St Patrick's of Smithtown
Welcome to the Parish
Masses for Ascension Thursday
(A Holy Day of Obligation)
Wednesday, April 30th
7:30 PM Vigil
Thursday, May 1st
6:45 AM
9:00 AM
12:10 PM
7:30 PM
This year, the winner of the Car Raffle (our parish’s major fundraiser for the year) will take home a fuel-efficient hybrid car:
The 2008 Toyota Prius!
(or $15,000 cash)
Raffle tickets will go on sale after Masses on the weekend of May 17th & 18th. Second prize is a seven-day stay at any Wyndam Time Share Resort and two Southwest Airlines tickets. Third prize will be $1,000 Cash for Gas.
Watch the bulletin for more details!
Or check back here!
Mother’s
Day
Novena
May 11th, 2008
A Novena of Masses will be offered for all mothers, living and deceased, beginning on Mother’s Day, May 11th. All names returned will be placed on the altar during the Novena. There are extra Mother’s Day envelopes available at the door of the church.
2008 Catholic Ministries Appeal
The Hands of Christ-supporting the Community Around Us
Catholic Minististries supports many activities and programs in the
church, the communitity and the world. These include Education in our
various elementary and high schools; Formation for religious
instruction and guidance for our children, adult parishioners, those
newly entering our faith and our various Seminarians; our Parishes;
Catholic Charities; and Pastoral Outreach.
Please consider making a gift to this program that supports our church,
our faith, our community and our world.
Scholarships Being Offered
6th Annual Donald J. Burns Scholarship
The family of the late Donald J. Burns, Past Grand Knight of Holy Mother Mary Knights of Columbus Council and Assistant Fire Chief F.D.N.Y. has again granted permission to the council to award four $500 academic scholarships in his name. Mr. Burns was among the fallen heroes of the F.D.N.Y. who gave their lives at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001 (learn more...) .
Catholic Daughters of America
Once again, the Cathoic Daughters (Court 1706, Smithtown) are offering a partial scholarship to all 8th Grade students of our parish. Those who are planning to enter Catholic High School in September, 2008 are welcome to apply. (learn more...)
Neighborhood Events and Service Opportunities
There are many events and activities in the Smithtown area outside of the parish. There are also many needs that present us opportunities to be of service to the community. Please take the time to occasionally check either the parish bulletin or this website for either events and activities of interes or for ways help those around you. Also, if you know of an approriate event or need in the area, please contact the rectory.
Currently, the Suffolk County Board of Electors is looking for Election Inspectors.
Reflections on Pope Benedict XVI’s Visit to the United States
Pope Benedict XVI clearly made an impact on our country with his visit last week. Here are reflections from two from our parish who attended events during the Holy Father’s six-day sojourn.
From Seminarian John Ryan
Remember the Y2K scare of 1999? It now seems so far away and trivial. And right after it there was great hope and anticipation for the new millennium, where we would enter into a new era of great scientific discoveries and technological advancements that would open up new horizons and reshape the destiny of humankind. Yes, it was a time of peace and prosperity, unity and security, trust and hope. For Catholic Americans it was a time where one could feel confident in the leadership of the clergy, to be guided by their care and concern for their salvation. Those early days of 2000 were lived with a carefree and relaxed attitude with the hope of an even brighter future.... (read more)
From Parishoner John McGowan
April 20th 2008 is a day I will long remember and cherish. Being at Yankee Stadium and watching and listening to Our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI was a moving and loving experience. I was able to clearly see him as he celebrated the Mass and watched him as he read his homily seated in his raised chair. After his Apostolic Blessing, I watched him as he entered the dugout directly below where I was seated. I waited as the Popemobile waited for him and then saw him emerge and step up directly into the back of the vehicle. As the vehicle passed directly below me, he continued to wave to everyone. I thank God that I had the opportunity to be there.
Tomorrow’s
Hope
Special Collection
Bishop Murphy approved a second collection to be taken up to benefit Tomorrow’s Hope Foundation and our Catholic elementary schools. Next weekend you will have the opportunity to contribute in a second collection. Half the money will go to our parish school and half to the Elementary Foundation so that tuition assistance can be offered to families in need desiring a Catholic elementary education for their children. This year, Tomorrow’s Hope Foundation gave more than $1.7 million in tuition assistance. To fulfill all the needs requested, $2.5 million would have been needed. Many of you or those you know have been educated in Catholic schools. We need your financial and prayerful support so we can continue this great ministry in our Church.
Defensive Driving Class
A Defensive Driving Course will be held at St. Patrick’s Monday and Wednesday, May 12th and 14th from 7 to 10 PM in St. Patrick School Room 108. Participants must attend both nights to receive credit. The fee is $45. Please remember to bring a pen and your driver’s license. To register or for more information, please call Bill Owens at Safety Education, 845-756-2481.
Monday & Wednesday, May 12th & 14th
at 7 to 10 PM in Room 108
Catholic Daughters Court 1702
Military Bridge & Luncheon
Bring your friends and put together a table of four. For tickets and reservations, call Marge at 265-5895.
Saturday, April 26th
at 12 Noon
in Canning Hall
RSVP April 21st
From the Diocese
Young Adult Office
Faith on Tap
A forum for those, in their 20s & 30s, of straight talk and honest answers to questions of faith and morals. The next session of Faith on Tap will be on Monday, April 28th from 7 to 9 PM at the Wantagh Inn - across from the Wantagh RR Station. The evening’s topic is "Saints for Today." Our guest speaker is Sarah Gallick. (learn more...)
Goodness begets goodness, love begets love. That is one of the main points of today’s gospel. Jesus says, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always, the Spirit of truth.” There are many motives that drive us to do and say the things we do. Some are negative: anger, spite, vengeance, greed, fear and guilt. Others are positive: compassion, concern, duty, and honor. But the greatest motive to act and speak is love. To love Jesus is to keep his commandments. These commandments go far beyond the ten commandments. The ten commandments can delude us into thinking all we have to do to be good is to avoid murder, adultery, lying and coveting. To keep his commandments is to give of ourselves generously and willingly to all those God sends into our lives. To love as Jesus calls us to is to get involved in the good, difficult and messy situations in life.
Last Sunday I was struck by three experiences: the attention paid to the Mass at Yankee Stadium, the Car Show in our parish, and my supper with the residents in a group home. I only had a few minutes to get a glimpse of the Mass at Yankee Stadium that Pope Benedict XVI celebrated. It was amazing to see that all the major channels were broadcasting this wonderful event. Sunday afternoon is sports time for most of the major channels. In spite of golf, baseball, basketball playoffs, hockey playoffs and whatever other sporting events were going on, the celebration of Mass with the Pope took precedence. That shows a profound respect for him and an acknowledgment, whether conscious or not, of the hunger we all have for spiritual nourishment. I know of five of our parishioners who were able to get tickets to this Mass. I am asking some of them to give us an account of their experience so we can publish it in our bulletin. Our seminarian John Ryan was at the Youth Rally at St. Joseph’s Seminary on Saturday and Fr. Anselm was delighted to get a ticket to the farewell ceremony at Kennedy Airport on Sunday evening. How good to see the leadership of our Church in such a wonderful light.
Some of the commentators reporting on what the Pope was doing were filling the quiet time with facts and information, some of which were good and some of which were inaccurate. One of the facts presented was that Catholics were the group that put the election over the edge for President Bush in the last election. It is a hopeful and awesome thought to think that we as a group have that much influence in our nation. The more we live our faith and keep the commandments because we love God, the better off our nation will be.
When I looked out at the fields after the 9:00 AM Mass last Sunday I was amazed and delighted to see all the cars that came for the Car Show. This year there were more than twice as many cars as we had the two previous years. That is the result of John Forlenza, the school parent who came forward two years ago with the idea and willingness to organize this event. In addition to the cars, there were food, rides for the children and a variety of vendors. We were also able to display and offer chances on the car we will raffle off at the Irish Pub Night on June 27th. The sticker says it gets 48 MPG in the city and 45 MPG on the highway. It was refreshing to see the enthusiasm in all the volunteers as well as the great number of people who came to the show. In the name of all of us I thank John Forlenza and his family for all they have done for us. They are a great source of life and hope for us.
I concluded Sunday by having supper with my friend who has cerebral palsy. It was his birthday and I was invited to have supper with him, his fellow residents and aides. They ordered pizza and his mother brought Chinese food. It was humbling and awesome to see how two of his fellow residents had to be fed by an aide and drink coffee and soda through a straw because they could not grip a cup or glass. One of them could only eat the pizza after it had be ground up in the blender. My friend is the youngest one there and this was his thirty-first birthday. In spite of the handicaps the residents have, the meal was one of joy and laughter. They were so happy to be together and totally enjoyed this “special meal.” An experience like that turns my attention to what and who are truly important in life. At one point I was privileged to help an older female resident eat her cake at the table and hold her coffee cup as she drank through a straw. There were no complaints or people feeling sorry for themselves, just a group of God’s children rejoicing together as they were feeding one another with their goodness, simplicity and love. How blest I was to be there.
Father Walden
The Roman Catholic Community of St. Patrick, Smithtown sees itself as:
- The People of God, The Body of Christ.
- Enlightenment by the Word of God.
- Nourished by the Life of Christ in the Sacraments.
- Supported by our love for and our forgiveness of each other.
- Empowered to bring the love, justice and peace of Christ to our families, our neighbors, our friends, our enemies, the poor and the powerless.
- Called to reach out to the unchurched and the non-practicing members of our community and to assist in the spiritual, intellectual and social growth of all whose lives we touch.
