march 6 – march 7, 2021 · 2021. 3. 7. · teen in a crisis situation. together our goal is to...
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PARISH STAFF Rev. Rick Lesser, Pastor
Rev. Richard Leskovar, Weekend Assistant
Deacon Alfred Manzella
Patricia Holm, Pastoral Associate, Administration
Barbara Ruggirello, Bookkeeper
Paul Edmundson, Office Assistant
Peter Bukowski, Facilities Manager
Maura Barrett, LMSW, Pastoral Care Associate
Avery Tunningley, Parish Music Director
Nelly Brown Bunk, Choir Director
Konstantin Tsykun, Contemporary Music Director
FAITH FORMATION AND YOUTH MINISTRY Monday through Thursday, 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Closed Friday.
Patti Staerker, Coordinator, Elementary School Program
Rose Ann Garry, Co-Coordinator, Middle/High School Program
Bridget Zigrosser, Co-Coordinator, Middle/High School Program
Mary Ann Hospodar, Coordinator, Youth Ministry Program
Colleen Harrigan, Secretary
PARISH TRUSTEES: Carmel Foltan and Adele Nucci
ST. THOMAS SCHOOL: 439-5573 Fax: 478-9773 www.stthomas-school.org [email protected] Ernie Casile, Interim School Principal [email protected] Jennifer Murphy, Associate for Enrollment and Development [email protected]
35 Adams Place, Delmar, New York 12054
Office Phone: (518) 439-4951 • Fax: (518) 439-0108
Office E-mail: [email protected]
Office Hours: Open By Appointment Only
Website: www.stthomas-church.org
WEEKEND MASS Saturday Vigil: 5:00 p.m., Sunday Mass: 10:00 a.m.
Holy Days As Announced WEEKDAY MASS
Mon and Thurs 7:30 a.m.; Tues and Fri 12:15 p.m. EUCHARISTIC ADORATION
No Eucharistic Adoration currently scheduled
RECONCILIATION Tuesday: 11:30 a.m., Saturday: 4:00 p.m. or by appointment
BAPTISM Baptism of infants is usually celebrated on the 3rd and 4th Sundays of the
month. Contact the Parish Office for arrangements. Preparation sessions for parents presenting infants for Baptism are held monthly. RITE OF CHRISTIAN INITIATION OF ADULTS
Contact the Parish Office for information about the program this fall. MATRIMONY
Arrangements for marriage should be made at least 6 to 8 months in advance and before scheduling a reception. Contact the Parish Office for information.
ANOINTING OF THE SICK First Tuesday of the Month after 12:15 p.m. Mass or by request.
CARE OF THE SICK The Pastoral Care Team responds to the needs of homebound or
hospitalized parishioners. Please call to make us aware of persons who would like a visit or home Communion. Contact: Maura Barrett.
NEW PARISHIONER Please register in the parish by calling the office weekdays to set up an
appointment . Please remember our parish in your will. We are: “St. Thomas’ Church of Delmar, N.Y.”
Download Our Parish App at Myparishapp.com!
PARISH MISSION STATEMENT
To proclaim and celebrate the presence of Jesus Christ our Lord in a community of faith, to respond to the Spirit by recog-nizing the gifts of each individual and by encouraging their use in Christian service to others and to spread the Word to others by the witness of our lives in order to encourage growth in our
relationships with God and with one another.
MARCH 6 – MARCH 7, 2021
Pastor’s Corner
elementary faith formation (grades 1-5) (Contact: Patti Staerker)
Faith Formation & Youth Ministry
elementary faith formation (grades 1-5) (Contact: Patti Staerker)
Reconciliation ~ All children in grades 2-5 and their families are invit-ed to attend our Reconciliation event on Sunday, March 21 here at St. Thomas parish. While confessions will be heard from noon until 6 pm, families with younger children are especially encouraged to come be-
tween 1 and 3 pm when we will have extra priests avail-able. What a fantastic opportunity to prepare ourselves this Lent for the wonder of Easter!!
First Communion dates have been set for this year. If you have not yet chosen a date and time for your family's celebration, please contact the faith formation office as soon as possible.
Pastoral Care
(Contact: Maura Barrett, LMSW) 24 Hour Adoration in the Chapel begins this weekend Saturday, March 6 at 6 p.m. through Sunday at 5 p.m. in the chapel. Our last Holy Hour will be in the Church Sunday March 7, 5-6 p.m. with Fr. Rick. ALL ARE WELCOME.
STATIONS OF THE CROSS are held Fridays, 7 p.m.,
in the church during Lent. All are welcome.
The Holy Thursday RICE BOWL Collection will be
shared equally with our Sister Parish in Yucatan Mex-
ico and Catholic Relief Services (CRS). CRS supports
global programs and assists those locally in need in
our own Diocese. Please pick up a RICE BOWL as
you enter church. THANK YOU!
WELCOME NEW PARISHIONERS ~ Rubie Ricafort-Moulds and her children Haley Ricafort and Amelia Moulds.
Prayer & Worship
Prayer Chain ~ Members respond to urgent prayer in-tentions. Calls are confidential. Contact Pam Seward at: 518-439-7845 for your intention to be added.
ENVELOPES FOR EASTER ALTAR FLOWERS are now available as you enter church for those who would like to make a donation. If you choose to make a donation in memory of a particular person, those memori-als will be listed in the bulletin at Easter time. Please sub-mit memorial donations that are to be listed in the bulletin to the parish office no later than Fri., March 26.
Albany NY Chapter of Magnificat (a Ministry to Catholic Women) is hosting a Women’s VISITA-TION (a Virtual Event) on Satur-day, March 13 from 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. on ZOOM. This is a Free Event. Our Witness Speaker is Aman-da Torrelli. Captivated by the con-suming and merciful love of God, Amanda made a decision in her mid-
twenties to explore what it meant to have a personal rela-tionship with Jesus. Throughout Amanda’s journey, she developed a new appreciation for her Catholic faith, along with a heightened awareness and need for the power of the Holy Spirit. Today, Amanda believes that anyone can be used as a vessel of God’s love regardless of their past, and encourages believers to share their gifts with those around them. Online Registration: www.magnificat-ministry.org/ny-albany; or www.facebook.com/albanymagnificat; or email us at [email protected] and you will be sent the Zoom link. Questions, call Diane Bigos at 518-810-1310.
"It is not that I want merely to be called a Chris-tian, but to actually be one. Yes, if I prove to be one, then I can have the name." — St. Ignatius of Antioch
Pastoral Care Ministry Resumption ~ With many receiving the vaccine, we can begin to look at slowly re-suming our in-person ministries. We will be starting with bringing Communion to those who are homebound. One will need to complete a brief health and safety training beforehand. If you have previously been a Eucharistic Minister to the homebound, been vaccinated, and would be interested in volunteering again, or, if you think this might be a ministry you would like to become involved in, please let Maura know. We are aiming for late spring to get started.
New Ministry ~ Vaccine sign-up assistance ~ Recognizing the difficulty many are having trying to sign up for the COVID19 vaccine, we have put together a team to assist eligible parishioners in obtaining a vaccine appointment. Please contact Maura via email: [email protected] and she will facilitate the as-sistance.
Call for cards! ~ Maura will be collecting St. Patrick’s Day cards for our homebound and residents of the nursing home and as-sisted living facilities. Young and old can participate in this parish project to keep us all connected. The recipients love to re-
ceive them and enjoy reading the notes from all of you. Please sign as a friend from St. Thomas Parish and drop at the Gathering Hall by Sunday, March 7, attention to Maura Barrett. THANK YOU!
Stations of the Cross are scheduled Friday at 7PM in the Church.
This week is our Third week of Virtual Middle School and High School Faith Formation Classes. Please check our webpage for the most updated infor-mation regarding class information and assignments. Questions regarding MS contact Rose Ann Garry at [email protected] or HS contact Bridget Zigrosser at [email protected]
This Lent: A Little MORE JESUS! A little less me. Loose Change Collec-tion for “Things of my Very Own!” continues till March 26 in the Gather-ing Hall. Donate your loose change or sacrifice that treat for an at risk
teen in a crisis situation. Together our goal is to provide 12 NEW Backpacks for Foster Teens. Back-packs will include: a Build a Bear, Throw, Hoodie, Lounge Pants, Tee Shirt, toiletries and activity sup-plies. Our estimated cost is $90 a backpack. Parents please encourage your children to share their allow-ance, gift money or work money. Checks made out to St. Thomas; Memo line: Care Backpacks. Togeth-er WE are MAKING A DIFFERENCE!
Our Drive Tuesday March 8 from 3-4 p.m. in the Church parking lot will be for Activity supplies for “Things of My Very Own.” Journals, color pens, puzzle activity books, coloring books, crayons, playing cards, puz-zles, markers, stickers or any crea-
tive items that teens can relax while doing. Thank you for making a difference in the life of a teen in foster care. God bless you!
Next Sunday March 14, please join us as we reflect on our Lord’s Pas-sion by praying the Sorrowful Ro-sary. Maura Barrett our Pastoral Care Associate will we joining us to share the wonderful works of our Pastoral Care Program. To adhere to social distancing guidelines please RSVP by contacting Col-leen at 518-439-4951 ext. 108, Mon.
–Thurs. 9 a.m.-2 p.m. or charrigan@stthomas-
church.org or use the Sign up Genius link on our Youth Ministry Page.
Mother Mary Pray for Us!
School News
Visit us at www.stthomas-school.org or on Facebook at St. Thomas the Apostle School - Delmar
MIDDLE /HIGH SCHOOL FAITH FORMATION
(Contact: Rose Ann Garry or Bridget Zigrosser)
YOUTH MINISTRY (Contact: Mary Ann Hospodar)
Spaces are filling up quickly!
Be sure to get your 2021-2022
application in!
Pre-K3, Part-Day and Full-Day Pre-K4 as well
as Grades K-8 ~ It's never too early or too late to
find the better match for your child. Whether you're
looking for a preschool, kindergarten or a middle
grade transfer, St. Thomas the Apostle School offers
the comforts of home while at school. We want the
same things for your children that you want, the best
academic preparation for high school and beyond in
an environment that is Christ-centered. At St. Thomas
the Apostle School, we are a family. We know every
child by name and work in cooperation with parents to
ensure that the needs of every child are met both aca-
demically and spiritually. For more information, con-
tact Jennifer Murphy at 518-439-5573 or jmur-
COVID Bridge Fund ~ This school year, St. Thom-
as the Apostle School has faced the challenges of
bringing students back to the classroom in a way that
best protects them and our faculty and staff. This in-
volved hiring additional staff and making significant
changes to the physical space to accommodate social
distancing and cleaning requirements. The expense is
significant, more than six figures.
Please consider making a one-time donation to
help St. Thomas the Apostle School bridge the gap
at this challenging time by visiting https://
www.stthomas-school.org/giving/Covid-Bridge-
Fund/.
Please visit the LENT page on our website for all things Lent.
THANKS FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT OF THE PARISH
DURING THESE DIFFICULT TIMES.
“Advertiser of the Week" ~ This weekend we highlight one of the valued companies advertising in our bulletin:
Del Lanes Please see their ad in the current bulletin.
Be sure to patronize their business!
OFFERTORY RECEIVED FROM WEEKLY COLLECTION (INCLUDES ONE LARGE ANNUAL DONATION)
$12,747.25
OFFERTORY RECEIVED VIA E-GIVING (VANCO)
$1,715.35
TOTAL OFFERTORY RECEIVED $14,462.60
WEEKLY BUDGET AMOUNT NEEDED TO MEET EXPENSES
$14,500.00
TITHE (5% OF TOTAL OFFERTORY) $723.13
TOTAL NUMBER OF GIFTS 144
** INCLUDES LOOSE CASH GIFTS $344.00
STEWARDSHIP OF TREASURE – FOR FEBRUARY 27-28, 2021
Calendar
Sun 3/7 5 pm Closing Holy Hour of Eucharistic Adoration
CH
Tue 3/9 3 pm Weekly Food Drive PL
Fri 3/12 12 pm Senior Luncheon GH
Fri 3/12 7 pm Stations of the Cross CH
PLACE: CH – Church; GH – Gathering Hall; LC – Lady Chapel; MC – Media Center; PO – Parish Offices, PP - Peace Pole, Café-Cafeteria, LCR1 or LCR2-Large Conference Rooms Rec Dining room, CHP-Chapel SCH-School, PL-Church Parking Lot
Community
(Contact: Pat Holm)
Administration
Senior Luncheon- Attention Active Older Adults ~ Our next luncheon will be THIS Friday, March 12. Our meal will be cheese ravioli, salad, Italian bread, and a dessert prepared by the 333 Cafe in Delmar. The meal will be packaged in a bag for you to pick up. If you are attending the 12:15 Mass, you may pick up your meal after Mass in the Gathering Hall. If you are not attend-ing Mass, you may pick up your meal at 1 p.m. in the Gathering Hall. Each registered attendee must be in compliance with the St. Thomas covid-19 safety regula-tions (mask, hand sanitizing, and social distancing). For reservations or cancellations, please contact Steve or Christine Corson at 518-439-3286. Please leave your name, phone number, and email address, if you have one. Reservations must be placed by Mon., Mar. 8. We look forward to when we can gather as a community.
Great News - Worldwide Marriage Encounter has gone "Virtual"! ~ To support married couples during this time of social distancing, Worldwide Marriage Encounter is sponsoring virtual marriage experiences. Some are on weekends and some span multiple weeks
Creation Care Team
(Contact: Marie Myer: [email protected].)
on a given weekday. Couples will explore their individual personality styles, improve listening and communication skills, understand God’s plan for their marriage, and learn how to keep their relationship a priority. Registra-tion is limited and a $100 application fee is required. For more information or to apply, call Frank and Margie Pearson at 860-337-2447 or visit them at https://wwmectw.org/. “His disciples recalled the words of Scrip-ture, Zeal for your house will consume me.” Do we have zeal to honor God through our marriage? The next virtu-al Worldwide Marriage Encounter experiences are: Fri-day/Saturday/Sunday March 19-21 and Thursdays/Mondays April 8-29.
Small Steps To Care For Crea-tion ~ As we live the renewal of Lent, rethinking our choices and re-committing to faith-filled behaviors, Creation Care Team is offering some Small Steps to Care for Creation. Caring for creation is caring for the
entire ‘web of life’. It is social justice. It is seeking to be healers in our world. Huge goals, arrived at one small step each day. The following are two Small Steps. More next week . . .
Faith Walk For Climate ~ March 11 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Green Faith, NY Renews and Capital Re-gion Interfaith Creation Care Coali-tion will host a Faith Walk for Cli-mate around the NYS Capitol.
Masks required. No pausing to rally. Socially dis-tanced walking. Park at First Lutheran Church, 181 Western Ave. For more information contact: [email protected] All parishioners are invited.
Meatless Recipes For Lent And Beyond ~ Choosing plant-based meals aids in reduction of carbon and other greenhouse gas emissions. Creation Care Team members are sharing a favorite
meatless dish: Baked Spaghetti Squash With Mush-room Sauce. Complete recipe is on St. Thomas web-site as is last week’s Easy Tortellini Soup.
Weekday Mass Intentions For the Week of March 8-March 12, 2021
Mon. 7:30 am Intentions of the Celebrant
Tue. 12:15 pm Intentions of the Celebrant
Thu. 7:30 am Intentions of the Celebrant
Fri. 12:15 pm Dorothy Godfrey
Patricia Pinchback
John LaBombard
Catherine Daley
Sat. 5:00 pm Barbara Leonard
Hospodar Family
Nydia Luzon
Donna Hartman-Jones
Sun. 10:00 am Bernie McHugh
Janet and Fred Clark
Zef Gjonaj
Leka Gjonaj
Ginny Acquario
Mary Ellen and Jim Moshier
Scripture Readings: Week of March 7, 2021
PARISHES OF OUR LOCAL CATHOLIC COMMUNITY WEEKEND MASS SCHEDULES
Westmere Christ the King Church: 456-1644, Sat: 4 pm / Sun:8:30, 10:30 am
Altamont St. Lucy/St. Bernadette Church: 861-8770, Sun: 9:30 am
Voorheesville St. Matthew’s Church: 765-2805, Sat: 5 pm / Sun: 9:30 am
Next Weekend, March 13– March 14, 2021
Sunday Ex 20: 1-17 / 1 Cor 1:22-25 / Jn 2:13-25
Monday 2 Kgs 5:1-15ab / Lk 4:24-30
Tuesday Dn 3:25, 34-43 / Mt 18:21-35
Wednesday Dt 4:1, 5-9 / Mt 5:17-19
Thursday Jer 7:23-28 / Lk 11:14-23
Friday Hos 14:2-10 / Mk 12:28-34
Saturday Hos 6:1-6 / Lk 18:9-14
Sunday 2 Chr 36: 14-16, 19-23 / Eph 2:4-10 /
Jn 3:14-21