Catholic Community of Buffalo, North

Upcoming Advents services this week in addition to our daily Masses:
◾️Advent Taizé Prayer - Monday, December 11th - 6:30 p.m. Assumption Buffalo
◾️️Advent Penance Service - Thursday, December 14th - 7:00 p.m. Assumption Buffalo

Tomorrow, Sunday, December 10th, we have several events happening across our Family of Parishes.

Join us for our 9:30 a.m. Mass at St. Margaret Parish and stay for a ☕Coffee Social hosted by the Events Committee and Fr. Dave Richards.

If you are heading to our 11:00 a.m. Mass at Holy Spirit Parish, don't forget your cash to pick up some yummy treats at our 🍪Bake Sale in the Church Foyer.

Are you ready for some football🏈? Bring some snacks and come to the All Saints R.C. Church Gym to watch the Bills faceoff against the Chiefs at the Buffalo Bills Tailgate Party. In addition to the game, we'll be raffling off several prizes including a 75" TV! BONUS: We will have stress footballs for purchase to help you through those heart pounding plays, and each purchase enters you in a chance at a prize!!

This week we celebrate the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. All are welcome to join us at tonight's Vigil Mass or at any of our parishes tomorrow as we celebrate the Eucharist!

Thursday, December 7th:
6:00 PM at St. Rose of Lima Church, Buffalo, NY | Fr Dave Richards

Friday, December 8th:
7:00 AM at St. Margaret Parish | Fr Ange Chimera
8:15 AM at St. Mark Church, Buffalo NY | Fr Chris Emminger
8:30 AM at Holy Spirit Parish | Fr Dave Richards

"Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament has His hands full of graces, and He is ready to bestow them on anyone who asks for them," - St. Peter of Alcantara

Today the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Nicholas

St. Nicholas of Bari (March 15, 270 – December 6, 343), the bishop of Myra in the fourth century, is the saint that Santa Claus is modeled after. Known for his kindness and generosity to the poor, the story has it that St. Nicholas once tossed bags of gold through the open window of a poor man’s house to help his daughters avoid a life of prostitution.

According to legend, the gold landed in stockings dangling on the corners of the beds, which is why many of us celebrate St. Nicholas Day by hanging stockings and filling them with candy, fruit, and small toys.

Want to learn more? Check out this article:

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/249794/5-things-to-know-and-share-about-st-nicholas

REMINDER: Advent Penance Service today at 7:00 p.m.

Come join us as we celebrate the season through 🎼music🎶:

🎵Wednesday, December 6th at 6:00 p.m. Holy Spirit Parish - An Evening of Choral Music - FREE Concert
A lovely evening of Christmas season music, showcasing musical talent from all six parishes in our Family of Parishes.

🎵Monday, December 11th at 6:30 p.m. Assumption Buffalo - Advent Taizé Prayer
Taizé Prayer services of song, silence and contemplation led by Mary Lou Wyrobek and Bruce Woody.

🎵Wednesday, December 27th at 7:00 p.m. St. Margaret Parish - Concert of Choral Treasures of Advent and Christmas
A beautiful celebration of the coming of Jesus from the St. John Paul II Schola Cantorum, an “a cappella” choir. Followed by a singalong of traditional Christmas carols, featuring Marty Quebral on the organ, then light refreshments.

Upcoming Mass services this week in addition to our daily Masses:

◼️Advent Penance Service Monday, December 4th - 7:00 p.m. St. Margaret Parish

◼️Immaculate Conception Masses (Holy Day of Obligation):
▪️Thursday, December 7th - 6:00 p.m. Vigil Mass at St. Rose of Lima Church, Buffalo, NY
️▪️Friday, December 8th: ️
7:00 a.m. at St. Margaret Parish
8:15 a.m. at St. Mark Church, Buffalo NY
8:30 a.m. at Holy Spirit Parish

Tomorrow, Sunday, December 3rd, we have several events happening across our Family of Parishes.

🥞Holy Name Society Father/Child Breakfast - An "all you can eat" breakfast buffet with featured speaker, Fernanda Lastra. Tickets are $15/adult & $5/child. (Tickets available online, see event post for link.)

🧥Coat & Mitten Drive AND Cookies with Santa - STOP & DROP off gently loved coats & boots, and NEW hates & gloves! While children wait to see Santa, they can make a card for Meals on Wheels. (See event post for more details.)

📿All Saints Altar & Rosary Society Mass All are welcome to take part in praying the rosary at 10:05 a.m. before the start of Mass.

🎅Holy Spirit‘s Annual Breakfast with Santa! He'll be here on Sunday, December 3rd following our 11:00 a.m. Mass. (Limited Tickets: $8.00 - message us for ticket availability)

🎄St. Rose Annual Holiday Concert FREE & open to the public beginning at 6:00 p.m. with basket auction, refreshments, cash raffle and music! Featuring the local talent of Mark Porter & Friends.

🗒REMINDER: OUR FAMILY MASS SCHEDULE CHANGES THIS WEEKEND

Our new Mass schedule will take effect the First Weekend of Advent on Saturday, December 2 and Sunday, December 3, 2023.

Today the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Andrew the Apostle! St. Andrew was Jesus’s first apostle and the brother of St. Peter, the second apostle.

Here is an image of the St. Andrew Novena that is traditionally prayed fifteen times daily and concludes on Christmas Eve.

🗓️ Did you know that St. Andrew’s feast day helps us determine the start of Advent in the liturgical calendar? The first Sunday of Advent is always the closest Sunday to his feast, whether before or after.

Click the link to learn more about St. Andrew: https://hallow.com/saints/andrew/

"Advent is a journey towards Bethlehem. May we let ourselves be drawn by the light of God made man." - Pope Francis

As we prepare for a day where we gather with friends and family, what are you grateful for today?

We are thankful for all of you in our Family of Parishes. This week we are also especially grateful to a group of St. Mark School students that came out to help The Holy Spirit Parish Food Pantry on Monday. They helped to distribute Thanksgiving dinner boxes to those in need. We are truly blessed by the generosity of our parish family and community to give 53 families a proper Thanksgiving meal!

"The devotion to the Eucharist is the most noble because it has God as its object; it is the most profitable for salvation, because It gives us the Author of Grace; it is the sweetest, because the Lord is Sweetness Itself," - St. Pius X

Our Holy Spirit Parish Food Pantry was blessed this week with such a tremendous gift from the Buffalo Police Department D-District! They collected and delivered enough donations for us to provide 48 families with Thanksgiving dinner and restock some of our shelves. This is such an incredible act of love and kindness for our community and we cannot thank you enough.

"When you look at the Crucifix, you understand how much Jesus loved you then. When you look at the Sacred Host you understand how much Jesus loves you now," - Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta

🤔Did you know that in our Family of Parishes we have special Mass celebrations throughout the year? We have two this month! Come celebrate with us
⚾️🏐St. Mark School Fall Sport Mass🏊‍♀️👟Saturday, November 18th at 4:00 p.m. at St. Mark Church, Buffalo NY where we will celebrate the St. Mark School Fall athletes for Baseball, Cross Country, Swim, and Volleyball.
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🍂49th Annual Thanksgiving Harvest Mass🍂 on Wednesday, November 22nd at 6:30 p.m. at Assumption Buffalo where we will have the Blessing of Bread. After Mass we will hand out small loaves of the blessed bread. 🥫Bring your canned foods to donate.

Thank you to all of the brave men and women who have served our country. This , we salute you.

"In a world where there is so much noise, so much bewilderment, there is a need for silent adoration of Jesus concealed in the Host. Be assiduous in the prayer of adoration and teach it to the faithful. It is a source of comfort and light, particularly to those who are suffering." - Pope Benedict XVI

🍂🦃Thanksgiving Food Drive🦃🍂 The Holy Spirit Parish Food Pantry is in need of items for the Thanksgiving food boxes they will be distributing on Monday, November 20th.

If you can help, in the church hall there are barrels for non-perishable items and a freezer for turkeys. Please bring items to the church any time before or after Mass through November 19th (11:30 a.m. Sunday-Tuesday, Thursday & Friday | 6:00 p.m. Wednesdays) or call the Rectory if outside of Mass times.

Who wants an easy no mess dinner plan for this week? Get your tickets for Holy Spirit’s Annual Spaghetti dinner on Saturday, November 11th. Dine-in or take-out.

🎫Tickets now available for our 🍝Annual Spaghetti Dinner 🍝 on Saturday, November 11th at 5:30PM. $12 per person (Kids 3 & under are FREE). Limited tickets available, get yours before they are gone!

To purchase tickets, call Holy Spirit Rectory at (716) 875-8102

🕰️ Get ready to set those clocks back! Daylight Savings ends at 2:00 a.m. on Sunday, November 5th.

ICYMI: Tomorrow at 2 p.m. our favorite school rivalry is back on the field as they face off for 100th matchup. This time there is a challenge on the table, which school colors do you think we will see next week on our clergy? St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute Maroon or Canisius High School Blue & Gold?

‘Such a great background with the rivalry of Canisius—St. Joe’s’: 100th football match-up A long-standing high school football rivalry will be played out Saturday. A milestone game will be played as Canisius High School hosts St. Joseph’s Collegiate Institute.

Already a server? Interested in being a server?

We are looking for all currently trained and interested youth, that have made their First Communion, to serve on weekends throughout our family of parishes.

St. Mark School & Faith Formation students can turn in your form to your teacher.

OR Register Online: https://catholiccbn.com/Resources/Altar-Server-Training

“Jesus said to them, 'I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst. '” John 6:35

Today we pray for all those who have gone before us.

GRANT ETERNAL REST TO YOUR SERVANTS, O LORD

We ask that you watch over the souls of our beloved departed.
Welcome them into Your Kingdom and grant them eternal rest.
Grant comfort to those who remain here on Earth.
Until the day we may be joined in Heaven.

Amen

In addition to our daily Masses (8:00 AM at St. Margaret Parish | 11:30 AM at Holy Spirit Parish), we will have two Bereavement Masses:

6:00 PM at Holy Spirit Parish | Fr. Chris Emminger
for the deceased from All Saints, St. Margaret and Holy Spirit

6:30 PM at Assumption Buffalo | Fr. Dave Richards
for the deceased from Assumption, St. Mark and St. Rose

Today the Church celebrates All Saints' Day, a Holy Day of Obligation, that "honors the saints in Heaven – those who have been recognized by the Church as saints, as well as those who have not been canonized."

Want to learn more about this Holy day? Click the link to learn more: https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/seasons-and-feast-days/all-saints-20377

"He is The Bread sown in the virgin, leavened in the Flesh, molded in His Passion, baked in the furnace of the Sepulchre, placed in the Churches, and set upon the Altars, which daily supplies Heavenly Food to the faithful."

- St. Peter Chrysologus (400-450)

Our family of parishes will be offering several Mass times for All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day.

*Edit: Image updated to include regularly scheduled daily Masses for November 2nd

"God dwells in our midst, in the Blessed Sacrament of the altar."

- St. Maximilian Kolbe

Today we celebrate Saint Ignatius of Antioch.

"In the year 107, Emperor Trajan visited Antioch and forced the Christians there to choose between death and apostasy. Ignatius would not deny Christ and thus was condemned to be put to death in Rome. Ignatius is well known for the seven letters he wrote on the long journey from Antioch to Rome."

Click here to learn more: https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-ignatius-of-antioch/

👀Looking for some 👻Halloween fun? Our family of parishes will have two opportunities to Trunk-or-Treat.

🎃10/21 3:00PM-5:00PM - St. Rose of Lima Parking Lot
🦇10/31 5:30PM-7:30PM - All Saints Church Parking Lot

🚗Want to participate and decorate your trunk? Comment on this post and we will get you connected with the contact for the event.