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 Rich Philiposki is currently in seasonal residence as pastor. Contact info: rphiliposki@aol.com 702-881-3674 (cell)
-During Father Rich’s extended times outside the region, Father Evo DiPierro will serve as Administrator: dipierro@dal.ca 902-564-4222

MSZY/MASSES: PLEASE NOTE: Public health continues to strongly recommend wearing masks in congregate settings

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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Niedziela Palmowa / Palm Sunday

CZYTANIA / READINGS:
Pierwsze czytanie / First Reading: Iz 50,4-7
Psalm: 22
Drugie czytanie / Second Reading: Flp 2,6-11
Ewangelia / Gospel: Mk 14,1-15,47

MASS INTENTION FOR TODAY 9:30am Niedziela Palmowa / Palm Sunday: Mass intention is for the soul of Kenny Ratushny offered by Marianne Gillis

SCHEDULE FOR HOLY WEEK AND EASTER:
Holy Monday / Wielki Poniedziałek March 25: No Mass
Holy Tuesday / Wielki Wtorek March 26, 6:30pm: Mass intention for the souls of Ted and Louise Baker offered by Gerry Baker
Holy Wednesday / Wielka Środa March 27, 6:30pm: Mass intention for the soul of Bernice Ratushny offered by Marianne Gillis
Holy Thursday / Wielki Czwartek March 28, 6:30pm: Solemn Mass of the Lord's Supper, followed by Eucharistic procession to Altar of Repose "Ciemnice" for adoration until 9:00pm.
Good Friday / Wielki Piątek March 29, 12:00 noon: Stations of the Cross followed by the Good Friday Liturgy
Holy Saturday / Wielka Sobota March 30, 1:00pm: Święconka Blessing of Easter food baskets followed by Divine Mercy prayers
Easter Sunday, Resurrection of the Lord / Wielkanoc March 31, 9:30am: Rezurekcja Solemn Resurrection Procession & Mass
NOTE: Our traditional parish Easter breakfast will take place after Mass on Sunday, April 14.

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OGŁOSZENIA / ANNOUNCEMENTS

PRAYERS for Anna Melski who is in palliative care at Dartmouth General Hospital. The parish sends its love to Anna and to the Melski family.

STO LAT : Birthday blessings to Paul MacKinnon! Wszystkiego dobrego. Wishing health and happiness.

ANDRZEJ RAFALSKI / PRE-EASTER POLISH DELI ITEMS – POSTPONED BY A FEW DAYS: Pan Rafalski is not able to make it today (Palm Sunday) due to illness, but he will be here after the Good Friday liturgy.

DECORATED WILLOW BRANCHES AS PALMS IN THE POLISH TRADITION: Thank you to Ursula, Jancia, and Nicole for harvesting and decorating willow branches for us to
use as palms, as is the Polish custom. We also have some ribbons at the back of the church that you can add to the branches.

PALM SUNDAY PROCESSION: After the opening announcements, we will be invited to the Sala 1050 to start the Palm Sunday procession. If the weather is inclement, the procession will be all indoors. Otherwise, we will go outside and come through the main doors.

A NOTE ON THE READING OF THE PASSION: Bob Lewandowski will be our narrator today. If you are sitting close to a blue missalette, please take the blue missalette and turn to the Palm Sunday Passion reading from the Gospel of Mark. Whenever, the Passion reading gets to a part marked “S”, everyone who has a blue missalette will say those parts out loud and in unison.

A NOTE ON BLESSING OF EASTER BASKETS AND EASTER FOODS: 1:00pm on Holy Saturday – this coming Saturday. Please bring baskets of foods to be blessed (anything you will consume on Easter Sunday or Easter week). There is a note at the back of the bulletin on some traditional items. You can include anything you want in your basket but here are a few typical items with explanations. Back in 2020 – when we were locked down because of the pandemic - - we did a little 15-minute video about preparing a Polish Easter basket. You can see it here: https://www.facebook.com/stmaryspolishchurch/videos/694708367940206 Also, we will have a collective basket for Loaves and Fishes. Please put an item from your basket into the collective basket (it can be a fresh item). And we will be preparing baskets to be blessed for people who are homebound. (Right after the Good Friday liturgy, we will be putting these baskets together and would be grateful for anyone who could stay 15 or 20 minutes to help out. If you can help with that, please speak with Tom Urbaniak. Many thanks.) Lastly, if you can, please wear traditional attire or a St. Michael’s jacket or something with the Cape Breton Polish tartan to the Easter basket blessing.

TABLE AT BACK OF CHURCH WITH POLISH EASTER ITEMS: There are still some items remaining: pisanki, baranki, Polish Easter cards. Proceeds to our parish. Many thanks

FOOD CUPBOARD: Thank you very much for non-perishable items for the Food Cupboard. There are baskets to collect your kind non-perishable donations at the entrance to the church.

THANK YOU for the contributions last week to the St. Joseph's Table.

UPCOMING MEETINGS: There will be a Finance Committee meeting the week of April 1 (tentatively April 4 at 3:00pm), an endowment trustees meeting the week of April 8, and a Rada meeting the week of April 15 (likely after Mass on Wednesday, April 17). Members will be shortly contacted directly.

OUR POLISH-THEMED RADIO SEGMENTS: Marking four years already! The Coast Radio FM 89.7 (weekdays at 3:50pm and 7:50pm or any time at coastalradio.ca). This coming week’s segment is about blessing of Easter baskets. Thanks to Nicole MacCormack for lending her voice. The segment is dedicated to Mary Dziubek McMullin on the occasion of her 90th birthday!
We’re looking for sponsors and volunteers for the radio segments. It’s $100 for a whole week to sponsor. Sponsors are recognized on air – and any dedications, too (eg. if you’re sponsoring as a memorial or as a birthday or anniversary gift). The Coast is generously redirecting the sponsorships back to the St. Michael’s Polish Benefit Society (which produces the segments). If you think you might like to sponsor a week, please e-mail tom_urbaniak@cbu.ca or call 563-1226. Many thanks!

COLLECTION FOR MARCH 17: $1,145.21 including $100.00 for SharLent, $99.00 for flowers, and $171.25 for Polish micro-market Easter items. Thank you kindly to all donors and contributors for your generosity and help for the work of our parish.

RECENT IMO (IN MEMORY OF) CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE BUILDING FUND:
IMO Alison Etter from Janet Hawthorne; Elaine Tynski-Shipley and Chris Shipley; Julia Bennett; Frank Starzomski; Wayne Joseph; Juliette MacLeod; Gerald Pocius
IMO Joseph Urbaniak from Gerald Pocius; Frank and Jane; John and Deanie Morykot

THANKS VERY KINDLY FOR YOUR DONATIONS TO OUR PARISH : Donations may be made during weekly Sunday Mass collection. Also, please feel 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!

RESERVING MASS INTENTIONS: Please speak with Jean Annette White after any Sunday or Wednesday Mass.

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A TRADITIONAL POLISH EASTER BASKET FOR BLESSING: (Source: Polish American Cultural Center)

Masło (Butter) - This dairy product is often shaped into a lamb (Baranek Wielkanocny) or a cross. This reminds us of the good will of Christ that we should have
towards all things.
Babka (Easter Bread) - A round or long loaf topped with a cross or a fish, symbolic of Jesus, the Bread of Life.
Chrzan (Horseradish) - Symbolic of the Passion of Christ still in our minds.
Jajka (Eggs) and Pisanki (decorated with symbols of Easter, of life, of prosperity) - Indicates new life and Christ's Resurrection from the tomb.
Kiełbasa (Sausage) - A sausage product, symbolic of God's favour and generosity.
Szynka (Ham) - Symbolic of great joy and abundance. Some prefer lamb or veal. The lamb also reminds Christians that the Risen Christ is the "Lamb of God."
Sόl (Salt) - A necessary element in our physical life. Symbolic of prosperity and justice and to remind us that people are the flavour of the earth.
Ser (Cheese) - Symbolic of the moderation Christians should have at all times.
Candle - Represents Christ as the Light of the World.
Colourful Ribbons and Sprigs of Greenery - are attached to the basket as signs of joy and new life in the season of spring and in celebration of the Resurrection.
Linen Cover - drawn over the top of the basket which is ready for the priest's visit to the home or the trip to church where it is joined with the baskets of others to await the blessing. The food is then set aside and enjoyed on Easter Sunday

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PIEŚNI / HYMNS:

Entrance: a special Palm Sunday hymn about Christ’s entry into Jerusalem.
1.Wjeżdża Król nasz, Jezus cichy, do Jerozolimy, hołd Mu składa lud pobożny, Jego lud rodzimy.
Ref.: Hosanna, hosanna Synowi Bożemu Hosanna, hosanna, cześć Zbawcy naszemu!
2. Dziatki róże, palmy, ziele sypią Mu pod nogi, wdzięczne Matki płaszcze ścielą, jedzie Chrystus drogi.
3. Wokół słychać okrzyk gromki: Niechaj Chrystus żyje! Tną hebrajskie pacholęta palmy i lilije.
4. Brzmi: Hosanna, witaj Zbawco, wnijdź błogosławiony; w imię Pańskie wchodzisz do nas – brzmi na wszystkie strony
5.Bądźże tedy pozdrowiony, Boże nasz i Panie, przyjmij od nas modły, hołdy, pobożne śpiewanie

Offertory: W Krzyzu Cierpienie (Cross of Compassion) number 20 on page 44 of the book in the pews: Przez Pokolenia: Prayers and Customs of St. Mary’s Polish Church

Communion: Jezusa Ukrytego -- choir

Post-Communion: Chwała i Dziękczynienia (3 times) [About praise and thanks for the boundless love of Jesus for everyone.]
Chwała i dziękczynienie, / Bądź w każdym momencie, / Jezusowi w Najświętszym, Boskim Sakramecie./ Ile minut w godzinie, / A godzin w wieczności,/ Tyle kroć bądź pochwalon,/ Jezu, ma miłości

Recessional: Któryś za nas cierpiał rany (You who suffered, wounded, for us – Lord Jesus, have mercy on us)
Któryś za nas cierpiał rany, Jezu Chryste, zmiłuj się nad nami (sung three times)

Życzymy błogosławionego tygodnia / Wishing you a blessed week!