February 26, 2017 ___ ______Page 1

Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time Miriam Americo, Lisa B., Baby Alexandra Bachert, Caroline Bachert, Frances Baio, Dolores Barbieri, Al Barton, Catherine Ca-pato, Sally Capoziello, Shang Cheng, Antoi-nette & Catherine Chiarelli, Marge D’Auria, Amalia Dandola, Mary Ann D’Angelo, Baby Christopher Brian Demmerle, Domenica De-

Vito, Virginia DiGangi, Mary Divers, Francesca Gaudino, Ian Genovese-Williams, Joseph Gentile, Anthony Giampietro, John Joseph Gleeson, John Pierce Gleeson, Christine Hea-ly, Aurea Hernandez, Maria Hernandez, Rosemary Hogan, Elizabeth Isolano, Jennie Iuggiano, Keri & Baby Tristan, Amelia Kalb, Pam Karwan, Baby T.J. Krieg, Kathleen Krieg, Klavdia Krieg, Anthony Lamantia, James Leung, Valerie Librizzo, Thomas & Patricia Lipari, William J. Litt, Cindy Maione, Maryann Maione, Ralph Maresco, Mary Mastrange-lo, Camillo Mazella, Rosemary Menechella, Jordan Miller, John Myers, Salvatore Noto, Angela Ottomanelli-Hubbs, Michael Palermo, Gina Palya, Santo Pantina, Ann Parsell, Anna Petito, Doris, Carlo, Philip & Frank Pecchillo, Vivian Puglissi, Joseph Questore, Mary Romano, Marge Rosina, Jake Rothman, Louise Ruggiero, Bill Sangirardi, Felice Scimeca, Fred Sepulveda, Rosalia Sindone, Michael Tam-buro, Chrissie Tremblay, Paul Tremblay, Paul John Trem-blay, Ann Marie Vayda, Sr. Joanne Walters, Elizabeth Wei-mer.

Deceased: Rita LaRotonda, Michael Mannarino

T h i s We e k ' s M a s s I n t e n t i o n s

Sunday, February 26, 2017 8:00AM Maria Sannino (Rachele Sannino) 9:30AM Theresa & Anthony DiGiosa (Rachele Sannino) 11:00AM Gloria Espinal (Carmen Pagan) 12:30PM Phyllis Zehro (Mihaila Family) 5:00PM For The Parishioners

Monday, February 27, 2017 9:00AM Marialaina Poggio (Loving Family)

Tuesday, February 28, 2017 9:00AM Paul O’Connor (Isabel Wilkins)

Wednesday, March 1, 2017—Ash Wednesday 7:00AM Phyllis & Rocco Miranti (Loving Family) 9:00AM Victor Salsa (Donovan Family) 11:00AM Prayer Service 3:00PM Prayer Service 4:00PM Prayer Service 7:30PM Michael & Mary Leccese (Jo-Ann & Phyllis Leccese)

Thursday, March 2, 2017 9:00AM Dominick Vendittelli (MaryJo & Will Vendittelli) 7:30PM For The Parishioners

Friday, March 3, 2017 St. Katharine Drexel 9:00AM Angelina Romano (Sister, Nina & Family)

Saturday, March 4, 2017 St. Casimir 9:00AM Adele Czeczko (Helen Rabuse) Ersilia Polito (Annmarie & Angelo Gurino) Charles Sangirardi (Cabral Family) 5:00PM Eileen Feeney, Yoraima Fuentes-Rosales, James Kernochan, Grace Lagreca, Anne McDonald

Sunday, March 5, 2017—First Sunday of Lent 8:00AM George & Ann Papandrea 9:30AM Karl Albrecht (Special Friends) 11:00AM Patricia DeVore (Loving Sister) 12:30PM Mario Fragapane (Loving Wife & Children) 5:00PM For The Parishioners

GOOD SHEPHERD STATUE We would like to thank Aurora Martello, who kept the statue this past week. Anyone interested in keep-ing the statue in their home and praying for vocations for one week should contact the Rectory.

St. Helen’s Purgatorial Society Mass All parishioners have the opportunity to enroll the names of loved ones in the Purgatorial Society. The Purgatorial Society Mass will be held on the last Friday of each month. The offer ing to be enrolled in the Purgator ial Society is $120 per name (a total of 12 Masses for one year will be said for your loved one). Aside from listing one name, a husband and wife together, or a family name is also acceptable. Having a Purgatorial Society is won-derful way of living out the Scriptures and will be a relief for those who desire to have their loved ones remembered with prayers all year long at God’s Altar. Please stop in at the Rectory if you are interested in having a loved one enrolled in the Purgatorial Society. The next Purgatorial Society Mass will be held Friday, March 31, 2017!

While The Church Is Undergoing Renovation… Visiting the Church under any circumstances is prohibited during the renovation due to safety concerns. Please check the parish Facebook for updates on the work. In the unexpected event that a funeral should need to take place, the option of use of Fr. Dooley Hall or Our Lady of Grace will be presented to the family. All Funeral Masses at Our Lady of Grace for St. Helen’s pa-rishioners will be celebrated by priests from St. Helen. We apologize in advance for the inconvenience construc-tion will present to all of our lives in the next few months.

The Holy Name Society will hold their next meeting Sunday, March 5th after the 8AM Mass. Fr. Colamaria will speak at this meeting. All men of the parish are invited.

The Altar Bread for this week is donated in memory of Lenny Altamura, re-quested by The Quagliariello family.

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Update ON Church Renovation #8

"Mr. Gorbachev, Tear Down This Wall"- Ronald Reagan, Berlin. On June 12, 1987, President Ronald Reagan made his famous plea from the free world, to tear down the wall that divided East and West Germany. The border between East and West was officially opened on November 1989, but demolition of the wall did not occur until June 13, 1990! My guess, is that the delay was caused by permits. On Friday February 17th, the shoring drawings and steel fabrication plans to tear down the wall separating the meeting room from the main body of the Church were finally approved! This is the beginning of the end of any demolition in the Church; after this, we will be in build-it-back mode. The first step of this process is installing the shoring to support the ceilings on either side of the wall; then demolition can begin. This process is approved based on mathematical equations (engineering) that will ensure that the roof remains where it belongs until a steel beam is raised in place to support the roof. A special inspector is to remain on the premises throughout the pro-cess, so that it goes smoothly. Folks, this is why engineering school is expensive! Remember, the removal of this wall is the primary objective of this entire project... to maximize seating capacity in the Church. Meanwhile, the terrazzo men have been busy. Through the use of lasers, the floors are meas-ured to ensure they are even. I must say, carpeting hides a multitude of imperfections! There was an odd dip on the right side of the church that amounted to almost 3 inches at its worst. This required some minor filling. Then the floors were outlined with brass joints. I find this an ex-tremely interesting process. With precision, brass moldings are placed according to plan and then are eventually filled with the terrazzo mix. In fact, one section has already been filled...and it looks terrible—because it is just cement and rocks! After it cures, it is then ground down with a diamond plate buffer. This grinding process will reveal the true color of the marble chips and floor color... this is when the terrazzo will sparkle with color! During the course of the week, the bathrooms were studded for walls and some drilling took place for drains. Also, Net TV (the Diocesan news channel) covered some of the work in progress and was fea-tured on Net TV. This video clip can be viewed on the parish Face Book page or on YouTube. If you don't use Face Book or YouTube, then have one of your children or grandchildren show you the video. Spoiler Alert!!!!!! Watching this video will reveal the artist's rendition of the Sanctu-ary! In this video, you will see a quick glimpse of the entire scope of this project and, of course, the pictures do not do justice to what is actually envisioned in the finished product. I plan on is-suing some detailed drawings (albeit in black and white) during Lent. One Altar Server com-mented to me after seeing the video... "Father it’s beautiful, you are making Saint Helen's great again"! Actually, this entire project was the work of many people and the largesse of those who have gone before us, as well as those who have given so generously towards the Campaign "Generations of Faith". When Ronald Reagan delivered his speech in 1987, the words "tear down this wall" were barely a mention on the nightly news. Some reported that the speech was war mongering. In fact, in Berlin 50,ooo people protested that an American President was in Berlin! It wasn't until the wall came down, that his speech, his words, his vision were memorialized. Every step of this project, I maintain the vision that so many people have left a legacy to Saint Helen parish, and so when all is said and done with this renovation, their legacy and love will be memorialized for the Glory of God.

Fr. Colamaria

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ST. HELEN SCHOOL ALUMNAE — 50th

Anniversary of St. Helen School

Help us make our 50th Anniversary one to remember! St. Helen Catholic Academy is in the process of updating our contact information for all graduates of St. Helen School. If you are a graduate or a family member, we are asking for your help by providing us with your name, email, address, and phone number. Please fill out the form below and return it to the rectory or email your information to mariaford216@gmail.com. Thank you.

ST. HELEN SCHOOL ALUMNAE

Name: ___________________________________________________________________________________

Maiden Name if Married: ____________________________________________________________________

Graduation Year: __________________________________________________________________________

Email: ___________________________________________________________________________________

Address: _________________________________________________________________________________

Phone Number: ___________________________________________________________________________

ST. HELEN CATHOLIC ACADEMY’S 200-TO-1 RAFFLE!

Only 200 tickets, at $100 per raffle ticket, will be available for sale. The Grand Prize of $10,000 will be awarded to the last ticket drawn at our “Wine & Cheese Drawing.” There will also be an additional $1,000 in prize money spread amongst other tickets as they are drawn.

This special fundraiser will be held on Friday, April 7, 2017, beginning at 7:00PM in St. Helen Catholic Academy’s cafe-teria. To be successful, we need to sell all 200 tickets! Winners need not be present at the drawing.

200 to 1 Raffle Tickets are now on sale through Friday, March 31st. Please call Maria Elrose at 917-715-0908 or Diane Joseph at 917– 697-5351 to purchase 200 to 1 Raffle Tickets.

Ticket numbers will be given on a first-come first-served basis.

Additional Monetary Prizes Listed As Tickets Are Drawn: First Ticket: $250 50th Ticket: $150 100th Ticket: $200 150th Ticket: $150 190th Ticket: $250

Deal will be offered for the last remaining 10 Tickets: 191st – 200th : All ticket holders must be present for this deal to be offered. 200th Ticket Drawn: $10,000 (Grand Prize!)

For additional information, please call 718-835-4155.

Thank You for Supporting St. Helen Catholic Academy!

Policies Regarding Infant Baptism at St. Helen Parish

Parents seeking Baptism for their children who live within the territory of St. Helen Parish are asked to register as members of the parish before requesting an initial interview for Baptism. Registration is easi-ly done at the parish office anytime during business hours. Parents seeking Baptism for their children who live outside the territory of St. Helen Parish are asked to obtain a letter from the parish in which

they live authorizing the Baptism to take place at St. Helen. Initial meetings with parents seeking Baptism for their chil-dren will normally take place on the second Wednesday of each month from 7:00–9:00PM and on the fourth Satur-day of each month from 10:30AM–12:30PM.

MARCH—MAY 2017

Mornings of Preparation-Required Before a Baptism: (All begin at the 11:00AM Mass and continue in the Msgr. McGinness Room)

March 12 & 26 — April 23 & 30 — May 7 & 28

Schedule for Baptisms: (All begin at 2:00PM)

March 12 & 26 — No Baptisms in April — May 21 & 28

Please call 718-738-1616 for more information and/or to schedule an appointment.

Please realize that the Church building of Saint Helen is undergoing a renovation thru April 2017. The Church will be closed and Fr. Dooley Hall will be used as a worship space in the interim. Baptisms will still be offered in this time peri-od in the Hall. Some may choose to wait for Baptism until the construction is completed and this is fully understanda-ble. If there are any questions please contact the Deacons who can give more details as to the renovation period.

February 26, 2017 ___ ______Page 4

Masses: 7:00AM & 9:00AM Prayer Services: 11AM, 3PM & 4PM Evening Masses: 7:30PM

Ashes will be distributed only during the Masses

and Prayer Services. Anyone planning to re-

ceive ashes should arrive for the beginning of

whichever ceremony they plan to attend and

should remain for the entirety of that ceremony.

ASH WEDNESDAY MARCH 1, 2017

You’re Invited to Participate in CRS Rice Bowl!

We trust in the mercy and love of our Lord, Jesus Christ, who went to the margins to encounter the poor, vulnerable and outcast. We voice our own petitions, asking for our needs and the needs of our brothers and sisters all over the world, saying, “Lord, may we love as one human family.”

Lenten Schedule 2017

Stations of the Cross: Monday afternoons at 12:30PM Friday evenings at 7:30PM followed by Benediction

Weekday Masses: Monday—Saturday: 9:00AM Thursdays at 7:30PM

Weekend Masses: Saturday at 5:00PM Sunday: 8:00AM, 9:30AM, 11:00AM, 12:30PM & 5:00PM

Confessions: Monday—Friday at 8:45AM Saturdays 12:30-1:30PM, or by appointment (please call Rectory)

Throughout the N.Y. region, this day is set aside for the Celebration of the Sacrament of Reconcilia-tion (Confession) in preparation for Easter. Here at St. Helen, the opportunity for the Sacrament will be offered from 3:00PM thru 9:00PM.

REGULATIONS CONCERNING FASTING AND ABSTINENCE

Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are days of mandato-ry fasting and abstinence from meat.

All Fridays in Lent are days of mandatory abstinence from meat.

The obligation to fast applies to those aged 18-59. The obligation to abstain from meat applies to those

aged 14 and older.

Those fasting may eat only one normal-sized meal. Two smaller meals may be eaten, if needed for strength. These smaller meals together should not equal a normal-sized meal. No food may be eaten between meals.

The bishops of the United States recommend voluntary fasting on the other weekdays of Lent. It is a praise-worthy tradition to fast on Holy Saturday, until the Easter Vigil.

It is worth remembering that every Friday of the year is a day of penance, unless a solemnity falls on a Friday. In the United States, on Fridays outside of Lent, one may choose either to abstain from eating meat or to perform some other act of penance.

RECONCILIATION MONDAY: APRIL 10, 2017

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Mon., Feb. 27: Sir 17:20-24; Mk 10:17-27 ... and he went away sad, for he had many possessions. Jesus does not say that the wealthy won’t go to heaven. He does suggest that accumulating material things makes focusing on the kingdom of God more difficult. Even if we observe the commandments and avoid doing wrong, that doesn’t mean we’re con-

sciously doing what is right. We’re simply doing what’s expected. Jesus tells the obedient rich young man that there’s still more to do. The young man goes away sad. Je-sus’ clarification presents a hardship. The young man has grown accustomed to a certain lifestyle, as have many of us. Jesus’ challenge forces us to reconsider our priorities. Mate-rial possessions are nice, but they’re temporary and their pursuit distracts us from seeking the one source of lasting joy: Jesus Christ. Lord, help us to focus on what is truly important. Tues., Feb. 28: Sir 35:1-12; Mk 10:28-31 Give to the Most High as he has given to you, generously, according to your means. Early in his papacy Pope Francis said, “Life is not given to us to be jealously guarded for ourselves, but is given to us so that we may give it in turn.” We’re stewards of God’s great gifts. Showing gratitude is a choice. We invest our time and resources in those things most important to us. If prayer, worship, service or the ma-terial wellbeing of the church take a backseat to other inter-ests and endeavors, by default we’re saying that we’re too busy to acknowledge how much God has given us. We’ve no time to return such generosity, and, frankly, we aren’t that grateful. How much and what we give are dramatically increased by why and, especially, how we do. Help me to be a cheerful and grateful giver. Wed., Mar. 1 | Jl 2:12-18; 2 Cor 5:20-6:2; Mt 6:1-6, 6-18 Ash Wednesday Behold, now is a very acceptable time. I get caught between conflicting self-assessments: “I can do that anytime,” and “It’s too late for me.” Learn to speak Spanish, practice Tai Chi, write that novel. I procrastinate as if I can do it anytime while also fearing to start because it seems too late. These attitudes are reflections of the sins against the Holy Spirit which are part of traditional Catholic piety: pre-sumption (anytime) and despair (too late). Why are they called sins against the Holy Spirit? Because they exclude the possibility of grace. And when do we encounter grace? Now. Our family takes these first days of Lent to talk about our Lenten discipline and then we start on Sunday. This year mine may have something to do with “living in the now.” Gracious God, open my eyes to your grace all around me.

Thurs., Mar. 2 | Dt 30:15-20; Lk 9:22-25

Choose life that you and your descendants

may live. When someone dies whose death seems “timely,” there may be sadness, but also joy. But when someone dies in the prime of life or even before that prime is reached, it can be a struggle to reconcile one’s feelings. And when a person dies by suicide, the mourn-ing never stops. In forty years of pastoral work I’ve seen this many times. I’ve felt it. One mourns all the “descendants” that are never to be, whether children or friends never known, or good works never completed. My witness of this painful reality has led me to embark on a new initiative: www.LifeAroundTheCorner.com. I invite you to take a walk around the site and stop in at Paige’s Corner to post a comment. Lord, give us the courage to trust in your plan for us. Fri., Mar. 3 | Is 58:1-9a; Mt 9:14-15 This, rather, is the fasting that I wish ... I have counseled cantors about their nervousness when singing at Mass. What I advise is to think of leading song as an act of love and when you’re loving someone else, you’re less likely to think about yourself. Self-interest is normal, but along comes Lent with the words of Isaiah reminding us that the sacrifice God desires is to let go of our self-interest and think of others, especially those who are most vul-nerable and easily overlooked as we rush through our daily lives. What if part of our Lenten discipline would be to reach out once a day to someone we normally fail to notice? That practice might change us. It might even change the world. Loving God, bless us and all those you put on our path as we enter this Lenten season. Sat., Mar. 4 | Is 58:9b-14; Lk 5:27-32 “Repairer of the breach,” they shall call you ... It’s not the most melodious of titles, but it’s one I would be proud to have inscribed on my tombstone. Breach repair-ers are much needed. The divisions among us are painful, and many of good heart are wondering how to bring peo-ple together. Isaiah gives us a hint: “Remove from your midst oppression, false accusation and malicious speech ... ” Living what we believe without succumbing to the temptation to present ourselves as better than the other would be a most worthy discipline to attempt this Lent. Tomorrow is the First Sunday of Lent when our family finally begins our chosen Lenten discipline. Let us pray for each other, that we may live Lent so as to find at Easter a world that is a little bit nicer. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a steadfast spirit within me.

EIGHTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

Homiletic starters and scriptural

reflection points for each day of the month