Author: redpenguinweb

January 22, 2023

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Dear Parishioners,

In his Apostolic Letter Aperuit illis(AI) Pope Francis writes, “I hereby declare that the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time is to be devoted to the celebration, study and dissemination of the word of God.”

The pope suggests the following ways to mark the Sunday of the Word of God. At the same time, he acknowledges that parishes “have undertaken a wealth of initiatives to make the sacred Scripture more accessible to believers, to increase their gratitude for so great a gift, and to help them to strive daily to embody and bear witness to its teachings” (AI 2). In a similar vein, he invites parishes to mark the Sunday of the Word of God in “their own ways” (AI 3).

The Homily
• “On this Sunday, it would be particularly appropriate to highlight the proclamation of the word of the Lord and to emphasize in the homily the honor that it is due” (AI 3).

• “Pastors are primarily responsible for explaining sacred Scripture and helping everyone to understand it. … Helping people to enter more deeply into the word of God through simple and suitable language will allow priests themselves to discover the beauty of the images used by the Lord to encourage the practice of the good. This is a pastoral opportunity that should not be wasted!

… For many of our faithful, in fact, this is the only opportunity they have to grasp the beauty of God’s word and to see it applied to their daily lives. Consequently, sufficient time must be devoted to the preparation of the homily. … When we take time to pray and meditate on the sacred text, we can speak from the heart and thus reach the hearts of those who hear us, conveying what is essential and capable of bearing fruit” (AI 5).

Pray for Unity
• Pope Francis writes, “we are encouraged to strengthen our bonds with the Jewish people and to pray for Christian unity. … The celebration of the Sunday of the Word of God has ecumenical value, since the Scriptures point out, for those who listen, the path to authentic and firm unity.”

• The “Week of Prayer for Christian Unity” is celebrated January 18–25, which will usually coincide with the Sunday of the Word of God.

The Word of God in Our Homes
I would like to add this personal note: that we endeavor to make the meditation on the Word of God a frequent personal practice – individually, with friends, or with our families. For example, praying together with the scriptures before meals and during other family or social gatherings.

Wishing you a Blessed Sunday.
Fr. Seth

Volunteers Needed

Volunteers Needed

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VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

The Parish Social Ministry office is in need of volunteers to drive seniors to doctor’s appointments and grocery shopping. If you are interested, please call the office at (516) 785-2333 ext. 241.

Thank you and God Bless.

 

988 Hotline Launches

988 Hotline Launches

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Those seeking support during a mental health or emotional crisis may dial 988 to connect to a nationwide support network beginning tomorrow. The transition to a simplified three-digit number is meant to increase access to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and will operate similar to 911.

The move was facilitated by almost $300M in federal funding to both expand telephone infrastructure and increase call center staff. Via the network, trained counselors at more than 180 centers will be available over phone, text, or chat—users may call on behalf of themselves or others. The current 10-digit number has received more than 20 million calls since it was launched in 2005.

Suicide was one of the three leading causes of death in the US for those between 10 and 24 years of age in 2020 and claimed nearly 46,000 lives that year (see data)—almost double the number of homicides.

Livestream Mass

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Our Mission Statement

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ST. FRANCES DE CHANTAL PARISH MISSION STATEMENT

Called by God, we commit ourselves to the following goals:

  • Responding to the call of EVANGELIZATION, we bring the message of Jesus to all by witnessing the Good News.
  • Responding to the call to SERVE, we accept the challenge as witnesses of God’s unconditional love.
  • Responding to the call to CELEBRATE joyfully through prayer and worship, we affirm our giftedness as individuals, as families, and as community.

 

ST. FRANCES DE CHANTAL PARISH VISION

We believe we are responsible to the parishioners of our faith community to manage our time and talent effectively and to be good stewards of the resources they provide us. We must always demonstrate prudent stewardship and accountability for human capital and financial resources given to the parish by parishioners.  To serve this community in the most effective manner possible, we strive to do the following:

  • Provide a professional environment where associates are satisfied with the quality of work life, have the tools needed to be effective, and have a sense of ownership regarding the overall success of our ministry.
  • Transact business with the most efficient processes compared with other public organizations.
  • Stay abreast of, and invest in, technology that will enable continuous improvements to process efficiency, staff effectiveness, and quality of service.

As the above vision makes clear, St. Frances de Chantal employees are here to serve.  Whenever you wait on a person, answer the phone, or otherwise interact with the public, you ARE the church. People will like or dislike the church depending on how you treat them.  A friendly and willing manner will pay you and the church dividends in friendship, personal satisfaction, and recognition.

The Pastoral Team strongly believes that individual consideration in associate / management relationships provides the best climate for your maximum development, teamwork, and the attainment of our mutual goals.  The best employee is one who enjoys his or her job and has a feeling of pride in the parish.  Since each of us plays a vital role in fulfilling the vision of our parish, St. Frances de Chantal Parish is committed to providing each of us with good working conditions, competitive wages and benefits, fair treatment, and the personal respect we deserve.

 

St. Frances de Chantal Parish’s Motto

Our mission and vision are summarized in our slogan, “Vive Jesu, Live Jesus” Our motto is meant to focus us on what each associate is here to do, continuously improve St. Frances de Chantal Parish service to people and improve the quality of life for each other as Jesus did. All people are created in God’s image and likeness.  The dignity of each person, realized in community with others, is the criterion with which all ethical, economic, and social aspects are to be measured.