Messages from the Pastor

Pentecost Sunday – First Reading Commentary

| St. Charles Borromeo

Why the geese?
Wild geese were the ancient Celtic symbol for the Holy Spirit .
(click here for more info)
(Photo by Bahram Bayat on Unsplash)

Acts 2:1–11

The celebration of Feast of Pentecost brings together the literary brilliance of St. Luke and the ancient wisdom of Israel. The last element perhaps of more contemporary relevance than we might immediately think.

Luke understood himself to be writing a work of history. He did not follow the same conventions as a modern historian but his were clear and, once understood, could give a deep insight into the people and situations of the day. Luke’s work is in two parts: the “Gospel” and the “Acts.” The coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, at the beginning of Acts, is the hinge. Luke, like a good historian of his day, would be very careful to have many links between the two works and indeed between the beginning of Acts and further sections. Continue reading “Pentecost Sunday – First Reading Commentary” →

Events, Survey

Church Open for Private Prayer on 6/2 and 6/4; Input Needed for Upcoming Schedule

| Mike McGowan

The church building will be open for private prayer during the week in accordance with Phase 1 of the diocesan plan. The Reopening Committee welcomes your input as we develop our upcoming schedule.

Private Prayer Schedule

Next week, the church will be open for private prayer on Tuesday, June 2 and Thursday, June 4 from 12 PM to 2 PM. We will follow the same protocols as announced last week, e.g. masks must be worn within the church and entry will be limited to ten people at a time. Please see last week’s post for more details.

The daily prayer schedule may be adjusted for the following weeks based upon your input. Please let us know what days and times you would like the church to be open for private prayer by clicking here to completing the survey by Tuesday, June 2 at 12 PM.

Public Mass Schedule

We would also welcome your feedback as we develop our weekday public Mass schedule. We will resume a weekday public Mass when the diocese determines that it is safe to do so as part of the second phase of the church reopening (Sunday Mass will resume in a later phase). At the outset, we anticipate a public Mass will be said on only one or two days a week  Please let us know your preferred days and times for a public weekday Mass by completing the second survey by Tuesday, June 2 at 12 PM.

Volunteers Still Needed

Thank you for everyone who helped out this past week. We are still seeking volunteers to help facilitate the private prayer hours by ensuring that we adhere to no more than 10 people at a time in the church and that visitors use hand sanitizer and wear masks, and wiping down pews after use. If you are able to assist, please let us know which days and which times you would be available.

Once we are allowed to resume public Masses, we will need more ushers and greeters given the enhanced health and safety protocols. We will not be able to resume public Masses until the Diocese of Brooklyn determines it is safe to do so. However, we want to ensure that we are prepared when that day comes.

If you are interested in serving either during private prayer hours or once public Masses resume, please email Jane Olson, [email protected].

Homilies

7th Sunday of Easter – Homily (Fr. Gribowich)

| St. Charles Borromeo

Permission to podcast/stream the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE with license #A-730437.

Transcript:

Morning, everyone! It’s so great to be with you all again here today on such a beautiful Sunday. I think that today is this special day where we can really appreciate the beauty of creation – something I want to touch upon, especially as we reflect upon our readings today.

You know, I’m sure many of us have been able to spend a lot of time in our apartments and our homes catching up on different movies that maybe we wanted to watch, or TV shows. And one movie that I had every intention of watching but I just never got around to was the one called A Hidden Life and it came out last December, I believe in the movie theaters. And I know that some people here at the parish actually have seen it, and they had a very favorable impression of it. But for those you may not know what the movie’s about. It’s a true story of a man named Franz Jägerstätter, who was an Austrian during World War 2 who refused to swear an oath – pledge an oath of loyalty – to Hitler, and because of that, he was essentially persecuted, but then eventually executed. Continue reading “7th Sunday of Easter – Homily (Fr. Gribowich)” →

Messages from Parishioners

The Power of Prayer – Maria Marti

| St. Charles Borromeo

Wash your hands…Wear a mask…Maintain six feet of distance…Avoid crowds…Watch daily updates by Governor Cuomo on the confirmed cases…Isolate…Quarantine…Lockdown… Zoom… Skype… Home school…Work from home…Closures of non-essential businesses.   Most of us cannot truly find the words to describe our new reality.

In the midst of all of this uncertainty, we have also witnessed the wonders and blessings of God.  We see how medical professionals attend to coronavirus patients.   Catholic charities provide emergency assistance and food.  We comfort our loved ones, neighbors, and parishioners by connecting and reaching out.   “I believe that I shall see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living.” (Psalm 27:13) Continue reading “The Power of Prayer – Maria Marti” →