Roman Missal

Lent-a time to reflect, to expand, to deepen, to respond-in our own personal way, in our own personal time! Lent-ever the same, yet somehow different from what we remember."For through bodily fasting you restrain our faults, raise our minds, and bestow both virtue and its rewards, through Christ our Lord "(Preface for Lent, 4). Throughout the 40 days of Lent, the Parish of Saint ThomasAquinas will be offering various ways in which we can actively participate and enter fully the spirit of this penitential season. You are encouraged to invite a family member or friend to join us.

Ash Wednesday-February 22nd
We gather today on the threshold of Lent, ready to be marked with ashes and the cross as a sign of our repentance and our faith. Where do you want to be 40 days from now. How do you want to enrich and deepen your relationship with the Lord?
Ashes will be blessed and distributed at the following times:
6:30am Mass
Noon Mass
3:00pm Prayer Service
7:30pm Prayer Service

Lenten Faith Sharing
As we approach the most sacred time in our Church year, pray, listen and share your thoughts on the gospel stories leading to Resurrection, the greatest mystery of our faith. At this time of year, it is good for us to join together and share the faith we have all come to believe is our salvation in Jesus Christ!
Wednesdays following Noon Mass (Feb. 29th, March 7th, 14th, 21st & 28th)
Wednesday evenings at 7:30pm (March 7th, 14th, 21st & 28th)
All sessions will be held at the Aquinas Center (2000 Flatbush Avenue).

Stations of the Cross
The Stations of the Cross provides an opportunity to enter into and reflect upon the final days
of Jesus' life:
Tuesdays following the Noon Mass
Fridays at 7:30pm
Also, during the week, booklets will be made available in the church near the first station for those who wish to pray the Stations of the Cross on their own. We hope that when you pray the Stations of the Cross you will remember those who are suffering throughout the world.

Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament
Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and Benediction following the Noon Mass on Fridays; Benediction is celebrated at 1:30pm.

Sunday Afternoon at the Movies
Join us on March 4, 11, and 18, at 12:30pm, as we gather in the Chapel to view movies with a Lenten theme. Refreshments will be available.

Bringing Home the Word
Throughout the church are copies of "Bringing Home the Word", a handout written for the average Catholic and includes features to make the Scriptures come alive. Please take advantage of this wonderful resource.

Sacrament of Reconciliation
Wednesdays following the Noon Mass
Saturdays from 4:00pm to 5:00pm
Reconciliation Monday, April 2nd

Lenten Calendar 2012
Throughout the Church please find copies of Lent 2012; please take one home and try to complete the daily task.

Little Black Book for Lent Do you have 6 minutes a day? If so, then you have time to pray! This little book has a short reflection for each day of Lent for us to meditate and pray over. Copies are available for $2.00 each.each. It can change your day; it can change your life!

Sacrifices and Acts of Charity

Consider living simply, enjoying the good things of our lives in moderation and forgo some good things in a spirit of penance. Fast from wasting food, wasting time and wasting resources. Use your free time to enrich your spiritual life. DO something positive to help someone in need, perhaps a friend, a neighbor or a loved one. Maybe you can abstain from one thing you spend money on and support a charitable work.

Intramural Basketball
Beginning on January 7th, lasting 12 weeks, we are offering Boys and Girls, In-house, Intramural Basketball on Saturdays, registration cost is $75.00.

Indoor Soccer
Also, we are thrilled to announce beginning in January, indoor soccer is back for athletes between the ages of 5-13. All games will be on Thursday evenings in Monsignor King Hall, this program will last 12 weeks, registration cost $75.00.  So for all young athletes, finish your homework, turn off the T.V. and unplug those video games, Indoor soccer is fun for all!!

Registration for all above will be held in Msgr. King Hall on Saturday mornings between 10am-12pm. If you have any questions regarding St. Thomas Aquinas Sports, please e-mail: STAsportsguy@aol.com

Please conintue to pray to ask God's blessings and guidance as we move forward with the strategic planning process in order to strengthen and build up the Catholic Church in the Diocese of Brooklyn.

The Prayer of Saint Francis - The Call to Rebuild His Church
Lord, make us instruments ofyour peace...
Where there is despair; let us feel the presence of the Holy Spirit and renew our faith.
Where there is hurt; let us feel your comforting presence and respond with trust.
Where there is anger; open our hearts to the grace to respond to the challenges that you ask your followers to embrace.
Where there is doubt; let us know that you are with us, as you have been with countless generations of Christians before us-to show us the way-to forge new beginnings.
O Divine Master; grant that we may seek not to weep over what has been, but to embrace
a new vision of what can be.
That we may seek not so much to be consoled, but seek to support one another.
To understand-yes-but to respond bodily to what needs to be done, to rebuild your Church as you asked a humble Francis.
For it is in giving; that we receive. It is in forgiving; that we defy despair. And it is in dying to yesterday, that we rise today to create tomorrow.
Amen. Amen. Amen.

It is once again time to begin our parish prayer and reflection on our annual active participation in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn's 2011 Annual Catholic Appeal. Last year, 24.3% of households at Saint Thomas Aquinas shared their gifts with the people of the Diocese, realizing 142.14% of our assigned goal of $48,685.00 or realizing $69,202.00. We hope to continue this tradition with great joy and participation. Every Catholic within the Diocese of Brooklyn, in every parish, is asked to prayerfully consider personal support for the local Church's mission. In every generation, Catholic of the Diocese of Brooklyn, through the bishops, clergy and religious, have brought the Lord's charity and love to those who are aged, infirmed and disadvantaged. Our forbears have worked in schools, hospitals, and in the provision of social services; they have founded parishes and communities. As One Vibrant Church we have been responsive to the needs of the wider community and have adapted to meet the needs of an ever-challenged society. We have generously responded to the Holy Spirit's call.

Bishop DiMarzio asks us to consider the theme which has been selected for this year's Annual Catholic Appeal: One Bread...One Body...One Vibrant Church. Participation in the annual appeal is a common way for the Church of Brooklyn to follow a calling to be living examples of the Gospel by sharing of their time, talent and treasure.

The assigned goal of the Parish of Saint Thomas Aquinas for the 2011 Annual Catholic Appeal is $53,685.00. All monies received over our assigned goal will be returned back to the Parish.

On May 1st, 2011, Pope Benedict XVI beatified Pope John Paul II. You are encouraged to pray this prayer daily:

O Blessed Trinity we thank you for having graced the Church with Pope John Paul II and for allowing the tenderness of your Fatherly care, the glory of the cross of Christ, and the splendor of the Holy Spirit, to shine through him.
Trusting fully in your infinite mercy and in the maternal intercessions of Mary, he has given us a living image of Jesus the Good Shepherd, and has shown us that holiness is the necessary measure of ordinary Christian life and is the way of achieving eternal communion with you.
Grant us, by his intercession, and according to your will, the graces we implore, hoping that he will soon be numbered among your saints. Amen.

The Roman Missal also referred to as the Sacramentary, is the large book that is placed upon the altar to guide the way we celebrate the Mass and all the sacraments that are so central to our Catholic faith. The book contains the prayers and blessings for all of our liturgies. It encompasses the entire liturgical year with all of the seasons such as Advent, Christmastime, Lent, Eastertide, special feast days as well as those weeks of the year that we refer to "Ordinary Time." The Missal also contains all of the directions about the actions of the Mass (called rubrics) and the way we as a community of God's people pray together in order to be united with the Church throughout the world.

As you may have read in The Tablet or in other publications in the last few months, the Bishops of the United States have prepared a new translation of the Roman Missal in an attempt to make the language of our English version more accurately attuned to the original Latin text on which the Missal is based. This slight change in our liturgical language can be the occasion for us to reflect on the important
of all of our words and language whenever we gather at God's altar.

For us it will mean a few changes in certain words and phrases that we are routinely accustomed to use at Mass. An example would be our response to the priest's greeting, "The Lord be with you," will now be "And with your spirit" instead of "And also with you." It will take some getting used to, but the attention we give to the new translation and our effort to make it a regular part of our worship experience is directed toward making the Mass an even more prayerful experience. The last section of the new translation is waiting final approval from the Vatican and the intention is to put the new translation into practice beginning on the First Sunday of Advent (the beginning of the Liturgical Year) which occurs this year of Sunday, November 27th, 2011.

There is much more information available on the new translation of the Roman Missal on the website of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (www.usccb.org/romanmissal). In the months ahead more information and education on the missal will be forthcoming and, especially beginning in September of this year, we will be focusing on preparing all to pray with the new translation. May this event be an occasion to appreciate the greatest truth of the liturgy, namely, that Christ is present among us. In our sacraments, he welcomes us, he heals us, he gives us meaning and direction for our Christian lives and most of all he feeds and nourishes us gathered around his table. All liturgy is meant to make these gifts of his presence real in a way that always draws us closer to him and makes us more committed to one another.

Click here for "What is the Roman Missal?" issued by the Liturgy Training Publications.

Click here for "Ten Questions on the Roman Missal, Third Edition," issued by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Click here for "Celebrating the Lord's Day," issued by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Click here for "Welcoming the New Roman Missal."

Click here for "The Act of Penitence."

Click here for "The Gloria."

Click here for "The Nicene Creed."

Click here for "The Eucharistic Prayer."

Click here for "The Priest's Prayers."

The official installation of our Parish Pastoral Council took place on 1/30/11 at the 11 :30am Mass. The Pastoral Council is the heart and soul of our parish leadership. The members of the Council determine the direction and the movement of the parish community. This body has been charged to reexamine the Parish Mission Statement, to development directional statements and with implementing the same.

The Council concerns itself essentially with all of the pastoral needs of the parish; all parish organizations;
and work together for the good of the parish community under the guidance Father Doyle and the Pastoral Staff-Father Gopaul; Sister Terry; Mrs. Allongo and Mr. McCutchan.

The Pastoral Council is the ultimate guide and director of all parish programs, and oversees all that we do as a parish community in service of God and each other.

Please pray for these, our brothers and sisters who have accepted this great responsibility on behalf of our parish community.

Please support and encourage them as we move forward in our mission of service to all of our brothers and sisters. Help us to be effective in bringing our parish anniversary statement to fruition: What Others Have Begun; We Shall Continue.

2010-2011 Parish Pastoral Council Members:

Mr. Frank Asprea
Mr. Thomas Donahue
Mrs. Mary Claudette Jean-Louis
Miss Julia Kubis
Mrs. Catherine Morrissey
Mrs. Mary Cassandra Odenat
Mrs. Anna Sanchez
Mr. Christopher Spinelli

The following comments are a series of recommendations made by members of the Diocesan Planning Commission and Parish Taskforce during their review of all parishes within the diocese as part of Christ Jesus, Our Hope, the diocesan strategic planning process. This feedback is meant to assist parish leaders in their ongoing discernment and pastoral planning.

Pastoral Comments (based on parish data report, parish self-study, parish pastoral plans)
Affirmations:
• Diverse community with new parishioners
• Solid pastoral priorities
Areas of Concern:
• Using only 25% of church capacity
• Lack of ethnic diversity in the liturgy. Is there a need for a different language mass?

Temporal/Financial Concerns (based on financial data reports, ACA report, '10-'11 budget)
Affirmations:
• Good finances as long as lease income is maintained
• Solid fund balance
Areas of Concern:
• School must become self-sustaining
• Need to decrease expenses-possibly in staff or general income from rental

Recommendations for areas of growth that the Pastor, Staff, Pastoral Council and/or Finance Council might consider in future planning (based on review of all financial reports, pastoral reports and demographic reports)
• Continue efforts to enhance leadership
• Continue with plan to seek collaborative opportunities with other parishes
• If monies cannot be raised to repair the Chapel, pastoral and financial councils may wish to engage in a conversation about the future use or disposal of the building.

On Sunday, May 30, 2010 we had our Anniversary Mass and Reception. Read the article in The Tablet.

The DVD Journal that includes the Mass, Reception, Memorials and Sponsors of our 125th Anniversary Celebration is now in the mail to those who purchased ads or completed the information sheet at our Reception. If you were there and did not complete an information sheet, please leave a message at the Parish Office (718-253-4404) for Rosemarie Walsh. Thank you in advance for your patience and understanding.

Since 1885, the parish of Saint Thomas Aquinas has been a visible presence within this community. In 2010, we celebrated 125 years of ministry. In 2009, we celebrated the 40th anniversary of the blessing of the cornerstone of the new church. In 2010, we also celebrated the 40th anniversary of the new church's dedication by Bishop Mugavero. 

For a list of the priests who are part of our parish history, please click here.

Our theme for this special year is What Others Have Begun, We Shall Continue. A year of Jubilee celebration gives us, as a parish, the opportunity to celebrate our history; recalling important moments of the past and the people who have given so much to bring us to where we are today. Our celebration gives us a chance to celebrate our life as a parish now, at a time when many new people are coming to Saint Thomas Aquinas. Finally, our celebration helps us to look to the future, with its challenges and opportunities for us, as a community of faith and so a community of great hope.

Do you know of anyone who would like to become a Catholic or would like to reclaim their faith?
Every year Saint Thomas Aquinas Parish welcomes adults into the Christian life and the Catholic Community through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA). RCIA is a learning and loving process in which conversion of heart, inspired by the Holy Spirit, brings adults to Jesus Christ.
The RCIA program is for any adult who has not been baptized, or has been baptized in another Christian tradition and desires to become a Catholic, or has been baptized as a Catholic but has not been raised in the faith.
If you have any questions or are interested in learning more about the RCIA program please call the Parish Office at 718-253-4404 and leave your name and telephone number.

This past week the Strategic Plan of the Parish of Saint Thomas Aquinas was submitted to the Diocesan Task Force for their review. Click here to read our plan.

We would like to address the place of our parish in relation to the Diocesan Strategic Planning Process entitled "Christ Jesus, Our Hope." The goal is not merely to cut expenses by closing parishes; rather, we are being asked to "re-imagine" our diocese and parishes so that we can more effectively carry out the mission of evangelizing our neighborhoods and culture in general. The Parish Data reports has been shared with you. The last several weeks The Tablet has published a report with diocesan-wide data about the stark realities in our Diocese.

To recap:
• Statistically, between 1999 and 2009, overall Mass attendance has declined 16% in the Diocese.
• Financially, the diocesan picture is extremely bleak. The diocese has severely depleted in assets for more than 40 years, primarily to pay the bills of parishes that no longer could. Too many parishes simply have been living beyond their means. Seriously cuts in parish expenses and creative uses for generating income from existing properties in the parish will have to be made. Remember that less than 3% of the total expenditures of the diocese in recent years went to abuse case settlements. The problem is parish debts, not lawsuits.
• Demographically, our City will increase in population, but become older and less American-born, and perhaps less Catholic in make-up.
• Leadership-wise, the salient fact is the aging and shrinking of the number of priests. When 30 years ago our diocese had over 700 priests; today there are 294, and by 2020 that number will be 258.

Click here for "What is 'Christ Jesus, Our Hope'?"

Click here for "How Strategic Planning Relates to Evangelization."

Click here for "Strategic Planning and Parish Finances."

Click here for "The Planning Options."

Click here for "Yesterday & Today: What Have We Achieved?"

In September 2009, Saint Thomas Aquinas Parish welcomed to our facility Midwood Catholic Academy. We welcome Mrs. Elena Heimbach (Principal), faculty, staff and students. For more information on the school, please call (718) 377-1800 or visit their website: http://www.midwoodcatholicacademy.org

Read The Tablet's article about this relocation: http://www.thetablet.org/08292009/stories25.html

As of October 13, 2009, the Rectory Office moved over to the Aquinas Center, 2000 Flatbush Avenue. This move includes the Main Office, the Office of Faith Formation (Mr. Kevin McCutchan) and the Pastoral Associate (Sister Terry Agliardi, RSM). Also located in the Aquinas Center is the Office of Charismatic Renewal for the Diocese of Brooklyn. Mail will continue to be addressed to 1550 Hendrickson Street and we are will continue to use the same telephone and fax numbers.

The death of a loved one usually ushers in a time of sadness and loss that can seem more than overwhelming at many times. Our new Bereavement Support Group will serve to offer comfort, companionship and helpful information about recovery from loss. The group will meet on the 1st and 3rd Monday of each month, in the Aquinas Center, from 7:00pm to 8:30pm. If you or someone you know would benefit from such a support group, please contact Sister Terry at (718) 253-4404 ext. 30.

Our Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion currently visit many sick and homebound members of the parish who are unable to attend Mass and receive Communion in church. As a result of the generosity of these ministers, Holy Communion is available to these persons every Saturday evening or Sunday coinciding when the community gathers for Eucharist. 

If you or someone you know in our parish is in need of visitation by one of our Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, please contact Sister Terry Agliardi, RSM, who is coordinating this ministry to the sick. She can be reached at (718) 253-4404 extension 30 or by e-mail.  It is the desire of the Pastoral Staff to reach as many people in our community who are in need of this service. Please pray for our ministers as they bring Holy Communion and the love and concern of this community to our sick and homebound members.

The Parish Pastoral Council presents our Parish Pastoral Plan, which is comprised of the Mission Statement, Goals, and Objectives.

Mission Statement

We, the people of Saint Thomas Aquinas Parish, Flatlands, Brooklyn, are a multi-cultural community, invigorated to respond to the call of Jesus under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Consistent with the tradition of the Catholic Church, we are:

• United in worshipping the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit by serving Him through serving each other.
• Devoted to unity within the Body of Christ, supporting and promoting one another to live the message of the Gospel through the celebration of the sacraments.
• Committed to a Church community that fosters evangelization, service, hospitality, stewardship and a zeal for genuine unity and belonging.

Goals

1. To share our faith with all people in our community.
2. To foster enthusiasm and authentic spiritual growth among individuals in our parish.
3. To build community in the light of Christ.

Objectives for Goal One

1. Encourage every Catholic to feel comfortable about sharing their faith.
   • Children's Liturgy of the Word .
   • Increase participation in parish ministries.
2. Identify and respond to the language and cultural communities within the parish.
3. Develop ecumenical involvement of the local churches.

Objectives for Goal Two

1. Provide opportunities for interior renewal and conversion for all individuals in our parish.
   • Organize opportunities for retreat and speakers aimed at spiritual growth.
   • Promote annual parish mission.
2. Provide opportunities for a deeper understanding of the Catholic faith.

Objectives for Goal Three

1. To foster hospitality on a parish level by strengthening existing events.
2. To recognize and celebrate the cultural heritage of our parishioners.
3. To expand outreach activities to embrace seniors, families with infants, families with teenagers, etc.