Week of December 21, 2025 – Fourth Sunday of Advent

December 21 – December 28, 2025

 

To Live-stream the 10AM Sunday Mass, “Follow” Blessed Trinity R. C. Church on Facebook. You will receive a “notification” (under bell symbol) when we go live.

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.

News from our Parish

Happening this week at Blessed Trinity:

Saturday, 12/20 – Lessons and Carols, 2 pm in church
Monday, 12/22 – Decorating church for Christmas begins at 6:30pm.
Tuesday, 12/23 – Choir Rehearsal, 7 pm in church
Wednesday, 12/24 – Helping Hands Food Pantry, 9:30 am-1:30pm in St. Charles Hall – Use Dewey Ave entrance
Thursday, 12/25 – NO Bingo. We will resume on 1/8/26.
Sunday, 12/28 – Party and potluck luncheon in St. Charles Hall following 10:00am Mass.

We’ll be decorating the church for Christmas this Monday, December 22, beginning at 6:30pm. We’ll be building that manger the choir keeps singing about, hanging wreaths, decorating trees and pews, sweeping and vacuuming, etc. We need volunteers, so please come and lend a hand (two is even better). Enter by the ramp side door.

Our Christmas Eve service begins at 10:00 p.m. on December 24. It will be preceded by carols sung by the Blessed Trinity Choir. Mass on Christmas Day is at 10:00 a.m.

Our Ladies Sodality thanks all who volunteered to deliver Christmas gifts to our homebound and those in senior living facilities.

The response to Sr. Karen Klimczak’s Christmas Prison Project was overwhelming, with more than 100 volunteers assembling in two shifts at Blessed Trinity on December 5 to fill Christmas gift bags for inmates at Alden, Albion, Wende, the Erie County Holding Center, Buffalo City Jail and a facility in Niagara County. Each hand-decorated gift bag contained small gifts and a message of hope to incarcerated men and women in our community. We are especially grateful to Jan Burns who organizes the event each year and Amy Johnson, our parish coordinator. Thanks, also, to all our parishioners who contributed one of the gift items–packets of instant cocoa. You will see the large cardboard cartons containing the gift bags in church this weekend prior to their pickup and delivery.

Mass is the highest and greatest form of prayer. Contact the office (716-833-0301) to request a Mass intention for yourself, your loved ones, a special need, or in thanksgiving for prayers answered. The Mass stipend or offering is $15. If a specific date is desired, please call as far in advance as possible. Our secretary, Barb Sercu, is in the office Monday – Wednesday from 10:30am to 2:30pm.

Food Pantry in Need of Volunteers ~ The Catholic Central Helping Hands Food Pantry operates EVERY Wednesday from 9:30am – 1:30pm from our St. Charles Hall at 350 Dewey Avenue. Following the “Shopper’s Choice” model, 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 are generally available. The pantry also stocks infant care items. More volunteers are needed. To learn how you might be able to help, 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. Thursday, December 18, will be our last Bingo of 2025 since both Christmas and New Year’s Day fall on Thursday. Games will resume on January 8, 2026.

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. Columba-Brigid 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.

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.