🔔 No Daily Mass in Arcade: May 4 – 8, 2026.
Annual Horse Pull & Chicken BBQ at St. Mary’s
Sunday, May 21, 2023
St. Mary’s East Arcade Worship Site Church Grounds:
6785 East Arcade Road, Arcade, NY
General Admission: $5.00
Kids 12 & under are free!
Chicken BBQ Dinner: $15.00
Rain or shine!
Based on the bulletin of April 30 & April 23, 2023 and information from parish.
Saturday, May 13, 2023
The Feast Day of Our Lady of Fatima
12:00 pm at the Arcade Worship Site
In “The Secret of the Rosary,” St. Louis de Montfort said:
Public prayer is far more powerful than private prayer to appease the anger of God and call down His mercy, and Holy Mother Church, guided by the Holy Ghost, has always advocated public prayer in times of public tragedy and suffering.”
Bring your rosary and your lawn chair!
For more information, please contact Kathleen Ziolkowski.
Based on the bulletin of April 30, 2023. Please see bulletin or contact the parish office for additional contact info.
You may request a Mass ($15) or reserve the Tabernacle Candle ($10) at either worship site by dropping a note in the collection basket. Please print the name of your loved one or intention, and who it is being offered by, clearly with your telephone number and your payment. Thank you!
Please note an update: At the time of writing this update in February 2025, at St. Mary’s we no longer reserve the Tabernacle Candle.
Based on the bulletin of April 30, 2023.
This week we hear from the Gospel of Luke about the Road to Emmaus. Pardon me if I jump right into it, but it clearly makes me think about the Road to Renewal! The Road to Emmaus had disciples disheartened, losing faith and walking away. The Road to Renewal has some people disheartened at times, discouraged and walking away. What both scenarios failed to realize is what God was doing in the midst of their personal struggle — God was winning! Jesus walks with the disciples on the Road to Emmaus, and he walks with us on the Road to Renewal! There is new life available! All we have to do is open our hearts, welcome Jesus in, and he will transform us, our parishes, our diocese and our world!
OK, with that being said, Fr. Dan shared with you last week, our family of parishes is implementing a new Mass schedule starting the first weekend of June (2023). As we move toward June there are some things that I want to share with you that we need to prepare for as we start becoming a family of parishes.
First — Being a family means we need to welcome one another, no matter who is present, we need to be hospitable and encouraging to others. I know families at times have tension and stress, but our family of parishes must be a place where people know they are always welcome. Please begin making every effort to welcome those you may not recognize at Mass.
Second — Use your envelopes!!! Becoming a family of parishes does not stop our need to support our parish community. No matter where you attend Mass, by using your envelopes you are still supporting your parish community. Envelopes will be returned to their proper parish each week. I would also encourage you even if you are unable to contribute, to please just drop your empty envelope into the basket so we know where people are attending Mass. The new Mass schedule will be reevaluated after six months and knowing who is attending where helps in making informed decisions.
Third — Vibrant liturgies! As we move into the family of parishes, all of our Masses must be vibrant worship experiences. Our music ministry, servers, lectors, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, ushers, greeters must be welcoming, serve where and when they are needed and be willing to adapt to new environments. Our Masses MUST be the best they can be and we have to work at making them so. All ministers should be sure to attend our ministry night on Wednesday, April 26 (2023) with Mass at 6pm followed by our ministry meeting. Please make every effort to attend!
Fourth — We need leaders. Our parish has lost many people who used to be leaders and organizers of many events and activities. We need to pull together and energize these ministries and opportunities once again. I am asking every parishioner to pray and discern what it is they can do to assist our parish moving forward. Next week I will provide a list of volunteer ministries that we need people to take charge of. Remember, the church is the people of God, the physical building is where we gather to worship. For our church to be vibrant, the people of God need to be empowered, encouraged and supported in doing God’s work. Our family of parishes will depend upon you doing just that.
The Road to Emmaus transformed the disciples to become evangelizers and share the Good News. We are invited to do the same thing on our Road to Renewal, share the Good News and open ourselves up to the transformation that the Risen Jesus calls us to.
Keep Smiling :) Fr. Bryan
Based on the bulletin of April 23, 2023. Modified slightly and year indications added for future viewers.
We will have Mass followed by a Ministry Meeting on Wednesday, April 26, 2023:
Mass at 6:00 pm at the Arcade Worship Site
followed by the meeting at 6:30 pm.
From Fr. Bryan’s letter in the April 23, 2023 bulletin:
All ministers should be sure to attend our ministry night on Wednesday, April 26 with mass at 6pm followed by our ministry meeting. Please make every effort to attend!
— Fr. Bryan
Based on the bulletin of April 23, 2023.
Please be generous in the Catholic Home Mission Appeal and help strengthen the Church at home. Your support provides home mission dioceses with the resources to welcome and minister to growing multicultural populations and help to meet the needs of their growing communities.
Your support of this appeal on April 29th and 30th (2023) will truly make a difference. Thank you and God bless you!
Based on the bulletin of April 23, 2023.
A Letter from Fr. Dan
Since we have begun our Road to Renewal as a Family of Parishes in mid-February, one of the first things we have had to address is the fact that our four parishes, which had been served by three priests, would have to accommodate the fact that, going forward, we would only have two priests assigned to the parishes within the family. We recognize that it is impossible to maintain the previous weekend Mass schedule of eight Masses on a weekend amongst the four parishes, celebrated by two priests. The Liturgy Pillar Group was tasked with developing a new Mass Schedule to address this situation.
We were fortunate to have Father Bryan Zielenieski, who graciously volunteered to cover the Masses in Arcade and East Arcade, while a new Mass Schedule could be worked out. Initially, Fr. Bryan committed to being with us until the beginning of May, which was our goal to implement the new schedule. We soon realized that the beginning of May brought First Communion Celebrations, Mother’s Day, and later in the month, the Fiftieth Anniversary Celebration of Father Alfons Osiander’s Priestly Ordination. We felt it was prudent to wait until after these events to alter the Mass schedule and Fr. Bryan has graciously agreed to extend his commitment through the end of May.
The Liturgy Pillar Group has proposed the following Mass schedule for our Family of Parishes, and Fr. Al and I have agreed to it.
Beginning on the weekend of June 3rd and 4th [2023], the Masses will be as follows:
We realize that the new schedule will require an adjustment for many parishioners, and we want to give you time to decide which Mass will accommodate you and your family. Please be assured that you are welcome to attend Mass at any of our worship sites and envelopes placed in the collection basket at each site will be forwarded to the parish for which it is intended. Liturgical ministers are also welcome to serve at any of our Masses you attend, regardless of whether it is at your parish worship site or another worship site.
Thank you for your support of our Family of Parishes and your patience and flexibility in our Road to Renewal!
Happy and Blessed Easter! Father Dan Fawls
Based on the bulletin of April 16, 2023. Slight formatting changes; date & year indications added.
WACY Retreat at Camp Turner: May 5-7, 2023
Please sign-up by: April 18th, 2023!
7-12th graders are welcome to reconnect with God, gain tools for living out their Catholic faith in their lives, and enjoy a weekend of fellowship with other Catholic teens.
$25.00 per WACY Youth, $50.00 per Guest:
All Youth in 7-12th grade are welcome to attend!
Please contact Theresa Zielinski if you have financial need or questions.
Based on the bulletin of April 16, 2023. Please see bulletin or contact the parish office for additional contact info.
Sign up sheets in Church vestibules to reserve a day.
The first 16 days of month reserved for the EAWS and the remainder of month for the AWS.
For additional information, call Betty Peplin.
Based on the bulletin of April 16, 2023. For additional contact information, please see the bulletin or contact the parish office.
Welcome to all who have joined us for our Easter Celebration! No matter if you are a regular attendee, a visitor, someone coming back after a long void, or a first timer — please know that you are always welcome here to experience the hope and love Jesus offers us, especially on this Easter Sunday. Please come back regularly and be a part of our faith community. If you ever need anything to assist your faith journey, please do not hesitate to reach out to our parish office or one of the priests.
On this Easter Sunday we celebrate the fact that Christ is Risen! He is Risen Indeed! Alleluia! Easter changes everything and I hope you are experiencing the joy and hope that Easter gives to us! Our Lenten journey has led us to this wonderful time of Resurrection. We are an Easter people and that means we have hope because death has no power over us.
Jesus was faithful to God’s plan and as a result conquered sin and death so that we can enjoy Heaven. It is important for us to realize that while the resurrection does not allow death to have power over us, we have to be committed to Jesus and have faith in his resurrection to experience that hope. God never forces His Will upon us, but asks us to respond to his constant invitation to join him. God gives us the freedom to choose the life afforded to us through the resurrection, but he also gives us the freedom to choose death. How we live our lives is evidence as to the choice we are making.
The joy and hope of the resurrection are not a free pass through our earthly life, or a guarantee of Heaven when we die. Just as Jesus committed to humanity and did everything he had to do so that we could enjoy Heaven, we too have to commit to Jesus and his life to follow after him. So, what are we doing as an Easter People? How are we committing to the life God has planned for us? Are we coming to church and sharing in the Word of Life, the Eucharist and praying together? Are we living Jesus’ example of love by loving and caring for our neighbor?
Easter is a time to celebrate in more ways than chocolate and Easter bunnies! Easter is a time to recommit to all the good Jesus has led us to, because of his commitment to us! The Risen Jesus is alive and among us today! We are part of Jesus’ Team of Disciples who are called to spread that good news to the world!
Happy Easter and many thanks to all who have made our Holy Week Celebrations so special and meaningful. Special thanks to our music ministry, environment committees, ministers, and to all who had a hand in making sure Our Parish Celebrations were great! Thank you!
God bless and Keep Smiling :)
Fr. Bryan
Based on Fr. Bryan’s letter from the bulletin of April 9, 2023.
