May 20th, 2021 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Pentecost and Paulist Ordination The feast of Pentecost is this Sunday, May 23rd. As the Holy Spirit breathes new life into the hearts of the faithful, we're excited to celebrate with a little more togetherness! Pentecost is a yearly reminder to share Christ's light, and gives us an opportunity to consider how we can bring God's ministry into the world. This spirit of ministry provides us with the perfect backdrop to welcome two new priests into the Paulist Fathers! The staff of St. Paul's has also been focused on ministry this week. With the world ever so slowly opening back up, St. Paul's looks forward to seeing you! Keep an eye out for events as we rebuild the ministries that make up our vibrant and thriving community. Join us in celebrating the priestly ordination of Deacon Michael Cruickshank, CSP, and Deacon Richard Whitney, CSP, this Saturday, May 22nd at 11AM at St. Paul the Apostle Church! Bishop Richard G. Henning will be the principal celebrant. The public is welcome to attend the mass! In addition, it will be broadcast live at paulist.org/ordination as well as on the Paulist Fathers’ Facebook page and YouTube channel. If you can't attend the ceremony, our two new Paulist Fathers will be saying their First Masses at the 10AM and 5PM masses on Sunday, May 23rd. However you're able to participate, we hope you will join us in celebrating these men as they journey into God's ministry! Ordination 2021 A Note from Pastor Rick Walsh This weekend we celebrate the presbyteral ordination of two Paulists, Michael Cruickshank and Richard Whitney. As the Paulists are a small community, it is always a joyful celebration when we can gather together to celebrate and support those to be ordained. We gather to also support one another in our on-going mission to the Church. Sadly this year we will not have many Paulists here in person due to the lingering pandemic. Most Paulists will join us via our Virtch Church™ programming here at St. Paul the Apostle. Paulists who witness the ordination of one or more of our brothers cannot help but recall the day we were each ordained to the priesthood. For me, I had the honor of being the last one ordained before the renovation of our church which began in the following weeks. I am also one of those Paulists who has enjoyed the distinction of “being in a class by himself”. (I was the only one ordained that year!) I recall coming into the Church at an early hour on Saturday May 9, 1992 to have some quiet prayer time before the all the hubbub would take over. I distinctively remember looking up at the grand ceiling of the old church with its then very dark blue, almost black hue with the stars and planets permanently arranged as they appeared in the dark winter sky the night of the church’s dedication on the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul (January 25) in 1885. I recall the sense of the history of the building in that quiet time; the feeling of humility that I was about to join in the ranks of some great men who also once nervously stood, knelt, and laid prostrate before God’s Holy Spirit present in so many ways. I remember reflecting on the many trials and tribulations that accompanied my long, winding path toward that very day. I pray for Mike and Rich, unique and gifted in many and varied ways. As typical Paulists, they are very different and unique persons. But they share the vision of Isaac Hecker and they will soon share in the priestly ministry of the Paulist brotherhood. I pray that each man will look back on his ordination day with the same sense of wonder, awe, and profound gratitude for all that God has and will accomplish through his life and ministry. Get to know our candidates for ordination! Deacons Mike Cruikshank and Rich Whitney share their daily lives in the seminary, quarantine hobbies, favorite cookout foods, and much more. Deacon Mike even introduces us to the Paulist Fathers speedboat- the Katari Tekakwitha! As a bit of a throwback - it is Thursday after all - we wanted to share "Fisher of Men," a Paulist vocational film from the early 1960s. It's a day in the life of a fictional Paulist Father based in Los Angeles with scenes filmed at St. Paul the Apostle Church in Los Angeles and what is today the University Catholic Center at UCLA. The film was written and produced by Paulist Fr. Ellwood "Bud" Kieser, founder of Paulist Productions, and features actors such as Brian Kelly ("Flipper"), Brian Keith ("The Parent Trap"), Laura Devon, Jim Westerfield, Audrey Dalton, and more! St. Paul's Young Adult Choir prepared this musical celebration of Pentecost for last year's remote mass. Click above to listen, and be sure to join us on Sunday for this year's Pentecost celebration! Upcoming Events Spring Cleaning Your Life: Making Room for God Join us on May 24th, 2021 from 7PM-8PM EST via Zoom for faith sharing and lively discussions on the distractions in our lives that keep our minds too cluttered to hear the call from God. Utilizing group discussion, prayer, and reading excerpts, we will ask ourselves where can we make space in our lives in order to invite God more fully into our cleaned and focused hearts. Click Here to Learn More St. Paul's latest outdoor exhibition, Bridges and Portals, explores the theme of passage into new realms. This unique outdoor exhibition incorporates a diverse blend of visual expressions exploring domestic, organic, natural, and technological ideas. It will be on view until July 2, 2021 at the North Side of our Church (60th Street and Columbus). For more information and a list of artists, visit www.openingsny.com Donate flowers for weekend masses and special occasions to beautify our sanctuary! ​ Make a gift in honor of or in memory of a loved one. Their name - and even yours, if desired - will be acknowledged on our weekly newsletter and social media. Our parish staff will order the arrangements on your behalf in order to coordinate with the liturgical seasonal colors. Click Here to Learn More Faith Formation How Can I Volunteer for the Hope for the Future campaign? The Hope for the Future campaign invites every person impacted by the Paulist Fathers to invest in their future. As a campaign volunteer, individuals/couples will assist St. Paul the Apostle in reaching our goal. Together, with other leaders at our parish, volunteers will serve as ambassadors on behalf of Paulist President Fr. Eric Andrews and our pastor, Fr. Rick, to fellow parishioners. As a volunteer, you will: Only commit to 5-6 weeks of active campaigning in July and early August. Attend two meetings, which will be offered in-person and via Zoom The first meeting, volunteer orientation, will be held Monday, May 24 and Tuesday, May 25, both at 7 p.m. Receive comprehensive campaign training. Personally follow up with about 10 fellow parishioners to answer their questions and discuss the campaign. These can be done virtually, by phone or in-person in a safe, socially distanced manner – whatever you prefer. Optional: Attend one meeting to learn about the progress of the campaign and report on the status of your follow-ups. If you would like to volunteer to help our parish in this landmark effort, please contact Father Rick or our parish chairs, Tania Chebli at [email protected] and Larry Holodak at [email protected] for additional information. If you are one of the many non-Catholics who visit St. Paul's and feel at home here, perhaps it’s time to consider becoming a full member of our Roman Catholic community! We will soon be starting an inquiry group to help you explore that. For more information, please get in touch with Father Robert Collins, S.J., at [email protected], or call (917) 444-5313. Learn More Mass Intentions WEEKEND & WEEKDAY MASS SCHEDULE Join us at St. Paul's NYC in person or online for our Virtch Church live stream Sat 5 pm - Mass of Quiet Meditation Sun 8 am - Mass of Quiet Meditation Sun *10 am - Traditional Choral (*live streamed) Sun 12:30 pm - Español; Coro Hispano Sun *5 pm - Young Adult Mass; Contemporary (*live streamed) Mon - Fri 7:30 am & *12:30 pm (*live streamed) Our masses are live-streamed to our website, our SPA app, our YouTube page, and our Facebook page. Additionally, the readings and lyrics for each liturgy can be found on our free St. Paul the Apostle app - you can download it by scanning the relevant QR code below! ST. PAUL THE APOSTLE NEEDS YOUR HELP Cardinal’s Annual Stewardship Appeal 2021 I invite you to prayerfully consider participating in the 2021 Cardinal’s Annual Stewardship Appeal which promotes and makes possible the works of mercy across the archdiocese, including: · Financial support to parishes made vulnerable due to Covid-19. · Ongoing support for Catholic Charities and pastoral programs including the prison apostolate. · Assist Faith formation in parishes and Catholic school programs. · The education of seminarians. · Care for retired priests. To contribute towards this work of the gospel, our parish of 1190 households is responsible for a goal of $174,500. If you have rarely or never supported the Appeal, I ask you to make a first- time gift of any size so that this can truly be a parish-wide effort.