Week of June 30, 2024 – 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time

June 30 – July 7, 2024

Live-streaming of 10AM Sunday Mass. Click HERE.

This website also includes a “Bulletins”page where visitors may view an exact copy of the weekly bulletin and inserts in PDF format, as well as a calendar for our Family of Parishes. Correction: Contrary to 6/30/24 bulletin announcement, there is NO BINGO on the Fourth of July, 2024.

News from our Parish

“Get to Know Our New Neighbors” ~ A good representation of members from our family of parishes turned out for a panel discussion on Monday evening, June 24, designed to help everyone feel more comfortable when greeting our new neighbors, many of whom are immigrants with cultural traditions very different than our own. The panelists included moderator Dr. G. Stanford Bratton, Executive Director/CEO of the Network of Religious Communities; Imam Fajri Ansari from Masjid [Mosque] Nu`Man, 1373 Fillmore Avenue; Rasul Khan, Immediate Past President of the Network of Religious Communities and Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Islamic Society Niagara Frontier; and Rev. Francis X. Mazur, ECMC Chaplain and former pastor of St Gerard’s Roman Catholic Church. They covered a wide range of topics and graciously answered a number of questions posed by audience members. Special thanks to Father Bob and Pastoral Associate, Patricia Dyer, for their efforts in bringing this all about.

July 3 is the Feastday of St. Thomas the Apostle. Rev. Malcolm Guite, an Anglican priest from Cambridge, England, praises St. Thomas as “the one disciple who had the courage to say what everyone else was thinking….” His collection of sonnets, Sounding the Seasons, includes this poem written for St. Thomas:

“We do not know… how can we know the way?”
Courageous master of the awkward question,
You spoke the words the others dared not say
And cut through their evasion and abstraction.
Oh doubting Thomas, father of my faith,
You put your finger on the nub of things
We cannot love some disembodied wraith,
But flesh and blood must be our king of kings.
Your teaching is to touch, embrace, anoint,
Feel after Him and find Him in the flesh.
Because He loved your awkward counter-point
The Word has heard and granted you your wish.
Oh place my hands with yours, help me divine
The wounded God whose wounds are healing mine.
oh place my hands with yours, help me divine
the wounded God whose wounds are healing mine.

Our first “Sacred Space Sunday” on June 23 was definitely termed a success by the docent team of of Eleanor Ash, Luis Clay and Mickey Dick. For nearly an hour, they shared information about the rich symbolism contained in the art, design and architectural elements of our church building with five visitors and two parishioners who remained after Mass. Parishioners are invited to take advantage of three additional “Sacred Space” opportunities scheduled for July 28, August 25 and September 22. Everyone is encouraged to share the experience by inviting a friend to attend Mass with you on those days.

BT prepares for the East Side Garden Walk. Mother Nature has been quite cooperative this weekend, providing plenty of water for our east and west side gardens and flower beds surrounding the rectory and outdoor statuary. Some mulching of the east side garden still needs to be done, but then it’s a matter of keeping the flowers watered and the weeds at bay for the July 20-21 East Side Garden Walks. The watering calendar has made a reappearance on the table at the ramp (left) side entrance. Please consider committing to water for one week (Sunday-Saturday) this summer. All volunteer hours count toward our match for the Lunenfeld Beautification Grant we received from Gardens Buffalo Niagara. Please remember to keep track of yours and submit them to Mickey Dick.

Bible Study ~ Our summer hiatus has begun. ZOOM bible study sessions will resume in the fall. Now that we have a deeper understanding of the mission of St. Paul, this may be a good time to reread the Acts of the Apostles.

Food Pantry Provides Shopper’s Choice ~ The Catholic Central Helping Hands Food Pantry operates EVERY Wednesday from 9:30am – 1:30pm from our St. Charles Hall at 350 Dewey Avenue. Residents of zip codes 14214 & 14215 are welcome to help themselves, according to household size, to portions of carbohydrates, grains, proteins and canned vegetables. Bread and sweets generally available. Baby needs in stock also. Call (716) 800-1075 or email ccfp14215 [at] gmail [dot] com for information.

We play Bingo every Thursday in St. Charles Hall, 350 Dewey Ave. Doors open at 6:30pm, concessions open at 7:30, and games begin at 8:00pm. Please plan to join us. You can check the latest carryover figures on our Facebook page.

FAMILY PROMISE OF WNY: Feed the Hungry, Shelter the Homeless. Family Promise offers us the opportunity to perform these acts of charity in a very direct and personal manner. As a support congregation, Blessed Trinity parishioners purchase and deliver groceries to the Family Promise shelter at Ss. Brigid-Columba Parish. With a few more volunteers we could continue this corporal work of mercy at least one day a month. Working in pairs, you could anticipate your turn to occur every third month. We hope you will join us. If you want more background information go to the web site, www.fpwny.org, or contact Amy Johnson (716-836-4694).

• Family Promise is certified by NYS and can house up to six families.
• It is one of only two emergency shelters in Erie County that allow fathers and teenage sons to stay with their family.
• Families are referred by the Dept. of Social Services and receive case management in finding employment and permanent housing, security deposit assistance, day care, school transport, and follow up support upon leaving the shelter.
• In 2020, the Homeless Alliance of WNY rated Family Promise with the best success rate for moving families into permanent homes.

Pastor Emeritus, Rev. George L. Reger ~ The Mass of Christian Burial for Father Reger was celebrated at Blessed Trinity on Friday, May 26. Click HERE to view a recorded version of the Mass.

Is it time to update your contact information? During the pandemic when COVID-19 Protocols prevented many from attending church services, the ability to keep in touch by telephone, mail or email took on increased importance. Because not everyone has computer access, really important information is sent in a letter. Even though you are now able to attend Mass in person, this may be a good time to ask yourself: Does the church office have my correct mailing address and phone number? Have I shared my 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 receive the bulletin electronically via email, register as a parishioner, or request envelopes. You can also submit the requested information by phoning our secretary at 716-833-0301 any Monday, Tuesday, or 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.

Enjoy a virtual tour of our Landmark house of worship, courtesy of Buffalo Rising and Explore Buffalo. By Clicking HERE, you will be treated to both exterior and interior photos and more than a little history.