Dear Parishioners and Friends:
 

In his Ash Wednesday sermon, Pope Francis invited everyone to live the 40 days of Lent as a time to “pause” from things which keep us from virtue and to return home to the loving and merciful embrace of God the Father.“Return without fear to those outstretched, eager arms of your Father, who is rich in mercy, who awaits you. Return without fear, for this is the favorable time to come home,….[Lent] is the time for allowing one’s heart to be touched...” he continued, explaining how “persisting on the path of evil only gives rise to disappointment and sadness. True life is something quite distinct and our heart indeed knows this. God does not tire, nor will he tire, of holding out his hand.”

Since today, we celebrate the Second Sunday of Lent, tomorrow, March 18th, we will celebrate the liturgical feast of Saint Patrick. Why?...because Patrick is the Patron of our local Church, the Patron of Ireland, and of the Archdiocese of New York...the People of God living in the ten counties: Staten Island, Manhattan, The Bronx, Westchester, Rockland, Orange, Putnam, Ulster, Sullivan, and Duchess. Many legends have developed around St. Patrick, from driving snakes out of Ireland to using the shamrock to explain the Trinity. His popularity, however, extends beyond these stories to his missionary zeal and his astonishing ability to inspire faith. Patrick was sold into slavery at a young age and eventually freed, and so he wanted people enslaved by doubt and skepticism to know the liberation found in Jesus Christ. Although he had little education, Patrick was appointed Bishop of Ireland. His accomplishments were many...the conversion of Ireland, the ordination of clergy, the consecration of virgins, the organization of missions to evangelize Europe... St. Patrick’s life has a universal appeal. It is interesting that his feast day is celebrated not only by our Roman Church, but also the Church of England, the Episcopal Church in America, and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Patrick also makes an appearance on the Russian Orthodox calendar. On Monday, the 7:30 and 12:10 Masses will be celebrated in honor of St. Patrick. Hopefully you can join us in prayer as we pray for the Church, the People of God here in New York.

Tuesday, the 19th of March is the Feast of St. Joseph, the Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Patron of the Universal Church. A little bit about St. Joseph.....“Joseph was the foster father of Jesus, the man entrusted with his care and upbringing. We know that Joseph was a “righteous man” who protected Mary from disgrace after she was found to be pregnant with Jesus (Matthew 1:19). Like the earlier Joseph in Genesis, he received instruction and reassurance from God through dreams. The Gospel gives little information about him, save that he was an artisan who lived in Nazareth, was a descendant of David, and went to Bethlehem for a census, causing Jesus to be born there in fulfillment of the prophecies.When warned in a dream that Jesus was in danger because of the evil intentions of King Herod, Joseph took Jesus and Mary to live in exile in Egypt until he learned that Herod had died (see Mathew 2:12- 15). As a result, Jesus was spared the fate of the Holy Innocents. After the account of Jesus’ being lost and found in the Temple during a pilgrimage, Joseph is not mentioned again. We can infer that he died before Jesus began his ministry; he was certainly not alive at the time of the Crucifixion, because he would have been the one to claim Jesus’ body, not Joseph of Arimathea. Catholic tradition describes him as dying in the arms of Jesus and Mary, and so he is invoked as the patron of a happy death. Because he was a man who worked with his hands, he is the patron of workers and especially carpenters. Devotion to St. Joseph developed rather late, and was popularized by St. Bernardine of Siena during the fifteenth century.”

March 19th, 2017 is the sixth anniversary of installation of Pope Francis, who was elected as the Supreme Pastor of the Universal Church on March 13th, 2013.  Let us pray everyday but especially on the 19th, Tuesday, for our Holy Father, Francis. May God richly bless the Church with the ministry of Pope Francis for many years to come.

Today we welcome Father Ugo Nacciarone, S.J.  a member of the Society of Jesus, the Jesuits, who will be preaching at all the Masses today. Through this appeal Father Ugo is seeking your support, both spiritual and financial, for the missionary work of the Jesuits.

March 21st, Thursday, the first day of Spring……..Please pray, daily, for peace.

Father Duffell
 

Lenten Regulations

Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are days of fasting and abstinence.

All Fridays during Lent are days of abstinence. 

Fasting requires that only one full meal be taken per day. Two other smaller meals may be taken during the day to maintain physical strength, but these two meals together should not equal a full meal in quantity. Fasting obliges all those who have reached the age of 18 and continues to oblige until age 59. Those not specifically obliged to fast are encouraged to join in the discipline of fasting to the extent that they are able.

Abstinence prohibits individuals from eating meat on a particular day. Abstinence obliges all those who have reached the age of 14 and continues to oblige throughout their entire life. Those not specifically obliged to abstain from eating meat are encouraged to join in this discipline to the extent that they are able.