The Parish of the Holy Cross

95 Nichols Road + Nesconset, NY 11767 + 631.265.2200 +

www.pothc.org + www.facebook.com/pothcnesconset

WE CELEBRATE EUCHARIST

Monday—Thursday: 9:00 A.M. (Chapel)

Saturday: 5:00 P.M.

Sunday: 8:00 A.M. + 9:30 A.M. + 11:30 A.M.

WE CELEBRATE RECONCILIATION

Saturday: 3:45 P.M.—4:30 P.M.

or call Father Michael for an appointment.

WE CELEBRATE BAPTISM

Baptisms are celebrated on the second and last Sunday

of each month at 1 P.M. Please contact the Parish

Office for more information.

WE CELEBRATE WEDDINGS

Couples should contact the Parish Office at least six

months in advance of the proposed wedding date.

LET ALL BE WELCOMED AS CHRIST!

28th Sunday in Ordinary Time - October 15, 2017

Come and pray with us!

“I can do all things through Christ

who strengthens me.”

Philippians 4:13

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We are here for you!

Rev. Michael F. Holzmann Pastor

Ms. Kathleen Reid Director of Religious Education

Mrs. Mary Anne Mc Culloch Ms. Patricia Gyscek Co-Coordinators of Parish Outreach

Mrs. Judith Pickel Pastoral Associate

631.265.2200 + Fax 631.265.2229 + pothc@optonline.net Parish Office Hours: Monday - Friday 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM (closed 12:15-1:00 PM)

Deacon Ralph Rivera Pastoral Minister

Mrs. Elizabeth Shea Business Manager

Mr. Brian Reich Director of Music Ministry

Mr. Salvatore Finocchiaro Coordinator of Youth Ministries

PASTORAL TEAM

PASTORAL STAFF

Mrs. Jane Wirth Parish Secretary

Mr. Gerald Farrell Custodian

Mrs. Mary Inghilterra Weekend Sacristan

Mrs. Mary Pannone Religious Education Secretary (hcreled@optonline.net)

Dr. Vincent Mazurek Music Minister

Mass Intentions Schedule

Week of October 15th, 9AM Mass

Mon. Joe Brindisi

Tue. Maria Georgia Tabasa Gabumpa

Wed. Hilario Martinez Peralta

Thu. Henri-Robert Lamarque

Saturday, October 21st, 5 PM Mass

Rocco A. Caprioli, Eileen Kamine, William O’Sullivan,

Agatha Anzalone, Jean Gagliardo, Anne Supakoff

Sunday, October 22nd, 29th Sun. in Ordinary Time

8:00 AM Edward F. Smith, Jr.

9:30 AM People of the Parish

11:30 AM Joseph Brindisi, Edward Kreitzman, Lucille

& Anthony Tortorelli, Margaret & Joseph

Grieco

New Life in Christ New Life in Christ

Scripture Readings for October 22, 2017

+ Isaiah 45:1, 4-6

+ 1 Thessalonians 1:1-5

+ Matthew 22:15-21

Celebrants for Next Weekend’s Masses

October 21st/22nd

5:00 PM Fr. Frank Eisele

8:00 AM Fr. Frank

9:30 AM Fr. Michael

11:30 AM Fr. Michael

Remembering our Sick

Please pray for the sick of our parish,

their families and caregivers:

Philomena Giordano

Viola Malek Michael Storms

The Bread and Wine for the

week October 15th - 21st have

been donated in loving memory

of Theresa Bigotti

by Nick and Kathi Bigotti.

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Acorns Keep Falling on My Head

Banns of Marriage - Second Time: Jessica Marshall & Ryan Aceste

by Father Michael This would be a good variation of the B.J. Thomas song to get us in the mood for our change of seasons. I was sitting in my living room last weekend when I noticed what seemed to be the first leaves falling off the trees. Now the autumn season unfolds around us. Temperature is dropping, trees are getting bare, and it seems you can get pumpkin flavored everything these days. While I love the summer, there is something beautiful as we enjoy these first tastes of autumn. This January will mark the 30th Anniversary of the formation of Holy Cross Parish. We hope to offer a number of events in connection with this milestone. We are looking to create fun and social events as well as spiritual and educational opportunities. At the moment we are in the preliminary planning stages. We will need many helping hands to assist with these different events. There will be an opportunity for helpers to sign up further down the road. At this time we are looking for folks to brainstorm and plan the overall scope of the different celebrations. If you would like to help in this regard please give the Parish Office a call so that we can include you in our planning discussions. Did you notice the new “Fr. Bill” sign in the courtyard? The former sign had faded tremendously and was in poor condition. I am most grateful to our parishioners, Richard and Roberta Lamb for undertaking this project. I am always inspired when parishioners take pride and ownership of some little piece of our parish. It is that spirit of Stewardship that enables our parish to flourish. This has been a season of many transitions with the Pastoral Team of our parish. There are now a few changes with our Parish Staff. James Reiss has been part-time Religious Education Secretary for the past two years. He also assisted me in my office helping to keep my desk and my schedule under control, which is not an easy task. He has now taken a management position in the hospitality industry. We thank James for all he has done to assist Holy Cross. We will miss his spirited personality and his bow ties. Mary Pannone, who has been serving as part-time secretary, will now continue that work as a full-time employee. Mary does a great job in the Religious Ed office, and we are grateful she is willing to increase her commitment to our program. Barbara Shipman will now be assisting me in my office. I welcome her organizational and computer skills to help keep my life in order. For everyone who works here at the parish, there is more at stake than merely doing the respective tasks that go along with each job. There is a genuine desire to serve the wider parish, and there is a deep love for this parish. We are blessed to have so many caring and dedicated individuals.

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WOMEN’S ENRICHMENT

’

October 14/15

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PARISH OUTREACH “BEING CHRIST”

“COME TO ME ALL OF YOU WHO ARE BURDENED AND I WILL GIVE YOU REST…”

These comforting words greet all who enter the doors of Holy Cross Church. They are the

foundation of the mission of Parish Outreach, which is to “Be Christ” to those who are

burdened by serious illness, financial instability, loss of a job and other crisis situations. Our

ability to do that is only possible through the giving spirit of the parishioners of Holy Cross.

We thank you so very much for your consistent support of Parish Outreach and its

programs.

As we draw near to the holiday season (the busiest time for Parish Outreach), we invite you

to consider these suggestions on ways to join us in “Being Christ” for our neighbors who

continue to struggle in their life journey.

1. Monetary “basket” donations (cash, check or supermarket gift cards) will be

appreciated to help defray the expenses of our Thanksgiving Basket Program.

You can mark your envelope “Thanksgiving” and drop it in the collection basket.

2. Volunteer shoppers are needed to purchase and package a Thanksgiving basket for a

needy family. You will be given a menu/shopping list and gift cards to cover the

cost. We anticipate about 80 baskets will be provided to families in our community

this year. If you would like to do a basket, you can sign up after any of the

Masses on the weekend of Nov. 4/5 in the rear of the atrium.

3. During last year’s winter, Outreach was able to provide 100 gallons of emergency

oil to some households as a direct result of your generosity. If you would like to

help keep a family warm this winter by making a donation, please mark “Fuel

Assistance” on your envelope.

4. Participate in our Christmas “Be An Angel” program. Again this year, we will

provide gift cards to the families Outreach assists throughout the year and gifts for

several other agencies. This program will run from November 11th

through

December 3rd

. Future bulletins will contain important information on this year’s

Christmas Angel program.

If you have questions about any of the above, please call the Outreach office. We sincerely

appreciate the support we continuously receive from our parishioners. We are truly

blessed with a loving and generous community!

“BEING CHRIST”

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Special Collections

Next weekend at the offertory we will also be collecting for our World Missions. Your donation helps support more than 1,100 mission dependent dioceses in territories covering more than half the globe. Through the work of these churches, and their witness to Christ, the poor receive practical help and experience God’s love and mercy, His hope and peace. Thank you for your support of this collection!

Scripture Study

Join us for Scripture Study in the Father Joe Room Thursday, October 19th,

in the morning at 10:00 or in the evening at 7:00!

PARISH NEWS

Senior Group

Wednesday, October 18th, is “Bring a Friend Day.” Bring someone new with

you to our 11AM-2:30PM meeting in the Atrium, and we will give them a

FREE bagel and cup of coffee! Let’s spread the fun!

Girl Scout Car Wash

A car wash will be held at Holy Cross on October 28th from 10AM to 3PM

to raise funds for a Girl Scout’s project to finish the path by the outdoor

Stations of the Cross.

Pre-sale tickets will be sold at all Masses the weekend of October 21st/22nd.

Thank you for your support!

Honoring Our Deceased Children October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month. We will be remembering all the babies gone too soon on Sunday, October 29th, at the 11:30 Mass. Please see next week’s bulletin for more details.

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Thank you to all the families who have re-registered their children in our program. We still have families who have not re-registered, and our deadline has passed. If you still need to register please do so as soon as possible, as classes have already been formed and will begin in the next week. We cannot guarantee your child a placement if we do not have your registration form. Levels 2 through 7 will begin classes the week of October 16th. Level 7 parents and students are invited to attend a meeting which will outline the Two Year Confirmation Preparation. Level 8 will begin classes the week of November 6th. All Level 8 Catechists, parents and students will be invited to a meeting which will outline the Level 8 year and where students and parents will receive books and an information packet.

Level 1 will begin the week of November 27th. Parents will be invited to a meeting to get the overview of the year and the books for their child. If you have any questions, please call the Religious Education office at 265-2200 x11 or 12. Thank you!

Catechists Needed!

The Religious Education program is

looking for Catechists for all levels

to help in our program. We are also

looking for Catechists for our 1:1

Program (Small Group with Special

Needs), which meets at Holy Cross

on Mondays from 5 to 6pm.

If you have a desire to share your

faith with the children in our parish,

please call the

Religious

Education

Office at 631-

265-2200 x12.

Thank you!

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

RCIA Are you seeking Baptism? Are you a baptized Catholic who never celebrated First Communion or Confirmation? Have you been baptized in another Christian faith and now desire to become Catholic? If your answer is “YES” to any of these questions, we want to hear from you. The Church gives us a beautiful process called the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) for those who seek to become fully initiated in the Catholic Church. This year’s RCIA will be starting soon. If you’re interested and would like additional information, please contact Jude Pickel at 631-265-2200 x16.

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Attention: Altar Servers, Lectors, Ushers and Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion

Let us know if you would like to continue in your ministry for the 2017-2018 Liturgical Year, and also, if you would like to serve on Holy Days. Your dedication to the ministry is most appreciated by the Parish. Please complete the form below and place in the Sunday collection basket or return to the Parish Office on or before October 15th. If at any other time during the year you need to stop your service, please contact the Parish Office.

RECOMMITMENT I wish to continue in my ministry for the 2017-2018 year.

YES__________ NO__________ I understand I may return to my ministry at any

time once I have informed the Parish Office.

I am an: Altar Server, Lector, Usher, Extraordinary Minister

Preferred Masses _________________________________________________

Name ___________________________________________________________

Address _________________________________________________________

Telephone _______________________________________________________

Email____________________________________________________________

Please if you are an EM and you would like to bring the Eucharist to the homebound.

&

Are you available to minister on Holy Days?

(Ascension Thursday, Assumption, All Saints’ Day, Immaculate Conception)

YES______________ NO______________

LITURGICAL MINISTERS

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YOUTH GROUP

Hello Everyone!

Are you in high school? Do you want to make

new friends as you play fun games? Do you

want to build more of an understanding about

yourself and your faith?

If you answered "Yes!" to any one of those

questions above then you MUST check out the Holy Cross Youth Group!

You will be glad you did!

If you made your Confirmation, then come with a friend and check out the

wonderful opportunities the Youth Group has for you! We would love to

see you!

The Holy Cross Youth Group is the perfect opportunity for you to continue

to grow in your faith and build relationships with others in the parish.

Here are our upcoming youth events and happenings! Take a look:

10/15: Youth ACS Breast Cancer Walk 7 - 1PM @ Jones Beach

10/21-22: Youth Group Bake Sale at all Masses! We will be at the

Saturday 5PM Mass with the Core Band, and we’ll have a Youth

Night on Saturday from 6 to 8PM (Parent Retreat Meeting from

6:00 to 6:30PM in the Chapel).

So, if you are thinking about coming to the Church to see what we are all

about, do it! You will not regret it. Come with a friend or family member,

and join us as we continue to grow in the endless love of Christ.

If you have any questions or concerns, or if you are thinking about joining

us and you would like more information, then please do not hesitate to

contact Sal Finocchiaro, Coordinator of Youth Ministries, at

hcyouthgroup15@gmail.com or call the parish office. Thank you!

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CASH CALENDAR

Parish of the Holy Cross Cash Calendar

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Saturday, October 14th 5:00 PM

PRE-CANA CLOSING MASS Worship Area

WOMEN’S DAY TICKET SALES Atrium

Sunday, October 15th All Masses

WOMEN’S DAY TICKET SALES Atrium

BAPTISMS 1PM Worship Area

Monday, October 16th 5:00 PM

ONE TO ONE All Areas

Tuesday, October 17th 10:00 AM

IN STITCHES GROUP Fr. Joe Room

LEV. 8 PARENTS/STUDENTS 7PM Worship Area

CHOIR 7:15PM Fr. Joe Room

Wednesday, October 18th 11AM-2:30PM

SENIORS Atrium

Thursday, October 19th 10 AM & 7 PM

SCRIPTURE STUDY Fr. Joe Room

Saturday, October 21st 10AM-3:15PM

WOMEN’S DAY Atrium

CAR WASH PRESALE 5PM Atrium

YOUTH GROUP BAKE SALE Atrium

YOUTH NIGHT 6-8PM Atrium

Sunday, October 22nd All Masses

CAR WASH PRESALE Atrium

YOUTH GROUP BAKE SALE Atrium

MEETINGS THIS WEEK COMMUNITY NEWS

Thursday, November 16, 2017 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. at the Retreat Center, 12:30 p.m. arrivals and refreshments LOVE NEVER DIES - THE HEART OF GRIEF AND HOPE November: Holidays and Self-care This grief and healing workshop will help us find strength and hope following the death of a loved one. An opportunity to heal and name some of the hurting places loss can bring. A supportive, safe place to honor our journey and love that never dies even as time moves on. Presenter: Paul Alexander, LCSW Offering: $35 per session ($20 deposit required to hold your reservation)

Additional workshop on Sunday, May 6, 2018

Ronkonkoma Cenacle 310 Cenacle Road

Ronkonkoma, NY 11779

Are you or someone you know dealing with grief? Please share with them the wonderful programs incorporated this apostolic year in response to so many requests for Grief Workshops!

To register please call 631-588-8366 x116 or go to their website:

www.cenaclesisters.org/ronkonkoma

Thursday, October 19, 2017 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. at the Retreat Center, 12:30 p.m. arrivals and refreshments LOVE NEVER DIES - THE HEART OF GRIEF AND HOPE October: Complicated grief including suicide and drugs (due to type of loss or relationship) This grief and healing workshop will help us find strength and hope following the death of a loved one. An opportunity to heal and name some of the hurting places loss can bring. A supportive, safe place to honor our journey and love that never dies even as time moves on. One may attend one or all of the workshops (See also Nov. 16th): Presenter: Paul Alexander, LCSW Offering: $35 per session - ($20 deposit required to hold your reservation) Sunday, October 29, 2017 1:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Retreat Center, 1:00 p.m. arrivals and refreshments LOVE NEVER DIES - GRIEF WORKSHOP A workshop and healing opportunity to have time to honor our grief and how we are experiencing it even several years after a loss. The connection of love never dies and, as we honor the continuing power of connection, we will gently explore unresolved feelings that can cause unrest and discover techniques that can assist us in moving forward. Presenter: Paul Alexander, LCSW Offering: $35 - ($20 deposit required to hold your reservation)

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