We regret to announce the passing of the last Sparkill Dominican Sister to serve as principal and president of Msgr. Scanlan High School. Sr. Marie O’Donnell, O.P. (83) died peacefully on September 13. She was a social studies teacher at Msgr. Scanlan from 1978-2013. She was social studies chair from 1983-93, and she was principal from 1993-2008 and president from 2010-2013. Her wake will take place on Monday, September 17 at the Sparkill Dominican Motherhouse, with the Reception of the Body taking place at 3:30PM and Compline at 6:30PM. Her funeral will take place on Tuesday, September 18 at 10:30AM in the Convent Chapel. We express our prayers and condolences to her family and to the Sparkill Dominican Sisters on their loss.

We will have a very special cooking session this Saturday, September 15, beginning at 3PM. Mr. Khokon, the owner of Neerob Restaurant, which is located next to Jerry's Pizza, will teach us Bangladeshi-style WFPB Cooking. Please register for the class by Thursday by calling the rectory at 718-892-3232.

Ursula (Hamper) Romano was 92 years of age, and she was a long-time parishioner at St. Helena. Her father was a German Army officer who saved many Jews from execution during World War II. He was caught and executed by firing squad for his "crime." Ursula married and came with her husband to the US and worked as a nanny. After her husband's death, she worked at Alexanders and then for many years as a dietitian at Westchester Square Hospital. Her Funeral Mass will be on Wednesday, September 12 at 10AM in the church.

Monday, September 10 at 10AM in the church. The Mass will be in Spanish.

Tonight, September 9, our Jewish friends around the world will celebrate the joyous beginning of Rosh Hashanah, the New Year according to the ancient Hebrew calendar. It is the year 5779, which represents how many years ago Adam and Eve left Eden. This celebration will end at nightfall on September 12, and it is the beginning of the Jewish High Holy Days. To all of the Jewish families gathered with friends and loved ones, we wish you a year filled with every blessing of peace, joy, and safety. May the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob continue to fill your homes with laughter and shield you from every enemy, and this is our prayer for every person this Rosh Hashanah: "The LORD bless you and keep you; The LORD make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you; The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace."" Numbers 6:24-26 I pray God will bless each and every one of you with abundant joy, prosperity, health, and divine favor in the coming year as you continue to show your love and friendship to one another. To you and to all our Jewish friends, we wish you Shana Tova! (Happy New Year!)

Cremains Funeral Mass for Helen Urban, our parish's oldest parishioner, who passed away at 103 3/4 years of age, will take place on Saturday, September 8 at 10AM.

Jeffrey Scott Ortiz Memorial Service will take place on Saturday, September 15 at 11AM in the church. Jeffrey (67) is the husband of our Parish Secretary and former St. Helena grade school teacher and librarian Rosemarie and the grandfather of Bobby Lawston, one of our current Pre-Kindergarten students.

Columbus Day Mass on Monday, October 8 at 9:30 AM, for the 41st Annual Columbus Day Mass. If you would like to reserve free tickets, please visit adnycolumbusday.eventbrite.com. The last day to request tickets is Monday, September 17.

The viewing for our parish secretary Rosemarie Ortiz's husband, JEFFREY SCOTT ORTIZ, who passed away unexpectedly on September 1, will be on Wednesday, September 5, from 4-8PM at the Thomas C. Montera Funeral Home, 1848 Westchester Avenue, Bronx, 10472. (718) 824-3700. He will be cremated, and we will update you as to when his Memorial Service at St. Helena's will be once plans are finalized.

Registration is NOW open for Religious Education Instruction for children in grades 1-8. You can register your child either at the Rectory or on the weekends at a special table in the back of the church. Classes are held on Wednesdays from 3:45-5PM, with all children gathering in the church. If you need an early dismissal card to present to the public school, they will be available at the registration table. Registration is $60 for one child, $110 for two children, and $160 for three or more children. Classes will begin on Wednesday, September 12. If you are registering a child who was NOT Baptized here at St. Helena, you must bring a copy of the child's baptism certificate. Children are expected to attend Mass every Sunday and to use the special children's envelopes that will be given to them. In addition to the weekly Wednesday class, ALL PARENTS and STUDENTS must attend EITHER the Family Session in English, which is held on the third Sunday of every month at 11:30AM in the cafeteria or the Family Session in Spanish, which is held on the second Sunday of every month at 1:30PM in the cafeteria. For those children in their second year of preparing for First Communion, there is an additional First Communion Class for parents and children every First Sunday of the month at 11:30AM in the cafeteria. Along with preparing for Holy Communion, preparing for Confirmation is a two-year program which consists of levels one and two. Confirmation is normally given to children in grades 7 or 8, with levels seven and eight being the levels preparing a child for Confirmation. Our High School Youth program for students in grades 9-12 meets every Friday at 7PM in the gymnasium. You can register for it on any Friday at 7PM in the gym. Teenagers and adults who are lacking Sacraments will register for special Adult Sacramental Preparation classes. You will register either by meeting with Fr. Richard in the rectory or at the registration table at the back of the church during weekend Masses. If you are not a Catholic, and you are looking for more information about the Catholic Faith, you are invited to register for special RCIA classes that normally meet on Sundays. They are available in both English and Spanish. You will also register for them at the table in the back of the Church. If you were NOT married in the Church, and you wish to have your marriage convalidated, which means Blessed by the Catholic Church, we will be offering special preparation classes in both English and Spanish to prepare you for that Sacrament. You can also register for those classes either in the rectory or at the table in the back of the church We will register people for ALL of these classes at the table in the back of the Church every weekend until September 16. Otherwise, you can register in the rectory or by contacting Fr. Richard at 718-892-3232.

On the evening of August 21, 1879, Mary McLoughlin, the housekeeper to the parish priest of Knock, County Mayo, Ireland, was astonished to see the outside south wall of the church bathed in a mysterious light; there were three figures standing in front of the wall, which she mistook for replacements of the stone figures destroyed in a storm. She rushed through the rain to her friend Margaret Byrne's house. After a half hour, Mary decided to leave and Margaret's sister Mary agreed to walk home with her. As they passed the church they saw an amazing vision very clearly: Standing out from the gable and to the west of it appeared the Blessed Virgin, St. Joseph and St. John. The figure of the Blessed Virgin was life-size, while the others seemed to be neither as large nor as tall. They stood a little away from the gable wall about two feet from the ground. The Virgin was erect with her eyes toward Heaven, and she was wearing a large white cloak hanging in full folds; on her head was a large crown. Mary Byrne ran to tell her family while Mary McLoughlin gazed at the apparition.  Soon a crowd gathered and all saw the apparition. The parish priest, Archdeacon Cavanaugh, did not come out, however, and his absence was a disappointment to the devout villagers. Among the witnesses were Patrick Hill and John Curry. As Patrick later described the scene: 'The figures were fully rounded, as if they had a body and life. They did not speak but, as we drew near, they retreated a little towards the wall.' Patrick reported that he got close enough to make out the words in the book held by the figure of St. John. An old woman named Bridget Trench drew closer to embrace the feet of the Virgin, but the figure seemed always beyond reach. Others out in the fields and some distance away saw a strange light around the church. The vision lasted for about three hours and then faded.

Piarist Father Matias Cardona, Sch.P. had just been ordained as a priest on April 11, 1936, in Calahora, which is located in the Rioja Province of Spain. He was staying for a short time in Barcelona when the Spanish Civil War began. He has just finished his theological studies and was ready to begin his teaching apostolate at St. Anthony’s School. It was not safe living at the school, so on Sunday, July 19, he went to his aunt’s house. He stayed there for a few days and then went to a friend’s house, Mr. Jose Godes. Thinking that Vallibona, his naive town, would be a safer place, on July 30, he returned home and was welcomed by his sister Dolores. He stayed there until August 17, when he was arrested. According to the testimony of his sister, Fr. Matias spent those days reading and praying. She said that she asked him to go out from time to time and go to the coffee shop and talk with the people, but he refused to do so saying, “No, I am a priest, and i will follow my own conscience.” Friends advised him to go to France, promising him the necessary documents. He thanked them but never accepted their offer, telling them that he was in the hands of God. On August 11, in Vallibona, the sacred images in the parish church were burned. The local major had advised his sister to look for a safer place to hide Fr. Matias. On August 17, they took him to his uncle’s farm, Casa Cardona, which was located just outside the town. Just after he had left, some militiamen arrived at his sister’s house to arrest him. They searched the house but could not find him. A few hours later, they returned and threatened to kill her and her brother unless they told them where Fr. Matias was hiding, She was frightened and gave them the information. The militiamen ordered two men to go to Casa Cardona to arrest Fr. Matias. One witness, Jose Codino, testified: “I was there when at the first hours of the afternoon. I believe it was August 17, 1936, I saw two armed men arriving there. One of them winked at the other as if to say that they had found what they were looking for. They entered and asked for Fr. Matias. When he heard his name, he came out and presented himself. ‘Are you carrying ordinary arms or bombs?’ one of them asked him. ‘Nothing of the sort,’ answered Fr. Matias. ‘The mayor has ordered us to take you to the People’s Committee,’ said one of the men who then added, ‘Leave here what you have in your pockets.’ Fr. Matias took out his breviary and kissed it. The more furious of the two men snatched it and threw it into the fireplace saying, ‘It is much better to burn it.’ Fr. Matias was arrested and taken to the Vallibona Committee.” One of the two men who arrested him later recalled what happened following his arrest. “We were near his sister’s home, and I asked him if he wanted to stop and see his family. ‘Go, we will wait for you.’ ‘No, no, I do not need to,’ he answered. But my companion insisted. Fr. Matias went as far as 10 meters from his house and called out in a loud voice. His father was not there. His sister came to the window. The Religious said to her: ‘It seems that they are taking me as a prisoner.” He took off his wide straw hat and threw it through the air toward his sister on the window and said to her, ‘Keep it as a remembrance.” They arrived at the Committee where Fr. Matias met Mr. Jose Querol and another priest, Fr. Manuel Meseguer. During the absence of the militiamen, Mr. Querol later recalled that “He greeted me and said in a quiet voice,’Mr. Jose, if we don’t meet again… until heaven.” Later that evening, the two priests were locked in the jail and given a mattress on which to sleep. They were allowed to receive food and visits from relatives. His sister remembered, “ I use to visit my brother and take food to him. Other relatives did the same. He told me one day that he was happy and at peace. I am happily ready to give my life for God. We never had to face difficult times. Our faith will have more merit.” August 20, 1936, was the day the two priests were sacrificed. Fr. Matias’ sister who had visited him during the early hours of the day, affirmed that she saw him in his habitual, peaceful spirit and with confidence in God. Around seven o’clock, three men with red handkerchiefs around their collars took him out of the jail, together with Fr. Manuel, to a place called Pigro del Coll, where, after taking them out of the car and walking with them a few meters away, they shot them. After a short time, the militiamen were seen coming back into town in the same car. During the evening, the news of the execution spread throughout the town.

Vaik, son of Geza, Duke of Hungary, was baptized about 985 by St. Adalbert of Prague who gave him the name of Stephen. He was chosen by God to bring his people to the Christian faith. With the assistance of monks from Burgundy, he established bishoprics, founded several monasteries and re-organized the whole life of the country. Pope Silvester II offered him the privilege of being crowned king and the ceremony took place on December 25, 1000. His great zeal for the spread of the Catholic faith earned him the title of apostolic king and apostle of Hungary. He died on August 15, 1038, the feast of the Assumption of our Lady, to whom he had consecrated his kingdom.

St. Pantaleon is one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers. He was a physician, who practiced without payment, and who was martyred under Diocletian. His cultus is primarily connected with Bithynia, where the Emperor Justinian rebuilt his church at Nicomedia. Churches are dedicated to him in Constantinople and Rome. In the East he is known as the Great Martyr and Wonder Worker. A reputed relic of Pantaleon's blood kept at Ravello in southern Italy displays the phenomenon of liquefaction on his feast day, similar to that of Saint Januarius. According to legend, he was the emperor's ordinary physician. He is said to have strayed from the faith because of the voluptuous life at the court, but the zealous priest Hermolaus, by pointing out the example of his virtuous mother, effected such a change that Pantaleon distributed his goods among the poor and devoted his talents for healing to the most wretched and poor among the sick. Because of his Christian faith he was seized by order of the Emperor, tied to the rack and scorched with torches. But in these tortures Christ appeared, granting him further strength. Finally a stroke of the sword ended his sufferings (Martyrology). He is the patron saint of physicians. The Piarist Fathers Generalate is located at the Church of St.Pantaleon in Rome, and there is a weekly Filipino Mass in that church.

July is popularly called the month of the Precious Blood. This is because the first of July is the feast of the Most Precious Blood of the Savior, which Bl. Pius IX established in the 1800s. So, what do we understand by the worship of or devotion to the Precious Blood of Jesus? St. Paul clearly attributes a power to the Blood of Christ when he wrote to the Ephesians that “You who were once far off have become near by the blood of Christ.” What is this power? After all, blood separated from a body is just a material substance, and it corrupts very quickly unless preserved under very careful conditions; it’s hard to see how it could have any real power by itself. Not only that, blood is also generally regarded with horror when shed or spilt, so that it is not uncommon for even grown men to be queasy or squeamish at the sight or even the thought of blood. On the other hand, blood even when it has dried contains an almost unlimited amount of information about the person who shed it, so much as to provide science with all kinds of useful knowledge. The root of the Church’s devotion to the Precious Blood of the Lord is very simple, but also mysterious and profound. It is essentially the mystery of the Incarnation of God taking to himself a human nature in its entirety: body, blood, and soul, along with his own eternal, divine Person. Have you ever wondered about the Body and Blood of the Lord after our Savior’s death? The fact is—and it is a very important fact for our faith—that even though as a man Christ could undergo bodily death (that is, the separation of soul and body), and even though he did in fact undergo death, it still remains true that his divine nature (that is, his divine Person), never subject to death, was never separated from the parts of his humanity that were divided in death. This means that the soul of Christ in death, his body in the tomb, and his shed blood were all united to the Person of the Son, the Word. Thus his blood was worthy of adoration, as it was poured out on the way of the cross and as it was taken up again in his resurrection. Fr. Frederick Faber, in his great work of devotion The Precious Blood, which is still in print, expounds this doctrine at length in the line of the teaching of St Thomas. But the Church in our own time has approved the direct invocation of the Blood of Christ as to the Person of the Son in the litany of the Precious Blood promulgated by Pope St. John XXIII in 1960. Also, many saints have spoken of devotion to the Precious Blood of Jesus; notable among them is St. Catherine of Siena, who often wrote about the Precious Blood of Jesus in her Dialogue—a written account of her mystical visions. In more recent times, this devotion has more widely taken root in our Catholic tradition. Devotion to the Precious Blood spread greatly through the prayer, preaching, and work of Bl. Gaspar del Bufalo, a 19th century Roman priest and founder of the Missionaries of the Precious Blood. Blessed Gaspar brought this beloved devotion out of the sanctuary and into the hearts of Catholics around the world. It is through his life’s work that the devotion grew widespread in the Church. The Precious Blood courses through the Church, giving life to the Body of Christ. It was the cleansing agent that allowed the holy saints and martyrs to wash their robes clean. It is the price of our redemption, the object of our salvation, and the assurance of our eternal inheritance. As we honor the Precious Blood of Jesus in union with the Church this month, may it awaken in our hearts a love and gratitude for Christ’s gift to us, for He has saved us by His blood.

St. Christopher suffered martyrdom in Asia Minor about the year 250. The devotion of our fathers, taking its due from his name (Christopher means bearer of Christ), caused them to place colossal statues of the saint bearing the infant Christ on his shoulders at the entrance to cathedrals. Thus arose the legend of the giant who carried the child Jesus over a river... and the devotion to St. Christopher as the patron of motorists and all forms of transport. He is one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers.

Humanae Vitae, the controversial letter on men and women and ethics, was issued by Blessed Pope Paul VI a half-century ago on July 25, 1968, and it has much to offer our “MeToo” culture, which is inundated with so much confusion about relationships and identity and power. We are still living in the moment of Humanae Vitae and of the challenge it presents to the world. Humanae Vitae identifies the key problem of our day, which is the myth that we can be God. Pope Paul writes at the beginning of the document,  "But the most remarkable development of all is to be seen in man's stupendous progress in the domination and rational organization of the forces of nature to the point that he is endeavoring to extend this control over every aspect of his own life -- over his body, over his mind and emotions, over his social life, and even over the laws that regulate the transmission of life” (n.2). In this document, the Pope paints a wider vision of the problem. We think everything belongs to us, but the reality is that we belong to God. "Humanae Vitae" means "Of human life." Human life came from God, belongs to God, and goes back to God. "You are not your own," St. Paul declares. "You have been bought, and at a price" (1 Cor. 6:19-20).  Sex and having children are aspects of a whole cluster of realities that make up our lives and activities. We suffer from the illusion that all of these activities belong to us. “This is my life, my body, my choice. This is a reality that is bigger than all of us. It is the self-giving which starts in the Trinity and is revealed in a startling way on the Cross and then challenges each of us in our daily interaction with others, with God, and with our own eternal destiny. It is so real and so big that it is scary. That's why so many people today are afraid of the full reality and meaning of sex. That's why Pope Paul VI wrote Humanae Vitae.

The readings for the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time have something very important to tell us. Being Catholic is not just about receiving a free gift of salvation, it is also about passing it on to others. Many people people feel you need an advanced theological degree and extensive training before taking on a role in the Church  In some cases that is true, but remember, God doesn’t so much call the equipped; he equips the called.  In the scriptures, people moved rather quickly from disciples to apostles or from ordinary lay people to prophets, and thus share in the mission of the Church to bring the Good News to all people. Everybody likes free gifts. Advertisers know that a campaign will have much better results if there are free samples or a free gift with every purchase. But when we receive a favor, we’re wise enough to know there is usually a catch somewhere. The giver expects something of us in return. At the beginning of his letter to the Ephesians, Saint Paul tells us that God is the most generous of all givers. In fact his generosity is immeasurable and unlimited. He does not just give us a percentage off the price of our purchase, or a trinket to induce sales. He does not just forgive a few sins and require that we work off the rest of our tab. He entirely cancels the debt, wipes the slate clean and, as a bonus, gives us supernatural insight into the cosmic plan that makes the whole universe tick, the “mystery” that underlies history. He gives us eternal life as a free gift, and as the down-payment on this inheritance, gives us the supernatural power of his own Spirit, dwelling in our hearts. But of course, there is a catch. We are filled with gifts so that we in turn can become givers. We owe love and worship and gratitude to the Giver, of course. But that’s not what He is most concerned with. After all, He is God, perfect in himself, and has no needs. Instead, His preoccupation is with our neighbors who do have needs. What we’ve received as a gift, He calls us to give as a gift. We are to “pass it on.” That’s why Amos, a simple shepherd and dresser of sycamores, is not just given God’s word, but is called to leave his home in Judah in order to bring that word to the royal sanctuary in Bethel. It’s also why simple fishermen and tax collectors were the first to be called disciples. They were the first ones who received and learned the teachings of the master who they soon realized was not just a gifted rabbi but was, in fact, the Messiah. Before they knew it, they were called “apostles,” meaning those who are “sent out” to spread that teaching. Unfortunately, when prophets and apostles bring God’s gifts, not everyone is excited. Some people do not want change, which is perhaps why the King’s chaplain told Amos to go home. Jesus warned His apostles that some people would not be interested in their message, and when that happened, they were to shake the dust of such towns from their feet and move on. The point of today’s Scripture passages, however, is that ministry is not simply restricted to the job description of bishops, professional clergy, or foreign missionaries. In Greek, the word bishop means “overseer” or “superintendent,” and while it is true that the bishops of the Catholic Church are the official successors of the apostles and ultimately bear responsibility for the Church’s mission to all nations, their role is not to do it all, but to oversee and direct it all. The Church teaches that every person who is baptized and confirmed receives directly from Christ a mandate to share in the Lord’s prophetic mission. We are all called to be prophets. A prophet literally means spokesman. While most of us will never be called to utter oracles that predict the future, we all are called to speak in behalf of God a message that sometimes challenges people and at other times brings them comfort. While most of us are not called to the sacrament of Holy Orders, we are all called to the “lay apostolate.” And according to the teaching of the Church, we’ve been amply equipped with all the gifts necessary to carry out this mission, endowed with “every spiritual blessing in the heavens” (Ephesians 1:3). Of course we need to develop these gifts and hone our apostolic skills, which is why we all. need education and formation and should actively participate in many of the educational and formation programs offered by the parish and the archdiocese. This is why the internet website Formed has been made free and available to every member of St. Helena’s For neither Amos nor the apostles were perfectly polished before they were sent out. If we wait till we know it all, we’ll never share it. There comes a point where we just have to take Nike’s advice and “just do it!”

Recently the Archdiocese of New York launched an online quarterly magazine called Archways to keep you informed about the programs and services offered by the Archdiocese. You may view the magazine by going to: www.archny.org/archways. If you contribute to the Cardinal's Appeal, you will get a print version twice a year.

The Vatican has released a new document on the life of consecrated virgins. Ecclesiae Sponsae Imago is the first Vatican document to deal with the life of consecrated virgins who are not associated with religious orders. The document explains the tradition of consecrated life within the Church and offers a detailed presentation of the norms and principles governing the life of consecrated virgins. In 1970, a new ritual for the consecration of virgins allowed for the inclusion of “women who remain in their own ordinary life context” as well as members of religious orders. Since that time, the number of such consecrated virgins has steadily grown, so that today there are more than 5,000. “Consecrated virgins are present in all the continents, in many dioceses, and offer their own witness of life in every area of society and of the Church,” the Vatican document says. Ecclesiae Sponsae Imago was prepared in response to queries from many bishops around the world, who sought guidance from the Holy See in providing pastoral care for consecrated virgins. The document, “Is intended to help discover the beauty of this vocation, and to help show the beauty of the Lord Who transfigures the life of so many women who experience it every day.”