PASTOR

Rev. Msgr. Robert J. Williamson

RECTORY

5771 Buell Street

P.O. Box 168

Akron, NY 14001

(716) 542-9103

Fax: (716) 542-2444

Summer Office Hours: Monday–Friday

8:00 AM–12:00 PM

E-mail: stteresasofakron@verizon.net

Website: www.stteresasofakron.com

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION DIRECTOR

Sr. M. Ruth Warejko, CSSF

PARISH TRUSTEES

Richard L. Campbell

Richard E. Forrestel

BUSINESS MANAGER

Melissa Sanford

CONVENT

5773 Buell Street

(716) 542-9717

PARISH HALL & OFFICE OF

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

5775 Buell Street

(716) 542-5777

MISSION STATEMENT

We, the Catholic faith community of St.

Teresa of Avila parish, guided by the

Holy Spirit, commit ourselves to

proclaim and follow the Good News of

Jesus Christ. Basing our lives on faith,

hope and love, we seek to meet our

needs and the spiritual and corporal

needs of those around us. It is our

humble prayer that our lives will be

visible signs of His presence in the

world as we celebrate Christ in His

Word and Sacraments.

SEPTEMBER 7, 2014 • 23RD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

MASS SCHEDULE

Sunday Liturgies ..................................................................... 8:00 AM, 10:15 AM

Saturday Vigil................................................................................................. 4:30 PM

Weekday Liturgies Daily.........................................................8:00 AM, except Wednesday 5:30 PM

Saturday ...........................................................................................................9:00 AM

Vigil of Holy Days ......................................................................................... 4:30 PM

Holy Days ..................................................................................... 8:00 AM, 7:30 PM

SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION

Saturdays 3:45 to 4:15 p.m.

First Saturday 8:15 to 8:45 a.m.

Vigil of Holy Days 3:45 to 4:15 p.m.

or anytime by request.

SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM

As preparation for Baptism, parents are asked to contact the parish

office to make an appointment with the Pastor.

SACRAMENT OF MARRIAGE

Arrangements to be made at the Rectory 6 months in advance.

NEW PARISHIONERS

Please register at the Rectory as soon as you move within the parish.

Note: If you are moving out of the parish, please notify the Rectory.

LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION

These letters needed for Baptismal and Confirmation sponsors are issued

gladly to those who have been registered for 6 months, attend Mass

regularly, have been confirmed, if married, have done so in conformity with

the Church laws, and children attend Religious Education.

St. Teresa of Avila Church E s t . 1 8 6 8

-

Monday, September 8 - The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary 8:00 Joe Carlo by family

Tuesday, September 9 - St. Peter Claver 8:00 Departed Souls

Wednesday, September 10 5:30 Adeline Raykowski

Thursday, September 11 8:00 Special Intention

Friday, September 12 - The Most Holy Name of Mary 8:00 Michael Kelly

Sat., September 13 - St. John Chrysostom 9:00 Parishioners of St. Teresa’s 4:30 Anthony Mattioli by Carl and Gloria Patterson

Sunday, September 14 - The Exaltation of the Holy Cross 8:00 Parishioners of St. Teresa’s 10:15 Bernie Badding by family

Scripture Readings for the Week Monday – Micah 5:1-4a; Matthew 1:1-16, 18-23

Tuesday - 1 Corinthians 6:1-11; Luke 6:12-19 Wednesday - 1 Corinthians 7:25-31; Luke 6:20-26 Thursday - 1 Corinthians 8:1b-7, 11-13; Luke 6:27-38 Friday – 1 Corinthians 9:16-19, 22b-27; Luke 6:39-42 Saturday – 1 Corinthians 10:14-22; Luke 6:43-49 Next Sunday - Numbers 21:4b-9; Philippians 2:6-11; John 3:13-17

There are several

weekday and weekend Masses still available for this year. Please call the Rectory any weekday morning to get your preferred date.

ST. TERESA OF AVILA CATHOLIC CHURCH � AKRON, NEW YORK

The anniversary of 9/11 this week Is made all the more poignant as we listen to today’s Gospel

message of forgiveness. We might even ask ourselves if it is even thinkable to ask us to forgive the vermin who committed atrocities against our country and people. Just retribution and defense of our nation are not to be confused with revenge and hate. Most of the time we need to forgive people who are much closer to home, even within our own families. But whether the wrong done us is large or small, committed by strangers or family members, as Christians we are commanded to forgive. The Lord Jesus tells us that we must forgive those who have hurt us, not once or even seven times, but “seventy-seven times.” This means in essence that we are to forgive others every time they hurt us, even if they do so repeatedly. Furthermore, the Lord teaches us that our reception of God’s forgiveness is dependent upon our forgiving others “from the heart.” This seems practically impossible to weak human nature so given to self-centeredness and resentment. Why would the Lord ask such a difficult and seemingly impossible thing of His children? Today concentrate on forgiveness for two main reasons. First, by forgiving others we are imitating our heavenly Father. Jesus Christ, the perfect icon of the Father, forgave His tormentors from the cross. Like Christ, we must do the works of God, that is, we must act like Him if we would be His children in truth as well as in deed. Second, we need to forgive those who have hurt us in order to experience our own inner-healing. Opening one’s heart by praying for the person who offended us seems to allow the Holy Spirit into our hearts, where He can free us from hatred and resentment towards the offending person. If we feel we cannot pray sincerely for someone who has harmed us, ask God to forgive him or her in and through us. When we cannot forgive, He can! Also, we must cease thinking that forgiving another means having positive feelings about them. The purest form of charity is not a matter of warm feelings but a will for the good of the other person. If we wait around for our feelings to change about a person who has wronged us, we may be waiting for a very long time. Instead, with the help of God’s grace, we make a decision to pray that he or she be blessed by the Lord - in time our feelings will catch up to our good will. Then we will truly know the freedom that forgiveness brings.

Our Special Prayer Intention this Week: That those suffering from physical or mental disability may receive from each of us the love and help they need to accomplish what to some may seem the impossible; we pray to the Lord…

Please pray for the sick of the parish and their family members particularly; Frances Springer, Virginia Maloney, James Creed, David Hahn, Bernie Thoma,

Denise Reilly and for the happy repose of the soul of Katherine Matusek. Please also continue to pray for the men and women who are serving in the military in Afghanistan, Iraq and throughout the world.

• Sunday, September 7 - First Day of Religious Education! Classes for K-6 from 9-10 am and 7-11 from 11:15 am - 12:30 pm

• Sunday, September 14 - Religious Education Classes from 9-10 am and 11:15 - 12:30 pm

Prayer For Priests and Religious

Almighty and eternal God, in your unfailing love you provide ministers for your Church. We pray for those whom you call to serve the Church as priests. Inspire in them a generous response. Grant them courage and vision to serve your people. May their lives and service call your people to respond to the presence of your Spirit among us that, faithful to the Gospel and hope of Jesus the Christ, we may: announce glad tidings to the poor proclaim liberty to captives, set prisoners free and renew the face of the earth. Amen. If two of you join your voices on earth to pray for anything whatever, it shall be granted you by my Father in heaven. Pray for an increase in vocations to priesthood and religious life. If God is calling you to a Church vocation, call Father Walter Szczesny at 716-847-5535. You can also check out the “Priest of the Month” stories on their web-site at www.buffalovocations.org.

23RD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME * SEPTEMBER 7, 2014

If you have a son or daughter in the Religious Education program, you will need a copy of the calendar of classes. Our

safety policy is outlined on the reverse side. Let’s continue to have the children in class, on time, ready for prayer and instruction.

The Christ the King Seminary special collection will take place next weekend in our parish. Our gifts to this annual collection support the education and formation of ordained and lay leaders. We are fortunate to have a seminary - not every diocese has one. It is important to support the seminary’s continued work of “equipping the future”. Please try to give generously.

The Felician Sisters have announced their upcoming Women’s retreats for the 2014-2015 year and invite you to spend a day with them at their Retreat House, 600 Doat Street, Buffalo. The first retreat date is Sunday, October 12, 2014 when our very own Sister Ruth Warejko will present “Prayer And The Word”. The retreats run from 9:00 am until 4:00 pm and are $25.00 each and pre-registration is required. For more information, please take a brochure from the bulletin board in the vestibule or contact Sister Ruth at 542-9717.

Liturgy of the Word for Children will resume soon! The children will listen to the Gospel of Sunday and engage in an activity to help them to remember what Jesus is saying and doing. It is geared primarily to kindergarten, first and second graders. Volunteers to lead are being recruited presently. Along with some training, adults are required to attend a seminar for “Protecting God’s Children” as per Diocesan regulations. Contact Sister Ruth at 542-9717 or Karen Stachowiak at 442-6084.

St. Teresa’s Choir will resume next weekend during the 10:15 am Mass. If you are interested in joining the choir for the upcoming year, please see Laurie Mozee after the 4:30 pm Mass on Saturday or 10:15 am Mass on Sunday morning.

St. Gregory the Great will be hosting George Weigel, author, NBC News Vatican analyst and Distinguished Senior Fellow of Washington’s Ethics and Public Policy Center, on Wednesday, September 10 at 7:00 pm in the Church. Mr. Weigel will be presenting “St. John Paul II: The Road to Canonization.”

Two factory bigwigs were in the office talking about the stupid men they had working for them. One said, “I’ll show you just

how stupid some of them are.” He called one of his men to the office, gave him a quarter, and told him to go and buy him a new Jaguar. The worker took the quarter and went outside. The other foreman said, “That’s nothing compared to one of my men.” So he called him man to the office and told him to go down to the bowling alley and see if he was there. So that worker went outside and started talking with the first worker. The first worker said, “My boss is so stupid, he gave me this quarter and told me to go buy him a new Jaguar. He knew all the time that I couldn’t drive.” The other one said, That’s nothing. My boss told me to go down to the bowling alley to see if he’s down there, and all he would have to do is to pick up the phone and call down there to see for himself.”

BOTTOM LINE:

If we learn to laugh at ourselves, we will always find something to make us happy.