Shrine Church of St. Bernadette

Upcoming Events

• Special Novenas - We will be reciting the Novena Prayers to our Lady of Lourdes and to St. Bernadette after every Sunday and weekday mass, until the end of the Anniversary of Our Lady’s Apparitions to St. Bernadette at Lourdes, which is December 8th, The Feast of the Immaculate Conception. You will find the prayers in the pew holders in front of you. Please return them to the proper place for all to use.
• On Sunday, September 7^th, the 11:00AM Mass will be a “Special Memorial” Commemorating the tragedy of September 11, 2001. On Thursday evening, September 11^th, from 7:00PM to 8:00PM, our Parish will have a “Special Holy Hour” at which time we will pray for peace and the safety of our country.
• If you have arranged to have a mass offered on a Sunday and you would like to carry the gifts to the altar at the Offertory, please inform the ushers upon your arrival at church so they know where you are seated and they will not pick someone else. Please help us to avoid embarrassment and hard feelings. If we do not know where you are seated, the ushers will select two other people.
• We remind parishioners that the New Directions for Receiving Holy Communion are to be followed. When you are the next person to receive, you are asked to make a bow of your head in reverence to the Blessed Sacrament. When it is your turn to receive let the host be placed on the palm of your hand, step aside, and with your free hand pick up the host and consume it.
• Remember the Church is the House of God. During the warmer months let us remember to dress appropriately and modestly when we come to mass. It is possible during these warm months to be both casual and respectful. Thank You!
• Parish Registration – We ask all new parishioners to stop by the rectory and register their families. If you are not registered and using your weekly envelopes we cannot issue letters in connection with sponsorship for Sacraments or give recommendations for positions, schools, etc. When moving out of the parish, please notify the rectory.
• Reminder – When you are reading the bulletin this week, take some time to look at the names of the many advertisers that support our church. These businesses show their support by advertising in our Sunday bulletin. We should return the favor by letting them know how much we appreciate it. When you are shopping or looking for a business – look to our advertiser pages and let them know where you saw their ad and be sure to thank them for their support.
• Going on Vacation? Wherever you are in the USA, you can always find the closest Catholic Church by simply dialing 1-410-676-6000 or going on-line: masstimes.org.
• Prayer for Vocations – Loving God, you chose Jesus as your beloved servant to bring justice to the world. Through baptism you also call us to be your chosen servants. Show us the path to follow and be with us on our journey. May your Spirit guide women and men to serve the church. Bless us with your grace now and forever. Amen.
• St. Bernadette School News: St. Bernadette School has double classes in Kindergarten and Grade 1. This availability allows us to keep the class size at a maximum of 25 students. Limited openings remain in these classes. There are also a few spaces available for children in the afternoon session of our Pre-K3 year old program. Children must be three years of age by Dec. 31, 2008 in order to qualify to participate. If you desire a top notch Catholic education for your child, phone 718-236-1560 for registration information.
• St. Bernadette Religious Education News: Registration for Religious Education will take place: Tuesday, September 9^th, 7:30PM to 8:30PM and Wednesday, September 10^th, 2:30PM to 3:30PM. Families must be registered parishioners and the original Baptismal Certificate and proof of residency is needed at registration.

Parish Meetings & Committee News

• Altar Rosary Society meeting information to follow.
  
• Holy Name Society meeting information to follow..
  The meetings are set on the Monday after the second Sunday of the month.
• Evangelization Committee
  The St. Bernadette Evangelization Committee invites you to join them for their weekly prayer group on every Monday night at 7:00 PM in the Rectory. The lectionary readings will be studied and reflected upon. Everyone is welcome!
• Outreach Committee More to follow
• Worship Committee More to follow.
  

Cluster News

• Diocesan Alcohol and Substance Abuse Assistance Program
  The Diocese of Brooklyn has created a program to provide confidential ongoing assistance to parish and community families who suffer from the effects of alcohol and substance abuse. The program provides counseling, support, treatment and care to those seeking assistance. To connect to a network of services that will help you and your family in addressing this concern, please make a confidential call to the Diocesan Alcohol and Substance Abuse Assistance Program Hotline: 1-800-659-1603. Any one with depression can also call the hotline. For general information, please visit Catholic Charities’ website: www.ccbq.org.
• Help the Needy Program
  Knights of Columbus John Hughes Council has created the Help the Needy Program in order to collect food clothing and toys to help the less fortunate. Items must be in good condition. Items can be brought to the council between the hours of 10am to 4:30pm and 7:30pm to 10pm, seven days a week. For more information, call John Adesso at (718) 614-2689 or Frank Marzigilano at (718) 533-0491
• Italian Board of Guardians
  Located at 7808 18 Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11214 offers Home Companion Services, Counseling Services, Psychological Evaluations and Tutoring Services. Please call 718.232.4242 for more information.
• Make your Voices Heard
  The New York State Catholic Bishops have formed a statewide Catholic Advocacy Network of concerned Catholics who want to put their faith into action. Together, we can speak out in support of the poor and vulnerable, the sick and elderly, the unborn, children and families. Our parish encourages you to join this network. There is no cost. The easiest way to join is to go to www.nyscatholic.org to sign up. Or you can send your name, address, phone number and e-mail address to Catholic Advocacy Network, New York State Catholic Conference, 465 State Street, Albany, NY 12203-1004. Be sure to mention you are a member of St. Bernadette parish in the Diocese of Brooklyn. For more information, see the flyers in the back of the church.
• Our Lady of Angel’s Third Order Lay Carmelite chapter meets every first Saturday of the month. Do you sense that God might be calling you into a deeper relationship with Him? Men and women in every age identified themselves with the Carelites as members of the Third Order. We invite you to se the answers to your questions and discern whether or not you may have a vocation as a Lay Carmelite. We meet every first Saturday of the month from 2-4pm in the Cavanaugh Room at Our Lady of Angels Church, 7320 Fourth Avenue, Brooklyn, NY. For more information call: 718-788-5290, or 917-841-1403.
• Trip to the Holy Land – Father John Mendonca, Pastor of Our Lady of Angelus Church in Rego Park is sponsoring a Pilgrimage to the Holy Land from November 11^th to November 20^th, 2008. Departure will be from JFK Airport. Cost is $2,399 per person. You will visit Caesarea, Mt. Carmel, Nazareth, Mount Tabor, Cana, Sea of Galilee, Capernaum, Jordan River, Jericho, Bethany, Mt. of Olives, Gethsemane, the Wailing Wall, Temple Mount, Nativity, Jerusalem, the Dead Sea, and may other biblical and historical sites. For more information, call Father John at 718-897-4444 or Catholic Tour Company at 1-877-267-4268.
• Pirgrimage to the Holy Land – January 11-20, 2009, Spiritual Director: Father Tom McNamara, OMF Cap., from St. Joseph the Worker in East Patchouque, Long Island. Non-stop air from NY JFK – Sea of Gaililee, Jordon River, Bethlehem, Nazareth, Jericho, Jerusalem, Masada, Dead Sea, and More. Call Mike Milano, M and M Travel, 1-800-773-2660
• Attention: Former Parishioners and School Alumni of Holy Innocents Parish, Brooklyn, NY: The Centennial Committee of Holy Innocents Church in Flatbush Brooklyn, NY would like to contact all former parishioners and school alumni as we prepare for our 100^th Anniversary as a parish. Please contact Michael Granillo, Tuesday – Friday, 9AM to 5PM, at 1-718-469-9500, or Trudy Zadrozny at trudy390@gmail.com.
• Caregivers Support Group – Our Lady of Angels Human Service Center will be forming a new Caregivers Support Group. We want you to be a part of our group! Every 2^nd and 4^th Wednesday of the month, 3:30PM to 5:00PM (Time and dates may be changed upon group’s request). To sign up please contact: Rudy A. Nieves, Our Lady of Angels Human Service Center, 336 – 73^rd Street, Brooklyn, NY 11209, 718-680-6344. You are not alone!!!
• Celebrate St. John’s University School of Education Centennial – as the St. John’s School of Education enters the 100^th year of its founding, a full roster of activities has been planned in including a Gala Dinner and Dance to be held on September 27, 2008, at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Manhattan. There are also professional development seminars, lectures and networking events during the academic year. For more information on the Centennial Celebration visit: www.stjohns.educ/education/celebrating100years.
• St. Michael’s Church in Flushing will be celebrating the closing of their 175^thth with Bishop Octavio Ciscneros as celebrant and a dinner-dance on Friday evening, October 10^th at Immaculate Conception Center in Douglaston. Tickets for the dinner-dance are $75 per person. Call 718-961-0295 Parish Anniversary Year with two events: a closing bilingual (English & Spanish) Mass at 1:10 pm on Sunday, September 28
• 20^th Annual Police Officer Christopher Hoban 5-Mile Memorial Run and Tina Hoban Hat Walk Pee Wee Run: Sunday, September 21, 2008 at 10:30AM. Xaverian High School Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, NY 11209. Contact: 718-836-7100 extension 118.
• Visiting Nurse Service of New York Seeks Hospice Volunteers – Fall 2008 – The Visiting Nurse Service of New York Hospice Care Program is taking applications for those wanting to join the 150 active volunteers providing companionship and other types of support to terminally ill patients. The next 10 hour training session will take place on five consecutive Thursday evenings: September 4^thth, September 18^th, and September 25^th.and October 2^nd. From 6:00PM to 8:00PM at the Manhattan Hospice Office, 1250 Broadway – At 32^nd. A written application and personal interview are required. For Queens, Brooklyn, and Bronx volunteer opportunities contact: Janeen Thompson, 718-888-6967 or email: JaneenThompson@vnsny.org. September 10 Street, New York, NY
• Ragamuffin Parade: Saturday September 27^th, 2008 at 1:00PM Sharp. Honorees: Reverend Monsignor Michael Phillips – Grand Marshal Dozier Hasty – Person of the Year. Luncheon Sunday, September 14, 2008, at the Bay Ridge Manor.
• Rachel’s Helpers – A program, Forgiven and Set Free, for women who have had an abortion and are seeking a spiritual healing from this experience. The program, takes place with a weekly meeting in a small group setting from 7:30PM to 9:30PM for 11 weeks beginning Monday, September 15^th. Please call 718-919-6646 for more information. All calls are confidential…There are no fees.

Fund Raisers

• Memorial Funds
  Remember to support St. Bernadette memorial funds next time you need to memorialize a relative or friend. Arrangements can be made through the Rectory to memorialize with bread, wine, altar flowers, altar candle or sanctuary lamp for one week.
• Prayer Cards
  Available now in the Rectory Office is an assortment of prayer cards for different saints and various special donations. The selection of prayer cards will change depending on the Liturgical season and upcoming feast days. There is a small donation of 25 cents for each card.
• St. Bernadette Wall of Remembrance
  You can remember your beloved departed with a small cross. The donation for the first year is $200.00 and each additional year is $100.00 The crosses are made from imported wood from Belgium, with the name engraved on a metal plate. There are three ways that the engraving can be made on these plates - “John Doe”, “Mr. & Mrs. John Doe” or “The Doe Family”. Included in this donation will be remembrance each month at the Purgatorial Mass and a special remembrance on All Souls Day. If someone wishes not to re-enroll, we will give them the cross as a keepsake. The cross is placed on the wall with a temporary label, and when the metal plate is engraved, it will be put on the cross. Arrangements can be made through the Rectory Office Monday to Friday from 9am to 4pm.
• Box Tops Education
  In the vestibule of the church, there is a large box where Box Tops can be dropped off. Find and clip 10¢ Box Tops coupon on hundreds of General Mills, Ziploc and Kleenex products to help St. Bernadette School can earn up to $60,000.00 per year.
• 2008 Annual Catholic Appeal
  If you have received the Appeal letter in the mail, please return it to the Diocese, making sure that you list St. Bernadette as the parish. If you will be making a pledge, please do so as soon as possible since the Appeal not only helps the Bishop, it also helps our Parish. Please be as generous as your means will allow.