2nd Week in Advent

The Link

The newsletter for The Brooklyn Oratory Parishes

"I am a link in a chain, a bond of connection between persons."

-St. John Henry Cardinal Newman, C.O.

The Brooklyn Oratory Parishes

Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Boniface

December 4, 2020

Visit our website for more information: www.oratorychurch.org

Centering Prayer Introductory Program via Zoom

Led by Jim Connell

Centering prayer is a receptive method of silent Christian prayer that prepares us to receive the gift of contemplative prayer – prayer in which we experience God's presence within us. This digital workshop will introduce the concepts and methods of Centering Prayer to those who are new to the practice or those seeking a refresher. Discover a way to "Be Still and Know that I am God." Please register at https://bit.ly/3fZnmBH. If you have any questions, contact Jim Connell at connell.jim@verizon.net.

Saturday, December 5, 2020, 12:30pm to 3:30pm

Greens and Poinsettia Pick Up

this weekend at Assumption Church during the following hours:

Saturday 4pm - 6:15pm

Sunday 9am - 11:15am

The Oratory Recital Series continues on YouTube, featuring works for violin, cello and piano. BrooklynOratory on YouTube for more information.

Live, Monday December 7, 8:00pm

Music for the Mass at St Boniface.

Telemann, Trio Sonata, TWV 42:g5

Bach, Cantata BWV 140

Sunday, December 6, 10:00am and 11:15am

From our Pastors

There have been many comings and goings in our parishes this year. More goings than comings if truth be told. A recent mailing has seen a good number of “change of address” or “undeliverable” returned mail. The pandemic is reshaping our lives and our parish communities.

It is not always possible to mark the “goings” as we might like. But once in a while we get the chance. At the risk of singling out one person, but in the hope that the one can speak for all, this past week we fare welled Sol Irizarry.

Sol has been coming to weekday mass at St. Boniface almost every day for 55 years. She often arrived early and left late. Sitting up the front. Offering kind words to friend and stranger. Leading the rosary. Constantly praying. Sol trained to be a volunteer hospital Eucharistic Minister and visitor in her 70’s, and faithfully and cheerfully visited patients at Brooklyn Hospital for over a decade. At 91 now, but in excellent health and in good spirits, she decided to move closer to her daughter in Connecticut. She will be sorely missed by all who experienced her kindness and goodness.

Sol reminds us of Anna the prophetess in Luke’s gospel. Anna’s life-long fidelity to prayer enabled her to recognize the coming of Christ in the child Jesus (Lk. 2:36-38). Sol’s 55 years of fidelity to prayer are an inspiration to keep doing the daily work of turning up, and turning towards the light. Hopefully our fidelity to prayer this Advent can help us to also to recognize Christ when he comes.

We want to make sure you all know, wherever you are, we remain open and available to help. If you have a need and we might help, let us know. A week rarely goes by without us hearing from people all over the country who are grateful for this Link email, or our live streamed masses and other offerings through the website www.oratorychurch.org and on our YouTube channel, BrooklynOratory. The pandemic prompted us to offer more virtual ways to connect. A consequence has been a broadening of our outreach, enabling friends to stay connected from near and far.

THANK YOU, Sol for all the time, treasure and talent you gave so freely for so many years. Thank you to ALL who have done likewise. Your gifts have enriched our lives and made our daily work possible, often in beautifully unassuming but nevertheless significant ways. Generosity is the hallmark and strength of our community. May God continue to bless our future with people of generosity and dedication. THANK YOU.

Fr. Mark Lane, c.o. and Fr. Michael Callaghan, c.o.

Mass Intention Schedule

Assumption

12/5..5:00pm..Bettina Acerra

12/6..10:00am..The People of the Parish

12/7..No Mass

12/8..9:00am..Terrence J. McGurn

12/9..9:00am..John Vekassy

12/10 9:00am..Birthday – Immaculada Genabe

12/11..9:00am..Rose Josephine Dooley-Acheson

St. Boniface

12/6..10:00am..Terrence J. McGurn

12/6..11:15am..The People of the Parish

12/6..6:00pm..Stephen J. Kenefick

12/7..12:10pm..Healing-Cherry Labiles

12/8..12:10pm..Margaret Fissinger

12/9..12:10pm..Martin Rush

12/10..12:10pm..Rev. Mark Hirniak

12/11..12:10pm..Jacqueline Heck

Please keep the sick of the community in your prayers: Yurij Pawluk, Paul Martin, Gerard Slattery.

Rest In Peace: Sabatino Maragni, Beryl Stanislaus.

If you would like add someone to the prayer list, email the parish office at info@oratorychurch.org or go to the website https://oratorychurch.org/contact-us and complete the form.

Immaculate Conception

We will be following the regular daily Mass schedule for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.

Sunday December 8:

9am Mass at Assumption

12:10 Mass at St. Boniface

Virtual Advent Giving Tree

You can help make Christmas brighter for a child in need by joining Assumption's annual Advent Giving Tree project, beginning Sunday, November 29th through Sunday, December 20. We hope to provide at least 125 gifts to children and youth served by Hour Children. Gifts will be picked up by Hour Children on December 22.

Ways to participate:

Purchase a gift for a boy or a girl, ages 5 through 14. Bring your gift, unwrapped, and leave in the narthex of the church, or at the Oratory Residence.
Order a gift online, and have it shipped directly to the Oratory Residence at Assumption, noting that the order is a gift in the recipient line:

Fr. Michael Callaghan - Hour Children Gifts

64 Middagh St

Brooklyn, NY 11201

If the shipping instructions require a phone number, please use the parish office number: 718-875-2096

St. Boniface Social Justice Action

SJ Action committee is holding the annual Food Drive. Non-perishable food can be left at the back of the church and will be distributed to local groups feeding the food insecure. One can also Donate Funds to City Harvest: Funds are needed to operate their fleet of trucks that pick up and deliver fresh food that would otherwise go to waste. Donate directly at www.cityharvest.org or in December through the Oratory Pushpay.

Sunday, December 13, 9am to 1pm (before and after Mass).

OWC Sponsored—Ask and You Shall Receive Workshop

Presented by Anne-Francoise Potterat

A two-part Advent season experiential workshop. As we begin the ‘inward season’ of Advent and head into winter, the Oratory Women’s Community invites you to a Hands-on & Heart-in workshop. Together we will relax, meditate with eyes open and closed, let go, and let God guide us to the Creative Perfect Power within each one of us.

More info HERE.

Registration is required at bit.ly/asknreceive.

Choose either Session A or Session B

Session A: Two Wednesdays Dec 9 & 16 7:30pm - 8:45pm

Session B: Two Thursdays Dec 10 & 18 8:30pm - 9:45pm

Parking at St Boniface

At the courtesy of the 84th precinct, we are able to park close to the church on Sundays for Masses. The courtesy is for parking on Duffield St from Myrtle to Fulton and on Willoughby from Gold to Bridge.

You must be displaying the church parking sign in the car's front window.

If in the unlikely event you get a ticket when you are parked safely within these areas let Fr Mark Lane know ASAP. He will give you the permission number from the precinct that you can present to the judge for disputing the fine. If you have any issues let the parish office know so we can continue to advocate with local enforcement and community groups.

Mass intentions available.

If you would like to request a mass for someone living or deceased, Mass intentions are available for the weeks or months ahead. Email carolefabrizio@oratorychurch.org or info@oratorychurch.org. Cards can also be mailed out.