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Pastor Rev. Frank C. Tumino

Pastoral Associate/Director of Faith Formation Ms. Natalia Parra

Director of Music Ministry Dr. Michael Kaminski

Parish Secretary Mrs. Mona Tramonte

Parish Office 225 6th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11215

Phone: 718-638-1880 Email: Info@sasfx.org Website: sasfx.org

Office Hours: Monday–Friday 9:30AM-4:30PM

Parish office temporarily closed to outside visitors due to major construction.

Mass Schedule
Weekly Mass Readings
Join the Parish

Third Sunday of Lent

March 12, 2023

From the Pastor

2023 Annual Catholic Appeal

As most are aware, the season of Lent is an opportunity for us to deepen our knowledge and love of God through the practices of prayer, fasting and sacrifice, and works of charity. Running concurrently with Lent is the 2023 Annual Catholic Appeal which supports the various ministries of the Diocese of Brooklyn. It has long been recognized that some of the sacrifices we are called to make might help others through an ongoing gift to the Annual Appeal. The theme of the Campaign this year is that we are “United in Communion and United in Charity.” Included in the bulletin and online in the weeks to come, will be a more in-depth presentation of the variety of ways our charity can help unite us to the Diocesan goal of providing a variety of services to those in need. For more complete information on the Annual Catholic Appeal and who it serves, please see: https://catholicfoundationbq.org/annual-catholic-appeal/.

Saint Augustine-Saint Francis Xavier is currently responsible for meeting our 2023 assigned goal of $69,821. As a Parish responsibility, anything under goal is met from limited parish resources. Anything over goal comes back to Saint Augustine~Saint Francis Xavier. As I noted last weekend, I am grateful to all those who consider the leadership gifts of $1,000 or greater requested in the first mailing. Please do not be discouraged by the large numbers requested, but instead prayerfully consider your participation at any level.

Although the plan for this fund raiser is to first contact those who have been generous in the past by mail followed by an in Church, in pew, request, my hope would be to try to meet as much of our goal as possible without sacrificing a homily or time together during our prayer at Mass. Please consider helping us meet the goal requested of Saint Augustine~Saint Francis Xavier.

Confession/Penance/Reconciliation

Last weekend, an examination of conscience and order for how to go to confession were provided to assist us in celebrating this sacrament of God’s mercy and forgiveness. Celebrating this important sacrament is meant to assist us with living a holy life, as we seek repentance and transformation by God’s grace. This sacrament is known by a variety of names which essentially describe different aspects of the same reality.

  • “Confession” is not an official Church name for the Sacrament, but speaks of the action that is required for absolution of our sins.

  • “Penance” helps to describe the sorrow we should have for sin and the action that seeks to repair the relationship that has been wounded by our actions or inaction.

  • “Reconciliation” places an emphasis on the outcome of the Sacrament which reunites us to God and the Church.

As all our sins are never just between God and us, the rationalization of some that we can “just speak to God” fails to recognize the community aspect of not doing as we are called to in baptism. Please prayerfully consider the grace that is offered us in the Sacrament and consider a worthy reception during Lent or in the Easter Season. Ideally, as those living examined lives as intentional disciples of Jesus, the need for grace is not an option as it gives us the opportunity to reconcile with God and our brothers and sisters.

First Penance

In a special way, please pray for those children in faith formation who celebrated the Sacrament of Penance for the first time these past weekends. May a prayerful experience encourage them & their families to live examined lives aware of God’s mercy and forgiveness.

Fr. Frank C. Tumino

Pastor

Stations of the Cross

Join us For Stations of the Cross during Lent. We pray with “The Way of the Cross” by St. Alphonsus Liguori

Stations of the Cross Each Saturday after 5:00pm Mass at Saint Francis Xavier

225 6th Avenue - Brooklyn, NY

Eucharistic Adoration

What is Eucharistic Adoration?

When Catholics say they are “going to Adoration,” they are typically referring to Eucharistic Adoration. Which, in the most basic terms, is the worship of the Eucharist outside of the Mass. The Eucharistic Host is displayed in a monstrance on the altar so that all can see and pray in the presence of Christ.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us that, “Adoration is the first attitude of man acknowledging that he is a creature before his Creator. It exalts the greatness of the Lord who made us and the almighty power of the Savior who sets us free from evil. Adoration is homage of the spirit to the “King of Glory,” respectful silence in the presence of the “ever greater” God. Adoration of the thrice-holy and sovereign God of love blends with humility and gives assurance to our supplications.” (CCC 2628)

We can show our adoration to God in many ways, but in Eucharistic Adoration, we spend time adoring the true presence of Christ in the Eucharist.

Eucharistic Adoration Pilgrimage

Join us for the 2023 Diocesan Lenten Pilgrimage February 22 to April 9

The pilgrimage will visit 42 churches throughout Brooklyn and Queens for a celebration of the gift of the Holy Eucharist.

Every day (excluding Sundays) a different parish will host Eucharistic Adoration for all the faithful of our diocese.

Journey with hundreds of Catholics and experience the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist.

For complete details an a list of participating churches, visit by clicking the link below.

2023 Diocesan Lenten Pilgrimage

Lent 2023

Lent began on Ash Wednesday, February 22nd, and there are many resources available to enrich your experience this year. Here are a few:

Sign up for daily email reflections in the Best Lent Ever series available for free at dynamiccatholic.com.

Creighton University's Online Ministries website offers daily prayers, Lenten audio retreats, various reflections and essays, and archival messages from Pope Francis. Go to onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Lent/

Living Lent Daily is an email series of reflections based on Bible verses from Loyola Press's 3-Minute Retreats. Sign up at loyolapress.com under "Lent."

The Sisters of St. Joseph website provides daily reflections. Go to brentwoodcsj.org and go to Ministry Areas>Spirituality to find them. And be sure and check out their Spirit Alive Institute, an ongoing webinar symposium series to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Vatican Council, available on Zoom. The next webinar is "Being the Church in the World: Joys and Griefs, Then and Now," on Feb 15. To register for $10, go to brentwoodcsj.org/spirit-alive-institute/

Fearless: A 7-Week Lenten Video Series is available for free beginning on Feb. 22nd when you sign up as a parishioner at formed.org

The FORMED team walks through all that is available on FORMED throughout the holy season of Lent.

Register for your free account

1. Go to FORMED.org/signup

2. Enter 11215

3. Enter your name and email

FORMED Daily Reflections

Sign up at FORMED Daily to receive these daily reflections directly to your inbox.
Start your day off right. Be inspired and renewed each morning with a short video from Dr. Tim Gray.

https://watch.formed.org/formed-daily-reflections

Mentioned in this video:

- Whole 40: Making a Spiritual Plan for Lent
- The Art of Living
- A Sign of Contradiction: On Retreat with Karol Wojtyla
- Holy Week Bible Conference
- Triduum: A Spiritual Pilgrimage
- St. John Henry Newman: Excerpts from The Tears of Christ
- Lent with Brother Francis
- FORMED Daily Reflections
- The Shroud of Turin
- Glimpses Along the Way
- Brother Francis: The Stations of the Cross
- My Beloved Son: Meditations for Lent by Bishop Robert Barron
- Living Lent As a Family

Second Collections for March

3/12: Easter Mass Remembrance

3/19: Catholic Relief Services

3/26: Easter Flowers

When paying online for a mass remembrance, please add the name of the deceased in the Name box that you would like to have the mass remembrance for.

Those need of donation envelopes please call or email the parish office @ 718.638.1880.

Donations can also be made online by going to sasfx.org/giving or clicking on the links below.

Thank you so much for your generous donations!

To remember our loved ones at Easter, envelopes are available for the Masses celebrated each day in the First Week of Easter. The names of your loved ones will be placed at the Altar of Saint Joseph in Both Saint Augustine and Saint Francis Xavier where we can remember our family living and experiencing Easter Joy in Heaven!

Envelopes can be found as you enter church or donations can be made online.

Easter Mass Remembrance Saint Francis Xavier
Easter Mass Remembrance Saint Augustine

Donations made for Easter Flowers will help decorate the Churches of Saint Augustine—Saint Francis Xavier with beautiful flowers and plants for Easter.

Donate to Easter Flowers Saint Francis Xavier
Donate to Easter Flowers Saint Augustine

SUNDAY’S READINGS

First Reading: “Strike the rock, and the water will flow from it for the people to drink.” Exodus 17:3-7

Responsorial Psalm: ““If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.” Psalm 95

Second Reading: “And hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” Romans 5:1-2, 5-8

Gospel: “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again; but whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst; the water I shall give will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” John 4:5-42

Scripture Readings for the Week

Weekly readings 3/13-3/19

Monday: 2 Kgs 5:1-15ab; Lk 4:24-30

Tuesday: Dn 3:25, 34-43; Mt 18:21-35

Wednesday: Dt 4:1, 5-9; Mt 5:17-19

Thursday: Jer 7:23-28; Lk 11:14-23

Friday: Hos 14:2-10; Mk 12:28-34

Saturday: Hos 6:1-6; k 18:9-14

Sunday: 1 Sm 16:1b, 6-7, 10-13a; Eph 5:8-14; Jn 9:1-41 or 9:1, 6-9, 13-17, 34-38


Daily readings and reflections can be found at https://bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading

ST. VINCENT DE PAUL

LIBRARY BOOK GIVE AWAY

Free Religious books are in the Vestibule of Saint Francis Xavier! Feel free to take the books that are in the bin that says “Free Books”. Thank you to all who have donated books in the past.

Reminder: Please sign out all books that you borrow from the Library and return them in a timely manner.

SAVE THE DATE FOR CLEAN UP DAY

WE NEED YOUR HELP!

Come and help us clean and the church and get it ready for Easter! Please sign up or call the office to let us know that you will be helping. 718.638.1880

You may notice some things have already been moved around and picked up in the vestibule in an attempt to make the church more welcoming and organized. Our staff has been working diligently to organize the vestibule and clean the statues.

We ask that you no longer put tape on any wood or marble surfaces. This has caused damage to the marble. We are hoping that we are able to clean this up on clean up day.

Our goal is to be a welcoming and hospitable parish. We want to encourage all to visit our website and social media pages.

Sign up for cleanup at Saint Augustine
Sign up for cleanup at Saint Francis Xavier

Mass Intentions

Week of 3/11/2023 through 3/16/2023

Saturday, March 11, 2023

5pm Aloyse Schmit, Nettie DiCupillo, John Morlano, Dolores Goble

Sunday, March 12, 2023

9:30am The Hernandez family, Nena Dulangon, The People of Saint Augustine~Saint Francis Xavier Parish

12pm Souls who have no one to pray for them, The people of Haiti and for St. Andre Parish Dufort, Haiti

Monday, March 13, 2023

9am Adele and John Biolsi

Tuesday, March 14, 2023

9am Carmela Taranto

Wednesday, March 15, 2023

9am Margaret Sutton

Thursday, March 16, 2023

9am Janusz Kliglich

2023 Mass Intentions are Available

The 2023 Mass Book is open to schedule daily Mass Intentions. The offering for a Mass intention at Saint Augustine and/or Saint Francis Xavier is $15. Call the parish office to schedule mass intentions for your loved ones or for a special intention.

In Our Prayers

May God strengthen and give peace to all of our sick parishioners, relatives and friends, especially for:

Peter Sun Woo, Silbert Hinds, Raymond Bouchard, Trinidad Siara, Christine Grochocki Myrin, Flavia Langan, John Garone, Kenneth Leger, Edward McCrory, Marge Miller, Robert Schlegel, Daniel Joseph, Matt Speicher, David Harrison, Maritza Arroyo, Aida Cuin, Kris Suares, Dasan Broadnax, Anne M. Thompson, Andrew Quinn, Angel Rosa, Luna Victoria Pena, John Hurtado, Jose Pagan, Estella Chan, Ann Gucwa, Joe Guzman, Sylva Svajian-Yahiayan, Samuel Wiener, Dominick Votto, Sylvia Garland, Conor Skelding, Olga Matinsen, Helen McCann & those in Hospitals, Nursing Homes and Rehabilitation facilities.

And for all those who have entered eternal rest, especially Pope-emeritus Benedict XVI.

Weekly Memorials

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.

  • Bread and Wine Offering $25 Loved ones can be remembered weekly with the bread and wine consecrated at Mass.

  • Altar Candles $20 The Altar Candles also serve as a reminder of Christ our light and of our call to pray to God without ceasing.

  • Sanctuary Lamp Offering $20 The Candle above the Tabernacle reminds us of Jesus’ constant presence in the Eucharist.

  • Daily Mass - The offering for Mass intentions at Saint Augustine and/or Saint Francis Xavier is $15.

PARISH INFORMATION

Reflection Garden - Saint Francis Xavier

We want to welcome you to our "Reflection Garden" between Saint Francis Xavier Church and the parish office. Please keep in mind that for your child's safety, you must accompany them at all times. While we are in the midst of construction our staff is still working diligently to achieve our weekly goals. The main goal for this garden is quiet reflection. Please keep this in mind when you visit. As our office window is right next to the garden, please keep in mind that your cell phone conversations are not private.

We apologize but will have to ask that cell phone use be prohibited in this space.

Please limit bringing classes to this garden. You must contact the parish office if you are planning on visiting the garden with your students so we can set up a time that is appropriate. We ask that you walk through in a very quiet manner as there are others praying in the Reflection Garden.

Please for the safety of the children, do not let them climb the trees or walk in the flower beds.

Construction at the Church Parish Office

3-10-2023

As with all construction projects, you don’t know the extent of the damage caused by termites until floors are removed. As you can clearly see in the waiting area and the front room area, it seems as though this is where the major damages occurred. We are working diligently to make this space not only beautiful, but also safe for many to enjoy! The wooden beams beneath the flooring is just crumbling. Beams are being removed and replaced, then the subfloor and new flooring will be laid.

Please pray for continued patience and success of this particular mission. We want to welcome you all back to a safe space where we could all gather and continue the mission of this parish. We can’t wait to have our very first event here when it is all said and done!

Thank you to our wonderful staff and parishioners for trusting us during this project. Thank you to Fr. Frank Tumino for putting so much effort into creating a space for future generations. We have no doubt that it will be beautiful and very functional.

May God be our guide and may He grant us all the patience needed during this progress.

***Please note: Due to the nature of the ongoing construction, we cannot allow parishioners inside of the Parish Office at this time. The front entrance area is inaccessible. If you have any needs or questions please call the office.

The tiles have been carefully removed one by one. We are going to do our best to salvage the tiles that were in the parlor area.

SASFX Book Club

Please join us on Sunday, March 26th at 10:45 am (right after the 9:30 Mass) to talk about our next selection, Lent in Plain Sight: A Devotion Through Ten Objects, by Jill Duffield. We will meet in the Faith Formation office (enter the St. Francis garden by the gate and take the path to the first door on the left, then ring the bell). You can also join us via Google Meet--that link will be sent out a couple of days before our meeting. You do not need a gmail account to participate.

Looking forward to seeing you!

Available Book Clubs

BROOKLYN BROWNSTONE

&

BEYOND BOOK CLUB

The Brooklyn Brownstone and Beyond Book Group meets on Thursday evenings from 7-8PM via Zoom. Our current selection is The Case for God, by Karen Armstrong. The link to join in the discussion is: stcharlesbklyn.org/zoom (The meeting ID is: 849 0802 1688 and the password is: 1584). Please feel free to join us!

BROOKLYN BROWNSTONE

&

BEYOND BIBLE STUDY

The Psalms

We are currently working on the Psalms using Psalms I—Study Set by Little Rock Scripture Study. The course will focus on hymns, psalms of trust, and wisdom psalms. We have two meetings remaining in this series – February 26 and March 5. Please feel free to join us! We meet on Sundays at 5 PM on Zoom. The book can be purchased here. The link to join is: stcharlesbklyn.org/zoom (The meeting ID is: 849 0802 1688 and the password is: 1584).

Diocese of Brooklyn

What is Eucharistic Revival?

Save The Date

Faith & the City

The Rev and the Rabbi Live at the Sheen Center: Conversations About Faith & the City and Faith & Celebrity.

Fri. Feb 24 11 am. Mayor Eric Adams talks about his faith journey. Free. For info call 212-219-3132

Taking a Chance on God film screening.

Mon Feb 27 at 7 pm at Fordham University Lincoln Center. Documentary about pioneer priest John McNeil and his work with LGBT Catholic group Dignity, his ministry during the AIDS crisis, and friendship with peace activist Dan Berrigan. Followed by discussion with filmmaker Brendan Fay. Free.

Hearts Aflame: Lectio Divina (reading sacred scripture) for young adults ages 18-35. Beginning Feb 6, Tuesdays 8-8:30, recurring. To join, text 860-368-0826. Sponsored by Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Midday Retreat With the Mystics: the Hesychasts. Conference talk on the Hesychasts contemplative movement followed by guided meditations. Sat Feb 18 12-3 pm. Series about mystics takes place 3rd Saturday of the month. No RSVP required. St. Catherine of Siena church, 411 E. 68th St., NYC. 212-988-8300

St. Francis of Assisi adult education courses:

Catholicism 101. Weds Feb 8-Apr 12 (no class Feb 22 or Apr 5) 12:30-1:30 or 6:30-7:30 in person or by Zoom. $80

A Deeper Look at Catherine of Siena: Her Dialogue, Prayers, Spirituality, and Life. Sat. Mar 11 9 am-12 pm on Zoom. $30

Elizabeth of the Trinity: Her Life, Letters, and Spirituality. Sat. Mar 11 1-4 pm on Zoom. $30

Franciscan Short Stories, a 5-week series on the life and times of St. Francis Assisi. Sundays Feb 26-Apr 2 (no class Mar 5) 4-4:45 pm. Free

Great Music Inspired by the Old Testament. Tuesdays Feb 28-Apr 4 12-1:30 pm. $60

"I Shall Pour Out Water Upon the Parched Land": Second Isaiah as Story and Promise. Tuesdays Feb 28-Mar 28 12-1 pm on Zoom. $50

To register, go to https://stfrancisnyc.org/courses/

Catholic Pilgrimage to Fatima/Lourdes/ Santiago de Compostela and Barcelona

March 13 - 25, 2023 $4,299 per person and includes airfare, all sightseeing, daily Mass with breakfast and dinner daily. For a flyer or more detailed information please call Mike Milano at 1-800-773-2660.

Prayer Shawl Ministry

Members of the St. Augustine - St. Francis Xavier Prayer Shawl Ministry knit/crochet/quilt shawls, lap blankets, and baptismal shawls while praying for the person who will be the recipient. Prayer shawls can be given for all occasions: birthdays, holidays, as a comfort after a loss, in times of stress, or while undergoing medical treatment.

Currently we work at home, but we can offer an occasional Zoom or in person meeting. The Ministry can provide knitting needles, crochet hooks, yarn, and patterns to anyone who would like to participate.

For more information – or should you, or someone you know, be in need of one of our items - you can email Marge Danser at: prayershawls@sasfx.org

Donations to feed the hungry

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

To make a donation please follow the click the link below to donate.

Donate to St. Vincent de Paul

The Helping Hands Food Pantry

Volunteers Needed!

Donate to Helping Hands Food Pantry

How do I Go To Confession?

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.