care of the sick
TRANSCRIPT
PARISH STAFF Rev. Rick Lesser, Pastor
Rev. Richard Leskovar, Weekend Assistant
Deacon Alfred Manzella
Patricia Holm, Pastoral Associate, Administration
Barbara Ruggirello, Bookkeeper
Paul Edmundson, Office Assistant
Peter Bukowski, Facilities Manager
Maura Barrett, LMSW, Pastoral Care Associate
Avery Tunningley, Parish Music Director
Nelly Brown Bunk, Choir Director
Konstantin Tsykun, Contemporary Music Director
FAITH FORMATION AND YOUTH MINISTRY Monday through Thursday, 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Closed Friday.
Patti Staerker, Coordinator, Elementary School Program
Rose Ann Garry, Co-Coordinator, Middle/High School Program
Bridget Zigrosser, Co-Coordinator, Middle/High School Program
Mary Ann Hospodar, Coordinator, Youth Ministry Program
Colleen Harrigan, Secretary
PARISH TRUSTEES: Carmel Foltan and Adele Nucci
ST. THOMAS SCHOOL: 439-5573 Fax: 478-9773 www.stthomas-school.org [email protected] Ernie Casile, Interim School Principal [email protected] Jennifer Murphy, Associate for Enrollment and Development [email protected]
35 Adams Place, Delmar, New York 12054
Office Phone: (518) 439-4951 • Fax: (518) 439-0108
Office E-mail: [email protected]
Office Hours: Open By Appointment Only
Website: www.stthomas-church.org
WEEKEND MASS Saturday Vigil: 5:00 p.m., Sunday Mass: 10:00 a.m.
Holy Days As Announced WEEKDAY MASS
Mon and Thurs 7:30 a.m.; Tues and Fri 12:15 p.m. EUCHARISTIC ADORATION
No Eucharistic Adoration currently scheduled
RECONCILIATION Tuesday: 11:30 a.m., Saturday: 4:00 p.m. or by appointment
BAPTISM Baptism of infants is usually celebrated on the 3rd and 4th Sundays of the
month. Contact the Parish Office for arrangements. Preparation sessions for parents presenting infants for Baptism are held monthly. RITE OF CHRISTIAN INITIATION OF ADULTS
Contact the Parish Office for information about the program this fall. MATRIMONY
Arrangements for marriage should be made at least 6 to 8 months in advance and before scheduling a reception. Contact the Parish Office for information.
ANOINTING OF THE SICK First Tuesday of the Month after 12:15 p.m. Mass or by request.
CARE OF THE SICK The Pastoral Care Team responds to the needs of homebound or
hospitalized parishioners. Please call to make us aware of persons who would like a visit or home Communion. Contact: Maura Barrett.
NEW PARISHIONER Please register in the parish by calling the office weekdays to set up an
appointment . Please remember our parish in your will. We are: “St. Thomas’ Church of Delmar, N.Y.”
PARISH MISSION STATEMENT
To proclaim and celebrate the presence of Je-sus Christ our Lord in a community of faith, to respond to the Spirit by recognizing the gifts of each individual and by encouraging their use in
Christian service to others and to spread the Word to others by the witness of our lives in
order to encourage growth in our relationships with God and with one another.
JUNE 19 - JUNE 20, 2021
Pastor’s Corner
A FEW CHANGES, AS WE JOIN TOGETHER FOR MASS ~ We are happy to be able to loosen up a few of our
restrictions. You may have recently seen Fr. Rick's video on
our website regarding our newest change: As you enter the
front door of the church you will still be seated by our ushers ,
however you will see that the tape, for socially distancing at-
tendees, on the left side of the church, is now removed. If you
have been fully vaccinated you may sit on this side, with or
without a mask. For those not yet vaccinated, or for those who
are more comfortable continuing to be socially distanced,
please sit on the right side of the church. (We appreciate your
continuing to wear your mask if these circumstances apply.) We
thank you for your considerable patience as St. Thomas comes
back together again.
Annual Missionary Cooperation Plan Appeal ~ Sr.
Ifeoma Onwudinjo MSHR of the Missionary Sisters of the Holy Rosary will be with us the weekend of June 26 and 27.
The community was founded in Ireland in 1924 to work with the women of Nigeria, West Africa. The Missionary Sisters of the Holy Rosary are now an international community in nine coun-
tries of Africa and in Brazil. They are strictly a missionary group with no institutions in the United States and Canada, so there-
fore rely almost exclusively on funds provided through the Soci-ety of the Propagation of the Faith and the generosity of the people back home to support their sisters on mission. The Sis-
ters are deeply grateful for your contribution. For your donation, to be collected at Mass, please make your check payable to St. Thomas the Apostle and show “Mission Co-op” on the memo
line.
CONGRATULATIONS to the families of the following chil-dren who were baptized recently at St. Thomas: Bailey Marie Barrett, Jenna Diane Palmer and Geraldine Genesis Charpen-tier
Parish Office ~ The office continues to be open by ap-pointment only. Please contact any of us directly via email (see front page of the bulletin), by phone, 518-439-4951 or general email, [email protected]. Requests for Mass cards and sacramental records (i.e. baptism, marriage, etc.) can all be filled out online, or by calling the office.
Prayer & Worship
PRAYER CHAIN ~ Members respond to urgent prayer inten-tions. Calls are confidential. Contact Pam Seward at: 518-
439-7845 for your intention to be added.
Faith Formation
elementary faith formation (grades 1-5) (Contact: Patti Staerker)
Fall Registration ~ Our registration form for next year's pro-gram is now available and can be found on our church website at www.stthomas-church.org. Our program includes catechesis (religious instruction) for children entering grades 1- 10 in the Fall and includes Sacramental preparation for Reconciliation, First Communion and Confirmation for those meeting the nec-essary requirements and looking to make their Sacraments.
Catechists and Class Assistants with up-to date
credentials will be NEEDED to lead classes either in person and/or virtually for next year. Please contact the Faith Formation office to find out how you can help. 518-439-4951 x108.
Faith Formation Office is Closed for the Summer While our office is now closed for the sum-mer, emails and voicemails will be regularly checked over the summer weeks, so please do not hesitate to leave/send a message. It will be replied to as soon as possible.
Communion to the Homebound has resumed! ~For those who have complet-ed their training, you may pick up your Pas-toral Care Kit in the Gathering Hall with your name. They will be available to for pick up this week. We remain “on hold” for residen-tial visitation, however, you may pick up your packet.
In addition ~ If you, or someone you know, is no longer able to get to Mass and would like to receive Communion at home, please let Maura know.
Knitting, Quilting, and Crocheting with Love Ministry ~ The activities of this group are picking up! We have two projects in the works. If you are interested in becoming involved contact Maura or Chris Ryan (facilitator) at 518-439-8517.
Although the long term care facilities are currently not ac-cepting knitted lap robes and blankets, our team was asked to consider creating walker bags. If you are interest-ed in participating in this ministry please contact Maura. She has a demo walker bag in the office and directions.
The Christ Child Society has reached out to our team to assist in creating baby items for them to deliver to needy babies. This includes blankets, sweaters, hats, booties, etc. Yarn can be provided by the society and pick up and delivery is included. Let Maura know if you would like to join this ministry!
The St. Thomas Alzheimer’s Care Team ~ is part of Ed-dy Alzheimer’s Service and is a team of caring individuals who provide non-medical support and friendship to individuals and families living with dementia. Training is provided and time commitment is about 2-4 hours a month. The team meets to-gether about 1x/month to review cases and schedules. There has been an increase in referrals and they are in need of more volunteers. Please contact Maura if you would like to learn more about assisting this dynamic team.
Pastoral Care
(Contact: Maura Barrett, LMSW)
Dear God, Please bless all fathers in the world. Guide them to be good role models and loving to their families. Help them to be a father like You are. Give them patience and grace to han-dle situations in a loving way. Amen.
The 5PM Saturday Vigil Mass on June 26 will be celebrated by Fr. Leskovar
Faith Formation & Youth Ministry
MIDDLE /HIGH SCHOOL FAITH FORMATION
(Contact: Rose Ann Garry or Bridget Zigrosser)
YOUTH MINISTRY (Contact: Mary Ann Hospodar)
Fall 2021 Faith Registration ~ We are
currently accepting Fall 2021 Faith For-mation Registration for Grades 6 -10.
Please register online on our website page Middle & High School Faith Formation - St Thomas the Apostle Church - Delmar, NY
(stthomas-church.org) by June 30 to save your spot J. Payment balances and class schedules will occur this fall. God Bless you for inviting us to be a part of your
family’s Faith Journey.
Weekly Food Drive ~ WE will continue to
add to our “God Bless America! God Bless YOU!” bags for seniors this Tuesday June
22 3-4 p.m. in the church parking lot. We will be collecting: patriotic napkins, decorations, tissues, Find & Seek Books large print, hand
sanitizer, lotion, red, white and blue snacks, crackers, pringles, and Happy 4th of July
Cards signed " Your St. Thomas Family.” Thanks for
sharing some sparkle with our homebound seniors this summer! Gentle Reminder no Food Drive June 29 and July 6! Thank you for your generosity!
Congratulations and Blessings to the Class of 2021! ~ “Surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for our wel-fare and not for harm, to give you a future with HOPE.” Jeremiah 29:11.
Thank God for all the WONDERFUL MEN in our lives who love us in the
heavens and here on earth! Special bless-ings to our Fathers, Grandfathers, Uncles,
Sons and Friends! Happy Father’s Day!
Gardening Volunteers ~ Recently
CCT purchased with CLYNK money vegetables and herb plants for the Sr. Maureen Joyce SOUP GARDEN at 369
Livingston Ave. Albany NY. The crops harvested will be severed to
guests this summer and fall. Adults and families who
enjoy gardening are invited to assist Center Volunteers on Thursday mornings this summer from 8:30am-10:30am to weed, water and harvest. If you are interest-
ed in caring for and watching the garden grow sign up using our garden sign up genius https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B0E4EA8AD22A6F94- or
email Mary Ann at [email protected]. God bless you for your love of neighbor and our Com-mon HOME!
Congratulations to the St. Thomas the Apostle School Class of 2021!
Ana Amelia Ball
Ruby Julia Bannister Raegan Austen Byrne
Mary Brigid Donlon Macie Fiore
Ryan Patrick Guzior Audrianna Margaret Hermance
Sophia Hurley Kevin Aram Kayayan
Grace Margaret Keeler Claire Carmella Lounsbury
Michael Daniel Murphy Ryan Joseph O’Connell
Carter B. Pectal Mackenzie Rita Sherburne
Register now for Preschool - 8th Grade 2021-2022! ~ We offer an expanded Preschool Program including part-time morning and afternoon Preschool 3 and 4 classes as well as a Full Day Preschool 4 class. We offer a nurturing, compassion-ate, faith-based program for 3- and 4-year-old children, provid-ing early socialization, Kindergarten readiness and unique edu-cational experiences and opportunities for your child. For more information, please contact Jennifer Murphy at 518-439-5573 or [email protected].
School Board Openings ~ St. Thomas School Board has openings for new board members. Whether you have children in our school, you have previously had children in our school, or you’re interested in Catholic education, this is a great opportuni-ty to be part of our next chapter as our new principal takes the helm. Please send your letter of interest to Paul Amodeo at [email protected].
Visit us at www.stthomas-school.org or on Facebook
at St. Thomas the Apostle School - Delmar.
School News
NOT TOO LATE! STILL A FEW OPENINGS! Outdoor
get away for ADULTS AND FAMILIES! Parish Camp at Pyramid Lake, in Paradox
NY July 2-8! Join us for a day or all week! Includes:
More than 750 acres of Adirondack wilderness with plenty
of hiking trails. A crystal-clear lake great for swimming and fishing, with an unspoiled shoreline and a 16 acre is-land. Canoes, kayaks, campfires, a floating dock, volleyball
& other games. Pyramid Life Center is a rustic Adirondack camp with lodging that can accommodate the YOUNG and YOUNG AT HEART! Meals prepared by PLC Staff. Over-
night costs: Adults: $60 a night 12 yrs. – 18 yrs. $35, 4 yrs. - 11 yrs. $15, under 3 yrs. free Day visit: 12 yrs. and older $35.00, $17.50 for day visitors ages 4-11. Cost includes
lunch and dinner. Contact Jim at [email protected] 518-585-7545 or Mary Ann mhospo-
[email protected] as soon as possible to reserve your spot!
The 10AM Sunday Mass on June 27 will be celebrated by Fr. Lesser
THANKS FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT OF THE PARISH
DURING THESE DIFFICULT TIMES.
“Advertiser of the Week" ~ This weekend we highlight one of the valued companies advertising in our bulletin:
Albany Braces Please see their ad in the current bulletin.
Be sure to patronize their business!
OFFERTORY RECEIVED FROM WEEKLY COLLECTION **
$9,317.00
OFFERTORY RECEIVED VIA E-GIVING (VANCO)
$2,928.68
TOTAL OFFERTORY RECEIVED $12,245.68
WEEKLY BUDGET AMOUNT NEEDED TO MEET EXPENSES
$14,500.00
TITHE (5% OF TOTAL OFFERTORY) $612.28
TOTAL NUMBER OF GIFTS 219
** INCLUDES LOOSE CASH GIFTS $219.00
STEWARDSHIP OF TREASURE – FOR JUNE 12-13 2021
Calendar
Tue 6/22 3 pm Weekly Food Drive PL
PLACE: CH – Church; GH – Gathering Hall; LC – Lady Chapel; MC – Media Center; PO – Parish Offices, PP - Peace Pole, Café-Cafeteria, LCR - Large Conference Room, CHP-Chapel SCH-School, PL-Church Parking Lot
Community
Public Policy/Legislation Update as of June 8 ~ The
NYS Catholic Conference urges us to sign a petition on the Hyde Amendment which prevents Americans’ federal tax dol-
lars from funding most abortions. Go to www.notaxpayerabortion.com Federally, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) enrollment has again been extended - to August
15; COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act was signed into law; Haiti has been redesigned for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 18 months; The “Remain in Mexico” policy has been terminated
as of June 1; and World Refugee Day is June 20. See more details on these and other updates on the “Public Policy” sec-tion under “Ministries” on the St. Thomas Church website.
Thank you for your advocacy.
Picnic Update ~ Our annual picnic is back! We'll have it on
9/12/2021 at Elm Avenue Park from Noon to 4:00 PM. We need your help to make it a success. If you are in a position
to donate a prize or a gift card for the raffle, the main funding source for the picnic, please contact Madeline Amodeo at (518) 479-9972. If you would like to volunteer to
help plan the picnic, or wish to know more about it, please attend our next committee meeting on Monday night, June 21, 2021, at 7:00 PM in the gathering space. To attend this next
meeting virtually by internet, or to answer any picnic ques-tions, please contact Paul Supple at [email protected]
(Contact: Pat Holm)
ELECTRONIC GIVING -- A CONVENIENT METHOD FOR FINANCIALLY SUPPORT-ING THE PARISH ~ As many parishioners know, our electronic giving program, through
Vanco, is a convenient and secure method for making contri-butions to the parish, whether it's offertory contributions, dona-tions for other holy days, or even the Bishop's Appeal. You can set it up to make contributions weekly, monthly or annual-ly and it ensures that your support to the parish is on an on-going basis. It is a simple process, and you can make chang-es directly as needed. We encourage you to take advantage of this program and there are several options to get you start-ed. You can now go to our website, www.stthomas-church.org, click on electronic giving on the home page which sends you to the electronic giving page that has a link to the Vanco site or you can call the par-ish office to have the application form sent to you via email.
Administration
Creation Care Team
(Contact: Marie Myer: [email protected].)
Make This A Summer Of Caring For Creation: A Few Small Steps
Picnic this summer with reusable utensils, plates, cups, tablecloths and napkins.
Use “Reef-Safe” sunblock. Take a moment to “google” about the damage many sunblocks are doing to the coral reefs of the world and choose those that are safe to the environment, while protecting your skin.
Pull the window shades down on hot summer days to help keep your rooms cooler.
Bike rather than drive whenever reasonable.
Install a programmable thermostat and use “smart technol-ogy” to help you easily control your energy use, turning air conditioning off when you are out of the house.
Avoid toxic chemicals when repelling mosquitoes. There are natural products on the market. You can also try natu-ral ingredients, such as lemon eucalyptus oil, cinnamon oil, citronella oil, and tea tree oil.
Clothesline dry your laundry in the summer sun.
AmazonSmile – Making Donations to St. Thomas
the Apostle ~ You can make donations to St. Thomas Par-
ish and School using Amazon Smile! What is AmazonSmile?
AmazonSmile is a website and smartphone app operated
by Amazon with the same products, pricing and
shopping features as Amazon.com. The difference is that when you shop on AmazonSmile the AmazonSmile Founda-tion will donate 0.5% of the purchase price of eligible products to the charitable organization of your choice. Please consider supporting our parish or school by registering with Ama-zonSmile. To register, enter one of the following addresses in your web browser or smartphone app and follow the instruc-tions for creating an account, registering for AmazonSmile or changing your existing charitable organization: For the parish: https://smile.amazon.com/ch/14-1364682 For the school: https://smile.amazon.com/ch/90-0635100
Weekday Mass Intentions For the Week of June 21– June 25, 2021
Mon. 7:30 am Intentions of the Celebrant
Tue. 12:15 pm Art Wendth Marcia Wendth
Ted Slone Richard and Marcia Bassotti
Thu. 7:30 am Intentions of the Celebrant
Fri. 12:15 pm Frank Daley Catherine Daley
Sean Sullivan - Living Family
Sat. 5:00 pm Pam Nero and John LaMena
Their Niece
Sun. 10:00 am George Lenhardt
Lynne Lenhardt
George W. Harder
Bielawa Family
Joseph Pape
Robert and Patricia Ricchiuti
H. Michael McGreevey Jr.
David E. Roos
Scripture Readings: Week of June 20, 2021
PARISHES OF OUR LOCAL CATHOLIC COMMUNITY MASS SCHEDULES
Christ the King Church, 518-456-1644, Westmere Tue, Wed, Fri: 9 am Sat: 4 pm / Sun:8:30, 10:30 am
St. Lucy/St. Bernadette Church, 518-861-8770, Altamont Tue, Thu: 5:15 pm /Sat 5 pm/Sun: 9:30 am
St. Matthew’s Church, 765-2805, Voorheesville Tue, Fri: 8:30 am/Sat: 5 pm / Sun: 9:30 am
Next Weekend, June 26 – June 27, 2021
Sunday Jb 38:1, 8-11 / 2 Cor 5:14-17 / Mk 4:35-41
Monday Gn 12:1-9 / Mt 7:1-5
Tuesday Gn 13:2, 5-18 / Mt 7:6, 12-14
Wednesday Gn 15:1-12, 17-18 / Mt 7: 15-20
John the Baptist Is 49:1-6 / Acts 13:22-26 /
Lk 1:57- 66. 80
Friday Gn 17:1, 9-10, 15-22 / Mt 8:1-4
Saturday Gn 18:1-15 / Mt 8: 5-17
Sunday Wis 1:13-15; 2:23-24 / 2 Cor 8:7,9,13-15 /
Mk 5:21– 43