Parafia p.w. Narodzenia Najświętszej Maryi Panny
ST. MARY’S POLISH PARISH
21 Wesley St., Sydney, NS, B1N 2M5
Tel.: (902) 564-4847
www.stmaryspolishparish.ca
Witamy wszystkich! Welcome to all!
St. Mary’s Polish Church is a heritage landmark designated by the Province of Nova Scotia
We are pleased to share our faith and rich traditions with the whole community.
Established in 1913. Church rebuilt in 2015-2016. Our second century of faith and service

PROBOSZCZ/PASTOR:  Father Dennis Lamey 902-564-4222; sttheresasydney@gmail.com

MSZY/MASSES: PLEASE NOTE: OUR CHURCH BUILDING IS TEMPORARILY CLOSED. MASSES AND IN-PERSON GATHERINGS AND ACTIVITIES ARE SUSPENDED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. PLEASE PRAY FOR BETTER TIMES.
Please see bulletin for information about televised Masses and opportunities to gather for prayer by telephone or computer

SPOWIEDŹ:  Godzina do uzgodnienia z księdzem.
SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION: Anytime upon request to the priest.

SAKRAMENT CHRZTU ŚWIĘTEGO:  Prosimy o kontakt z księdzem conajmniej na 1 miesiąc przed planowaną datę.
SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM: Please contact the priest at least one month in advance.

SAKRAMENT MAŁZEŃSTWA:   Zapowiedzi powinny być ogłoszone conajmniej na 6 miesięcy przed planowaną datę.
SACRAMENT OF MATRIMONY: Intentions must be announced at least six months in advance.

______________________________________________________________________________ 

Wniebowstąpienie Pańskie / Feast of the Ascension

CZYTANIA / READINGS:
Pierwsze czytanie: Dz 1,1-11
Psalm: Ps 47
Drugie czytanie: Ef 1,17-23
Ewangelia: Mt 28,16-20

First Reading, Acts 1: 1-11
Psalm 47
Second Reading, Ephesians 1:17-23
Gospel: Matthew 28: 16-20

RESPONSORIAL PSALM FOR ASCENSION SUNDAY: Pan wśród radości wstępuje do nieba /  The Lord   ascends to heaven with joy

______________________________________________________________________________

OGŁOSZENIA / ANNOUNCEMENTS

SUNDAY MASS WITH FR. DENNIS ON LINE: Mass may be viewed by going to: http://www.sainttheresasydney.com/

PRAYERS FOR HEALTH:  Marsha Melski was in the hospital for a few days this week. She is home now and has some appointments scheduled in the coming week. Please pray for her health. Thank you and God bless. Bóg zapłać!

PLEASE MARK ON YOUR CALENDAR: Conference call to get ready for NOVA SCOTIA POLISH HERITAGE MONTH. Sunday, June 28, at 7:00pm. Please come with your ideas, including ideas for small projects. We will likely still be restricted by crowd size, but we want to make this September – the first N.S. Polish Heritage Month – very special! On October 3, 2019, the Nova Scotia House of Assembly, on our recommendation, voted unanimously to declare every September as Nova Scotia Polish Heritage Month.

HELPING OUT WITH FREE FOOD HAMPER PROGRAM / DELIVERIES: The St. Michael’s Polish Benefit Society is working with the United Way and New Dawn to deliver free food hampers (safe, no-contact delivery). The Society is looking after mainly the Pier. If you know someone who may benefit from a weekly hamper with some groceries, please call 902-563-1226 or e-mail tom_urbaniak@cbu.ca. As demand increases, we may need some additional volunteer assistance. Donations toward the program are also being gratefully received (via United Way of Cape Breton).  Please let us know if you might be able to help.  Also, please check out the new Food Cupboard, attached to the front of the Polish Village Hall. Thanks so much to everyone who has been helping to stock it!

DAILY RADIO SPOTS ABOUT POLISH CAPE BRETON CULTURE: The Coast Radio: Every weekday at 3:50pm and 7:50pm (FM 89.7). It’s called the “One Minute Polish Broadcast”. Learn a new Polish word, phrase, or cultural tradition. Presented by the St. Michael’s Polish Benefit Society. Would you consider sponsoring a whole week for $100? The Coast has kindly agreed to allow us to do this as a fund-raiser (they are not charging for air time). This will be a huge help to bridge the Society through the pandemic (the radio spots will continue afterwards as well), since hall revenues have dried up. Sponsors will be acknowledged on air (IMOs are welcome, birthday tributes, etc). Thanks so much! Dziekujemy!  And, we’re recruiting volunteers to go on air (pre-recorded). We’ll help you get ready. No previous experience required, and you do not have to be a Polish speaker. This will be a great way for us to bring forward members of our community, as well as promote and share Polish language and culture in our region.

THANK YOU TO RECENT SPONSORS: This is a note to acknowledge this month’s sponsors of our daily Polish radio spots. Sponsors have also been mentioned on the air for a week.
John Morykot sponsored the segment on “Polish Hill” in Glace Bay
Steve Melnick sponsored the segment on gołąbki
Stephanie Black sponsored the segment on Chopin
Michael and Ursula Melski sponsored the segment on wycinanki (Polish paper art)

Also, thanks to this month’s on-air voices: Ed Michalik, Stephanie Black, Bob Lewandowski, and Nicole MacCormack.

Sponsorships are $100 for a week, and all proceeds are going to help the St. Michael’s Polish Benefit Society / Polish Village Hall get through the pandemic / hall shutdown.

OPPORTUNITY TO GATHER FOR PRAYER IN “REAL TIME” DURING THE WEEK BY TELEPHONE OR COMPUTER: Rev. Alison Etter (who is closely connected to our parish) extends a warm welcome to parishioners and friends of St. Mary’s to be part of prayer intentions/conversations in real-time by linking in by telephone or computer at any of the following times on Sunday:
10:00 am – for 30 minutes followed by virtual tea time
11:00 am - children's activities
11:30 am – for 30 minutes followed by virtual tea time
By phone call 1 647 374 4685. Enter the meeting ID: 941 052 1825
Or by computer by going to this link: https://zoom.us/j/9410521825
If an additional password is requested for telephone or computer, it is 227259#.

Fifteen-minute weekday prayer (opportunity to offer intentions) will be as follows: Tuesday, May 26, at 8:00pm; Thursday, May 28, at 10:30am
(link/passwords are the same as above)

ECUMENICAL SERVICES ON FACEBOOK AND RADIO: Alison is also working with a Roman Catholic colleague (Fr. Duaine Devereaux), an Anglican colleague (Rev. Dorothy Miller), colleagues at the Salvation Army, and Pastor Dave Sawlor of Lighthouse Church to do ecumenical services every week for Facebook and radio.  
Facebook can be seen at 12 noon every Wednesday: https://www.facebook.com/GlaceBayChurches The recording then stays on-line.
And Sundays at 12 noon on The Coast Radio (89.7 FM)

“PEOPLE’S SCHOOL” ON CBC RADIO ONE: Theme – Community Resilience and Leadership: the COVID-19 edition. Every Tuesday and Friday at 4:35pm. This is a collaboration of CBC Radio and CBU Tompkins Institute.  This past week, we looked at “record keeping and community leadership” and at “writing for change” (community advocacy): https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-36-mainstreet-cape-breton . Or go to the Facebook page of CBC Cape Breton. Look for links that say “People’s School".

DONATIONS TO OUR PARISH DURING THE TEMPORARY SHUTDOWN: Thanks very kindly for any help you can provide toward our ongoing expenses. As we have not had weekly collections for the past two months, we are very grateful for any support toward covering the expenses of our parish. Donations can be made securely on-line at Canada Helps (which will email you an instant tax receipt):   https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/st-marys-polish-parish/. (link to this site is provided on our parish website homepage). Or by regular mail to St. Mary’s Polish Parish, 21 Wesley St., Sydney, N.S. B1N 2M5. Thanks for your support! It’s really appreciated. Bog zaplac!
PLEASE NOTE: Next deposit will be the first week of June. Thanks so much for your support at this time.

“LAUDATO SI” WEEK: Pope Francis has encouraged us to pray for creation this week, and if possible to take a walk to meditate on the beauty, fragility, and sacredness of the natural environment and how it is intertwined with us. Pope Francis wrote in the Laudato Si encyclical (s. 233): The universe unfolds in God, who fills it completely. Hence, there is a mystical meaning to be found in a leaf, in a mountain trail, in a dewdrop, in a poor person’s face. The ideal is not only to pass from the exterior to the interior to discover the action of God in the soul, but also to discover God in all things. Saint Bonaventure teaches us that “contemplation deepens the more we feel the working of God’s grace within our hearts, and the better we learn to encounter God in creatures outside ourselves”

ST. MICHAEL’S POLISH BENEFIT SOCIETY: Zarząd (Board) Meeting by Conference Call – Next Sunday, May 31, at 7:00pm. Society members who are not on the board are welcome to attend board meetings as well. For dial-in details, please call 902-563-1226 (tom_urbaniak@cbu.ca).

ST. JOHN PAUL II: This past Monday, we rang the steeple chimes at 12 noon to mark the 100th birthday of Karol Wojtyla. Last Sunday, we had some pictures in the bulletin. Below is another memorable photo from the parish’s 1984 meeting with the Holy Father, showing Jancia and Michelle Melski. Also, thanks for the memories and telephone conversations – including a beautiful story about Antonina Ryba and the traditional bread and salt presentation to the Holy Father, and the bread from Bernie’s Bakery.

 

Życzymy błogosławionego tygodnia / Wishing you a blessed week!