| | |  | SAINT AUGUSTINE - SAINT FRANCIS XAVIER ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH
Located in Brooklyn, New York, Park Slope | | | | | | Fifth Sunday of Easter April 28, 2024 |  | | From the Pastor | The Easter Celebration Continues!
We celebrate Jesus’ Resurrection for 50 days from Easter all the way to Pentecost Sunday on May 19, 2024. As I have been mentioning at Mass, these weeks have always been utilized by the Church to help us with our continued formation in the Catholic faith. Whether we have been baptized, and fully initiated recently, (by receiving Confirmation and Holy Communion) or we have been life-long Catholics, to be vibrant witnesses of Jesus triumph over sin and death requires us to be continually formed in our faith.
The Easter Season is made even more joyful by those seeking to live our faith as they prepare to baptize their children, seek to prepare their children to receive penance and First Holy Communion and those preparing for Confirmation as young people or as adults on Pentecost Sunday. In the same way, as a faith community we share the responsibility and privilege of preparing over 22, (yes, 22) couples to celebrate the Sacrament of Marriage over the next two years. The one common thread in all these works, is that the Sacraments are not an end unto themselves, but much more significantly, grace-filled opportunities for us to all continually live a vibrant, Christ-centered faith each and every day.
Please continue to pray for all those who are yet unaware of the necessity of our ongoing formation in faith, and for all who share in these important ministries of the Church in forming others. Faith Formation lays the groundwork for a future filled with an active, lived faith, as it ensures that our faith is not a thing of the past, but much more significantly something significant in the present and into our future.
Annual Catholic Appeal
Thank you to all those who have made one-time gifts and pledges to support the many works of the The 2024 Annual Catholic Appeal. Your support of the Annual Appeal, assists the daily work of the Catholic Church in Brooklyn and Queens in ways no one parish can accomplish alone by supporting the following ministries:
Catholic Youth Ministry Initiative, Catholic Charities, including food pantries and services for people in need; Hospital, College, and Prison Chaplains; Vocations Office; Catholic Migration Services; Office of Faith Formation; Bishop Mugavero Residence for infirmed clergy; and the Futures in Education Scholarship Foundation
For a more complete understanding of how your sacrifice and generous response will be utilized, please see www.CFBQ.org/ASAVideo We can all support the works of the Church in some way, please consider how you may do so, and help us to recognize our call to Communion, Participation and Mission.
May continued Easter joy fill your heart with peace and hope,
Fr. Frank Tumino
Pastor | |  |  | ANNUAL CATHOIC APPEAL 2024 | Welcome to the 2024 Annual Catholic Appeal: a journey of faith, unity, and purpose. This year, we are Called to Communion, Participation, and Mission – a powerful theme that encapsulates the essence of our shared commitment to make a meaningful impact.
Individually, none of us can fully address the needs of our diocese. However, when we come together, we have the power to accomplish remarkable things! The Annual Catholic Appeal offers us the chance to continue spreading Christ's love throughout Brooklyn and Queens, providing hope in the process.
This year, we urge you to become a beacon of light and hope for those facing challenges. Assume a leadership position by actively participating in the 2024 Annual Catholic Appeal, setting a model of Christian stewardship for others to follow. Acknowledge the abundance in our lives and demonstrate gratitude through dedicated support for the mission and initiatives of the diocese, as they work tirelessly to bring the Gospel to those in greatest need. If you choose to become a sustaining donor, opting for the "Recurring" option when pledging online, you will further advance the Church's mission. Your monthly commitment will automatically renew each year, offering convenience and efficiency, ensuring that more of your gift goes towards supporting the crucial ministries outlined on this webpage.
We appreciate your partnership in the Lord's work and invite you to join forces with your neighbors again in this year's Annual Catholic Appeal. Together, we can make a significant impact. |  |  |  | Thank you to those who have sacrificed to support the programs funded through the Annual Appeal. For more in depth information on the campaign, and who it assists, please see https://catholicfoundationbq.org/annual-catholic-appeal/
For those able to donate, pledge cards will be available at the entrances of the Church. Help us meet and exceed our assigned goal of $69,821, with a pledge payable until the end of the year or a one-time gift. | | | Join our Garden Committee | The Reflection Garden & Gardens at Saint Francis Xavier are in great need of garden volunteers to plant and take care of the garden. The gardeners each have a section of the Saint Francis Xavier garden that they care for. If you are interested please complete the volunteer form below. |  |  | | |  | | | SCRIPTURE READINGS FOR THE WEEK | Readings for the Week (April 29-May 5)
Monday: Acts 14:5-18; Jn 14:21-26 Tuesday: Acts 14:19-28; Jn 14:27-31a Wednesday: Acts 15:1-6; Jn 15:1-8 or Gn 1:26—2:3 or Col 3:14-15, 17, 23-24; Mt 13:54-58 Thursday: Acts 15:7-21; Jn 15:9-11 Friday: 1 Cor 15:1-8; Jn 14:6-14 Saturday: Acts 16:1-10; Jn 15:18-21 Sunday: Acts 10:25-26, 34-35, 44-48; 1 Jn 4:7-10; Jn 15:9-17
Daily readings and reflections can be found at https://bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading | | | MASS INTENTIONS | Saturday, April 27, 2024
5:00PM +Natalie Ferreri Veronese
+The people of Saint Augustine~ Saint Francis Xavier Parish
Sunday, April 28, 2024—Fifth Sunday of Easter
9:30am +James & Jeffrey Speicher
12:00pm +Nicholas Okibiya
+Helen McCann
Monday, April 29, 2024
9:00am +Helen Testa
Tuesday, April 30, 2024
9:00am +Florence Intrabartola
Wednesday, May 1, 2024
9:00am + For Vocations to Priesthood & Religious Life
Thursday, May 2, 2024
9:00am +The Protection of Unborn Children
| WEEKLY MEMORIALS | | The Bread and WineIn Memory of Cecelia Gilchriest
The Altar Candles In Thanksgiving of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
The Sanctuary Lamp In Thanksgiving of the Blessed Mother
Parishioners may request these memorials at either Saint Augustine or Saint Francis Xavier, for one week, in memory or in honor of a loved one. Intentions will be published in the weekly bulletin and on the email blast. Please contact the parish office to schedule. 718/638-1880 or email info@sasfx.org.
Checks can be mailed to our parish office 225 6th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11215. | IN OUR PRAYERS | May God strengthen and give peace to all of our sick parishioners, relatives and friends, especially for:
Annette Beckworth, Sarah Hawas, Neil Napolitan, Elscena M. Rickman, The Leger family, Mary Owens, Denise Keys, Jordan Louis, Suzanne Ramdial, Archento Anzil, James Leger, Bob Beaumont, Jenny Whetstine Hoffman, Sister Maryann Abrose, CSJ, Karen Intintoli, Josephine Oliga, Peter Sun Woo, Christine Grochocki Myrin, Flavia Langan, John Garone, Kenneth Leger, Edward McCrory, Marge Miller, Robert Schlegel, Daniel Joseph, David Harrison, Maritza Arroyo, Aida Cuin, Dasan Broadnax, Anne M. Thompson, Andrew Quinn, Angel Rosa, Luna Victoria Pena, John Hurtado, Estella Chan, Ann Gucwa, Joe Guzman, Dominick Votto, Sylvia Garland, Olga Matinsen, & those in Hospitals, Nursing Homes and Rehabilitation facilities.
And for all those who have entered eternal rest, May they rest in peace. | | Holy Hour - Eucharistic Adoration | Come and join us for Holy Hour at 6:30pm on the 1st Wednesday of each month.
May 1, 2024—Saint Francis Xavier
June 4, 2024—Saint Augustine
July 3, 2024—Saint Francis Xavier
August 14, 2024—Saint Augustine
September 4, 2024—Saint Francis Xavier
October 2, 2024—Saint Augustine
|  | | SECOND COLLECTIONS APRIL | Maintenance Fund donations: Can be added to any collection throughout the month.
Each week, our individual sacrifice is gathered during the collection at Mass. The first collection helps with the costs associated with the operation of Saint Augustine-Saint Francis Xavier. Second collections are usually to share our sacrifice with other announced needs extending our generosity.
April 7 2024: Maintenance Fund Donations April 28, 2024: Catholic Home Missions April 28, 2024: Mother’s Day Mass Remembrance
Thank you for your generosity with the maintenance fund collections and all other collections throughout the month. We appreciate your continued support. | | | Mother’s Day Mass Remembrance
As our nation honors the contribution & sacrifice of those who love us with a Mother’s generous love, we invite all to remember our mothers, grandmothers, godmothers—indeed all who love us with Masses for all mother’s May 13-16th. Please enter the name(s) in the box above.
All envelopes and donations must be turned in no later than May 4/5, 2024. | |
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| | Mother’s Day Mass Remembrance
As our nation honors the contribution & sacrifice of those who love us with a Mother’s generous love, we invite all to remember our mothers, grandmothers, godmothers—indeed all who love us with Masses for all mother’s May 13-16th. Please enter the name(s) in the box above.
All envelopes and donations must be turned in no later than May 4/5, 2024. | |
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| | | Catholic Home Missions AppealThe Appeal primarily supports home mission dioceses, that is, those dioceses in the United States that are unable to offer their people the basic pastoral ministries of word, worship, and service without outside help. It may also give grants to other dioceses in the U.S. for particular projects, and to organizations and religious communities engaged in missionary work.
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| | Catholic Home Missions AppealThe Appeal primarily supports home mission dioceses, that is, those dioceses in the United States that are unable to offer their people the basic pastoral ministries of word, worship, and service without outside help. It may also give grants to other dioceses in the U.S. for particular projects, and to organizations and religious communities engaged in missionary work.
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| | | Maintenance fundThis collection helps Saint Francis Xavier parish meet the high cost of maintaining a comfortable and safe environment for prayer at Mass and in the parish buildings.
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| | Maintenance fundThis collection helps Saint Augustine parish meet the high cost of maintaining a comfortable and safe environment for prayer at Mass and in the parish buildings.
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| Maintenance fund: This collection helps Saint Augustine-Saint Francis Xavier parish meet the high cost of maintaining a comfortable and safe environment for prayer at Mass and in the parish buildings. *These envelopes can be put in any collection during the month. | |  | | What is a Mass Intention/Memorial Intention? | When a priest celebrates Mass each day, he offers each celebration of the Eucharist for a particular person, or intention. By doing so he applies special graces from God upon that person or intention.
Similar to how we are able to intercede for others by our personal prayers, the Church is able to intercede for us through the celebration of the Mass. However, since the Eucharist is the “source and summit of the Christian life” the Mass possess a power that our personal prayers do not.
The practice of offering Mass for particular intentions is an ancient one, dating back to the early Church. | The 2024 Mass book for Saint Augustine –Saint Francis Xavier is open for Mass Intentions and Memorials.
The dates are scheduled on a first come basis. Saturdays and Sundays will continue to list several intentions, while we will limit weekday masses with only one name, to the best of our ability.
Due to construction the office is closed to outside visitors, therefore you can either place the payment and a list of desired mass intentions or memorials in an envelope. Put Attn: Mona on the envelope. Place envelope in collections on the weekend. Email info@sasfx.org Subject line “Mass Intentions or Memorials” and pay online. Once I confirm the dates I will send you the link to pay online. Mass cards for your intentions are available by calling the office and setting a time to come and pick them up.
We will do our best to accommodate your requests. Please understand that we may have to schedule other dates if the date that you want is not available. We will call you to discuss if this happens. | | JOIN ONE OF OUR BOOK CLUBS | | BROWNSTONE BROOKLYN & BEYOND
Genesis by Marilynne Robinson
The Brooklyn Brownstone and Beyond Book Group meets on Thursday evenings from 7-8PM via Zoom. We meet weekly and focus our discussion on about 40 pages of text each week.
Our next selection is Reading Genesis by Marilynne Robinson. From the publisher’s website: “One of our greatest novelists and thinkers presents a radiant, thrilling interpretation of the book of Genesis. … Reading Genesis, which includes the full text of the King James Version of the book, is a powerful consideration of the profound meanings and promise of God’s enduring covenant with humanity. This magisterial book radiates gratitude for the constancy and benevolence of God’s abiding faith in Creation.” We will begin our discussion of this book on Thursday, April 4. The link to join in the discussion is: stcharlesbklyn.org/zoom (The meeting ID is: 849 0802 1688 and the password is: 1584). Please join us!
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| | SASFX BOOK CLUB
Women Talking, a novel by Miriam Toews.
Please join us on Sunday, May 19th at 10:45 am (right after the 9:30 Mass) to discuss our next selection, Women Talking, a novel by Miriam Toews. We will meet at the St. Francis Xavier Faith Formation office, accessible through the church. (Please go through the chapel, sacristy, and passageway to the office.)
"Scorching . . . a wry, freewheeling novel of ideas that touches on the nature of evil, questions of free will, collective responsibility, cultural determinism, and, above all, forgiveness." -New York Times Book Review, Editors' Choice
Made into a critically acclaimed and Oscar-winning movie, Women Talking is based on real-life events in which women and girls in a Mennonite community were abused and violated by several men. Most of the novel focuses on the women meeting together to decide whether they will stay in their community or leave.
Please email or text me at 917-753-2500 for questions or further information about our book selections or our group.
Looking forward to seeing you next month! Enjoy the spring weather.
Ellen |
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| | | | Brooklyn Bible Explorers
We are starting another session of Bible study next Sunday, January 28. Fr. Bill Smith will join us to present an overview of the Gospel of Mark, which we will hear in church this year. The discussion in the following weeks will be guided by Angels in the Bible, which is available from Little Rock Scripture Study. Join us on Sundays at 5 PM via Zoom (stcharlesbklyn.org/zoom or Meeting ID 849 0802 1688 followed by password 1584) starting on January 28 |
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| |  | |  | | "The breath of the Almighty gives me life." - Job 33:4
The only way we are able to live a life of faith, a life full of love, peace, joy, and power is by the Holy Spirit. We see this most clearly in the lives of the Apostles. They had every advantage in being with Jesus and hearing him preach and seeing the many miracles that he had done, and yet, even with that advantage, they were frightened men living their faith life in a locked room before they received the Holy Spirit. What took place in the upper room changed the lives of these men and women and would change the course of human history. This experience of the Holy Spirit is an encounter available to everyone; it is not reserved for a select few. Pentecost and the transforming power of the Holy Spirit is the theme of this segment.
| | | | St. Vincent dePaul |  |  | To make a donation please click the link below. | |
| The work of the St. Vincent de Paul Society is the Gospel message in action: I was hungry, I was thirsty, I was a stranger, I was naked, I was sick - and you cared. Our St Vincent de Paul ministry here at Saint Augustine-Saint Francis Xavier has been ongoing at Saint Francis Xavier since 1892. Over those many years, parishioners have responded to the needs of the poor in our community through two World Wars, the Spanish Flu epidemic, and the Great Depression. We have helped people with issues such as paying rent, finding an apartment, dealing with legal matters, completing applications for assistance, assisting with funeral costs, and assisting with holiday gifts through the annual Christmas Giving Tree. The distribution of food to those who need it is probably the most visible function to parishioners, as they generously provide donations for the pantry. The people who come to us know that their needs and requests will be kept confidential. Please contact us if you need help or have questions. svdp@sasfx.org
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| |  | |  | BECOMING CATHOLIC — OCIA (FORMERLY RCIA) ORDER OF CHRISTIAN INITIATION OF ADULTS
The Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA) is the process for adults who desire to join the Catholic faith and for those seeking more information on the Catholic Church. OCIA can also be a method for Catholics to complete their reception of the initiation sacraments.
WHO IS OCIA FOR? Non-Catholics who want to find out more about the Catholic Faith Those who want to join the Catholic Church through Baptism, or Profession of Faith Those who were baptized Catholic as infants but never received religious education, Confirmation, or First Eucharist.
Registration for Adult Faith Formation (OCIA) is always open. Please contact Ms. Parra at 718-857-2903. | | SAINT AUGUSTINE CHURCH TOURS | Do you have family visiting? Curious about this beautiful church in Park Slope? No appointment needed. Just show up!
Saint Augustine Roman Catholic Church Tours are available each Saturday at 3:00pm! It is so important for us to have the support of our community. Please share this with your family and friends.
Beautiful Historic Gothic Revival Church was built in 1888. For more information about our parish visit our website at sasfx.org. |  | | | DIOCESAN NEWS | | | | | | | The Sacrament of Holy Matrimony | | | | | DIOCESE OF BROOKLYN |  |  | |  | The Eucharist is the heart of the Church. Where Eucharistic life flourishes, there the life of the Church will blossom. St. John Paul II | | | | SISTERS OF SAINT JOSEPH |  | | |  | | Here’s how to get more involved in the parish! | | Can you crochet or knit?
Members of our Prayer Shawl Ministry knit/crochet shawls, lap blankets, and baptismal shawls, and pray for the person who will be the recipient. Prayer shawls can be given for all occasions: birthdays, holidays, as a comfort after a loss or in times of stress, or while undergoing medical treatment. Members can work at home and/or join other members at a monthly meeting. Currently we work at home, but we will soon be offering a monthly Zoom meeting until in person is safer to do. Please note: The ministry can provide knitting needles, crochet hooks, yarn, and patterns for anyone who would like to participate.
For more information you can email Marge at: prayershawls@sasfx.org
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| | MAILING ADDRESS | Although the consolidation to one Parish is still not complete —it is critical to continue the mission of these historic Catholic Parishes in Park Slope. Parish Office Address The Parish Office for Saint Augustine~Saint Francis Xavier is located at 225 6th Avenue, Brooklyn, New York. Since there are no longer two staffed offices, please do not leave envelopes, offerings or donations of any kind at Saint Augustine Rectory. Weekly Offering While we rely on the generous weekly sacrifice of those who call Saint Augustine~Saint Francis Xavier their spiritual home, please remember that until the consolidation into one parish is complete, donations in check form, as well as online, need to be made to either Saint Augustine or Saint Francis Xavier Church. Diocesan Collections In order to facilitate the transfer of funds collected in the 2nd collection for various collections of the U.S. Bishops or the Diocese of Brooklyn—those using checks are reminded to make the check payable to Saint Augustine OR Saint Francis NOT the collection taken (as in The Bishop’s Overseas Aid Appeal). Thank you for your patience while we work out all of the details of building maintenance and repairing damage to our buildings.
| |  | | Catholic Mass Times for Travel
Will you and your family be traveling? Don’t miss mass. Click on the link below and enter your location to find a mass while you are on vacation.
Please visit masstimes.org to find local and international mass times when you are away from home. Phone app is also available. |  | | | |
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