July 17, 2016 ___ ______Page 1

Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Karl Albrecht, Lisa B., Baby Alexandra Bachert, Caroline Bachert, Frances Baio, Dolores Barbieri, Catherine Capato, Sally Capoziello, Antoinette & Catherine Chiarelli, Marge D’Auria, Mary Ann D’Angelo, Baby Christopher Brian Demmerle, Domenica DeVito, Virginia DiGangi, Francesca Gaudino, Ian Genovese-Williams, Joseph Gen-tile, John Joseph Gleeson, John Pierce Gleeson,

Christine Healy, Aurea Hernandez, Maria Hernandez, Rose-mary Hogan, Michael Hegel, Elizabeth Isolano, Keri & Baby Tristan, Amelia Kalb, Pam Karwan, John Killcommons, Baby T.J. Krieg, Kathleen Krieg, Klavdia Krieg, Anthony Lamantia, James Leung, Thomas & Patricia Lipari, William J. Litt, Ralph Maresco, Mary Mastrangelo, Camillo Mazella, Rosemary Menechella, John Myers, Salvatore Noto, Angela Ottomanelli-Hubbs, Michael Palermo, Gina Palya, Santo Pantina, Doris & Carlo Pecchillo, Joseph Questore, Mary Romano, Jake Roth-man, Louise Ruggiero, Anthony Russo, Felice Scimeca, Rose-marie Secreti, Fred Sepulveda, Rosalia Sindone, Michael Tamburo, Chrissie Tremblay, Paul Tremblay, Paul John Trem-blay, Ann Marie Vayda, Sr. Joanne Walters, Elizabeth Wei-mer, Brittany Zaita.

Deceased: Craig L. Riccio, Peter Umile

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

Sunday, July 17, 2016 8:00AM Louis Trinchese (Joseph & Fara Evola) 9:30AM Chauncey Chow (Kevin & Patty Harold) 11:00AM Gabriel D’Auria (Ann Vetrano & Fran McCabe) 12:30PM Joseph A. Quagliariello (Carr Family) 5:00PM For The Parishioners

Monday, July 18, 2016 St. Camillus de Lellis 9:00AM Francesco Tullo (Loving Family)

Tuesday, July 19, 2016 9:00AM Margaret Dobbo (Janis & Gerry Quinn)

Wednesday, July 20, 2016 St. Apollinaris

9:00AM Evelyn Scudiere (Clare Scudiero)

Thursday, July 21, 2016 St. Lawrence of Brindisi 9:00AM Buddy & Dolores (Betty)

Friday, July 22, 2016 St. Mary Magdalene 9:00AM Vito Mitacchione (Loving Wife & Children)

Saturday, July 23, 2016 St. Bridget 9:00AM Clara Mendolia (Joe Barreca) Vern Smith (Vita & Paul) Frank S. Tullo (Loving Family) 5:00PM Philip Carollo, Helen DeCunzo, Anna DiCianni, William Schwab, Frank Tortola

Sunday, July 24, 2016 8:00AM George & Ann Papandrea 9:30AM Patricia Cavanagh (Angela Conrad) 11:00AM Charles Rosina (Loving Family) 12:30PM Victor D’Agostino (Marion D’Agostino) 5:00PM For The Parishioners

GOOD SHEPHERD STATUE We would like to thank Marge Rosina, who kept the statue this past week. Anyone interested in keeping the statue in their home and praying for vocations for one week should contact the Recto-

ry.

PLEASE NOTE!

St. Helen Parish will not have a different Summer Schedule of Masses. All Mass times will remain the same as throughout the year:

Monday—Friday: 9:00AM Saturday: 9:00AM & 5:00PM Sunday: 8:00AM, 9:30AM, 11:00AM, 12:30PM & 5:00PM

The Rectory office hours through September 5th will be:

Monday—Friday: 9AM-12:00PM, & 1:00-4:00PM No evening hours Monday-Friday

during the summer.

Saturday & Sunday: 9:00AM-12:00PM

Please Note: The Rectory will be closed:

August 15 (Feast of the Assumption) and September 5 (Labor Day).

If you are new to St. Helen Parish, please remember to stop in at the Recto-ry to register your family!

The Altar Bread for this week is donated in memory of Chauncey Chow, requested by The Mor-gan Family.

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St. Helen’s Religious Education Office is now accepting registrations for the 2016-2017 school year. Office hours are Tuesday—Thursday from 11:00AM-1:00PM. The fee for one child is $75.00, and the fee for 2 or more children is $100.00. All new registrants will need to provide a copy of their Baptism Certificate. For more information please call 718-916-2319.

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 easily 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 authoriz-ing the Baptism to take place at St. Helen. Initial meetings with parents seeking Baptism for their children will normally take place on the second Wednesday of each month from 7:00–9:00PM and on the fourth Saturday of each month from 10:30AM–12:30PM.

JULY — AUGUST 2016

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

July 24 — August 28

Schedule for Baptisms: (All begin at 2:00PM) July 24 — August 28

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

TD BANK AFFINITY PROGRAM

There is now a program in place at TD Bank where one can simply name Saint Helen as a beneficiary to a bo-nus based on the sum total of those who are associated to Saint Helen Parish. It costs nothing for the customer, but benefits the parish greatly. We encourage you to participate in this program. Please contact Mr. John Spagnuolo, at TD Bank (718-529-0548) on Crossbay Blvd., for information on how to participate. The parish is grateful to all those who are presently part of this pro-gram.

Rosary for Peace….New Place, New Time The Rosary for Peace, sponsored by Saint Helen Secular Franciscan Fraternity, takes place in the Church at 6:45 PM every Wednesday. The group prays for our Blessed Mother’s intercession to end violence (domestic, civil, national) and the persecution of Chris-tians throughout the world. All parishioners are invited to join us in praying for an end to violence and persecution. Anyone willing to lead a decade of the Rosary in a language other than English is welcome.

St. Helen Parish will hold a

Blood Drive

Wednesday, August 3, 2016 from 3:00-7:00PM in Fr. Dooley Hall

Mets Tickets to all

The Order of Franciscans Secular meet on the 3rd Saturday of every month in St. Helen’s Church Meeting Room. Come and learn more about the Franciscan way of life.

St. John’s University Speech & Hearing Center, located at 152-11 Union Turnpike, Flushing, NY, will be offering free speech and hearing screenings through August 11th. Please call the center at (718) 990-6480 to schedule an appointment.

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Catholic Charities Senior Housing Opportunity

Catholic Charities is pleased to announce that beginning July 18, 2016, the Pierrepont House for the Elderly, a 188-unit building in Brooklyn Heights, will re-open its waiting list. To enter the lottery, appli-cants (or their spouse) must be 62 years or older with limited income based on Section 8 guidelines. Non-elderly persons with disabilities may also qualify.

To obtain an application, please send a written application request to:

Pierrepont House for the Elderly c/o POP Management Corp.

191 Joralemon Street, 8th Floor Brooklyn, NY 11201

Interested persons may also pick up an application in-person by visiting 55 Pierrepont

Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201 beginning July 18 through August 5 during the hours of

2pm and 4pm. Completed applications must be returned by regular mail to the PO

Box listed on the application form and must be postmarked no later than August 13, 2016.

For applicants with questions or who may need assistance completing the application,

several Application Assistance Sessions will be hosted in Deanery B3:

Wednesday, July 27 from 10am to 12pm at St. Paul’s Parish (in St. Paul ’s Hall/

lower church), 190 Court Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201

Wednesday, July 27 from 1:00pm to 2:30pm at St. Charles Jubilee Senior Center,

55 Pierrepont Street, 2nd Floor (Art Room), Brooklyn, NY 11201

Sunday, July 31 from 9:30am to 10:30am at Assumption of the Blessed Virgin

Mary Church (in the back of church), 55 Cranberry Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201

Sunday, July 31 from 11:30 to 1pm at the Oratory Church of St. Boniface (in

back of church), 109 Willoughby Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201

Note that it is NOT necessary to attend an Application Assistance Session in order to re-

quest or submit an application.

If you have any questions, please call 718-722-6001 (please note that you cannot request

an application by calling this number).

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Catholic Charities Senior Center Events

Every Friday, from 1:00-2:30PM the Center will have Karaoke. All

seniors are invited.

Every Wednesday, from 1:15-2:15PM the Center will have Zumba

classes for seniors, a very good form of exercise.

Every Wednesday, from 10:30-11:30AM the Center is introducing

the latest craze: Adult Coloring (all materials provided). Come and

join the fun!

GREAT AMERICAN SONG BOOK

On Thursday, July 28th, at 1:00PM, the Center will be presenting Sal Armeo to entertain us

with his beautiful voice, singing all our favorite songs. All seniors are invited. Please join us!

NUTRITION

The Center will present a “Healthy Summer Eating” series every Thursday in July, and the first

Thursday in August. The series, which is led by a nutritionist, will be held at 10:30AM. We

encourage all seniors to take advantage of this education opportunity!

The Center is located at 155-55 Crossbay Blvd., across from Stop-N-Shop.

For more information on these and many more activities, contact

Rosalie at 718-738-8100.

Reverence and Respect: Summer Dress in Church

Even with the warm weather of summer here one should still dress appropriately for Mass. Short shorts, tank tops, tube tops, belly

blouses, beach shorts, flip-flops, etc. are considered “beach wear” and should not be worn in Church. Please show respect and dignity when you enter the House of the Lord. Our general appearance should reflect our inner attitude of deep reverence for the presence of our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament as we enter into sacred space.

St. Helen will share in the prof-its! For each car, truck or van, run-ning or not, The

Society of St. Vin-cent de Paul will give back to our

Church $50/$100 per vehicle. Call The Society today if you have a vehi-

cle to donate!

Maggie’s Little Theater at St. Margaret’s Parish Hall in Middle Village, presents the classic Broadway comedy, “Guys and Dolls” on Friday, July 22nd at 8:00PM, Saturday, July 23rd at 8:00PM, and two Sundays: July 17th & 24th at 2:30PM. Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for seniors, and $12 for children 11 and under. For more information, and to reserve tickets, call 917-579-5389, or visit www.maggieslittletheater.org.

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Mon., July 18: Micah 6:1-4, 6-8; Matt 12:38-42 There is something greater than Solo-mon here. The scribes and Pharisees want a sign from Jesus. When my old-er brother died, we held a memorial service in the park where John had lived voluntarily with the homeless. Hottest summer since the dinosaurs!

But that Sunday morning, 70 degrees, a fresh breeze and a hawk perched in a nearby tree, told us that all would be well. When my younger brother died three months later, we had a more conventional funeral, but that night at my sister’s house, a can of Bob’s favorite beer that had not moved in 10 years suddenly rolled down the basement steps. “Well, he’s home!” we all agreed. As Jesus said to his doubters, What more do you want! O God, we offer praise as our sacrifice. Show us your salvation. Tues., July 19: Micah 7:14-15, 18-20; Matt 12:46-50 Who is my mother? Fr. Ray Pease, S.J., a missionary in Honduras for 50 years, presided over the most prayerful Masses I’ve ever experienced. But he would shoot a glance at the choir when they’d start yet another Marian hymn, Now, Jesus clearly loved his mother. Fr. Romano Guardini, Pope Francis’ favorite theologian, said that only Mary and the apostle John “got” Jesus during his lifetime. But Jesus himself spread the wealth: “Whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, and sister, and mother.” Everything the most pious Carlota in Fr. Ray’s pews would say about Mary, Jesus says about us! Pretty scary, actually. Who is there like you, O God, who removes our guilt and pardons sins? Wed., July 20: Jer 1:1, 4-10; Matt 13:1-9 A sower went out to sow. It seems the Lord has been sowing for a long time. To Jeremiah, God said, “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you.” By the time we get to Jesus’ sower, scattering seeds all over the place, we may wonder, who else might have produced much fruit if only they’d been “rich soil”? Does the seed find any welcome in my life, or have I already worn a path in the wrong direction? Or hardened my heart like a rock? Or trapped myself in wickedness? It may take some time to find my safe place where the seed can sprout, the word grow into a gospel, but the Lord does not tire of blanket-ing every inch of my life until something “gives.” You are my hope, O Lord.

Thurs., July 21: Jer 2:1-3, 7-8, 12-13; Matt 13:10-17

Why do you speak to the

crowd in parables? Matthew packs a whole portfolio of parables in Chapter 13 of his Gospel. So why would Je-sus not want the crowd to understand his stories, “lest they be converted”? He draws on the warning in Isaiah, for whom it seems conversion is more than a turning; it’s turning inside out! Parables are not proverbs, which are mostly conventional wisdom. Parables should explode with a koan-like force, where logic is defeated and less is more. (Indeed, one tradition says Jesus was a disciple of the Buddha.) Jesus, the “sign of contradiction,” kneads transcendence into our lumps of daily life. Gerard Man-ley Hopkins sensed it: “This Jack, joke, poor potsherd, patch, matchwood, immortal diamond / Is immortal dia-mond.” We take refuge in the shadow of your wings, O Lord. Fri., July 22: Jer 3:14-17; John 20:1-2, 11-18 Jesus said to her, “Mary!’”Just in case we forgot, it’s al-ways Easter! Mary Magdalene is weeping. She weeps a lot, prompting some to identify her with the woman of ill repute who bathes Jesus’ feet with her tears. She fol-lowed Jesus, she sponsored his mission, she stood at his cross, she ran to the tomb, she ran to the apostles, she ran back to the tomb, she begged angels, she begged the “gardener,” for heaven’s sake, for any help at all, and finally, Jesus made her the first Easter witness, her Easter and ours. In the middle of the summer heat and an end-less political campaign, it’s good to remember the Resur-rection and the Life who calls us by name, too. Hear the word of the Lord, O nations; proclaim it on distant coasts. Sat., July 23: Jer 7:1-11; Matt 13:24-30 Jesus proposed a parable to the crowds. A lovely field of wheat, slender stalks waving in the wind, tasty kernels crusting the tips — you can just taste warm bread fresh from the oven. But wait! Look closer, what’s that? Other stalks just as slender, but stiffer, spiky. Weeds! “Master, did you not sow good seed in your field?” Hmm. “An enemy has done this!” But let the weeds and wheat grow together until harvest. A lesson in tolerance? No. The weeds are wicked, not just different. The weeds are for burning. This is about the Bread of Life and the enemy disguised as a false parallel. And often enough, I am that weed. “I had rather one day in your courts, O Lord, than a thousand elsewhere.”

SIXTEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

Homiletic starters and scriptural

reflection points for each day of the month