Church of St. Theresa A Caring Community Reaching Out To One Another in Christ 2855 St. Theresa Avenue, Bronx, New York SUNDAY MASSES Saturday at 5:00pm, ST. THERESA’S FAMILY IS OUR FAMILY Sunday at 7:30am, 9:00am(Italian), “ST. THERESA STRONG” 10:30am(Family Mass) 12:15pm , 1:30PM(Spanish) & 5:00pm WEEKDAY MASSES Monday thru Saturday 8:00am & 9:00am DEVOTIONS Miraculous Medal & St. Theresa Novenas after Monday morning Masses St. Anthony Novena after Tuesday morning Masses. Thursday 12 Noon Mass & Eucharistic Adoration Exposition & Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament First Friday 6:00PM CONFESSION Saturdays from 4:00pm to 5:00pm and by appointment BAPTISMS Baptisms take place most Sundays after the 1:30pm Mass. We ask parents to attend the Baptism preparation meeting. Register at the Rectory for the meeting. The date of the Baptism will be dis- cussed at the Baptism meeting. MARRIAGES Call the Rectory at least six months in advance of the wedding date to make an appointment with parish clergy. Rev. Msgr. Thomas Derivan, Pastor Rev. Joseph Ligory, Parochial Vicar Mrs. Josephine Fanelli, Principal Rev. Edmundo Gomez, Retired, Mrs. Marie McCarrick, Dir. of Religious Education Rev. Robert Imbelli, Weekend Associate Nadia Papayani, Dir. of Music Salesian Fathers, Weekend Associates RECTORY: 7188921900/1901 WEBSITE: www.sttheresachurchbronx.org SCHOOL: 7187923688 FAX: 7188921146 EMAIL: [email protected] RELIGIOUS EDUCATION: 7187928434 CHURCH OF ST. THERESA, BRONX FROM THE DESK OF FATHER DERIVAN On Tuesday, September 14, we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Cross, found by St. Helena on the hill of Calvary. This feast day has particular meaning to Father Joseph, Father Gomez and myself (and to our dear Father Charles) because we were stationed in the parish named after St. Helena. But all of the people the Church celebrate this feast because of the importance for all of us of St. Helena and her finding the Holy Cross, the Cross on which the Lord Jesus was crucified and died for us. Helena’s story sounds very much like the story of many women in our day and age. She was the wife of the Roman general, Constantius Chlorus, who divorced her to marry a princess to further his political ambition. Helena accepted the task of being a devoted mother to her son Constantine and working as an innkeeper to support him and herself. But the Lord had a plan for Helena. When Constantine was older, he too became a Roman general. He prepared for a battle that would determine who the Roman Emperor would be. Before the battle, Constantine had a vision of the Cross in the sky, surrounded by the words “In this sign you will conquer.” Constantine had his soldiers place a cross on their uniforms. He went into battle and won the victory. Even though he was not yet a Christian, he respected the Christian faith of his mother Helena. He freed the Christians who, for three hundred years, had suffered in the Roman persecution. But he wanted to do more. He wanted to show his love and gratitude to the Cross of Jesus under which he had won the battle. And so he asked his mother Helena, who was now the Empress, to go with his soldiers to Jerusalem to find the actual Cross on which Jesus had died for us. In the year 320, even though she was eighty years of age, Helena accepted this task happily. When they reached Jerusalem, Helena did the sensible thing asked the Christians there to show her the place where Jesus had been crucified. The people had retained the memory of that holy place, even though a pagan temple had been built over the place where the Cross had been. Helena’s soldiers removed the temple and then dug beneath. They found three crosses, one belonging to Jesus, the other two to the two thieves crucified with Him, but all unmarked. Helena trusted in the power of God to reveal to her the True Cross. At the suggestion of the bishop of Jerusalem, she touched the Cross to a crippled woman. When the first two crosses touched the woman, nothing happened. When the woman touched the Cross of Jesus, she was cured. It was God’s way of showing St. Helena and us which was the True Cross of our salvation. Not long afterwards Helena died, her work accomplished. Why is the story of St. Helena and the True Cross important for us? For several reasons. First, it speaks of the steadfastness of St. Helena who faced many adversities in her life, but remained confident in the plan of God for her. Second, it speaks of the determination of St. Helena to accomplish the task for which God had placed her on this earth. The Lord had put her here to play two rolesNmother and finder of the Cross. She performed both tasks with love and grace. And third, the story of St. Helena and the Cross tells us on the importance of the Cross in our own lives. The Cross is more than an ancient artifact. It is the symbol of Jesus’ love for us. The Cross reminds us, as St. John so beautifully said, that “God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that all who believe in Him may not perish, but may have eternal life.” We do not need to touch the actual Cross to experience its power. Simply praying before a Cross, remembering the love of Jesus coming from that Cross to all of us that is power indeed. As we celebrate this feast day, resolve that you will spend even a few moments every day meditating on the Cross, whether that is the crucifix in your home or a cross on your rosary. For those who have faith, the Cross is a symbol of life, not death; a symbol of the Lord Jesus conquering sin and death. May we see the Cross and love the Cross as St. Helena did. “We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you because by your Holy Cross you have redeemed the world.” God bless you all! PRAYER TO ST. HELENA Holy and blessed St. Helena, with love and devotion you sought to find the Cross of Our Savior. I plead for your intercession that I may have the same love and devotion to Jesus my Lord. Like you, may I accept the trials of life with patience and hope. Under your protection, may I carry the Cross which the Lord has given me in this life and one day, may I share with you the Crown of eternal life. St. Helena, finder of the Cross, pray for us. Amen CCD ( Religion Class) REGISTRATION (Religion Classes for children who attend public school) Applications are now being accepted for classes which are now beginning. Sunday classes: Grade 1, 2, 3 and Communion Class9:00AM. Wednesday evening classes: Grades 4,5,6,7 (Confirmation Class)7:00PM. HOW TO APPLY Pick up an application in the Rectory Office or download applications from the St. Theresa Church website: www.sttheresachurchbronx.org Applications are available both in English and in Spanish. SACRAMENT CLASSES FOR CHILDREN Students must complete 2 consecutive years of CCD classes to be eligible to receive sacraments. Elementary school children who have not been baptized must attend CCD prior to receiving Baptism. For additional information contact Mrs. McCarrick, CCD Coordinator, at [email protected] SEPTEMBER 12, 2021 MESSAGE OF OUR HOLY FATHER POPE FRANCIS FOR THIS SUNDAY Today’s Gospel passage (cf. Mk 8:2735) turns to the question that permeates the whole Gospel of Mark:who is Jesus?But this time Jesus himself poses it to his disciples, helping them to gradually address the question of his identity. Before asking them, the Twelve, directly, Jesus wants to hear from them what the people think about him, and he is well aware that the disciples are very sensitive to the Teacher’s renown! Therefore, he asks: “Who do men say that I am?” It comes to light that Jesus is considered by the people as a great prophet. But, in reality, he is not interested in the opinions and gossip of the people. He also does not agree that his disciples should answer the questions with prepackaged formulas, quoting wellknown individuals from Sacred Scripture, because a faith that is reduced to formulas is a shortsighted faith. The Lord wants his disciples of yesterday and today to establish a personal relationship with him, and thus to embrace him at thecenterof their life. For this reason he spurs them to face themselves honestly, and he asks: “But who do you say that I am?” Jesus addresses this very direct and confidential question to each of us: “You, who do you say that I am? All of you, who do you say that I am? Who am I for you?”. Each person is called to respond, in his or her heart, allowing each one to be illuminated by the light that the Father gives us in order to know his Son Jesus. And it can also happen to us, as it did to Peter, that we passionately affirm: “You are the Christ”. However, when Jesus tells us clearly what he told the disciples, that is, that his mission is fulfilled not on the wide road to success, but on the arduous path of the suffering, humiliated, rejected and crucified Servant, then it can also happen that we, like Peter, might protest and rebel because this contrasts with our expectations, with worldly expectations. In those moments, we too deserve Jesus’ healthy rebuke: “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not on the side of God, but of men.” Brothers and sisters, the profession of faith in Jesus Christ cannot stop at words, but calls to be authenticated by practical choices and gestures, by a life characterized by God’s love; it calls for a great life, a life with an abundance of love for neighbor.