Parafia p.w. Narodzenia Najświętszej Maryi Panny
ST. MARY’S POLISH PARISH
21 Wesley St., Sydney, NS, B1N 2M5
(meeting until our rebuilding at Holy Redeemer Church
with thanks to our friends of Holy Redeemer Parish)
Tel.: (902) 564-4847
www.stmaryspolishparish.ca
Witamy wszystkich! Welcome to all!
We are pleased to share our faith and rich traditions with the whole community.
Established in 1913. Our second century of faith and service … WE WILL RISE AGAIN

PROBOSZCZ/PASTOR:  Father Paul Murphy 564-4355

MSZY/MASSES: Sunday at 9:30 a.m. (temporarily at Holy Redeemer Church)
Wednesday Masses on hold until we rebuild our church.
Novena to Our Lady of Częstochowa will now be said before Sunday Masses.

SPOWIEDŹ:  Godzina do uzgodnienia z księdzem.
SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION: Anytime upon request to the priest.

SAKRAMENT CHRZTU ŚWIĘTEGO:  Prosimy o kontakt z księdzem conajmniej na 1 miesiąc przed planowaną datę.
SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM: Please contact the priest at least one month in advance.

SAKRAMENT MAŁZEŃSTWA:   Zapowiedzi powinny być ogłoszone conajmniej na 6 miesięcy przed planowaną datę.
SACRAMENT OF MATRIMONY: Intentions must be announced at least six months in advance.

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Szósta Niedziela Wiekanocna / Sixth Sunday of Easter

TODAY’S MASS INTENTION is for Bridget Kyte offered by the Kyte family. Wieczny odpoczynek racz Jej dać Panie, a swiatłość wiekuista niechaj Jej świeci na wieki wieków. Amen

The Vigil Candle this week is for the Holy Father’s prayer intention for the upcoming jubilee year of mercy – that everyone whom we meet may feel “sought after, loved, and forgiven by God.”

Eucharistic Minister for today: Suzanne Campbell

Ushers for collection today: Joe Gillis, Robert Melski Sr.

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NASTĘPNY TYDZIEŃ / THE WEEK AHEAD

WEDNESDAY MASSES are on hold while we rebuild. Please note that Father Paul leads the Novena to Our Lady of Czestochowa every Sunday before Mass (starting at about 9:10 a.m.). Copies of the Novena are at the back of the church.

Sunday, May 17, 9:30 a.m.  Uroczystość Wniebowstąpienia Pańskiego / Feast of the Ascension of the Lord. The Mass intention will be for Clara Nelgah MacDonald offered by Shirley Ardelli & family.
Lectors: Anna Wesolkowska, Anne Marie Campbell                                                     
Eucharistic Minister: Frank Starzomski
Altar Servers: Brianna, Rudy and Frankie
Ushers: Michael Melski, Larry Gniewek
Greeters: Dianne Blondin, Elie Blondin

Collection receipts for Sunday, May 3:  $2554.85 (broken down as follows: $1009.85 general collection, $1445.00 rebuilding fund). Thank you very much for your generous support of St. Mary’s Polish Parish. Dziekujemy bardzo.

MASS CARDS/VIGIL CANDLE: To reserve Mass Intentions or Vigil Candle intentions, please call 902-563-1226. Please note that any 2015 Mass intentions recorded before the fire were lost and we would be most grateful if parishioners could check in again.

IN MEMORIAM DONATION: To make an In Memoriam donation, please speak with Shauna MacKay. These will be acknowledged in the bulletin. Building Fund contributions will go toward the new church. To contribute to the Rebuilding Fund, if you do not have an envelope, you can write on your regular envelope or cheque “Designated to the Rebuilding of St. Mary’s Polish Church.”

“IMIENINY” (NAME DAYS) FOR THE COMING WEEK. Help to maintain a longstanding Polish Catholic tradition by acknowledging relatives, friends, and colleagues who are celebrating their “name day,” corresponding with the feast day of a saint of the same name.  Where there is more than one saint of the same name who has been assigned a day, your “name day” is the one closest to your birthday. It is customary in the Polish tradition to acknowledge the name day of a relative or friend:
May 10: Częstomir, Jan
May 11: Filip, Franciszek, Iga, Ignacy, Lew, Lutogniew, Mira
May 12: Dominik, Jan, Joanna
May 13: Andrzej, Ciechosław, Gloria, Magdalena, Piotr, Robert
May 14: Wiktor, Maciej
May 15: Jan, Zofia
May 16: Andrzej, Szymon
May 17: Bruno, Weronika, Wiktor

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OGŁOSZENIA / ANNOUNCEMENTS

HAPPY MOTHERS’ DAY! A PRAYER FOR MOTHERS: All-loving God, we give you thanks and praise for mothers young and old. We pray for mothers who give life and tend to our needs; May they be blessed with patience and wisdom to care for their families and themselves with great joy. We pray for our own mothers who have nurtured and cared for us; May they continue to guide in strong and gentle ways. We remember mothers who are separated from their children because of war, poverty, or conflict; May they feel the loving embrace of our God, through the intercession of our Blessed Mother, who wipes every tear away. We pray for women who are not mothers but still love and shape us with motherly care and compassion. We remember mothers, grandmothers, and great-grandmothers who are no longer with us but who live forever in our memory and nourish us with their love. We ask this through Christ Our Lord. Amen.   –  Adapted from a prayer by Heidi Busse

LUNCH AFTER MASS TODAY – POLISH VILLAGE HALL – EVERYONE IS WELCOME. There is no charge. Please join us in extending best wishes following the First Holy Communion at Mass today of Sophie Ann Chislett … and to mark Mothers’ Day. God bless.

NON-PERISHABLE ITEMS FOR LOAVES AND FISHES: Please place these near the entrance to the hall during lunch today. Thank you for your support.

A GREAT WEEK FOR OUR SACRED OBJECTS AND ART WORKING GROUP: The group received many essential sacred/Mass items in the past few days after visits to local churches. Special thanks to St. Marguerite Bourgeoys Parish! For more details, or a conversation about this working group, please speak with Marjorie Ardelli.

A SPECIAL CONNECTION WITH POLISH CHURCHES IN MANITOBA: In 2013, Grazyna and Lech Galezowski of Winnipeg were here in Sydney for the Conference of the Canadian Polish Research Institute. They have been documenting Polish churches in Manitoba. We contacted them about our rebuilding, and they have linked us to a few closed or semi-closed country churches. One of these is in Wisla, Manitoba. The first priest there was … Fr. Antoni Plucinski, who was also the first pastor of our parish!
Thank you so much to the students of Harbourside Elementary School! They dedicated an Easter basket fund-raiser to the rebuilding of our church and raised $210.

PARISH ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING/RADA NOMINATIONS: Second notice:The AGM is scheduled for Sunday, May 31, after Mass. As per the By-laws that were adopted in 2012, four seats on the Rada Duszpasterska (half) are being elected or re-elected this year, and the other four next year (staggered). Current members are eligible to re-offer. The Nominating Committee presents the nominees for consideration by the Annual General Meeting. The list is reviewed before the AGM by the Pastor. (Membership on committees is addressed after the AGM by the Pastor and Rada, after a call for volunteers.) If you are interested in being a candidate for Rada election, please provide a short written note to Janet Hawthorne either in person or by email  janethawthorne@hotmail.com  by May 11.  At the Annual General Meeting, there will also be a written report on parish activities, ministries, and committees, as well as a financial report. If you would like to contribute any items/information for the written Annual Report, please speak with any member of the Rada.

RESURRECTION CEMETERY is looking for a representative of St. Mary’s Polish Parish to serve on its board. If you might wish to consider this opportunity please speak with any member of the Rada.

PARISHIONERS WHO ARE ILL, UNDERGOING OPERATIONS, OR HOMEBOUND: Please share their names with our greeters (and if greeters could advise Father Paul or any member of the Rada that would be much appreciated). That will help make sure that we are praying and thinking about any of our fellow parishioners who cannot make it to church, and also providing any support we can. Thank you.

RECENT “IMO” (in memory of) CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE (RE-)BUILDING FUND:
IMO Sophie Tynski from Wisia MacNeil
IMO Millie Joseph from Peggy Ryba
IMO parents Helen & William Rozicki, brother Eddie and sister Theresa from Sophie Barrington
IMO Earl Barrington from Sophie Barrington & family

NEW: SECURE ON-LINE WAY TO DONATE TO OUR REBUILDING: We have set this up through Canada Helps – a non-profit umbrella organization for charities. It allows friends far and wide to donate using a credit or debit card, to designate in whose memory the donation is to be made, and (if they wish) to make automatic monthly donations. You can link to it by going to our website (main page) www.stmaryspolishparish.ca

NEPAL EARTHQUAKE RELIEF: A note from Development and Peace: Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Nepal. The destructive 7.8 magnitude earthquake has caused over 10,000 deaths and thousands of injuries. The amount of destruction is overwhelming, and the priority needs are to provide tarps and tents, water, food, sanitation, and hygiene items to the victims. Development and Peace is working with other Caritas members to assist Caritas Nepal in providing humanitarian aid. You can contribute to these much-needed relief efforts by donating to DEVELOPMENT AND PEACE. Your contribution to help the victims of the earthquake will be matched by the Canadian Government until May 25, 2015. You can make a donation online at www.devp.org; by phone at 1 888 664-3387; or by sending a cheque made out to Development and Peace (please indicate Nepal Earthquake) to : Development and Peace, 1425 René-Lévesque Blvd. West 3rd Floor  Montreal QC  H3G 1T7. Thank you for your generosity and prayers for the people of Nepal.

New “IMO” (Building Fund) cards and envelopes have been printed and are at the back of the church.

REBUILDING FUND CONTRIBUTIONS: Building Fund contributions will go toward the new church. To contribute to the rebuilding if you do not have an envelope, you can also write on your regular envelope or cheque “Designated to the Rebuilding of St. Mary’s Polish Church.”

THE RENOVATED AND REFURBISHED POLISH VILLAGE HALL is a comfortable, well appointed, modernized venue for events large and small. Please consider renting the hall for your events. Please call 564-8494.

PLEASE CHECK OUT OUR ON-LINE “VIRTUAL TOUR” AND AN 8.5 MINUTE PARISH WELCOME VIDEO ON OUR WEBSITE:  www.stmaryspolishparish.ca

Wishing you a blessed week! Bóg zapłać!

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TODAY’S HYMNS: Please see bulletin insert for the words.
Entrance: Serdeczna Matko [Beloved Mother]
Offertory: Pobłogosław Jezu Drogi [Bless Your Children]
Communion: Kiedyś o Jezu [At One Time O Jesus]
Post-Communion: Dzisiaj Pozdrawiamy[Today We Praise]
Closing: Wesel się Królowo miła [Rejoice, Dear Queen]

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THANKS FOR THE MEMORABLE GATHERING LAST WEEK AFTER MASS TO CELEBRATE THE FEAST OF MARY QUEEN OF POLAND AND UNVEIL THE DRAWINGS FOR OUR REBUILT CHURCH. Thanks for everyone’s input over the past few months and for the dialogues with architect Gary Hanley. The rebuilt St. Mary’s Polish Church will reflect our deep Catholic faith, our devotion to Mary, and the Polish heritage, culture, and language. It will reflect our commitment to serving God and others.  It will reflect our traditions but embrace and welcome all who enter, regardless of background. It will be accessible to persons with disabilities. The Province of Nova Scotia will be maintaining our special heritage-landmark designation. PLEASE NOTE: Additional commemorative prayer cards from last Sunday are at the back of the church.