Dear Parishioners,
Today is the 5th Sunday of Easter. We continue to bask in the light of Easter joy. These great 50 days of Easter are meant to be moments of joyful praise to the Lord as we commemorate his triumph over sin and death by his resurrection from the dead. Our gospel passage today speaks of love. The Lord gives us a new commandment, to love one another. As he prepares for his Ascension to the Father, Jesus gives us this commandment as a mandate to live in his image and likeness. To be a disciple of Jesus, we must love one another in the same way that God loves us. We are called to embrace one another as brothers and sisters in Christ, allowing our hearts to be filled with mercy and compassion. As we approach the solemnity of Pentecost in a few weeks, we pray that the Holy Spirit will strengthen and guide us to carry out the commandment to love one another.
2022 Annual Catholic Appeal
Over these last few weeks, you have seen and heard me talk about this year’s Annual Catholic Appeal. As you know, the Annual Catholic Appeal assists financially for the ongoing pastoral work of the Diocese of Brooklyn. Each parish is assigned a financial goal to raise within a year for the Annual Catholic Appeal. Our goal here at St. Martin de Porres is $63,586. Of that goal, we have pledged to date, $17,647 from 44 families in our parish. I thank all of you who have made a pledge to this year’s Appeal. The key to reaching goal is full participation. If each family participates in this year’s appeal, we will be able to achieve our goal and maybe go over it! Anything that goes over goal comes directly back to the parish. This weekend Father Franklin and I will be speaking about the Annual Catholic Appeal at all the masses. In addition, you will hear a short reflection from a fellow parishioner, encouraging everyone to participate in whatever way they can in this year’s appeal. Thank you for your support and generosity.
Ascension Thursday
Next Thursday, May 26th is Ascension Thursday. It is a Holy Day of Obligation. Masses will be celebrated at each of our three churches: 9:00AM at Holy Rosary, 12:00Noon at St. Peter Claver and 7:30PM at Our Lady of Victory. Please note that there will not be an 8:00AM Mass at Our Lady of Victory next Thursday morning.
Father Daniel Kingsley Newly Installed Pastor of St. Clare Parish
This weekend we congratulate and pray for our former parochial vicar, Father Daniel Kingsley as he is canonically installed as the 13th Pastor of St. Clare Parish in Rosedale, Queens. In your kindness, I ask that you pray for him and the parishioners of St. Clare’s as they begin this new historic chapter in their parish.
Wishing you a blessed and joyful week,
Father Alonzo Q. Cox