COLLECTION
Thank you so very much for your generous response to the needs of the parish. our collection last Sunday was $12,651. $3,353 was received in ParishPay for a total of $16,004. Also, thank you for your donation of 2,024 for our Soup Kitchen.
YOUTH CHOIR
Children (from grade 3 up) and Teenagers are invited to take part in the CHRISTMAS YOUTH CHOIR which sings at the 5:30PM Christmas Eve Mass. Rehearsals are on Wednesdays from 4-5PM beginning December 2 and on Monday Dec. 21st.
Please call Tina Silvestro at 212-877-3111 for a Parent permission Form to sign up. Forms can also be found on the Sunday School website under the Youth Choir tab.
ADVENT SIMPLE SUPPERS
Please join us on the Wednesday evenings during Advent, December 16th and December 23rd for Prayer and Meditation followed by a light dinner of soup, salad, and bread. Prayers begin promptly at 7PM in the 2nd floor meeting room of the Rectory. It’s a wonderful an contemplative way to prepare for Christmas. We hope to see you there. For more information please call/email Chris Williams (Tel. 304-337-1252; email: [email protected]) or Christina Russo (Tel. 201-248-7244; email: [email protected]).
BOOK CLUB
Our next Book Club will be held on Wednesday, December 16, 6:30-8:30PM. We’ll continue reading from Chapter 6 to the end of the book “The Great Reformer”, a biography of Pope Francis.
25th ANNUAL NEW YORK CARES COAT DRIVE
On behalf of the needy within our local community, members of the Social Action and Youth Adults Committees will be accepting used-coat donations at the entrance to the church before each of the masses this weekend. Coats for adults and children should be “gently used”, just cleaned and in fair condition or better.
NATIVITY IN THE CITY - A CHRISTMAS TALE IN NEW YORK -
Blessed Sacrament Theater
December 18 and 19 at 7:00PM
152 West 71st Street, New York, N.Y. 10023
Tickets: $20.00 - Students $10:00.
THE JOYJ INITIATIVE - JESSE TREE
JoyJ is once again sponsoring a Jesse Tree to gather NEW items for their Homeless Outreach. Please visit the tree in the Church, take an ornament or two and bring your item (unwrapped) to either the 5:30 Saturday Mass on December 19th or to any of the Sunday Masses on December 20th, where it will be collected in the vestibule by the JoyJ Volunteers for distribution. Gifts may also be dropped off at the Rectory anytime.
CATHOLIC FAMILIES GROUP
Please join our Blessed Sacrament Catholic Families Group! We are +130 families striving to raise our children in the love and knowledge of Christ. In addition to seasonal events, we host monthly discussion groups for mothers and fathers. Join our Meetup for more info:
www.meetup.com/NYC-Catholic-Families/
POPE FRANCIS CHRISTMAS BOOK SALE
Discounted copies of “Laudato Si - On Care For Our Common Home” will be on sale this weekend in the Church vestibule. Pope Francis addressed his urgent message in this beautiful Environmental Encyclical to all people. Therefore, unlike past academic encyclicals its concepts on care for creation are beautifully written in common language. Please consider purchasing several copies as Christmas gifts (or stocking stuffers) for your families and friends.
TAIZE Advent Service
December 15, 2015
7:00PM-9:00PM
Holy Name of Jesus
St. Mary of the Angels Chapel
207 West 96th Street, New York, N.Y.
Sponsored by the Secular Franciscans of Holy Name Parish.
COLLECTION FOR RETIRED RELIGIOUS
This weekend the annual collection for the retirement needs of the Religious of the Archdiocese will be taken up in all the parishes. Many of the nuns and brothers who taught in our schools and worked in our parishes are now retired. What we paid them in those days was very little which made Catholic education very inexpensive. Now they need our help. Please be generous.
ABC’s of Catholic Relief Service…This week - RS/Bosnia
Bosnia is a transit point for Middle Eastern refugees attempting to reach mainly Germany and Sweden. American Catholics via CRS provide essential health care and shelter for refugees. Translation services are in dire need. Your agency translates to help families understand the legal aspects and ramifications of their journey. For more info visit: www.crs.org.
FOOD FOR FAMILIES COLLECTION
JUST A REMINDER: NEXT WEEKEND is our non-perishable grocery collection for FOOD FOR FAMILIES. Shopping lists can be found on the table behind the last pew in the Church.
(In oder to provide the highest quality service to those who seek our help, we may only accept freshly bought, unopened non-perishable items. If this is no convenient, we also accept monetary donations.)
REQUEST FOR VOLUNTEERS
Blessed Sacrament Church is organizing a new program and we’re recruiting volunteers. The program is called SMALL ACTS OF KINDNESS (SMACK). A few times a week the Rectory gets calls from elderly/sick/disabled people asking for assistance with some small task (escorting them to a doctor’s appointment, picking up a prescription, delivering food from our food pantry, etc.) We’re seeking volunteers who would be willing to pitch in and help with such requested tasks. Most would be a one-time event, requiring only a small amount of time and commitment. People with flexible schedules would be very welcome, though those who have busier schedules (jobs, for example) could be very helpful as well. The coordinator would make calls to volunteers to see who might be available for any given task, giving time commitment and details. Karen Gargamelli has offered to serve as coordinator. If you might be interested in participating in this very worthy program, or needlngmore information, please contact her at [email protected].