Saint Blaise

The legendary Acts of St. Blaise were written 400 years after his death and are entirely apocryphal and fictional. 

The legend is as follows:

Blaise, who had studied philosophy in his youth, was a doctor in Sebaste in Armenia, the city of his birth.  When the bishop of the city died, Blaise was chosen to succeed him, with the acclamation of all the people.  His holiness was manifest through many miracles: from all around, people came to him to find cures for their spirit and their body.  In 316, Agricola, the governor of Cappadocia, having arrived in Sebastia at the order of the emperor Licinius to kill the Christians, arrested the bishop.

The legend holds that while Blaise was being taken into custody, a distraught mother, whose child was choking on a fishbone, threw herself at his feet and implored his intercession.  Touched at her grief, he offered up his prayers, and the child was cured.  Consequently, Saint Blaise is invoked for protection against injuries and illnesses of the throat.

The use of candles for the blessing of throats stems from the candles that Blaise used while in prison.

In many places on the day of his feast the blessing of St. Blaise is given: two candles (sometimes lit), blessed on the feast of the Presentation of the Lord (Candlemas), are held in a crossed position by a priest over the heads of the faithful or the people are touched on the throat with them.  At the same time the following blessing is given: "Through the intercession of Saint Blaise, bishop and martyr, may God deliver you from every disease of the throat and from every other illness".  Then the priest makes the sign of the cross over the faithful.

Submitted by Dc. Dan Stevens, Blessed Sacrament

The Parish council will be meeting on Tuesday, February 4, 2020 at 7:00pm in the room off of the cafeteria. All are welcomed to attend.

Offertory

Winter weather provides a double challenge for our parish. When ice, snow, cold or winter illness prevents parishioners from attending weekend Masses our offertory suffers. This has a direct impact on the funds we have available each week to pay our bills and meet our payroll. The problem becomes even more complicated when we are faced with increased heating, salt and snow removal bills. Any extra help that you can give is greatly appreciated. If you do have to miss Mass for illness or weather, please know how very grateful we are when you drop your offertory gift off later in the week or include it with your next week's offering. This really helps us keep our budget balanced. We are grateful for your offertory of $6,945.00 for January 26.

Thank you to all those who have prayed for my recovery, expressed concern about my mobility, and especially to those who signed the wonderful scroll. Particular thanks to John for doggedly accumulating messages. In my youth, it was customary for friends to sign the plaster cast of the clumsy individual who had broken a limb, so I felt in a way deprived because medical technology had moved beyond plaster casts and that I was missing out on that tradition. Consequently, the marvelous scroll filled that gap. The divine design can be breath-taking, particularly when it comes to the built-in capacity to heal. - Dc. Dan

Coffee and Donuts will be held this week after the 9:30 Mass.  Come enjoy a hot cup of coffee, a treat, and time to visit with each other.

Most of us live ordinary lives with ordinary days in which we know our best and our worst self and everything in-between. We have our days when, with a bounce in our step, we are able to bring joy, patience, and gratitude to others, and days when we need hope, trust, and a forgiving heart to put one foot in front of the other. It is in these ordinary days that the extraordinary mystery of God's faithful love accomplishes saints-in-the-making. Our ordinary lives are holy because it is here we experience who we are and who our God is for us.

Blessed Sacrament and St. Vincent DePaul will be joining forces once again to raise funds for both churches with the Fish Fry Dinners.  Any and all volunteers are welcome to attend the start-up meeting at 6:30 pm in the School Cafeteria on Wednesday, February 5.  There are many different ways to help, not all require attendance at the actual dinner.  If you are interested and cannot attend the meeting, please call the rectory to give your name and phone number and we will get back to you to see how you would like to help.  

We pray for Andrew Gilbert, Elizabeth Walrath, Jean Suits, Patrick Brewer, Yang Juan, Perri Close, Jill Danial, Janet Barry, Mary Griffin, Cole Malone, Elizabeth Gilbert, John Laura, Susan Moro Campbell, Missy DiPaulo Angotti, Jeanne Griffen, George Taddeo, Carolyn Armstrong, Mary Linehan, Mary Extale, Mary Gersbacher, Mary Ingalls, Rita Bross, Marlene Brush, Roslyn Antonacci, Harold Thompson, John Gersbacher, and Grace McNamara.

Mass Intentions - Church

Saturday, February 1

5:00 p.m. - Sam Sorbello - Estate

Sunday, February 2

7:30 a.m. - Michael Snyder - Joe and Karen Bowers

9:30 a.m. - David Hildenbrand - Wife Barbara

*Interpreted Mass for Deaf Community

11:30 a.m. - People of the Parish

Mass Intentions - Chapel

Monday, February 3 - 8:00 a.m.

Kim Gallant - Janice and Roland Barry

Tuesday, February 4 - 8:00 a.m.

Gwen Reynolds - Estate

Wednesday, February 5 - 8:00 a.m.

Donald L. Yacavone - Timmy Mayo

Thursday, February 6 - 8:00 a.m.

Genevieve Falcone - Robert Atanasio

Friday, February 7 - 8:00 a.m.

6th Anniversary Joey Metallo, Jr. - Family

Mass Intentions - Church

Saturday, February 8

5:00 p.m. - Mary Dunham - The Engelbrecht Family

Sunday, February 9

7:30 a.m. - Janice Brooks Veno - Donna Hurn and Family

9:30 a.m. - Jack Chase - Family

*Interpreted Mass for Deaf Community

11:30 a.m. - People of the Parish

Mass Intentions are a long standing tradition in the Catholic Church. Most intentions are offered for deceased loved ones, but other occasions are also prayed for: the living, one's health, anniversaries, special occasions. There are openings for this year, both weekdays and weekends, for you to schedule an intention. Please contact the rectory at 315.437.3394.

This weekend we welcome Father Patrick J. McCormick of Cross Catholic Outreach who is speaking at all Masses on behalf of the poor in developing countries. Catholic Outreach was founded to create a meaningful link between parishes in America and the priests and nuns working in the Church overseas in the Caribbean, Africa, Asia, Central and South America.

What is At Stake for Our Communities?

Our community benefits from everyone being counted and we have one chance in a decade to get it right. The 2020 Census' impact on our communities is profound. It shapes everything from whether we have fair political representation in Congress to whether our roads, hospitals, schools and fire departments have the funding they need to support our health and well-being for the next decade. A full, accurate count lays the foundation for a healthy democracy and communities where families thrive and flourish. Your census information is confidential, and we have a legal and moral responsibility to take part.

Federal Funding: Over $800 billion in federal government funding will be determined by the 2020 Census count. The 2020 Census will impact how many teachers are hired in our local schools and how many nurses and beds are in our local hospitals. From roads to food assistance, when people are not counted, our communities lose out.

Political Power: The 2020 Census will determine how many representatives your state will send to Congress and how your congressional district will be drawn. State and local governments also use Census data to redraw state legislative districts. In the last Census New York lost 2 Congressional seats! https://2020census.gov/

Raffle Time!

"Share the Wealth" is a raffle for Blessed Sacrament School and Church Capital Improvement & Parish Operations. Tickets are $75 each and only 750 tickets will be sold! Tickets can be purchased online at two websites: https://blessedsacramentsyracuse.ejoinme.org/2020raffle or https://blessedsacramentsyracuse.com (select Give then STW Raffle) or calling the rectory at 315.437.3394. Tickets are also available in the pews of Blessed Sacrament Church. Top prize is $10,000. Total Payout is $20,750. 1st Prize (1) $10,000 . . . 2nd Prize (2) $2,500 . . . 3rd Prize (5) $1,000 . . . 4th Prize (10) $75 (Dinner Attendees Only). Saturday, May 9, 2020 at the Parish Center. If attending the Spring Fling dinner, the ticket not only covers the dinner but will be included in a separate drawing for the 10 winners of the 4th prize at $75.00. RSVP for the dinner: https://blessedsacramentsyracuse.ejoinme.org/2020raffle or https://blessedsacramentsyracuse.com (select Give then STW Raffle) by May 4, 2020.

"This is not the time to leave,
but the time to stay and fight."

Feeling hurt, angry, or demoralized about the sexual abuse crisis plaguing the Catholic Church? The Church of St. Michael & St. Peter, 4791 West Seneca Turnpike, Syracuse invites you to a discussion about the book, Letter to a Suffering Church: A Bishop Speaks On The Sexual Abuse Crisis by Bishop Robert Barron. Join us February 9 from 12:30 to 2pm in the Church Hall for a discussion on this difficult and sensitive topic. Email: FFstmichaelstpeter@syrdio.org by February 2 if you have questions. Prior reading of the book is not required.

If you know of anyone who is sick and homebound and who would like to receive the Eucharist, please contact the rectory at 315.437.3394. Arrangements can be made for a visit. Also, if there is someone who would like to receive a copy of the weekly bulletin, please call the rectory.

Polish Dinner with live music and beads. Sunday. February 23 from Noon to 3pm. Transfiguration Church Hall, 740 Teall Ave, Syracuse. Polish Food Platter: pierogi, golabki, kielbasa, vegetable, rye bread, jelly doughnuts and refreshments. Adults: $15, Children 6-12 $6, Under 6- free

Peaceful Prayer Vigil

Join the peaceful prayer vigil, 40 Days for Life from February 26 - April 5.  There are 3 locations in or near our diocese: Syracuse, Ithaca, and Binghamton.  For more information or to sign up go to: https://www.40daysforlife.com/.  Prayer changes things - be an instrument for change!

Pro-Life Leadership Day

Saturday, February 29, 2020 | 12:00PM - 5:00PM. Learn simple ways to defend and communicate your pro-life beliefs! Higher schoolers are invited to join youth from around central New York for a day of food, fun, friends, and learning key ways to defend life. Open to youth in grades 9-12.  Register: https://events.syracusediocese.org/view/4707/pro-life-leadership-day

Got any old bags?

The recreation department of Bishop Rehabilitation Center is asking for anyone interested to please donate plastic grocery bags (all colors, sizes, holes in them) for a special resident driven community support project - crocheting travel/sleep mats to be donated to the Rescue Mission. To donate, contact Tammy Shoales at tshoales@bishopcare.com.

2019 Offertory Contributions

Tax statements for the 2019 offertory contributions will be mailed starting by the end of January. There is no need to call the rectory; statements should be received by early February.