Dear Parishioners,

As our Black History Month celebrations come to a close, I would like to once again thank the Black History Month Committee for their dedication and hard work in putting together a program of celebration for the parish community. We are blessed to have such dedicated and loving parishioners. I would also like to thank those of you who came to the Diocesan celebration of Black History Month last Sunday. As you know, I serve as Diocesan director of Ministry to African American Catholics and the Coordinator of the Vicariate of Black Catholic Concerns. Each year we join the Diocese of Rockville Centre for a Mass of Thanksgiving for Black History Month. This year we had over 300 people gather for Mass at the Immaculate Conception Center in Douglaston. I was honored to serve as the homilist for Mass. I thank each of you for your love and support.

Youth Art, Photo and Poetry Contest

Our parish will once again hold an art contest. This contest is aimed for the youth of our parish to participate in. This year’s theme is to illustrate the life of Blessed Isidore Bakanja, who was a Carmelite from the Congo. Instructions for the contest can be found in this week’s bulletin. The deadline to enter is Saturday March 7. There will be three prizes awarded. All work will be displayed at the Brooklyn Waldorf School on March 14 and 15.

Ash Wednesday

The season of Lent will begin with Ash Wednesday, which is this Wednesday, February 26. Masses for Ash Wednesday are as follows: 8:00AM at Our Lady of Victory Church, 12:00Noon at St. Peter Claver Church and 7:30PM at Our Lady of Victory Church. We will have a 11:00AM Prayer Service at Holy Rosary Church and a 12:00Noon prayer service with the distribution of ashes at Our Lady of Victory Church.

Stations of the Cross

As is the custom here at St. Martin dePorres Parish, we will pray the stations of the cross each Friday night during the season of Lent. This year, the Friday following Ash Wednesday, which is February 28, we will have one communal celebration of Stations of the Cross. In commemoration of Black History Month we will pray the Stations of the Cross in honor of our Black ancestors. It will begin at 7:00PM and will be held at Holy Rosary Church. Stations of the Cross will then resume the following week at each of the three churches beginning at 7:00PM.

Annual Catholic Appeal 2020

We are now in the beginning stages of the 2020 Annual Catholic Appeal. As you know, the ACA is an annual campaign appeal which helps support the works of the Diocese of Brooklyn. Each parish is given a goal to meet each year. Here at St. Martin dePorres our goal this year is $65,024. We had a very successful ACA last year and I hope that this year will be the same. You will be hearing more about this year’s appeal along with the in-pew commitment in just a few weeks.

Have a great week,

Father Alonzo Q. Cox