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. preceeded at 3 p.m. by Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and at 3:30 by Stations of the Cross (post Wed. Mass Novena to Our Lady of Częstochowa resumes after Lent)

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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Czwarta Niedziela Wielkiego Postu / Fourth Sunday of Lent

TODAY’S MASS INTENTION is for Jerry Kelly offered by Marjorie Ardelli and Paul MacKinnon. 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 John Tynski offered by Nellie & family.

Ushers for collection today: Steve Melnick, Michael Melski

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NASTĘPNY TYDZIEŃ / THE WEEK AHEAD:

Wednesday, March 13, 4:00 p.m.: preceded at 3 p.m. by the Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, 3:30 p.m. by the Stations of the Cross. The Mass intention will be for John Paruch offered by Shirley Ardelli and family.

Sunday, March 17, 9:30 a.m.: The Mass intention will be for deceased members of the Kiech family offered by Jean Annette and Richard White. 
Lectors: Elaine Tynski-Shipley, Paul Tynski
Eucharistic Minister: Suzanne Campbell
Altar Servers: Caleigh, Nicholas, James

Collection receipts for Sunday, March 3:  $1142.25 (broken down as follows: $436.25 weekly contribution, $350.00 monthly supplementary contribution, $71.00 candles, $20.00 fuel, $20.00 Easter flowers, $10.00 initial offering, $75.00 100th anniversary donation, $160.00 building 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:
March 10: Aleksander, Borzysław, Cyprian
March 11: Benedykt, Drogosława, Edwin, Konstantyn, Rozyna
March 12: Bernard, Blizbor, Grzegorz, Józefina
March 13: Bożena, Ernest, Kasjan, Krystyna, Marek
March 14: Bożeciecha, Jakub, Leon, Matylda, Michał
March 15: Gościmir, Klemens, Krzysztof, Ludwika
March 16: Henryka, Herbert, Izabela
March 17: Gertruda, Jan, Patryk, 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.

CATECHISM AND POLISH CULTURAL CLASS for school-aged children, led by Krista Ann Starzomski, will take place downstairs today following Mass.

WEEKLY ADORATION OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT every Wednesday at 3 p.m. (one hour before the Wednesday Mass) in our church. STATIONS OF THE CROSS take place at approximately 3:30 p.m. This is an important component of our 100th anniversary year, as we strengthen our life of prayer and spiritual devotion as a parish.

DZIEKUJEMY / THANK YOU for last week’s food-bank contributions, which have been delivered to Loaves and Fishes. There were well over 100 items. Bóg zapłać!

WORKSHOP ON POLISH TRADITIONAL ATTIRE: Would you like to learn more about the unique and colourful traditional outfits from the various Polish regions? Are you considering ordering some to wear for various parish and community occasions? Would you like recommendations and measurements? Please attend a short session after Mass next Sunday (March 17) – to start at 10:45 a.m. -- in the Polish Village Hall. There will be refreshments and desserts. Everyone is welcome.

PISANKI WORKSHOP – LEARN HOW TO DECORATE POLISH EASTER EGGS: Once again this year, our parish is hosting a workshop, complete with explanations of the significant spiritual and cultural traditions associated with different designs. It will take place on Saturday, March 23, at 1 p.m. in the church basement. Space is limited, so please RSVP to Shari McKay -- shari_pogoria@hotmail.com; 539-4354. 

The 100th ANNUAL BLESSING of EASTER FOOD (Święcenie Pokarmów Wielkanoncnych) will take place on Holy Saturday (March 30) at 2 p.m. If you have traditional Polish attire, please wear it for this blessing. Please  invite friends from the broader community to bring their Easter baskets for blessing as well or just to be present with us – everyone is welcome. We will explain the rich traditions associated with this blessing and why the various foods are included. Also, as part of our Sto Darów Centenary Community Service Initiative, we will have a large special basket. We will invite you to place one item from your basket into this collective basket. The large basket will then be delivered to Loaves and Fishes.

COMMITTEE VOLUNTEERS: The Rada (Pastoral Council) is making the annual call for volunteers for the Finance Committee and the Liturgical Committee (helps with planning special liturgical celebrations), which are appointed by the Pastor and Rada. Thank you to those current members of the Interim Finance Committee who have indicated their willingness to continue. Any other interested volunteers – or any parishioners with questions about the roles of the committees – should please call 563-1226 or e-mail tom_urbaniak@cbu.ca before March 18. Thank you, everyone, for your dedication to our parish.

At its meeting last week, the Rada Duszpasterska (Pastoral Council) elected its officers for the coming year: Chair – Tom Urbaniak; Vice Chair – Shari McKay; Secretary – Marjorie Ardelli. The other members of the Rada, whose terms began two weeks following the Annual General Meeting of all parishioners on January 27, are Carolyn Kiley, Tony Melski, Krista Ann Starzomski, Paul Tynski, and Elaine Tynski-Shipley.

ADDITIONAL TIME IN OUR CHURCH FOR PRAYER AND MEDITATION: If you would like to access the church for prayer outside usual Mass hours, please don’t hesitate to call 563-1226. You are also welcome to show our spiritual home to visitors. Please encourage any visitors to take home one of our self-guided descriptive tours (at the back of the church), which discuss our sacred and historic artefacts.

WELCOME to Chris Jones, digitization technician, Centre for Cape Breton Studies, Cape Breton University. He will be recording some of our choir’s hymns following Mass. There will be several additional recording sessions during this centenary year. We all agree that our choir is a “living treasure,” for which we are very grateful.

OUR NEXT POPE: by Father Paul K. Murphy: Very soon, the Cardinals of the Catholic Church will begin their meetings to elect a Successor to St. Peter. It is an exciting time for the Universal Church and even many non-Catholics, secularists and atheists are interested in what is happening. Some people, mostly those who do not understand their Faith or the Church, compare the upcoming conclave to a political election, where candidates are vying for election based upon their promises and platforms. Not quite. Catholics believe that the Holy Spirit will guide the Cardinals in their choice of Supreme Pontiff. Now, this doesn’t mean that the Cardinals give up their gift of Free Will upon entering behind the closed doors. Not at all. The Cardinals will, indeed they are obligated, to discuss, question, ponder and pray about the men they consider suitable for the position of Supreme Pastor. How could they do less? While we have been blessed, especially in this past number of Popes, with good and wise Shepherds, our 2000 year history shows that the Cardinals have not always chosen the best, brightest or holiest men for the job! More than a few men chosen Pope were outright scoundrels!  Yet, the Church survived them just as it survives us today. In his final address to the Cardinals, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI told them that they must be “completely docile to the action of the Holy Spirit in their election of a new Pope.” Just as a man and woman must do their best to prayerfully discern their future spouse, so, too, the Cardinals must prayerfully discern their choice of a Successor to St. Peter. As Catholics, we must be confident that God is still in charge of the Church and He will not let us down. The Church, being composed of human beings, will always have its mix of saints and sinners, mainly sinners trying to become saints. She will always have to deal with the sins and failings of all her members. However, contrary to what you read in the newspapers or magazines, there is much good going on in the Church throughout the world and there are many good and holy people in today’s Church - laity, clergy and religious. So, have faith and pray for the Cardinals as they choose the next Vicar of Christ. And, most especially, pray for the man who says “Yes, I accept.

PRAYERS AROUND THE WORLD FOR THE UPCOMING ELECTION OF THE NEW POPE: The Conclave begins on Tuesday, March 12. In calling for prayers, Archbishop Wiktor Skworc of Katowice, on behalf of the Polish bishops, made the following statement: “Ja rozumiem te spekulacje, rozmowy, które media prowadzą, dywagacje, zastanawianie się, wskazywanie, obliczanie szans, ale my inaczej patrzymy na Kościół – stwierdził metropolita katowicki. – Patrzymy na Kościół oczami wiary i jako ludzie wiary klękamy i modlimy się o światło Ducha Świętego dla tych, którzy są narzędziem kreowania nowego Papieża”.
TRANSLATION: "I understand the speculation, media analysis, agonizing, wondering, pointing, calculation of chances, but we look at the Church differently. We look at the church through the eyes of faith, and as people of faith we kneel and pray that the light of the Holy Spirit may shine on those who are the instruments for the election of a new Pope."

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

CZWARTA NIEDZIELA WIELKIEGO POSTU / FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT – LAETARE SUNDAY: The Latin word means “to rejoice,” and comes from the traditional Introit at the Mass, “O be joyful Jerusalem.” Rose-coloured vestments are often worn on this Sunday, which follows the mid-point of Lent. This particular Sunday is sometimes associated with a relaxation of the rigours of Lent. Thus, flowers may be placed on the altar, as an indicator of hope that Easter is within sight. It was once called the “Sunday of the five loaves,” after the miracle of Jesus’ feeding of the multitude, which is reported in all four canonical Gospels. Raduj się, Jerozolimo, zbierzcie się wszyscy, którzy ją kochacie. Cieszcie się, wy, którzy byliście smutni, weselcie się i nasycajcie u źródła waszej pociechy. Rejoice, O Jerusalem: and come together all you that love her: rejoice with joy, you that have been in sorrow: that you may exult, and be filled with consolation.

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TODAY’S HYMNS:
Entrance: Ach Moj Jezu -- # 67 in the coil-bound hymnal
Offertory: Jezu Chryste, Panie Mily #70
Communion: Jezu Drogi, Tys Miloscia -- #112
Post-Communion: Krzyzu Swiety -- #74
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.]