All Souls Day

All Souls Day Mass will be on Saturday at 8:00 a.m. A Novena of Masses will be offered beginning on Saturday. We will include all of the Intentions written on the All Souls envelopes. May our beloved departed Rest In Peace.

All Saints Day

Friday, November 1 is the Solemnity of All Saints. It is a Holy Day of Obligation. Masses will be offered on Thursday at 5:30 pm and on Friday at 7:00 am, 10:00 am and at 7:30 pm.

Funeral - Patricia Rickard

A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered for the repose of the soul of Patricia Rickard on Thursday, October 31 at 10:00 a.m. Please pray for her and for her family.

Prayer

The boy knelt next to his bed and began to say his prayers. Very quietly and reverently he began to recite the alphabet  A B C D E F

Brother was listening, what are you doing? Well, I’m praying, but I can’t think of the right words. So, I’m saying letters and God will put the words together for me!

Good he was praying

(Adult) When the Son of Man comes, will he find any faith on earth? Well certainly less!

65% Americans Christian down from 77% 10 years ago.

26% Nunes – no religion up from 17 % 10 years ago

My parents did so much for me – but one of the best things – they taught me to pray

1)      Taught me formal prayers

2)      Dad at bedtime

3)      Prayer at meals

4)      Rosary

5)      Church & Mass

6)      Quiet visits to church.   Never doubted Presence of God.

Sometimes would ask God for things – but did not always get them. I realized I was always asking my parents for things – did NOT always give them to me. Many times, NO – for my own good – or for their own reasons.   Sometimes do not understand, but I trust.

Began to learn – prayer does not change God – prayer changes me!

Good way to remember how to pray:

A – Adoration

C – Contrition

T – Thanksgiving

S – Supplication (Petition)    Lift each other up!!!

Little girl would sometimes get scared at night – would hear the wind – squeaks – window rattle – so would get up and go to parents’ bedroom.  Would know where dad was sleeping because he always snored!  She would reach up and touch her daddy’s hand and everything was all right. She did not have to wake him up or say anything. Just knowing Dad was there helped her to go back to her room and go to sleep.

So, pray always, and do not lose heart – God is there!

Two New Bishops for New York!

Pope Francis today appointed two of the archdiocese’s most well-respected priests, Msgr. Edmund J. Whalen, the vicar for clergy, and Msgr. Gerardo L. Colacicco, the pastor of St. Joseph-Immaculate Conception parish in Millbrook, as auxiliary bishops of the Archdiocese of New York.

The appointments were announced by Archbishop Christophe Pierre, the apostolic nuncio to the United States.

Cardinal Dolan, thanking the Holy Father for the appointments, said in a statement, “Pope Francis has selected two outstanding priests, both with rich pastoral experience, to serve the people of God of this archdiocese as auxiliary bishops. I look forward to working even more closely with Bishop-elect Colacicco and Bishop-elect Whalen, as they undertake this new role in their priesthood.”

Cardinal Dolan introduced the newly named prelates at a 7 a.m. Mass he celebrated with them in St. Patrick’s Cathedral.

Also on the altar were New York Auxiliary Bishops John O’Hara and Peter Byrne, Retired Auxiliary Bishop Dominick Lagonegro and Msgr. Robert Ritchie, rector of St. Patrick’s Cathedral.

The cardinal, in opening remarks at the Mass, said, “It’s a day of special joy and thanksgiving here in the Archdiocese of New York. Just an hour ago, Pope Francis announced that two of our great priests were named auxiliary bishops in the archdiocese.”

The congregation responded with a round of applause for the new prelates.

The bishops-elect are both in their fourth decade as priests of the archdiocese and have served with distinction in numerous leadership positions, including as parish pastors, in seminary formation and as priest secretaries under Cardinal John O’Connor.

Bishop-elect Colacicco and Bishop-elect Whalen will assist Cardinal Dolan in a special way in the pastoral care of the people of the archdiocese. Their ordination as bishops will take place at a Mass to be celebrated Tuesday, Dec. 10, at St. Patrick’s Cathedral.

Since Jan. 1, Bishop-elect Whalen, 61, has been vicar for clergy in the archdiocese, and Bishop-elect Colacicco, 64, has served since 2015 as pastor of St. Joseph-Immaculate Conception in Millbrook.

Bishop-elect Whalen had served as principal of Msgr. Farrell High School, Staten Island, 2010-2018.

He was pastor of St. Joseph and St. Thomas parish, Staten Island, 2007-2010, and St. Benedict, the Bronx, 2001-2007. He served as rector of St. John Neumann Residence, the Bronx, 1998-2001. He was professor of moral theology and vice rector of development and related activities at St. Joseph’s Seminary, Dunwoodie, 1995-1998.

He was priest-secretary to Cardinal O’Connor, 1990-1992, and served on the Msgr. Farrell faculty, 1987-1990. He was parochial vicar of Resurrection parish, Rye, 1985-1987.

A native of Staten Island, he studied for the priesthood at Cathedral College and Gregorian University in Rome and was ordained in 1984 by Cardinal O’Connor. He holds a licentiate and doctorate in moral theology from St. Alphonsus Academy in Rome. He was named a monsignor in 1999.

Bishop-elect Colacicco served as administrator of St. Joseph in Millbrook for a year before becoming pastor of St. Joseph-Immaculate Conception. He also was pastor of St. Columba, Hopewell Junction, 2002-2014, and Sacred Heart, Newburgh, 1996-2002.

He served as a judge on the Metropolitan Tribunal, 2007-2010, and was defender of the bond and judge, 1992-1996.

He served as director of pastoral formation at St. Joseph’s Seminary, Dunwoodie, 1992-1996. He was priest secretary to Cardinal O’Connor, 1989-1990.

He was parochial vicar of St. Denis-St. Columba, Hopewell Junction, 1987-1989; Our Lady of Fatima, Scarsdale, 1984-1987; and Good Shepherd, Rhinebeck, 1982-1984.

A native of Poughkeepsie, he studied for the priesthood at St. Joseph’s Seminary. He was ordained by Cardinal Terence Cooke in 1982 and named a monsignor in 1999. He holds a licentiate in canon law from the University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) in Rome.

Give Thanks

Three men used to visit the Pastor once a year. They came from New jersey, Oklahoma & California. They just wanted to make sure a certain widow was doing OK. They reminded the Pastor that if any need should arise, call one of them.

They always made sure her house was taken care of, including yard work and repairs. They would help her with her taxes and made sure she drove a safe car.

Years before, the three men were standing in a house in Normandy just after D-Day. A grenade was tossed down the stairs. A fourth soldier, this woman’s husband, threw himself on the grenade. He did not survive. They did.

After the war, these three men made sure to look after his widow. Great story – but there is one more thing – there were eighteen soldiers in that room. All were spared by that courageous act. Only three returned to give thanks.

Why did only one return to give thanks? Perhaps:

-          One waited to see if the cure was real

-          One waited to see if it would last

-          One said he would see Jesus later

-          One said he never had leprosy in the first place

-          One said he would have gotten well anyway.

-          One gave glory to the priests

-          One said Jesus really didn’t do anything

-          One said any rabbi could have done it

-          One said I was already much improved

Eucharist means thanksgiving. Sometimes we pray or come to Mass thinking – what am I getting out of it? What’s in it for me? – when in fact it should be the very opposite – what return do I make to the Lord for my very life, my existence, my blessings, for all the good God has done for me???  To live in thanksgiving changes how I look at my life!

I spoke last week about Bill Gates – 2^nd richest billionaire. The very first American billionaire was a man intent on success, riches and power. At 23 he was a millionaire, at 50, 1 billion. At age 53, he was a very sick man. His body was racked with pain. A man who could buy anything he wanted, he could only digest milk and crackers. He could not sleep; he did not smile, and he lost the will to live. Doctors gave him less than one year.

One night he had a dream, and it was revealed that he could take nothing with him into the next world. It was time for a choice.

He called his lawyers, accountants and managers and told them he wanted to use his assets for good. On that day the John D Rockefeller Foundation began. This would lead to the discovery of penicillin, cures for strains of malaria, tuberculosis and diphtheria. It is estimated that he may have saved up to one billion lives.

The moment he began to give back, his body chemistry began to change. He recovered and lived to be 98.   He learned to give thanks and it made him whole. What shall it be – like the nine or like the one? May we never cease giving thanks!!!!

Faith

Recently watched a 3 part series on Netflix – Inside Bills Brain -  Decoding Bill Gates

Bill Gates rank #2 among richest Americans - # 1 is founder of Amazon.

Gates is worth 100 Billion Dollars.

Series shows how he rose to create Microsoft and provides an inside look at his life and relationships.

To his credit, he realized he needed to do something positive with his wealth.

In 2008 he created Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

They have already given away $45 Billion.

The show focused on 3 Projects

Provide clean drinking water in the poorest areas of the world by focusing in on sanitation – building a better toilet.

To get rid of polio throughout the world.

To help the environment – how to make safe nuclear power.

He has incredible faith in science and technology – seek the answer - work harder – there must be an answer

You have to admire him in many ways.    He really wants to help people and make a difference.   What if we had the same faith in God as Mr. Gates does in science? – Faith the size of a mustard seed? - who knows what we could accomplish???

It is challenging to grow faith:

1)      Bill has had many ups and downs in life, just like us  – death of friends, parents, business challenges,  - but he has stayed the course – for us, some days seem perfect, other days nothing goes right. Do we give up on faith during difficult times? – or do we hold on tighter?!

2)      Bill is always learning. He always is carrying a bag of books and he reads and reads. He is trying to grow in knowledge. How can our faith grow if we neglect it? We must have a discipline of prayer, reading the Bible, good spiritual practices, feeding our minds and souls with good food.

Now, where many of us part with Bill Gates is their Foundation’s funding of population control. Melinda is a Catholic, but she has chosen to ignore Catholic teaching – Catholic teaching, which has been confirmed by science!

Many people say the only truth comes from science – but what does science tell us?

5 weeks after conception – the human heart begins to beat

6 weeks – the nose, mouth and ears begin to take shape

7 weeks – hands and feet are forming

8 weeks – baby is moving

10 weeks – all organs and structures are in place, ready to grow.

13 weeks – baby has fingerprints and foot prints.

We agree with science – this is the description of a human life – and that life deserves protection. To ignore that is poor science.  

As so many work to better human life – remember where it all begins – who knows –

one of these little children might have the best answer to clean water, to eliminating disease, to provide safe and clean energy for us all.

Respect Life.