SAINTS SIMON & JUDE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH Established 1897
185 Van Sicklen Street, Brooklyn, New York 11223
Telephone: (718) 375-9600 Fax: (718) 375-6642
E-mail: [email protected] / www.stssimonjude-brooklyn.org
Rev. John Maduri, Administrator Rev. Sijo George, CMI-Parochial Vicar & Rev. Gesson Agenis
Deacon Andrew Mastrangelo, Pastoral Minister/Business Manager
Ms. Sara Nespoli, Director of Faith Formation
SUNDAY MASSES : Saturday evening at 5:00pm
Sunday morning at 8:30am(Italian/English), 10:15am & 12:00pm
Misa en Espanol-1:30pm
WEEKDAY MASSES: Monday – Saturday at 9:00am
HOLYDAY MASSES: 7:30am, 9:00am, 7:30pm (Except Christmas and New Year’s Day)
WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE/ PARKING LOT
DEVOTIONS: Chaplet of The Divine Mercy: Monday after the 9 am Mass
Circulo de Oracion Carismatico en Espanol- Todos los Lunes de las
7pm a las 9pm en la parte baja de la iglesia. Para mas informacion,
favor de llamar a la Sra. Teodora Aquino 347-355-5715. Miraculous Medal Novena: Tuesday after the 9 am Mass
Rosario in Italiano ogni Mercoledi alle 7:30pm (Settembre– Giugno).
St. Jude Novena: Friday after the 9 am Mass
Holy Hour / Benediction: 8:00am-9:00am every Saturday
RECONCILIATION (Confession): Saturday: 4:00pm-4:30pm
Other times by appointment.
RECTORY OFFICE HOURS: Monday to Friday: 9:30 am -4:30 pm (CLOSED for lunch from 12pm-1pm) Sunday: 9:30am to 1:30 pm RECTORY/CHURCH STAFF: Bookkeeper / Bulletin Coordinator: Nicole Compagnone Parish Secretary: Antoinette Capobianco Maintenance and Custodians: Nelson Bobe and Eraldi Leka Cook and Housekeeper: Angelica Compagnone Sacristan: Lilian Acevedo Sunday Receptionist: Marie Gatto Youth Minister: Diego Araujo
PARISH REGISTRATION: We are happy to welcome all newcomers to our parish! Join our parish family by registering at the rectory during office hours. Current parishioners who change address, phone number or are moving away are asked to contact the rectory, so we can keep our files up to date.
BAPTISM: Congratulations on the birth of your child! Parish Baptisms are on the 3rd Saturday of each month at 12:00pm. Please call for an appointment to regis-ter and make arrangements for your child’s Baptism.
OFFICE OF FAITH FORMATION: To register for religion classes grades K through 8, children’s First Communion, or Confirmation, call 718-372-0733 in the rectory lower level.
Secretaries: Nina Varone and Nelly Yepez (para hablar en Espanol).
ADULT RELIGIOUS EDUCATION:
Teens over 14 and Adults who are interested in becoming a Catholic or who have been baptized Catholic but never received Holy Communion or Confirmation should be part of our RCIA program. Leave your name and phone number at the Office of Faith Formation for Sara Nespoli. Catholic Adults who have received Holy Communion and desire to receive Confirmation should also leave their name and phone number at the Office of Faith Formation for Sara Nespoli.
MARRIAGE: Plan to make your wedding both a JOYFUL and a HOLY event! Couples must call for an appointment at least 6 months prior to the planned wedding date and partici-pate in the parish and diocesan marriage preparation program.
ANOINTING OF THE SICK: We celebrate this sacrament of healing grace at the 9:00am Mass on the first Saturday of each month. Please join us at that Mass if you are ill. You may also call and arrange with a priest to receive this sacrament at other times.
PASTORAL CARE OF THE SICK: Please contact the rectory if you are home-bound, and would like to receive the Holy Eucharist on a regular basis.
MASS INTENTIONS
SATURDAY, MAY 25
5:00 FRANCESCO & GIUSEPPA SINAGRA
SUNDAY, MAY 26
8:30 UMBERTO, SUSIE & FRANCO BARTOLOMEO
10:15 PEOPLE OF THE PARISH, ORAZIO
CAMPANELLA, FRANCESCA & ROSARIA RINI,
MARIA DE LOS ANGELES CERVANTES
SANCHEZ, FRAN MATTERA, ANTONINO
DINIERI, ADELINE MINORE & STEVEN
MARKOULIS
12:00 YOLANDA GRIMALDI
1:30 IN THANKSGIVING
MONDAY, MAY 27: MEMORIAL DAY
9:00 IN HONOR OF ST. LUCY
TUESDAY, MAY 28
9:00 ANNE PISCITELLO
WEDNESDAY, MAY 29
9:00 IN HONOR OF OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE
THURSDAY, MAY 30:ASCENSION OF THE LORD
7:30 VINCENZA SCIBILIA
9:00 PHYLLIS, SALVATORE & GINO CANNIZZO &
MARIE & GILO CARNA
7:30 JOSEPH R. MARTUCCI
FRIDAY, MAY 31
9:00 IN HONOR OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION
SATURDAY, JUNE 1
9:00 PURGATORIAL/ANOINTING OF THE SICK MASS
5:00 SOCCORSA D’ANGELO,
ANGELICA & RALPH RIZZO
SUNDAY, JUNE 2
8:30 ALFONSO & CONCETTA CIOTOLA &
EMILIA & FRANK DE MARTINO
10:15 PEOPLE OF THE PARISH &
RONNIE SHAMMAS
12:00 ELENA CALABRESE
1:30 SPANISH MASS
IN OUR PRAYERS May the Holy Spirit bring healing comfort to all of our sick, especially:
Jeanine Ardizzone, Camille & Anthony Chiusano, Annette Puglisi, William
Tirelli, John Belezio, Denise Pizzullo, John Geraci, Antoinette Marino, Jean-
ina Caceres, Millie Piccarelli, John DzHon Vong, Gina Morselli, Mary Ann
Barry, Susan Fischetti, Dominic Nunziato, Linda Viscardi, Maria Sciarrino,
Mary Antico, Maria Selca Maher, Angelo D’Attoma, Joseph DiBella, Ella
Spina, Carmela Maccia, Rose Colombo, Theresa Pagani, Roza Camaj-Ivezaj,
Richard Bubello, Joseph Nucifora, Grayce Prestipino, Howard Passman,
Frank Apsel, Isabella DiNiso, Jeanne Turzilli, Larry Lembo, Gesterkent
Jaro, Antonino Curatolo, Robert Cusimano, Michael Fiore, Karen Giachetta,
Mary Jencsik, T. Guida, Richard & Gary Prestipino, Carol Marcinsky,
Pietro Grippo, John Paul Harris, Reid Moritz, Julia Bruzzese, Stephen
DiBella, Maria Piccarelli, Dorothy Vallone Iaconis, Jacinta Duenas-Ladd, Sal
D’Aquino, Josephine Gioia, Giada Cravelli, Frances Bowen, Evan Zitchic,
Rose Galia, Isabella Grace Colucci, Diane DiMonda, Sabrina Giangrande,
Leonard Currea, Eddie Stack, Mandy Crupi, Marie Filosa, Tara Horowitz,
Rosalie O’Hara, Monica Morales, Frank Gramegna, Joe Mastrianni,
Frances Mancuso, Carmela Guarnieri, Marie Gatto, Sal Lombardo,
Maria Marucci, Joe Kammer, Jeanette Gemma,Alicia Vicino
& Ninfa DeRossi
May God bring safely home all of our deceased family and friends:
Frances Benfante
WEEKLY MEMORIALS- MAY 26 - JUNE 1, 2019
THE GIFTS OF THE BREAD AND WINE ARE DONATED IN LOVING MEMORY
FRAN MATTERA
REQUESTED BY: MR. & MRS. ANTONIO PARRELLA
THE TABERNACLE CANDLE IS DONATED IN LOVING MEMORY OF
ANTOINETTE CORDI
REQUESTED BY: MARY ISOLDI
THE ALTAR CANDLES
SPECIAL BLESSINGS & PRAYERS FOR THE HEALTH OF
NADINE MORGENBESSER
REQUESTED BY: NIECE & NEPHEW
STS. SIMON & JUDE PURGATORIAL SOCIETY The Purgatorial Society of Sts. Simon & Jude parish for the month of
May includes the following members who were enrolled last month:
Cesar Muscatella, Rose Zembovictz, Vincenza Scibilia, Janine Liegi
& Salvatore Moscola
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Dear Parishioners:
As I informed you back in the Winter when I announced the
merger of Most Precious Blood and Sts. Simon & Jude parishes
into one parish that there would be a change in the Mass sched-
ule as well as a reduction in the number of Masses. The changes
also require the staggering of Mass hours so that the three priests
of the parish can be available to both churches. The following
new schedule takes effect the first weekend of July 2019:
MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD:
Saturday 4:00pm in English
Sunday 8:30am in English
Sunday 10:30am in Spanish
Sunday 12:00pm in English
Sunday 1:30pm in Chinese
(The Spanish Mass on Saturday evening is eliminated.)
STS. SIMON & JUDE:
Saturday 5:15pm in English
Sunday 9:30am in English and Italian*
Sunday 11:00am in English
Sunday 12:30pm in Spanish *Several parishioners have raised the question as to whether or
not the first Mass on Sunday should be bilingual or all English.
It will stay bilingual into September and at that point the com-
munity at that Mass will vote to keep it bilingual English and
Italian or go to all English. That will be the congregation’s deci-
sion, not mine.
With a combined weekend Mass population of 1500 people and
four languages I am well aware that it is impossible to satisfy
everyone. I ask your cooperation and ask you to look at the lar-
ger needs of the parish and not personal convenience. The Mass
book will open at both churches in late June with the sched-
ule ready to accept intentions at that time.
Please note that Saturday Confession time stays the same at Sts.
Simon & Jude but will be heard at Most Precious Blood during
the Saturday morning Holy Hour between 8:30am and 9:30am.
Parishioners of both churches are always able to celebrate the
sacrament of Confession at other times by making an appoint-
ment with one of the priests. The weekday Mass schedule re-
mains the same at both churches.
Sincerely in Christ,
Fr. John Maduri
ASCENSION OF OUR LORD Forty days after Jesus resurrected from the dead he ascended into
heaven. The Ascension of the Lord celebrates the day that Christ ,
in the presence of the Apostles, ascended bodily into eternal
glory. Ascension Thursday is this Thursday, May 30th and is a
holy day of obligation to attend Mass. Masses will be at 7:30am,
9am & 7:30pm.
SPANISH BIBLE STUDY El padre Gesson va a ofrecer una clase biblica in Spanish todos
los Martes. La clase está abierta a cualquier feligrés de la parro-
quia de San Simón y Judas
Dia: Martes
Primera clase: Martes 14 de Mayo del 2019
Hora: 7:00pm-9:00pm
Lugar: 185 Van Sicklen Street, Brooklyn, NY 11223
en la iglesia baja Nota Bene/ Las fechas estan sujetas a cambio
CALENDAR REQUESTS Dear Parishioners and Ministry Leaders, in preparation of the
merger between Sts. Simon & Jude and Most Precious Blood
Parishes, we in the office, are trying to prepare in advance our
parish calendar. For those of you who would like to sponsor an
event or meeting and would like to use our lower Church or
meeting room from September 2019-August 2020 are asked to
please drop off your calendar requests to the rectory office as
soon as you can so we can get started on our calendar planning.
Thank you.
ANNUAL CUSIMANO & RUSSO
MEMORIAL MASS On behalf of Cusimano & Russo Funeral Home, we invite you,
your family and friends to join us for a special Memorial Mass in
remembrance of all our loved ones who were buried from Cusi-
mano & Russo Funeral Home this past year. This annual Mass
will take place at Sts. Simon & Jude Church on Saturday, June
1st at 9:00am. Please join us after Mass for some refreshments in
the lower church.
BIG BAND PARTY AT SSJ Save the date for a Big Band Party at Sts. Simon & Jude on Sun-
day, June 2nd from 2:00pm-5:00pm in the lower Church hall.
Please note that doors will open at 1:00pm. We will enjoy the
sounds of “MAS Swing” a 15 piece big band performing music
and songs from the Great American Songbook. Music will in-
clude renditions of Frank Sinatra, Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman
& Tommy Dorsey. Tickets are $40 per person and includes a deli-
cious hot buffet. Tickets will be available after all weekend
Masses and at the Golden Age Club on Wednesday from 12pm-
3pm. For more information call the rectory at 718-375-9600.
ROSARY FOR LIFE DAY OF RETREAT Rosary for Life Inc. is sponsoring a Day of Retreat on Saturday,
June 15th at Resurrection Church. Rev. Monsignor Andrew Vac-
cari will lead us in the day as the Retreat Presenter. The day will
begin at 8:30am with Mass and Morning Prayer followed by Reg-
istration and a light breakfast in the Auditorium. Part I of the re-
treat will begin at 10am, the rosary will be prayed at 11:30 and
then a break for lunch at 12noon. Part II will be at 1pm, Holy
Hour at 2:30pm and then concluding with Confessions at 4pm.
The cost for the day is $30 with lunch included. Parking is avail-
able and the Church/Auditorium is Wheel chair accessible. For
reservations please contact Wyn at 718-377-6920 by June 12th. A
registration form must be filled out for each attendee. Please mail
payment with registration to Rosary for Life Inc. at 3309 Ave. P,
Brooklyn, NY 11234. No registrations will be accepted after June
12th. Cost is $30 per person and lunch is included.
OUR LADY OF FATIMA ROSARY RALLY A special thank you to Sr. Rita and Sr. Angela, daughters of
Mary Mother of Mercy, for organizing the beautiful Rosary
Rally in honor of Our Lady of Fatima. The Rosary Rally
will continue every month until the feast day celebration on
October 13th.
All are invited to a special Rosary Recitation at Sts. Simon
& Jude Church in honor of the Apparitions of Our Lady of
Fatima. “Lets’ continue to pray for peace in the world and
the purification of the Catholic Church” 20 decades of the
Rosary will be recited. All are called, all are welcome!
JUNE 13 at 3:00pm
The Rectory Office will be
CLOSED
Saturday, Sunday & Monday for the
Memorial Day Holiday Weekend!
MAY 26, 2019
The Mustard Seed Contact us @ 718-372-0733
Or email us at [email protected]
MY PEACE I GIVE YOU In today’s Gospel we hear the words that are said at every Mass; Jesus giving his peace to the Apos-
tles. The peace Jesus is talking about is not freedom from problems or worries, but rather peace that
comes from knowing that God is with us always. Jesus tells the Apostles that their hearts should not
be afraid or troubled. We should act he same way he instructed the Apostles. Knowing that our God
is with us always should help keep our hearts and our minds calm and at peace.
DO YOU LIVE YOUR LIFE RIGHT? In the first reading today we hear how the Apostles were trying to include all the Gentiles who were converted. There had been much
discussion about what rules and restrictions they should be made to follow. The reality is whether or not one was circumcised should not
be the determining factor. A conversion of heart was what was necessary to be a disciple of Jesus. A person had to be ready to follow
Jesus and accept the moral code that we are expected to live by. All of us, whether Christian or not: whether saint or sinner; as long as
open our hearts up to Jesus and turn our back on our past wicked ways we are accepted.
ASCENSION THURSDAY Thursday May 30 is a holy day of obligation. We celebrate the Ascension of our Lord on that day. After the Resurrection Jesus had ap-
peared to his Apostles numerous times, letting them know he was with them and that he had rose from the dead. On the 40 th day after the
Resurrection, he instructed them to go to the Mount of Olives in Galilee. There he let them know he would send an advocate for them,
and then, before their eyes, he ascended into heaven.
WELCOME TO THE TABLE On Saturday June 1st the students of our Communion program will the receiving Eucharist for the first time. Please keep them in your
prayers as they prepare to receive the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.
FIRST HOLY COMMUNION PRACTICE There will be practice for First Holy Communion for our students on Wednesday, May 29th & Friday, May 31st at 4:00pm in the
Church.
PRAYER TO ST. MICHAEL
St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle;
be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray;
and do you, O prince of the heavenly host,
by the power of God,
thrust into hell Satan and the other evil spirits
who prowl about the world for the ruin of souls.
Amen
NOT AS THE WORLD GIVES
It is very difficult to turn on the news and not hear about the
need for peace in various regions of the country and the
world. Equally so many people of goodwill have striven with
great dedication to bring about an era of peace both in their
communities and beyond. Numerous nations and political
bodies and entities like the United Nations are constantly
striving for peace. Many songs have been written with the
same message. Unfortunately we know all too well that with
all of this we are far from achieving global or national peace.
The reasons of course are multifaceted and complicated. That
being said there areas that we need to look at if we are going
to have peace.
Before we can receive the gift of peace which the Lord is
seeking to bestow upon us we need to understand what peace
is not. It is not tolerance where we simply put up with each
other, nor is it an indifference to what is true, nor is it simply
legal treaties or surrender.
When we look at this weekend’s readings from Sacred Scrip-
ture we see that peace is first of all something that comes from
God. As long as we ignore the One who is peace itself the gift
of peace that we seek will remain elusive and at best fragile.
To put it more succinctly, peace is not something but Some-
one. It is not something we create but a way of life that we
open ourselves to receive. Peace is not of man or woman but
of God. This is why our Lord says in today’s Gospel, “not as
the world gives peace do I give it.” Christ is the gift bearer
and we are the recipients.
There are two things among others that make the reception of
the gift of peace so difficult. The first of course is sin. Sin by
its very nature is a separation from God who is peace. It also
has the effect of stunting one’s conscience and with that any
ability to receive the truth that makes us free. This is essential
because only the one who is interiorily free can really be at
peace. Only those who are at peace with themselves can be
true peace makers. We see this reality being played out in the
lives of the saints as well as contemporary figures like Doro-
thy Day and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. At peace within them-
selves, God and others they could proclaim peace and the jus-
tice that flows from it with integrity, grace, dignity and re-
spect. We see the opposite also play itself out when people
claim to work for peace through violence, destruction and a
raging anger. Peace begets peace. Violence only begets vio-
lence. Only one at peace within him or herself can bring about
peace. One in interior turmoil can only bring about division.
We see this division displayed to some extent in the first read-
ing as some of the early converts to Christianity were trying to
impose circumcision on the Gentile converts. Paul and
Barnabas and some others of their company go to meet with
the Apostles and elders in order to heal this early division and
bring about unity. After consulting with each other “and the
Holy Spirit” the decision is made to reject circumcision of the
Gentiles. Notice how different individuals with different gifts
and roles in the early Church along with the Holy Spirit as an
ever present Reality to be consulted, join together in prayer,
study, reflection and dialogue to reach a decision that brings
about unity, a unity that brings about the enduring gift of
peace to this early Church community. Egos, self will, per-
sonal ideologies and agendas and manipulation have no place
in this conversation: one thing only was essential for them and
that was to find the truth. This is the way to receive the peace
that comes from the Lord and not the peace that is of the
world. The peace that comes from the Lord brings unity while
the peace that comes from the world is simply an illusion.
We have numerous opportunities to work for peace within
ourselves, our families, our communities, our parishes and our
work places. The Sacred Scriptures today challenge us to ask
ourselves whether our words and actions are bringing about
peace or division. Like Paul and Barnabas and the apostles
and the elders we are called to do this in dialogue with the
Holy Spirit and a well formed conscience. If we truly seek to
receive the gift of peace and to be peacemakers and bearers
then we must seek always that humility that is ready to listen.
Fr. John Maduri,
Pastor/Administrator
THE OUR FATHER: PART 8
“FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES”
The fifth petition of the Lord’s prayer, “forgive us our tres-
passes”, comes with an important addition which we cannot
neglect, “as we forgive those who trespass against us”. If
we’re not careful here, we can really throw ourselves into a
trap. We are asking God to forgive us to the degree to which
we forgive other people. If we don’t hold a lot of forgiveness
in our heart towards those who have wronged us, we can be in
some trouble here. I recall an instance in my life where I was
aware of this fact, yet I was having a really hard time forgiving
someone in my life. Whenever I would pray the Our Father
during this time period, I would purposefully choose to skip
over that little phrase. Eventually I would get to a point where
I could say “as we would like to forgive those who trespass
against us”, and then later on as I grew and healed I was able
to forgive and went back to praying as normal.
I say this because I believe it’s really important that we take
these words to heart when we are praying the Our Father. Je-
sus made it clear through his teaching and his parables that if
we would like to receive forgiveness, we have to first be will-
ing to learn how to forgive. This begs an excellent question,
“what if I can’t?”.
Forgiveness is not an easy task. But something that we need to
be reminded of is that it is first and foremost an act of the will.
We can choose to forgive another person, even when our feel-
ings of hurt and anger towards them are still present. At our
spiritual center, we have the free will to either assent to, or
dissent from, our emotions. We may not have control over
feelings of resentment that arise, but we absolutely have con-
trol as to whether or not we will feed into them more, or tell
ourselves that we will not be ruled by them. These feelings
may not go away, but at the very center of our being, below
the surface we still can choose to forgive. We can say “this
person has hurt me so badly, and these feelings of anger are
nearly consuming me, but I have chosen to forgive and will try
my best to let me life show it”.
This doesn’t mean we have to become friends with the person,
or even be around them. In some cases, it is even perhaps best
not to see each other again. However, forgiveness still has to
take place. Why? Because it is a source of healing, for the per-
son who has committed the injustice, but even more so for the
person whom the injustice has been committed against. When
we withhold forgiveness in our hearts, we are allowing our
negative emotions to have free reign instead of standing up to
them. We can all too easily become chained to them and never
move past the hurt we’ve experienced. There is a deep link
between forgiveness and inner healing. In many cases of
physical healings that happen in the life of the Church, many
times they are preceded by a deep inner healing led by the per-
son forgiving another. Forgiveness is powerful.
Whenever we sin, we wound our relationship with God and
other people. There is no such thing as personal sin. The
things we do in the shadows affect the way we live in the
light. For that reason, it is crucial to go to Confession, to bring
our sins before the priest who has been given the authority to
forgive and heal them. There, before God, we are made new
by the forgiveness of our sins. To go before God himself and
ask for mercy seems to be one of the boldest actions we can
take, yet to forgive and heal is what he wants to do most in
our life. Like the father who runs to the prodigal son, God
waits for us to turn back to him, to turn from our sins and seek
him. He seeks to restore us and lead us deeper into his heart.
Supplementing CCC 2838-2845
Jonah Soucy
WEEKLY SCHEDULE
MONDAY, MAY 27
RECTORY CLOSED - MEMORIAL DAY 9:00am:Mass (CHU)
9:30am: Chaplet of the Divine Mercy (CHU)
7:00pm: Circulo de Oracion (UC)
TUESDAY, MAY 28 9:00am Mass (CHU)
9:30am: Miraculous Medal Novena (CHU)
9:30am: Legion of Mary (LC)
7:00pm: Spanish Bible Class (LC)
7:00pm: Circulo Folklore Dance Rehearsal (UC)
WEDNESDAY, MAY 29 9:00am: Mass (CHU)
12:00pm-3:00pm: Golden Age Club (LC)
4:00pm: Communion Practice (CHU)
6:30pm: Al E MO Square Dance (LC)
7:00pm: Spanish Choir Rehearsal (CHU)
THURSDAY, MAY 30 9:00am: Mass (CHU)
4:00pm: Italian Rosary (CHAP)
7:00pm: Youth Group (LC)
7:30pm: AA Meeting (OFF)
7:00pm: RCIA
8:30pm: Folk Group Rehearsal (CHU)
FRIDAY, MAY 31 9:00am: Mass (CHU)
9:30am: St. Jude Novena (CHU)
4:00pm: Communion Practice (CHU)
7:00pm: Reunion de Servidores (LC)
SATURDAY, JUNE 1 8:00am: Holy Hour (CHU)
9:00am: Mass - Cusimano & Russo Memorial Mass (CHU)
12:00pm: First Holy Communion (CHU)
1:00pm: Communion Celebration (LC)
4:00pm: Big Band Set-up (LC)
4:00pm: Confession (CHU)
5:00pm: Mass (CHU)
8:00pm: AA Meeting (OFF)
SUNDAY, JUNE 2 8:00am: Rosario Italiano
8:30am/10:15am/12:00pm: Mass (CHU)
1:30pm: Spanish Mass (CHU)
12:00pm: Adult Confirmation (CHU)
2:00pm: Big Band Fundraiser (LC)