CHURCH OF ST. CHARLES

644 CLAWSON STREET, OAKWOOD HEIGHTS, STATEN ISLAND, NY 10306

JANUARY 6, 2019 THE EPIPHANY OF THE LORD

Pastoral Staff Pastor Rev. Louis R. Jerome

Parochial Vicar Fr. Stefan Chanas

In Residence Bishop John J. O’Hara

Weekend Associate Rev. Msgr. Edmund J. Whalen

Permanent Deacons Deacon Stephen Tobon Deacon Lawrence Droge

Pastoral Associate Sr. Jeanine Conlon, O.P.

School Principal Mr. J. C. Kiernan

Religious Education Coordinator Ms. Kerry Quinn

Director of Music Mr. Paul Light

Contact Information Rectory School 644 Clawson Street 200 Penn Avenue (718) 987-2670 (718) 987-0200 Fax: (718) 987-7950 Fax: (718) 987-8158 Email Address Tuition Office secretary@stcharlessi.org (718) 987-5780 Website: www.stcharlessi.org Religious Education 200 Penn Avenue www.saintcharlesccd.org (718) 979-6800 stcharlesccd10306@gmail.com

Parish Office Hours Sunday 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM Monday - Friday 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM Saturday 10:30 AM - 6:30 PM

Sacramental Life Mass Schedule

Parish Registration New parishioners need to register at the rectory. Please inform us if you move into or out of the par-ish.

Confessions

Saturday: 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM, 5:00 - 5:30 PM, and after Mass on the Eve of a Holy Day.

Baptisms Second Sunday of the month at 2:30 PM Instruc-tion for parents of the children to be baptized to be arranged at the rectory. SPONSOR CERTIFI-CATES REQUIRED for Godparents and also a copy of the child’s birth certificate.

Marriages To arrange a marriage at St. Charles, consult with a priest or deacon at least six months prior to the proposed date and before social arrangements. At-tendance at Pre-Cana and Natural Family Plan-ning Classes is required.

Anointing and

Communion of the Sick Regular administration of the Sacraments should be arranged for shut-ins by calling the rectory. Emergency sick calls anytime.

Religious Education Program

Instruction for all grade levels beginning with first grade. For information call the Religious Educa-tion Office.

Weekend Masses Saturday Evening 4:00 & 5:30 PM Sunday 8:15, 9:30 & 10:45 AM 12:00, 1:15

Weekday Masses Monday - Friday 8:30 & 11:30 AM Saturday 8:30 AM

Holy Days Masses Eve of the Holy Day 7:30 PM 6:45, 8:30, 11:30 AM and 7:30 PM

2

LITURGY CORNER MONDAY – JANUARY 7 8:30 - Vincent Zangari - Ann. 12:00 - Gaetano & Aneo LaBargo - Mem. TUESDAY - JANUARY 8 8:30 - Mary Agnello - Ann. 12:00 - Josephine D’Amico - Mem. WEDNESDAY - JANUARY 9 8:30 - Lillian Mattera - Mem. 12:00 - Katherine Engels - Mem. THURSDAY- JANUARY 10 8:30 - Grace Davide -Mem. 12:00 - William & Catherine Cross - Mem. FRIDAY - JANUARY 11 8:30 - Clara Carlino - Mem. 12:00 - John & Bertha Merook - Mem. SATURDAY - JANUARY 12 8:30 - Zheng Xeu Qian - Mem. 4:00 - Dolores Laieta & Catherine & Frank Griesi - Mem. 5:30 - Roseann, Rocky, & Salvatore Motto Mem. SUNDAY - JANUARY 13 8:15 - Grace & Angelo Novaro & Family Mem. 9:30 - Parishioners of St. Charles 10:45 - Michael Riccio & Marie Fanelli - Mem. 12:00 - Rose Esposito - Mem. 1:15 - Joseph Richards - Mem.

December 23, 2018 December 24, 2017 $13,232.51 $11,136.45 Christmas 2018 Christmas 2017 $31,689.29 $33,728.96

Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament Monday - Friday at 12:00-5:00 PM in the Chapel

First Mondays at 7:30 PM in the Church (cancelled in August)

First Fridays at 7:00 PM in the Church (cancelled in August)

Call Jeannette Burrell (718-979-0034) or Lois Galvin (718-948-8193) for information

Rosary and Novenas

The Rosary is recited each weekday at 8:10 and 11:30 AM and on Saturday at 8:10 AM. The Miraculous Medal novena prayers are said after the 8:30 & 12:00 PM Masses on Mondays.

Flowers, Wine & Hosts and Oil

The Wine & Hosts for the week of January 6,- Janu-ary 12, 2019 are offered in loving memory of Ed-ward W. Solan at the request of his daughter, Barbara. If you would like to make arrangements to have the flowers for the main altar, the wine & hosts or oils used for Mass candles in memory of a loved one or a special occasion, please, call the rectory.

January 12 / January 13 Mass Schedule

4:00 10:45 5:30 12:00 8:15 1:15 9:30

PLEASE NOTE

If a Mass is being said for a member of your family on Sat-urday evening or Sunday, it would be most fitting if someone from the family would bring up the gifts at the Offertory. Please let one of the ushers know before Mass. 3

Weekly Offerings

PARISH MINISTRIES Adult Faith Formation Wednesday - 1:30; rectory Baptism Classes First Tuesday of the month at 8:00 PM; rectory Bereavement Group Thursday - 7:30; rectory Book Club Third Thursday each month at 4:00 PM; rectory Caregivers Support Group Thursday - 9:30 - 11:30 AM; rectory Choir (Adult) Thursday at 7:30 PM; church Divine Mercy Devotion Friday at 3:00 PM; chapel Eucharistic Ministers First Fridays at 7:00 PM; church Legion of Mary Wednesday at 4:00 PM; rectory chapel Prayer Group & Holy Hour First Monday of the month at 7:30 PM; church Religious Education Classes Monday 3:45 - 5:15 PM Grades 6 & 7 Wednesday 3:45 - 5:15 PM Grades 1-5 Special Needs: Wednesday 5:10 - 5:45 PM St. Vincent de Paul Society Meeting - Second Tuesday of month at 1:30 PM; rectory Food Pantry open 2nd & 4th Tuesday of every month 11:30 AM -1:30 PM; rectory Teen Club Sunday at 7:00 PM; auditorium Women’s Worship Wednesdays January 16th at 7:30 PM; rectory

Bingo is held every Tuesday evening in the audi-torium starting at 7:30 PM. Early bird is at 7:15 PM. Doors open at 6:00 PM. We will resume bingo on January 7.

St. Charles School application and registration pro-

cess for NEW students is NOW OPEN! Application and registration for the 2019-2020 school

year is now open for families interested in Pre-Kindergarten (3 year olds) and grades Kindergarten

through 8th. Families can now begin applying to Saint Charles

School by accessing the school website at www.SaintCharlesSchoolSI.org

Once on the school website homepage: 1. Click on the “Apply Now” button 2. Scroll down to the “Welcome” portion and click

on “Admissions Application” 3. Choose the borough “Staten Island” 4. Choose “Saint Charles School, 200 Penn Avenue” 5. Click “Apply Now” 6. Choose the “Fall 2019-Spring 2020 School Year” 7. Information regarding the application process

and financial aid will appear. When you are ready to begin the application process, scroll to the bottom of the page and choose “Click here to apply”

8. Choose “Create a New Account” and begin the application process

Financial assistance is available After completing the application, the school will con-tact the applicant and discuss the next steps. Upon

registration, all students will require birth certificate, baptismal certificate (if applicable), immunization and physical documentation, and past year report

cards and NYS standardized test results (if applicable).

The FREE Universal PreKindergarten (UPK) regis-tration process for children born in the year 2015 will not begin until 2019. You can stay up to date on the

UPK registration process by going to www.nyc.gov/prek.

If you have any questions or would like to schedule a school tour with our principal, Mr. Kiernan, please

contact Mrs. Browne in the main office at 718-987-0200 or 718-987-5780. We hope to welcome you

to the Saint Charles School family real soon! 4

PARISH NEWS

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

January 7, - January 13, 2019

Monday - January 7 Cheerleading - 2:45 PM; gym Cheerleading - 6:00 PM; auditorium Spiritual Direction - 7:30 PM; rectory Tuesday - January 8 St. Vincent de Paul - 11:30 AM - 1:30 PM; recto-ry Bingo at 7:30 PM; doors open at 6:00 PM; early bird 7:15 PM Baptism Class - 8:00 Pm; rectory Wednesday - January 9 Adult Faith Formation - 1:30 PM; rectory Legion of Mary - 4:00 PM; rectory chapel Thursday - January 10 Caregivers - 9:30 AM; rectory Cheerleading - 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM; auditorium Cheerleading - 7:30 PM - 9:30 PM; auditorium Friday - January 11 Cheerleading - 2;45 PM - 4:00 PM; gym Cub Scouts - 7:00 PM; auditorium Saturday - January 12 Cheerleading - 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM; auditori-um Sunday - January 13 Cheerleading 10:00 AM; auditorium Legion of Mary Winter Social - 12 Noon; audi-torium Teen Club - 7:00 PM; auditorium

FAMILY MASS Our next family Mass will take place on January 13th

at the 9:30 Mass. Please join us for this special prayer time with your children.

The next meeting of the book club will be the third Thursday of January, January 17th in the rectory at

4:00 PM. We will discuss Mary Higgins Clark “Mount Vernon Love Story: a Novel of George and Martha Washington.” In Mount Vernon Love Story - famed suspense writer, Mary Higgins Clark’s long-out-of-print first novel - the bestselling author re-veals the flesh-and-blood man who became the “father of our country” in a story that is charming, insightful and immensely enter-taining.

5

BASKETBALL FREE THROW

CONTEST M a n r e s a C o u n c i l Knights of Columbus invites all boys and girls

(ages 9 - 14 as of January 1, 2019) to a Basket-ball Free Throw contest Knights of Colum-bus - Council Championship to be held on Saturday, January 12th, 2019. Registration starts at 9:30 AM. Contest starts at 10:00 AM - 12 Noon. This will be held at St. Charles Gym. There are no fees; it’s a free event. Questions, please call Geoff Thatcher at 917-453-5844.

WE PRAY...WE CELEBRATE...WE REMEMBER

THE GET WELL LIST

WE REMEMBER Eternal rest grant unto their souls, O Lord.

And let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen.

May their souls and the souls of the faithful departed rest in peace. Amen

William P. Zyko

Diane B. Strzelecki Anna Gildersleeve Richard Ciaravino Constance DeSanti

Keith Alaimo Paul Alaimo Sr. Joseph Bisking Madeline Buonpane Mary Campitelli Marietta Canning Marty Casey Nick Castagna Grace Castelao Monica Cipriani Marie Clemente Elaine Cupak Anna DiCamillo Donato DiCamillo Frank Deegan Teresa Deegan Andrew DiPadova Joseph Elia Pietrina Emro Dorothy Fleming Danielle Flores Aniel Garcia Adeline Giantini Emily Harris T. Harris Cheryl Houss Helen Renato-Istico Colleen Kaplon Gary & Harriette Kaye Jeannette Castelao Keane Rosaria Lardaro Sara Lardaro Elizabeth Linton Anthony Locicero Jr. Diego Lopez

Annette Luzzi Lauren Marie Anna Miele Benita Mitchell Kelly Ann Morici Gennaro Musto Virginia Novaro Eileen O’Neill Rita Paragone Eileen Raineri Ella Reilly James Rezac MaryAnn Rezac Lee Rhatigan Marilyn Rossano Jeanine Russo Deborah Rossetti Dorothy Sabatell Vincent Santore Dolores & Tony Sclafani Anthony Scocco Jerry Scotti Weslee Sernitsky Susan Sexton Howard Shock Howard Shock, Jr. Marie Starita Ann Van Houten Herb Van Houton Theresa Verry Fred Volk Maria Volpe Christopher Wandy Sara Weiss

FORMED.ORG Take advantage of this wonderful website of-fered by the Archdiocese of New York. Our parish code for logging in is XQ43Q3. A highly acclaimed series called Presence is available. Following is a description of the series: What is it that is so special about the Eucharist? Although the Eucharist appears to be simple bread and wine, it is actually the “source and summit” of the Christian life. Presence: The Mys-tery of the Eucharist explores the truth and beau-ty of Christ’s real presence in the Eucharist, from its origins in Sacred Scripture, to its pro-found role in the life of the Church and her members. It is the crescendo of the entire story of salvation.

RENEW AND REBUILD PROJECT We have a link on our parish website with infor-mation about the Renew and Rebuild Campaign and church renovation. We will continue to up-date the link as more information is available. There is also a place on this link to submit your questions. If you have not contributed and would like to, pledge cards are in the vesti-bule of the church. 6

The second collection this weekend will be in sup-port of Catholic Commu-nications and the Catholic

University of America. Envelopes can be found in your packet and in the vestibule of the church. Your generosity is very much appreciated.

St. Charles Teen Club Annual Soldier Care Package Drive January 6 through January 20

Donations can be placed in the box in the vestibule of the church

Suggested Donations Food: Beef jerkey/slim jims Hard pretzels Gum and hard candy Granola bars & power bars Trail mix/dried fruit Ramen noodles/cup-o-soup Salted peanuts or mixed nuts Entertainment: Phone cards (major brands international) Batteries Pens, pensils, stationery & envelopes Plastic-coated playing cards & board games Crosswords and search words books Toiletries: Baby wipes (travel size) Lozenges and cough drops Liquid hand sanitizer/cleaner (travel size) Breath mints Razors Dental floss Shampoo, soap, deodorant Hair gel Combs & brushes Q-tips Eye drops Lip balm Baby powder Toothpaste & toothbrushes Tylenol or aspirin packets

WeSHARE ONLINE GIVING Our parish has a solution to make donating simple and easy, while at the same time keeping the process safe and secure. Online giving is available for parishioners who would like to make weekly offerings without writing a check. We have decided to use this electronic solution for the well-being and growth of our parish. We are working with Liturgical Publications Inc, a publisher of communication tools for churches for almost forty years. Over 3,500 non-profit communities and 100,000 businesses trust LPi to deliver their message so we feel we can have confidence in them to assist us with increasing the financial security of our parish community. LPi demonstrates the highest security standards, and we are excited to partner with them. Our Online Giving system will allow you to make your donations without writing any checks or needing to remember to bring your envelope to church each week. You can set up a recurring weekly or monthly payment, allocate different amounts for our different funds, and view complete, accurate financial records at any time. You even have the option to print donation slips if you would still like something to put in the collection basket each Sunday. Making changes can be done from your own home without the need to send paperwork to the parish office. No information about your bank or credit card accounts passes back and forth on paper, making the process private and secure. And, it saves all of us time so is a win-win for our parish. Those who wish to continue to use traditional methods of offering may do so, however, we ask that you prayerfully consider making the change to this electronic giving solution. To sign up or learn more please visit www.churchgiving.com or go to our website for the direct link to WeShare.

Frequently Asked Questions about Online Giving Q: Which payment methods are accepted? A: WeShare has the ability to accept contributions from checking accounts, savings accounts, debit cards, or major credit cards such as Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express. Q: Do parishioners receive receipts for their donations? A: Yes, all contributors enrolled with WeShare can elect to receive receipts via e-mail. Q: Is WeShare safe? A: Yes. WeShare is certified with the Payment Card Industry (PCI) Data Security Standards (DSS) as a Level 1 Service Provider. We implement the safest security standards for online transactions—your account information is immediately encrypted to ensure absolute financial security. For additional information, please visit www.4LPi.com/WeShare.

PARISH NEWS

WEEKLY COFFEE HOUR

Just a reminder that you are invited every week after the 9:30 Mass for coffee and do-nuts in the auditorium.

Religious Education News

Registration for the St. Charles Religious Edu-cation Program will begin on Monday, Febru-ary 4, 2019. We proudly and faithfully instruct

children in all grades PreK-4 through 7th grade.

Our classes meet: Monday 3:45 - 5:15 (Grades 1 - 7)

Wednesday 3:45 - 5:15 (Prek-4 through 6) *Possibility of a Prek-3 class is being discussed

- please inquire* Returning Families (2018-2019 year only)

1 child $225.00 Family $300.00 New Families

1 child $250.00 Family $325.00 Special Needs

$100.00 per student

*There is a mandatory non-refundable $25.00 deposit for all families due at registration if

you are unable to make a full payment.

New Families must come prepared with: • Baptismal/sacramental certificate for each

child being registered • St. Charles Parish envelope number

• Transfer records from previous religious education program or Catholic school

It is expected that students complete each con-secutive year of Religious Education to be eligi-

ble to receive the sacraments at the proper time.

LONGEST MARRIED COUPLE SEARCH

(based on the World Marriage Day Initiative)

To enter: Couples must be sacramentally mar-ried for a minimum of 65 years and reside in the Archdiocese of New York. The longest married couples will receive commemorative certificates signed by His Eminence, Timothy Cardinal Do-lan. The winning couple will be interviewed and featured in an article in Catholic New York. Winners are determined by how long the couple has been married as of World Marriage Day, February 10, 2019. For further information, con-tact Joan Brisson at the Family Life Office at 646-794-3190 or joan.brisson@archny.org. Email en-t r i e s c a n b e s e n t d i r e c t l y t o joan.brisson@archny.org. The deadline for en-tris is 5:00 PM on Thursday, January 24, 2019. 7

PRE-KINDERGARTEN OPEN HOUSE Sunday, February 10, 2019

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WISE MEN (AND WOMEN) STILL SEEK HIM… A couple of weeks ago I was over at the Alba House on Victory Boulevard picking up some last minute Christmas gifts. In fact, it seems that most of my Christmas shopping is last minute! With all the holiday preparation and other things that needed to be done, I was just a little bit stressed on that afternoon. Getting into my car to return home, I noticed a colorful sign by the curb. The sign read: “ Wise Men Still Seek Him!” It made me think a little bit. Perhaps we all could use a little more “wisdom” around Christmas time to understand and appreciate that seeking the Lord is the most fundamental and important quest of our lives. Today, we celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany. On this Sunday, we celebrate the visit of the Magi or the “Three Wise Men’ to the new born Baby Jesus in Bethlehem. Most of us know that the Wise Men brought three special gifts to Jesus. Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh. Gold-because Jesus is King. Incense, for the Lord is God. And myrrh, a spice used in the burial of the dead, signified that He would someday die on the cross. A lady once jokingly said to me, “Father , do you know what would have happened if there were three wise women instead of three wise men?” I told her I did not know. She said, “Well, they would have asked for directions, helped deliver the baby, brought practical gifts, cleaned the stable and made dinner!” In any event, the gifts that the Magi brought to Jesus symbolized in a deep way their respect and adoration to the “King of Kings.” Certainly the Wise Men received the grace to recognize that the little Baby lying in the manger was more than just that. He was in fact as the hymn put, “Robed in flesh our Godhead see-hail the incarnate dei-ty.” How did they come to see beyond appearances and worship the Lord? Certainly it was the star of faith that helped them! As Saint Leo wrote, “The star beckoned the Three Wise Men out of their distant country and led them to recognize and adore the King of Heaven and Earth.” The star of our Catholic faith shines brightly in a very dark world today and can lead us to discover Christ as well. But maybe for some of us, we have lost our way. The star of faith has been clouded over by our negligence and sinfulness. Yet God is so merciful and patient. Recently I read about a famous atheist of the nineteenth century. He was not really an atheist but an agnostic. An agnostic is a person who does not know if there is such a concept known as “God.” In any event, Robert Ingersoll did not believe in God. He was a great orator who would stand before an audience, take out a pocket watch, look at it and say, “If there is a God, I dare him to strike me dead within five minutes!” Well, after the five minutes had passed, Ingersoll would say triumphantly, “See. I’m still alive. There is no God!” But a priest had a different “take” on his logic. He said, “What Mr. Ingersoll really proved is that God is too kind and merciful to strike him dead!” Yes, the Lord is kind and merciful. He puts up with our mistakes, our sins and our stupidity at times. As we celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany and enter a new year, let us strive to be wiser when it comes to our Catholic faith. May we always be wise men and wise women who seek the face of the Lord! Sincerely in Christ, Father Jerome 10