“We do not want … a Church that moves with the world.
We want a Church that will move the world.” ~G. K. Chesterton
A Message from Our Pastor:
May 28, 2020
Dear Parishioners, Adopted Children of God,
This Sunday is Pentecost when we celebrate the event of the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles and those assembled with them. They all knew Jesus, His victory over death and with their whole heart put their trust and faith in Him. Immediately after this event they became the promoters of Jesus. They invited people to know Jesus and to trust Him. The result of the invitation was that people did welcome and accept Jesus. Baptism was the celebration of their faith in Him. In faith and baptism, they became the recipients of the Holy Spirit, brothers and sisters of Jesus, and the adopted children of God. As children, on fire with the awareness of God’s love for them, they, in imitation of Jesus, set about to renew the face of the earth by inviting everyone to know and believe Jesus, and to work to continue His mission of establishing, strengthening and supporting the advancement of the King of God among people of all nations.
On this Sunday we celebrate that we believe Jesus. We rejoice in our hearts that we possess His Spirit and are the children of God. We, with the Holy Spirit, and with truth and joy are reminded to work for the renewal of the face of the earth.
There is an ancient, and now traditional, refrain special for Pentecost day: “Since you are all children of God through your faith in Christ Jesus, God has sent into your hearts the Spirit of his Son, crying out, Abba, Father, alleluia”
With love for you all,
Fr. Bernard
P.S. The parish Mass for Pentecost Sunday is now available here with Fr. Bernard as the presider at St. Francis church. Special thanks to Alan and Joan Gelatt for the taping and for the audio recording by Tom Duff.
P.S. Please keep in your prayers two of our faithful parishioners who died this past week: Joan Craig and Ellen Rider.
P.S. Parishioners, active and inactive, thank you for recognizing the financial needs of your parish and the financial support you have given. In these days your offerings have come primarily through the postal system and online giving. Know your gift is a help and is appreciated greatly.
P.S. You may find useful information about the parish in the May 31, 2020, Sunday bulletin. Please share the above note and bulletin with the family.
Spiritual Communion
My Jesus,
I believe that You are present in the Most Holy Sacrament.
I love You above all things,
and I desire to receive You into my soul.
Since I cannot at this moment receive You sacramentally,
come at least spiritually into my heart.
I embrace You as if You were already there
and unite myself wholly to You.
Never permit me to be separated from You.Amen.
Mass with the Bishop:
Click here to view Bishop Salvatore R. Matano’s Mass for Pentecost Sunday at 11 a.m. on Sunday, May 31.
Gospel Meditation—Encourage Deeper Understanding of Scripture
Pentecost Sunday ~ May 31, 2020
You can feel so small standing by the seashore. The vastness of all that is before you 
expands much farther than your eye can see. What is happening on the other side? As tides continue to ebb and flow, what occurs as they come and go remains largely a mystery and the effects of their presence unknown in your sight. Yet, things are moving and changing as you gaze upon the water, as the thumbprint of their presence is left behind. The greater the wind and wave, the greater the effect. But even a gentle breeze leaves its humble mark upon the seashore on which you stand. The smallest pebble still makes a ripple in the great blue expanse of ocean waters. It doesn’t need to be big.
You never know the full impact of your smallest gesture or simplest of words. A yes or no, agree or disagree, here or there, this or that can influence time and history in ways you may never know. The Holy Spirit is like that: fierce and torrential, and then almost still and silent, creating and recreating nonetheless. Coming as a gentle breeze or a gusty wind, God’s Holy Spirit continues to move over, around, and into the waters of our lives. The Spirit brings fruit and unknown possibilities to what we humbly bring with us and that same Spirit eventually brings all to fulfillment in Christ.
The first disciples didn’t have much. They possessed simple faith and a willingness to go into unchartered territory with a love of their friend-God, humble offerings, and a knowledge that they were not alone. This allowed them to do amazing things with very little. Do you believe that you are being led and that you have a purposeful life? We often do not realize our value because we do not think that the little we have is good enough. How wrong we are! A little flour mixed with water and embraced by a prayer of blessing transforms simple offerings into the magnificent Eucharistic presence of God. If the Holy Spirit can do such amazing things with these humble gifts of the earth, even more can happen with you. Don’t underestimate the value of the smile you gave a stranger, the door held open for an elderly widow, the listening ear offered to one who was lonely, the tolerance given to the wounded soul who is angry, and the loving shoulder you offered as a cradle under the head of someone in pain. Modest gifts offered with love can be transformed by the Spirit into wondrous blessings you may never know. It’s Pentecost. Trust. You are not alone.
© Liturgical Publications Inc.
For Families:
The Diocesan Office of Evangelization and Catechesis, continues to discover and develop new ways to reach out to families in these unprecedented times. The latest issue of their weekly newsletter, called Family Zone, is now available.
The Family Zone is an interactive newsletter that has live links to YouTube videos and webpages. “It takes parents directly to online sites they can use, themselves, to be the primary formators of their children’s faith.” With this latest issue they have added a new column just for the parent’s own inspiration and spiritual nurturing.
Our Church’s Responses to Covid-19:
In our diocese, in response to information provided by local and state government and health officials concerning the Covid-19, public Masses are suspended until further notice. State officials have agreed that churches may remain open “for private prayer but not congregant services.” Priests will continue to say private Mass and some diocesan parishes plan to continue live streaming Masses. For updated and additional information, please visit the diocese’s web page related to the Covid-19 response.
In our parish, Masses are cancelled and “all events comprising of a gathering of people are suspended.” Each of our three churches will remain open during the day for private prayer. The sacrament of reconciliation will still be available (see below).
From our bishop: “May Jesus Christ, the divine physician, grant us health and bring us to a resolution of this global pandemic. May our patron, St. John Fisher, and Mary, Our Mother, protect and intercede for us.”
Welcome to the web page for the parish of Mary, Mother of Mercy. This parish has three churches:
- Holy Cross in Ovid, New York;
- St. Francis Solanus in Interlaken, New York; and
- St. James the Apostle in Trumansburg, New York.
The parish office is located at the Parish Center: 3660 Orchard St., Interlaken, New York.
The title Mother of Mercy is thought to have been first given to Blessed Virgin Mary by St. Odo (d.942), Abbot of Cluny. It is a fitting title of Our Lady both because she brought forth for us Jesus, the Christ, the visible manifestation of the mercy of the invisible God, and because she is the spiritual mother of the faithful, full of grace and mercy. Please join us in faith and in prayer at any of our three churches which are open each day for private devotions.
To join the parish community or to celebrate the sacraments of baptism, confirmation, anointing of the sick, or marriage, please phone the parish office (607 294–0064) or email: immmercy@dor.org to make arrangements.
Father is available for confessions at St. Francis church in Interlaken every Friday from 6:30–7:00 p.m. (social distancing will be respected). You may also phone the parish office (607 294–0064) to make an appointment to receive the sacrament of reconciliation with a priest.
A list of our Mass intentions for the week are listed below. Other Mass intentions are available on our parish calendar page. Our Mass schedule is presently on hold but hope you will join us through the resources and prayers available on these pages.
Mass Intentions at St. James the Apostle in Trumansburg, Holy Cross in Ovid, and St. Francis Solanus in Interlaken for the week of May 30–June 7, 2020
On the date indicated, these Mass intentions will be celebrated by a priest without assembly.
| Saturday, May 30 | Parishioners and benefactors |
| Sunday, May 31 | Lydia Zinni from Lynne Stager |
| Monday, June 1 | No communion service |
| Tuesday, June 2 | Special intention |
| Wednesday, June 3 | Special intention |
| Thursday, June 4 | Special intention |
| Friday, June 5 | Mary Lupo from Michael and Jacqueline Santulli |
| Saturday, June 6 | Parishioners and benefactors |
| Sunday, June 7 | Special intention |
Prayer to Mary, Mother of Mercy
Blessed Virgin Mary, who can worthily repay you with praise and thanks for having rescued a fallen world by your generous consent! Receive our gratitude, and by your prayers obtain the pardon of our sins. Take our prayers into the sanctuary of heaven and enable them to make our peace with God.
Holy Mary, help the miserable, strengthen the discouraged, comfort the sorrowful, pray for your people, plead for the clergy, intercede for all women consecrated to God. May all who venerate you feel now your help and protection. Be ready to help us when we pray, and bring back to us the answers to our prayers. Make it your continual concern to pray for the people of God, for you were blessed by God and were made worthy to bear the Redeemer of the world, who lives and reigns forever. Amen.
