December 10th, 2017

Finance Committee Corner

Last Sunday $10,888 was received in the offertory
baskets at Mass and $6,625 was received through WeShare, for a total of $17,513. Thank you for so generously giving to our regular collection. The second collection in support of our Soup Kitchen totaled $2,095. Thank You!

Second Collection this weekend - December 10th
Retired Religious. The Retirement Fund for Religious provides funding to any religious institute in the U.S that is listed in the religious institute section of the Official Catholic Directory and that has an unfunded past service liability.

Arts at Blessed Sacrament concerts this week:

Sunday Curiositeas
Abigail Kent, Harp
December 10th, 2:30 – 3:30PM
Blessed Sacrament Salon (2nd Floor in the Rectory)

Our weekly concert series “Curiositeas” offers a place where performers and audience members can connect through casual concerts of music collaboration and personal story.

5:30PM CHRISTMAS EVE FAMILY MASS YOUTH CHOIR
Each year we invite children from Blessed Sacrament (Grade 3 and up) to join our Christmas Eve Youth Choir for the 5:30PM Family Mass on Christmas Eve, Dec. 24.

Rehearsals will take place at various times to accommodate differing schedules:

WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 13 at 4-5pm in the CHURCH
WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 20 at 4–5pm in the CHURCH

PLEASE CONTACT TINA SILVESTRO AT: tina@blessedsacramentsundayschool.org or call 212-877-3111 for more information or for a sign-up/permission form.
Forms can also be found at: blessedsacramentsundayschool.org

JESSE TREE
Each year the JoyJ Initiative places the Jesse Tree in front of the Blessed Mother's altar. JoyJ respectfully requests our parishioners to take an ornament, which has on it an item to be donated. JoyJ will be collecting the unwrapped items at the Masses the weekend of December 16th and 17th. Thank you and have a blessed Christmas.

ADVENT SIMPLE SUPPERS
Please join us on the Wednesdays of Advent: December 13; and December 20 for prayer and meditation followed by a light dinner of soup, salad, and bread. Prayers begin promptly at 7pm in the dining room of the Rectory. It is a wonderful and contemplative way to prepare for Christmas. We hope to see you there. For more information, please call/email Chris Williams at 304-337-1252/ jcw.arts@gmail.com.

CATHOLIC FAMILIES GROUP
Please join our Blessed Sacrament Catholic Families Group! We offer a range of events to help each other in raising our children as Catholics and becoming better in our own practice of the faith. We also host a monthly moms' group. Sign up at www.meetup.com/NYC-Catholic-Families/ - free to join and events are free.

THE CHRISTIAN MEDITATION GROUP
Starting on Wednesday, December 13th, The Christian Meditation Group will now meet each Wednesday from 5:30pm to 7pm. Come visit us and learn about this ancient form of Christian prayer. For more info visit our website: www.christianmeditation.us

BLESSED SACRAMENT ALTAR SERVERS
Serving at the altar is a privileged way to grow closer to Jesus and to share the joy that we receive by being close to the Lord. Training sessions will be held for any young person interested and who has received First Holy Communion. Please contact Chris Miller and Marlon Hosang at cmiller2925@aol.com, 917.612.7833, or leave your name and number at the rectory office at 212.877.3111.

THE BLESSED SACRAMENT ANNUAL COAT DRIVE
in cooperation with NEW YORK CARES
WEEKEND OF DECEMBER 9 - 10

The Social Action Committee and the many volunteers will accept GENTLY USED COAT DONATIONS, INCLUDING CLEAN BABY's AND CHILDREN's COATS at the entrance of the church before and after each of the Masses of Dec.9 - 10.
PLEASE, let us all make this a HUGE SUCCESS FOR THE NEEDY IN OUR CITY!!!

Lecture on the writings of Thomas Merton & Czeslaw Milosz:

Religious Liberty & The Captive Mind with William P. Mumma

Thomas Merton NYC is pleased to announce The 40th Annual Thomas Merton Lecture & Other Anniversary Festivities to be held
Monday, December 11th, 4 - 7 p.m.
Sponsored by Columbia University Catholic Ministry and The Hugh J. and Catherine R. Kelly Endowment.

Few topics are more pervasive in America today than religious liberty. The history of our nation is intrinsically linked to it, and yet 230 years after the Constitution, the hotbed issue has never felt so unresolved. Columbia alumnus William P. Mumma of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty will offer ideas on one of our time’s most consequential subjects.

4:00 p.m. Barnard & Columbia campus tours
5:30 p.m. Mass in honor of Edmund J. Kelly (LAW '62)
6:15 p.m. Reception
7:00 p.m. 40th Annual Merton Lecture by William P. Mumma

All events -- campus tour, Mass, reception, and lecture -- are open to members of Thomas Merton NYC and the public. For more information and to RSVP, please visit our events page.

All are invited to celebrate International Human Rights Day with a Focus on the Philippines

Rise Up for Human Rights!: Critical Voices of the Struggling Poor in the Philippines
Forum with Bishop Reuel Marigza of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines

RSVP on the Facebook Event Page
( https://www.facebook.com/events/1159510000850835/)

December 13, 6:00 - 9:00 p.m.
San Damiano Hall
129 W. 31st Street, Manhattan

Join us for this special event with Bishop Reuel Marigza of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines and Rise Up for Life and Rights-- an organization of the families of the victims of the drug war.

Under Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, there have been over 14,000 killings in the so-called war on drugs, 91 extrajudicial killings of farmers and indigenous people, and over 400,000 forced evacuations from Duterte’s martial law. In the last week of November, Duterte formally cancelled the peace talks with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines and declared himself a fascist. At the same time he vowed to crack down on the legal social movement and activist organizations.

Donald Trump said Duterte is “doing a good job” with the war on drugs, and declared the Philippines the "most prime piece of real estate from a military standpoint." The U.S. continues to send over $50 billion in military aid to the Philippines annually.

Bp. Marigza will share updates from the human rights movement in the Philippines and the growing movement of the struggling poor. News from the burgeoning solidarity movement in the US will also be shared.

CHURCH OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT

152 West 71st Street New York, NY 10023

ONLINE GIVING BY WESHARE

December 10th, 2017