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From The Pastors Desk

Dear Parishioners,

As we enter the Ordinary Time of the Liturgical year, we celebrate two beautiful Sunday solemnities that allows us to commemorate the foundation of our faith. Today is the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. Next week we will celebrate the Solemnity of Corpus Christi. Today’s solemnity gives us the true roots of who we are as Catholics. Each time we gather for prayer, we invoke the Blessed Trinity, who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We believe that God is present in the three persons of the Trinity. When we were baptized, the priest or deacon baptized us using the Trinitarian formula. Our lives of prayer must always begin and end by invoking the three persons of the Blessed Trinity. Our gospel passage today allows us to reflect upon how God sent his only begotten son to free us from our sins and lead us to salvation. We pray that Jesus will continue to lead us to that kingdom where we will spend all eternity. Continue reading “June 4, 2023” →

From the Pastor’s Desk

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Dear Parishioners

Today is the 6^th Sunday of Easter. It is also Mother’s day. I take this opportunity to wish all our mother’s here at the parish a happy and blessed Mother’s Day. Throughout the month of May, we remember in a special way our Blessed Mother Mary. We continue to thank God for the gift of the Blessed Virgin Mary, for it is from her womb that we come into the presence of Christ, savior of the world. Today we thank God for the gift of motherhood. We thank God for those women who were a mother to us in nurturing and guiding us along the way. Today we will crown the statue of the Blessed Mother at each of our three churches as a symbol of her motherly love for us as Queen of Heaven and Earth. As we prepare to celebrate the feast of the Ascension and the Solemnity of Pentecost, may Christ the Lord continue to bestow his abundant blessings upon all of us. Through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, may we follow her son closer to the eternal Kingdom of Heaven. Continue reading “May 14, 2023” →

From the Pastor’s Desk

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Dear Parishioners,

Today is the 5^th Sunday of Easter. These weeks of Easter seem to be flying right by! The risen Lord continues to reveal himself to us, as our eyes remain fixated on him. Our scripture passages for Mass over these next few days will prepare us for the upcoming solemnity of the Ascension of our Lord. Jesus speaks to us of his relationship with the Father. Our gospel passage at Mass today depicts our Father’s house. The Lord has gone to prepare a place for us where we will spend all eternity. Jesus tells us that, I am the way, the truth and the life. As Jesus prepares to ascend to the Father, he prepares us to wait in joyful anticipation for his second coming. May we continue to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ here in Bedford Stuyvesant. Continue reading “May 7, 2023” →

From the Pastor’s Desk

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Dear Parishioners,

Today is the 4^th Sunday of Easter. It is traditionally known as Good Shepherd Sunday. The gospel passage for Mass today speaks of Jesus as the Good Shepherd. We recognize the voice of the shepherd, who leads us through the pastures. Today, we pray in a very special way for priests, who serve as shepherds of the flock here on earth. Traditionally, the Pope will ordain new priests for Rome on this day. In your kindness, I ask all of you to pray for Father Franklin and I, that we may be good and holy shepherds to you. May Christ in his infinite love and mercy bless all of us here at St. Martin de Porres Parish. Continue reading “April 30, 2023” →

From the Pastor’s Desk

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Dear Parishioners,

Today is the third Sunday of Easter. We continue to hear from the Acts of the Apostles as the first reading for Mass during the Easter season. Peter continues to boldly proclaim the Resurrection of Jesus from the dead. He and the other apostles testify to the truth that Jesus has been raised by the Father and exalted at his right hand. We too are witnesses of Christ, proclaiming the Good News and allowing the Holy Spirit to strengthen and empower our community. Today’s gospel is the revelation of Jesus on the Road to Emmaus. It is in this gospel that the disciples recognize the Lord in the breaking of the bread. As we approach this most sacred altar, we see Jesus in his fullness as the Bread of Life and the cup of eternal salvation. May these Easter weeks be a time of spiritual refreshment as we bask in the joy of the Resurrection. Continue reading “April 23, 2023” →

From the Pastor’s Desk

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Dear Parishioners,

What a beautiful Easter celebration we had last week! Last Sunday, we welcomed hundreds of people as we celebrated the joy of the Resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ. We continue to welcome all visitors to our parish community, as we give witness to the love of Christ in our lives. Today is the second Sunday of Easter, which is popularly known as Divine Mercy Sunday. On the Second Sunday of Easter of the Jubilee Year 2000, at the Mass for the Canonization of St. Faustina Kowalska, Pope John Paul II declared the Sunday after Easter be called “Divine Mercy Sunday.” St. Faustina was a Polish nun who received visions from Jesus, including one of Jesus wearing a white garment with beams of red and white coming from his heart, which came to be known as the image of Divine Mercy. She wrote in her diary, “I want the Image to be solemnly blessed on the first Sunday after Easter, and I want it to be venerated publicly so that every soul may know about it. My daughter, tell the whole world about my inconceivable mercy. I desire that the Feast of Mercy be a refuge and shelter for all souls, and especially for poor sinners. I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the fount of My mercy”. Divine Mercy Sunday focuses on the gift of mercy and love given through Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. As Pope John Paul II stated, “Divine Mercy reaches human beings through the heart of Christ crucified.” Continue reading “April 16, 2023” →