Saint Catharine of Alexandria Church1119 41st Street, Brooklyn, New York 11218 - 1999
Parish StaffReverend Jose Agustin Orellana, PastorReverend Dariusz P. Strzelecki, Parochial VicarReverend Jon UkaegbuDeacon Dean Dobbins, Director/ Business ManagerDeacon Gustavo Medina
Rectory OfficeTel: (718) 436-5917 FAX (718) 871-5140stcatharineofalexandria-brooklyn.org/Rectory Hours: 9:00 AM-12:00PM; 1:00 PM-5:00 PMEvening by appointment onlyOffice Administrator: Luis A. Martinez
Religious Education OfficeTel: (718) 633-1304Coordinator: Mrs. Grace OlavarriaSecretary: Mrs. Isabel ReyesThe Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA)
Please call the Rectory Office
Weekend Mass ScheduleSaturday (Vigil): 5:00 PM in EnglishSunday: 8:30 AM in English
10:00 AM in Polish11:30 AM in Spanish
Weekday Mass ScheduleMonday-Saturday 8:45 AM in EnglishWednesday:7:30 PM in SpanishEvery first Friday: 8:45 AM in English
7:00 PM in Spanish8:00 PM in Polish
Holy Days of Obligation - Please consult the Bulletin
Sacrament of ReconciliationConfessions: Mon.- Sat. 8:30 AM- 8:45 AMSat. 4:00 PM-4:45 PM & by appointment: call parish office
Sacrament of Baptism for InfantsEnglish: First Saturday of the MonthPolish: Second Saturday of the MonthSpanish: Third Saturday of the Month
Please call the Rectory Office for Registrations
Sacrament of MarriageArrangements must be made at least six months to a yearwith one of the Priests.
New ParishionersPlease register by visting our Parish Rectory
†Masses for the Week†
Sunday, December 1st 8:30am 10:00am †Kazimierz Orszulak i Mierysław 11:30am †Andres & Carmen Soriano– Pedida por Familia Soriano †Elena Leal– Pedida por Leticia Nava †Blanca Balbuena Monday, December 2nd 8:45am Tuesday, December 3th 8:45am Wednesday, December 4th 8:45am 7:30pm †Jose German Navarro– Pedida por su Familia Thursday, December 5th 8:45am †Mary Cerniglia Friday, December 6th 8:45am 7:00pm 8:00pm Saturday, December 7th 8:45am 5:00pm
This Week in our Parish
Sunday, December 1st Monday, December 1st
• Catholic Charismatic Renewal (Spanish) Parish Hall: 7pm– 9:30pm Tuesday, December 1st
Wednesday, December 1st
• Young at Heart (Senior’s Club) Annex: 9am– 2pm • Ultreya de Cursillos de Cristiandad Annex Room A-1: After Spanish Mass • The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (English) Rectory Basement: 7:30pm Thursday, December 1st
• The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (Spanish) Rectory Basement: 7:30pm Friday, December 1st
• Jornada de Vida Cristiana (Youth Group) Annex Room A-2: 6:30pm to 9pm • Catholic Charismatic Renewal (Spanish) Annex Room A-3: 8pm– 9:30pm Saturday, December 1st
• NO CCD CLASSES • Infant Baptism in English at 12pm • Baptismal Interviews (Spanish) Rectory: 10am– 12pm
PLEASE PRAY FOR THE RECENTLY DECEASED: Geraldine Messina, Emilia Rojas, John Caldaro, Roberto Donis, Dimitry Ignatyshyn, Lisa Carrasquillo
PLEASE PRAY FOR THE FOLLOWING SICK: Deacon Gustavo Medina, Angela Spagnolo, Alloyse Chong, Jessica Decavallas, Francesco Pecoraro, Lucio Dolcie,
Maria Pagan, Martha Matos, Jazmayra Cedano, Diana Pratt, Lisa Foxwell, Francisco & Pedro Nieves.
Please call the Rectory to place your loved ones on the Deceased or Sick list. Thank you
OUR WEEKLY OFFERING
The Weekly Gift to our Church and the Second Collection for November 23 & 24, 2019 amounted
to $3,301 Goal: $4,000
We would like to thank everyone for their generous support!
Generations of Faith
Parish Goal: $255,000 Pledged: $388,246 Raised: $199,646
Annual Catholic Appeal 2019
Parish Goal: $21,426 Pledged: $27,368 Rais ed: $25,779
Thank you for your generosity!
First Sunday of Advent December 1, 2019
Let’s approach Christmas with an expectant hush, rather than a last-minute rush. —Anonymous
TODAY’S READINGS First Reading — All the peoples shall stream toward the Lord’s house (Isaiah 2:1-5). Psalm — Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord (Psalm 122). Second Reading — It is the hour to cast off the dark and clothe ourselves in the light (Romans 13:11–14). Gospel — Stay awake! Be prepared! The Son of Man will come when you least expect (Matthew 24:37-44). READINGS FOR THE WEEK Monday: Is 4:2-6; Ps 122:1-9; Mt 8:5-11 Tuesday: Is 11:1-10; Ps 72:1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17; Lk 10:21-24 Wednesday: Is 25:6-10a; Ps 23:1-6; Mt 15:29-37 Thursday: Is 26:1-6; Ps 118:1, 8-9, 19-21, 25-27a; Mt 7:21, 24-27 Friday: Is 29:17-24; Ps 27:1, 4, 13-14; Mt 9:27-31 Saturday: Is 30:19-21, 23-26; Ps 147:1-6; Mt 9:35 — 10:1 Sunday: Is 11:1-10; Ps 72:1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17; Rom 15:4-9; Mt 3:1-12 SAINTS AND SPECIAL OBSERVANCES Sunday: First Sunday of Advent; World AIDS Awareness Day Tuesday: St. Francis Xavier Wednesday: St. John Damascene Friday: St. Nicholas; First Friday Saturday: St. Ambrose; First Saturday; Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day
First Sunday of Advent December 1, 2019
“You . . . must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.”
— Matthew 24:44
SAINT JOHN OF DAMASCUS (c. 675-749) December 4 From almost 1300 years ago, John’s message for the church’s spirituality and mission is surprisingly contemporary. Pope Benedict said that in our modern culture of images, sacred images often speak more eloquently than words. This “incarnational theology,” the concept that visible, tangible elements can give believers access to divine realities beyond, found an eloquent champion in John of Damascus. He challenged the Iconoclasts (image-breakers), whose misinterpretation of the biblical prohibition of idolatrous images (Exodus 20:4-5) led them to campaign for the destruction of all sacred art. Before this controversy, however, John bore witness to Christ in a way that provides a timely example for Christians in today’s pluralistic society. Succeeding his grandfather and father, John
served as chief financial officer to the Muslim caliph, professing his Christian faith without compromise, while winning the esteem of his Islamic sovereign by his competence and integrity. No wonder John could eloquently defend icons as “windows into heaven”—he had already learned to see Christ in the living icons of people different from himself yet fashioned in the same divine image! —Peter Scagnelli, Copyright © J. S. Paluch Co.
HOPEFUL EXPECTATION Our liturgical year begins with the season of Advent—a time of hopeful expectation of the coming of the Lord. On the First Sunday of Advent we look forward to the end of time when we will awaken to the dawn of Christ’s new day. Today we hear Isaiah speak of a day when God’s power will have brought universal peace and God’s Word will have instructed all people, radiating God’s “light” (teachings) into all of human society. Only when humanity walks “in the light of the Lord” (Isaiah 2:5), when all people desire to be instructed “in [God’s] ways” (Isaiah 2:3), will the world be set aright and our deepest longings fulfilled. The reading from Romans calls us to “awake from sleep” for this final “day is at hand” (Romans 13:11, 12). Together this Sunday’s scriptures proclaim our Christian faith that Jesus is the One who will finally come to fulfill God’s plan of salvation. Copyright © J. S. Paluch Co.
First Sunday of Advent TREASURES FROM OUR TRADITION Long ago in northern Europe, the growing dark and winter weather in Advent forced people to remove the wheels from their carts and replace them with snow runners. The wheels were hung high in the rafters of the house, fitted out with lanterns, and wound tightly with evergreen boughs. The first wreaths were windows into heaven, a source of light, a comforting sign of the victory of the light of Christ over our world’s dark wildernesses, its mountainous obstacles, its valleys of need. The Advent wreath started in the home, and only later appeared in church. Its four candles represent the four Sundays of our journey: typically three purple, one rose. Why not set a wreath in your own home as a place for Advent prayer? Don’t let a shortage of purple candles discourage you: some use a deep blue,
others have white candles and weave blue and purple flowers, seashells, and pine cones into the green. When the sun sets tonight, light a single candle, sing a verse of a well-loved Advent hymn, and name a mountain to be leveled, a valley to be filled. —James Field, Copyright © J. S. Paluch Co.
RECONCILIATION MONDAY
Monday, December 18, 2019, has been designated as Reconciliation Monday for Advent. All parishes
in the Diocese of Brooklyn will have priests available to hear confessions from 4:00pm – 8:00pm,
this includes all the parishes of the Archdiocese of New York.
LECTURAS DE HOY Primera lectura — Todas las naciones confluirán hacia el monte del Señor (Isaías 2:1-5). Salmo — Qué alegría cuando me dijeron: “Vamos a la casa del Señor” (Salmo 122 [121]). Segunda lectura — Ya es el momento de que se despierten del sueño (Romanos 13:11-14). Evangelio — Velen, pues, y estén preparados para la venida del Hijo del hombre (Mateo 24:37-44). LECTURAS DE LA SEMANA Lunes: Is 4:2-6; Sal 122 (121):1-9; Mt 8:5-11 Martes: Is 11:1-10; Sal 72 (71):1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17; Lc 10:21-24 Miércoles: Is 25:6-10a; Sal 23 (22):1-6; Mt 15:29-37 Jueves: Is 26:1-6; Sal 118 (117):1, 8-9, 19-21, 25-27a; Mt 7:21, 24-27 Viernes: Is 29:17-24; Sal 27 (26):1, 4, 13-14; Mt 9:27-31 Sábado: Is 30:19-21, 23-26; Sal 147 (146):1-6; Mt 9:35 — 10:1 Domingo: Is 11:1-10; Sal 72 (71):1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17; Rom 15:4-9; Mt 3:1-12 LOS SANTOS Y OTRAS CELEBRACIONES Domingo: Primer Domingo de Adviento; Día Mundial del SIDA Martes: San Francisco Javier Miércoles: San Juan Damasceno Viernes: San Nicolás; Primer viernes Sábado: San Ambrosio; Primer sábado; Día para recordar Pearl Harbor
Primer Domingo de Adviento 1o de diciembre de 2019
“Ustedes estén preparados, porque a la hora que menos lo piensen, vendrá el Hijo del hombre”.
— Mateo 24:44
SAN FRANCISCO JAVIER (1506-1552) 3 de diciembre Este joven de origen vasco emigró a París para cursar estudios profesionales durante once años. Ahí destacó por su inteligencia y dotes deportivas. No obstante, conoció a otro joven vasco de nombre Ignacio, del castillo de Loyola, quien lo desafió a ‘cosas mayores’. Vivió así sus ejercicios espirituales, logrando una conversión interior y entrega a la voluntad de Dios. Junto con otros seis jóvenes, incluyendo Ignacio, se convirtió en uno de los primeros miembros de la Compañía de Jesús (Jesuitas). En 1541 se embarcó como misionero y nuncio papal a Goa, al Sur de la India. Ocho años más tarde, extendió su viaje a Japón, civilización que le impactó mucho por su sistema de valores y nivel educativo. Aprendió de ellos su cultura e idioma, les enseñó ciencia y Evangelio, llegando a entender que, a fin de lograr la conversión de Japón, sería necesario evangelizar también a China. Aunque planeó el viaje a China para continuar su obra, la muerte le sorprendió y su viaje quedó pendiente. El Papa Pío XI lo declaró patrono de las misiones en 1927. —Miguel Arias, Copyright © J. S. Paluch Co.
ESPERAR CON GOZO Nuestro año litúrgico comienza con el tiempo de Adviento, una temporada de expectativa por la venida del Señor. En el Primer Domingo de Adviento anticipamos el fin de los tiempos cuando despertaremos al amanecer del nuevo día de Cristo. Hoy escuchamos a Isaías hablar del día en que el poder de Dios habrá traído paz universal y la Palabra de Dios habrá instruido a todos los pueblos, irradiando la “luz” (enseñanzas) de Dios a toda la raza humana. Sólo cuando la humanidad camina “a la luz del Señor” (Isaías 2:5), cuando todos los pueblos deseen marchar “por sus sendas” (Isaías 2:3), el mundo se enderezará y nuestros más profundos anhelos serán cumplidos. La lectura de Romanos nos llama a despertar “del sueño” porque la salvación “está más cerca” (Romanos 13:11, 12). Las lecturas de este domingo proclaman nuestra fe cristiana en que Jesús es Aquél que al final vendrá a dar cumplimiento al plan de salvación de Dios. Copyright © J. S. Paluch Co.
TRADICIONES DE NUESTRA FE El 8 de diciembre, la Iglesia celebra solemnemente la Inmaculada Concepción de María. A la vez, la Madre de Jesucristo es honrada en Venezuela bajo la advocación de Nuestra Señora de Coromoto, en Paraguay como Nuestra Señora de Caacupé, en Panamá como Nuestra Señora de La Antigua y en Nicaragua como Nuestra Señora del Viejo. Esta última advocación tiene distintas historias que relatan su origen. Hay quienes dicen que pertenecía a un viejo ermitaño que viajaba con unos marinos. En cierto punto la imagen no quiso continuar el viaje y el barco no se movió hasta que se bajó el viejo con ella. Según otro relato, Nuestra Señora del Viejo fue traída a Nicaragua por Francisco de Ahumada, hermano de Teresa de Ávila. Francisco viajaba a América y su santa hermana quiso mandar tres imágenes marianas como regalo a los misioneros religiosos que estaban evangelizando en Guatemala, Perú y Nicaragua. Durante el año 1562, Francisco entregó la imagen de la Purísima a los Franciscanos de Nicaragua en el pueblo de “El Viejo”, por lo cual los nicaragüenses han declarado por años que “El viejo nos trajo a la Conchita”. Hay que saber que el viejo Francisco tenía 41 años de edad cuando pasó por Nicaragua. —Fray Gilberto Cavazos-Glz, OFM, Copyright © J. S. Paluch Co.
LUNES DE RECONCILIACIÓN
El lunes 18 de diciembre de 2019 a sido designado como lunes de reconciliación para el Adviento.
Todas las parroquias de la Diócesis de Brooklyn tendrán sacerdotes disponibles para escuchar
confesiones de 4:00 p.m. a 8:00 p.m., esto incluye todas las parroquias de la Arquidiócesis de Nueva
York.
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