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August 17, 2008

20TH
SUNDAY
IN ORDINARY
TIME

O woman,
great is your faith!
Let it be done for you
as you wish.

Welcome to
Saint Jean Baptiste

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

Each season of the year has its own beauty, and that is why so many people prefer to live in parts of the world where the passing of one season to the next is more than a date on the calendar, but ushers in a discernible change in climatic conditions: the freshness of spring, the warmth and relaxation of summer, the brilliant hues of autumn, and the stark grandeur of winter. Before autumn is upon us in five weeks, let us offer a hymn of praise to God, in the words of the Canticle of Creation by Saint Francis of Assisi.

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

Sunday, August 17

9:00 Bridie Murphy

Budgeted Sunday                    $7,500
Actual Last Sunday                 $4,619
Over/Under Budgeted            ($2,881)

EVER THOUGHT OF BECOMING A CATHOLIC?

Do you have questions about Catholic beliefs and practices? The catechumenate (RCIA) 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. It gets underway after Labor Day. Call Robin Drayer at 212.288.5082.

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION AT SAINT JEAN BAPTISTE

The school year will soon be underway, and with that we remind you that Saint Jean’s offers a full range of religious education classes for children and youth, including:

Kindergarten Program
For children ages 3-5 in our Montessori-style Atrium, a unique environment for the young child that fosters a sense of the sacred and is adapted to a child’s learning needs.

First Communion Preparation
For First and Second Grade students; prepares the child for the sacraments of penance and Eucharist.

Continuing Education Toward Confirmation
For Third and Fourth Grade students; helps them build on the experience of First Communion and move toward the sacrament of confirmation in a few years.

Confirmation Preparation
For junior high and high school students; provides the immediate preparation for being confirmed in the Catholic Church.

Contact Robin Drayer, our Director of Religious Education, at 212.288.5082 for information or registration materials. We are also looking for parents and other volunteers to assist our generous catechists. All who work with children and youth must undergo a simple background check and agree to the provisions of the Safe Environment Program.

LOOKING AHEAD

August 16-17
Yorkville Common Pantry Weekend
Help our neighbors in need
by leaving non-perishable food items and canned goods
at Saint Joseph’s Altar
through Monday, August 18

Monday, September 1
Labor Day
Holiday Masses
9:00 a.m.
12:15 p.m.
The church will close at 1:15 p.m.

September 6-7
Mission Co-op Appeal for the
Society for the Propagation of the Faith
Archdiocese of New York

Wednesday, September 17
Parish Pastoral Council
Parish House, 6:30 p.m.

Sunday, September 21
Catechetical Sunday

Family Life Mass and Blessing of Catechists
10:30 a.m.

We find rest
in those we love,
and we provide
a resting place
for those
who love us.

Saint Bernard
1090-1153

NEW YORK CATHOLICISM

In conjunction with its Catholics in New York 1808-1946 exhibit, the Museum of the City of New York, 1220 Fifth Avenue, is hosting "The Duty of Delight: The Diaries of Dorothy Day" on Thursday evening, August 28, at 6:30. Dorothy Day (1897-1980), the founder of the Catholic Worker Movement and now a candidate for sainthood, has been called the "radical conscience" of the American Catholic Church. Father James Martin, S.J., the Associate Editor of America, will moderate a discussion examining The Duty of Delight: The Diaries of Dorothy Day, edited by Robert Ellsberg, who worked with Dorothy Day during the last five years of her life. The panel will consist of Robert Ellsberg, Sally Cunneen, and Peggy Steinfels. For information, visit www.mcny.org or call 212.534.1672, ext. 3395. Admission: members, senior citizens, and students ($5); non-members ($9).

PERFORMANCE

Caroline Rood, a member of the parish, will perform classic American hits by Gershwin, Porter, Rodgers and Hart/Hammerstein on Saturday, September 6, at 7:00 p.m. at the Broadway Baby Bistro, 318 West 53 Street. Doors open at 6:30 for drinks and a light bite. Cost is $15 at the door and a minimum of $15 in drinks, etc. RSVP to carolinerood@earthlink.net or telephone 212.288.5484. Seating is limited.

BOOK SIGNING

He Said Yes, The Story of Father Mychal Judge is a new children’s book by best-selling Kelly Ann Lynch. It tells of Father Judge’s life as a Franciscan and an FDNY chaplain, and of his death on 9/11. The author will sign copies of the book at the 9/11 memorial exhibit in Saint Paul’s Church, Church Street, on Wednesday, September 10, from 2:00-5:00 p.m. She will sign books earlier the same day at Barnes and Noble Books, Park Slope, 267 Seventh Avenue, Brooklyn, starting at 10:30 a.m.

YOUTH DAY

The Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers invite young people, ages 16-"20-something," to their Mission Center in Ossining for Maryknoll Youth Day 2008 on Saturday, September 20, from 1:00-8:00 p.m., rain or shine. The event is a follow-up to Pope Benedict XVI’s recent visit to the seminary at Dunwoodie as well as World Youth Day last month in Australia. There will be live music, inspiring speakers, joyful liturgies, and opportunities for prayer, food, and fun.

While participation is free, registration is required at www.livesofservice.org. More information is available at the web site, or you can call 888.627.9566 or e-mail mkevents@maryknoll.org.

EUCHARIST ― SOURCE OF LIFE AND MISSION

"The purpose in celebrating the liturgy is not to give lip-service to God, but to glorify him as Jesus glorified him. We do this by transforming our lives under the influence of the Spirit of Jesus so that we become increasingly Christ-like in our total devotion to God and to the welfare of others. Jesus glorified his Father before the world by being totally given over to the Father’s work in the world, no matter what the cost to himself. We celebrate the memory of Jesus in the Eucharistic sacrifice by offering our own lives together with Jesus for the life of the world."

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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