EVER WONDER WHAT A PASSOVER SEDER IS ALL ABOUT?

Come to our first MOCK PASSOVER SEDER 

Learn about this special meal and the traditions and meanings within it.

There will be two different days that this  hands-on participation & presentation will be offered:

Thursday, March 5th or Monday, March 9th in the First Floor Classroom, of the school building, both at 7:00 pm.

Please email Belinda: stbonym@gmail.com to reserve your spot(s) with the number of people attending.

Sponsored by the Faith Formation Office

Thank you for your prayers and support on GIVING TUESDAY!  

If you were unable to give on Giving Tuesday, there is still time to join in!  Just click this Faith Direct Button for the easiest way to make your
Giving Tuesday Gift
(select “make a one time gift” and write
“Giving Tuesday” in the note section):

What is “Giving Tuesday”?

Giving Tuesday is a global day of giving which has developed in recent years as a positive reaction to the hype of “Black Friday”and “Cyber Monday”.  It is a wonderful antidote to the frantic consumerism which sometimes threatens to swamp the true meaning of our Advent and Christmas seasons.

• Please consider taking this opportunity to assist the mission of St. Boniface Martyr Parish.
• Donations are safe, easy and online.
• This is great chance to avail of the tax advantages provided by year-end giving.

Thank you for considering a gift to our Parish, and please spread the word of this opportunity among your friends and relatives on social media.

Click here to donate

What is “Giving Tuesday”?

Giving Tuesday is a global day of giving which has developed in recent years as a positive reaction to the hype of “Black Friday”and “Cyber Monday”.  It is a wonderful antidote to the frantic consumerism which sometimes threatens to swamp the true meaning of our Advent and Christmas seasons.

• Please consider taking this opportunity to assist the mission of St. Boniface Martyr Parish.
• Donations are safe, easy and online.  Click here to donate.
• This is great chance to avail of the tax advantages provided by year-end giving.

• Please consider taking this opportunity to assist the mission of St. Boniface Martyr Parish.
• Donations are safe, easy and online.
• This is great chance to avail of the tax advantages provided by year-end giving.

Thank you for considering a gift to our Parish, and please spread the word of this opportunity among your friends and relatives on social media.

Solemnity of All Saints (Holy Day) Friday, November 1

Holy Day Masses, Friday, November 1, 2019:
8 am, 12:15 pm and 7:30 pm

Diocese of Rockville Centre

OFFICE  OF  THE BISHOP

August 11, 2019

Dear  Brothers and Sisters  in Christ:

Our Church continues to suffer as a result of past sins of sexual abuse of minors. Victim survivors of abuse and their families also continue to carry the terrible effects of that abuse. We pray that the fire of the Holy Spirit may descend upon the Church to purify and sanctify her. It is also important that we are all aware of recent developments that will cause uncertainty and present serious challenges for us in the months and perhaps years ahead.

Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the Child Victims Act  (CVA)  into  law  last  February.  The CVA suspends for one year any statute of limitations associated with  alleged  sexual  abuse of a minor. This law  will allow currently time-barred lawsuits to be brought against individuals as well as public and private institutions, regardless of how many years or even decades ago the abuse may have taken place.

When the one-year window to file lawsuits opens on August 14, 2019, hundreds, if not thousands of  lawsuits are expected to be filed across New York State against dioceses, parishes, municipalities, public schools, hospitals and a broad range of not-for-profit charitable organizations, both religious and non­religious. The financial impact of this law may  be far reaching.

However, if we are people of the Paschal Mystery,  we enter the unknown with what we do know –  that  the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ will sustain and strengthen us in the days ahead. The power of the Resurrection overcomes despair.

No doubt, we will hear about many past failures. We will again hear the heart wrenching stories of victim survivors. I have personally met with survivors of abuse, their families, friends and loved ones.  I have listened at a deep level to their stories of tragedy, betrayal, trauma and their heroic efforts to engage in the process of healing. Their lifelong wounds of trauma run so deep, that only the warmth  of the Holy Spirit  can begin to touch, relieve and heal  them. Together, we pray that the fire of the Holy  Spirit brings the light of true repentance and reform, moving the Church to continue listening and  responding with the humility and compassion of Jesus Christ.

It is also important that we be aware of what is already happening and has been happening for many years in our Diocese as to the extraordinary work that goes into child protection. First, the Diocesan Office for the Protection of Children and Young People was established in 2003. Many years of hard work have made this office one which puts the safety and well-being of children first, and seeks to reach out to and support victim survivors of abuse. It works to ensure the screening and training of every person who works in or volunteers for the Church. If you are an employee or a volunteer in your parish, you know about background checks, VIRTUS training and the call for every member of the Church to be vigilant in protecting children.

For years, we have worked closely with law enforcement whenever an allegation of abuse is made against a member of the clergy, an employee or volunteer in the Diocese of Rockville Centre. Our confidential hotline (516-594-9063) is closely monitored, and calls made to it are returned within 24 hours by a licensed mental health professional. Allegations of abuse are promptly reported to the appropriate district attorney’s office and are thoroughly investigated. In addition, pastoral care and mental health support is offered to any abuse survivor who needs assistance.

These are just a few of the reforms, efforts and safeguards that have been in place since 2002 in our Diocese, and have made the Church on Long Island a truly safe environment. And we do not rest there. We continually work to discern the best ways to adjust and enhance our child protection practices, to raise consciousness in the Church and society about vigilance and to support survivors of abuse.

In 2017, we initiated our Independent Reconciliation and Compensation Program (IRCP) to provide a confidential mechanism for survivors to receive compensation and some measure of healing and justice. We intend to continue this program for the foreseeable future, even after the CVA takes effect, so survivors can, if they wish, be heard in a fair, respectful, confidential and timely  way.  To date, 370 people have filed claims with our IRCP. The vast majority of claimants—277 to be exact – have accepted compensation totaling just over $50 million, with 75-80 claims still being processed.

We have worked diligently with our financial and legal advisors to assess our financial position and maximize the availability of insurance coverage to meet the demands that will likely be imposed by anticipated CVA litigation. Please also know that parish collections and financial donations made through the Catholic Ministries Appeal will continue to be used, consistent with our commitment to our parishioners, to support the Diocese, and its ministries and pursue the goals of the Catholic Ministry Appeal. The parish offertory and Catholic Ministry Appeal funds have not and will not be used to resolve claims for clergy sexual abuse.

The work of the Church – of administering the Sacraments, of teaching, healing, advocating, serving, and ministering to the poor and vulnerable – can and must continue, despite the sins of the past. I speak in greater detail about all of this, and about the Diocese’s robust safe environment practices and commitment to them, in a Catholic Faith Network (CFN) special video which you can view on CFN television, the Diocesan website (www.drvc.org) and on Diocese of Rockville Centre social media platforms.

The coming months will require perseverance and prayer if we are to  emerge  even  more  dedicated  to Christ’s saving mission. As the opening of the CVA window takes place near the Solemnity of  the  Assumption of the Blessed Virgin,  we are reminded  to tum  to Mary  our  Mother  and  draw  courage  from the one who did not look away from her suffering  Son.  She  waited  patiently,  suffered  with  Him,  and shared  in His victory over sin and  death.

This is the same Mary who, as Mother of the Church, gathered with the Apostles in the locked room, waiting for the power of the Holy Spirit to descend at Pentecost. As we enter a time of Paschal Mystery suffering, may Mary guide us, so that together we may continue to carry out the mission of her Son: the building up of the Kingdom of God throughout Long Island and the world.

Sincerely in Christ,

John O. Barres

Most Reverend John O. Barres

Bishop of Rockville Centre

PO Box 9023, Rockville Centre, NY 11571-0023

Bishopsoffice@drvc.org; 516-678-5800

April 19: Good Friday

9 am Morning Prayer
3 pm Solemn Commemoration of the Lord’s Passion
4:30 – 6:00 pm Confessions
7:30 pm Stations of the Cross

April 20: Holy Saturday

9 am Morning Prayer
11 am-12 pm Confessions
12 pm Blessing of the Food
8 pm The Easter Vigil (no 5 pm Mass)

April 21: Easter Sunday. Masses at 9 am, 10:30 am, 12 pm

April 13 – 14: Passion (Palm) Sunday.

Masses: Saturday 5 pm; Sunday: 9 am 10:30 am, 12 pm
Sunday:  7:30 pm Youth Stations of the Cross

April 15: Penance Day,
(Diocesan Day of Reconciliation)
3 pm-9 pm (Individual Confessions)

April 18: Holy Thursday

9 am Morning Prayer
7:30 pm Solemn Mass of the Lord’s Supper

Adoration at Repository until 10:30 pm
Concludes with 10:30 pm Night Prayer

April 19: Good Friday

9 am Morning Prayer
3 pm Solemn Commemoration of the Lord’s Passion
4:30 – 6:00 pm Confessions
7:30 pm Stations of the Cross

April 20: Holy Saturday

9 am Morning Prayer
11 am-12 pm Confessions
12 pm Blessing of the Food
8 pm The Easter Vigil (no 5 pm Mass)

April 21: Easter Sunday. Masses at 9 am, 10:30 am, 12 pm

A Parish Lenten Journey with Jesus and Mary

Presented by Tony Belizzi
7:30 pm in the Church
April 8th, 9th and 10th, 2019

Tony Bellizzi is a retreat director, inspirational speaker, professional educator, performance artist, youth minister and prison minister. The Founder and Director of The Hope for the Children Foundation, Tony is also a published author of several books and CDs. Tony is “home grown” having received his M.A. from the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception in Huntington.

An evangelist for forty three years, Tony offers a wide variety of presentations in a simple down to earth style for every age group anywhere in the world and has lead several retreats for St. Ignatius Retreat House and St. Boniface Martyr Parish.

Tony conducts over 500 Spiritual Retreats annually, providing powerful experiences of God’s abundant love and mercy for Catholic Parishes and Schools. Tony’s inspirational retreats open hearts, energizes souls and changes lives by bringing people the Good News of the saving power of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and participation in the Life of His church.

Enhance your Lenten experience this year by joining us for our Parish Mission, A Parish Lenten Journey with Jesus and Mary at 7:30 pm at St. Boniface Martyr Church. You’ll be glad you did!

• April 8: Opening up Your Heart to Jesus, Journeying with Our Lord Closer and Deeper than Ever Before.
• April 9: Journey with Jesus, focusing on the topics and themes surfaced by the parish, plus the Journey with Jesus Guided Meditation Experience
• April 10: Full of Grace – Mary as model of faith and her apparitions. To learn more about Tony Bellizzi and his many ministry projects, books and CDs, please visit TonyBellizzi.com and HopefortheChildren.org.