MARCH FOR LIFE 2020 Pilgrimage to Washington D.C. on FRIDAY, JANUARY 24, 2020. Join us for a pilgrimage as we commemorate the 47th Anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the tragic Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion. We will be attending the NY Pilgrim Mass at 10:30AM celebrated by Cardinal Dolan, which is within walking distance from the start of the Rally. Bus departs at 5:00 AM from: Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, 457 West 51st Street (between 9th & 10th Ave). Total cost for the trip is $55 (Checks made payable to “Respect Life Office.” Payment is non-refundable.) If you would like to be part of this pilgrimage, please contact Sr. Charity by email at [email protected] OR by phone at 646-476-0931. Don't wait! Space is limited.
The Schiller Institute NYC Chorus will perform on Saturday, December 7 from 7:30-9:30PM at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish, 627 E. 187th St. Tickets are $20. Reception after the concert. For discounts information, call 347-657-3704.
St. Helena’s Calasanz Movement Youth Group is hosting a Great Gatsby Gala on February 29, 2020, from 7-11PM in the gym. Funds raised will support the youth group. Tickets are $30 each or 2 for $50.00. In January, tickets will be the regular price at $35 per person and $60 for couples. This will be a great opportunity to not only dress up like the 1920s but also have fun as a parish community! For more info, Email [email protected].
Learn More and Take Action! This month we invite you to attend an educational "Care & Prepare" event to learn practical steps for navigating end-of-life decisions for yourself and for your loved ones. As legislation permitting assisted suicide looms, it is more important than ever to be informed about the Church's teaching on end-of-life. Join us at St. Ann's Church in Yonkers on Saturday, Nov. 23rd from 10am-Noon.
The Mother Teresa Group announces that in December they will be collecting toys for the children at Jacobi Hospital and clothes for the seniors at Rebekah Nursing Home, and they invite people to start purchasing items for their drives. In January, they will begin an "Adopt a Grandparent" program whereby people will select an elderly person that they will regularly visit.
Santa is waiting to hear from you. If you are under 12 years of age, we invite you to do the following: Write your Christmas letter to Santa, and be sure to include a greeting (i.e. Dear Santa,), the body of the letter, a closing (i.e. Sincerely,), and your signature. Put your letter in an envelope, and on the back of the envelope put your name, address, and phone number. The letter can be written in English, French, or Spanish You must bring your letter to either the rectory or the school office or place it in the special box at the church entrance by Sunday, December 1. We will mail all the letters to the North Pole for you, but Santa will have a special gift for some lucky children who wrote letters to him. The gifts will be given out at the Parish Christmas Party, which will take place on Saturday, December 7 from 6-11PM. So, start writing your letters today.
Perhaps you feel God is calling you to help undocumented immigrants in a very special way. This 40-hour course runs March 24-June 20 on Tuesdays from 6-9PM at St. Francis of Assisi Church, 19 West 31st St., NY. The course is based on the Immigrant Legal Resource Center's curriculum. Non-lawyers who complete the course will receive ILRC certificates and NY lawyers will receive 42 New York CLE credits. Scholarships available for staff and volunteers of non-profit organizations such as St. Helena's. Registration deadline is March 11. For more info, call 212-736-8500 X305.
November 17, marks the third annual World Day of the Poor. In 2017, Pope Francis suggested the Catholic Church set aside one day each year when communities can “reflect on how poverty is at the very heart of the Gospel.” He designated this day as the World Day of the Poor, and it is celebrated on the 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time each year. In this year’s World Day of the Poor message, Pope Francis reflects on Psalm 9:19, “The hope of the poor will not perish forever.” He considers the suffering of millions of people who experience poverty, noting that they maintain hope in the Lord in a very real way because he assures them of his faithfulness. Pope Francis challenges us to be authentic witnesses of Christian hope and to accompany the poor through a personal and constant commitment over time. It was established by Pope Francis in his Apostolic Letter, Misericordia et Misera, issued on November 20, 2016 to celebrate the end of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy. The World Day of the Poor was first observed on November 19, 2017, with the theme, "Let us love, not with words but with deeds”. In his message for that first World Day of the Poor, Pope Francis said that “the Our Father is the prayer of the poor.” He held a special Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica, followed by a free lunch in the adjacent Paul VI Hall, in several Catholic colleges, and in other Vatican venues. During the week preceding the World Day of the Poor, free specialized medical services were offered at a mobile clinic along with special Masses, free meals for the poor, and other initiatives. Here at St. Helena, we conduct our Thanksgiving Food Drive for the poor.
To most people, Thanksgiving is a time for love, family, and gratitude. However, people sometimes forget that it is also about giving to others. In the month of November, St. Helena’s holds its annual Thanksgiving Food Drive in order to help local families in need this holiday season. Our students, friends, alumni, and parishioners are able to bring in their donations until November 23 and drop them off in the School Office or the Rectory. The collected items can include: canned vegetables and other goods, tuna, rice and beans, boxed mashed potatoes, stuffing mix, pasta, cornbread muffin mix, cranberry sauce, salt and pepper, spices, boxed macaroni and cheese, cake mix, vegetable oil, drink mixes, coffee, tea, sugar, mayo, peanut butter and jelly, pie filling, cereal, foil baking pans, and canned gravy. Every family deserves to have the ability to enjoy a Thanksgiving dinner with family and friends. The St. Helena Thanksgiving Food Drive helps many families in the Parkchester area experience that lovely dinner. Did you know that nearly 13 million children in the United States are food insecure? Your donations will be brought by our students and parishioners to St. Anthony’s Soup Kitchen and will be used as part of their annual Thanksgiving Dinner for the poor on Saturday, November 23. Thank you for your kindness and generosity. Remember that Sunday, November 17 is the third Annual World Day of the Poor, and contributing to the Food Drive is a wonderful way to help celebrate it.
Pope extends feast of Our Lady of Loreto to the universal Church. Pope Francis has decreed that “the optional memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Loreto should be inscribed in the Roman Calendar on 10 December, the day on which the feast falls in Loreto, and celebrated every year.” The October 7 decree, published on October 31, comes two months before the beginning of the December 2019-December 2020 jubilee year for Loreto pilgrims.
Join Brother Francis as he helps children up to 8 years old understand how to live a joy-filled Catholic life. You have a FREE, 24/7 subscription to over 300 quality Catholic on-line programs like Brother Francis. To access them, log onto www.formed.org; type in St. Helena, Bronx, NY 10462; scroll down and select our parish and then click Next; enter YOUR name and email address; click on Sign Up, and you can now access Brother Francis or any other program. If you are already a Formed Subscriber, the program will send you an email link that will allow you access. This is a WONDERFUL free service enjoyed by our parish because we already had over 100 formed users. Check out all the wonderful programming.