News - January 2016 RSS Feed

January 31 - February 5 is Catholic Schools week in the Archdiocese of New York. St. Helena’s has the following activities planned for the week: Monday: Buddy Day Tuesday: Class Olympics Wednesday: Blessing of Throats for everyone; Sports Uniform Day for Grades 3-8 and Pajama Day for Grades 2 and younger Thursday: Confessions; Former Harlem Globetrotter Corey Rich will speak with the students from 9:30 - 10:30AM in the gym. All are welcome to attend. Friday: Parent Open House from 8:15 - 9AM; 9:30 AM First Friday Mass; NOON Dismissal

St. Helena’s School is now selling candy bars for a school fundraiser. Students will be selling four different Hershey’s King Sized Candy bars for $2 each. Those same candy bars will also be on sale in the Parish Bookstore after the Sunday morning Masses. Please support our school fundraising efforts.

The largest series of education-related events in US history begins today. National School Choice Week, which runs from January 24-30, 2016, will feature an unprecedented 16,140 events across the country. (www.schoolchoiceweek.com/kickoff) The governors of 32 US states, along with more than 240 mayors and county leaders, have issued official proclamations recognizing January 24-30, 2016 as “School Choice Week” in their states and localities. These elected leaders have called on residents to use National School Choice Week to “explore and identify the best education options available for their children.” National School Choice Week shines a positive spotlight on effective education options for children, including traditional public schools, public charter schools, magnet schools, private schools, online academies, and homeschooling. Events during National School Choice Week – which are independently planned by schools, organizations, homeschool groups, chambers of commerce, organizations, and individuals – include everything from open houses at schools, school fairs, policy roundtable discussions, homeschool information sessions, and school assemblies. There will also be rallies or events at 20 state capitol buildings during the Week, as well as a social media Thunderclap designed to get the hashtag #SchoolChoice to trend (www.schoolchoiceweek.com/tweet). “The goal of National School Choice Week is to raise awareness among parents that when it comes to their children’s K-12 education, they have options,” said Andrew R. Campanella, president of National School Choice Week. “School Choice Week also provides an opportunity for people who believe that parents should have more options for their kids to have their voices heard. We are grateful that so many students, parents, teachers, schools, organizations, and elected officials are joining us in this positive, celebratory Week of events, activities, and celebrations.”

Vatican City, 21 January 2016 (VIS) – The Holy Father has written a letter, dated 20 December and published today, to Cardinal Robert Sarah, prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, in which he decrees that from now on, the people chosen for the washing of the feet in the liturgy of Holy Thursday may be selected from all the People of God, and not only men and boys. The Pope writes to the cardinal that he has for some time reflected on the "rite of the washing of the feet contained in the Liturgy of the Mass in Coena Domini, with the intention of improving the way in which it is performed so that it might express more fully the meaning of Jesus' gesture in the Cenacle, His giving of Himself unto the end for the salvation of the world, His limitless charity". "After careful consideration", he continues, "I have decided to make a change to the Roman Missal. I therefore decree that the section according to which those persons chosen for the Washing of the feet must be men or boys, so that from now on the Pastors of the Church may choose the participants in the rite from among all the members of the People of God. I also recommend that an adequate explanation of the rite itself be provided to those who are chosen". The Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments has today published a decree on the aforementioned rite, dated 6 January 2016, the full text of which is published below: "The reform of the Holy Week, by the decree Maxima Redemptionis nostrae mysteria of November 1955, provides the faculty, where counselled by pastoral motives, to perform the washing of the feet of twelve men during the Mass of the Lord's Supper, after the reading of the Gospel according to John, as if almost to represent Christ's humility and love for His disciples. In the Roman liturgy this rite was handed down with the name of the Mandatum of the Lord on brotherly charity in accordance with Jesus' words, sung in the Antiphon during the celebration. In performing this rite, bishops and priests are invited to conform intimately to Christ who 'came not to be served but to serve' and, driven by a love 'to the end', to give His life for the salvation of all humankind. To manifest the full meaning of the rite to those who participate in it, the Holy Father Francis has seen fit to change the rule by in the Roman Missal (p.300, No. 11) according to which the chosen men are accompanied by the ministers, which must therefore be modified as follows: 'Those chosen from among the People of God are accompanied by the ministers' (and consequently in the Caeremoniale Episcoporum No. 301 and No. 299 b referring to the seats for the chosen men, so that pastors may choose a group of faithful representing the variety and unity of every part of the People of God. This group may consist of men and women, and ideally of the young and the old, healthy and sick, clerics, consecrated persons and laypeople. This Congregation for Divine Worship and the DisiCpline of the Sacraments, by means of the faculties granted by the Supreme Pontiff, introduces this innovation in the liturgical books of the Roman Rite, recalling pastors of their duty to instruct adequately both the chosen faithful and others, so that they may participate in the rite consciously, actively and fruitfully".

St. Helena's basketball team is the Horsemen, referring to the Four Horsemen of Revelation, but what is the MEANING of those four famous horsemen of Revelation 6:1-11? The four horses of Revelation are part of the opening visions of the church’s conflict with the world, which constitutes chapters 1-11. Chapters 12-22 deal with the conflict behind the conflict, Satan’s efforts to destroy the church. The four horses depict the results of the preaching of the gospel, persecution and suffering. First is the white horse. White is always a symbol of purity and righteousness. The rider goes forth with a bow, a symbol of conquest. This rider went out conquering and to conquer, which is said of Christ in John 16:3, Revelation 3:21 and Revelation 5:5. There is only one other white horse singled out in Revelation, and it is the one upon which Jesus rides, 19:11. This rider and horse represent the going forth of the gospel. Second is the red horse. Red generally indicates war and bloodshed. This would indicate the persecution that would follow upon the preaching of the gospel and people’s obedience to it. Jesus said this would take place, Matthew 10:21, 34-36. Persecution is also mentioned in 2 Timothy 3:12. This rider carries a sword, the Greek word being machaira, which was the sacrificial knife. This word appears 28 other times in the New Testament, but it is never used in a sacrificial sense in those places. However, when the fifth seal is opened the saints who have been slain for their faith are shown. The word "kill" in vs. 4 is the same one in 5:6 and 6:9, both used in a sacrificial sense. This all points to the death coming as a result of persecution. Third is the black horse. Black portrays grief and mourning. The rider is carrying a pair of scales, indicating economic hardship. This is not a reference to famine because the oil and wine are not to be hurt. The prices given in vs. 6 indicate extreme inflation because normally the denarius would by 8-12 times as much as indicated here. So, not only would some Christians die for their faith, but others would suffer in other ways, such as shown here, economic hardship. Fourth is the pale horse. The color of this horse is hard to describe, perhaps greenish or ashen in color. It was symbolic of sickness and death, which is appropriate since the rider is Death, followed by Hades. They punish with the four sore judgments of God. This represents the suffering of those who reject the gospel message. To sum up, the gospel message goes forth, the white horse. Those who are obedient to that message suffer both persecution and economic hardship, the red and black horses. However, those who persecute the Christians are not beyond suffering and punishment themselves, the pale horse. It must be kept in mind that revelation is highly symbolic and meaning must not be looked for in every little detail. The symbols are meant to give an overall picture of the idea intended. The above interpretations are those which best fit first, and most importantly, the context in which they appear, and then the general meanings of signs and symbols in apocalyptic literature when the Bible was written.

Need a Winter Coat? Winter coat pick up from 10AM - NOON on February 1-2 at SUNY, 2901 White Plains Rd, Bx. You may get ONE FREE new or gently used winter coat for a family member, distributed on a first come first served basis. For more info, call 718-547-1001.

The beginning of February is a time of blessings. February 2 is Candlemas Day, the celebration of the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord. Traditional items to be blessed on this day include beeswax candles and statues of the Baby Jesus. At. St. Helena will will bless beeswax candles on February 2 before the 8:30 AM Mass and on February 3 before the 7:30 PM Spanish Mass. We will bless Statues of the Baby Jesus during the 7:30 pm Spanish Mass on February 3 and during the noon Spanish Mass on February 7. February 3 is the Feast of St. Blaise, bishop and martyr and is the traditional day for the Blessing of Throats. We will Bless Throats at all Masses during the weekend of January 30-31 and at all Masses on Wednesday, February 3.

Creating Unity in the Community invites families, and friends to join our Martin Luther King Day of Service Annual Community Conversation sponsored by New York Council for the Humanities on Tuesday, February 16 from 6 - 7:30 p.m. at the Parkchester Library 1985 Westchester Ave. Bronx, New York 10462(upstairs on the second floor). This is an opportunity for families to come together in a thoughtful discussion, and dialogue about the 1898 Commencement Address by W.E.B. DuBois at Fisk University concerning American values and lifestyles -past, present, and future. The Community Conversation will also discuss Dr. King’s Legacy focus on the Day of Service and how service affects our lives and communities then and now.

The Horsemen of St. Helena bolted out to a quick 13-0 lead over visiting St. Ignatius School Tuesday evening, and they never looked back. Eight players scored for the Horsemen, and 11 varsity cheerleaders raised the home crowd’s excitement level. The Horsemen had a 23-13 lead at the half, and by the time the dust had settled, the Horsemen won easily 45-24. Horsemen team scoring went very nicely in consecutive descending order, with almost every player scoring in only two quarters. Matthew Manning scored a team-high nine points, scoring seven in the first quarter and adding another two in the third. Soraya Morales hit a two in the second and three twos in the third for eight points. Sammy Lugo hit two twos in the first and scored three points in the third for seven points. Matthew Rodriquez scored his six points in the first and third quarters. Dylan Carrisquillo hit a free throw in the first and two twos in the fourth for five points, and Francisco Mattei hit a two in both the first and second quarters for four points. Princess Mensah also had four points, hitting a free throw in the second and a three in the fourth. Finally, Kameron Carrisquillo finished out the Horsemen scoring with two free throws in the second. Eighth grader Christopher Oquendo had a game-high 13 points for Ignatius, and he was the only player to score in three quarters. Ignatius was 0 for 4 from the foul line, while the Horsemen were 5 for 11.

On the 25th of each month, Our Lady appears to the Medjugorje visionary Marija to give us her message to the world. Below is the latest official English translation as provided by the Information Center in Medjugorje: "Dear children! Also today I am carrying my Son Jesus to you and from this embrace I am giving you His peace and a longing for Heaven. I am praying with you for peace and am calling you to be peace. I am blessing all of you with my motherly blessing of peace. Thank you for having responded to my call." 12/25/2015

Both the varsity and junior varsity Horsemen easily defeated the Eagles of Immaculate Conception at home on Thursday night, with the varsity winning 35-25 and the junior varsity 40-24. Chris Colter put up a game-high 20 points for the JV and Francisco Mattei was the only varsity player on either team to score in double digits with 12, all scored in the first quarter. Ten Horsemen cheerleaders provided the half-time entertainment. The varsity Horsemen raced out to an early 25-2 lead in the first quarter, and then the Horsemen starters got to enjoy watching the rest of the game from the bench. Eight varsity players scored for the Horsemen and six for the Eagles. Sammy Lugo scored a two and a three during the first quarter, and both Matthew Manning and Jordan Providence sank two twos in the first. Princess Mensha sank a two in the second; Nelson Provost hit one in the third, and Dylan Carrisquillo sank his in the fourth. Finally, Soraya Morales hit a three and a free throw in the second to round out the Horsemen scoring. The Horsemen were 5 for 9 from the free throw line, while the Eagles were 2 for 12. In contrast to the varsity game, the JV game was very close, 9-7, during the first quarter, with the Horsemen taking only a narrow lead, but that lead kept widening as the game continued. Only Colter for the Horsemen and Isaiah Coston for the Eagles scored in all four quarters during the JV game. Interestingly, both players also scores just a single free throw during the second quarter. Coston had a team-high 17 points for the Eagles. William Manning scored his seven points for the Horsemen in the second half, and Khalid Black sank his six points during the first half. Benjamin Rosario hit a two in the first quarter, while Jose Velez sank a two and a three in the second quarter. The Horsemen were 5 for 14 from the line, while the Eagles were an even fifty percent, 4 for 8. Congratulations to the Horsemen for a nice win.

At least once a year, Christians are reminded of Jesus’ prayer for his disciples that “they may be one so that the world may believe” (see John 17.21). Hearts are touched and Christians come together to pray for their unity. Congregations and parishes all over the world exchange preachers or arrange special ecumenical celebrations and prayer services. The event that touches off this special experience is the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Traditionally the week of prayer is celebrated between 18-25 January, between the feasts of St Peter and St Paul.

Motus Christi Retreat for young people ages 18 to 30, February 12-14 at St. Joseph's Retreat House, Hopewell Junction, NY. Registration $125 (includes meals and lodging.) Coach transportation available from the Bronx for an additional $25.

Dominican College is hosting an Open House for High School and Transfer students on Saturday, January 23 from 10 am to 12:30 pm at the Hennessy Center. RSVP by going to www.dc.edu/register.

"Entering Canaan" is a men's day for those who are suffering as a result of loosing a child to abortion. It will take place on Saturday, January 30 at Our Lady of New York in the Bronx. For more information, call 1-877-586-4621.

Retrouvaille helps couples through difficult times in their marriages. To register for the upcoming weekend that begins on Friday, January 22 at the Immaculate Conception Seminary, call 1-800-470-2230. .

The American-Italian Cancer Foundation is sponsoring a Free Mobile Breast Cancer Screening Program, using state of the art digital GE mammography equipment. The screening will take place here at the St. Helena parking lot on either the second or third Sunday in March. The program is for women age 40 and over who reside in New York City and have not had a mammogram in the last 12 months. All health insurances are accepted. Please bring your health insurance card with you to the screening. Women will NOT be charged a co-pay or deductible and will receive no bill. Costs for uninsured women are covered in part by the New York State Cancer Service Program. Due to a limited number of appointment times, women need to pre-register for this service. If you are interested in this free screening, please call the parish office at 718-892-3232 and register by February 20 The screening staff is fluent in both English and Spanish.

The varsity cheer squad performed for the first time this season at Monday night’s home game against Our Lady of the Assumption, and led by Francisco Mattei’s game-high 28 points, the Horsemen emerged victorious 51-41. Mattei was the only Horsemen in double digits and the only player on either team to score in all four quarters, putting up nine twos and a three, and he was 7 for 13 from the free throw line. He scored four points in each quarter of the first half, 12 points in the third quarter, including his only three of the night, and eight in the final quarter. Five other Horsemen put points on the boards, Matthew Rodriguez hit a bucket in the first quarter and had a three and two twos in the fourth quarter for nine points, while Matthew Manning hit two twos in the first quarter and a two in both the second and third quarters for eight points. Jordan Providence hit a three in the first quarter and a two in the third quarter for five points. Kameron Carrasquillo hit two free throws in the second quarter and Soraya Morales sank a free throw in the final quarter to round out the Horsemen scoring. Only three players scored for Assumption, all in double digits. Both teams shot around 50 percent from the foul line, with Assumption shooting 13 for 26 and the Horsemen sinking 10 for 21. The twelve members of the cheer squad really had something to cheer about during the game. While the varsity Horsemen won by ten, the junior varsity Horsemen lost by ten, 40-30, due largely to the absence of their leading scorer and the ability of the Assumption shooters to sink six threes. Three players scored 13 points during the game, including the Horsemen’s Chris Colter. Jose Velez hit a three in the first quarter, a two in both the second and fourth quarters and two free throws in the final quarter for nine points, and Khalid Black hit all seven of his points, including the only other Horsemen three in the final quarter, and William Manning hit a free throw in the third quarter to round out the Horsemen scoring. The Horsemen were 8 for 14 from the line, while Assumption was 6 for 8.

At Steubenville NYC, which takes place June 24-26, teens will learn what it takes to be great in this life. Teens will come to experience a relationship with Christ that can radically transform everything in their life. The goal of the conference is for teens to open their hearts to Jesus Christ who desires their lives to be fulfilling, exciting, and joyful! Registration opens on January 15, 2016. Contact Joe Bonillo at the Office of Youth Ministry 914-367-8284.

The St. Helena Girl's Cheer Squad needs new uniforms. The cheerleaders have been using the same uniforms for 21 years, and the the twelve members of this year's squad have established a GoFundMe page for that purpose. The cheerleaders are in grades 5-8, and they cheer at the boy's varsity basketball games. Please visit the page and support our school cheerleaders. Here is the link: https://de.gofund.me/ukabhj2k&rcid=b85ce923b4834c0ca8446fcc14e15433