SEVENTH SUNDAY OF EASTER MAY 16, 2021 SÉPTIMO DOMINGO DE PASCUA 16 DE MAYO DE 2021 OUR LADY HELP OF CHRISTIANS Allentown, Pennsylvania | Roman Catholic Parish Community SERVED BY YEAROFREALPRESENCE.ORG Rev. Richard Brensinger (Fr. Rich) – Administrator Ed Hudak - Financial Secretary Elaine Mitchell - Bulletin/Parish Secretary Rosanne Venditto - Organist Dina Boyer, Carolyn Johnson & & Lorraine Lockawich - Cantors Kathy Godshall - Director of Religious Education VICTIMS ASSISTANCE COORDINATOR MASSES (IN THE CHURCH) Wendy Krisak, M.A., NCC, LPC Monday - Friday – 8AM 1-800-791-9209 Saturday – No Masses at this time. (Direct Line) Sunday – 9AM and 11AM SAFE ENVIRONMENT COORDINATOR HOLY DAYS AND ADORATION Pamela Russo, MSW, MS Evening Before: 7PM | Day of: 9AM [email protected] Adoration – Tuesdays 8:30AM to 12PM 610-871-5200, Ext 2204 RECTORY OFFICE HOURS There is a link to the Charter for the Protection of Children and M-W 9AM-4PM | Mask is required. Young People on the Diocese website at www.allentowndiocese.org Rectory: 444 N. Jasper Street, Allentown, PA 18109 | P: 610-432-9384 | [email protected] | www.olhcparish.net PARISH MEMBERSHIP SACRAMENT OF MATRIMONY In order to receive any Sacraments, you must be a The process of preparation for the Sacrament of REGISTERED PARISHIONER. Lavender census Matrimony within the Church takes at least six months forms should be filled out as soon as possible to be so we encourage you to begin this process as soon considered an Active Member along with turning in as you become engaged. No marriage dates will be envelopes. Please contact us with any changes so taken over the phone. Parents of those to be married our records can be kept current. If you are over 18, cannot reserve a date for their adult children. register under your own name. SACRAMENT TO THE HOMEBOUND SACRAMENT OF PENANCE First Friday Communion calls are done the first week At this time, Confession is every Sunday after 9AM of the month. Please call the Rectory for Mass until 10:45AM, or call or email the Rectory for arrangements. an appointment. SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM SPONSORSHIP CERTIFICATE BAPTISM SPONSORS OF ELIGIBILITY Parents and Godparents will need to attend a class Only Catholics who are fully-initiated, regularly before the child’s Baptism. An Information Form attending Mass and, if married, done so validly in needs to be filled out by the parent and a Declaration the Roman Catholic Church will receive Certificate Form filled out by the Godparents. Godparents must of Eligibility. Just call the Rectory. You must be be at least 16 years of age, need to be an active, actively attending Church for at least (3) months. registered parishioners of OLHC or will need a letter of good standing from their current Parish. Anyone requesting a Baptism for their child must be LEGACY actively attending Church for at least 3+ months. Gifts provided through wills and personal trusts can make such a difference in the continued operation of AMAZON SMILES AND VENMO our Parish. These gifts enable a donor to make contributions that may not have been possible during their lifetime. If you value the continuity as well as the Please look for us as Our Lady Help of Christians mission of OLHC, please consider this. Thank you! Church (make sure it says “Allentown, PA”) and set us as your charity under smile.amazon.com. For Venmo In the last two weeks we have seen an increase in our (online payment), we are OlhcAllentown-Church, four Sunday offerings. Thank you, parishioners, for digits 1870 (if it’s your first payment). increasing your donation. We appreciate it! YOUR STEWARDSHIP HELPS SUSTAIN US! 5/9 Sunday Offerings: $3,688 Building Fund: $661 Thank you for your continued support as it is critical to our Church. The beginning of the month is always good, and we thank you for remembering us. Thank you to all those who have continued to generously support our Parish financially through the 2nd Collection. Next week’s 2nd collection (5/23) is for Liturgical Supplies. This includes altar bread and sacramental wine as well as linens, candles, vestments, incense, charcoal, Mass books as well as COVID sanitizing supplies. Your steadfast support and generosity is always appreciated. COOKIE SALE INSERT We are having a cookie sale! These cookies come from the same bakery as the pies. We had a taste test to insure they were good enough to use at the Tricky Tray event, and they were so good we decided to have a cookie sale as well! They are a thin, crispy cookie. Please see insert for details. Submit by June 1st! 0215 Our Lady Help of Christians = May 16, 2021 P a g e | 1 Mary is also known as the Mystical Rose – being the only human who was immaculately conceived without sin. Known as the “queen of flowers”, the rose represents Mary as Queen of Heaven. The rose is one of the most beautiful flowers in all creation. The rose in relation to the Blessed Mother displays perfect love, form, fragrance, and color. Although roses are beautiful, there is also a hidden suffering in their thorns. For Mary, the thorns on the rose remind us that Our Lord Jesus Christ wore a crown of thorns and gave up his blood for all humanity. As His Mother, Mary witnessed this suffering and death first-hand at the foot of the cross. NEXT WEEK IS PENTECOST SUNDAY BECAUSE WE ARE CATHOLIC ANNUAL APPEAL What is Pentecost Sunday? We are grateful to all who pledged Pentecost, also known as Whit Sunday or Whitsunday, is their support this weekend to the 2021 observed on the seventh Sunday after Easter and 10 days after BECAUSE WE ARE CATHOLIC Ascension. The name comes from the Greek word "pentekoste" ANNUAL APPEAL. Your gift will allow which means fiftieth as Pentecost Sunday takes place on the 50th our Diocese to meet the many and day of Easter. varied needs of the people of this diocese. Remember, every gift counts, As the date is based on Easter, this day is a moveable feast. The no matter how small. earliest day that Pentecost Sunday can fall is May 10th (as in 1818) and the latest possible date is June 13th (next in 2038). It If you did not take the opportunity to marks the end of the Easter cycle, that began 90 days ago with make your gift, you may do so at any Ash Wednesday at the start of Lent. time over the next few weeks by placing your pledge form in the Why is it called Pentecost Sunday? collection basket or visiting the This Christian holy day commemorates the coming of the Holy Appeal website at Spirit in the form of flames to the Apostles and other followers of BecauseWeAreCatholic.org. Thank Jesus Christ, as recorded in the New Testament in Acts 2:1–31, you for your support! the fifth book of the New Testament of the Bible. The Holy Spirit allowed the apostles to speak in other languages, and they started preaching the word of Jesus to the Jews who were in Jerusalem for the feast of Shavuot (also known as the Feast of Weeks or Pentecost - in this case, meaning seven weeks since Passover). Many Christians recognize the Descent of the Holy Spirit as the birth of the Church. May is the month of Mary! Each Sunday in May, come to Mass Blue Star Mothers of America, Lehigh Valley 20 minutes early to pray the Rosary Chapter PA201 is planning to send care with us! packages to deployed military members in June. We would love to send a package to OLHC MEMORIAL FUND your family members or friends. If you know Those whose names are enrolled in someone deployed, serving overseas, or even the Memorial Fund will be included stateside and would like them to receive a in the Sunday prayer petitions each package, please email their name and address week as well as special Masses on to Joan Glover; [email protected] or call at 610- designated days. Suggested 349-7791, by June 10th. If you’d like to know offering is $25. Stop by the office more about the Blue Star Mothers, email for a beautiful hardbound book that [email protected]. can be presented. You can also call in advance Monday-Wednesday. 0215 Our Lady Help of Christians = May 16, 2021 P a g e | 2 Reading I: Acts 1: 1-11 The presence of the two angels places the ascension of Jesus in a special category. The connection made with this event and the Second Coming of Christ puts the event beyond ordinary history. It ends Christ’s time of physical presence and also the end of the Church’s time. APRIL SUNDAY Reading II: Ephesians 4: 1-13, or 4: 1-7, 11-13 SEVENTH SUNDAY OF EASTER St. Paul asserts that we have all been gifted by =9AM – Anna Bucha the Holy Spirit and that there is both unity and R/B The Bucha Family diversity in the Church. This should promote a 16 certain manner of life for us. =11AM – John C. Schumann Family R/B Nanette Gillette & Family The Gospel: Mark 16: 15-20 Jesus instructs His disciples to baptize all MONDAY nations in His name. He also assures them that =8AM –Regina Heidecker they will be seeing all kinds of wonderful signs 17 R/B J&A Stevens of His abiding presence even after He “was taken up into heaven.” TUESDAY ST. JOHN I, POPE AND MARTYR GOD BLESS YOU ON YOUR BIRTHDAY! 18 ♦8AM – Mass for the People of the Parish Eugene Sebesta, Anh Huynh WEDNESDAY 5/17 5/20 Michael Dooley =8AM – Kenneth Stein, Sr.