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!
We are pleased to share our faith and rich traditions with the whole community.
Celebrating 100 years of faith and service (1913-2013)

PROBOSZCZ/PASTOR:  Father Paul Murphy 564-4355

MSZY/MASSES: Sunday at 9:30 a.m.
Wednesday at 4:00 p.m. followed by Novena to Our Lady of Częstochowa. Praying of the Rosary begins prior to Mass at approximately 3:35 p.m.

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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Pierwsza Niedziela Wielkiego Postu / First Sunday of Lent

TODAY’S MASS INTENTION is for Stanley Paruch offered by Charlotte and Wilf Ingram. Eternal rest grant onto him O Lord, and may perpetual light shine upon him. Wieczny odpoczynek racz Mu dać Panie, a swiatłość wiekuista niechaj Mu świeci na wieki wieków. Amen

The Vigil Candle this week is for deceased members of the Kieć family offered by Jean Annette and Richard White.

Eucharistic Minister for today: Janet Hawthorne

Ushers for collection today: Bernie LaRusic, Michael Melski

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NASTĘPNY TYDZIEŃ / THE WEEK AHEAD

Wednesday, March 12, 4:00 p.m.Mass followed by Novena to Our Lady of Częstochowa. Praying of the Rosary prior to Mass beginning at approximately 3:35 p.m. The Mass intention is for Clara Nelgah MacDonald offered by Shirley Ardelli & family.

Sunday, March 16, 9:30 a.m. The Mass intention will be for Antonina Ryba offered by Frania and family.
Lectors: Elaine Tynski-Shipley, Tom Urbaniak
Eucharistic Minister: Suzanne Campbell    
Altar Servers: Caleigh, Nicholas                                       
Ushers: Steve Melnick, Robert Melski Sr.
Greeters: Anna Wesolkowska, Carolyn Ardelli Kiley
Altar Society volunteers for March: Catherine Tucker, Herb Tucker, and Marjorie Ardelli                   

Collection receipts for Sunday, March 2:  $1524.00 (broken down as follows: $693.00 weekly contribution, $200.00 monthly supplementary contribution, $43.00 candles, $60.50 loose, $140.00 fuel, $230.00 building fund, $157.50 Polish Micro-market. Thank you very much for your generous support of St. Mary’s Polish Parish. Dziękujemy serdecznie!

MASS CARDS/VIGIL CANDLE: Contact Tom Urbaniak (563-1226)

IN MEMORIAM DONATION: To make an In Memoriam donation, please pick up one of the IMO cards/St. Mary’s Polish Church envelopes at the back or speak with Shauna McKay. These will be acknowledged in the bulletin. We also welcome donations to the Building Fund, as we continue with improvements and repairs.

“IMIENINY” (NAME DAYS) FOR THE COMING WEEK. Help to maintain a longstanding Polish Catholic tradition by acknowledging relatives, friends, and colleagues who are celebrating their “name day,” corresponding with the feast day of a saint of the same name.  Where there is more than one saint of the same name who has been assigned a day, your “name day” is the one closest to your birthday. It is customary in the Polish tradition to acknowledge the name day of a relative or friend:
March 9: Dominik, Franciszka, Katarzyna
March 10: Aleksander, Borzysław, Cyprian   
March 11: Benedykt, Drogosława, Edwin, Konstantyn, Rozyn
March 12: Bernard, Blizbor, Grzegorz, Józefina
March 13: Bożena, Ernest, Kasjan, Krystyna, Marek
March 14: Bożeciecha, Jakub, Leon, Matylda, Michal
March 15: Gościmir, Klemens, Krzysztof, Ludwika
March 16: Henryka, Herbert, Izabela

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OGŁOSZENIA / ANNOUNCEMENTS

PLEASE NOTE THAT IF SCHOOL IS CANCELLED ON WEDNESDAYS DUE TO WEATHER OUR WEDNESDAY MASS WILL ALSO BE CANCELLED. THIS APPLIES TO WEDNESDAYS ONLY.

NEXT SUNDAY AFTER MASS – INFORMAL GATHERING/MEETING OF PARISHIONERS, DOWNSTAIRS: There will be an update and discussion. Refreshments will be served, and there will be some time for both collective and small-group dialogue. We hope everyone can stay for a short while.

ADORATION DURING LENT: During the Fridays of Lent, Holy Redeemer Convent Chapel, Whitney Pier, will have Exposition and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. This will take place following the 9am Friday Chapel mass and will continue until noon. Please plan on spending some time in quiet prayer and adoration.
Priests from the Sydney Deanery will be available to talk with you, and offer the Sacrament of Reconciliation, beginning on March 12 and continuing until Wednesday of Holy Week at St. Joseph Church, Sydney from 7 to 9 pm.

LEARNING BASIC POLISH IN A FUN, RECREATIONAL SETTING: Edyta Baczyk has kindly agreed to be our teacher. Tentative start date is Saturday, March 29 (once a week, 2-4 p.m.) for a trial run of 5-6 weeks. We hope to have registration information to distribute next week!

CAPE BRETON POLISH TARTAN VOTING: Thank you for voting last week during the parish lunch on the most recent fine-tuned design. The results were as follows:   Yes – 49 votes;   No –13 votes;    Unsure – 1;   Unclear ballot – 1 We will now work on a small catalogue for pre-orders of merchandise (with proceeds to the parish) and for an official release of the design on May 3rd. Consul General Szydlo has said that he would officially endorse the design we choose.

THANK YOU kindly for your food-bank contributions last week. These have been delivered to Loaves and Fishes.

PIER FAITH COMMUNITIES AND HABITAT FOR HUMANITY: The Cape Breton Habitat for Humanity chapter will be building a home in Whitney Pier in the spring of 2015, not far from our church. Our church has been asked to host a meeting on Tuesday, March 18, at 7 p.m., to which are being invited representatives of the other faith communities in the Pier. Typically, when a Habitat project happens there is close co-operation with faith communities in the same neighbourhood (Habitat was in fact founded as an inter-faith initiative). As part of this meeting, CBU student Vanessa Viva will present some of her research on a fund-raising concept that would financially benefit the faith communities and Habitat at the same time. If you would like to be one of our parish representatives at this meeting (even if you are not able to participate later on), please speak with any member of the Rada.

DATE OF PARISH ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING: The By-laws require that the Annual General Meeting be after Easter Sunday but before the third week of June and announced well in advance. The date for this year is Sunday, May 4, after Mass. The written Annual Report will be available before that date. Please note that there will not be lunch after Mass on that day – as we will move the May lunch up a week to Sunday, April 27, to coincide with our Divine Mercy celebration and the canonization of Blessed John Paul II and Blessed John XXIII.

IMO (“in memory of”) CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE BUILDING FUND:
IMO William (Bill) Cooke from Julia Bennett
IMO  Bronia Markotich from Mary Ryan
IMO  Bronia Markotich from Carol and Paul Kozera
IMO  Bronia Markotich from Hazel Kozera
IMO  Bronia Markotich from Valerie Senton
IMO  Bronia Markotich from Terry Wojick
IMO Alonzo and Josephine Jockemeck from Mr. and Mrs. Gregory Musial
IMO Marilyn (Sobol) Morrison from Peter and Agnes Stephenson
IMO Marilyn Morrison from Joan Mosher
IMO Marilyn Morrison from Mary Pierrynowski
IMO Marilyn Morrison from Vicki Aucoin

Caritas Polska: ENGLISH OVERVIEW OF THIS INFORMATION SHEET/POTENTIAL PROJECT:
This past week, the Rada received suggestions from parishioners that we do something helpful as a parish in light of the Ukrainian crisis. Caritas Polska (the Polish Catholic development agency) and its Ukrainian counterpart Caritas Spes are linking Polish and Ukrainian parishes in an initiative called Paczka na Ukrainie. Essentially, they're preparing help/care packages to go to families who are economically destitute in Ukraine. Participating parishes are assigned a specific family. We wouldn't get their name but we would get a description, and we would send our package to the priest at a designated partner parish in Ukraine to give to the family. We would be encouraged to include a note to the family. We were in touch with Caritas Polska and were told that if we participate we would probably be assigned a family in Lviv (Lwów) through Parafia pw. św. Marii Magdaleny. Shipping cost/declarations would be a bit of an issue, but we could perhaps tailor the package accordingly. If there is interest in our parish in preparing a package for a designated family and sending it to a partner parish in Ukraine, we can start on it right away ...

“Rodzina Rodzinie”- rodziny polskie rodzinom ukraińskim –
Caritas Polska i Caritas Spes na Ukrainie dziękują za włączenie się w akcję pomocy rodzinom ukraińskim. Ze względu na ochronę danych osobowych, nie możemy przekazać bezpośredniego adresu rodziny ukraińskiej. Przekazujemy jedynie jej numer identyfikacyjny, dzięki któremu paczka trafi do adresata. Do numeru dołączamy krótki opis rodziny, jaki otrzymaliśmy ze strony ukraińskiej.

Poniżej przesyłamy instrukcje pomocne przy przygotowaniu paczki.
1. prosimy, jeśli to możliwe, o załączenie listu do rodziny, by nawiązać kontakt osobisty (można pisać po polsku)
2. paczkę do 20 kg może wysłać każda osoba fizyczna
3. jedna osoba fizyczna może wysłać tylko jedną paczkę
4. wartość rzeczowa paczki nie może przekraczać 300 euro
5. zawartość paczki może stanowić:
• żywność opakowana fabrycznie do 10 kg z wyłączeniem produktów żywnościowych pochodzenia zwierzęcego
• odzież nowa
• dodatkowa informacja na stronie Poczty Polskiej str. 40
http://www.poczta-polska.pl/hermes/uploads/2013/10/INFORMACJE-DODATKOWE-US%C5%81UGI-ZAGRANICZNE-01.2014.pdf
6. na paczce należy umieścić oprócz nazwiska proboszcza i adresu parafii ukraińskiej napisy:
• numer identyfikacyjny rodziny otrzymany w informacji od Caritas
• napis „DLA UKRAINY”
• napis „CARITAS”
7. adresatem musi być osoba fizyczna (będzie to proboszcz parafii na Ukrainie, którego adres podajemy w mejlu)
8. Paczki mogą być nadawane jedynie w punktach Poczty Polskiej
9. paczki nie mogą być nadawane jako priorytetowe oraz jako paczki z zadeklarowaną wartością

FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF THE ELECTION OF POPE FRANCIS: “ ‘Put on faith’, and your life will take on a new flavour, it will have a compass to show you the way; ‘put on hope’ and every one of your days will be enlightened and your horizon will no longer be dark, but luminous; ‘put on love’, and your life will be like a house built on rock, your journey will be joyful, because you will find many friends to journey with you.”

FASTING DURING LENT – From a report from Catholic News Service: …True fasting [also] entails sharing goods with the needy, Pope Francis said ... "These hypocritical people are good persons," he said, referring to the Pharisees who criticized Jesus and his followers for not fasting as required by Jewish law. "They do all they should do. They seem good. But they are ethicists without goodness because they have lost the sense of belonging to a people."

"This is the charity or fasting that our Lord wants," he said. "This is the mystery of the body and blood of Christ. It means sharing our bread with the hungry, taking care of the sick, the elderly, those who can't give us anything in return … The pope called on Christians to follow the example of the good Samaritan, drawing close to the beneficiaries of their charity in an act of true fraternity.

NOVENA TO OUR LADY OF CZESTOCHOWA (WHICH WE PRAY TOGETHER EACH WEDNESDAY IN OUR CHURCH) CAN BE FOUND IN THE NEW BOOK PRZEZ POKOLENIA: PRAYERS AND CUSTOMS OF ST. MARY’S POLISH CHURCH (in the pew pockets). Most of the old books were worn and had to be retired from the pews.

GIFT CERTIFICATES – POLISH VILLAGE HALL.  Please speak with Bernie LaRusic. Since the renovations, the hall is seeing increasing traffic as a comfortable, modern, versatile space for events large and small.

PARISH CENTENARY COOKBOOKS. Additional copies have been printed. Please speak with Shari McKay or Shauna McKay.

OUR BOOK PRZEZ POKOLENIA: Prayers and Customs of St. Mary`s Polish Church ($10 each). Please speak with Tom Urbaniak.

THE RENOVATED AND REFURBISHED POLISH VILLAGE HALL is a comfortable, well appointed, modernized venue for events large and small. Please consider renting the hall for your events. Please call 564-8494.

PLEASE CHECK OUT OUR ON-LINE “VIRTUAL TOUR” AND AN 8.5 MINUTE PARISH WELCOME VIDEO ON OUR WEBSITE:  www.stmaryspolishparish.ca

Wishing you a blessed week! Bóg zapłać!

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TODAY’S HYMNS:
Entrance: Ach Mój Jezu (Oh, My Jesus) -- #67 in the coil-bound hymnal
Offertory: Jezu Chryste, Panie Miły [Jesus Christ, Dear Lord] -- #70
Communion: Jezusa Ukrytego [Jesus, Holy Mystery] -- #113
Post-Communion: Krzyżu Chrystusa [In the Cross of Christ] -- #73
Closing Hymn: Któryś za nas cierpiał rany, Jezu Chryste, zmiłuj się nad nami! (3 times)[Translation: You who suffered, wounded, for us … Christ Jesus, have mercy on us.]