May 8, 2016 - Our Lady of Mercy

Sunday, May 8, 2016
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MASS INTENTIONS
Saturday
8:30 AM
5:00 PM
Sunday
8:30 AM
10:00 AM
12:00 PM
5:00 PM
Monday
8:30 AM
12:00 PM
Tuesday
8:30 AM
12:00 PM
Wednesday
8:30 AM
12:00 PM
Thursday
8:30 AM
12:00 PM
Friday
8:30 AM
12:00 PM
Saturday
8:30 AM
5:00 PM
Sunday
8:30 AM
10:00 AM
12:00 PM
5:00 PM
May 7th
Elizabeth Haggerty (32nd Anniversary)
Anna Sorrentino
May 8th
Vicente Dorotan
Parish Mass
Mothers’ Day Novena
Nora Calderon
May 9th
Joseph DiCapua and
The BiFalco & DiCapua Families
Mothers’ Day Novena
May 10th
William Kirby & Leonard Quigley
Mothers’ Day Novena
May 11th
Mothers’ Day Novena
Joan Sauro & Serafina Sauro
May 12th
William Hoogsteden
Mothers’ Day Novena
May 13th
Frank Morison
Mothers’ Day Novena
May 14th
Mothers’ Day Novena
William Walters
May 15th
Sidonia Skrivanek
Parish Mass
Fr. John Cremins
Zofia Woloszynowska
PRAY FOR THE SICK
Cecilia Koluch, Vincent Lucanie, Roberta Papagni, Bernadette
Boyle, Brene Brown, Cecelia Podolsky, Rev. John J. Fullum,
Richard Stuchinski, Dcn. Ramon Lima, James Leung, Chantel
Fernandes, Alice Coleman, Robert & Mary Tardona, Ken
Kirwin, Ed Broderick, Robert Barrett, Maryann Albert, and for
all of our parishioners who are currently hospitalized or
homebound.
PRAY FOR THE ARMED SERVICES
Capt. Peter Sulewski, U.S. Army; Major Patrick Davis, U.S.
Army (JAG); Chief Ajay James, U.S. Navy NSW; Sgt. Beau
Parham, U.S. Army; Capt. Paul Lentz, USAF; Sgt. Larry
Saume, U.S. Army; Capt. Travis Swiatocha, USMC, and all
parishioners currently in the Military
Pray for all of our police, fire, and corrections officers, who
risk their lives daily to insure our safety.
PRAYERS FOR THE DECEASED
May 8th
May 9th
May 10th
May 11th
May 12th
May 13th
May 14th
ALTAR FLOWERS
Many thanks for this week’s flower donation given in loving
memory of:
Jennette Markey
Happy Heavenly Birthday
by
The Kim Family
MEMORIALIZE A LOVED ONE
Consider the possibility of a donation of the Bread &
Wine, Flowers for the Altar, Tabernacle Light, or the
Memorial Worship Fund in memor y of a special per son.
Names of all those memorialized will be published in the
bulletin. Call or stop by the Rectory for more info.
POOR BOX
We continue to receive requests for assistance so we
ask you to please remember the poor and make a donation to
the Poor Boxes at the entries of the Church. Your continued
generosity is greatly appreciated
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Dear Parishioners;
Thursday we celebrated the feast of the Ascension and this Sunday's readings also express a tone of
farewell. As is the usual liturgical practice, the readings are not in chronological order. In the Gospel before
His passion and death Jesus prays to the Father. Unity is His theme: that His followers might be united much
in the same fashion as Jesus and His Father are united. Jesus has made the unseen and incomprehensible God
visible. The Spirit, the Advocate or Paraclete, which Jesus will send to the apostles will be the power from on
high and with the strength of that Spirit, they will make Jesus visible in the love they have for one another.
The first reading, which chronologically comes after the Gospel narrates the martyrdom of the "Protomartyr" - "the first martyr" - Saint Stephen. Stephen was one of the those chosen by the Apostles to
administer the distribution of alms to the poor, especially to those whose first language was not Aramaic/
Hebrew but one the other Mediterranean tongues. "Filled with the Holy Spirit" Stephen is unable to confine
himself to his "diaconal" service of being an agent of charity but rather he proclaims Jesus openly before the
Sanhedrin. For his efforts he is stoned to death by his opponents. Among the latter is a young man, Saul,
whose Latinized name is Paul. This Saul held the coats of those doing the stoning. He was an observer of the
courage and faith of Stephen. A seed had been planted. This Saul would be confronted by the risen Jesus on
the road to Damascus and then as Paul he would be the great agent of the Gospel to the Gentiles, the non-Jews.
In Greek, "stephanos" (Stephen or Steven) means "crown". The crown of Stephen is his martyrdom; his blood
would be the seed of the Church. Paul would continue what Stephen had proclaimed.
The middle reading is again from the Book of the Apocalypse or Revelation. Often confusing because
of its arcane use of symbols and metaphors, Revelation was written to encourage the early Church as it faced
its first major persecutions at the hands of the Roman Empire. Because Christians would not even simulate
worship of the supposedly "divine" emperor, it put them under suspicion as traitors. Their life style of
compassionate love was also a judgment on the self-centered hedonistic lives enjoyed by the upper classes of
that time. For the casual reader much of the Book of Revelation is difficult to understand; nonetheless, there is
no misunderstanding of the beautiful poetry in the last few verses. Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega (the first
and last letters of the Greek alphabet); Jesus is the first and the last, the beginning and the end. In His
humanity He is the root and offspring of David, His remote ancestor. His kingdom will be will be one more
expansive than David could ever have imagined. All those people, yearning for truth and meaning, will find it
in Jesus, Who will bring them recompense for their deeds. Those blessed are those who "have washed their
robes"; in other words, those who have lived and perhaps died for the sake of the Gospel. Like a person
seeking water in his/her thirst, Jesus will give us life-giving water, i.e. eternal life. For this all yearn - life and
life to the fullest!
The last words of the Book of Revelation are the last words of the New Testament: The One (Jesus)
Who gives this testimony speaks these words of assurance: "Yes, I am coming soon." The response to that
from all Christians, past, present and future, is: Amen (So be it!), "Maran atha" (the Aramaic expression for
"Our Lord, Come") which echoes in all of our hearts!
Peace,
Monsignor John A. McGuirl
Sunday, May 8, 2016
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A MILLION THANKS!!!!
The entire parish must thank all our wonderful and
generous volunteers who made this year's "Spring Fling"
successful. Many were tireless in their commitment to the
Spring Fling and beyond that to the fiscal health of our parish.
Much of the planning was done by Mrs. Dian Malm, the parish
administrative assistant, but her ideas and plans could not have
been activated without the generous help of some many
wonderful people. Also thanks to all those who came down to
the Church Hall for a bargain! A special word of thanks for
our sponsors, especially Glascott Funeral Home; Fox Funeral
Home; Woodhaven House on Woodhaven Boulevard; Five
Burros Restaurant on Austin Street, Lillies of the Valley Florist,
and Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Academy.
THE 2016 EDWARD CARDINAL EGAN
LECTURE
The Magnificat Foundations is sponsoring the fifth
Cardinal Egan Lecture. This year's guest speaker will be
Archbishop J. Augustine DiNoia. O.P. Archbishop Di Noia is
a native of The Bronx and presently he is Adjunct Secretary of
the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith at Vatican City.
His topic will be "Not Born Bad; The Catholic Truth about
Original Sin". The lecture will be at 6:30 P.M. on Saturday,
May 21st, 2016 at NYU Catholic Center (Washington Square
South, 238 Thompson Street, NYC). A reception will follow;
however, seating is extremely limited so admission is by ticket
only. In order to order a complimentary ticket, please register
at www.cardinaleganlecture.com or call: 914-502-1859
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY
Thanks to Mrs. Patrick (Carol) Gorman for reminding
us of two special anniversaries. Sister Mary Ellen Malloy,
I.H.M., formally the principal of our parish school, celebrated
her sixtieth jubilee as a Sister, Servant of the Immaculate Heart
of Mary. Sister Francis Rose Lapitino, I.H.M., celebrated her
fiftieth jubilee as a Sister, Servant of the Immaculate Heart of
Mary. For many years, Sister Francis Rose was our prekindergarten teacher. Both served faithfully for many years at
Our Lady of Mercy Parish
If anyone would like to send them a card in honor of
their special anniversaries, both Sisters live at the Motherhouse
in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Their address is:
IHM Center
2300 Adams Avenue
Scranton, Pennsylvania, 18509
50-50 RAFFLE WINNERS
Congratulations to the April Winners of the 50-50 Raffle:
1st Prize: Ms. Kathy Cicerale
$275.00
2nd Prize: Mr. Ronald Casabianca
$138.00
3rd Prize: Kathleen & Ralph Nocera
$138.00
4th Prize: The Rifenburgh Family
$69.00
5th Prize: Mary & Roland Dattner
$69.00
PANTRY NEWS
Fighting Hunger, Feeding
Hope, Helping the Needy
The Our Lady of Mercy
Food Pantry is a part of our
Ministry that seeks to create a
hunger free community by
sharing our abundant blessings
with God’s people that are in
need.
Your donations help us
keep the shelves stocked so we
can provide nutritious food for
our needy neighbors in and around our community. We are
asking for your help in dropping off food, monetary donations
or gift cards.
At present, our pantry shelves are alarmingly empty.
Food items needed: cereal, peanut butter, jelly, canned
meats, canned soups, tuna fish, tomato/pasta sauce, Chef
Boyardee, canned fruits coffee, tea, hot chocolate,
Parmalat/powdered milk, cookies, paper towels, bathroom
tissue, toothpaste, soaps, and any other personal hygiene
and non-perishable food items.
If giving a monetary donation, please make all checks
payable to Our Lady of Mercy Church (in the memo section
please state Food Pantry or Human Services) and forward all
cash or checks to the Rectory, 70 01 Kessel Street.
Food Pantry Hours 10:00 am – 11:00 am every Saturday of
the month
Special thank you to all the people that support and
volunteer at our food pantry.
Deacon Dean Dobbins
For even the Son of Man did not come to be served,
but to serve (Matthew 20:28)
The Human Services element of the parish pastoral
care program is for those who require human services that go
beyond those offered by our weekly food pantry. I will be
available on Tuesdays evenings from 7:00 P.M. to 8:30 P.M. If
you require this assistance please leave your name and number
at the Rectory so that an appointment may be made.
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Sunday, May 8, 2016
THE DIOCESAN PILGRIMAGE OFFICE
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Consider joining the Helpers of God’s Precious Infants at
the All Women’s Pavilion, 120-34 Queens Blvd., on
Saturdays between 7:00 AM and 11:30 AM in a peaceful,
prayerful witness to life. Lives are saved and the way to
conversion is opened. Join us for any amount of time.
Ozanam Hall of Queens Nursing Home is looking to fill
two positions: part-time clerical with excellent
communication & computer skills; part-time Activity
Leader with no exper ience necessar y. For mor e info,
call Marilyn Gindi at 718-971-2708.
Attention Parents of 5th, 6th, & 7th graders. St.
Francis Preparatory School will be hosting a PARENT
WORKSHOP: High School Information Session; How
To Apply To Catholic High School This will be an
interactive workshop to help answer many of the questions
facing families who are starting the Catholic High School
Application Process. For info call 718-423-8810, ext.264.
St. John’s Preparatory School is offering a TACHS 2016
Prep Course, which will take place in September .
Course information can be found on the application.
Register on line at www.stjohnsprepschool.org. For further
info please call the Admissions office (718-721-7200,
ext.699).
Experience Archbishop Molloy High School by exploring
their summer sports camps in Baseball and Basketball.
For detailed information and registration forms visit the
website www.memorial5.com or call718-943-3172.
There will be an Oldies Concert at Our Lady of Hope
auditorium (61-27 71st St., Middle Village) on Friday,
May 13th, at 7:30pm. A live orchestra will provide music
from the 40’s thru the 70’s. Admission is $20. For more
info, please call Linda or Bernie at 718-898-3222
The Forest Hills Community & Civic Association, in
partnership with the Forest Hills Asian Association invites
you to a Panel Event entitled “Importance of Civic
Engagement” on May 10th at 7:00pm. J oin your
neighbors, at American Legion Post 1424 (107-15
Metropolitan Ave, Forest Hills) for a sharing of ideas on
why you should be involved in your community and where
to start.
There will be an Open House at St. Francis Preparatory
School (6100 Francis Lewis Blvd., Fr esh Meadows, 718423-8810) on May 11th from 6:30pm to 7:30pm.
Rosary for Life, Inc will be having a Day of Retreat on
June 18th at Resurrection Church (2331 Gerritsen Ave.,
Brooklyn). For reservations call Wyn at 718-377-6920.
Parkside Players, Community Theatre will be
presenting their production of Y ou Can’t Take It With You
at Grace Lutheran Church (103-15 Union Tnpk., Forest
Hills). Admission will be $17 Adults / $15 Seniors and
performances will be May 21,27,28 & June 3,& 4 at
8:00pm and May 22 & 29 at 2:00pm. For tickets &
reservations call 718-353-7388 or 516-520-9474.
On June 18th, 2016, Bishop DiMarzio will lead a daylong pilgrimage to The National Shrine of Divine Mercy at
Stockbridge, Massachusetts. In this Jubilee Year of Mercy,
many of our parishioners might wish to participate in this pilgrimage during which Mass will be celebrated and the Sacrament of Reconciliation will be available. Busses will leave at
7:00 A.M. from four locations: in Queens at Our Lady of Mt.
Carmel in Astoria, and The Shrine Church of St. Gerard Majella in Hollis. The Brooklyn sites will be St Patrick's in Bay
Ridge and St. Thomas Aquinas in Flatlands. Reservations
forms are available at the rectory but should be completed as
soon as possible since space is limited.
On October 29th, 2016 the Annual Diocesan Pilgrimage to the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception will take
place. The basilica shrine church is the largest Catholic Church
in North America. It is situated on the grounds of the Catholic
University in Washington, D.C.
Every parish is invited to arrange a parish bus - to do
so we need a coordinator. The coordinator will collaborate
with Father Gerard Sauer at the Diocesan Pilgrimage Office,
which will assist with all the arrangements
WEEKLY OFFERING ENVELOPES
Please r emember to mark the amount of your offering on the front of the envelope. Since the envelopes are
used to record your offering after the donation is removed, it is
necessary that the amount be written on the front Thank
you
DIVINE MERCY SCHEDULE
May 11, 2016
May 18, 2016
Divine Mercy Cenacle
Exposition of Blessed Sacrament
Divine Mercy Chaplet & Benediction
May 25, 2016
Divine Mercy Cenacle
7:00 pm
7:00 pm
8:00 pm
7:00 pm