PASTORAL STAFFRev. Joseph G. Fonti, S.T.L., Pastor

Rev. JunHee Lee, S.T.L., Weekend AssistantRev. Al Barozzi, In ResidenceDeacon Joseph A. Freda

SCHEDULE OF MASSESSaturday - 9:00 A.M., 5:00 P.M. (Vigil)Sunday - 7:30 A.M., 9:00 A.M. (Italian),

10:30 A.M., 12:00 P.M.

WEEKDAY MASSESSeptember - June

Monday - Friday: 7:00 A.M., 9:00 A.M.July - Labor Day

Monday - Friday: 8:00 A.M.

CONFESSIONSaturday 11:00 - 12:00 P.M.

and by appointment at the Rectory.

ST. MEL’S CATHOLIC ACADEMY154-24 26th Ave., Flushing, NY 11354

(718) 539-8211 Fax (718) 539-6563www.stmelsacademy.org

Interim Board Chair: Mr. Richie Diaz, M.A., M.S.Ed.Principal: Mrs. Amy Barron, M.A., M.S.Ed.

Assistant Principal: Daniela Volpe

DIRECTOR OF MUSICRudolph Albert

FAITH FORMATIONCO-DIRECTORS

Paula Migliore - Denise DeRosaFaith Formation Office - (718) 461-9840

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((771188)) 888866--00220011 -- FFaaxx:: ((771188)) 888866--00888822wwwwww..ssttmmeellss--qquueeeennss..oorrgg

BAPTISMSCall the Rectory Office for information at least one monthin advance.

MARRIAGESCall the Rectory Office for information and appointmentwith a priest at least six months prior to the date you wish.

NEW PARISHIONERSWe are always happy to welcome new parishioners intothe family of St. Mel. Stop in at the Rectory to register, askquestions and meet the priests who gladly serve you.

PASTORAL CARE TO THE HOMEBOUNDWe are concerned about parishioners who arehomebound and would like to receive the Eucharist, theSacrament of Reconciliation or the Anointing of the Sick.If you are homebound, or if you know someone who isunable to come to Mass - please do not hesitate to contactthe Rectory -718-886-0201. Visits will be happilyarranged for you.

MIRACULOUS MEDAL NOVENAEach Monday after the 9:00 A.M. Mass.Blessed Sacrament Devotions:First Friday Adoration 9:30 A.M. to 3:30 P.M.Daily Recitation of the Rosary: 8:30 A.M.

EVANGELIZATIONIf you know of any Catholic, who is not attending Churchor receiving the Sacraments and desires help in returning,please call or refer them to one of the priests at 718-886-0201. All information is confidential.

RECTORY OFFICE HOURSMonday - Thursday 9:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M.

Friday 9:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M.Emergencies any time.

Sunday, February 2, 2020

“God’s flock is in your midst; give it a shepherd’s care” ( 1 Peter 5:2)

“How does one get to Carnegie Hall? Practice! Practice! Practice!” Last Sunday Father Lee and I sat in Carnegie Hall with the proud parents, sister, grandmothers and family of Giuseppe Quatela. Presently a sophomore at Xavier, Peppe graduated from Saint Mel’s Academy in 2018. Blessed with academic achievement as well as athletic skill, Peppe, like his sister, Isabella (STM Class 2016) is also a talented pianist. Recognized as an aspiring musician with great potential and passion, Peppe was chosen as a participant in 2020 Crescendo International Competition. Focused and energized, he beautifully played on a Steinway Grand Rachmaninoff Prelude, Op 23 No. 5. Saint Paul reminds us in his First letter to the Corinthians that we are “one body.” And so, as all the parts of the body support one another, Paul tells us, “when one member is honored all the members share a common joy.” How right and good than that we applaud Peppe at this noteworthy moment in his life. He deserves his honor and our admiration. His dedication to study and practice have borne fruit. His blessing brings us, his spiritual family, the blessing of pride and joy for he is one of our own. While at Carnegie Hall Father Lee and I sadly learned of the tragic deaths of NBA legend Kobe Bryant, his 13-year daughter, and seven

other people traveling with them. Undeniably a man who “mastered the hardwood”, Kobe, a member of our Catholic community, attended Sunday Mass with his daughter, Gianna, hours before they both died. Archbishop Gomez, the Archbishop of Los Angeles, called Kobe “a very good Catholic, a faithful Catholic.” Raised in Italy, Kobe not only spoke fluent Italian; he also faithfully practiced our Catholic faith. He once told a reporter at a time of great crisis in his life that his Catholic faith and his relationship with his priest kept him hopeful and afloat. Again, Saint Paul’s Letter to the Corinthians: “when one member suffers, all members suffer.” And so, we offer prayers for all those who died: “God be merciful”, as well as for all those who cry out in pain: “Lord, heal their broken hearts.” Whether we know the honoree or prayed next to those who perished, we who are united in faith; we are “one” in the Lord. -Father Fonti

O Virgin Mary, faithful Mother who never refuses to come to the aid of your children; Mother whose hands never cease to help because they are moved by the loving kindness that exists in your Immaculate Heart, cast your eyes of compassion upon me, and see the snarl of knots that exist in my life. You know all the pains and sorrows caused by these tangled knots. Mary, my Mother, I entrust to your loving hands the entire ribbon of my life. In your hands there is no knot which cannot be undone. Most Holy Mother, pray for Divine assistance to come to my aid. Take this knot (mention need) into your maternal hands this day; I beg you to undo it for the glory of God, once and for all, in the name of your Divine Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

“Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace,

for my eyes have seen your salvation.”

Sunday, February 2nd - Feast of The Presentation of the Lord

O Lord, bring your grace to perfection within us, and as you filled

Simeon’s expectation that he would not see death until he had been

privileged to welcome the Christ, so may we, going forth to meet the

Lord, obtain the gift of eternal life. Amen.

Mass Intention February 2, 2020

SAT. 2/1

5:00 Sean Boyle, Sean & Thomas Murphy

SUN. 2/2

7:30 Paul Trinidad

9:00 Aquilina DeVincentis

Giuseppe & Angelina Chiarelli

Jennifer Zupicich

Raffaela Fonti

Ugo Ciacco

10:30 Adele & Filippo Fabrizio

12:00 Regina & Benjamin Kowalski &

The People of The Parish

MON 2/3

7:00 Raffaela Fonti

9:00 Ann & Peter Savage

TUES 2/4

7:00 George J. Bauer

9:00 Tony Mirkov

WED. 2/5

7:00 Raffaela Fonti

9:00 Benedetta & Sal Blando

THURS. 2/6

7:00 Mark & Domeica Simicich

9:00 Giovanni Flaim

FRI. 2/7

7:00 Purgatorial Society

9:00 Renato Ljubicic

SAT. 2/8

9:00 Tony Mirkov

5:00 Sr. Patricia Fox O.P.&

The People of The Parish

SUN. 2/9

7:30 Joan Concessi

9:00 Giuseppa & Vito Decimati & Ignazia & Rosario D’Amico

Angelo Mangiafreno

Carmine Cavaliere

10:30 Domeica & Marko Simicic

12:00 Jose Perez

Altar Candles

This week the Altar Candles are donated in Loving

Memory of:

Newly Enrolled in the Purgatorial Society

January, 2019

Salvatore Barretta Donna Rossi Corchado Donna Rossi Corchado

Raffaela Fonti Raffaela Fonti Raffaela Fonti

Ugo Ciacco Ugo Ciacco

Sanctuary Candle

This week the Sanctuary Candle is donated in Loving

Memory of :

Raffaela Fonti

Given by: Elvira & Ron Fazzi

Bread & Wine

This week the Bread and Wine are donated in Loving

Memory of:

Victor Zarra

Given by: Susan Della

Polla

In your prayers…

Father of goodness and love, hear our prayers for the sick members of our community and for all who are in need. Amen.

We pray for all those who are sick, especially:

We pray for the deceased members of our parish family who recently died especially:

Emily Panaro Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

St. Mel’s Memorial Candles Remember Your Loved Ones

An Annual Memorial Candle can brighten your intentions all year long.

Purchasing an Annual Memorial Candle to Honor a loved one or a special

intention is a wonderful way to express our sentiments. When we go,

leaving the burning candle behind, we are reminded that our prayers and

intentions burn before the Lord unceasingly.

You can have a perpetual memorial for about .50 cents per day. The

annual offering for each candle is $200, which supports our parish.

If you would like to reserve a memorial candle, please fill out the form

below and return it along with payment to the Rectory. For more

questions, please contact the office at (718) 886-0201.

……………………………………………………

ORDER FORM PLEASE PRINT CLEARLY

Name________________________________

Address_______________________________

Phone________________________________

Please print your intention (example-In Memory of, Devoted Husband and Father, Always in our prayers,

In Thanksgiving, In Memory of, For the living and deceased members of, etc.

___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

Please place my memorial in front of

(Please Circle)

St. Ann

Our Lady of Fatima

St. Jude

Infant of Prague

Our Lady of Lourdes

St. Francis of Assisi

Padre Pio

St. Rita

Our Lady of Romitello

St. Theresa Little Flower

St. Elizabeth Seton

St. Mel

St. John Neumann

St. Patrick

St. Joseph

St. Anthony

Blessed Mother-Limited Space

• Matt Z. • Lisa Sperazza • Louise Maddalena • Anne Gorga • Baby Aliyah Rose • Esme Mooney

Kavanagh • Robert Tedesco • Susan Trezioso

• Maria Scopa • Mike Scopa • Kathy Allen • Joan Buzzi • Pasquale Cama • Bob Doucet • Kathleen Tansey • Angela Isernia • Nick Roberto

COME IN AND PRAY

Our church is open each day for private prayer until 3:00pm . We encourage you to stop by for a quiet prayer, light a candle, or just spend time with our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament.

FIRST FRIDAY DEVOTIONS

Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament following the 9:00AM Mass. Visits to the Blessed Sacrament all day on First Friday

Prayers at 2:30PM and Benediction at 3:30PM

Men’s Club/ Father’s Guild

Super Bowl Sunday

All parishioners are invited February 2

4PM to Game End

$20 per person includes $3 pool

Hot Buffet, Homemade Chili, Beer, Wine, Soda, Coffee

Tickets may be purchased at the door

Joint Parish Respect Life Committee

Invites All Parishioners to Join us on Wednesday, February 19th at 7:30pm

(every third Wednesday) At St. Josaphat’s Parish in Bayside

The Joint Parish Respect Life Committee

is a group of people from various parishes in the Brooklyn Diocese, who

learn about pro-life, issues such as assisted suicide and abortion. We keep informed about current actions being taken in our legislative bodies. We welcome all parishioners to join us.

St. Mel’s Men’s Club

Meeting Date Change

The Date of the February meeting has been changed from February 14th (Valentine’s Day) to February 21st. The Club room will be open of the 14th for social purposes for those who plan to come down. We extend a “Happy Valentine” to all wives and lady friends of our members.

St. Mel’s Choir

Please see Rudy our Music Minister if you are interested. Rehearsals are every Thursday at 7:30pm in the Chapel and the choir sings at 10:30am every Sunday.

COLDS AND COMMON SENSE.

As we begin to pass through the

winter months and flu season,

please remember to refrain from

receiving the Precious Blood from

the chalice, and even exchanging

the sign of peace if not feeling well.

Your neighbor will understand.

Thank you.

Collections January 26, 2020

Weekly Collection $7,069.00 School Assessment $1,011.00 Total Collection $ 8,080.00 Total Mass Attendance 988

LORD, HEAR OUR PRAYER!

May the healing presence of the Good Shepherd comfort and heal those who have suffered abuse by those entrusted with their care. Lord, strengthen and encourage those who faithfully service your flock.

Marian Healing Ministry

St. Anastasia Church 45-14 245th Street

Douglaston, N.Y. 11362 Healing Mass

Tuesday, February 11, 2020 7:00 PM – Rosary, Mass and Healing Service

For information, call (718) 631-4454

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Bereavement Support Groups

The stages of grief; bereavement after the loss of a loved one

Sacred Heart Church, Bayside, first Tuesday of every month from 7:30-9:30pm. Call Sr. Kathleen Masterson at (718) 224-5695.

And

St. Luke Bereavement Support Group at St. Luke’s Pastoral Center

16-34 Clintonville St., Whitestone, NY 11357 Meets on the 1st Tuesday of each month at 7:00 PM.

Please contact Sister Theresa Agliardi, RSM, (718) 746-8531 for additional information or if you are

interested in participating.

Please remember to pray for all who are grieving the loss of loved ones.

RACHEL’S HELPERS

A Post-Abortion Ministry for Women

Forgiven and Set Free is a program for

women who had an abortion and are

seeking spiritual healing. Sponsored by the

Diocese of Brooklyn, participants meet in

small group settings.

For more information: 347-702-2352

No Fee & All Calls are Confidential.

St. Mel’s Leisure Club St. Mel’s Leisure Club welcomes one and

all to join us for conversation and refreshments on Mondays at 1:00 pm in

Father O’Malley Hall.

Monthly Trips to

Empire City Casino

$25 per person February 19, 2020

Call Edda at: 718-747-5379 or

Nancy at: 718-886-2326

Are you interested in the Catholic faith? Have you been coming to church for a while but are not Catholic? Have you been baptized Catholic or validly baptized in another Christian denomination and wish

to be fully initiated into the Catholic faith through the Sacraments of Confirmation and Communion?

If you answered yes, to any of these questions, we invite you to look deeper into the Catholic faith through a process called the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults or RCIA. It is also adapted for older children. Our parish offers a set of RCIA and RCIC sessions to share with others the truths of the Catholic faith and the fellowship of our church family.

If you are interested in joining this special journey of faith, contact the Office of Faith Formation at stmelsdderosa@gmail.com or at 718-461-9840.

SCHOOL OF RELIGION Religious instruction for children attending public schools is held on Wednesdays from September through May from 3:30 pm to 5:00 pm for grades 1 to 5; and from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm for grades 6 to 8. Class resume after the Christmas reses on January 8th.

If you wish to inquire about Religious Education program, please contact us at stmelfaithformation@gmail.com or at 718-461-9840.

Proximate Prep Meeting: At least one parent/guardian of children receiving First Communion and Confirmation must attend this important dinner meeting on Tuesday, February 4th at 6:30 pm in O'Malley Hall. If you haven't already let us know who will be attending, please just RSVP to stmelfaithformation@gmail.com. Please make separate arrangements for the care of your children as this meeting is for parents/guardians only. We look forward to seeing you to break bread together.

OFFICE OF FAITH FORMATION

We invite you to learn about the Catholic faith in an open

welcoming environment

The parish family of St. Mel’s welcomes by name our brothers and sisters who are preparing to receive their Sacraments of Initiation this coming Spring: Sabrina Colosi and Alexander Savicevic (Baptism, Communion and Confirmation), Thalia Gonzalez (Communion and

Confirmation) and Stephen Barongi (Confirmation).

Please keep each of them in your daily prayers.

Cenacles of Life

Pray with us

on Wednesdays at 11:00 am,

in St. Mel’s Church, Julia Chitos, Respect Life

Joint Parish Committee 718-961-1102

Tuesday and/or Thursday Morning

10:00– 11:30AM

$5:00 a class—”Pay as you go” (Located adjacent to Fr. O’Malley

Hall)

Please use 27th Avenue entrance of the Church

Please call Miss Lisa and Miss Pat for

more information about Mommy & Me

(718) 886-0201 ext. 218

St. Vincent DePaul

Our next Bundle Saturday will take place on April 4 , 2020 from 9am to 12 noon in the St. Mel’s Parking Lot. Clothing in good condition is needed. If you are considering selling your truck , car, or van the Society of St. Vincent de Paul will give back to our church whether it is running or not— $50/$100 per vehicle.

Girl Scout—Silver Project

We will be collecting school supplies for an orphanage in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The foundation based in Haiti is named Yahve-Jire, which means “God Provides” in Hebrew. Yahve-Jire currently operates a school and a family home serving a group of children in Haiti who are among the poorest in the world. We will be collecting school supplies for the orphanage. Highlighters, Notebooks, Erasers, Pencil cases, Pencils, Pens, Scissors, Pencil Sharpers, Crayons, and any other supplies The collection will end on March 15th . There will be collection boxes in the entrances of the school and church. Thank you for your generosity.

Watch online Mass Live. Most Masses can be seen on demand after they air.

www.stmels-queens.org Go to GET INVLOVED IN YOUR FAITH

Click Live Masses

Follow us on Facebook

St. Mel’s R C Church

Friends of Bill Meet Weekly at St. Mel’s

Alcoholics Anonymous Meetings

Lower Hall Meeting Room 26th Avenue entrance to the church

MONDAYS

6:00 PM – Readings 7:30 PM – Beginner’s Meeting

THURSDAYS

8:00 PM – Open Meeting

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