Parafia p.w. Narodzenia Najświętszej Maryi Panny
ST. MARY’S POLISH PARISH
21 Wesley St., Sydney, NS, B1N 2M5
Tel.: 564-4847
www.StMarysPolishParish.ca
Witamy wszystkich! Welcome to all!
We are pleased to share our faith and rich traditions with the whole community.
Celebrating 100 years of faith and service (1913-2013)

PROBOSZCZ/PASTOR:  Father Paul Murphy 564-4355
MSZY/MASSES: Sunday at 9:30 a.m.
Wednesday at 4:00 p.m. including Novena to Our Lady of Częstochowa

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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Piąta Niedziela zwykła/Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

TODAY’S MASS INTENTION is for John LaRusic offered by Bernie & Jancia. Eternal rest grant onto him O Lord, and may perpetual light shine upon him. Wieczny odpoczynek racz Mu dać Panie, a swiatłość wiekuista niechaj Mu świeci na wieki wieków. Amen.

The Vigil Candle this week is for Stefan & Maria Wroblewski offered by Mary & Aggie.

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

“We have come to know and to believe in the love God has for us.” (1 Jn 4:16)

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NASTĘPNY TYDZIEŃ/THE WEEK AHEAD:

Wednesday, February 13, 12:00 p.m.: Ash Wednesday: Please note there will be NO 4 p.m. Mass on this day.  The Mass intention will be for Anthony Nowak offered by the family.

Sunday, February 17, 9:30 a.m.: The Mass intention will be for Antonina Ryba offered by Frania & family.
Lectors: Stephanie Black, Paul Tynski
Eucharistic Minister: Suzanne Campbell
Altar Servers: Caleigh, Nicholas, James

Collection receipts for Sunday, February 3: $2168.25 (broken down as follows: $617.25 weekly contribution, $320.00 monthly supplementary contribution, $64.00 candles, $1135.00 fuel, $7.00 building fund, $15.00 initial offering, $10.00 New Year’s Day offering. Thank you very much for your support of St. Mary’s Polish Parish. Serdecznie dziękujemy!

MASS CARDS/VIGIL CANDLE/MASS INTENTIONS: Please call Paul Tynski (562-1716)
Please Note: No individual Mass intentions will be taken for Sept. 8 (100 years to the day since our founding). The intention will be for all parishioners, living and deceased.

“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:
February 10: Gabriel, Jacek, Elwira
February 11: Lucjan, Maria, Olgierd, Świętomira
February 12: Julian, Laurenty, Nora
February 13: Grzegorz, Jordan, Katarzyna, Toligniew
February 14: Dobiesława, Józef, Konrad, Krystyna, Lilian, Liliana, Mikołaj, Niemir, Niemira, Zenon
February 15: Georgina, Jordan, Jowita, Józef, Klaudiusz
February 16: Bernard, Dan, Danuta, Julianna
February 17: Donata, Franciszek, Julian, Konstanty, Łukasz, Niegomir, Zbigniew, Zbyszko

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OGŁOSZENIA / ANNOUNCEMENTS

CHANGE IN WEDNESDAY MASS TIME FOR THE WINTER MONTHS: 4 p.m.: Our Wednesday evening Mass is at 4 p.m. Novena to Our Lady of Czestochowa follows as usual. Father Paul has effected this change out of consideration for people who may find it difficult to drive in the dark, especially in inclement winter conditions.

OUR ASH WEDNESDAY MASS (FEB. 13) WILL BE AT 12 NOON. (Our neighbouring parish, Holy Redeemer, has Ash Wednesday Mass at 9 a.m. in the Holy Redeemer Convent and 6:30 p.m. at Holy Redeemer Church.) Please note that Ash Wednesday is a holy day of obligation, including fasting and abstinence from meat.

WEEKLY ADORATION OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT – USING OUR CENTENARY TO STRENGTHEN OUR COMMITMENT TO PRAYER AND TO THE SPIRITUAL DEVOTIONAL LIFE: Beginning one hour before the Wednesday 4 p.m. Mass, there will be Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. We would like to invite anyone who can spare this hour to please spend this time in the church in prayer, meditation, and reflection. Additional opportunities for community prayer are an important part of our parish centenary.

THANK YOU to everyone who contributed food-bank items last week during the parish lunch.

SPECIAL PRAYER/BLESSING TO AID US IN OUR SERVICE-TO-THE COMMUNITY INITIATIVES AS PART OF THE PARISH CENTENARY: Our Sto Darów [100 Gifts] Service Initiative runs the whole year. It involves the following:
• Collection of non-perishable items at each parish lunch and event for contribution to the local food bank (goal: 100 items at each event).
• 100 acts of service to the community either collectively as a parish, through small groups on behalf of the parish, or by individuals on behalf of the parish.
• Inviting other faith communities to undertake a similar initiative.
On our website (ww.stmaryspolishparish.ca), there is a form where you can let us know of the service initiatives that you are undertaking. We will have paper forms as well, starting next Sunday.

COMMUNITY SERVICE PRAYER: Lord, thank you for the great gifts of this world, especially for the great gifts of each other. And as we grow in the community, through our love for one another, give us the strength to accept the challenge of service. Help us to realize the needs of Your children and deepen our commitment to meet those needs. Never let us become preoccupied with our human accomplishments, but teach us to know that all things come from You. We ask this through Christ Our Lord. Amen.

SPECIAL MASS OF HEALING: Monday, Feb.11th, Holy Redeemer Church, 6:30pm. This Mass is to mark the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes and the World Day of the Sick. A number of priests will be present to bless any who so wish with St. Joseph’s Oil. You do not have to be seriously ill or suffering to be blessed with this Oil. Please join us.

GREETERS AND ALTAR SERVERS: Updated schedules are now available. Please speak with Marjorie Ardelli or Carolyn Kiley. Thank you for your assistance and service.

THANK YOU FROM FATHER ROMAN DUSANOWSKYJ: Father Roman, on behalf of Holy Ghost Ukrainian Catholic Church, has asked to pass along his sincere thanks for the $200 contribution of St. Mary’s Polish Parish, raised during our Oplatek, to help Holy Ghost recuperate funds stolen during the recent robbery (which were destined for an orphans’ charity) and to make repairs.

CAN YOU LEND SOME PHOTOS, DOCUMENTS, OR ARTEFACTS RELATED TO OUR PARISH AND TO THE LOCAL POLISH COMMUNITY? These would not be required until the summer for a centenary exhibit and for a DVD, but a list is being compiled now. Please contact researcher Patricia Nalepa at ECECP@hotmail.ca or 563-1226.

“The celebration of Lent, in the context of the Year of Faith, offers us a valuable opportunity to meditate on the relationship between faith and charity: between believing in God – the God of Jesus Christ – and love, which is the fruit of the Holy Spirit and which guides us on the path of devotion to God and others.” – Pope Benedict XVI, excerpted from his Message for Lent.

THE PLACE OF ST. VALENTINE IN THE CHURCH AND IN THE POLISH TRADITION: Very little is known about St. Valentine, and there may be more than one saint of the same name. The “Martyr Valentinus who died on the 14th of February on the Via Flaminia close to the Milvian bridge in Rome" still remains on the official list of saints for local veneration. When the General Calendar for universal liturgical veneration was revised in 1969, St. Valentine’s name no longer appeared. In Poland, St. Valentine is the patron saint of the Archdiocese of Prezemysl. In the Polish tradition, St. Valentine’s patronage has been associated less with couples, marriages, and love, and more with people suffering from serious illness or restrictive conditions, particularly psychological illnesses and epilepsy.

PLEASE CHECK OUT OUR ON-LINE “VIRTUAL TOUR” www.stmaryspolishparish.ca

TŁUSTY CZWARTEK – POLISH TRADITIONS ASSOCIATED WITH THE THURSDAY BEFORE LENT: This day is somewhat similar to Mardi Gras or Shrove Tuesday, albeit marked on a Thursday. The staple is pączki, the rich jelly/fruit-filled doughnuts. The day is sometimes associated with carnivals. In the Malopolska region, the day is sometimes called Combrowy czwartek, recalling an authoritarian and corrupt 17th century mayor of Krakow. On this day, in defiance of his edicts, the populace would feast and celebrate.
A typical recipe for two dozen paczki would contain the following ingredients:
•1 1/2 cups warm milk (no warmer than 110 degrees)
•2 packages active dry yeast
•1/2 cup sugar
•4 ounces (1 stick) room-temperature butter
•1 large room-temperature egg
•3 large room-temperature egg yolks
•1 tablespoon brandy or rum
•1 teaspoon salt
Fillings could be apricot, raspberry, prune, blueberry, etc. Source: easterneuropeanfood.about.com

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TODAY’S HYMNS:
Entrance: #228 in the coil-bound hymnal
Offertory: #147
Communion: #136
Post-Communion: #144
Recessional: #201