On Saturday, March 2, a celebration honoring Claudette Colvin, an icon of the American Civil Rights Movement, will occur at St. Helena’s. Several distinguished speakers and public officials will be in attendance as well as representatives from Interfaith communities, the United Nations, and African Union affiliations. The event will be held from 11AM – 2PM. Following a networking session, ceremonies will begin promptly at 12PM. Ms. Colvin, who has lived in Parkchester since 1957, will be in attendance. On March 2, 1955, the American Civil Rights Movement was accelerated through the singular act of a courageous 15-year old girl. Claudette Colvin was the first person to stand up for her Constitutional Rights and not give up her seat to a white person on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama. This happened 9 months before Rosa Parks, whose arrest on December 1, is widely taught in schools worldwide. It was Claudette Colvin’s actions that changed the status quo, that grabbed the attention of the NAACP in Alabama, and that kickstarted the timeline that followed. Ms. Colvin is historically credited with “accelerating the change in the plight of colored people” and it was her lawsuit, Browder v. Gayle, that went up to the Supreme Court and changed the law. In 1957, unable to get a job and branded a troublemaker, Claudette. Colvin moved to Parkchester in the Bronx where she still lives today. In 2009, she retired from her career as a nurse’s aide and has recently limited her public appearances due to some health-related issues. In 2015, Mayor Bill de Blasio enacted an enduring Proclamation commemorating every March 2 as Claudette Colvin Day in the City of New York. Jose Rivera, Assemblyman from District 78 in the Bronx, has written a Resolution to henceforth make March 2nd Claudette Colvin Day in the State of New York.
OMARA SANTIAGO IS RACING AGAINST CANCER AND INVITES YOU TO JOIN HER. The First Annual Bay Plaza 5K Run-Walk to benefit Cancer Research and programs at the American Cancer Society of the Bronx will take place on Sunday, March 31: Registration begins at 8AM; The Start time is 9AM. You can either register to participate in the event yourself and raise money for cancer research or you can support St. Helena’s very own Omara Santiago (ID 448475) who is running to honor her mother Carmen Hernandez, who is a breast cancer survivor. The race will begin at the Bay Plaza Mall. To register or to donate for a particular runner such as Omara, go to: www.ACSDetermination.org/BayPlaza5K
Boy Scouts of America has officially launched their Scouts BSA program, offering girls ages 11 to 17 years old the opportunity to join all-girl troops. The parent organization name will remain the Boy Scouts of America and the Cub Scouts program will keep its title as well. Scouts BSA and Boy Scout troops will have common characteristics, but they will remain separate and will not be co-ed units, according to a release. To maintain the benefits of a single-gender scouting model, each separate troop will have their own Scoutmaster, patrols, and youth leadership tracks. Troops will share some resources for families for the sake of convenience, but they are in fact separate troops, according to BSA officials. The new girl's scout handbook, which came out last week is the exact same handbook; it's just changed to where you see girls in the pictures. St. Helena has had a traditional Girl Scout Troop in the past and has had an active Boy Scout Troop for 66 years. We are now looking to see if there is any interest in forming a girl's Scouts BSA troop or pact. To do so, we need females over the age of 21 who would be interested in being trained as leaders. If you are interested, please call the rectory at 718-892-3232 and leave your contact information.
The Knights of Columbus is the largest Catholic men's fraternal organization in the world. Membership in the Knights is NOW available to most Catholic Men through our NEW Online Membership. If you are a Catholic Man at least 18 years of age and would like access to the Membership Benefits available to you and your family, go to kinghts.net or KofC.org/JoinUs to become an Online Member. For questions, call 914-420-6836 or Email: william.schneider@kofc.org.
This year is the 40th anniversary of the Cardinal’s Annual Stewardship Appeal. In these 40 years, the campaign has raised millions of dollars to support the parishes and Catholics throughout New York. There are so many reasons why the Appeal is important. Your support helps countless people and sustains the good work of our parishes. You will receive a letter from Cardinal Dolan explaining the details and asking for your help. Part of being a good steward means living with trust in God’s generosity and responsibly tending that which God has entrusted to us. Cardinal Dolan is asking YOU to participate by making a gift (either great or small) to this important annual initiative. Please note that no contributions to the Church, including the Cardinal’s Appeal, are used for the expenses of outreach victims of clergy sexual abuse. 100% of your contribution goes to support the following five areas: 1. To support needy parishes by providing emergency funding; 2. To provide staff to all parishes for church management and financial assistance; 3. To help educate children in our Catholic schools and religious education programs; 4. To provide for retired priests by giving them the retirement care they deserve after decades of service; 5. To help educate our future clergy and prepare them for a life of service. The archdiocesan goal for the 2019 Appeal is $20 million, and our parish goal here at St. Helena is $46,000. I ask that you prayerfully consider your gift. It is only with your support that the campaign can be a success. We all have in our hearts the capacity to give as Jesus asked us to do. You can complete a pledge card or pledge online at www.cardinalsappeal.org. You will be given an opportunity to make your pledge during Mass on Commitment Weekend, March 9-10. Thank you for your support.
We will have the Blessing of Throats in honor of St. Blaise on both First Friday, February 1, at the 8:30AM Mass and at all of the February 3 weekend Masses. On February 3, we commemorate St. Blaise, a physician and Bishop of Sebaste, Armenia in the 4th century. He lived in a cave on Mount Argeus and was a healer of men and animals. Legend tells us that sick animals would come to him on their own for help, but would never disturb him at prayer. He is the patron saint of: throat illnesses, animals, and veterinarians. As bishop, Blaise became a healer of souls and taught his people how to live a holy life by his example. His great virtues and sanctity were confirmed by many miracles. Crowds came to him for the cure of both bodily and spiritual afflictions. Agricola, the governor of Cappadocio, came to Sebaste to persecute Christians. His hunters discovered Blaise praying while seeking wild animals for the arena and arrested him as a Christian. Blaise was taken to prison, but on the way there he interceded to God on the behalf of a child who was choking to death on a fish bone. The child was cured, which led to the blessing of throats on Blaise’s feast day. Thrown into a lake to drown, Blaise stood on the water’s surface and invited his persecutors to walk out and prove the power of their gods; they drowned. When he returned to land, he was martyred by being beaten, his flesh torn with wool combs (which led to his association with and patronage of those involved in the wool trade), and then beheaded. In the holy wars, his relics were dispersed over Europe and veneration of St. Blaise was increased by many miraculous cures, especially of sore or diseased throats. Thus, he is the patron of those suffering from throat ailments. One of the Fourteen Holy Helpers, St. Blaise became one of the most popular saints of the Middle Ages. His feast is celebrated as a holy day of obligation in some Eastern Churches. In 1222, the Council of Oxford banned servile work (heavy manual labor) in England on Blaise’s feast day. The Germans and Slavs are particularly devoted to him, and in the United States, Catholics have their throats blessed on his feast day annually. The rite of the blessing of throats may take place before or after Mass. The aid of St. Blaise is asked in delivering the faithful from throat ailments and other evils, which shows how the Church is truly concerned with the bodily needs of the person as well as their spiritual needs. When blessing throats, the priest first consecrates two candles, generally by a prayer, and then holds each in a crossed position on the throat of the person being blessed. At the same time the following blessing is given: “Through the intercession of Saint Blaise, bishop and martyr, may God deliver you from ailments of the throat and from every other evil. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”
Free, confidential professional support to family caregivers caring for a frail or chronically ill family member or someone with Alzheimer's or dementia. Professionals meet with family caregivers at Circle of Care Stations or in the client's home. For more info, call 866-665-1713 or Email careinfo@pssusa.org
Catholic School Week is an annual celebration of Catholic education throughout the country. We join our brothers and sisters in Catholic education nationwide to observe the occasion with Masses, open houses and activities, letting it be known how proud we are of our great institutions and their contributions to our Church and communities. There is something special about being first; in the case of Catholic schools in New York, we were the pioneers in providing organized education to society more than 200 years ago, when the land upon which sits Saint Patrick’s Cathedral was a farm. Two centuries later, we continue to innovate our approach to teaching and learning, led by our dedicated principals, faculty and staff who work to create a culture of learning and a determination to succeed. It is inspiring to see that determination produce results as, year after year, the performance of our students continues to improve in math and English Language Arts. We operate under the guiding principle that “if it’s not academically superior, it’s not truly Catholic,” meaning it is our sacred duty to prepare students for life — as productive citizens, and ultimately, preparing them to enter heaven. To that end, our school communities are welcoming, diverse and kind. We provide our children with the tools necessary to succeed in life and instill in them Catholic values. All of this can only be accomplished through collaboration together.
Fordham Preparatory School Higher Achievement Program for rising 8th grade boys will take place June 24-July 24 at Fordham Prep. The boys will take classes in critical thinking, math, and writing in the morning and will participate in athletic events in the afternoon. The program includes a service project. For an application, visit fordhamprep.org/HAP or call 718-367-7500 X263.
During the Sunday Angelus prayer in St. Peter's Square, Pope Francis unveils his very own user profile in Click To Pray, the official app of the Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network, including its youth branch, the Eucharistic Youth Movement – EYM. Click To Pray (www.clicktopray.org) is a platform that invites men and women from around the world, to accompany the Pope in a mission of compassion for the world. It has a website and a mobile app, both for Android and iOS, with its social networks, available in six languages (Spanish, English, Italian, French, Portuguese, and German). Click To Pray has three main sections: “Pray with the Pope”, with the Pope’s monthly prayer intentions for the challenges facing humanity and the mission of the Church; “Pray every day”, with a prayer rhythm involving three daily moments; and “Pray with the network” that is a space where users (Pope Francis among them) can share their prayers with the others. Pope’s Francis own profile (https://www.clicktopray.org/en/user/popefrancis) can be found clicking in the Pope Francis button at the “Pray with the Network” section. Click To Pray is the official prayer platform for World Youth Day 2019, which takes place in Panama from 22-27th January 2019. For this event, the platform includes a special multimedia section to pray and meditate the Rosary for Peace.
In Wunderlich v. Germany, the European Court of Human Rights in a Chamber Judgment upheld Germany's three-week removal of four children from their parents' home after the parents insisted on homeschooling them and refused to send them to state schools. The court held that there was no violation of Art. 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights (Right to Respect for Private and Family Life). the Court said in part: The Court finds that the enforcement of compulsory school attendance, to prevent social isolation of the applicants’ children and ensure their integration into society, was a relevant reason for justifying the partial withdrawal of parental authority. It further finds that the domestic authorities reasonably assumed – based on the information available to them – that children were endangered by the applicants by not sending them to school and keeping them in a “symbiotic” family system.
One of the most striking things Pope Francis has witnessed to our world is the hope that one individual can bring to the lives of so many. That is why I heartily invite you and your parishioners to join us at New York Encounter (www.newyorkencounter.org). This 3-day annual cultural event will take place February 15-17 at the Metropolitan Pavilion at 215 West 18th Street. This year's Encounter entitled Something to Start From will offer, FREE of charge, unique expressions of the heart through witnesses, public discussions, exhibits, and live performances. Since 2009, when New York Encounter was founded by members of the Catholic lay movement Communion and Liberation, it has fostered dialogue between faith and the public sphere and has provided a vibrant meeting point to thousands of people of different beliefs, traditions and cultures striving for reciprocal understanding, broadened perspectives and the possibility for true friendship. We would like to extend this invitation to all of your parishioners and we would be grateful if you could include the announcement below in your parish bulletin. If you would like to receive more information, or free promotional material, please call (646) 757-4380.
Khail Black’s game-high 14 points brought him to 105 season points, as the Varsity Horsemen easily downed St. Benedict 61-36 during Wednesday’s home game. Sean DuBose was the only Horseman to score in all quarters and had a game-high 23 points, which was one more than the total points scored by the St. Benedict JV Team, as the Horsemen triumphed 44-22 in their game. The Varsity Horsemen came out of the gate quickly, sinking four 3’s in the first quarter, and they led 32-9 at the half. Black, himself, put is four 3’s, and William Manning put in a game-high six 2’s and a free-throw for 13 points. Manning has 118 season points. Both Jose Velez and Eric Codero had two threes and a two for 8 points. Antonio Martinez had a three and a two in the second quarter for 5 points, and Kyle Austin had a pair of 2’s in the last quarter for 4 points. Jahli Ward had a three early in the first quarter, and Justin Hernandez had a two in the first, Isiah LaCasse had a two in the last quarter, and Daniel Torres hit two free throws in the second quarter to round out the Horsemen scoring. The Horsemen were 3 for 6 from the line, while St. Benedict was 5 for 12. The next home varsity game is Monday at 7PM against St. Frances de Chantal. The JV Horsemen led only by two, 9-7, at the quarter but kept steadily increasing their lead and were 23-14 at the half. Larry German was also in double digits and put in a three and four 2’s for 11 points. Maniase Manigar and Jaylen Faye Velan each had a two in two different quarters, and Richie Martinez rounded out the team scoring with a two in the final quarter. One St. Benedict player also scored in double digits with 12. The JV Horsemen were 1 for 2 from the line, while St. Benedict was 0 for 2. Congratulations to the Horsemen.
CAMP VERITAS is a week-long play and pray pilgrimage and summer camp for teens entering grades 7-12. There are five locations. The cost is $400 and limited scholarships are availabnle. Registration is now open. Go to: www.campveritas.org. FEARLESS is a weekend retreat for teens in grades 8-12. The cost is $45. The next retreat is March 29-31 at Holy Cross Parish, 1846 Randall Avenue. To register, call 845-663-1689.
There is Still Time to Give to St. Helena If giving to charity is still on your agenda for 2018, there's still a window of time for you to make that year-end donation. Please note that new tax rules have made it more difficult to get a deduction for your donations. That is because the standard deduction is so much higher — about $12,000 for individuals and $24,000 for married couples who file jointly. And your donations (plus any other deductions such as mortgage interest, etc.) must push you over the standard deduction in order for you to itemize on your tax return. When giving to charity, make sure that the organization is a U.S.-based 501(c)(3) organization. Both St. Helena School and Parish are such organizations. If you plan to send your donation via check in the mail, send it early enough so that it is postmarked on or before Dec. 31. Also, note that the mailbox rule only applies to U.S. mail and not to other delivery methods such as FedEx. If you choose to give physical assets, such as artwork, the delivery and transfer of the title or deed must happen before Dec. 31. If you choose to donate stock, that transaction is only recognized as completed once the transfer request has been submitted by your financial advisor or firm. Keep in mind that if you are over age 70½, you can make a donation directly from an individual retirement account to a charity. If your gift exceeds $250, you need to get a receipt. A canceled check or a brokerage certificate showing a transfer of shares won't count. Also note that charities aren't required by law to give you a receipt, so you have to ask them for one. Contact the parish office, and we will be glad to send you one. Furthermore, you must have that receipt in hand by the time you file your taxes in April. If you file for an extension, you will need to have documentation of your gift by the time you file in October. Also, It’s not too late to set up what's known as a donor-advised fund for your charitable gifts this year. The advantage of a donor-advised fund is you can get the deduction for making the gift this year, but decide later which charities to which you want to donate the money. Most major brokerage firms can set one up for you, but they typically have a minimum requirement.
On this, the Sunday within the Octave of Christmas, we honor the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. The Feast has its origins in the 17th century when devotion to the Holy Family was quite strong, but today’s feast was instituted by Pope Leo XIII in 1893 and was extended to the whole Roman Church by Pope Benedict XV in 1921. In honoring the Holy Family, we also honor all families, big or small. And in honoring all families, we honor the family of God, the Church. But most especially, we focus in on the hidden, day-to-day life of the Holy Family of Nazareth. St. John Paul II once reflected on the Holy Family, how it sanctifies families and what we can learn from meditating upon the life that Jesus, Mary and Joseph shared together in Nazareth. “For every believer, and especially for Christian families, the humble dwelling place in Nazareth is an authentic school of the Gospel. Here we admire and put into practice the divine plan to make the family an intimate community of life and love; here we learn that every Christian family is called to be a small "domestic church" that must shine with the Gospel virtues,” said St. John Paul II to the crowd. “Recollection and prayer, mutual understanding and respect, personal discipline and community asceticism and a spirit of sacrifice, work and solidarity are typical features that make the family of Nazareth a model for every home.”
Are you a high school senior and a practicing Catholic attending an Archdiocesan parish or faith community? Have you demonstrated academic achievement, leadership, and good character? Apply for the $2,000 Venerable Pierre Toussaint Scholarship. Contact your pastor to receive an application and to request a reference letter. Applications are due February 15. For more info, go to www.obmny.org
All lovers of Scripture have reason to celebrate this day. Damasus was the pope who commissioned Saint Jerome to translate the Scriptures into Latin, the Vulgate version of the Bible. Damasus was a sixty-year-old deacon when he was elected bishop of Rome in 366. His reign was marked by violence from the start when another group decided to elect a different pope. Both sides tried to enforce their selections through violence. Though the physical fighting stopped, Damasus had to struggle with these opponents throughout his years as pope. Damasus may not have won this battle directly, but he won the war by initiating works that outlasted all his opponents. Not only did he commission the Vulgate translation but he also changed the liturgical language of the Church from Greek to Latin. He worked hard to preserve and restore the catacombs, the graves of the martyrs, and relics. Damasus was a writer -- but he didn't author many-volumed treatises as other Christian writers did. Damasus liked to write epigrams in verse: short sayings that capture the essence of what needed to be said. He wrote many epigrams on martyrs and saints. And he wrote one about himself that shows his humility and the respect he had for the martyrs. In a Roman cemetery is the papal crypt he built. All that is left of him there, however, is this: " I, Damasus, wished to be buried here, but I feared to offend the ashes of these holy ones." Instead, when he died in 384, he was buried with his mother and sister.
We invite everyone to bring your Christ Child figure to one of the Masses at St. Helena during the weekend of December 15-16 for a special blessing. Our Mass times are Saturday at 5:30 PM, and Sunday at 7:30, 9:00, 10:30, NOON (Spanish), 1:30 PM, and 5:00 PM The Saturday 5:30 PM Mass will also be the First Mass here at St. Helena for our newly ordained Piarist priest Rev. Vinod Angadathu George, Sch.P. Our Father General, Very Rev. Pedro Aguado, Sch.P. is flying over from the Piarist Fathers Generalate in Rome for the celebration. A reception and the Parish Christmas Party will take place after the Saturday 5:30 PM Mass in the Parish Hall. For more information, call 718-892-3232. During his pontificate, Saint John Paul II instituted the celebration of “Bambinelli Sunday” on the Third Sunday of Advent, which is also called Gaudete Sunday and is one of only two days during the year where the priest wears rose-colored vestments. It is also the day on which the children of Rome may bring their Christ Child figures from their family crèches to St. Peter’s Square for a special blessing. For over thirty years, following the Sunday Angelus address, the Holy Father has blessed the Christ Child figures which the children then take back to homes, hiding them until they could place these figurines in the family Christmas cribs on Christmas morning. Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI and Pope Francis have continued this beautiful tradition, blessing the Christ Child Crèche figures that children bring to St. Peter’s Square on Gaudete Sunday. Parishes around the world are invited to join in this celebration by encouraging young children to make the important connection between the Nativity displays in their homes and those at their churches. Saint Francis of Assisi first created the Christmas crèche in the town of Grecio to assist the local people in becoming more aware of the Christmas story. Fr. Vinod resided at St. Helena while he was a seminarian attending St. Joseph's Seminary in Yonkers. He was ordained as a priest at his home parish of St. Rita of Cascia in Kerala, India, and this will be his first celebration here at St. Helena. People are invited to receive his First Priestly Blessing following the 5:30 PM Saturday Vigil Mass.