Week of May 10, 2020 – Fifth Sunday of Easter

May 3 – May 10, 2020

Weekly Activities –

We are social distancing. All services, meetings and activities are cancelled until further notice, with the exception of the Food Pantry.

 Wednesday, May 13, from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. ~ EXTENDED HOURS ~ Catholic Central Food Pantry in St. Charles Hall
Now operating every other Wednesday (May 13, May 27, June 10, 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 Fifth Sunday of Easter 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 of May 10. They are available on the website of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops by Clicking HERE. Select the desired day on their Roman Liturgical Calendar, and the text of the readings for that day will appear

News from our Parish Community

Happy Mother’s Day ~ The Blessed Trinity Parish family joins Father Victor in wishing all mothers and those who have assumed motherly responsibilities a Happy Mother’s Day. May all your works, joys and sacrifices be blessed.

Remembering a Parish Tradition ~ For the first time in more than a half century, the men of our Holy Name Society will be unable to honor women of the parish by hosting the annual Mother’s Day Breakfast. As our parish family celebrates Happy Mother’s Day, we honor not only our mothers, but all the gentlemen who have made this such a special occasion over the years.

Stewardship ~ On behalf of the parish, Father Victor would like to express his gratitude to all who have have continued their weekly offerings. While we have not been able to worship together since March 15, many expenses associated with running the parish continue. If you are blessed to be in a position to support the parish financially, please consider resuming your contributions. Checks payable to “Blessed Trinity Church” should be sent to the church at 317 Leroy Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14214.

To the Moms Who Are
To the Moms who are struggling, to those filled with incandescent joy.
To the Moms who are remembering children who have died, and pregnancies that miscarried.
To the Moms who decided other parents were the best choice for their babies, to the Moms who adopted those kids and loved them fierce.
To those experiencing frustration or desperation in infertility.
To those who knew they never wanted kids, and the ways they have contributed to our shared world.
To those who mothered colleagues, mentees, neighborhood kids, and anyone who needed it.
To those remembering Moms no longer with us.
To those moving forward from Moms who did not show love, or hurt those they should have cared for.
Today is a day to honor the unyielding love and care for others we call ‘Motherhood,’ wherever we have found it and in whatever ways we have found to cultivate it within ourselves.

Hannah Kardon, Pastor at Elston Avenue United Methodist Church, Chicago, IL

Saints in a time of pandemics ~ There seems to be a saint associated with every form of trial or tribulation, so what about pandemics? His name is St. Rock (Roch in the Church of England). A favorite of Italians who venerate him as “St. Rocco,” his image can be found in our church sanctuary.

Rocco was born into nobility circa 1340, orphaned as a young child, and raised by his uncle, the Duke of Montpellier, France. Having distributed his wealth among the poor, Rocco took a vow of poverty. Dressed as a pilgrim, he traveled to Italy at a time when the country was being ravaged by disease. St. Rocco cured many of the plague, but contracted the disease himself and was banished from Rome. Legend has it that he took refuge in a cave, and survived by eating bread brought to him by a dog. St. Rocco eventually arrived back at his birthplace, but in such a weakened state he was unrecognizable by the townspeople and ended up being imprisoned for 5 years as a spy. His true identity was revealed on his prison deathbed, where a “voice from paradise” announced this his soul had merited immortal glory in Heaven. Many miracles were attributed to him after his death on August 16, 1378.

The following Litany of Saint Roch dates back to 1855 in The Church of England.

Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Jesus, hear us.
Holy Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, have mercy on us.
Saint Mary, pray for us.
Saint Anne, pray for us.
Saint Joseph, pray for us.
Saint Roch, confessor, pray for us.
Saint Roch, given to the prayers of your parents, pray for us.
Saint Roch, brought up in holiness, pray for us.
Saint Roch, mortified from your infancy, pray for us.
Saint Roch, giving away all your goods to the poor after the death of your parents, pray for us.
Saint Roch, who did quit your country to live unknown, pray for us.
Saint Roch, taking care of the sick at Rome, pray for us.
Saint Roch, attacked by the plague at Florence, pray for us.
Saint Roch, cured of the plague by the grace of God, pray for us.
Saint Roch, consoling men in public calamity, pray for us.
Saint Roch, taken as spy, put in prison, pray for us.
Saint Roch, prisoner four years, pray for us.
Saint Roch patient in sickness, pray for us.
Saint Roch, model of a recluse, pray for us.
Saint Roch, by love of shame, pray for us.
Saint Roch, pattern of chastity, pray for us.
Saint Roch, pattern of patience, pray for us.
Saint Roch, dying in the odor of sanctity, pray for us.
Saint Roch, praying against the plague, pray for us.
Saint Roch, whose image carried in procession by the fathers In Council, dispersed the plague at Constance, pray for us.
Saint Roch, honored in hospitals, pray for us.
Saint Roch, whose worship is universal, pray for us.
Saint Roch, whose images are universal, pray for us.
Let us pray,

Receive Lord, in Thy Fatherly goodness, thy people, who cast themselves on Thee in these days of trouble, to the end that they who fear this scourge may be mercifully delivered by the prayers of St. Roch, and may persevere till death in the keeping of Thy Holy Commandments. Amen

Have your responded to the 2020 Census? It is a once-in-a-decade chance to inform how billions of dollars in federal funding are allocated for critical public services. The current corona virus pandemic should certainly enforce in our minds how crucial such funding can be. 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. The Diocese of Buffalo has joined other faith communities and civic organizations in encouraging all people in our community to participate. You should have received a census form in the mail during the month of March. If you misplaced yours, go to 2020census.gov to find out how you obtain another or complete the census online. Then ask your friends and family as well as your neighbors and co-workers if THEY have completed the census, and — if not — encourage them to do the same.

Do you miss being at church? Of course long-time parishioners can probably close their eyes and picture the view from a favorite pew. But here’s something even better. Buffalo Rising and Explore Buffalo teamed up to give their online followers a “tour” of Blessed Trinity. You can join them, by Clicking HERE. You will be treated to both exterior and interior photos and more than a little history. Take the “tour” and test your knowledge about your house of worship.

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

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.

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!

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.

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 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.