TT.. TTEERREESSAA OOFF AAVVIILLAA PPAARRIISSHH Akron, New York

EERREESSEEAANN TTIIMMEESS

Congratulations to those membThey are: Lisa Bierasinski, AbigKatie Ciurzynski, Gina Clark, Athew Laurienzo, Douglas MargaSarah Schneider, Matthew SmitWilson.

JULY 2007

SS

TTVolume 1, No. 3

Pastor Rev. Msgr.

Robert J. Williamson

Rectory 5771 Buell Street

P.O. Box 168, Akron, NY 14001 Phone: 716-542-9103

Fax: 716-542-2444

Mass Schedule Sunday

8:00, 10:15 AM

Saturday Vigil 4:30 PM

Weekday Liturgies

Daily 8:00 AM

Except Wednesday 5:30 PM

Saturday 9:00 AM

Vigil of Holy Days

4:30 PM

Holy Days 8:00AM and 7:30 PM

Religious Education Director

Sr. M. Ruth Warejko, CSSF Convent: 726-542-9717

Office: 716-542-5777

Baptisms Arrangements must be made 3 weeks prior

Marriages

Please contact the Parish Rec-tory for more information

Parish Website

www.stteresasofakron.com

2007 FIRST COMMUNION CLASS

On Saturday morning, May 19th, 22 boys and girls from St. Teresa of Avila Parish received theirFirst Holy Communion as parents, family members, and friends looked on,. Shown in abovephoto, first row, (l-r) Holly Miano, Jenna Little, Emily Buckley, Gweneth Conlin-Richards, AllisonNorton, Kelsey Foley, Megan Kidder, Emily Ludwig, Alica Borth, Chloe Cozzarin, Bailie Murty andEmily Hoerner. Second row (l-r) Jonathan Nowakowski, Erik Kreher, Scott Marshall, DaltonMeyer, Shane Rogers, Brendan Weierheiser, Daniel Bielecki, Zachary Oliver, Nicholas Grisanti,and Kellen Adderly. Back row: Sister Ruth Warejko, Joan Spoth, Julie Conschafter, Rev. Msgr.Robert Williamson, Linda Brough and Elizabeth Roth. Following the service, a reception was heldin the Parish Center hosted by the members of St. Teresa’s Women’s Guild. (See Guild Recep-tion photos on Page 2 ).

GRADUATING CLASS OF 2007 ers of the parish who are among the 2007 graduating classes.ail Blasko, Katherine Brown, Britney Buscaglia, Nicholas Childs,

my Conley, Melissa Foster, Mitchell Gorski, Erik Lauricella, Mat-rucci, John Miszuk, Gregory Parzych, Kyle Randall, Victoria Root,h. Brittney Sperandeo, Katherine Tretter, Philip Whiting, and John

Guild Host Reception for First Communicants

The Beauty of Daily Mass Deb Hilton

I am a recent convert to the Roman Catholic faith, yet for many years I have held with awe the beauty of the faith. I was ac-cepted into the faith on July 15, 2006. I attended morning Mass on July 14th to help me focus as I got ready to proclaim my faith the next day. When I walked into church that day, I was immediately struck by how beautiful morning Mass is. I looked to the cross where the corpus of Jesus and delighted in the rays of the sun that radiated blue streams as they passed through the stained glass. I knelt silently and could feel anxi-ety melt as I quietly said my prayers. Msgr. Williamson began the entrance antiphon and I was im-pressed with the undeniable strength his daily walk in faith showed. Sister Ruth sat with the congregation and quietly left her pew to lector. Her voice, in articulate feminine tones, re-flected the beauty of the scriptures as they are spoken aloud. Sister Ruth’s oral presentation of Bible verses embraced my ears and lightened my fears. I left that morning with a peace and assurance that I did not have when I entered our church. It has been almost a year now since my acceptance into the faith. I try to go to daily Mass as often as possible. And when I do, I find that I leave with more than what I walked in with. Daily Mass is not a replacement for our obligation to attend weekly Mass, rather, it is a beautiful addition. Consider going to daily Mass. It will start your mornings with peace and seal your afternoons with calm. Daily Mass times are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday at 8:00 AM, Wednesday at 5:30 PM and Saturday at 9:00 AM. Philadelphia rescinds 'pro- choice city' designation PHILADELPHIA (CNS) -- Cardinal Justin Rigali thanked the Philadelphia City Council June 14 for voting to rescind a "trou-bling resolution" that had declared Philadelphia a "pro-choice city." "The members who supported today's resolution are to be commended for reflecting carefully upon this issue and showing the courage to revisit it," he said in a statement shortly after the vote to rescind. "I appreciate that the council has con-sidered seriously the sensitivities of all Philadelphians and has rightly voted to take these sensitivities into account." The vote to rescind was 13-4; nine council members had supported the original non-binding resolution June 7, while eight members had opposed it. Two of the three Catholic council members who had supported the designation reversed their votes. After the first vote, Cardinal Rigali had called the declaration of the city as "pro-choice" both "divisive and erroneous." "In a city where so many people vigorously defend life at every stage, proclaiming Philadelphia 'pro-choice' is inconsistent with real-ity," he said.

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Maria

Mjua Sthbeev SfoCm

Lab, the Varsity Chorale, the MElementary 4th and 5th grade ch Maria’s faith is of great importanCatholic, I know I have my faithHer favorite saint, and her confis the patron saint of music. Maria said that she chose Saincourage to spread God’s word tion of Catholics in the Romancritically wounded for her faith, the last three days of her life. In addition to playing the pianvolunteers her time as a membTeresa’s, with the Akron FireClub, and a community service Maria likes to spend time with are Jim and Cindy and her About her family, Maria says, family. I love every single meming around them.” With her friends, Maria enjoyssledding in the winter, playing ing video games, and just hang After high school Maria is consor mass communications with aate Maria’s service to the parish

TEENS IN FOCUS

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Hayes by Jen Reichenberg

aria Hayes is a sixteen year old nior at Akron High School and member of St. Teresa’s parish. he started playing the piano at e age of six and music has en an important part of her life er since.

he plays the piano and organ r the Crittenden Presbyterian hurch, performs in the school usical, and accompanies Jazz

iddle School Chorus, and the oir.

ce to her. She says that, “As a to rely on in times of trouble.”

irmation name, is Cecelia. She

t Cecelia because she had the during the time of the persecu- Empire. Even after she was Cecelia continued to preach for

o for many groups, Maria also er of the Parish Council at St.

Company, the Akron Lioness group for girls.

family and friends. Her parents sister, age fourteen, is Emily. “I really like just being with my ber and it is comforting just be-

being spontaneous by going frisbee, watching movies, play-ing out together.

idering majoring in film editing minor in theatre. We appreci- on the Parish Council!

Greg Parzych

by Jen Reichenberg Greg Parzych, age eighteen, will be graduating from Akron High School this June and is a member of St. Teresa’s parish. Greg very much enjoys sports and played both golf and bas-ketball while in high school. Next year, he will attend Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck, New Jersey with a partial scholarship for golf. Greg serves as an altar server for our parish and has also helped at many Women’s Guild events, as his mother, Holly, is an active member. He volunteers with the Players In Progress (PIP) sports program and Akron-Newstead Recreation in the winter months. Greg says, “Family is very important to me.” He enjoys playing golf with his dad, David, shopping with his mom, and just being with his brother Kevin, age twenty, who attends Ohio State University. He likes family get-togethers where he gets to visit with aunts, uncles, and cousins. He also enjoys just hanging out with friends, especially this year as they are about to head out on different paths for college. Greg selected Joseph as his confirmation name in honor of his late grandfather, Joseph Parzych, Sr. He says, “Being Catho-lic is a way of life.” We appreciate all Greg has contributed to the parish and will miss him as he moves on to the challenges of college! Our Annual Parish Picnic is fast approaching. The date for this year is Saturday, August 4th after the 4:30 Mass. We are in need of a picnic committee to plan the festivities for this year. A meeting will be held on Sunday, July 15th after the 8:00 am Mass in the parish hall. Coffee and donuts will be served. Kids and adults are encouraged to attend. We need your input to make the picnic a nice family affair for our parish. If you are unable to attend the meeting and would like to help out with the entertainment, setup, cleanup, kids activities, kitchen help or cooking, please contact Melissa at the rectory during any weekday morning at 542-9103.

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COME, JOIN IN AND HAVE A GOOD TIME!

SStt.. TTeerreessaa’’ss 1122tthh AAnnnnuuaall

PPaarriisshh FFaammiillyy PPiiccnniicc Lots of food including hamburgers, hot dogs, Italian sausage, grilled corn, and ice cream! Games for the kids! Live

music featuring Akron’s own “Rock Candy”

Raffles! Contests for Kids and Adults

Admission: One great dish to pass and a smile!!!!

SSAATTUURRDDAAYY,, AAUUGGUUSSTT 44TTHH

55::3300 PPMM

Shut-In/Seniors - Do you need transportation?

We will pick you up.

Call Barb and Ed Burke at

542-2630

Erie county home visitation group

By Barb Burke It’s a great feeling to hear the front-desk person an-nounce over the loudspeaker, “St. Teresa’s Cookies and Punch will be held in the Wende Guild Room in five minutes. All residents are welcome.” And then the whir of the motorized chairs and the pat-pat-pat of the slippered feet begin as they work their way to the big room before the cookies run out. The good feeling deepens as we walk into the room and see the smiling faces greeting us. Eyes focus on the cookies we are carrying….. Did they bring enough?… Are there any brown-ies?… How about cupcakes with frosting? We wait impa-tiently for the punch to be brought from the kitchen, and then we serve each eager resident with a napkin, cup of punch and several cookies. The smiles widen and the happy sound of conversation ensues.

Each one of us has certain people we make sure we find time to visit. Sometimes there are 40-50 residents with us. At Christmas, when some young parishioners go with us to sing carols, we have around 200 residents. We never know how many residents will come down or how many people will make cookies to send with us.

Once a month, on a Saturday afternoon, we meet in St. Teresa’s parking lot. Regular visitors include Mary Charles (Coordinator), Sheila Ernst, Martha Kroemer, Tom Schumacher, Don and Betty Roth, Mac and Sterling McCar-riagher, Joanne Oakes, Liz, Chelsea and Emily Wulf, and Ed and Barb Burke. Vi Daigler recently joined us and told us she plans to come again next month. We are always happy to welcome new visitors. We load the cookies and the people into two or three cars and head for the Erie County Home on Walden Avenue. Several of us walk to individual rooms to visit people who can no longer come to the meeting room. I visit a woman with MS, who shares my first name, and is no longer able to get out of her bed on weekends. I take her six cookies, stand and feed her two of them while we visit. She always has a beautiful smile and is keenly interested in news of my two grandchildren. She has their pictures on her bulletin board. We send e-mails to each other between visits. In December 2007 we will mark the 10-year anniversary of our friendship. The hour is over quickly. The residents move their wheelchairs closer to the big-screen TV for the movie that is coming up after our visit. They always thank us profusely, each and every one of them. But in our hearts, we thank them for the opportunity to feel good about ourselves and share their lives for a short hour. If you would like to join us, you only need to appear in St. Teresa’s parking lot by 1:15pm on the second Saturday of the month year-round.

Accomplishments of St. Teresa’s Parish Pastoral Council March 2006-June 2007

By Barb Burke On March 22, 2006 Msgr. Robert Williamson met with St. Teresa’s Parish Council for the first time. Barbara Burke was asked to serve as chairman of the group and not represent any particular group in the parish. Members were selected from volunteers to represent existing groups in the parish, geo-graphical areas in the parish and different age groups. Members included: Patrick Buczek (Youth Activities), Edward Buekers (Trustee), Sheila Ernst (Salt & Light), Ralph Handley (Southern Newstead), Maria Hayes (Youth Activities), Elmer Ottney (Ushers), Holly Parzych (Women’s Guild), Jennifer Rei-chenberg (Village of Akron), James Schneider (Northern New-stead), Sister Ruth Warejko (Religious Education) and Msgr. Williamson as Pastor. In June 2006 Richard Forrestel joined the Council as a new Trustee for the Parish. In January 2007 Patrick Buczek resigned from the Council due to family re-sponsibilities. Since that time, the Parish Council has completed the following tasks:

1. Cluster Group information was compiled consisting of the

strengths and weaknesses of St. Teresa’s Parish. The in-formation was helpful for the representatives to the Cluster Group in presenting an accurate picture of our parish.

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2. A Buildings and Grounds Committee was formed and pro-ceeded to address several of the issues requiring immedi-ate attention. The group, consisting of Ed Buekers, Elmer Ottney and Jim Schneider, meets regularly. Many urgent repairs and upgrades have been accomplished.

3. Ministries available at St. Teresa’s were presented to the

Parish Council: a. Parish Life Ministries by the Women’s Guild; b. Parish Outreach Ministries by the Salt & Light Group; c. Knights of Columbus activities in three parishes by

Ralph Handley; d. Sacramental and Educational Ministries by Msgr. Wil-

liamson and Sister Ruth. 4. Discussions on Welcoming New Parishioners were carried

on over several months. New parishioners are now an-nounced in the bulletin with the hope of informing neighbors of an addition to their neighborhood.

5. Discussions on improving the Parish Picnic were held.

Name tags were suggested to assist people in greeting one another.

6. Interest Surveys were distributed, collected and analyzed with several activities pursued.

7. The Teresean Times, a parish quarterly newsletter, be-

gan on Jan. 1, 2007, with three publications to date, which have been sent to all families in the parish.

8. The Children’s Play Group was formed in February 2007

in response to parishioners’ requests on the interest sur-veys. Mothers and pre-schoolers meet weekly for an hour of play and conversation.

9. A Monthly Adult Book Study Group is planning to meet in

the fall. An interest in Scripture and Book Study was ex-pressed by many people on the interest surveys. A Scripture Study Group may also be formed next year.

10. A Coffee Hour After Mass has resulted from the interest

surveys and is being sponsored by the Salt & Light Out-reach Group. Co-chairmen consist of Sterling McCar-riagher and Ed Burke. Monthly coffee hours are planned after the 10:15 AM Mass on the third Sunday of June, July and August.

St. Teresa’s Religious Ed Student Receives Award from Bishop Kmiec

Jonathan Nowakowski, a third grade student in our Religious Education program received "Honorable Mention" for the prayer he com-posed for the Sixteenth Annual Vocation A-wareness Contest entitled, "Jesus Came to Serve". Jonathan is pictured with Most Rev. Edward U. Kmiec, Bishop of Buffalo, at the awards ceremony on May 10, 2007 at the Catholic Center. Con-gratulations! All Catholic Schools and Religious Educa-tion programs in the

diocese were invited to participate in the contest. Students in Kindergarten through grade 8 were asked to express their vo-cation thoughts relating to the theme in the form of a poster, prayer or symbol.

Ladies of Grace By Deb Hilton

It has been 1 year now since I have been accepted into the Catholic Faith. Since then I’ve become active in, the Women’s Guild of our parish. What a wonderful organization this is. There are so many dedicated and hard working women in this organization.

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Martha Kramer is one such woman. She has a ready smile for everyone who looks her

way, she single handedly mails 50-100 cards each month for the sunshine club she runs and is a dedicated greeter for the 10:15 mass on Sunday. During last weeks meeting Martha said, “Well there is always sunshine out there. It’s just that sometimes you have to look a bit harder for it.” Are you a lady who is longing for the fellowship of other Catho-lic Women? Then consider joining the Women’s Guild here at St Teresa of Avila Parish in Akron. We meet the first Tuesday of each month at 7:30pm at the rectory meeting room. It would be wonderful to see you at our next meeting in September. Women’s Guild Stellar Summer Retreat

The women’s guild of our parish will be attend-ing a retreat at the Center for Renewal at Stella Niagara on August 9, 2007. We leave the parking lot of St Teresa of Avila Akron parish at 9:00am and return at 7:00 pm that night. Our day will be filled with nature walks, a hand massage, a free art pro-ject, lunch and dinner

buffets and the joy of sharing the day in a beautiful holy place. All members of the Women’s guild are invited to attend. The fee is $25 for the day. We need the fee for the trip by July 22. Please contact MaryAnn Schneider 542-5141 or Deb Hilton if you are interested.

23rd Annual Craft Show By Deb Hilton

The 23rd Annual Craft Show will be held on Saturday, Septem-ber 29th. Come join us for a day filled with talented artisans selling their wares, the Guild’s famous lunch and a table full of those delicious home-baked pies. It’s a great time to pick up those holiday decorations, scarves, jewelry, pillows, handmade baskets, fleece mittens and hats, aprons and tote bags, florals, candles, fine painted wood crafts, jams, candies, fudge and even fishing lures and those beautiful mums! There truly is something for everyone at our Craft Show. So mark your calendar for Saturday, September 29 and join us early for coffee and donuts, spend the day shopping and stay for lunch. Don’t forget that pie on your way home!

Coffee Hour After Mass You are invited to join your fellow parishioners for a cup of cof-fee and donuts after the 10:15 AM Mass during the summer. If you missed the June 17th front lawn event, you still have two more opportunities to meet and chat with those people next to you in the pew. The second coffee hour is scheduled for Sunday, July 15th fol-lowing the 10:15 AM Mass. The third coffee hour will be held on August 19th. These opportunities to visit are sponsored by St. Teresa’s Parish and hosted by the Salt and Light Outreach Group. Co-chairmen are Sterling McCarriagher and Ed Burke. It is hoped that similar events can be scheduled following the other Masses.

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celebrated.

It takes a community to produce beauty.

By Deb Hilton

Have you ever no-ticed the garden that begins just beyond the parking lot and extends onto the private driveway next to the rectory? Two weeks ago I stopped and spoke to Ann Sayers about the flowers she was watering. The interview that un-folded from this meeting is as follows.

Ann enjoys gardening. Wherever she has lived she has found a bit of soil, water and sunshine to nourish the plants she cares for. Seven years ago, Ann was told that the land where she had planted 25 roses did not belong to her apartment complex. She had to move the plants or risk loosing them. Ann made inquiries at St Teresa’s and started the journey to grow a new garden. The garden started back towards the end of the pri-vate driveway. The roses were transplanted and a trellis was located. Beauty never seems to happen without effort and such was the path of the garden. The trellis that centers the rosebushes was one that Ann transported from her previous garden. The process of moving it caused the trellis to fall apart, literally in the middle of the road and required extensive use of wiring to put it back together. Each year the garden grows in the numbers of plants and in beauty. Many parishioners have given plants, encouragement and compliments to Ann and to the countless hours that she spends tending it. Ann remarked as we stood admiring the beauty of the myriad of blossoms around us; “Community doesn’t exist with

one but from the ef-forts of all. Everything that has been needed for this garden has been given: from the pine trees that were planted years ago that frame the garden, to the special top soil that Msgr. Williamson gets me each year for the roses, to the plants that parishioners bring and to the extra money that has arrived when it was really needed (for the purchase of the large statue in the back)”. In this day and age of people looking out only for themselves it is a joy to behold beauty wrought in a commu-nity.

Remembering fallen heroes

WNY Catholic The American flag and the flags of the United States armed forces snapped in a steady breeze during a special Memorial Day Mass at Mount Olivet Ceme-tery in Kenmore. Several hun-dred worshippers brought their lawn chairs for the Mass that was held outside of the Holy Family Chapel Mausoleum. Msgr. Francis Weldgen, retired pastor from St. Christopher Par-ish in Tonawanda, was the cele-brant. Father John Mack, pastor of. St. Andrew Parish in Ken-more con Music was provided by a choir from St. Rose of Lima Parish in Buf-falo. Special prayers were said for the men and women of the U.S. military who are in harms way, along with civilian employees who are also employed in dangerous parts of the world in support of U.S. mili-tary missions. Many who came to the Mass did so not only to remember the brave men and women who gave their lives for the nation, but also to re-member their loved ones whose final resting place is Mount Olivet. Similar Masses were held at Holy Cross Cemetery in Lackawanna, Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Lewiston and Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Cheektowaga.

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St. Teresa of Avila Parish Post Office Box 168 Akron, NY 14001

NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE

PAID AKRON, NY

PERMIT NO. 5

Knights Present Altar Server Certificates

With family members and friends looking on, Youth Director, Thomas Bergman and Grand Knight Gregory Hartl of John Cardinal O’Hara Council Knights ofColumbus, Akron, presented Altar Server Certificates to the boys and girls of St. Teresa of Avila Church who were active in the parish program. Receivingtheir certificates alphabetically were Erin Adderly, Kaitlyn Baldwin, Cory Baker, Tim Bergman, Emily Bodenschatz, Brianna Buczek, Missy Ciurzynski, Na-than Flumerfeldt, Benjamin Flumerfeldt, Nicholas Flumerfeldt, Felicia Fortunato, Emily Hayes, Lisa Hyder, Abigail Kankiewicz, Alexis Kankiewicz, ElizabethKaufman, Davidlee Klimchuk, Jacob Klimchuk, Luke Klimchuk, Adam Kowalik, Eric Kowalik, Christine Lichtenthal, Amanda Mayle, Erin Roberts, KristenRudz, Thomas Rudz, Alex Short, Trevor Short. Chelsea Wulf and Emily Wulf. Following the presentations, the Alter Servers were given a standing ovationfor their service to the parish. Also receiving certificates, but absent from photo were Kevin Braunscheidel, Katie Brown, Dominic Cianfrini, Lauren Cianfrini,Cordero Earle, Montana Earle and Gregory Parzych.