A blessed Palm Sunday to you! Although this Palm Sunday is different from all the rest you have celebrated with family and friends, it is the start of Holy Week. Let us take advantage of the time we have been given and immerse ourselves in prayer. The Lord wants to renew us this Holy Week, He wants to draw us closer to Him. Let us accept this invitation. In conjunction with the Office of Liturgy, I'd like to share some resources with you. In addition to our previously recommended prayer resources for use when Mass is not available, you may find the following prayers and articles helpful: 1. Litany of Supplication: Please find the English and Spanish translations of the beautiful Litany of Supplication prayed by Pope Francis during his extraordinary Urbi et Orbi meditation and blessing on Friday, March 27, at the links above. 2. Prayer Resources: The following is a comprehensive and continuously updated list of prayer resources in both English and Spanish: Masses Online English | Spanish Online Prayer Opportunities English | Spanish Resources for prayer, worship and Mass in the home English | Spanish Prayer Resources for Catholics, parents and pastoral leaders English | Spanish Online resources for Parents English | Spanish Faith Formation Resources English | Spanish Resources for Children English | Spanish Resources for Pastoral Juvenil, Youth Ministry, Young Adult Ministry and Campus Ministry English | Spanish Resources for Persons with Disabilities English | Spanish Mental Health Resources English | Spanish Tools for Ministering Online English | Spanish Our Adult Faith Formation website has more resources as well. 3. FORMED.org has many resources for us to use during this Holy Week, many of them under the "Holy Week & Triduum" section. Here are some recommendations: FORMED Live: Understanding Palm Sunday The Jewish Roots of Holy Week Meditations on the Stations of the Cross by Ronald Thomas FORMED Live: Jesus’ Death in light of Old Testament Sacrifices The Paschal Mystery: The Mystery of Jesus's Death & Resurrection FORMED Live: Understanding the Stations of the Cross
Pray the Litany of the Sacred Heart on Good Friday I take this opportunity to invite you to join in prayer in the Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus at 12 pm EDT this Good Friday, April 10, 2020. You can join the live-stream at www.Facebook.com/usccb By a special grant from the Apostolic Penitentiary of the Holy See for those who pray for the end of the pandemic, a plenary indulgence is available for those who join Archbishop Gomez in praying the Litany of the Sacred Heart on Good Friday. A plenary Indulgence removes all of the temporal punishment due to sins and may be applied to oneself or to the souls of the deceased [Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 1471]. To receive this indulgence, a member of the faithful would need to a) pray the Litany of the Sacred Heart on Good Friday b) be truly repentant of any sins they have committed and receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation (at the earliest opportunity) c) pray for the Holy Father’s intentions.
Jesus Streaming Free—Easter Weekend Only! Sight & Sound Theatre is thrilled to announce that JESUS will be made available for FREE in celebration of Easter! For three days only, experience the greatest rescue story of all time as it comes to life right in your living room. Exclusively available on TBN, watch it on your favorite device by downloading the TBN app, or stream it online: April 10-12 only! While we may not be able to gather together for Easter this year, may you still experience the joy of celebrating the one who came to save us all.
https://www.schools.nyc.gov/school-life/food/free-meals Free Meals For Everyone The New York City Department of Education is committed to making three free meals available daily for any New Yorker. Any New Yorker who wants one can get three free meals a day at more than 400 Meal Hubs across the city. Meals can be picked up at all Meal Hubs 7:30 am to 1:30 pm, Monday through Friday. Meals Hubs will operate for children and families from 7:30 am to 11:30 am, and for adults from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm. No one will be turned away at any time. All adults and children can pick up three meals at one time. Vegetarian and halal options available at all sites. No dining space is available, so meals must be eaten off-premises. Parents and guardians may pick up meals for their children. No registration or ID required. Use our Meal Hub lookup tool to find a location near you!
First Friday and the Stations of the Cross Live-streamed The Stations of the Cross will be live-streamed on our Facebook page from St. Helena on First Friday, April 3. The Stations in English will be live-streamed at 9:45 a.m., following the 9 a.m. Mass. The Stations will be live-streamed in Spanish at 7 p.m. and in French at 8 p.m. The church will be open for private prayer from 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. If you have children at home, here are two wonderful websites where you can say the Stations with them: For Younger Students: Children's Stations of the Cross at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0qv7c4PsrA For Older Students: Stations of the Cross /Loyola Press at https://media.loyolapress.com/assets/lent/stations-eng/stations-eng.html
At the direction of the New York City Department for the Aging, senior centers will provide home-delivered meals only. To request a meal package, contact your local senior center. You can find the closest senior center to you by calling 311 or 212-244-6469.
The veiling of crucifixes and crosses is not a liturgical requirement, and the duration of such veiling varies from place to place. The custom in many places is to veil from either before first vespers or the vigil Mass of the Fifth Sunday of Lent or Palm Sunday, while others limit this veiling from after the Mass of the Lord's Supper on Holy Thursday. In some places images and statues are actually removed from the church and not simply veiled, especially after Holy Thursday. Crosses are unveiled after the Good Friday ceremonies. All other images are unveiled shortly before the Mass of the Easter Vigil. Neither the Stations of the Cross nor stained glass windows are ever veiled. The bishops' conference may decide if the veiling during this period should be obligatory within its territory. The veils are usually made of lightweight purple cloth without any decoration. The custom of veiling the images during the last two weeks of Lent hails from the former liturgical calendar in which the Passion was read on the Fifth Sunday of Lent (hence called "Passion Sunday") as well as on Palm Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday of Holy Week, and Good Friday. For this reason the period following the Fifth Sunday of Lent was called Passiontide. A remnant of this custom is the obligatory use of the first Preface of the Lord's Passion during the Fifth Week of Lent. While many people want to do away with this practice, others say that the custom of veiling crosses and images has much to commend it in terms of religious psychology because it helps us to concentrate on the great essentials of Christ's work of Redemption. Although this is true, the historical origin of this practice seems to lie elsewhere. It probably derives from a custom, noted in Germany from the ninth century, of extending a large cloth before the altar from the beginning of Lent. This cloth, called the "Hungertuch" (hunger cloth), hid the altar entirely from the faithful during Lent and was not removed until during the reading of the Passion on Holy Wednesday at the words "the veil of the temple was rent in two.” Some authors say there was a practical reason for this practice insofar as the often-illiterate faithful needed a way to know it was Lent. Others, however, maintain that it was a remnant of the ancient practice of public penance in which the penitents were ritually expelled from the church at the beginning of Lent. After the ritual of public penance fell into disuse (although a remnant of it survives in that the entire congregation symbolically enters the order of penitents by receiving ashes on Ash Wednesday), it was no longer possible to expel them from the church. Rather, the altar or "Holy of Holies" was shielded from view until they were reconciled to God at Easter. For analogous motives, later on in the Middle Ages, the images of crosses and saints were also covered from the start of Lent. The rule of limiting this veiling to Passiontide came later and does not appear until the publication of the Bishops' Ceremonial of the 17th century. After the Second Vatican Council, there were moves to abolish all veiling of images, but the practice survives, although in a mitigated form.
ARE YOU FEELING STRESSED? CATHOLIC CHARITIES PARISH COUNSELING NETWORK has the capacity to respond to COVID-19 RELATED COUNSELING NEEDS Over the past few weeks, everyone has found that their lives have been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Faced with new challenges, altered routines, and fear for their loved ones’ health, some people are experiencing substantial anxiety and a sense of crisis. A short-term counseling network of clinical providers operated by two Catholic Charities federation agencies, is specifically designed to meet the needs of parishioners adjusting to such a crisis. Through the use of telephonic services, therapists will provide support to help parishioners adjust to one of the most significant and troubling challenges of our lifetimes. The network does have the capacity to provide Spanish language counseling. Referrals to PCN are made by pastors, or designated parish staff, and the referent source will be asked to provide the parishioner’s contact information. SO, if YOU are experiencing any of these symptoms and feel it might be a good idea to speak to a professional, call St. Helena's at 718-892-3232, and we will help you with the referral process.
My Brothers and Sisters: I hope this message finds you and your loved ones healthy and well. In light of the present situation unfolding before us regarding the coronavirus (COVID-19) worldwide, our primary concern is the spiritual and physical health and welfare of the faithful and of all those who serve at our parishes, recognizing that we also have a duty to care for the community at large and the most vulnerable among us. I am sad to report the passing of Anthony Bonelli (age 76) as a result of congestive heart failure and coronavirus infection. Please keep his family and friends in your prayers. It is important that we reach out and support one another. I understand that the financial circumstances of many of our families are uncertain, but please know of my deep gratitude for whatever you can contribute to support our Church during this challenging time. We have an offertory box in the church, and some people bring their offering to the rectory or even mail in their donations. If you would like to sign up for monthly parish giving, you can do so at www.churchofsthelena.com and look for the WeShare icon on the right-side column. We also hope that you will continue to support both Renew and Rebuild and and the Cardinal’s Appeal, which supports the broader needs of our archdiocese; you can do so at https://cardinalsappeal.org/donate. While challenging days remain, we must also recognize the opportunity to be truly present to one another and to care for those who are struggling. These moments of uncertainty call each one of us to renew our commitment to prayer, fasting and almsgiving as part of our Lenten journey, amplified on a broader scale in light of current circumstances. We do not know what lies ahead, but we do know that Jesus Loves Us and that God has Mercy Upon Us. May we continue to pray for all those infected with COVID-19, those caring for the sick and for one another. Sincerely Yours in Christ, Father David, Sch.P.
Watch The Eucharist in Scripture for Free Take advantage of this time to grow closer to the Lord. Increase your devotion to and understanding of the Blessed Sacrament and prepare your heart for when you will be able to attend Mass again. Scott Hahn’s most popular study, The Eucharist in Scripture, is available to stream completely free for a limited time at www.stpaulcenter.com Watch now at the Quarantined Catholic Hub.
Urbi et Orbi Blessing (to the City and the World) Amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Pope Francis has announced that he will give an extraordinary blessing “urbi et orbi” (to the city and the world) at 1 p.m. New York City time on Friday, March 27. The formal blessing — usually given only immediately after a new pope’s election and on Christmas and Easter — carries with it a plenary indulgence for all who follow by television, internet or radio, are sorry for their sins, recite a few prescribed prayers and promise to go to confession and to receive the Eucharist as soon as possible. With the public joining him only by television (EWTN), radio. or internet (at www.vaticannews.va, “we will listen to the word of God, raise our prayer (and) adore the Blessed Sacrament,” he said. “At the end, I will give the benediction ‘urbi et orbi,’ to which will be connected the possibility of receiving a plenary indulgence.” An indulgence is an ancient practice of prayer and penance for the remission of the temporal punishment a person is due for sins that have been forgiven. In Catholic teaching, a person can draw on the merits of Jesus and the saints to claim the indulgence for themselves or offer it on behalf of someone who has died. A plenary indulgence is a remission of the entire temporal punishment for sin.
You can go on virtual Disney World rides such as Space Mountain, especially since Spring Break vacations there are cancelled! Visit: https://wgntv.com/news/children-stuck-at-home-can-go-on-virtual-disney-world-rides/ This is Disney in us all!!
Catholic Charities is still providing assistance for those in need. Their food pantries are available to those who need some extra food and their case managers are still available. Folks can call their helpline - 888-744-7900 for locations and additional information. Also, remember to complete your 2020 Census as this is an important statistic to have when agencies are applying for Federal money.
SPECIAL VIRTUAL PLENARY INDULGENCE FRIDAY Pope Francis announced Sunday that he will give an extraordinary Urbi et Orbi blessing this week with the opportunity for Catholics to receive a PLENARY INDULGENCE either by praying at home or privately at St. Helena's or by tuning in via social and other media. We will live-stream the blessing. “This Friday, March 27 at 1 p.m.EDT, I will preside over a moment of prayer outside of St. Peter’s Basilica with the square empty. As now, I invite everyone to participate spiritually through the media,” Pope Francis said March 22 in his livestreamed Angelus address. “Urbi et Orbi” means “To the City [of Rome] and to the World.” It is a special apostolic blessing given by the pope from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica every year on Easter Sunday, Christmas, and other special occasions. Pope Francis said the March 27 prayer broadcast for those suffering from the coronavirus pandemic will include listening to the Word of God and Eucharistic Adoration. In union with the pope, the Blessed Sacrament will be exposed at St. Helena for private prayer. More than 417,000 people world-wide, 54,000 people in New York, and 15,000 people in New York City have contracted COVID-19 as of March 24, according to Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center. The respiratory disease, which originated in Wuhan, China, has spread to 157 countries, and has led to the deaths of 13,672 people worldwide. “We want to respond to the pandemic of the virus with the universality of prayer, compassion, tenderness. Let us stay united,” Pope Francis said. “All those who spiritually join this moment of prayer through the media will be granted the plenary indulgence according to the conditions provided for in the recent decree of the Apostolic Penitentiary,” Holy See Press Office Director Matteo Bruni told journalists following the pope’s announcement. The Vatican’s Apostolic Penitentiary has granted a plenary indulgence for people who pray for an end to the pandemic, healing for the sick, and the eternal repose of the dead. Plenary indulgences, which remit all temporal punishment due to sin, must be accompanied by full detachment from sin. In this case, the person must also fulfill the ordinary conditions of an indulgence, which are sacramental confession, reception of the Eucharist, and prayer for the intentions of the pope, by having the will to satisfy the conditions as soon as possible for them. To receive the indulgence, a person may offer at least a half hour of adoration before the Blessed Sacrament or a half hour of prayer with scripture, or the recitation of the rosary or chaplet of divine mercy “to implore from the Almighty God an end to the epidemic, relief for those who are suffering, and eternal salvation of those whom the Lord has called to himself.” Pope Francis asked people to pray for the lonely, the elderly, doctors, nurses, healthcare workers, government authorities and the police. The pope also stressed the importance of praying for the dead during his Sunday morning Mass livestreamed from his residence in Vatican City. “These days we are hearing the news of so many people who are dying, men and women who are dying alone without being able to say goodbye to their loved ones. Let us think about them and pray for them,” Pope Francis said. “For families as well, who cannot accompany their loved ones on that journey, we pray in a special way for the dying and for their families,” the pope said.
The Coronavirus kills thousands, but abortion kills MILLIONS We’re excited to invite you to our online event, It’s a Wonderful Life! Brought to you by the organization that represents Melinda Thybault, the Founder of The Moral Outcry Petition. Turn death into life! - By attending online you may able to save a life from Coronavirus just by staying home, who knows. But you will definitely be inspired, educated, and equipped with new information and legal tools by which you personally could help stop a forced abortion, get healing resources to women and men who have had abortions, and help reverse Roe v Wade and Doe V Bolton. This program will include vital information about our work at The Justice Foundation and its impact on the child in the womb. We’ll also have important updates about our work in the news and with the Supreme Court. Join us on Saturday, March 28 from 7-9 p.m. CDT and register on our Facebook event page! Our full program includes: Remarks from Keynote Speaker, Terry Beatley, about The Conversion of America’s Abortion King - Dr Bernard Nathonson. The founder of National Abortion Reform League - from abortionist to Pro-life advocate. Updates about our work including our recent Amicus briefs filed with the Supreme Court Updates about The Center Against Forced Abortion (CAFA) - Legal tools to help you prevent forced abortion. Update on The Moral Outcry Petition Message from The Moral Outcry Founder Melinda Thybault Update on Operation Outcry-Courageous Overcoming Women Injured Abortion Sharing the truth about how abortion hurts women and kills children before all branches of government in DC Message by Jonathan Cahn, best selling Author of The Harbinger and The Oracle. We’ll have an important announcement at the end of the live stream, so we hope you’ll watch all the way through. This is critical for the pro-life movement. We need you now more than ever. Please also invite your friends and family to join us on Saturday, March 28 at 7 p.m. CDT! Advancing Life, Liberty, and Justice in Him,
The Fourth Sunday of Lent is called Laetare Sunday. It is when the Church takes a bit of breather from the more sober Lenten practices and opens Mass with an Entrance Antiphon taken from Isaiah chapter 66, “Rejoice, Jerusalem … Be joyful, all who were in mourning!” Laetare Sunday takes its name from the Latin word which begins the entrance antiphon (introit) for that day. Laetare means rejoice, and this Sunday is marked by a relaxation of the penitential character of the Lenten season. In church, flowers may be used to adorn the altar on this day, and the organ may be played more fully. On this Sunday, we look with expectation to the great Solemnity of Easter for which we have been preparing ourselves as a Church during the Lenten season. By its anticipation of the joy of Easter, Laetare Sunday is meant to give us hope and encouragement as we slowly progress towards the Paschal Feast. On both Laetare Sunday and Gaudete Sunday (the Third Sunday of Advent), a priest may wear rose vestments. The color rose is used as a sign of the joy which characterizes these two Sundays. The use of rose vestments probably stems from an ancient papal tradition of blessing golden roses which would be sent to Catholic heads of state in Europe on the Fourth Sunday of Lent. In addition to attending Sunday Mass, a family might choose to mark Laetare Sunday by anticipating the Easter feast. For example, a Sunday brunch with roses on the table would be appropriate. A family might also wish, during this beginning period of spring, to plant a rose bush on this day. Finally, there was a medieval tradition of visiting one’s “mother church” (the church where one was baptized) on this day. A family trip to see where mom and dad or the children began their journey of faith could make for a fine Sunday afternoon outing, and if it becomes a family tradition, this Sunday will become one everyone in the family looks forward to celebrating every year.
As was announced last week, all Masses in the Archdiocese of New York will be suspended for the time being due to continued concern surrounding the coronavirus, and upon the advice of medical experts. In light of these developments, members of the faithful may wish to observe Sunday as a day of prayer in the following ways: 1. Mass will be celebrated in Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, and will be available on many cable systems via the Catholic Faith Network and its website, live-streamed on the Saint Patrick’s Cathedral website, and broadcast on radio on The Catholic Channel of Sirius XM (Channel 129). Optimum cable has two Catholic channels, the Catholic Faith Network (CFN) and EWTN. The Mass in English is live-streamed at 9AM from St. Helena's Church and live-streamed in Spanish at 5PM from the community chapel at St. Helena. The French Mass for Sunday is lee-streamed from the community chapel at 8PM on Saturday evening. All Masses are available to view at any time of the day. To access the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass go to www.facebook.com/St.HelenaBronx and click on video which is located on the left-hand column. Adoration and the opportunity for private prayer will take place at St. Helena every Sunday from 10:30AM to 6:30PM.
Many posts have stated that “Masses are canceled” due to coronavirus. Technically that is not true. While many Public Masses have been suspended, most priests are still saying Masses only without a congregation, and that is different from Mass being canceled. We have unfortunately seen this error even from dioceses. One diocese had in big letters, “Until further notice, All Masses will be canceled throughout the diocese of … ” This was odd as the next line was about how they would be live-streaming Masses from many parishes and the cathedral, thus indicating Masses were still being celebrated, only without a congregation. All that is suspended is the congregation, not Mass. In addition, “suspended” means a temporary lifting of one aspect, not a permanent removal of Mass, as “canceled” might imply. This distinction is important because it points to the value of the Mass in itself and not just for the community. Always remember that Mass has an infinite value in itself. One line of St. John Paul II stands out regarding Mass, especially when being celebrated without a congregation: “The Eucharist is always in some way celebrated on the altar of the world.” (Ecclesia de Eucharistia, 8) Every Mass has infinite value as it is Jesus’ sacrifice represented. Thus, a Mass celebrated without a congregation is still valuable for the whole Church. Just as every Mass is “celebrated on the altar of the world,” so every Mass has the entire Church present in some way. Thus, even if a person cannot be at Mass physically, as a baptized believer in union with the Pope, people are present in some way. When someone can’t attend Mass for whatever reason, the Church encourages people to participate virtually. The current documents on that subject are older documents, and they suggest that people should listen o the Mass on the radio or watch the Mass on TV, but online livestreams of Mass also apply; they just weren’t foreseen when the documents were first written decades ago. Here at St. Helena, we are live-streaming Mass daily from the church at 9 a.m. in English and from the chapel at 5 p.m. in Spanish, and, in addition, Sunday Mass is live-streamed at 8 p.m. on Saturday in French. To participate, visit www.facebook.com/St.HelenaBronx and click the word video on the left-hand column. Many priests celebrate Mass without a congregation with some frequency, and most priests try to say Mass daily, even while on vacation or on their day off each week. While the priest often does not have a congregation, it helps him spiritually to still celebrate Mass. The Church has long held the value of a Mass with little to no congregation. Mass is re-living or re-presenting the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus. We are called to live the whole Mass and not just treat it an extended introduction to Communion. In Mass, we go through the whole paschal mystery. In fact, the end of the Eucharistic prayer, also known as the doxology, reminds us of the purpose of the Mass: “Through him, and with him, and in him, O God, almighty Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is yours, forever and ever.” So. let us therefore unite ourselves spiritually to all the Masses being celebrated during this current coronavirus pandemic. Remember, Jesus is asking all of us to grow in faith and to make many spiritual Communions, as we hunger more for the Eucharist.
Draw Near to Christ in Scripture What can we do if we’re unable to attend Mass and receive the Eucharist? Increase your devotion and understanding of the Blessed Sacrament and prepare your heart for when you will be able to attend Mass again. Scott Hahn’s most popular study, The Eucharist in Scripture, is available to stream completely free for a limited time. Take advantage of this and other invaluable resources to use from home at the Quarantined Catholic Hub: https://stpaulcenter.com
Sometimes things just get out of control, especially during these new and troublesome times. Please remember that St. Helena parishioners have access to short term professional counseling. The Parish Counseling Network offers access to more than 120 licensed mental health professionals to help parishioners through issues and crises that can be successfully improved by short-term therapy, such as marital problems, parenting, eldercare, job loss, or bereavement. Counselors are experienced with an array of difficulties and diverse clientele. Many practitioners are bilingual in Spanish and English. Please know that Parish Counseling Network remains available to parishioners during these difficult times. They have, however, had to make some adjustments to their office procedures in order to ensure their safety and that of others. Many of their clinicians will be working remotely from home with the help of secure websites, such as Telepysch, Zoom etc. If things are getting out of control and you feel you need to talk to someone professional, please call Fr. David at 718-892-3232, and he will put you in contact with someone from the Network.