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: Public health protocols in place. Mandatory masks, distancing, 50% capacity, choir and congregational singing allowed with masks

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.

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VII Niedziela Zwykła / Seventh Sunday of Ordinary Time

CZYTANIA / READINGS:
Pierwsze czytanie / First Reading: 1 Samuel/Sm 26.2, 2.7-9.12-13.22-23
Psalm: 103
Drugie czytanie / Second Reading: 1 Corinthians/Kor 15, 45-49
Ewangelia / Gospel: Luke/ Łk 6, 27-38
RESPONSORIAL PSALM: Pan jest łaskawy, pełen miłosierdzia / The Lord is kind and merciful

MASS INTENTION: John K. and Stella Paruch offered by the Paruch Family

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OGŁOSZENIA / ANNOUNCEMENTS

CURRENT HEALTH PROTOCOLS: As of February 14th, we are at 50% capacity for the church. Masks and social distancing are still required. Congregational and choir singing can resume, but masks must still be worn

A REQUEST FOR NON-PERISHABLE ITEMS: We would be very grateful if you could bring a non-perishable food item or personal-care item (eg. shampoo, soap, toilet paper) to church. There will be a box at the entrance. These items will help to stock our Food Cupboard outside the Polish Village Hall and also assist Loaves and Fishes.

A MESSAGE FROM TOM & ALISON:
Dear Friends at St. Mary’s, 
We’re truly grateful for all of the prayers and good wishes. Baby Oliver Mikołaj Kasper is making good progress here at the IWK’S NICU in Halifax. He is such a joy and a blessing! And he’s getting excellent care. There is no discharge date yet, but we’re hoping it will be soon!  
All three of us will see you soon! Do zobaczenia i Bόg zapłać! 
– Tom and Alison (and baby Oliver)

WEEKDAY RADIO SPOTS ABOUT POLISH CULTURE AND LANGUAGE IN CAPE BRETON: 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 of our radio segments for $100? The Coast has kindly agreed to allow the St. Michael’s Polish Benefit Society to do this as a fund-raiser (they are not charging for air time). Sponsors will be acknowledged on air (IMOs are welcome, birthday tributes, etc). 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. OUR RADIO THEME FOR THIS COMING WEEK will be Polish Teas (herbaty). Many thanks to Marjorie Ardelli for lending her voice to this segment and to Joe Gillis for sponsoring the segment in recognition of Marilyn Gillis’ birthday.

COLLECTION FOR FEBRUARY 13:  $2870.00 including $1035.00 to the Building Fund, $440.00 for fuel. Thank you very kindly for your support of our parish. Bόg zapłaƈ! 

RECENT IMO (IN MEMORY OF) CONTRIBUTIONS TO BUILDING FUND: 
IMO Mary Pierrynowski from Julia Bennett; from Jancia LaRusic; Sophie and Roddie O’Toole; Stephanie Black and Steve Melnick; John Morykot and family; Francis and Ann M. Gillis; David Gillis and family; Hazel Kokocki and family; Terry and Joan McMahon; Carl Wrobleski and family; Wanda Pierrynowski; Juliette Macleod
IMO Anne Redmond from Anita Macneil; Julia Bennett
IMO Delores Starzomski from Julia Bennett; David Gillis and family; Colette and Joe Walsh
IMO Leah Mosher from Julia Bennett

THANKS VERY KINDLY FOR YOUR DONATIONS TO OUR PARISH DURING THE PANDEMIC: We are truly grateful for everyone’s generosity through the pandemic. If you are attending Mass, you will find a collection basket near the entrance and exit (since we are not passing around the basket due to the public health restrictions). Also, please free to use the mail: St. Mary’s Polish Parish, 21 Wesley St., Sydney, NS, B1N 2M5. Donations can also 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). Thanks for your support!

Tłusty Czwartek / Fat Thursday

(Thursday, February 24th)

Fat Thursday or in Polish Tłusty Czwartek is celebrated across Poland to mark the last Thursday before lent. The exact date of Fat Thursday changes every year because it depends on the Christian calendar and is linked to Lent and Easter. Many people purchase Pączki or doughnuts from their local bakeries or eat homemade pączki. Usually in Poland on the day before, bakeries will have queues out of the door.
Many sweet Polish foods are sold and eaten, mostly Faworki (“angel wings,” pastry with sugar) and Pączki (filled doughnuts). Polish doughnuts or pączki are fried rounds of yeast dough with rosehip, prune, apricot, strawberry, raspberry or sweet cheese filling.
Fat Thursday is a traditional Catholic Christian feast marking the last Thursday before Lent and is associated with the celebration of Carnival. Because Lent is a time of fasting, the next opportunity to feast will not be until Easter. Traditionally it is a day dedicated to eating, when people meet in their homes or cafés with their friends and relatives and eat large quantities of sweets, cakes, and other meals usually not eaten during Lent.
The Polish language indicates that doughnuts hold a special place in Polish hearts. The best proverbs about pączki are “live like a doughnut in butter,” meaning to live in clover. Another one is the warning, “those who don’t eat a stack of pączki on Fat Thursday will have an empty barn and their field destroyed by mice.” Doughnuts are believed to bring happiness, and refusing to eat them is considered not only rude but also unlucky.
In the 18th century, well-known historian, Jędrzej Kitowicz, made reference to the density and texture of the doughnuts, joking that the contemporary light paczki was a marked improvement on the baked goods of old, which could have done some damage if scoring a direct hit to the face. 

According to Polish state news agency PAP, on a recent Fat Thursday an estimated 100 million doughnuts were consumed across Poland. That works out as an average of two and a half doughnuts per person.

 

Życzymy błogosławionego tygodnia / Wishing you a blessed week!