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ADVENT CALENDAR -- USCCB
CHRISTMAS SEASON PAGES
ADVENT RECONCILIATION MONDAY
Reconciliation Monday for Advent
will be on
December 16th
from 4:00 to 8:00 PM.
Amidst all the other preparations for this most Holy Season,
make sure to prepare yourself for Christmas.
This website is updated daily.To see the latest information, please refresh this page.
Thank you.
Is your group having a Parish event?
Please send your information and/or a flyer
to
StAugOssWebmaster@gmail.com
and it will be announced
on our
SAVE THE DATE page.
A Welcome Note from Our Pastor
Dear Friends,
Welcome to the Parish of St. Augustine in Ossining New York. Our lovely parish has served the Catholic community of Ossining and the surrounding area since 1853. We continue to be a vibrant parish, active in our prayer life, spiritual development, social ministries, and education. Please take a moment to peruse our website to see all that we are and all that we do! And please feel free to come and worship Almighty God with us!
With prayers and best wishes, I am,Faithfully yours in Christ,
Fr. McSweeney
BREAKFAST WITH SANTA
is sponsored by our Girl Scout Troop #1307
on Sunday, December 15th,
from 8:30 am to 1:30 pm in the Parish Hall.
The cost will be $5 per person
children under 3 free (pay at the door).
Dedication Ceremony of the Ossining Community Christmas Crib
The Ossining Community is invited to the Dedication Ceremony of the Ossining Community Christmas Crib on
Sunday, December 15th,
at 2:00 PM.
This year marks the 64th Anniversary of our Community Christmas Crib and they are hoping for greater participation. The Crib is erected on the grounds of the House of Refuge Apostolic Church at the corner of Croton Avenue and Todd Place (Washington Square). There will be carol singing.
Everyone is invited and encouraged
to attend the Dedication Ceremony.
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My husband, George, is a combat Viet Nam Veteran and has had kidney disease, as a result of the war, for 20 years. He is on dialysis, which is keeping him alive; but a transplant would give him the ability to live a longer, healthier life. You only need one kidney to live a normal life, so PLEASE consider sharing your kidney with him. His blood type is O+; however, you can donate your kidney no matter what blood type you have.
You can learn more about donation on the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) website: www.kidney.org/living donation or by calling (855) 653-2273. If you want to talk to someone who has already donated a kidney, NKF can also help or ask me (I donated a kidney to my son in 2000).
If donating your kidney to him is something you would consider, please call me at the Parish Office at (914) 941-0067. Please help us by sharing his story with everyone you know.Thank you, Joan Pires.
Webmaster note: Joan is our Parish Office Administrator
We are very grateful for your participation in our parish campaign, A Coffee a Day for Our Parish. While we might be a little less caffeinated, your sacrifices for our community are much appreciated. Your increased contribution is allowing our parish to better minister to all who call it home or will in the future.
To enroll, please visit
archny.org/WeShare
or
call: 1-(800) 950-9952, #3 between 8 am and 8pm (EST).
The Cardinal’s Annual Stewardship appeal serves our spiritual communities across our 10 counties. If you have not yet made your pledge to the Cardinal’s Appeal, please make your commitment today. Remember, you can pledge your gift now and make payments in the coming months. To date, $93,141 has been received from 204 donors. Please join them in order for us to meet our goal of $179,500.
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"The Lord invites all of us to conquer resentment with love and forgiveness, and to live the Christian faith with consistency and courage."
Pope Francis
POPE FRANCIS CONDEMNS EUTHANASIA AS UTILITARIANISM, NOT FREEDOM
VATICAN CITY --- The Catholic News Agency reported that Pope Francis said that Euthanasia is a way of treating the human person as an object; while it may appear to give freedom, it is really a rejection of hope. “The practice of euthanasia, which has already been legalized in several countries, only apparently aims to encourage personal freedom,” he said. “In reality,” he continued, “it is based on a utilitarian view of the person, who becomes useless or can be equated to a cost, if from the medical point of view, he has no hope of improvement or can no longer avoid pain.” “If one chooses death, the problems are solved in a sense; but how much bitterness behind this reasoning, and what rejection of hope involves the choice of giving up everything and breaking all ties!” he declared. Pope Francis stated that medical technology is not being used for its right purpose, the service of the human person, when it “reduces him to a thing,” or makes distinctions between who is not deserving of treatment because of supposedly being “a burden” or “a waste.” The contrary approach is a commitment to accompany a patient and his loved ones at all stages, trying to alleviate suffering through palliative care, or the family environment of hospice, he argued. This “contributes to creating a culture and practice more attentive to the value of each person.” The countries with legal euthanasia are the Netherlands, Belgium, Colombia, Luxembourg, and Canada. Assisted suicide is legal in the Netherlands, Switzerland and Germany, and in the U.S. states of Washington, Oregon, Colorado, Hawaii, Vermont, Montana, Washington, D.C., New Jersey, California, and Maine (starting January 1, 2020). Pope Francis encouraged medical personnel to “never lose heart for the misunderstanding you might encounter, or before the insistent proposal of more radical and hasty roads,” adding that their work includes raising awareness in a society “which is not very aware and is sometimes distracted.” Francis described a sort of “Pandora's box,” in which everything is explained except hope. “And we have to go look for this,” he said. “How to explain hope, indeed, how to give it in the most limited cases.” In the audience, the pope praised the association’s focus on providing the best care for each individual patient, according to his or her unique biology, calling it “an oncology of mercy,” because personalizing care puts one’s attention on the individual, not only the illness, he argued. He encouraged medical workers to take Jesus as their example, also stressing the importance of Christ for those who are sick. Jesus, he said, “helps them to find the strength not to interrupt the bonds of love, to offer their suffering for brothers, to keep friendship with God.” “Inspire everyone to be close to those who suffer, to the little ones above all, and to put the weak in the first place, so that they can grow a more human society and relationships marked by gratuitousness, rather than opportunity,” he urged.
CHAPEL
Food for thought...After much prayer and thought, I believe the Rectory needs to construct a small Chapel for our Priests. The ability to visit our Lord at any time, day or night, to pray with Him and just be with Him would be a great source of solace.
I will be seeking advice for the cost of a 10' X 12' (or thereabouts) Chapel, and will then need to seek some generous donors to make our dream a reality. Benefactors will be remembered in the prayers and Holy Masses offered in the Chapel.
Fr. McSweeney
PREPARING FOR THE STORM
“He hushed the storm to silence, the waves of the sea were stilled. They rejoiced that the sea grew calm, that God brought them to the harbor they longed for.”
PSALM 107: 29
Following the lead of a priest friend, I would like to address a difficult topic in anticipation of the perceived “storm” expected on August 14 of this year. As you are most likely aware, New York State has enacted the Child Victims Act lifting the statute of limitations on previously time-barred sex abuse claims allowing claimants to file a lawsuit for money damages against any party they claim to be responsible for the abuse. This Act goes into effect on August 14 and provides a one-year window for claimants to file a lawsuit for money damages for sex abuse regardless of how long ago the abuse is alleged to have occurred. It is expected that abuse claims will be filed against some of the churches, schools and religious entities within the Archdiocese of New York. I make you all aware of this because it will raise difficult topics in the press and in conversations with friends and family. And although this new law covers individuals or institutions, the Catholic Church will certainly be the focus of many articles and media reports. Remember that child sex abuse happens in families, in public and private schools, in churches and synagogues and in many other institutions and places. We must not get discouraged or disheartened when these stories come. Rather we, as Catholics, must be a source of healing for those sexually abused and work to eliminate sex abuse in all its forms in our society and in our Church. Let us pray that truth prevails and abuse ends in families, schools, places of worship, organizations and institutions. Lord, please hear our prayer!
Fr. McSweeney & Fr. JP
PRAYER FOR PRIESTS
O Jesus, I pray for Your faithful and fervent priests;
for Your unfaithful and tepid priests;
for Your priests labouring at home or
abroad in distant mission fields;
for Your tempted priests;
for Your lonely and desolute priests;
for Your young priests;
for Your dying priests;
for the souls of Your priests in purgatory.
But above all I recommend to You the priests dearest to me;
the priest who baptized me;
the priests who absolved me from my sins;
the priests at whose Masses I assisted andwho gave me Your Body and Blood in Holy Communion;the priests who taught and instructed me;
all the priests to whom I am indebted in any other way.
O Jesus, keep them all close to Your heart,
and bless them abundantly in time and in eternity. Amen.
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Ministries
FYI --
All Schedules
(Altar Servers
Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion
and
Lectors)
are entered thru the Schedules Box near the top of this page.
Altar ServersNovember/December Altar Servers Schedule
Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion/LectorNovember/December EMHC/Lector Schedule
OrganizationsLectio Divina ~
in the Church and every other Wednesday.
Gather for Prayer and Meditation.
St. Genesius Cinema Circle ~
Help plan Movie Nights Monthly meetings and showings.St. Joseph's Men's Group ~
St. Joseph’s Men’s Group meets the 2nd and last Friday of each month.
Pray, Support, Organize and Play.
St. Monica Women's Adoration
and Divine Office Guild~
Thursdays 9 AM- 10:00 AM Recite Morning Prayer,
pray the Rosary and the Divine Mercy Chaplet.
St. Veronica Altar Linen Society ~
Assist in keeping the cloths used at Mass immaculate.
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The Holy Rosary
(click on title to go to Holy Rosary website)
Rosary Prayers
The Prayer,
We Fly to Thy PatronageWe fly to thy patronage, O holy Mother of God;
despise not our petitions in our necessities,
but deliver us always from all dangers,
O glorious and blessed Virgin.
Amen.
May the Divine assistance remain always with us!
Amen.
Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel
St. Michael the Archangel,
Defend us in battle,
Be our protection against the
malice and snares of the devil.
May God rebuke him, we
humbly pray.
And do you, O Prince of the
heavenly host, by the divine
power, thrust into hell Satan
and all evil spirits who prowl
about the world, seeking the
ruin of souls.
Amen. -
Bring a friend to Church
Let us remember relatives and friends who may have strayed
from attending Mass and the Sacraments.
Consider asking someone you know to come with you to Mass.
Your encouragement may be all that they need.
Attend Daily Mass
Do you sometimes wonder what you are going to do during the day? Have you ended your day feeling that you really did not accomplish much? Perhaps you have time on your hands? Have you asked yourself: how can I make a difference in the lives of family, friends, strangers, even the world? Well, have you ever thought about attending Mass daily or a few times a week? If you think about it, there is no better way to spend part of your day; no better way to praise God; no better place to pray for yourself or anyone for whatever intentions, including your own! Join fellow parishioners, along with people who work in the area, in adoring, praising and petitioning God in his house and at the table of the Lord. Here at St. Augustine’s, we have two daily Masses at 6:30 and 8:30 AM. Give it some thought.
How (and Why) to Return to Sunday Mass
and on the bottom of the same Page is:
How (and Why) to Return to Confession
“To fall in love with God
is the greatest romance;
to seek him the greatest adventure;
to find him, the greatest human achievement.”
― Saint Augustine of Hippo
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Join Us On Our Official Facebook, Twitter, and Flocknote Pages.
The Saint Augustine Roman Catholic Church Facebook
page is not our parish's official Facebook page.This is our official Parish Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/augustine.saint.7The Facebook logo link at the top of this page will
connect you with our Official Facebook page.Our other official pages are:
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/StAugustineNY
Flocknote:
https://archny.flocknote.com/
Website:
http://www.staugny.org
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Today's Readings
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Reading 1 Is 48:17-19Responsorial Psalm pS 1:1-2, 3, 4 and 6Gospel Mt 11:16-19
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Bp. Barron's Advent Reflections
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Friends, today’s Gospel declares the significance of Mary’s fiat. When Mary says, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word,” she exhibits such faith and thereby...
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Calendar
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Read MoreFriday, December 13, 6:30 AM
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Read MoreFriday, December 13, 8:30 AM
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Read MoreSaturday, December 14, 8:30 AM
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Saturday, December 14, 8:30 AMAFTER THE 8:30 AM MASSRead More
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Saturday, December 14, 9:00 AM - 10:00 AMAlso by AppointmentRead More
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Read MoreSaturday, December 14, 5:00 PM
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Read MoreSunday, December 15, 8:00 AM
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Read MoreSunday, December 15, 10:00 AM
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Read MoreSunday, December 15, 12:00 PM
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Read MoreSunday, December 15, 6:00 PM
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Parish E-Mail AND NOTICES
Parish E-Mail List
A WORD OF WELCOME
TO OUR NEW PARISHIONERS!Please introduce yourself to
Fr. McSweeney, Fr. J.P.,
and/or
Deacons Tim, Steven, Cliff or John
so that we may better serve you.
We hope that you
will become involved
with our parish
and we look forward
to your presence and
participation each week!!
THE 2020 MASS &
SANCTUARY CANDLE BOOK IS OPEN.
Please SEND your requests with your offering of $15 per Mass Intention and/or Sanctuary Candle to Joan Pires in the Parish Office, along with a phone contact.
PLEASE KEEP IN
YOUR PRAYERSPlease keep in your prayers
our parishioner,
Joseph Servello,
who has begun his studies as a
candidate for the
Permanent Diaconate.
Our parish support for his vocation and discernment are strengthened by our prayers, as we also
pray for vocations to the
Priesthood and Religious Life. -
St. Augustine is
wheelchair accessible.We have ten seats in the back
of the Church marked for handicapped parishioners. Others may use them if they are not needed for the elderly or the handicapped.
If you have Celiac Disease, please stop by the Sacristy prior to Mass to let the priest know that you would like to receive a gluten free host during Mass.
If you wish to bring up the gifts for a Mass being said for your loved one(s), please see the Usher before Mass.
CHILD-LEVEL
HOLY WATER FONT
In the Church atrium we have a Holy Water Font at a small-child level. Our small children have the Sacramental at their own level.
ARE YOU A REGISTERED PARISHIONER?
From time to time people come in or call the Parish Office asking for a Sponsor Certificate, which states that they are members in good standing of this parish, who worship here on a regular basis. The only way we can comply with this request is if the individual is, indeed, a registered member of the parish. The registration process takes only a few minutes. Just call the Parish Office at 941-0067 during office hours or stop by in person.
We pray to the Lord that God may hear the cry of the unborn threatened by abortion.
Birthright’s hotline is
1-800-550-4900
or
(914) 737-0344.
PRAYER FOR OUR TROOPSHeavenly Father, we place our troops in Your loving hands. Guide and protect them always ~ especially during this time of the year when they are so far from their loved ones ~ keep their families in your loving care, bless them for their sacrifice in protecting us and our nation. We ask this through Christ Our Lord. Amen.
PLEASE DO NOT PARK AROUND THE CIRCLE IN FRONT OF THE CHURCH.
Emergency vehicles need access to our property at all times. Parking around the circle not only ruins the grass, but might prevent emergency vehicles from getting through to an emergency. Please be considerate, lives might be at stake.
PLEASE DO NOT FEED THECANADIAN GEESE
THAT ARE ON OUR PROPERTY.
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FATHER JP'S PAGE
Westchester County Young Adult Pilgrimage to the Holy Land
♦♦♦
PARISH RESOURCE LISTThe Parish is interested in creating a Parish Resource List, as a reference for referrals, and parish needs. When the parish office is asked for local referrals, we sometimes scramble to come up with some. Our first source is those who advertise in the bulletin, but a secondary source would be a Parish Resource List. So drop your business card in the collection basket, or a note regarding your business or specialty, so that when we are looking for someone or someone asks,…we will have a list to give them.
♦♦♦Need of Assistance of A Personal Matter?
If you are or know a parishioner who is in need of assistance of a personal matter, please contact Deacon Steven DeMartino at (914) 330-3727. All calls will remain confidential.
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HELP WANTED
JOIN ST. AUGUSTINE'S
ADULT CHOIR!Music enhances a beauty of the Holy Mass and provides joy, comfort and inspiration and musical prayer for our liturgies.
If you can carry a tune and want to learn how to sing, come join us. Don't miss the opportunity to become a member of such a unique ministry.For more info, please contact our
Choir Director,
Bozena Romano,
at
(914) 739-3527.
You CAN Help!
The Ministry of the Usher needs volunteers like you. There will be an interest and planning conference call for the Christmas season soon, and regular weekly help is needed at several Masses. Interested? Join us! Many thanks to all current Ushers and helpers! Any members of the community that are able to step up and pitch in - simply contact us at usher@sterlingsolved.com and let us know.
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Our Lady of Fatima will visit YOU! Members of the Legion of Mary will bring a parish statue of Our Lady of Fatima to your home and they will pray the rosary with you. Our Lady will stay with you for one week. Spending time with our Lady in your home, praying the rosary is filled with many blessings for you and your family. To schedule a visit, please call Patty Barbera at (914) 310-0558.
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Catholic Link
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Questions For Reflection: Who or what motivates you? Are they motivating you in the spiritual life? Is there a place... The post The Motivational Techniques Of John The Baptist| 2nd Week Of Advent...
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Catholicism and coffee have gone hand in hand for centuries. It was Pope Clement VIII who “baptized” coffee after many... The post Is Your Morning Coffee Filled With Injustice? Why Catholics Need To...
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Join me on a journey through Advent with weekly reflections and insights. First Sunday of Advent Reflection Questions For Reflection:... The post How To Use Your Imagination This Advent | Week 1...
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WeShare (formerly Parish Pay) is an alternative means of support for St. Augustine Parish instead of using envelopes. In lieu of weekly collections, the WeShare program will collect monthly contributions via your checking, saving, or credit card account. There is NO cost to you to participate in the program.
How do I enroll?
To safeguard your personal information, enrollment can be done directly at the WeShare website: https://staugny.churchgiving.com or
by calling
WeShare Customer Care at
1-800-950-9952.
The process takes less than 5 minutes.If you have already signed up for WeShare and you do not wish to receive the weekly donation envelopes, please notify the Parish Office.
For those parishioners who make their donations through WeShare, please know that the “donation slip” that can be put into the collection basket may be found on our website (www.StAugNY.org) under the Donate/WeShare tab on thIs page (Home Page), or on your donation page at the WeShare site.
If you have any questions regarding the WeShare program, please contact: mary.anne.dempsey@staugny.org
or
call her at
(914) 941-0067, Ext. 102.
PLEASE REMEMBER ST. AUGUSTINE’S ENDOWMENT
IN YOUR WILL.Suggested wording: “I give
St. Augustine Church,
381 N. Highland Avenue,
Ossining, New York 10562
the sum of $_________________
for general purposes”.
Thank you.