Parish Staff Pastor Rev. David Powers Sch.P. Parochial Vicars Rev. Nelson Henao Sch.P. Rev. Richard Wyzykiewicz Sch.P. Parish Secretary Mrs. Rosemarie Ortiz Organists Mr. Franco Bonanome Mr. Patrick Marques Leaders of Song Mrs. Terry Bonanome Mr. Alex Henriquez saint July 2016 Director of Development Helena Mrs. Stephanie Turtle parish St. Helena’s School (718) 892-3234 Bronx, NY Early Childhood (3Yr Olds & Pre-K for All) Mass Schedule (Horario de Misas) Elementary School (Grades K-8) Principal: Mr. Richard Meller 2050 Benedict Avenue Bronx, New York 10462 High School: Monsignor Scanlan H.S. (718) 430-0100 http://www.scanlanhs.edu/ Principal: Mr. Peter Doran made at 915 Hutchinson River Parkway Bronx, New York 10465 Certificate. St. Helena Rectory: 1315 Olmstead Avenue should as as at the Rectory. Bronx, N.Y. 10462 Phone: (718) 892-3232 Fax: (718) 892-7713 a at Rectory. www.churchofsthelena.com Email: [email protected] Alumni: [email protected] ST. L BRONX, A WORD FROM THE PASTOR: that city dedicated to the Virgin of the Cloud. OUR LADY OF THE CLOUD This devotion has also spread to the United States. Immigrants from Ecuador in Chicago and New York have confraternities The Spanish Mass this past dedicated to Our Lady of the Cloud and have annual festivities in Saturday at 1:30PM was in honor her honor. of Our Lady of the Cloud. The devotion to The Virgin of the Cloud, La Virgen de la Nube, is ROSARY VIRGIN OF from Ecuador. It originated 85 years after the Archbishop of CHIQUINQUIRA, COLUMBIA (1555) Quito blessed the miraculous The Spanish Mass here at St. Helena on Sunday will be in honor of statue of Our Lady of Good The Rosary Virgin of Chiquinquira. A reception will follow in the Success on February 2, 1611. cafeteria. The story of Mary’s appearance there is very interesting. Here is the story of the miracle of Way up on the Andean Plateau, 150 kilometers to the north of Our Lady of the Cloud. Bogata, Columbia, is the city of Chiquinquira, founded in 1856, and where at the country house of the Spaniard Don Antonio de At the end of the year 1696, the Santana, a wondrous miracle occurred. Bishop of Quito, Don Sancho de Andrade y Figueroa, was very ill. Don Antonio, in 1555, being a devout Christian had an oratory Disconsolate at the thought of built in his home and requested the Dominican Brother, Fray losing their Bishop, the people of Andrews Jadraque, to have the image of the Holy Virgin painted. Guálupo, a village on the outskirts of Quito, decided to organize a The silversmith and painter, Alonzo de Narvaez did the work. The novena to the Virgin Mary asking her for his recovery. brother demanded that the Virgin bear a rosary, the official emblem of his order. The cloth had room for two other images at On December 30, they organized a Rosary procession from the the side, and it was decided to put Saint Anthony of Padua at the town of Guálupo to the Cathedral in Quito. On the return trip, at right and Saint Andrew the Apostle at the left. The painting was around 4:30 in the afternoon, Fr. José de Ulloa y la Cadena, done in tempora, but since the chapel was of straw, the paint chaplain of the Monastery of the Immaculate Conception of Quito, faded under the action of the sun, the air and the rain. was leading the group in the praying of the Rosary. He was just beginning to recite the third decade of the Glorious Mysteries The damage was such that the town priest had it removed from when he looked up and saw a figure forming in a large cloud in the altar as unworthy for the celebration of Holy Mass. The canvas the late afternoon sky. He pointed to the east and exclaimed to was taken to Chiquinquira and was used for a rag to dry the the crowd: “The Virgin! The Virgin!” wheat under the sun. Seven years later Dona Maria Ramos arrived from Spain and grieved to find the chapel used for animals. Day In the sky between the sanctuaries of Guálupo and Quito, the after day she prayed there that Mary would comfort her soul, and Blessed Virgin appeared standing on a cloud somewhat darker and she was hopeful that her denser than the others, which served as her pedestal. She wore a prayers would be heard. crown on her head and carried a bunch of lilies in her right hand On Friday, December 26, like a scepter. In her left hand she carried her Divine Son. She 1586, at 9:00 o’clock in the was dressed in a white silk tunic that draped to her feet in soft morning, the canvas was pleats, half hidden by a majestic mantle. On her head was a long suddenly brightened by the filmy white veil. Holy Virgin. Maria was in This apparition, which was viewed by close to 500 persons in the pious astonishment, almost procession as well as many others in the environs of Quito, lasted in a trance, and soon the for the length of a Glory be and the praying of one Our Father and miracle drew crowds of one Hail Mary. Testimonies of the miracle include those of the people. President of the Royal Chamber Don Mateo de Mata Ponce de This wonderful happening León and other respected town officials. All of the testimonies are was followed by carefully conserved today in the Archives of the Quito miraculous cures. The Archdiocese. Church authorities ordered As confirmation of the miracle, the Bishop was immediately an investigation to be made of the Virgin of Chiquinquira to verify healed. Soon afterward, he authorized the devotion to the Virgin the truth of the miracle and in the year 1630, the Dominican under the invocation The Virgin of the Cloud, and erected an altar Brotherhood authorized by the archbishop of Bogata, took charge to her in the Cathedral of Quito. The Bishop, who remained very of the sanctuary, and built a church which was replaced by the devoted to the Blessed Virgin and the Rosary, lived some years present Basilica in 1801. The Holy See, after discussion of the more, dying in May of 1702. wonderful miracle, granted a liturgical feast day on July 9 that is News of the miracle spread rapidly throughout that province and it celebrated with special services also in some sections of Venezuela soon spread to Peru. Some years later, the Prioress of the and Ecuador as well. Monastery of the Nazarene Mothers, Mother Barbara Josefa of the In 1919, by order of the Holy See, the Holy Image was crowned Holy Trinity, received permission for a picture painted on linen of with splendor in Bogata, and in 1944 it was granted the gold the Virgin of the Cloud to be carried in the annual October scepter and precious jewels as the mother queen of Colombia. procession through the streets of Lima. This invocation to Our The Virgin of Chiquinquira is the comforting heart of Colombia, Lady remains very popular in Lima today. Venezuela and Ecuador; prelates, magistrates, and other leaders In Ecuador, a grand procession honoring the Virgin of the Cloud is of the nation have knelt down at Mary’s feet and throngs of held every year on January 1 in the city of Azogues. It is people, rich and poor, continuously flow to this place to pray for organized by the Franciscans who constructed a large sanctuary in 2 consolation and guidance through this earthly life. FIFTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME St. Pompilio Maria Pirrotti, Pope Pius XI. His remains are preserved and venerated by the a Piarist Saint - Feast July 15 faithful in the Piarist church in Campi Salentina. It is very important to Pray to Mary Domenico Pirrotti was born in Montecalvo, THE “HEBREW” STAR OF DAVID WAS Italy on September 29, 1710, the sixth of EARLIER USED BY CHRISTIANS the eleven children of Jerome and Donna Shockingly, the use of the six-pointed star as the Jewish symbol Pirrotti. His father was a lawyer and was only goes back to the 17th century, while this symbol was used in of the noble class. At the age of 16, he left Christian churches centuries earlier. To complicate matters further, home and joined the Piarist fathers in in Hebrew this star is not called a “Star of David” but magen david the “Shield of David”. Why is this an important מגן דוד -- Benevento, where on February 2, 1727, he took the religious habit of the Piarists and difference? professed the four religious vows made by The Hebrew word for shield magen literally means a protective all Piarists: poverty, chastity, obedience, covering. In Genesis 15, God makes a covenant with Abram, and the education of youth. At the same saying: “Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield (magen)". In time, he changed his name to Pompilio Psalms, we find another usage of the word in reference to God Maria. made by King David himself, repeating over and over that God He was sent to Chieti to study philosophy, but he became ill and alone is “our help and our shield” (magen), the provider of true was transferred to Melfi to finish his studies. Before his priestly security. Thus, the "Star of David" is actually a symbol of God's ordination, he was sent to Turi for a year to teach religion and protection. then to Lecce to teach literature. He was ordained on March 20, Unlike the menorah, the Lion of Judah, the shofar, and the lulav, 1734 by the Archbishop of Brindisi.