Week of March 29, 2020 – Fifth Sunday of Lent

March 29 – April 5, 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, March 25 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 the week of March 29, 2020
Sunday: Ez 37:12-14; Ps 130:1-8; Rom 8:8-11; Jn 11:1-45
Monday: Dn 13:1-9, 15-17, 19-30, 33-62; Ps 23:1-6; Jn 8:1-11
Tuesday: Nm 21:4-9; Ps 102:2-3, 16-21; Jn 8:21-30
Wednesday: Dn 3:14-20, 91-92, 95; Dn 3:52-56; Jn 8:31-42
Thursday: Gn 17:3-9; Ps 105:4-9; Jn 8:51-59
Friday: Jer 20:10-13; Ps 18:2-7; Jn 10:31-42
Saturday: Ez 37:21-28; Jer 31:10-13; Jn 11:45-56
Sunday: Is 50:4-7; Ps 22:8-9, 17-20, 23-24; Phil 2:6-11; Mt 26:14–27:66

News from our Parish Community

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.

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 Annual Catholic Charities Appeal has started. Donated funds go to agencies run by Catholic Charities or to the Fund for the Faith that supports diocesan programs such as campus and hospital ministries. None of the funds collected for Catholic Charities will be used for legal settlements or awards to abuse victims. Pledge cards are in the mail to you. They include an option that allows you to direct your contribution to Catholic Charities, the Fund for the Faith, or both. During this period of isolation, the services provided by Catholic Charities are even more essential. Please give generously. You may mail your donation/pledge card directly to Blessed Trinity or the diocese. (It will be credited to our parish). If you are in need of a pledge card or have questions, contact Bob Heicklen, 716-881-3793.

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.