Monthly Bulletin
NOVEMBER 2023
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
Celebration of the Eucharist and Mass Intentions:
ALL SOULS DAY, November 2, 2023
6:00 PM
XXXI SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, November 5, 2023
10:00AM – † Józef, Julia, Roman
XXXII SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, November 12, 2023
10:00AM – † Christine Maciurzynski († Nov. 10, 2014)
XXXIII SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, November 19, 2023
10:00AM – † Adam, Antonina Malmuk
JESUS CHRIST THE KING, November 26, 2023
10:00AM – † Marianna, Stanisław, Anna, Kazimierz
In November we pray for all our deceased loved ones who are preparing to enter Heaven by being purified of their sins, weaknesses and failures, and also the effects of sin on themselves and others.
I encourage all of you to make certain this month that you have requested Masses to be offered for your loved ones. The anniversary of death always provides a great opportunity to remember them, but also birthdays, wedding anniversaries, and other important dates. Since November is specifically dedicated to them, take advantage of All Souls Day cards (Wypominki). Even if you can’t afford to give an offering, give us their names. We will pray for them.
LITURGICAL CALENDAR FOR NOVEMBER 2023
November 01 – Solemnity of All Saints.
Today the Church celebrates all the saints: canonized or beatified, and the multitude of those who are in heaven enjoying the beatific vision that are only known to God. During the early centuries the Saints venerated by the Church were all martyrs. Later on the Church sets November 1 as the day for commemorating all the Saints.
November 02 – Observance of All Souls
The commemoration of all the faithful departed is celebrated by the Church on November 2. The theological basis for the feast is the doctrine that the souls which, on departing from the body, are not perfectly cleansed from venial sins, or have not fully atoned for past transgressions, are debarred from the Beatific Vision, and that the faithful on earth can help them by prayers, alms deeds and especially by the sacrifice of the Mass.
November 20 – Christ the King
On this last Sunday of the liturgical year, we are celebrating the Solemnity of Christ the King, a Feast established relatively recently but which has deep biblical and theological roots. The title “King”, designating Jesus, is very important in the Gospels and makes possible a complete interpretation of the figure of Jesus and of his mission of salvation. In this regard a progression can be noted: it starts with the expression “King of Israel” and extends to that of universal King, Lord of the cosmos and of history, thus exceeding by far the expectations of the Jewish people. It is yet again the mystery of Jesus Christ’s death and Resurrection that lies at the heart of this process of the revelation of his kingship.
November 21 – Presentation of the BVM
Today the Church celebrates the feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Temple of Jerusalem. It is very probable that the holy prophet Simeon and the prophetess Anna, who witnessed the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple, as we read in the second chapter of the Gospel of Saint Luke (v. 25) had known His Mother as a little girl in the Temple and observed her truly unique sanctity. It is an ancient and very trustworthy tradition that the Blessed Virgin was thus solemnly offered in the Temple to God at the age of three by Her parents, Saint Anne and Saint Joachim.
November 30 – Andrew, Apostle
St. Andrew was a native of Bethsaida in Galilee, a fisherman by trade, and a former disciple of John the Baptist. He was the one who introduced his brother Peter to Jesus, saying, “We have found the Messiah.” Overshadowed henceforth by his brother, Andrew nevertheless appears again in the Gospels as introducing souls to Christ. After Pentecost, Andrew took up the apostolate on a much wider scale and is said to have been martyred at Patras in southern Greece on a cross which was in the form of an “X”. This type of cross has long been known as “St. Andrew’s cross.”
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, Frank Favoni, Walter Fedon, Frank & Bernice Payonk, Veronika Sosnowski, Eleanor Dutkevich, Rev. Tadeusz Czelen, Josephine Bahry, Lorraine Mocarski, Mary Skrypetz, Stanley Bidowski, Myron Mischuk, Slavko Solic, Budzinski Jadwiga
BIRTHDAYS
November Birthdays: Talastas Dominica /01/, Gatiwan Renea /26/
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: Chantalle Witon, Helen Wolejszo, Lloyd Mazur, Rose Budzinski, Halina and Edward Mandat, Janina Dzwonek, Patricia and Claude Caya, Lorraine Fedon, Helen Krokosh, Josie Jackiewicz, Mary Golembioski, Larry Golembioski, Brenda Owsianyk, Emily Wasney, Donna Fedon, Gail Grywinski, Lena Skrzenta, Grazyna Markiewicz, Zofia Janecki, Epitacia Nykoluk, Martin Mikolajczyk,
THANKSGIVING DINNER
Thank you so much to anyone and everyone who helped in any way at our Annual Thanksgiving Dinner. It was overall a successful and enjoyable day. So, whether you baked, set up, worked a stand, entertained guests, bought food, sold tickets, prepared in the many days prior, or took down and cleaned up after the event, many thanks. Keep up the good work; let us continue to have more and more successful events at our Parish. Thanks to all who donated baskets, volunteered to sell tickets during the dinner, and to those who supported the raffle by purchasing chances. God bless you all.
MEMBERSHIP
As Polish National Catholics, we have a Democratic Church organized by the people and supported by the Clergy, Diocese and General Church. This is a special and beautiful gift and a great privilege. We have the opportunity to control our own destiny as a Church community and worship in the Catholic tradition. However, “With great privilege comes great responsibility.” We have a few responsibilities as National Catholics. We have the obligation to support the General Church and Diocese. This is done through our dues system. Dues are $100 per year for adult member. If you have already paid these for 2023, thank you for supporting the PNCC. If you have not, there is still time. Remember, if you are not current, you cannot vote at the Parish meetings, nor run for the Parish Committee. Also, you are short-changing the parish with regard to representation in the General Church and Diocese, since representation is based on dues-paying members. See our Parish Committee members as soon as possible to make sure that you have met your responsibility so that the privileges are not taken for granted.
GIVING TO YOUR PARISH – SIGNIFICANCE CAMPAIGN
Few months ago, all parishioners received letter from Parish Chairman Ted Maciurzynski regarding 2023 Significance Campaign. This year we’ll focus on funding on-going expenses – utilities, insurance, and taxes. Only these expenses cost us almost 16 thousand dollars per year. Please, help us! We are asking for financial help, because without these necessary expenses, the parish cannot exist. We cannot pay taxes, gas, hydro, water or insurance. These expenses must be paid to keep this church open. As always, all donations to the Significance campaign stay in your church and all donations are fully tax deductible. Thank you to all who have donated to this campaign in past years. I know you will see the Significance of this campaign. This year, I encourage you to be generous and continue to demonstrate how Significant this church is for you.
BOOK OF LIFE – Remembering Holy Souls in November
Five years ago we started a new initiative in our Parish – the Book of Life, in which we will mention the names our faithful departed. Parishioners may inscribe the names of deceased family members and friends in the Book of Life, which will be located on our website (www.stmarypncc.ca). St. Mary’s Parish invites you to add the names your faithful departed to our Book of Life.
During November we especially pray for all who are in the purifying fires of Purgatory, waiting for the day when they will join the company of the saints in heaven. The celebration of Mass is the highest means the Church can provide for charity for the dead, but we can also relieve their sufferings through our prayers, sufferings and penances. We can also help the Poor Souls by doing acts and prayers that have indulgences attached to them.
It is a good devotion to pray for the departed all through the year, to pray for the departed all through the year, not just November. After these Souls in Purgatory are in heaven, they will intercede for us. We should all develop prayerful habits, such as praying the “Eternal Rest” prayer when passing cemeteries, to remind us of our eternal destiny.
I’M ONLY IN THE NEXT ROOM
Death is nothing at all.
I have only slipped away into the next room.
I am I, and you are you.
Whatever we were to each other,
that we still are.
Call me by my old familiar name,
speak to me in the easy way which you always used.
Put no difference in your tone, wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow.
Laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes we enjoyed together.
Play, smile, think of me, pray for me.
Let my name be ever the household word that it always was,
let it be spoken without effort, without a trace of a shadow on it.
Life means all that it ever meant.
It is the same as it ever was;
there is unbroken continuity.
Why should I be out of mind because I am out of sight?
I am waiting for you, for an interval, somewhere very near,
just around the corner.
All is well.