CURRENT
  BULLETIN

July 6, 2008

14TH
SUNDAY
IN ORDINARY
TIME

Rejoice heartily,
O daughter Zion,
shout for joy!
Your king shall come to you,
a just Savior is he.

Welcome to
Saint Jean Baptiste

LITURGY OF THE HOURS
Monday-Friday: 8:00, 5:00

In today’s Gospel, Jesus offers praise to the Father for the faith of those to whom the mysteries of the kingdom and the knowledge of God have been revealed. Their openness and docility must have refreshed him, having been repelled in his Galilean mission by the intransigence of so many.

Life is often like that. Unexpected blessings follow a disappointment. A restored relationship renews the spirit. A new opportunity arises from a failed initiative. Happiness comes from surprising sources if we have eyes to see and appreciate them.

Some years ago, a noted theologian wrote a book about the "God of surprises." The history of Israel’s dealings with Yahweh disclosed a God who was more faithful, forgiving, and patient than anyone had foreseen, a God of surprises.

Summer is the season of refreshment, a time to discover joy in our relationships, in leisure activities, in earth alive and growing, and in ourselves.

Independence Day
On this Independence Day weekend, and just a few months short of national elections in which we will choose a new President, Vice President, and Congress, it is certainly appropriate to pray for our country. President George Washington, in his Prayer for the United States of America on April 30, 1789, provides an entrée into such prayer: "Almighty God, we make our earnest prayer that you will keep the United States in your protection; that you will incline the hearts of the citizens to cultivate a spirit of subordination and obedience to the government, and entertain a brotherly love and affection for one another and for their fellow citizens of the United States at large. Grant our supplication, we beseech you, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."

Prayer Vigil
The July nocturnal adoration vigil has been moved to Friday, July 11, at 9:00 p.m., due to the July 4 holiday.

MASS SCHEDULE

To celebrate the Eucharist worthily,
adore it profoundly,
and proclaim it prophetically.

Sunday, July 6

9:00 Margaret and Edward Gelshenen

Budgeted Sunday                     $7,500
Actual Last Sunday                  $6,979
Over/Under Budgeted                ($521)

SUMMER GIVING

During the summer months, many of our loyal parishioners and friends leave the city to travel or vacation. Even when you are away, you can keep up on news from Saint Jean’s and donate to the church simply by visiting the parish web site, www.sjbrcc.net. Your generosity is very much appreciated, as our bills don’t take a holiday.

The bread and wine for Mass this week are given by Hugh Fitzpatrick in memory of the deceased members of the Fitzpatrick family and all who have died in war.

EVER THOUGHT OF BECOMING A CATHOLIC?

Do you have questions about Catholic beliefs and practices? The catechumenate is a process of inquiry into Roman Catholicism, to which you bring your own experience of God as well as your questions. It is for those who are considering entering the Catholic Church or completing the sacraments of initiation. Call Robin Drayer at 212.288.5082.

SECOND COLLECTION

The second collection this weekend is for our nation’s Black and Indian Missions. Cardinal Egan has written: "The Archdiocese of New York has always reached out with generous hearts and giving hands to the annual National Black and Indian Mission Collection for the past 124 years. Your generous support . . . has enabled the Black and Indian Mission Office to assist some of the neediest people across the United States, from the inner cities of the rural South and the deserts of the Southwest to Alaska’s cold wilderness."

LOOKING AHEAD

July 5-6
Independence Day Holiday Weekend

Second Collection for Black and Indian Missions

Friday, July 11
Nocturnal Adoration Prayer Vigil
9:00 p.m.
Closing, 12:00 Midnight
Parish House

July 17-26
Annual Novena to Saint Anne

Saturday, July 26
Feast of Saints Anne and Joachim

PAULINE YEAR

2,000 Years Since the Birth of Saint Paul

THE APOSTLE PAUL
A PRAYER

Glorious Saint Paul,
most zealous apostle,
martyr for the love of Christ,
give us a deep faith, a steadfast hope,
a burning love for the Lord;
so that we can proclaim with you,
"It is no longer I who live,
but Christ who lives in me."

Help us to become apostles,
serving the church with a pure heart,
witnesses to its truth and beauty
amid the darkness of our days.

With you, we praise God the Father:
"To him be the glory,
in the church and in Christ, now and forever."
Amen.

THE NOVENA TO SAINT ANNE

Weekdays, July 17-25

11:30 a.m.
Confessions

12:00 noon
Rosary

12:15 p.m.
Novena Eucharist
Novena Devotions

5:00 p.m.
Evening Prayer

5:15 p.m.
Benediction

5:30 p.m.
Eucharist

7:00 p.m.
Confessions

7:30 p.m.
Novena Eucharist
Eucharistic Procession
Novena Devotions

Saturday, July 19

11:30 a.m.
Confessions

12:00 noon
Rosary

12:15 p.m.
Novena Eucharist
Blessing of the Sick
Novena Devotions

4:30 p.m.
Confessions

5:00 p.m.
Benediction

5:30 p.m.
Eucharist

7:00 p.m.
Confessions

7:30 p.m.
Novena Eucharist
Eucharistic Procession
Novena Devotions

Sunday, July 20

12:00 noon
Novena Eucharist
Blessing of Children
Novena Devotions

4:00 p.m.
Holy Hour
Benediction

5:30 p.m.
Eucharist

7:00 p.m.
Confessions

7:30 p.m.
Novena Eucharist
Eucharistic Procession
Novena Devotions

Saturday, July 26
Feast of Saints Anne and Joachim

9:00 a.m.
Eucharist

11:30 a.m.
Confessions

12:00 noon
Rosary

12:15 p.m.
Novena Eucharist
Novena Devotions

5:00 p.m.
Benediction

5:30 p.m.
Eucharist

7:00 p.m.
Confessions

7:30 p.m.
Eucharist
Eucharistic Procession
Novena Devotions
Closing of Novena

Father Roger Bourgeois, S.S.S. (Night)
and the Parish Staff (Noon)

EXHIBIT ON CATHOLICS

Catholics in New York, 1808-1946 highlights how Catholics came to create vibrant neighborhoods, founded a vast system of social, healthcare, and educational ministries, and exercised much power in the city. This Museum of the City of New York exhibit features hundreds of historical artifacts and photos, and documents the experience of New York Catholics from the founding of the Archdiocese in 1808 until 1946, the year that the GI Bill paved the way to higher education and greater assimilation into mainstream America. The exhibit runs through December 31.

On Tuesday, July 15, at 6:30 p.m., several prominent New York authors will discuss their childhood experiences as Catholics in a program entitled "Growing Up Catholic" and how their upbringing has resonated in their life and work. Jim Dwyer, New York Times columnist, will lead a discussion among bestselling novelist Mary Gordon, Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Oscar Hijuelos, online editor of America Tim Reidy, and author Maureen Waters. For information, visit www.mcny.org or call 212.534.1672, ext. 3395. Admission: members, senior citizens, and students ($5); non-members ($9). The museum is located at Fifth Avenue and East 104 Street.

The Archdiocese of New York and Saint Jean Baptiste Parish are committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of children and youth in the programs and ministries we offer. If you have any concern about the actions of an ordained minister, religious, employee, or volunteer, contact Sister Eileen Clifford, O.P., at 212.271.1000, ext. 2949, or e-mail victimsassistance@archny.org. The Archdiocesan website, www.archny.org, gives a complete overview of the Safe Environment Program.

RESPECT LIFE

"The complex array of today’s problems branches out from here [‘protection of the rights of the person’], including some never faced by past generations. Catholics, in this difficult situation, have the right and the duty to recall society to a deeper understanding of human life and to the responsibility of everyone in this regard" (Vatican, November 2002).

WELCOME! BIÉNVÉNUE!

Founded in 1882 as a national parish for the French Canadian population of Yorkville, Église Saint Jean Baptiste quickly became a spiritual center embracing many nationalities. The faith community which gathers here is as diverse as the city of New York itself.

Since 1900, the church has been under the care of the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament, an international religious order dedicated to the Eucharist, the central sacrament of Catholic life and worship. Saint Jean Baptiste High School, founded in 1929, is administered by sisters of the Congregation of Notre Dame.

The present church opened in spring 1913. Its design, by Nicholas Serracino, won first prize at the International Exhibition in Turin, Italy, in 1911. It is of Italian Renaissance classical revival, with twin towers of 150 feet rising from the façade and a central dome soaring 175 feet above the floor. A major restoration of the church was completed in late 1997.

Upon entering the church from the northwest, you immediately see an imposing statue of the church’s patron, the Jewish prophet John the Baptist. It depicts John holding a cruciform staff, with a lamb’s hoof around his neck and a lamb at his feet. It was John who called Jesus the "Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (Jn 1:29).

Beneath the dome stands the stately altar of sacrifice on which the Eucharist is celebrated. It is here that exposition of the Blessed Sacrament occurs during daytime hours, for prayerful contemplation. At the back of the sanctuary is the high altar, testimony to the Catholic Church’s long tradition of Eucharistic faith and practice. Side altars honor Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament, Saint Joseph, Saint Peter Julian Eymard, and Saint Anthony of Padua.

The three tiers of stained glass windows were crafted in Chartres, France, just prior to World War I. Saint Patrick’s Cathedral is the only other Catholic church in New York City with windows from the renowned studios of Chartres.

In the southwest corner is the Shrine of Saint Anne. Devotion to Saint Anne, the grandmother of Jesus, has flourished at Saint Jean’s since 1892. The church was consecrated on December 6, 2007.

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