We invite you to join our church, located across the street from St. Joseph's Hospital and the Cacace Justice Center. We offer you a beautiful prayerful church to participate in the Eucharist and receive all the other sacraments. The doors  to our church are open daily from 
7 AM to 3 PM.  Please come in & visit us.  

Rev.  Anthony Columba Ekanem, MSP - Pastor
Rev. George N. Okoro, MSP-Parochial Vicar of St. Mary's 
Rev. Fares Hattar - Parochial Vicar of the Arabic Community of the Good Shepherd of St Mary's

 
From the Desk of Rev. Fr. Anthony C. Ekanem, MSP:
           
At this time of the year, many of us will be traveling on vacations, weekend trips, or afternoon outings, we can imagine we are traveling that road from Jerusalem to Jericho. How would we like to be treated on our way especially when we are stranded?
 
Today’s liturgy deals with love of God and all human beings regardless of race, creed, or color. Jesus’ character of patience endurance in His encounter with the scholar of the Law is a challenge to us. This popular Parable of the Good Samaritan teaches us about care and love for one another. The story illustrates a striking contrast between Jesus’ patient response to the Lawyer’s ill-motivated question and his expectation. The Lawyer’s question was meant to embarrass Jesus. But Jesus cleverly put the onus back on the Lawyer by letting him know that ‘our neighbor is anyone regardless of who needs our help.’ See, how Jesus calmly leads him to answer his own question quoting from Deuteronomy 6:5, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your mind.” And in Leviticus 19:18, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
 
Again, since the Lawyer wanted to justify himself; Jesus responded to his question with this moral lesson of the Good Samaritan. One may wonder why did Jesus even use a story with a good man from Samaria. A town that did not welcome Him Luke (9:51-53) We all know that Jew and Samaritan were enemies at the time. Jesus did not allow this view thwart His message on love of neighbor. He purposely uses this example to teach a powerful moral lesson of love of neighbor on our road of life as His disciples. The road from Jerusalem to Jericho represents the road of life. At the end of the story Jesus said to the Lawyer, ‘Go and do likewise.’ Those words are spoken to us too, as we listen to all efforts on immigration policies and controversies today. There is a great need for a serious prayer for those at the helm of the affairs of this country for a genuine motive for a fellow human being.
 
Therefore, Christian love called Charity invites us to go beyond emotional human love or geographical and political and ethnic boundaries. St Vincent de Paul says, “Charity is certainly greater than any rule. Moreover, all rule must lead to charity.”
 
Our second reading captures the role of Jesus Christ beautifully and who He is for us in this majestic poem. His supremacy, His identity and as an an exemplary with His effect as Lord. “Christ Jesus is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For in him were created all things in Heaven and on earth, the visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things were created through Him and for Him.” And so, to acknowledge Him and one another and then go through in faith is all that matters. Our faith tells us that all human beings are God’s children. He loves all of them. Faith tells us again that ‘what you do for the least of your brother and sister, you do for me.’ (Matthew 25:40).

Enjoy your trip on the road of life and love one another as you go. “For everyone you meet along the way is fighting a battle you know nothing about.” So, please be kind.
 
 
Second Collection:
This weekend, we take up a second collection for the 135 Annual National Black & Indian Missions collection. 
Our support of this collection helps build the Church in Africa American, Native American, and Alaska Native communities from coast to coast.  Schools, parishes, religious education programs, and diocesan ministries depend upon your generosity to help them spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
  
Stewardship
Tithing - God’s Plan for Giving on Sunday For 07/07/19 our Offering was $3,960.00 This Sunday our second collection is for the Black and Indian Missions  Next Sunday second collection is for our monthly Church Property Insurance.
  
FOR CATHOLICS
As Catholics, we fully participate in the celebration of the Eucharist when we receive Holy Communion. We are encouraged to receive Communion devoutly and frequently. In order to be properly disposed to receive Communion, participants should not be conscious of grave sin and normally should have fasted for one hour. A person who is conscious of grave sin is not to receive the Body and Blood of the Lord without prior sacramental confession except for a grave reason where there is no opportunity for confession. In this case, the person is to be mindful of the obligation to make an act of perfect contrition, including the intention of confessing as soon as possible (canon 916). A frequent reception of the Sacrament of Penance is encouraged for all.
 
FOR OUR FELLOW CHRISTIANS
We welcome our fellow Christians to this celebration of the Eucharist as our brothers and sisters. We pray that our common baptism and the action of the Holy Spirit in this Eucharist will draw us closer to one another and begin to dispel the sad divisions which separate us. We pray that these will lessen and finally disappear, in keeping with Christ's prayer for us "that they may all be one" (John 17:21).
Because Catholics believe that the celebration of the Eucharist is a sign of the reality of the oneness of faith, life, and worship, members of those churches with whom we are not yet fully united are ordinarily not admitted to Holy Communion. Eucharistic sharing in exceptional circumstances by other Christians requires permission according to the directives of the diocesan bishop and the provisions of canon law (canon 844 §4). Members of the Orthodox Churches, the Assyrian Church of the East, and the Polish National Catholic Church are urged to respect the discipline of their own Churches. According to Roman Catholic discipline, the Code of Canon Law does not object to the reception of Communion by Christians of these Churches (canon 844 §3).
 
FOR THOSE NOT RECEIVING HOLY COMMUNION
All who are not receiving Holy Communion are encouraged to express in their hearts a prayerful desire for unity with the Lord Jesus and with one another.
 
FOR NON-CHRISTIANS
We also welcome to this celebration those who do not share our faith in Jesus Christ. While we cannot admit them to Holy Communion, we ask them to offer their prayers for the peace and the unity of the human family.
© 1996, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
 
Sundays Readings:
First Reading : Deuteronomy 30:10-14 p. 57
Moses encouraged the people to follow the law of the Lord their God with all their hearts and all their souls. This command is not “mysterious and remote” but “already in your mouths and in your hearts.”
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 69:14 .p.57
“Turn to the Lord in your need, you will live!”
Second Reading: Colossians 1:15-20 p.58 Christ Jesus is the new image of God, Before anything came to be, he was. In him resides the fullness of power to restore to God all things: in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible.
Gospel: Luke10:25-37 p. 59
A lawyer asked Jesus what a person must do to gain eternal life. Reminded of the command to love God and neighbor, the man inquired, “Who is my neighbor?” Jesus replied by telling him the story of the good Samaritan.
 
Registration 2019-2020
Started on Saturday  June 15, 2019 - July 31, 2019 (Wednesday & Thursday 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 pm)
 Classes will begin September 7, 2019
  
Church Upcoming Events

• Bible Sharing: Do you want to learn more about the Word of God during the week, in English. Call and let us know whether Wednesday beginning in the month of September is convenient for you.
• Food Collection: Last Sunday July 7, 2019 we were able to fill 42 bags of nutritious food for the needy in our community. As always thank you for your generosity.
• Yonkers Office for the Aging will be distributing farmer’s market coupons to qualified Yonkers seniors. The coupons will be available at the Office for the Aging Monday, July 22 and Tuesday, July 23 from 10AM to 12PM and from 1PM to 3PM at the Chema Community Center, 435 Riverdale Ave. The coupons are available to qualified applicants 60 years or older and who are currently receiving or eligible to receive SSI, public assistance, food stamps, Section 8 housing subsidy or have a monthly income of $1,926 per month or less for a one person household; $2,607 per month or less for a two person household and $3,289 per month or less for a three person household. Yonkers seniors must bring photo ID and proof of age. There is a limited supply, allowing for only one booklet per household. Yonkers seniors are able to use the coupons at the farmers markets located throughout the area, including at St. John’s Farmers Market in downtown Yonkers.

 
  Saturday, July 13, 2019:
12:05pm— Available/Disponible
5:00pm - Sonia Torres + * Edgardo Torres & Family
7:30pm - Gabriela Pereyra+ *Ana Medina
Sunday, July 14, 2019:
7:30 am – For the Parishioners
9:00 am – Ferdinand Pisculli + *Domini Pisculli
11:00 am - Maria Belen DeMoreno + * Jenny Brown &Family
Monday, July 15, 2019 :                                            
8:15am - Available/Disponible
12:05pm Hector Rene Gabriel + *Jose Gabriel
Tuesday July 16, 2019:
8:15am - Viola DeMarco + *Pat Barrios
12:05pm – for the Deceased members of the Rodriguez & Morales Family * Martha Vega
Wednesday, July 17, 2019:
8:15am - Available/Disponible
12:05 pm – Pasqual Obama + * Francisco & Claudia Dougan
Thursday, July 18, 2019:
8:15am - in Honor of Our Lady of Fatima *Eduardo & Esther Rodrigues
12:05 pm— Available/Disponible
7:00 pm - Domingo Espinol + * His Children
Friday, July 19, 2019:
8:15am - Available/Disponible
12:05 pm – Available/Disponible
Saturday, July 20, 2019:
12:05pm— Available/Disponible
5:00pm - Arsenio Fajardo + * Roslynn Farjardo
7:30pm - Maria Teresa Morales+ *the Campoverde-Morales Family
+ Indicates deceased
* Indicates the person (s) who requested the Mass.
 Security Cameras :
The security cameras are now in place inside and outside of the Church
24 Hour Surveillance
 Both Video & Audio