2:2; Ps 104:1-2, 5-6, 10, 12, 13-14, 24, 35 OR Ps 33:4-5, 6-7. 12-13, 20, 22; Gn 22:1-18 OR Gn 22:1-2, 9A, 10-13, 15-18; Ps 16:5, 8, 9-10, 11; Ex 14:15 -15:1; Ex 15:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 17-18; Is 54:5-14; Ps 30:2, 4, 5-6, 11-12, 13; Is 55:1-11; Is 12:2-3, 4, 5-6; Bar 3:9-15, 32 – 4:4; Ps 19:8, 9, 10, 11; Ez 36:16-17A, 18-28; Ps 42:3, 5, 43:3.4; Is 12:2-3, 4BCD, 5-6; Ps 51:12-13. 14-15, 18-19; Rom 6:3-11; Ps 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23; Mt 28:1-10
Easter Sunday: Acts 10:34A, 37-43; Ps 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23; Col 3:1-4; 1 Cor 5:6B-8; 1 Cor 5:7B-8A; Jn 20:1-9
Reflection and Prayer for Palm Sunday
from Lenten Light: Reflections and Prayers by Fr. Thomas Connery
“God’s Donkey” ~ Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Mark 11:10
“Corrie ten Boom survivor of the Nazi concentration camp and author of The Hiding Place, was once asked if it was difficult for her to remain humble. She simply replied, ‘When Jesus rode into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday on the back of a donkey, and everyone was waving palm branches and throwing garments on the path and singing praises, do you think that for one moment it even entered the head of the donkey that any of that was for him?’
Our vocation in life is to be the Lord’s donkey. We are to be used by him for his purpose wherever and whatever that may be. We seek to know and love the Lord. We will be at times overworked, overlooked and taken advantage of. This is our sacrifice. Not only does the Lord know his sheep, he knows his donkeys as well.
All-powerful Father, I am on this earth just for a short time. May I seek to please and serve you and not strive for the worldly honor. Let me be the donkey your son uses. Amen.“
News from our Parish Community
We all wish that we could worship together as a parish family this Holy Week. For almost everyone, this is the first time in our lives that we will not be attending Palm Sunday and Holy Week services. But these are extraordinary times, as acknowledged by Pope Francis on March 27, 2020, when he bestowed his special blessing, “Urbi et Orbi,” (To the City and to the World). As he prayed for an end to the Covid-19 corona virus pandemic, Pope Francis meditated on the calming of the storm from the Gospel of Mark. and reflected on Jesus’ words to His disciples: “Why are you afraid? Have you no faith?” He repeated these words at the end of his message and added this prayer:
“Dear brothers and sisters, from this place that tells of Peter’s rock-solid faith, I would like this evening to entrust all of you to the Lord, through the intercession of Mary, Health of the People and Star of the stormy Sea. From this colonnade that embraces Rome and the whole world, may God’s blessing come down upon you as a consoling embrace. Lord, may you bless the world, give health to our bodies and comfort our hearts. You ask us not to be afraid. Yet our faith is weak and we are fearful. But you, Lord, will not leave us at the mercy of the storm. Tell us again: ‘Do not be afraid’ (Mt. 28:5). And we, together with Peter, ‘cast all our anxieties onto you, for you care about us.’ (cf. 1 Pet 5:7).”
If you are anxious and looking for comfort and reassurance, please read the full text of the Pontiff’s address and blessing.
Prayer for Times of Confusion ~ The following prayer appeared in our church bulletin on May 8, 2005 (Ascension Sunday).
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
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. The easiest way to do that is by using the contact feature at the bottom of this page. You may also call her at 716-833-0301 on Wednesdays between 10:30am and 2:30pm.
The Annual Parish Financial Report for the fiscal year 2018-2019 has been mailed to parishioners, together with a March 25, 2020 letter from Father Victor. If you did not receive a copy, it may be that the office does not have your correct contact information. Please call the rectory on Wednesday between 10:30am and 2:30pm and verify your address.
Aiding You on Your Lenten Journey ~ At the beginning of Lent, The Parish Council compiled a list of suggested daily prayer intentions to assist our parishioners on their Lenten journey to a joyful Easter season. These prayer intentions take on an even more significant role now that services and activities have been cancelled, Please use the link above to view them and remember them during your at-home prayer.
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!
Lenten Stations of the Cross have been cancelled. Please pray the Stations of the Cross at home and join your prayer with others who are doing the same. Our Lord and Savior does not need to practice social distancing and is always waiting for you to reach out.
Our “Congregation Book Read” ~ We hope that you have been participating by following along in your copy of Matthew Kelly’s Rediscover Jesus. Although we will not be able to gather in St. Charles Hall and discuss the book, you can still use it to inspire you as you 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.
The St. John Paul II Schola Cantorum
Tenebrae Service Cancelled ~ We regret that an adaptation of the Good Friday Liturgy of Tenebrae, tentatively scheduled to take place in our church on Friday evening, April 3, has been cancelled. Our parish looks forward to hosting the St. John Paul II Schola Cantorum, an a cappella choir dedicated to performing, promoting and preserving the great treasury of sacred choral music, in the very near future.
Outreach Aids ~ For the convenience of donors, we now have envelopes specifically designed for Under This Roof contributions, including remembrances “in memoriam.” We are also re-introducing parish “business cards,” which you can use when inviting someone to join us for worship. Both can be found in a display rack on the guest book table at the middle crossing of the church.
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 an informative page, “Reorganizing for the Future…together” to help explain this choice. Find it at buffalodiocese.org
Anyone interested in coordinating a prayer group, such as Pious Society, Sacred Heart, St. Jude, Altar Rosary, etc., please see Fr. Victor or email the church office at blessedtrinitychurch [at] gmail [dot] com.
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 ~ Please notify the church office if you know of aged, sick, or home bound 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
Help for Seniors and Caregivers ~ Information about housing options, healthcare, insurance, and other important topics of aging may be found at caring.com, a leading resource, featured by AARP, The Administration for Community Living, The National Legal Resource Center, and Forbes.