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SACRAMENT OF PENANCE Saturdays: Msgr. Ryan Hall - 4:00 p.m. to 4:45 p.m.

Also by appointment

SACRAMENT OF MATRIMONY The Church provides certain times and preparation for wed-

dings. Please contact the Rectory at least six months in ad-

vance to begin the process.

REGISTRATION Every family and person within the parish is encouraged to

register with the Parish.

SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM Celebrated on the 2nd Sunday of the month at 1:30 p.m. In

July and August Baptism will be celebrated at 12:30 p.m. A

required Baptism preparation meeting for parents meets on

the first Monday of the month at 8:00 p.m. Godparents are

welcome. Please register in advance for the class and Bap-

tism. Godparent Pre-Requisites: Godparents must be practic-

ing Catholics in good standing, 16 years of age or older,

Baptized and Confirmed Catholic.

ON BECOMING A CATHOLIC Those seeking information about the Catholic Faith are in-

vited to contact Fr. Valentine at the Rectory at 621-2222.

CARE OF THE SICK Please notify the Rectory and Human Concerns Ministries if

there is anyone seriously ill so that we can provide spiritual

care.

THE MASS INTENTIONS FOR THE WEEK

Bob Boeshore Lillian Boeshore

Kathleen Capuano Barbara Coe

Rebekah Cole Kevin Cronin Paul Cronin

John Damiano Linda De Stio

John Paul DiNonno James Dougherty

Eric DuBois Natalie Finamore

Noel Glen Kamlesh Gupta

Ida Kelly Christine Kenney

Maria Kim Douglas Knehr

Anne Krukowski Frank Krukowski

Richard Malon Jonathan Mannina Stuey Manzione

Tom McCormack Brendan Miles Freida Navarro Victoria Oxer

Justin Paradine Marion Prendergast

Jenna Reggio Anna Sambucci Elizabeth Stein

Charles Strecker Clotida Vecchione Jacqueline Verde

Anne Wright Mary Wybaillie

PLEASE PRAY FOR THE SICK

Sunday, December 13: THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT

7:30 a.m. People of the Parish

9:00 a.m. Charles Zollo

by his Daughter, Joanne Zollo

11:00 a.m. Jeffrey Hess

by Carol Haff

The Shanahan Family

by Family

Alberico Tansiongco, Jr. and the

deceased members of the Malabanan

and Tansiongco Family

by Dennis and Shirley

Tansiongco

12:15 p.m. Deceased members of the Muller and

McNichol Families

by Lorraine Muller

Monday, December 14: Saints John of the Cross,

Priest and Doctor of the Church

9:00 a.m. Nelson and Clara LaBoe

by the Lau Family

Tuesday, December 15: Advent Weekday

9:00 a.m. Beatrice Vogt

by her Family

Wednesday, December 16: Advent Weekday

9:00 a.m. Paul Echuryan

by Joe and Gina Tumminello

Thursday, December 17: Late Advent Weekday

9:00 a.m. Ellie Irish

by the Combs Family

Friday, December 18: Late Advent Weekday

9:00 a.m. Christian Ardito

by Timothy Cronin

Saturday, December 19: Late Advent Weekday

5:00 p.m. Mary and Carmin Dellavecchia

by Linda and Charles

Dellavecchia

Sunday, December 20: FOURTH SUNDAY OF

ADVENT

7:30 a.m. Frank Castiglione

by the Dussel Family

9:00 a.m. Thomas Maniscalco

by his Children

11:00 a.m. Frances and Rocco Belfiore

by their Daughter-in-law

Pasqulina and Rocco Calo

by their Daughter, Helen

Edith Monteserrato

by her Family

12:15 p.m. People of the Parish

I Mary Kate Sheehan and Daniel Edward Grabher

both of St. Mary’s, Roslyn

WEDDING BANNS

http://www.twoheartsdesign.com/images/clipart/catholic/wedding/images/rings_cross1.gif

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READINGS FOR SUNDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2020

THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT

First Reading: Isaiah 61:1-2a

Second Reading: Isaiah 61:1-2a, 10-11

Gospel: Mark 1:1-8

FOCUS: Advent is a season of waiting in

joyful hope for the coming of the Lord.

Gaudete Sunday affirms the value of rejoicing and gives

reasons for our rejoicing: God has given hope to his people

waiting for redemption. We wait with rejoicing for what

God has already accomplished and will yet accomplish

through Christ.

LITURGY OF THE WORD:

In the first reading, Isaiah rejoices as he brings glad tidings

of God’s vindication for his people. In the second reading,

Paul encourages rejoicing as God prepares his people for

the return of the Lord. In the Gospel, John testifies to the

light and cries out in the desert to make straight the way of

the Lord.

Readings for nest week, December 20: Fourth Sunday of

Advent: 2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16, Romans 16:25-27, Luke 1:26-38

From Liturgical Commission Publishing, Lansing, MI

FOSTERING STEWARDSHIP AS A WAY OF LIFE

PARISH SACRIFICIAL GIVING

This week, be mindful of all the blessings in your life.

When you pray this week, thank God for something

different each day.

Parish Sacrificial Giving Summary

Thank you for your continued sacrificial gifts to St.

Mary’s.

Sunday Offertory December 5/6 $8,172.00*

Same Week Last Year $8,566.00*

Mass Attendance for December 5/6 315**

Same Week Last Year 893

*Does not include Faith Direct

**Mass Attendance at 50% capacity under Covid19

guidelines

A note of thanks to all the parishioners who, despite

the present circumstances, continue to send in their

contributions for the support of St. Mary’s. Your

generosity, while not surprising, is greatly appreci-

ated.

Besides the upkeep of the Church we would like to

add a note of gratitude to those parishioners who

have given so generously to our Human Concerns

Ministry. Your goodness has contributed

greatly to alleviating the needs of our neighbors.

Thank You!

Fr. Valentine

Celebrants for the Weekend of

December 19/20:

Celebrants* Lectors

Sat

5:00 Fr. Valentine P. Kirk

Sun 7:30

Fr. Lauder N. Toal

9:00 Fr. Valentine J. Finnegan

11:00 Fr. Valentine L. Lofaro

* Subject to last minute changes.

Fr. Lauder’s Catholic Novel

Fr. Lauder’s Series of 50 lectures on the Catholic Novel, each 15 minutes long, are available on You-

Tube

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THE PASTOR’S PAGE

Father, I feel so beaten down; everything seems to be going wrong. Why does God let these things

keep happening to me? I pray, but he doesn’t respond. Have I failed even there? I think I’m losing my

faith.

Dear Friends:

If this sounds familiar, you’re in good company. Many individuals have expressed similar experiences

to me over the years, but perhaps never so frequently as over the past nine months with the onslaught

of the pandemic. Physical suffering is bad enough: being a “baby,” I have virtually no threshold for

pain, and would complain—endlessly—were I subject to chronic illness. God has perhaps been

merciful to the medical profession in that it hasn’t had to deal with me too frequently. Yet there is

another kind of pain, one which may or may not be accompanied by injury or illness. A crushing sense

of isolation may also come from emotional or psychological distress, financial problems, rejection by

loved ones, and perhaps most cruelly, “spiritual desolation”: the impression that God has deserted one.

Not for nothing does Jesus cry out from the cross: “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”

This week, the Church celebrates the feast of St. John of the Cross (1542-1591) the Spanish Carmelite

priest who gave heroic example to the spiritual life, reformed religious observance, was named the

Mystical Doctor of the Church and, along the way, set the standard of beauty for modern Spanish in a

way only rivaled by Cervantes decades later. Sounds great, right?

Truth be told, this is only half the story: the “sunny” half. Friar John underwent all of the tribulations I

mention above: born into poverty, in a family looked down upon because of its Jewish heritage, and

rejected—imprisoned!—by his religious community for daring to lead a more austere life in imitation

of our Lord. He also battled physical illness, no doubt by the near starvation deliberately imposed

upon him by his “brothers in Christ.” Even his mystical visions were derided by those who thought

him mad. Anyone else may rightly have become embittered by such things. On the contrary, the same

forces seem to have catapulted John to the very heights of the spiritual life. The same could be said of

his friend and mentor, St. Teresa of Avila, who convinced John to reform their order which had

become too comfortable. What for others would be an adversary to friendship with God—suffering—

became an ally, even a kind of “friend.” As best I can follow John’s counterintuitive logic, it works

this way: our attachment to things—even good things—keeps us bound in spiritual chains.

Suffering—of whatever kind—may, if we allow it, free us from our desire for things. Such freedom is

at the heart of genuine love. John writes: “Love consists not in feeling great things but in having great

detachment and in suffering for the Beloved.” Hence, the Cross is “crucial” to loving correctly, to

union with the divine. Having thus extinguished desire for anything but God, St. John sets out on his

spiritual journey in the classic work, The Dark Night of the Soul:

On a dark night, Kindled in love with yearnings

—oh, happy chance!—

I went forth without being observed,

My house being now at rest.

Faithfully,

Fr. Valentine

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Saint Mary Religious Education

Advent Project 2020

Hance Family Foundation

TOY DRIVE

This year’s Advent project we are asking for a donation of an unwrapped toy

for the Hance Family Foundation. These toys will be hand distributed to

poverty-stricken kids in New York area through the Hance Family Foundation

in memory of three beautiful angels – Emma, Alyson and Kate (their

daughters they lost on July 26, 2009). They will be handed out to children

who need them most; to families that are struggling and are not able to

provide a Christmas for their children.

Please bring your toy donation to St. Mary’s Religious Education office

at 440 Round Hill Road, Roslyn Heights by Wed., Dec. 16th please call the

office 516-621-6798 to arrange drop off.

Have a Blessed Advent and Christmas.

Mrs. Nora Toal

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ADVENT GIVING TREE

The Human Concerns

M i n i s t r y i n v i t e s a l l

parishioners to help families

celebrate Christmas.

Each year we find the need

for more gift certificates. Gift certificates can

be purchased in the amount of $5, $ 10, $15,

$20, $25. etc. and obtained at Target, T.J.

Maxx, etc.

The Giving Trees are set up in the Church

and Msgr. Ryan Hall. Please attach the gift

tag to the wrapped packages and return the

gift under the tree no later than Sunday,

December 13th or before. If anyone would

like to take a family please call Elsie at

626-1097

Thank you for your generosity.

HUMAN CONCERNS MINISTRY

FOOD CERTIFICATES FOR CHRISTMAS

For Christmas we would like to give

purchase power to those in need so that

they can buy the goodies they’d enjoy

for Christmas dinner. You can help by

purchasing food certificates from Stop

and Shop or other food stores, in the amount of $10 or

$20 and bring or mail them to the Human Concerns Of-

fice. The certificates will be given out with the presents.

If you would like to make a monetary donation, please

make your check payable to ST. MARY’S CHURCH,

with Human Concerns written on the memo line, and

place it in the collection basket at Mass.

CHRISTMAS FLOWERS

AND GREENS

St. Mary’s has the custom of a Flower Fund to

provide flowers for the altar and sanctuary in

the Church and Msgr. Ryan Hall at Christmas.

If you wish to make a donation to our

Christmas Flowers and Greens in memory of

a loved one, please return your envelope

to the Rectory or place it in the

collection basket. There are

extra envelopes available at the

doors of the Church and Hall.

St Mary’s Would Like to thank the following

Knights for their help assembling the Creche for the

2020 Christmas Season: Grand Knight Ed Escoffier,

Jim Stalarow, Bill Danielson, Phil Kirk, Jim Mozer,

Carl, Ring, John Little, John Dussel, Dan Garcia and

our Pastor Father Tim Valentine.

REMEMBERING THOSE WHO SERVE

LCpl Caitlin Lyons LT Dennis Mackin

Cpl Tommy Mozer SGT Julio Ortiz II

LCpl Jonathan Peres

GSGT Jonathan Porto

LT James Raphael

PVT Michael Starczewski

SGT Luke Whitting

CAPT Brendan Echausse

COL Daniel Friend

SGT Joseph M. Friend

LCdr Christian R. Foschi

LT. Daniel Grabher

PFC Steven Hyyti

CAPT David Jacobs

SK1 John D. Klick

PFC Michael P. Lanciki

MAJOR Eric W. Lipp

Lord, hold these men and women in your

loving hands and protect them as they

protect us and bless them for their self-

forgetting acts. We pray for peace in our

world and an end to war. Amen.

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Processional Hymn O Come, O Come

Emmanuel

Responsorial Psalm

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Offertory Hymn

Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence

Communion Hymn

Creator of the Stars of Night

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Recessional Hymn

O Come, Divine Messiah

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RETIREMENT FUND FOR RELIGIOUS COLLECTION

This weekend, December 12/13, we will take up the annual Diocesan Retirement Fund for Religious

collection.

Support the Retirement Fund for Religious. A donor writes, “Your flyer touched my heart--seeing the

retired religious, such memories surfaced.” Do you remember the sisters, brothers, or religious order

priests who made a positive difference in your life? Today many are elderly and need assistance. Their

religious communities struggle to meet retirement needs while continuing to serve the People of God. Please

give to next week’s collection.

CHRISTMAS MASS SCHEDULE:

CONFESSIONS

Each Saturday

4:00 PM - 4:45 PM - Msgr. Ryan Hall

MASSES

Thursday, December 24th - Christmas Eve

4:00 PM - Msgr. Ryan Hall

6:00 PM - Msgr. Ryan Hall

10:00 PM- Church(in lieu of Midnight)

(Pre Mass Program Beginning at 9:45 PM)

Friday, December 25th - Christmas Day

7:30 AM - Church

9:00 AM - Church

11:00 AM - Msgr. Ryan Hall

12:15 PM - Msgr. Ryan Hall

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St. Mary’s Church Financial Report

Comparative Financial Reports for the Years Ended: 8/31/2019 8/31/2020

Revenue

Regular Collections (Including Sundays, Christmas and Easter) $ 617,595 $ 521,916

Fund Raising (net of expenses) 30,819 25,429

Parish Programs (Religious Education, Outreach) 31,206 37,055

Auxiliary Revenue (School, Convent Rent, Catholic Ministries Appeal Re-bate) 287,420 186,592

Special Collections on Behalf of Others (pass through - see below) 27,140 27,007

Non-Operating Revenue: Fidelity Insurance Claim 4,928 -

: Bank Interest 268 161

Total Revenue 999,376 798,160

Expenditures

Salaries, Liturgy and Music Ministry Payments $ 239,234 $ 295,515

Fringe Benefits (Medical, Retirement Fund) 91,866 77,923

Parish Programs (Religious Education, Outreach) 24,250 16,665

Subsidy to Regional School (15% of our regular collection) 94,316 80,288

Office Expenses & Printing 83,892 56,050

Auxiliary Expenditures: Diocesan Assessment - 8% of our regular collec-tions sent to Rockville Centre for the running of the Chancery Office, dona-tions to charity, missalettes & liturgical expenses, LI Catholic and insurance premiums sent to the Diocese) 109,691 80,407

Rectory Office/Household Expenses 2,901 13,599

Special Collections of Behalf of Others (pass through - see above) 27,140 27,472

Utilities & Maintenance 276,350 216,135

Capital Expenditures 16,035 136,984

Total Expenditures 965,675 1,001,038

Excess Revenue (Deficit) $ 33,701 $ (202,878)

A Summary of the Sacraments Celebrated at St. Mary's Church

2018/2019 2019/2020

Baptisms 45 32

First Communions 31 22

Confirmations 34 31

Marriages 9 8

Funeral Masses & Services 45 31