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The announcement last week of the introduction of a 5:00 p.m. Mass on Sunday sparked some positive reactions and interest, and for that I am grateful. Please keep this in mind and share it with your neighbors and friends. Hopefully we will be able to utilize this as an opportunity to continue our efforts at evangelization here in the Bay Shore. Read more.

We have concluded the Summer Religious Education Academy, and, overcoming some small hiccups along the way, we have had three excellent weeks of religious education and faith formation. We are most grateful to the tireless work and efforts of Nancy Arkin and Ciro Saverino, along with the bevy of teachers, staff, and volunteers who worked so hard to make this a successful adventure. The feedback has been very positive, and we are looking forward to the family days throughout the year. Read more.

We have truly hit those “dog days of summer!” As we enter the last full week of July we are reminded of how quickly the summer is speeding along. Hopefully everyone has been able to stay cool during the heat wave this past week. I know it looks like we will get some relief this week. I expect that many of us, myself included, will be able to get away for some time in August, so that we can arrive refreshed and ready for the beginning of Fall and the start of school. Read more.

This week begins our three-week session of Summer Religious Education. Nancy Arkin, Director of Faith Formation, Ciro Saverino, Director of Youth/Young Adult Ministry and the coordinator of the Confirmation Program, and a host of volunteers of all ages, are poised and ready to walk with the youth of our parish on their journey of faith. Almost 500 students are registered for the three weeks. There is still some space in weeks two and three if you have yet to register. The Registration for the traditional program and the Confirmation Program on Sunday evenings are also now open. Read more.

A most blessed Fourth of July Weekend to all. This observance reminds us of the uniqueness of our history as a nation and the fundamental principles that guided the vision of the Founders of this country. Among the rights enshrined in the Declaration of Independence are: “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” Read more.

The summer seems to be moving along at a fast clip, as we enter in to the last week of June and then celebrate Independence Day next weekend. We are contemplating some projects around here this summer. The first thing that has already been done is expanding the hours of operation for the Food Pantry. Now, with more volunteers, and in response to a growing need for material assistance, this is an important way for us to serve the community and expand the mission of the parish. Read more.

Today, Corpus Christi Sunday, marks the end of the special solemnities that follow the Easter Season, so next week we are back to the Sundays of Ordinary Time. Read more.

This Sunday and next stand in the liturgical year as special solemnities within Ordinary Time. Last week at Pentecost we saw the end of the Easter Season. Yet, instead of returning to the green vestments of the season, this week and next week we again wear the celebratory white vestments, signifying something special is going on. Read more.

A most blessed Pentecost to everyone! We are reminded this weekend of the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives, and most certainly as he guides our church. This brings an end to our Easter season. Tomorrow we return to ordinary time, although we know that nothing about the time is really ever ordinary. Indeed, it feels in someways that we live in extraordinary times. Not necessarily good times, nor really bad times, but our time. What we do with this time that we have, how we transform the world in which we live, how we respond to the needs of others, lays groundwork for the future. It is through the power of the Holy Spirit at work in and through us that we, as Catholics, believe that the kingdom of God advances in the world. Let our prayer then be this Pentecost Sunday that the Holy Spirit will continue to enkindle in us the power of his love. Read more.

Happy Memorial Day Weekend and welcome to the official start of the summer season. Coming through a rough winter for all of us, this is a most welcome time of the year. Of course, we are called in a special way this weekend to remember those who gave their lives in service to our country. Originally known as “Decoration Day” many people still visit the cemeteries and place flowers and other mementos there to honor their loved ones. Most specifically, however, veteran’s groups place American flags on the graves of our veterans. It is good for us to be ever mindful of those who have died in defense of our freedom, and others who have sacrificed their lives to secure the freedom of others throughout the world. We are especially cognizant of those who are now in harm's way in Eastern Europe, and we fervently pray that efforts to bring an expedient and peaceful end to the Ukrainian crisis will be fruitful. Read more.

As the usual rhythm of the liturgical year is ingrained in our hearts and lives we are all expecting to celebrate the Feast of the Ascension this Thursday (May 26th). However, as I mentioned in an earlier missive, the Catholic Bishops of New Jersey have voted to permanently transfer the holy day to the following Sunday. Therefore, this Thursday is not a holy day of obligation, but rather Thursday of the Sixth Sunday of Easter and the memorial of St. Philip Neri. While not a fan of the decision personally, we must continue to follow the liturgical norms of our place. Read more.

We have hit the midpoint of May and Memorial Day is quickly coming upon us. The school year is winding down and our students are ready to be graduated and to move on to their respective high schools. It is with much disappointment, but certainly not much surprise, that we learned this past week of the closing of Mater Dei High School at the end of the current school year. A staple in our community for some sixty years, the model on which they were operating was just not sustainable for the future. We do have some parishioners who are students there and our school office will be happy to assist anyone who is seeking admission to a different Catholic high school. Fortunately we are blessed to have many good Catholic high schools within the general vicinity of our parish. None of the forty students that we are graduating this year were enrolled there for the coming school year. Read more.

Happy Mother’s Day to all of the Mothers, Grandmothers, Surrogate Mothers, Godmothers, Aunts and women role models this weekend. Each and every one of you is an inspiration to your family, extended family, and those whom you serve and mentor throughout your life. Today, as we crown the Blessed Mother (at the conclusion of the 11:00 a.m. Mass) we not only honor Mary as our Mother, but we give thanks to God for all of the many blessings that our Mother’s have given to us throughout our lives. Regardless of how old we are, our Mothers remain a steady rock in our lives. While I was recuperating from surgery this past winter, my Mother spent a month here with me preparing meals, cleaning, and most importantly keeping me company. Read more.

Thank you for a blessed beginning to our Easter Season. As we enter week three of the season, and with the month of May upon us, you will note the celebration of First Holy Communion at many of the parish Masses. Today in a private ceremony the students from the school will receive First Holy Communion as well. In a sense the celebration of the Sacrament is a community celebration and should ideally take place at a regularly scheduled parish Mass. Next weekend we will observe the crowning of the Blessed Mother in commemoration of May as the Month of Mary. Of course, it is also Mother’s Day giving us all something else to celebrate as well. Read more.

There was quite a chill in the air past Sunday as we gathered for the 6:00 a.m. Sunrise Easter Mass, much as there has been since we inaugurated this Mass five years ago, but it is certainly proving to be one of the most inspiring Masses in our parish life. Just over 100 people attend the Mass yet there is something special about it. Overall, our Easter celebrations were quite beautiful and very well attended. I am grateful to the entire parish staff for their hard work in assisting our celebrations. Unfortunately both Deacon Rich and Tom O’Brien (organist/pianist) were unable to be with us for the weekend celebrations, so we are especially grateful for Team Remick — Deacon Paul and Ellen — who carried the bulk of the workload during the liturgies. Ellen had very little notice in preparation to chant the Exsultet at the Vigil and still her chant was beautiful and up-lifting. Not only is it challenging in its notation, it is also about five minutes in length! Read more.

Alleluia! This celebration of the greatest feast in the liturgical year is a reminder to us of who we are and what is universally and singularly important in our faith. We, as disciples of Jesus, and with our belief in the resurrection, are a people grounded in hope. In light of all of the suffering, tragedy, injustice, and hatred, we yet remain grounded in the “sure and certain hope” that God has an ultimate plan for history, and that we either cooperate with that plan, or we resist the plan through our sinfulness. Read more.

We embark on the most somber and liturgically rich week of the year, as we walk the procession from Palm Sunday to the tomb on Good Friday. Please check the bulletin for further details regarding Mass times as well as the other events that occur throughout the week. Read more.

We enter the last full week of Lent, so there is not much time to prepare for the events of the Sacred Triduum. Nancy Arkin, Director of Faith Formation, will be leading us through a series of reflections on the Triduum over a three night period at 7:00 p.m. in the church. This Tuesday we will reflect on Holy Thursday, on Thursday April 7th, we reflect on Good Friday, and then on Tuesday April 12th we will reflect on Holy Saturday. Please join us. This is a great way to focus and prepare for the Paschal Triduum and also an opportunity to meet and learn from and about Mrs. Arkin. Read more.

I ask your prayers this week for the members of our parish community who will receive the Sacrament of Confirmation from Bishop David O’Connell on Thursday. Eighty-seven students from our religious education program and thirty-five students from the school have prepared over the past eight years of faith formation and are now deemed ready to take this important step in their lives of faith. Unfortunately this means that many of them will now be checked-out and inactive in their lives of faith. Let our prayers then be that they and their families will grow in the life of faith. Confirmation is not a graduation from religious education but rather a step forward into full and active participation in the life of faith. Read more.