Sunday School Volunteers Needed With the growing number of students in our Sunday School program the need for volunteers is also growing. Catechists, assistants, and substitutes are needed. All volunteers who work with children will need to complete a background check form and an abuse awareness and prevention class as provided by the Archdiocese. Please call Tina Silvestro at 212-877-3111.
ARCHDIOCESAN - WIDE FOOD CAMPAIGN This year, Blessed Sacrament Parish is participating in
Feeding Our Neighbors, an Archdiocesan - Wide Drive to replenish dwindling Food Pantries in our community. From January 23 through January 31, you can Feed Our Neighbors by replenishing the Blessed Sacrament Food Pantry, our sister pantry at the Kennedy Center on West 134 Street and pantries across the Archdiocese. It only takes one small action to feed the hungry. Together we can change lives.
Three simple ways to participate are: (1) Bring non-perishable foods to Saturday and Sunday Masses between January 23rd and 31st (2) Support by donating money during a Mass collection, make an on-line donation at www.catholiccharitiesny.org/feedingourneighbors or make a quick $10 donation by texting “CCHOPE” to 85944 and (3) Volunteer at a Food Pantry near you.
Members of the Social Action Committee and others will be collecting your donated food in the
BIG WHITE BOXES at the Church entrance. Pick up a flyer for a food list and more information.
COLLECTION Thank you so very much for your generous response to the needs of the parish. Our collection last Sunday was $8,072. $4,205 was received in ParishPay for a total of $12,277.
DOWNEY SIDE ADOPTION AGENCY:MISSION FOR HOMELESS YOUTH at Blessed Sacrament Convent on 70
th STREET is looking for a volunteer bookkeeper or retired accountant for 4 hours a week (small stipend).
Please contact Fr. Paul Engel OFM.CAP at 212-714-2200
CONVERSATIONS WITH “RECYCLED” CATHOLICS Many people--Catholics, those of other religions and of no religion-- have been struck by the words and actions of Pope Francis. Included among them are former Catholics who have long felt alienated from many of the church’s positions and practices, but now may be considering giving Catholicism a second look. This series is designed for such people—
not for people who are comfortable in their faith and looking for spiritual enrichment. It is for people in transition, hence the term “recycled,” moving from a style of religion that was found to be unsatisfying to one that is both personally fulfilling and authentically Catholic. In a series of six non-judgmental, open yet focused discussions, Fr. Kevin Madigan will help participants reflect on their lived experience of Catholicism, its positive and negative aspects, in the hope of discovering possible directions for the future. The general approach could be described as a “therapy of the imagination,” an attempt to discover how familiar doctrines, metaphors, and images might be mined for new insights and meaning.
The series will take place in two locations: St. Thomas More Rectory, 65 East 89
th St., on Wednesday evenings, beginning January 6
th, at 7:00 p.m., and Blessed Sacrament Rectory, 152 West 71
st St., on Thursday evenings, beginning January 7
th, at 7:00 p.m. To register, please call 212-876-7718. There is no charge and refreshments will be served. The topics for discussion:
1/27, 1/28 The Church, who needs it anyway?
2/3, 2/4 I would describe myself as “spiritual, but not religious.”
2/10, 2/11 Fast-food Catholicism may be dangerous to your health.
34th ANNUAL PAX CHRISTI NY WAY OF THE CROSS Join several hundred people in one of the largest public Christian peace witnesses in New York City. For over thirty years Pax Christi Metro New York has walked The Good Friday Way of the Cross as a modern-day enactment of the Stations of the Cross, praying for peace and justice on the streets of our city. Pope Francis has declared 2016 as the year of Mercy, join with us as we reflect on Living Lives of Mercy with Care and Compassion.
The Walk will take place from 8:30am to 12:00 noon on Good Friday, March 25th.
We begin at Dag Hammarskjold Plaza (47th and First Avenue) and proceed along 42nd street between Eight and Ninth Avenues.
PLEASE WEAR OR CARRY A CROSS.
For further information about our work, please contact us at 371 Sixth Ave., New York, NY, 10014; 212-420-0250;
[email protected] or
www.nypaxchristi.org
Forum on Human Trafficking: Analysis and Action Plan
“Human Trafficking is a scourge upon the body of Christ.”
– Pope Francis
Join members of Holy Trinity Parish for a forum discussion on human trafficking in the sex and agricultural industries as evidenced on local and international levels. The event will take place on February 2nd and will focus on the systems leading to trafficking with particular emphasis on what individuals and corporations can do legislatively and personally to combat the problem. The evening will end with a short small-group session on developing an action plan involving interested attendees.
Where: Holy Trinity Catholic Church Murphy Canter
213 West 82
nd Street 10024
Time: 7pm – 9pm - Date: Tuesday, February 2
nd, 2016
RSVP: Friday, January 29,
[email protected]
Cost: free/ good will offering
ABC's of Catholic Relief Services This week - CRS & Farmers: Cell phones help poor African farmers track local commodity prices. That’s just a start. CRS in many African countries uses cell phone technology to help CRS and government agents improve business planning and market analysis. fast. A cell phone is often the first purchase after water is brought to a village. Last week - CRS/Egypt. Next week - CRS/Guatemala. For more info visit:
www.crs.org.
International Thomas Merton Society On Saturday, January 30th, the Corpus Christi Chapter of the
International Thomas Merton Society will close the Merton Centennial Year. Fr. Daniel Horan OFM will speak on “The Christ of Thomas Merton & Julian of Norwich”. Other speakers will discuss the women who shaped Merton’s thought and spirituality, especially Baroness Catherine de Hueck Doherty and Sister Therese Lentfoehr.
From 2:00 – 7:00pm. Mass will be celebrated at 5:00, followed by a Gala Reception. Corpus Christi Church 529 West 121st Street, NY 10027.
Free to Chapter members and students with ID.
Non-members $10. For information call 212-666-9350 or
Email:
[email protected].
Website: thomasmertonsociety-nyc.org
BLESSED SACRAMENT WOMEN’S GROUP We will celebrate the New Year Sunday, January 24th after 5:30 p.m. mass in the upstairs of the rectory. Wine and treats will be provided! We will play games and discuss the National Geographic piece on the importance of the Virgin Mary, as "The Most Powerful Woman on Earth.
TOURING TUESDAYS The best investment in your child’s future is in a Catholic School Today.
More than 98% of Catholic school grads pursue post-secondary education
Moral development and self-discipline are emphasized
Community servie is always part of the curriculum
More than 7500 scholarships are available for eligible students
February 2 & 23, March 8, April 12 from 9:00 – 11:00 am.
Reservations are required. To RSVP, call 646-794-2885 or visit
www.buildboldfutures.org