The Church of St. Christopher

130 Midland Avenue

Staten Island, New York 10306

Parish Office: (718) 351-2452

Fax: (718) 351-1174

Office Hours: Monday - Friday,

9:30am - 4:00pm

Web: www.stcstmmsi.org

The Parish of

St. Christopher -

St. Margaret Mary

June 26th, 2016 - 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time

The Church of St. Margaret Mary

560 Lincoln Avenue

Staten Island, New York 10306

Church Office: (718) 351-2612

Fax: (718) 987-0446

Office Hours: Monday - Friday,

9:30am - 2:30pm

Web: www.stcstmmsi.org

Rev. Joseph M. McLafferty, Pastor

Rev. Tomy Joseph, Parochial Vicar

Rev. John P. DeLora, SIUH Chaplain, in residence

Rev. Edward Devina, in residence

Rev. John A. Boehning, Weekend Celebrant

Rev. Deogracias Lingao, Weekend Celebrant

Rev. Thomas J. Mullin, Weekend Celebrant

Deacon Patrick Graham

MASSES Monday - Friday: St. Christopher …… 9:00am St. Margaret Mary ... 8:00am

Monday: Island Shores ….….. 10:30am, Residents Mass

Saturday: St. Christopher ….… 9:00am and 4:30pm (Vigil)

Sunday: St. Christopher ….… 9:15am, 12:00pm and 7:00pm St. Margaret Mary ... 8:00am and 10:30am

Holy Days of Obligation ……………… as announced

CONFESSION *Friday: St. Christopher …... after 9:00am Mass - 10:00am Saturday: St. Christopher ….... 1:30pm - 2:30pm Otherwise by appointment; call ……… (718) 351-2452 * Throughout the Year of Mercy, Dec. 8th, 2015 - Nov. 20th, 2016.

BAPTISMS By appointment. Interviews of parents seeking baptism for their

children are arranged by calling the Parish Office; (718) 351-2452.

MARRIAGES By appointment with one of the priests at least six months in

advance of the wedding date. Please contact the Parish Office for further information; (718) 351-2452.

SICK CALLS Please call the Parish Office; (718) 351-2452.

EUCHARISTIC ADORATION Monday - Friday: St. Christopher …… 12:00pm - 4:30pm

Mrs. Ellie Keane, Coordinator (718) 987-3059

NEW PARISHIONERS All new parishioners are invited to register at the Parish Office

and to participate in our parish life.

ST. CHRISTOPHER SCHOOL 15 Lisbon Place, 10306 (718) 351-0902

Mrs. Catherine Falabella, Principal

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION and RCIA 560 Lincoln Avenue, 10306 (718) 351-2119

Mrs. Barbara Regan, Coordinator

MASS INTENTIONS

Saturday, June 25th 9:00am (C) 4:30pm (C) Sunday, June 26th 8:00am (M) 9:15am (C) 10:30am (M) 12:00pm (C) 7:00pm (C) Monday, June 27th 8:00am (M) 9:00am (C) Tuesday, June 28th 8:00am (M) 9:00am (C) Wednesday, June 29th 8:00am (M) 9:00am (C) Thursday, June 30th 8:00am (M) 9:00am (C) Friday, July 1st

8:00am (M) 9:00am (C) Saturday, July 2nd 9:00am (C) 4:30pm (C) Sunday, July 3rd 8:00am (M) 9:15am (C) 10:30am (M) 12:00pm (C) 7:00pm (C)

Father’s Day Novena Antoinette & John Lattuga and Eugene & Petronella Lutz Father’s Day Novena Frank Della Jacono Nellie DeCostanza Kenneth J. Collins Gloria Pileggi Daniel Sagaria Father’s Day Novena Regina LePre Elizabeth Joseph John Pontebbi Dec’d Members of Costanzo, Gillick, Imperatrice & D’Aloia Families Father’s Day Novena Thomas Mannino Carmela Perinelli Peter N Fiore & Angela Fiore Lindley Frederick R. Tudda Rocco, Teresa & Angelina Lovascio Louis LaRocca Lazzaro & Adele Capitelli & Bertoli Fam For the Parishioners Roddy Nicholson Sister Mary Timothy O’Keefe PBVM

(C) St. Christopher Church (M) St. Margaret Mary Church

REFLECTION The world is a very busy place. Our lives are sometimes very complicated. Everywhere we turn there are distractions. Add to all this the increasing number of people with virtually no attention span or diagnosed ADD and you have a reality where it can be quite hard to stay focused and committed to any task at hand. When you were called to follow Jesus, he knew that the call came in the midst of all this chaos. He understood that you would be pulled in every direction. That is why he urges you, as he did his first disciples, not to look behind, but to forge ahead, proclaiming the good news to all who can hear. As Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German Lutheran, described it in "The Cost of Discipleship," Jesus asks for a "single-minded obedience." Bonhoeffer wrote, "The actual call of Jesus and the response of single-minded obedience have an irrevocable significance. By means of them Jesus calls people into an actual situation where faith is possible. For that reason his call is an actual call and he wishes it so to be understood, because he knows that it is only through actual obedience that a man can become liberated to believe" (Translated by R. H. Fuller. New York: Macmillan, 1963). The reality is that we cannot, on our own, believe in and follow Jesus without turning ourselves over to him completely. The aspect of this that the world will never understand is that through giving all over to God, a person finds true freedom. By forsaking everything else for God, we gain everything. Good stewardship and mature discipleship needs this "single-minded obedience" to flourish. Without it, we will be constantly distracted and tempted to change course. A person with severe ADD may need a prescription. Any Christian seeking to follow Jesus needs something too: the grace that comes from giving over one's self to God. Tracy Earl Welliver, MTS

TODAY’S READINGS A SYNOPSIS

First Reading: 1 Kings 19:16b, 19-21 Elijah the prophet followed God's instruction to appoint a man named Elisha as his successor. Elijah threw his cloak over Elisha, who went and said good-bye to his family, then followed Elijah without question. Second Reading: Galatians 5:1, 13-18 Paul reminds us that people were freed from the old law through Christ. But he makes it clear that this freedom does not mean giving in to evil desires. Instead, we must be guided by the Spirit and most importantly love our neighbor as ourselves. Gospel: Luke 9:51-62 Jesus set out for Jerusalem, and passed through a town where he was not welcomed. He reprimanded his disciples for desiring vengeance against the town. One man wanted to follow Jesus when he had finished his duties at home. Jesus expressed that a man who begins a task, but con-

stantly looks back is unfit for the reign of God. ©2000 Bon Venture Services, Inc.

PRAY FOR OUR SICK “... touch only the tassel on his cloak,

and as many as touched it were healed.” - Mark 6:56

NOTE: Those in bold were added this week.

Dear Jesus, Divine Physician and Healer of the sick, we turn to you in this time of illness. O dearest comforter of the troubled, alleviate our worry and sorrow with your gentle love, and grant us the grace and strength to accept this burden. Dear God, we place our worries in your hands. We place our sick under your care and humbly ask that you restore your servant to health again. Above all, grant us the grace to acknowledge your will and know that whatever you do, you do for the love of us. Amen.

Rosalina Alvarez Ann Basso Lorraine Conway Terence Crowley Mary Graham Delmar Janet Dennis Edwina Dunne Concetta Fisher Marie Flannery Ann Gambino

Frank Gambino Dominick Gervasi Frank Gillick Kathleen Gillick Josephine Hughes Michael Leone Nicholas Lombardi Jake LoNigro Diego Lopez Richard Malanga

Delia Mandia Delia Mayott Timmy Mohin Franco Poire Robert Sabatino, Sr. Carmen Santore Alexis Savattere Phyllis Savattere Eleanor Shields Helen St. John Alice Wilson

2016 CARDINAL’S APPEAL

To date our parish has re-ceived $67,028in pledges/gifts from 234 families.

We are 98% there to-wards our goal of $68,500. If 15 families give $100 we will make it.

You may mail in your contribution or make an online gift at www.cardinalsappeal.org. Clicking “DONATE NOW” is a quick easy way to donate to our parish’s goal. Remember if you do pledge don’t forget your promise. We’re counting on you.

Thank you for your support of this Appeal.

TEEN CLUB CAR WASH Our Teen Club is having a Car Wash on Sunday, June 26th from 1:30pm to 5:30pm in St. Christopher’s Church parking lot. It will be an exterior car wash. Cars will be $5 and SUV’s, trucks, and Mini Vans will be $8. The proceeds will go to the Staff Sgt. Michael Ollis Freedom Foundation and the Teen Club.

A BIG THANK YOU A big thank you to all the parishioners of St. Christopher - St. Margaret Mary for saving your empty medicine bottles. Some were sent to Ghana, Africa and the remaining to our missions (Srs. of St. John the Baptist), in Zambia,, Africa. Our Sisters have a clinic and the bottles will truly be useful.

Blessings & Prayers, Sr. Madelene

Bottles will continue to be collected until the end of June, 2016.

SUMMER WORSHIP

Please continue to practice your Catholic faith by attending Sunday services during the summer months, especially during your well deserved vacation. Enjoy and be safe.

FIND A CHURCH AND MASS WHILE ON VACATION

It can be difficult for Catholics to find a Mass when traveling, on vacation or when it is not practical to attend their regular parish. The Mass Times website makes it easy to find a Church and Mass by city, state or zip code.

You can find Mass Times at www.masstimes.org.

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION Registration for our Religious Education Program is ongoing. Classes are offered on Wednesdays and Sundays. One of these days should fit into your schedule. We will help to insure your child gets a strong foundation in their faith as well as receive all 3 of their Sacraments of Initiation. A student must have completed at least one year of Religious Education just prior to being placed into a Sacramental class. This includes those preparing for Confirmation. Please see Mrs. Regan.

ALTAR SERVERS

We are always looking for students to assist Father during Mass. If you are in Level 3 or beyond and would like to join the Altar Server Ministry please see Mrs. Regan.

“… A TIME TO MOURN …” - Ecclesiastes 3:4

Pray for the souls of Concetta Fisher, Joseph J. Mar-tin, Frank Vincent Heath, Walter Wiatrak and Benja-min Cirigiliano and their families. “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live” - John 11:25-26

YOUR ENVELOPE COUNTS June 19th, 2016 St. Christopher $3,993 St. Margaret Mary $2,442

Thank you for your continuing generosity

Already Achieved

HIGH SCHOOL YOUTH LEADERSHIP

The Catholic Youth Ministry (CYM) of S.I. invites all public and private High School students interested in planning and attending Youth Fest 2017 to a barbecue at Msgr. Farrell HS on Tuesday June 28th from 4PM to 8PM . This is a great way to get involved in your school and community as well as gain valuable leadership and service experience. Please email Deacon Steve Tobon at cyminisi@gmail.com for more information.

FOR THE WEEK OF June 26th

The Bread & Wine are being offered “In Thanksgiving “ at the request of the Basso Family (St. Christopher).

SUGGESTIONS Please let us know how we can improve our weekly bulletin. Is there something you want to see, or something you want clarifi-cation on? You’ll notice some changes in the bulletin this week, if you disagree with them let me know. Write something below and drop in the Suggestion Box in the rear of the church, thank you for your time. ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________

ON THE LIGHTER SIDE

CY-

TEXT: COLORING GRAPHIC:

Luke 9:51-62 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time