News - January 2020 RSS Feed

We are collecting feminine hygiene products, diapers and baby formula, non-perishable canned foods, bottled water, batteries, tents, and sleeping bags. NO CLOTHING. Please bring your items to the rectory by Friday, January 24. You can also make a cash donation.

Public School Teacher's Retreat on Sat., Jan. 25 from 9AM-1:30PM at the Maryknoll Fathers, 55 Ryder Rd., Ossining. Celebrant Bishop Gerald Walsh. Suggested donation $25.Lunch will be served. For more info, call 914-965-0490.

Young Adult Retreat at the Marianist Family Retreat Center, Cape May Point, NJ. Come and join other young adults (22-35) married or single, to take a step back from your busy lives. This is a time to examine your personal faith and your relationship with God. The cost is $135 per person. Register at: www.capemaymarianists.org or call 609-884-3829.

Online Training for Lectors. Are you a lector who wants to learn more about the Scriptures? Do you want to become certified as a lector? Sign up for a new online training program, offered in English and Spanish. You will watch an instructional video, and you can be certified in as little as two hours. Register at nyliturgy.teachable.com

CUNY CITIZENSHIP NOW! APPLICATION ASSISTANCE EVENT WITH NEW YORK CITY COUNCIL MEMBER RUBEN DIAZ SR. . Are you eligible to become a U.S. Citizen? Experienced lawyers and other immigration professionals, members of the NYC/CUNY Citizenship Now! Volunteer Corps, will assist permanent residents with their citizenship applications. Event is free and open to all, not only CUNY students. You must meet the following requirements: - You have resided in the United States as a permanent resident for five years (or for three years if you are married to and living with a U.S. citizen). - You have been physically present in the United States for half of the five (or three) year period. - You are at least 18 years old. A $725 filing fee (check, money order or credit card) is required by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Please do not bring the fee to this event. Some permanent residents may be eligible for a fee waiver. At the event we can help you determine if you are eligible and fill out the necessary forms. We strongly recommend that you bring the necessary documents for your naturalization and fee waiver applications.. and bring it with you. This will help you save time at the event. This event is sponsored by New York City Council member Ruben Diaz Sr., U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), New Americans Campaign, NALEO Educational Fund, and Dominicanos USA.. Languages spoken: English and Spanish. . Date: January 11, 2020 Time: 11:00 AM — 2:00 PM College: The University Address: P.S. 107, 1695 Seward Ave. Bronx, NY 10473 Room: Auditorium and Cafeteria Phone: 646-664-9400 Admission: Free Website: http://cuny.edu/citizenshipnow

Are You a Catholic Graduating High School Senior with high academic achievement? Then, apply for the $2,000 Venerable Pierre Toussaint Scholarship. Deadline for the completed application is Feb. 14. Contact the rectory for an application form and all the details as soon as possible.

In his 2019 World Day of Migrants and Refugees message, the Holy Father reiterates the Gospel command to avoid despising “one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father” (Mt 18:10). It is not just about migrants: it is a question of seeing that no one is excluded. A globalization of indifference has led to many of us to ignore the cries of the poor, turn our backs on the marginalized, and remain indifferent to those struggling to find a better life. We are called to help create the conditions that will lead to a better life for everyone on the planet. From January 5-11, 2020, the Catholic Church in the United States will celebrate National Migration Week. The theme for this year’s celebration is “Promoting a Church and a World for All,” which reflects the need for Catholics to be inclusive and welcoming to all our brothers and sisters. It is a call for unity to stand in solidarity with and care for those who are excluded and marginalized. Welcoming the newcomer and promoting a church for all counters what Pope Francis has referred to as “a globalization of indifference,” which has led to many of us to ignore the cries of the poor, turn our backs on the marginalized, and remain indifferent to those struggling to find a better life. We are called to be an active Church in support of all of God’s children, for “the Church which ‘goes forth’... can move forward, boldly take the initiative, go out to others, seek those who have fallen away, stand at the crossroads and welcome the outcast” (Evangelii Gaudium, 24). It is with this ideal in mind – that we call for a church that welcomes, protects, promotes, and integrates all, including immigrants and refugees. These four verbs have been used by Pope Francis to frame our obligations toward migrant populations. As he expressed in his message: Welcoming means, above all, “offering broader options for migrants and refugees to enter destination countries safely and legally.” We must nurture societies that aim as much as possible to include, rather exclude. A culture of encounter that emphasizes humanity and inherent human dignity best counters anti-immigrant sentiment and welcoming is a vital step in that journey. Protecting migrants “may be understood as a series of steps intended to defend the rights and dignity of migrants, independent of their legal status.” The Catholic Church has long emphasized the importance of protecting the human dignity of migrants, both through the implementation of humane policies and through their accompaniment. Promoting essentially means a “determined effort to ensure that all migrants and refugees – as well as the communities which welcome them – are empowered to achieve their potential as human beings, in all the dimensions which constitute their humanity.” Of importance here is our obligation to institute practices and policies that will promote and preserve the integrity of the family, reaffirm family reunification, and make allowances for family members to work following their arrival to new destination countries. Integrating emphasizes the “opportunities for intercultural enrichment brought about by the presence of migrants and refugees.” Although the initial act of welcoming migrants is an important step, it is imperative that we go further and take the necessary steps that will help them to become active, participating members of our communities. Let us take some time during the upcoming National Migration Week to reflect on how we can better welcome, protect, promote, and integrate migrants living in our midst. How can we counter the globalization of indifference that affects us all, to some degree or another? What policies can we promote that will affirm the dignity of migrants and better secure the common good? How do we work more fully to promote a Church for all?

The NY Department of Homeless Services has announced that it will be opening a Homeless Shelter at 951 Olmstead Avenue to provide temporary shelter for families with children. The shelter is expected to open in 2021. This will make the third home;ess shelter located within a two-block radius of St. Helena's. According to DHS, there are more homeless people from Community Board 9 in the current shelter system than the city has the capacity to shelter them.There are 1,992 people from CB9 currently in the system, and there are only 790 of those people who are living in shelters within the CB9 area. Of these, 468 people now reside in cluster sites that are scheduled to be closed. Once these sites are closed, the area will have 1,600 fewer beds than is currently required. The Olmstead Avenue shelter will provide for 161 families. The Urban Resource Institute will provide services at the Olmstead Ave. site, including case management and counseling services. The addition of this shelter means there will be a total of 12 homeless shelters in CB9. Just to note, CB10 will have only 3 shelters, and CB11 will have none. While there is a clear homeless epidemic in New York City, and we do have a moral responsibility to help people, the question many people are asking is whether all Community Boards are receiving their fair share of shelters.