St. Mary’s Parish
Polish National Catholic Church
365 Burrows Ave. Winnipeg, MB R2W 1Z9 • Tel. (204) 586-3825
Rev. Bob Kay – Administrator
Website: www.stmarypncc.ca
Email: office@stmarypncc.ca
Celebration of the Eucharist and Mass Intentions:
THE STATIONS OF THE CROSS, March 03, 2023
6:00 PM
SECOND SUNDAY OF LENT, March 05, 2023
10:00 AM – † Rufina Runa, Ewa Kay
THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT, March 12, 2023
10:00 AM – † Franciszka –
John, Bob, Joseph, Mary, Molly, Joey
THE STATIONS OF THE CROSS, March 17, 2023
6:00 PM
FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT, March 19, 2023
10:00 AM – † Gregory Fedon
PASSION SUNDAY, March 26, 2023
10:00AM – † Józef, Julia
THE STATIONS OF THE CROSS, March 31, 2023
6:00PM
LITURGICAL CALENDAR FOR MARCH 2023
March 19 – Joseph, Spouse of the BVM
St. Joseph was an ordinary manual laborer although descended from the royal house of David. In the designs of Providence, he was destined to become the spouse of the Mother of God. His high privilege is expressed in a single phrase, “Foster-father of Jesus.” About him Sacred Scripture has little more to say than that he was a just man-an expression which indicates how faithfully he fulfilled his high trust of protecting and guarding God’s greatest treasures upon earth, Jesus and Mary.
At present there are two major feasts in his honor. On March 19 our veneration is directed to him personally and to his part in the work of redemption, while on May 1 we honor him as the patron of workmen throughout the world and as our guide in the difficult matter of establishing equitable norms regarding obligations and rights in the social order.
St. Joseph is invoked as patron for many causes. He is the patron of the Universal Church. He is the patron of the dying because Jesus and Mary were at his death-bed. He is also the patron of fathers, of carpenters, and of social justice. Many religious orders and communities are placed under his patronage.
March 25-Annunciation of the BVM
The feast of the Annunciation of the Lord celebrates the angel Gabriel’s appearance to the Virgin Mary (Luke 1:26-38), his announcement that the Blessed Virgin had been chosen to be the Mother of Our Lord, and Mary’s fiat—her willing acceptance of God’s holy plan.
Originally a feast of our Lord, but now celebrated as a Marian feast, the feast of the Annunciation dates back at least to the fifth century, and the date of the feast, which is determined by the date of Christmas, was set at March 25 by the seventh century.
The Annunciation, as much as or even more so than Christmas, represents Christ’s Incarnation. When Mary signaled to Gabriel her acceptance of God’s Will, Christ was conceived in her womb through the power of the Holy Spirit. While most of the Fathers of the Church say that Mary’s fiat was essential to God’s plan of salvation, God foresaw Mary’s acceptance of His Will from all eternity.
The narrative of the Annunciation testifies powerfully to the truth of the Catholic tradition that Mary was indeed a virgin when Christ was conceived, but also that she intended to remain one perpetually. Mary’s response to Gabriel – “How shall this be done, because I know not man?” (Luke 1:34) was universally interpreted by the Fathers of the Church as a statement of the Mary’s resolution to remain a virgin forever.
COMMEMORATING THE FAITHFUL DEPARTED IN THE ST. MARY`S CEMETERY (PERPETUAL CARE):
We have been asked to keep the following people in our prayers: Michael Prach, Helena & Mikołaj Benczarski, Christina Walton, Helen Chmielowiec, Walter & Stella Maciurzynski, Konstanty Jackiewicz, Very Rev. Waclaw Cwieka, Christine Maciurzynski, Marianna Janiszewska, Anne & Marion Tylipski, Jessie Chorniuk, Walter Fedon, Frank Payonk. Rev. Tadeusz Czelen, Veronica Sosnowski, Helen Krokosh, Emily Wasney
BIRTHDAYS & ANNIVERSARIES
March Birthdays: Peltier Noah /04/, Czelen Michael /05/, Banaga Bernard /08/, Rejewski Joanna /14/, Peltier Cheryl /15/, Banaga Kendrick /18/, Galera Teresita /20/, Szkolnicki Robert /24/
DAILY INTERCESSION FOR OUR SICK AND HOMEBOUND
The following are our brothers and sisters of St. Mary`s who are currently homebound, suffering from chronic illness, in recovery or in need of special prayers. Especially: Sofia Wolejszo, Chantalle Witon, Helena Wolejszo, Lloyd Mazur, Myron Mischuk, Bernice Payonk, Rose Budzinski, Halina and Edward Mandat, Janina Dzwonek, , Patricia and Claude Caya, Lorraine Fedon, Mary Golembioski, Martin Mikolajczyk, Donna Fedon, Eleanor Komadowski,
THE STATIONS OF THE CROSS
Fridays at 6:00 PM during Lent the Stations of the Cross will be celebrated in our Church. This is a wonderful way to deepen intimacy with Jesus and to be in solidarity with suffering people in our world. Come and pray with us March 03, 17, and 31.
MEMBERS DUES 2023
To continue to be a member at the Saint Mary’s Parish and a member of the Polish National Catholic Church each adult will be responsible for paying the dues. Total dues for 2023 per adult member: $100.00 per year. The parish itself has an obligation to pay dues according to the number of active members to the General Church.
2023 PARISH COMMITTEE MEMBERS
At the annual meeting of St. Mary’s Parish held on February 10, 2023, the following people were elected for Parish Committee for the coming year:
Chairman Ted Maciurzynski, Vice Chairman Robert Szkolnicki, Recording Secr. Cheryl Peltier, Financial Secr. Maria Germinario, Treasurer Tadeusz Kukula, Directors: Virginita Banaga, John Hangdaan, Daisy Gatiwan, Elaine Van Den Bussche, and Janecki Piotr.
Congratulations and blessings for our new Parish Committee. A special thanks to members who served in the past, and over the last year. May our good Lord bless you for your service.
GIVING TO YOUR PARISH
Almost everything that gets done in our Parish and all that enables it to get done (heating, electricity, Taxes, Insurance etc. is paid for by parishioners. Most of that financial support comes in the form of the Sunday Offering Envelopes in which parishioners place cash or a cheque every Sunday of the year, and when special collections are taken up as well. All contributions are eligible for an Income Tax receipt. Please, use Parish envelopes or any envelopes with your name on it to support our Parish. Please consider that financial supporting your parish is a gift to God for blessings received.
COULD WE START AGAIN, PLEASE?
None of us is perfect and despite outward appearances there is brokenness in all of our lives. Each Lent is an opportunity for growth as a human person as a follower of Jesus. It calls us to reflect in honesty and humility on our brokenness—but not only on the brokenness, but on the grace and mercy and forgiveness of God who wants no more than to grace what is broken in our lives.
When it comes to the three traditions of Lent I wonder if as we start again, we can step out of our comfort zones and approach them a little differently? Not just for the sake of “stepping out,” but rather to take an action to enable a deeper conversion.
Prayer – spending more time listening in prayer, not necessarily talking all the time. Being quiet in waiting for the answer to the question: “What is God trying to tell me?” I invite families in our parish to worship and pray together especially by attending Sunday Eucharist.
Fasting – not just from food or drink, but from the routines we all fall into that prevent us from living consciously. Fasting from the things that dull my awareness of God’s presence in my life at every moment, in every relationship, in every human encounter. I encourage families to gather for a simple meal at least once a week. Within the simplicity of a meal, a family should be able to save some costs; the very nature of a simple meal is already a manifestation of your solidarity with any poor person or family.
Almsgiving – If you so desire, your simple meal can be translated as an act of almsgiving or charity. Whatever you save from having a simple meal can be shared with anyone who is experiencing hunger for food. It could be in our own parish community, or anywhere in the world where you think there are poor in need of your generosity who will receive and appreciate it. Almsgiving means spending time looking for, finding, and acting in a concrete way to reach out to the poor and the marginalized.
A special invitation: To those who have stopped coming to Mass with any regularity, please take the opportunity of this Lent and Easter to come back and join us for Eucharist on the Sundays and join all of us in “starting again.”