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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Pierwsza Niedziela Wielkiego Postu / First Sunday of Lent

TODAY’S MASS INTENTION is for Antonina Ryba offered by Frania & family. Eternal rest grant onto her O Lord, and may perpetual light shine upon her. Wieczny odpoczynek racz Jej dać Panie, a swiatłość wiekuista niechaj Jej świeci na wieki wieków. Amen.

The Vigil Candle this week is for Joseph & Mary Dziubek offered by the family.

Ushers for collection today: Joe Gillis, Michael Melski  

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NASTĘPNY TYDZIEŃ / THE WEEK AHEAD:

Wednesday, February 20, 4:00 p.m.: preceeded at 3 p.m. by the Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and followed by the weekly Novena to Our Lady of Częstochowa. The Mass intention will be for Anna and Michael Kiech offered by Jean Annette and Richard White.

Sunday, February 24, 9:30 a.m.: The Mass intention will be for Walter Ryba offered by the Ryba family.
Lectors: Anne Marie Campbell, Tony Melski
Eucharistic Minister: Janet Hawthorne
Altar Servers: Marjorie Ardelli, Carolyn Kiley

Collection receipts for Sunday, February 10: (reduced due to lower attendance caused by the weather). $287.50 (broken down as follows: $199.50 weekly contribution, $51.00 candles, $20.00 fuel, $7.00 building fund, $10.00 cemetery fund. 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 17: Donata, Franciszek, Julian, Konstanty, Łukasz, Niegomir, Zbigniew, Zbyszko
February 18: Albert, Alberta, Krystiana, Więcesława, Zuzanna
February 19: Arnold, Henryk, Konrad, Konrada
February 20: Leon, Ludmiła, Ludomiła
February 21: Eleonora, Feliks, Teodor
February 22: Marta, Małgorzata, Piotr, Wiktor
February 23: Bądzimir, Damian, Piotr, Roma, Seweryn
February 24: Bogurad, Bogusz, Boguta, Maciej, Piotr

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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.

CATECHISM AND POLISH CULTURAL CLASS for school-age children, led by Krista Ann Starzomski, will be held after Mass today downstairs for approximately 30 minutes.

WEEKLY ADORATION OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT begins this Wednesday at 3 p.m. (one hour before the Wednesday Mass) in our church. This is an important component of our 100th anniversary year, as we strengthen our life of prayer and spiritual devotion as a parish.

SPECIAL PRAYER/BLESSING TO AID US IN OUR SERVICE-TO-THE COMMUNITY INITIATIVES AS PART OF THE PARISH CENTENARY: (postponed from last Sunday, as we had lower attendance due to the blizzard) 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.

DIALOGUE WITH BISHOP DUNN: On January 30, the Parish Planning Team commenced a process of dialogue with Bishop Brian Dunn and Father Donald MacGillivray, Chair of the diocesan Pastoral Planning Committee. There was a positive discussion about our church at this first meeting and our commitment to continued vitality. We set high-level principles to guide subsequent meetings, referring, among other things, to the importance of the spiritual health of our parishioners, the crucial role our parish plays in the community, the importance of active participation in the diocese, as well as the distinctive, special characteristics of our parish, and its heritage-designated status. Over the course of several meetings, we will try to collectively map out a long-term pastoral plan for St. Mary’s Polish Parish. Our next meeting will be a supper meeting in April. Please pray for everyone involved.

USHERS’ SCHEDULE FOR THE NEXT MONTH:
Feb. 24: Toni LaRusic, Robert Melski Sr
March 3: Steve Melnick, Michael Melski
March 10:  Toni LaRusic, Robert Melski Sr
March 17: Steve Melnick, Michael Melski

LOAVES AND FISHES: Our latest collection of non-perishable items to assist fellow Cape Bretoners in need totalled just over 100 items. Many thanks! These have been delivered to Loaves and Fishes, whose volunteers were very grateful for our support.

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.

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

RESIGNATION OF THE HOLY FATHER: Excerpt from a report from Vatican Radio: As soon as the Holy Father emerged onto the stage [on Ash Wednesday] from the side door the crowds erupted in greeting. “Dear brothers and sisters, as you know I decided", he began only to be interrupted with prolonged applause. “Thank you for your kindness” he responded and began again. “I decided to resign from the ministry that the Lord had entrusted me on April 19, 2005. I did this in full freedom,” the Pope added forcefully, “for the good of the Church after having prayed at length and examined my conscience before God, well aware of the gravity of this act”. But, continued Pope Benedict, “I was also well aware that I was no longer able to fulfil the Petrine Ministry with that strength that it demands. What sustains and illuminates me is the certainty that the Church belongs to Christ whose care and guidance will never be lacking. I thank you all for the love and prayer with which you have accompanied me”.

THE HOLY FATHER CITES DOROTHY DAY IN HIS ASH WEDNESDAY AUDIENCE: Dorothy Day (1897-1980) is one of the leading recent figures of a lifetime dedicated to service and justice, grounded in Catholic values, with a focus on people who are struggling and suffering. Her Catholic Workers’ movement helped to establish communities rooted in Gospel values and dedicated to non-violent means of achieving a fairer distribution of resources and dignity for all people. This week, the Holy Father spoke of the central importance of faith in the work of Dorothy Day: “The journey towards faith in such a secularized environment was particularly difficult, but Grace acts nonetheless, as she points out: `It is certain that I felt the need to go to church more often, to kneel, to bow my head in prayer. A blind instinct, one might say, because I was not conscious of praying. But I went, I slipped into the atmosphere of prayer ...’God guided her to a conscious adherence to the Church, in a lifetime spent dedicated to the underprivileged.”

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TODAY’S HYMNS:
Entrance: Ach, Moj Jezu -- #67 in the coil-bound hymnal (and also in the insert to today’s bulletin – verses 1 and 3
Offertory: Z Rak Kaplanskich -- #16
Communion: Zrobcie Mu Miejsce -- #136
Post-Communion: Krzyzu Chrystusa -- #73
Closing Hymn Words: Któryś za nas cierpiał rany, Jezu Chryste, zmiłuj się nad nami! [Translation: You who suffered, wounded, for us … Christ Jesus, have mercy on us.]