Founded 1866 The Shrine and Parish Church of the Holy Innocents

“The Little Around the Corner” at the crossroads of the world

128 West 37th St. (Just West of Broadway) New York City 10018 Schedule Rev. Fr. James L. P. Miara, M. Div., Pastor Perpetual Novenas

Rev. Fr. Louis Van Thanh, Senior Priest Weekdays following the 7:30 a.m. and 12:15 & 1:15 p.m. Rev. Fr. Oliver Chanama, In Residence Masses and at 5:50 p.m. and on Saturday following the 12 Rev. Fr. Daniel Sabatos, Visiting Celebrant noon and 1:00 p.m. Masses.

Tel: (212) 279-5861/5862 Monday: Miraculous Medal Tuesday: St. Anthony and St. Anne www.shrineofholyinnocents.org Wednesday: Our Lady of Perpetual Help and St. Thursday: Infant of Prague, St. Rita and St. Therese Friday: “The Return Crucifix” and the Passion Holy Sacrifice of the Mass Saturday: Our Lady of Lourdes and Our Lady of Fatima Weekdays: 7:00 & 7:30 a.m.; Sunday: Holy Innocents (at Vespers) 8:00 a.m. (Tridentine Latin only during Lent) 12:15 & 1:15 p.m. Devotions and 6:00 p.m. (Tridentine Latin) Vespers and Benediction: Saturday: 12 noon and 1:00 p.m. (Tridentine Latin) Sunday at 2:30 p.m. (Tridentine Latin)

and 4:00 p.m. Vigil/Shopper’s Mass Holy : Weekdays at 11:55 a.m. and 5:20 p.m. Saturday at 12:35 p.m. Sunday: 9:00 a.m. (Tridentine Low Mass), Sunday at 2:00 p.m. 10:30 a.m. (Tridentine High Mass), Divine Mercy Chaplet: Weekdays at 3:00 p.m. 12:30 p.m. Stations of the Cross (during Lent): Holy Days of Obligation: Fridays at 12:45 p.m. Vigil at 5:15 p.m. and after 6:00 p.m. Mass

7:00 & 7:30 a.m.; All-Night Vigil: 8:00 a.m. (Tridentine Latin); 11:15 a.m.; First Friday of the month from 7:00 p.m.- 12:15, 1:15 & 5:15 p.m.; Saturday 5:00 a.m. Mass (Tridentine Latin) 6:00 p.m. (Tridentine Latin High Mass) First Saturday Devotions: Confessions Rosary, 15 minute meditation, prayers & Benediction following 1:00 p.m. Mass Weekdays: 7:30-8:30 a.m.; 12 noon-1:30 p.m.; 5:15-5:35 p.m. 2000 Hail Marys: Second Saturday of the month Saturday: 12 noon-1:00 p.m. and 3:15-3:45 p.m. from 6:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.

Sunday: 9:45-10:30 a.m. and 12 noon-12:30 p.m. Church Hours

And anytime upon request or by appointment Monday-Friday: 6:30 a.m. – 7:30 p.m. Saturday: 9:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. Exposition Sunday: 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. of the Most Blessed Sacrament Parish Office/Gift Shop Hours

Weekdays from 2:00 p.m.-5:45 p.m. Benediction Monday-Friday: 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Saturday: 9:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. Sunday: 9:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.

LATIN TRIDENTINE MASS CORNER Week of January 14, 2018 Calendar Mass Intentions nd January 14 - 2 Sunday after Epiphany SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME 2nd Class

January 15 - St. Paul, First Hermit & Confessor SATURDAY, JANUARY 13 - St. Hilary, Bishop & Doctor with Commemoration of St. Maurus rd 04:00 - Shawn Medlock (L) 3 Class - Low Mass

January 16 - St. Marcellus, & Martyr SUNDAY, JAUARY 14 rd 3 Class - Low Mass

09:00 - Pro populo January 17 - St. Anthony, Abbot 10:30 - Maria Libia Florez - Gregorian (15) 3rd Class - Low Mass 12:30 - Purgatorial Society January 18 - Votive Mass of the Chair of St. Peter MONDAY, JANUARY 15 - Weekday with Commemoration of St. Paul & St. Prisca 07:00 - Antonio Cotoia (d) 4th Class - Low Mass 07:30 - William J. Haugh (d) 12:15 - Dr. Yap, Jr. (d) January 19 - Ss. Marius, Martha, Audifax & Aba- 01:15 - In Thanksgiving to Our Lady of Perpetual Help chum, Martyrs with Commemoration 06:00 - Maria Libia Florez - Gregorian (16) of St. Canute 4th Class - Low Mass

TUESDAY, JANUARY 16 - Weekday January 20 - Ss. Fabian, Pope & Sebastian, Martyrs rd 07:00 - Luca Guerron (d) 3 Class - Low Mass

07:30 - Leonardo & Rosa Mendoza (d) Next Sunday 12:15 - St. Anthony January 21 - 3rd Sunday after Epiphany 01:15 - In thanksgiving to Our Lady of Fatima nd 06:00 - Maria Libia Florez - Gregorian (17) 2 Class

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 17 - St. Anthony, abbot PRAYER TO BE ALWAYS FAITHFUL 7:00 - Liola Leith (d) 07:30 - Frank De Stefano (d) Holy Father, I want to be faithful in my devotion to 12:15 - Gesner Limage and Henri Armand Saintvil (d) you. Help me to find what is really important in my 01:15 - In Thanksgiving to the life and give me strength to attain these goals. 06:00 - Maria Libia Florez - Gregorian (18) Help me decide to be faithful to the Christian ideals THURSDAY, JANUARY 18 - Weekday that give meaning to my life. Through Christ our Lord, Amen. 07:00 - Kathleen Golden (L) 07:30 - Maria Libia Florez - Gregorian (19) 12:15 - Justin Joseph Laguna (L) CHURCH UNITY OCTAVE NOVENA 01:15 - In Thanksgiving to St. Jude 06:00 - Roy Joseph Mirro (d) 6th Anniversary The Church Unity Octave from January 18 to 25 is a special time of prayer for the unity of the Catholic FRIDAY, JANUARY 19 - Weekday Church. Devotional prayers for this purpose will be prayed following each Latin Mass on those days. 7:00 - Colin Boatwright (L) Please join is in praying for the conversion of those 07:30 - Alice Sullivan (d) outside the fold of the Holy Roman Catholic Church! 12:15 - Sharon Degnan (d) 01:15 - Carmine & Wife Lena Salerno (d) EPIPHANY HOME BLESSINGS 06:00 - Maria Libia Florez - Gregorian (20) SATURDAY, JANUARY 20 - Ss. Fabian, Pope & Sebastian, It is customary in the time after the Epiphany until the Martyrs Feast of the Presentation of the Lord in the Temple on

February 2 to have one’s home blessed with the Epiph-

12:00 - Ruben Benitez (d) any Water. If you would like this done, please contact 01:00 - Maria Libia Florez - Gregorian (21) the Rectory Office and arrange for an appointment 04:00 - Mary Grace Bellotti with Fr. Miara.

NEXT SUNDAY’S MASS INTENTIONS Altar Offerings 09:00 - Pro Populo The Sanctuary Candle 10:30 - Maria Libia Florez , Gregorian (22)

12:30 - Judith Llewellyn (L) Intentions of Leith, Moore & Gerber Families

You are invited to join a 10-Day Pilgrimage BETHLEHEM O HANDICRAFTS to Poland with the Shrine and Parish Church of the From the birthplace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Holy Innocents Christian community is seeking your love and support with Rev. James Miara, Pastor through obtaining their handmade olive wood reli- gious articles. These items will be displayed at the “The Life and Legacy of St. John Paul II” th church after all masses next weekend January 20 May 6 – 15, 2018 st and 21 . Your help can and will make a difference in Warsaw * Niepokalanow * Lichen * Kalisz * the lives of your brothers and sisters in Bethlehem. Czestochowa * Zakopane Krakow * Wadowice MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. DAY All-Inclusive Package: $3,290.00 Monday, January 15 is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, a fed- Contact: Peter’s Way Tours eral holiday. Holy Innocents will observe its regular 1-800-225-7662 weekday schedule of Masses, Confessions, Devotions and www.petersway.com Eucharistic Adoration. The Parish Office will be open.

“Silence… does good to the soul.” COLLECTION REPORT - St. Therese of Lisieux Regular Collection 01/07/18 $5,211.00 CELL PHONES Shrines and Candles $2,286.50

The use of a cell phone in church for texting, read- Regular Collection - 01/08/17 $4,316.00 ing e-mails and talking is a sign of disrespect for Our Shrines and Candles $3,664.00 Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. Please turn all cell phones off or place on silent mode when entering Your continued and generous support to your the House of God! Parish is greatly appreciated!

Venerable Marthe Robin (1902-1981) - French Mystic, Stigmatic, Victim Soul and Foundress of the Foyer de Charite

Marthe Robin was born on March 13, 1902 in Chateauneuf de Galaure, in a region known as “the Plain”. She was one of six children. Her father Joseph, was a good natured farmer, not very religious in that he only went to Mass on Easter and big Feast days, although towards the end of his life, due to Marthe’s extraordinary example and virtue, he had a deep conversion and “died a ” according to a statement made by Marthe. Her mother, Amelie-Celeste Chosson, was happy and gracious housewife and mother, and like her husband, was not initially devout in religious practice, however she too had a deep conversion towards the end of her life, once again presume bly through the holy influence and example of Marthe.

For you, it will be suffering -First illness

Beginning in May, 1918 at age 16, Marthe began experiencing painful headaches. On November 25th she collapsed in her kitchen and was unable to get up without assistance. The Doctor was sent for and it was thought that she had en- cephalitis. At times she would often cry out in pain. During this time she had her first vision of the Blessed Mary; her sister Alice who was in the bedroom with her, saw a great light that surrounded the room, but she herself did not see the Blessed Mother.

Offering herself to the Love and Will of God

From her childhood, Marthe always had “conspicuous” religious devotion and tendency; conspicuous in that her parents and family were not very devout Catholics; only going to Mass on major feast days. As her illness and suffering progressed, her legs weakened, and she was confined to a chair more and more. During this time her spiritual life blossomed and she was very inspired and edified by the life of the “Little Flower”, Therese of Lisieux, who was canonized on May 17, 1925 by Pope Pius XI. Later that year, on October 15, 1925, the Feast of St Teresa of Avila, she felt inspired to make a “Act of Abandon- ment to the Love and the Will of God”, composing the text of the Act of Abandonment herself.

Another Serious Illness

Barely a year after having made her act of abandonment to the will of God, Marthe again fell gravely ill. It was on October 3, 1926, the day of the first celebration of the feast of Saint Therese of Lisieux, who had been canonized the preceding year. Dr. Aristide Sallier, of Saint-Uze came to The Plain and found Marthe in a coma. "There is nothing more that can be done," was all he said. The Parish Priest, Fr. Faure could only replace the doctor at the bedside to administer the Sacra­ment of the Sick to "his parishioner," as he called her. It was the second time that she had re- ceived it. Everyone expected that each day would bring her death. The coma lasted three weeks.

Apparitions of Saint Therese of Lisieux But while death seemed to be imminent, Marthe experienced three apparitions of Saint Therese of the Child Jesus. The Carmelite of Lisieux revealed to her that she would not die yet, that she would recover, and that she would ex- tend her mission throughout the entire world! That is what Marthe confided to Fr. Finet, even adding, laughingly, "Oh that rascal, in the end, she's left it all to me!" Behind the suffering and the , this sense of humor is the best indication of Marthe's mental health.

Love for God and suffering After her death, some pages of a notebook were discovered in which she described the sufferings she endured during 1927:

“....it was impossible to make the least movement without the assistance of my very devoted mama, not that I did not re- tain at least partial use of my arms and my hands, but that they had become very clumsy. Nevertheless, I thank the Good God for everything that He sends me, and particularly for His having left me at least this last mobility, as some consolation to my dear parents, and so that I may perform a few light tasks for them. Oh, that I may never work except with Him and for Him! Still, I feel that I am crushed, both physically and mentally. Everything causes me anguish and overwhelms me ... I no longer know how to react. But so be it! But too much-too much about my poor self, and it seems it would be better for me to dwell more upon all that God is doing in my soul, and for my soul, every minute...."

"My soul is plunged into and, as it were, swept away toward that Jerusalem of Love, by the powerful allurements and inspirations of God Himself, who now and then seems to desire to absorb me wholly into Himself. I am afraid of all this! ... I am so alone, spiritually and mentally, and meanwhile I understand that I must abandon myself to Him with- out any reservations. So be it! I have so much need to say this "Fiat" often, which unites me with Jesus, and with Mary, my most beloved Mama, and consum­mates my immolation.

"It seems to me that I am no more than a very tiny thing in the arms of God, and that I will remain so until I die ... I do not know what He wants to do with me, but I desire it all. Everything is good that comes from God and that He wants of us. Yes, all is good to me ... All is infinitely dear and sweet to my soul because it is He who wishes it so, He who manages it all. I take refuge in His heart, united with Mary my Mother whom I love so much, and I shall not leave it any more ... I know that He will not expel me." (March 2, 1927).

Fifteen days later, she added: "I test how sweet it is to love, even in suffering, and I shall say above all in suffering; for suffering is an unsurpassed school of true love ... It is the living language of Love, and the great teacher of human- kind. One learns to love, and one does not really love except in and by suffering, for true suffering instructs us, not through human delights, but through the stripping away and renouncing of self on the Cross.”

Further Paralysis: Marthe Ceases to Eat and Sleep

As of March 25, 1928 (Feast of the Annunciation) Marthe's legs became completely paralyzed. Hence­forth she was bedridden for life. She lay in the room next to the kitchen and which faces onto the courtyard. Her legs had contract- ed and twisted out of shape. We leave it to the reader to contemplate such a experience. This time of her paraliza- tion also coincided with an extraordinary grace of total abstinence from all food and drink. This extraordinary phe- nomenon may be incredi­ble, but it has also been known in the cases of other mystics. From 1928 to 1981, the year of her death, Marthe did not consume anything except the that was brought to her once or twice a week. The host, entering into her, instantly disappeared without any normal ingestion. Marthe could not swallow anything else. As far back as the beginning of that year, when her mother had brought her a cup of coffee, it had immediately flowed back out of her mouth. Mrs. Robin groaned, "Look at my poor little one, in what a state she is!" And Marthe's father wept, "But she has done nothing bad!" He was pitiful, a childhood friend of Marthe's told me.

Thenceforth, Marthe had no ingestive or digestive processes whatever, and, in addition, she entirely ceased to sleep; she was completely stripped. According to medical men, a total loss of sleep is even more extraordinary than not tak- ing any food or drink. We can assume that one does not enter into such a state without agony. It appears that at this time Fr. Netton began to come to visit and console Marthe. And it was at this point that the Blessed Virgin began to increase the frequency of her apparitions.

The Devil Breaks Two of Her Teeth

Late in the year 1928, two Capuchin Priests who were preaching a Mission in her hometown were visiting all the sick in their free time. When they met Marthe they were quickly impressed by her devotion and her resignation and ac- ceptance to her paralysis. When they returned that day to the Rectory of the Church, they said to the Pastor “that is a Saint that you have there!” Encouraged by these holy Priests she felt called to join their number by entering into the of St Francis on November 2, 1928. But the Enemy, of whom the Evangelists speak, began to harass her. The Lord had said to Satan, "Have you noticed my servant, , and that there is no one on earth like him?" We can wager that he would have been able to say the same of Marthe. Satan was so enraged after her entry into the Third Order of Saint Francis, that on the very night after the ceremony Marthe ex­perienced her first manifestation of the devil. Mrs. Robin, who slept in a bed just beside her daughter's, said, "I don't know what happened, but she ut- tered a frightful scream!"

"Satan," a confidant of Marthe's reported, "had struck her a blow with his fist, breaking two teeth. It was she who told me." "Did you see the broken teeth?" "Yes, yes." This same episode was related by Fr. Perrier.

Marthe Loses the Use of Her Hands

The paralysis of her legs occurred on the feast of the Annunciation, 1929. On Candlemas Day, February 2, 1929, Marthe lost the use of her hands. She had offered them to the Lord, and he had taken her at her word! Goodbye to letter writing and to embroidery! "I kept my thimble on my finger for about a week, and finally I said to mama, 'You know, you must take off my thimble, now!' " Undefeated by this new paralysis, Marthe learned to write with a pencil in her mouth.

Thus, at age 27, this is the state to which she was reduced: her arms and legs held her down in her bed; her legs were partly bent; she was twisted, with a pillow under her back, and a stiff cushion to support her knees; her right arm lay across her chest and her left arm was stretched out along her body. She could not move. When Mrs. Bernard (the daughter of Mrs. Ferdinand Robin) went to help Mrs. Robin to change the bed linen, Marthe endured torments as soon as she was lifted.

In this uncomfortable and unchangeable position Marthe remained, without drinking, without eating, and without sleeping, for more than fifty years. "Oh Jesus, you have made me your little victim," she said on July 12, 1929, "as you have wished to be mine, and that of all mankind. All my life, oh my God, is yours ... oh Cross, Cross of my Savior ... oh divine ladder that joins earth to heaven, you are the altar upon which I must consume my sacrifice and consume my life in immolation and love. "

The of Marthe Robin

Towards the end of September, 1930, Jesus appeared to Marthe and asked her “Do you wish to be like Me?” She did not know exactly what our Lord meant by this, but recalling that she had offered herself completely to Him five years earlier, she wanted everything that He wanted. She at once made her “fiat” with all the love and devotion of her heart. Sometime during the early part of October (possibly on the 4th, the feast of Saint Francis, the stigmatized saint), Jesus Crucified ap- peared before the eyes of Marthe. At once he took her paralyzed arms, rigid since February 2, 1929, and opened them wide. At that moment a tongue of flame leapt from his side, separated in two, and struck both of her feet and both of her hands; a third tongue of flame struck Marthe on the heart. She bled from her hands, her feet, and her heart.

Later, whether it was the same day is not known, Jesus imprinted his crown of thorns on Marthe's head. The marks extended down to her eyes and bled freely. This crown appeared on her forehead "like purple veins"; several months afterward (at Marthe's request, as an act of humility) they completely disappeared.

Still later, Jesus intervened again, imposing upon Marthe the wood of the Cross; Marthe felt crushed-dislocated be cause of the burden of the Cross with its enormous weight.

Her parents saw their daughter covered with blood, and were overwhelmed. According to Marthe, her mother "understood that this condition had come from God with Marthe's abandonment to the Divine will."

Her parents nevertheless called for Dr. Aristide Sallier of Saint-Uze. His medical studies had obviously not prepared him to cope with such a phenomenon. Right away, he tried to have his patient drink something. It was impossible; the liquid came out through her nose. The doctor recognized that he had come to the end of his resources. One day he acknowledged his helplessness, and said to Marthe. "Mademoiselle. pray for me!"

On the Friday following her stigmatization, Marthe began to relive the Passion of Jesus.

People come from all over to visit Marthe

Rumors of these events did not take long to circulate throughout the neighboring countryside. and soon a number of people were "ascending to The Plain" to see Marthe and to pray with her, uniting themselves through her with the Pas- sion of Christ. This apostolate of welcoming visitors for the good of souls continued for 50 years, that is, until the end of her life. Fr. Faure and Fr. Perrier were the first to organize such visits for the edification of the souls of the parish ioners entrusted to them.

The visitors so increased that, beginning in 1931 or 1932, the permission of Fr. Faure was needed to "ascend to The Plain." Why Fr. Faure's permis­sion? Simply because the Robin family would have been too embarrassed to refuse any one admittance to their home.

Already, a ritual had spontaneously come about: one awaited one's turn in the kitchen in the company of Marthe's mother, whose patience was touching. Finally one entered Marthe's room, chatted with her, and showed her the gifts one had brought, not only the oranges that people habitually gave (for the sick, since Marthe neither ate nor drank), but all sorts of things that Marthe then had the pleasure of sending to the poor and to missionaries. This was the origin of what todays re treatants at Chateauneuf call "Marthe's basket."—gifts that Marthe sent to the poor and missionaries.

The death struggles of her own will

"Here is the end of the year 1930," she said on the night of December 31st, ”My whole being has undergone a transfor- mation as mysterious as it is profound. A year of trials, a year of pain. A year of graces and of love. My real joy on my sick- bed is profound, lasting because it is divine .... I reflect upon the road I have traveled since the beginning of my illness, and from this reflection emerges only Love, and gratitude towards God who is so merciful and so good. What a labor! What growth God has wrought in me! But what leapings of the heart, what death-struggles of the will it takes to die to self!"

A Passion That Recurs Every Week

The ever increasing number of visitors, the glimpses of glory (' 'It was so beautiful up there") must not make us forget that Marthe continued to suffer every day, unceasingly and more and more painfully. Right up until 1981. One can scarcely imagine that this Calvary lasted fifty years.

Marthe suffered in her body. Even when the bed linen had to be changed it was necessary to take all sorts of precautions; despite them, Mrs. Robin and Mrs. Ferdinand Robin (who came to help) knew well enough that they caused her great ago- ny. Marthe suffered also in not being able to eat or drink, not because she had taken some vow, as is sometimes said, but because she had no salivation and no power of normal ingestion. Her sole nourishment was the Eucharist. For fifty years Marthe lived by means of it.

Marthe suffered in her heart to see that her parents were tormented by not being able to do anything for her. Above all, she suffered in her soul because the sin of the world is hateful and because Love is not loved. And this spiritual suffering was at its greatest every Friday when Marthe relived the crucifixion for so many years. Later, the agony of Christ began for her on Thursday evenings. "He desires to relive in me His Passion up until his last breath and His de- scent into hell, and even his resurrection, although I remain on the cross so as to continue this life of crucifixion that is His will for me; that He wills for me for his glory and for the redemption of souls all over the world. "

To be continued on the next issue of the bulletin Often children who have died before birth have no grave The Shrine to the Unborn or headstone, and sometimes not even a name. At The Blessed by Cardinal O’Connor on December 28, 1993 Church of The Holy Innocents, we invite you to name your child(ren) and to have the opportunity to have your baby's name inscribed in our "BOOK OF LIFE". Here, a candle is always lit in their memory. All day long people stop to pray. On the first Monday of every month, our 12:15pm Mass is celebrated in honor of these children and for the comfort of their families. We pray that you will find peace in knowing that your child(ren) will be remembered at the Shrine and honored by all who pray here.

We will inscribe the names of babies who have died before and at birth in our Book of Life, and as always, we invite you to visit the Shrine if you are in New York City.

SUBWAY ROSARY

Our Regina Mundi Praesidium of the Legion of Mary con- The Shrine is dedicated in Memory of the Children ducts a Subway Rosary on the second and fourth Satur- Who Have Died Unborn days of the month. All are invited to join in this evange- We invite you to name your child(ren) lization effort to spread devotion to Our Lady. Anyone and provide the opportunity to have interested in joining is asked to gather at Holy Innocents your babyʹs name inscribed in our “Book of Lifeʺ. by 10:00 a.m. The group will then proceed to either Her- ald Square, Duffy Square, or a subway station for the rec- itation of the 20 decades of the Holy Rosary and return back to Holy Innocents around 12:30 p.m. Come for all or part of the Subway Rosary!

Upcoming Subway

January 27 February 10

LEGION OF MARY

Weekly Meeting of the Legion of Mary will be in the Parish Hall at 7:00pm every Monday, following the 6:00pm Latin Mass

BIBLE STUDY led by Fr. Louis VOLUNTEER SINGERS NEEDED

Thursdays following the 6:00 p.m. Mass "Be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in Takes place in the lower Church Hall psalms, hymns, and spiritual canticles, singing and More info: 212-279-5861 making melody to the Lord with all your heart, always and for everything giving thanks..."

CATHOLIC DAUGHTERS - Ephesians Ch 5. OF THE AMERICAS Regina Angelorum Court The Shrine & Parish Church of Holy Innocents Volun-

Looking for a way to be of service to God teer choir needs your voice! All ages welcome. We and community? Come check out this meet on Sundays at 9:30am in the Church Hall. ease group of dynamic, Catholic women! We email Rachel Aldridge at [email protected] if meet on the 2nd Wednesday of the you are interested in joining. No prior experience month, at 7:15pm in the Parish Hall. Bring necessary. a friend! More info: 917-301-5859

Compliments of

LESLIE STUART, INC. 149 West 36th Street 8th Floor, New York, NY 10018 Tel : 212-629-4551 x 102 / Fax: 212-629-4625