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: CHURCH RE-OPENED FOR MASS ON JULY 5, with health and safety requirements and pre-registration. Please see below for more information.

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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Trzydziesta Niedziela Zwykła / Thirtieth Sunday of Ordinary Time

CZYTANIA / READINGS:
Pierwsze czytanie: Wj 22, 20-26
Psalm: 18
Drugie czytanie: 1 Tes 1,5c-10
Ewangelia: Mt 22,34-40

First Reading: Exodus 22: 20-26
Psalm: 18
Second Reading: 1 Thess. 1:5c-19
Gospel: Matthew 22:34-40

RESPONSORIAL PSALM: Miłuję Ciebie, Panie, Mocy moja / I love you, Lord, my strength

MASS INTENTION FOR TODAY is for Helen Glasgow offered by Anne Marie Campbell and family

Wednesday Masses and Novena to Our Lady of Czestochowa are not being held during this phase of re-opening.

PAŹDZIERNIK - MIESIĄC RÓŻAŃCA ŚWIĘTEGO / OCTOBER- MONTH OF THE HOLY ROSARY: St. John Paul II said: “The Rosary is my favourite prayer.  A marvelous prayer!  Marvelous in its simplicity and its depth.  In the prayer we repeat many times the words that the Virgin Mary heard from the Archangel, and from her kinswoman Elizabeth”. Singing is not taking place at this time due to COVID-19, but a hymn we would normally have sung this month is “Zawitaj Królowo Różańca Świętego.” The first verse is: Zawitaj Królowo różańca świętego, Jedyna nadziejo człowieka grzesznego! Zawitaj bez zmazy, Lilijo! Matko różańcowa, Maryjo. [Translation: Greetings, Queen of the Holy Rosary, The one hope for sinners! Greetings, o pristine one. Mother of the Rosary, Mary]

POPE FRANCIS’S NEW ENCYCLICAL, FRATELLI TUTTI : Here is a link to an excellent summary of this powerful document for our times: https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2020-10/fratelli-tutti-pope-fraternity-social-friendship-short-summary.html .

Altar Society designated volunteers for November: Marilyn Gillis, Joe Gillis

PLEASE NOTE: Please see the end of the bulletin for the detailed public health protocols specific to our church. Please note that we are using a pre-registration system, where persons attending must receive a prior call. If you have not recently been called, please contact Stephanie Black (902-578-3697). Thanks very kindly.

AFTER-MASS PROTOCOL: We depart out the side entrance, row by row, starting with front rows and maintaining distancing. Singing of “Sto lat” for birthdays and anniversaries can happen outside with distancing, as indoor singing is not permitted at this time because of the health regulations. Many thanks. Dziekujemy bardzo!

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OGŁOSZENIA / ANNOUNCEMENTS

Fr. Dennis still has on-line Mass available: http://www.sainttheresasydney.com/

UPCOMING MEETINGS:
Finance Committee teleconference: Sunday at 7:00pm
Nominations Committee teleconference: Monday at 7:00pm
Next St. Michael’s Polish Benefit Society Zarząd (Board) meeting:  Sunday, Nov. 1 (a week from today) at 7:00pm

PRAYERS FOR RECOVERY: Please pray for Juanita Morykot, who was recently in the hospital. Please continue to pray for Sebastian Melski (son of Tom Melski), who was recently in a vehicle accident. He sustained a serious injury and is recovering in hospital, where he has required surgery.

STO LAT! Wishing Frania McKay many blessings on the occasion of her birthday!

IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT SEATING CAPACITY/MASS ATTENDANCE ROTATION: Dear Parishioners: Due to the return of our cottage parishioners and those who hadn’t attended in a while, our seating rotation is even more difficult than when we first re-opened, as we have to maintain low numbers and strict physical distancing. Therefore, this is to kindly reiterate that you must receive a prior phone call (seat assignment) to attend Sunday morning Mass. Because of limited capacity in our space and the public health requirements, we are only able to seat people who are pre-registered (in other words, if you have received a prior phone call). This is to keep everyone safe, but please be assured that we are trying to do the rotation as fairly and inclusively as possible. Please call any of these numbers should you have to cancel your registration: 902-578-3697 (Stephanie); 902-549-1953 (Anne Marie); 902-577-3081 (Wayne). Thanks for your co-operation and goodwill and all the mutual support.

SEAT DESIGNATIONS AT MASS: Thanks to everyone for being so accommodating with the assigned seating, as we try to map out the pews and take account of different family “bubbles” or individual seating and maintain the required distancing, which often means we’re not in consistent seats when we’re registered to attend. Thanks for your understanding.

A REQUEST FOR NON-PERISHABLE ITEMS: If you are registered to attend Mass this Sunday (or in the following weeks), and if you can, we would be very grateful if you could bring a non-perishable food item or personal care item. 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.

PRE-ORDERS FOR PIEROGI: $12 per dozen – to be made November 5, 6, 7. Please call Stephanie Black at 902-578-3697

FOOD CUPBOARD AT THE POLISH VILLAGE HALL: We were recently able to put some fresh greens and herbs from the parish food garden into the Food Cupboard at the Polish Village Hall for people to take the same day.

A QUESTION FOR FELLOW PARISHIONERS, RE PIEROGI-MAKING: We’re putting out a call to see who might be available to volunteer some time on November 5, 6, and 7 (or on any one of those days) to make pierogi to sell (frozen) as a fund-raiser.  No previous experience required. We’d be very grateful for any time and assistance. The proceeds for this particular pierogi sale would be to help the St. Michael’s Polish Benefit Society raise part of the remaining $8,000 toward a new kitchen in the Polish Village Hall. This is a project that needs to be completed in the next several months (the other funds have already been raised through grants, which must be used soon). If you can spare some time, please let Stephanie Black (902-578-3697) or Tom Urbaniak (902-563-1226) know. Thanks very kindly!

AVAILABILITY OF THE POLISH VILLAGE HALL: With public health restrictions and limitations, rentals are available for certain smaller activities, subject to detailed protocols (similar in some ways for those in place for the church) and a cleaning surcharge. Please contact Bernie LaRusic at 902-561-6500. Thanks for your ongoing support!

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 for $100? The Coast has kindly agreed to allow us 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. This is 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.Our radio theme this coming week will be “misiu”, the Polish word for teddy bear. Guest will be Maura Lea Morykot. Many thanks to Ray Tynski for sponsoring this week’s segment.

FORTHCOMING NEW KITCHEN – POLISH VILLAGE HALL: The St. Michael’s Polish Benefit Society now has most of the funds in place and will be starting the project soon. Thanks for all the hard work to date, as this is an identified priority for the long-term sustainability of the hall. We are working with a tight budget and a limited space, but still want to maximize the effectiveness/practicality of the new kitchen as much as possible and ensure it meets modern standards. If you would like to give input on kitchen design, particularly if you anticipate using the kitchen often, please call 902-563-1226 or email tom_urbaniak@cbu.ca . To raise the final $8,000 toward this project, the Society will be doing a few fund-raisers, including a sponsored publication called Historic Homes of Polish Cape Breton, with sketched homes and descriptions (and an opportunity to sponsor each one). More information on this will follow.

PRE-CHRISTMAS BAZAAR AT THE POLISH VILLAGE HALL: This will be scaled down (just 12 vendors) with capacity and traffic carefully regulated for physical distancing, and names for contact tracing, among other measures. It is scheduled for Saturday, November 14, from 12:00pm to 4:00pm. For vendor information, please contact Nicole MacCormack at 902-371-5088

COLLECTION FOR OUR PARISH OCTOBER 11th & 18th: $1,745.00, including $40 for evangelization of nations (special envelope) and $40 for the Building Fund.
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).

RECENT IMO (IN MEMORY OF) CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE BUILDING FUND:
IMO Al MacLeod from Joan Mosher
IMO Louise Baker from Marianne (Ratushny) Gillis

DONATIONS TO OUR PARISH: Thanks very kindly for any help you can provide toward our ongoing expenses. 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!

THE GOOD FOOD BUS will be at the Polish Village Hall next Saturday, November 7, from 1:00pm to 2:30pm. This is like a mini farmers’ market on wheels. Everyone is welcome. The collaboration with the Good Food Bus has been going very well.

SPECIAL GENERAL MEETING OF PARISHIONERS: Sunday, November 1, after Mass. We will remain in the main part of the church, physically distanced, after Mass. For anyone who does not get a seat that week (as part of the Mass rotation/pre-registration), you’ll be able to get the written updates and ask any questions. We will provide a financial update, have the report of the Nominations Committee, etc. (This is normally done in May or June, but was postponed because of the temporary closure.) The role of the Nominations Committee is to do a call for candidates and do some proactive outreach to help ensure succession and a mix of skillsets, ages, etc, on the Rada. Many thanks to Janet Hawthorne, Marjorie Ardelli, and Krista Ann Starzomski for serving on the Nominations Committee. If you think you might be interested in offering for the Rada, or if you would like to recommend someone, please be in touch with any of the members of the Nominations Committee.

A RECENT MESSAGE ON TWITTER FROM POPE FRANCIS: ““Enough!” says Jesus (Lk 22:38), when his disciples produce two swords before the Passion. “Enough!” That single word of Jesus echoes through the centuries and reaches us forcefully in our own time: enough of swords, weapons, violence and war!.”

BLESSED FR. JERZY POPIEŁUSZKO (feast day was October 19): The following article is from St. Stanislaus Kostka Polish Catholic Parish in St. Louis: Born in 1947, he was ordained in 1972 and served in various churches around Warsaw. Sometimes ailing, and by temperament reserved, rarely did he enter the political fray or take part in discussions on the subject. But shortly after the Gdansk ship workers went on strike in August 1980, joined after that by the Warsaw steelworkers, the strikers occupying the steel plant asked the diocese to send a priest to offer Mass. The chancery sent Fr. Jerzy. His life was changed, and so was the movement. By all accounts, the Mass was electrifying. The steel workers captured Fr. Jerzy’s heart. And it dawned on him. Their struggle for justice and freedom accorded with the hopes of the Gospel. He became their pastor, and the church where he lived, St. Stanislaw Kostka, became an unofficial headquarters for the workers, unionists, and supporters. As the Solidarity movement grew, it boldly pitted itself against the brutal Communist regime, and Fr. Jerzy stood in living solidarity with the movement. No surprise that the regime responded quickly. December 1981, the government declared martial law, and Solidarity was banned. Police detained thousands of members and supporters, and as the movement struggled to go on, Fr. Jerzy stayed with them, helping as he could. He was a supportive presence at trials of Solidarity members. He ministered to their families. Then a few months after martial law was imposed, he offered a special “Mass for the Nation.” Thousands who turned out. Electricity again on the air, and a sense of cohesion and resolve. He offered this special mass thereafter every month. And as other priests caught wind of the spirit, they too held similar masses. The nonviolent movement would not be suppressed. Quite the contrary. The church was the one institution in Poland where the arm of martial law couldn’t quite reach. It became the place where dissenters gathered. Fr. Jerzy didn’t preach with the fiery eloquence of Martin Luther King, but he was happy to give the floor before Mass began to artists and poets and singers—all of them bringing their subversive wares to the people. Fr. Jerzy wasn’t a performer but a stabilizing presence, an encourager, a plain truth-teller in his sermons. He radiated strength and hope at a time when both were in short supply. Soon his sermons were broadcast throughout Poland and later, Europe. The regime took notice—and the slander campaign against him began. They questioned his priestly credentials. They declared his involvement with Solidarity inappropriate. They pressured church hierarchs to remove him. As for Fr. Jerzy, he responded like a good shepherd: “The mission of the church is to be with the people and to share in their joys and sorrows. To serve God is to condemn evil in all its manifestations.” The regime stepped up their efforts. Security police held him under constant surveillance. Provocateurs interrupted his Masses. He came home one night to find his home had been vandalized—on another occasion bombed. In 1983 the police arrested him on trumped-up charges—the police said they had found stockpiles of explosive in his rectory. Dark figures drove by the rectory all night honking their horns. Someone left the bloodied body of his dog at the rectory door. Those closest to him acknowledged that he was afraid. But he carried on. “The only thing we should fear is the betrayal of Christ for a few silver pieces of meaningless peace.” On October 1984, the police staged a car accident. But he escaped unharmed. A week later, on October 19, 1984, while he and his driver were returning from an evening Mass at a remote church, security officers stopped them and forced Fr. Jerzy into the trunk of their car. Fr. Jerzy’s driver escaped into the night and lived to tell. Fr. Jerzy wasn’t seen alive again.Months before, afraid for the priest, strikers had petitioned the cardinal to send Fr. Jerzy abroad. He had refused to go. Eleven days after he was kidnapped, on October 30, 1984, his body was found. By now what happened has been revealed. He had been savagely beaten with clubs, tied with a rope, loaded with stones, and dumped, still alive, into a reservoir. He was 37 years old. “If we must die suddenly, it is surely better to meet death defending a worthwhile cause than sitting back and letting injustice win,” Fr. Jerzy once said. His funeral drew a million people, and marked the beginning of the end of the brutal Communist regime. Five years later, in Poland’s first free election, a Solidarity government was elected. [Article credit: St. Stanislaus Kostka Polish Catholic Parish, St. Louis].

DZIĘKUJEMY SERDECZNIE! The Glace Bay Polish Heritage Project and the St. Michael’s Polish Benefit Society sincerely thank the generous donors who made possible the beautiful, illustrated, outdoor permanent plaque to honour the Polish pioneers of Glace Bay. It’s beside Dawe Ave. in the recreation field opposite Holy Cross Church. Donors to the project: Juliet MacLeod, Edward Michalik, Tracey Williams, Bernie Michalik, Eleanor Michalik, Sherry Petrie, Tom Urbaniak, Suzanne Durkacz MacNeil, Alexander Michalik, Andrea McQuillin, Leonard Michalik, Gerrard Marangoni, Michael Speraw, Ursula Melski, Molly DeShong, Patricia Peterson, Marjorie A. Ardelli, Brittany Mullins, Alison Etter, Billy and Anne Kuta, Frances McKenzie, Patricia Bulmer

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PUBLIC HEALTH REQUIREMENTS FOR MASS, SPECIFIC TO OUR CHURCH – as of Sunday, July 12
Dear Fellow Parishioners and Friends:
Below are the public health requirements related to Mass attendance, as applied specifically to our church. These have also been posted on our parish website and Facebook page. Thank you so much for your patience, understanding, and goodwill as we collectively adjust. Please also see #3 and #4 below about the pre-registration / seat-designation system for Mass attendance.   Dziekujemy bardzo serdecznie! Z Bogiem.

CELEBRATION OF HOLY MASS AT ST. MARY’S POLISH CHURCH:

1. The COVID-19 virus is still a danger to our community, province, and country. As we have seen with our neighbours south of the border, it can re-spread very quickly. Please stay safe.

2. We as a parish must abide by all applicable guidelines to ensure the safety of all, while being able to worship in a safe way. This requires patience as we adapt to a new form of attending Holy Mass.

3. For the first week (Sunday, July 5), parishioners were being randomly called until our smaller capacity is reached to maintain social distancing. If you are not sure if the parish has your telephone number, or if you wish to ensure that the parish has a current telephone number for you, please call Stephanie Black at 902-578-3697 to leave your telephone number. In subsequent weeks, persons who could not attend the previous week were being called first.

4. At this time, attendance can only be through the pre-registration process outlined in #3. The parish will maintain a record of everyone who is present and their contact information (for contact-tracing should the need arise).

5. Please ensure that you are completely free of any of the potential COVID symptoms. If you are registered to attend, but feel at all ill (eg. fever, colds), or feel poorly for any reason, please do not attend. There is a dispensation from the obligation to attend Mass.

6. Masks are now mandatory. (All attendees have been wearing masks in church – and masks were available at the entrance. Thank you!) Please remember that this is also for the safety of others.

7. Physical distance of two metres (six feet) will be required inside and outside the church (if not in family bubbles). Everyone is requested to avoid handshakes, hugs and other close contact.

8.  Every second pew will be signed as “not in use,” as well as the entire side aisles of the church. Those pews that are being used will have the required spacing indicated.

9. Entry will be through Wesley St. doors. Staged (gradual) exit will take place through side (parking lot) doors.

10. There will be hand sanitization at the entrance.

11. There will be no choir for the time being, as per the public health requirements.

12. There will be one lector and no altar servers.

13. The church will be sanitized (pews, knobs, etc) after use in order to be fully clean for each Mass.

14. Ushers will assist with seating, from a distance.

15. There will be no Holy Water in the hand fonts.

16. Fr. Dennis will explain protocols for Communion, which will necessitate social distancing and extreme prudence.

17. Communion will be distributed only in the hand. The Priest will wear a mask, and he will sanitize his hands before and following Holy Communion. It is not permitted at this time to take Holy Communion to anyone outside the church.

18. Confession remains on an as-requested basis, maintaining social-distancing guidelines.

19. Other church in-person gatherings remain suspended for the time being.

20. There will be no paper bulletins in the church. Bulletins will continue to be provided electronically (on Saturday) or by regular mail (Canada Post). Please do not hesitate to e-mail or call (tom_urbaniak@cbu.ca; 902-563-1226) if there is anyone who is not currently receiving a bulletin who would like to receive a bulletin. 

21. Hymnals, brochures, and other items in the pews have been removed for the time being.

22. Collection baskets will be placed at the entrance and exit. (Collection will not be conducted in the usual way.) Thank you kindly for your support.

Życzymy błogosławionego tygodnia / Wishing you a blessed week!