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Welcome to NY Apreiškimo Parapijos English Language Bulletin “ŽINIOS”
YEAR OF THE DIVINE MERCY
May 1 – Divine Mercy Sunday, Beatification of Pope John Paul II
Maironis School Lithuanian Mothers Day Party, Mt. Carmel Hall
May 7 – ATEITININKIAI 100th Anniversary Celebration, 1:45 PM Annunciation Church and Hall
May 8 – MOTHER‘S DAY (US), Kavine, Parish Lower Hall
May 15 – Kavine, Choir Rehearsal, Parish Lower Hall
May 21 – Maironis School Graduation Ceremony, Annunciation Church, Ceremony and Reception 10:00 AM, Parish Lower Hall
May 22 – Kavine, Choir Rehearsal, Parish Lower Hall
May 29 – Kavine, Choir Rehearsal, Parish Lower Hall
May 30 – MEMORIAL DAY FLY OLD GLORY!
AMERICAN NATIONAL HOLIDAY
May 30 – Kavine, Choir Rehearsal, Parish Lower Hall
June 1 – Ascension Thursday – HOLY DAY OF OBLIGATION
June 5 – Kavine, Parish Lower Hall
June 10 – NY Lithuanian Chorus 2011 Organizational Meeting.
Contact Gintare Bukauskas for details.
June 12 – PENTECOST SUNDAY, Commemoration of the Days of Sorrow and Hope, Parish Lower Hall
Don‘t forget to do your “EASTER DUTY!“
May is the Month of the Blessed Mother—-Our Lady of the Annunciation, Ausros Vartu, our Lady of the Dawn Gate (Also known as Our Lady of Vilnius and Mother of Mercy), Our Lady of Siluva, Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, America‘s Patron Saint, Our Lady of Guadaloupe, Protectress of the Americas………..Holy Mary, Mother of God, Pray for us!
The Bishops of Lithuania have declared 2011 the YEAR OF THE DIVINE MERCY. Cardinal Backis, in a Patoral Letter from Vilnius wrote: St. Faustina (Kowalska), who lived in Vilnius, was entrusted by Our Savoir with the task to proclaim His Mercy to all mankind. Jesus said: „Speak to the world about my Mercy; let all mankind recognize My my unfathomable mercy.“ Cardinal Backis asked us to do three things: 1. Let us come to KNOW Christ, the Divine Mercy; 2. Let us accept the Divine Mercy of Christ by conversion, and confess our sins; and, 3. Let us be merciful to others. The visible sign of His mercy Jesus asked us to show to the world is a portrait of Him walking toward penitents like us, seeking mercy, with rays of color streaming from His Most Sacred Heart, the very symbol of His mercy. JESUS, I TRUST IN YOU! The feast day of the Divine Mercy is the Sunday After Easter, as proclaimed buy our late Pope John Paul II, who was beatified this past Divine Mercy Sunday, May 1.
The Lithuanian Catholic Youth organization, ATEITININKIAI, will celebrate both the 100th Anniversary of the founding of the group and the traditional Family Day (Seimu Svente) Day Saturday. May 7. EVERYONE IS INVTED! Festivities will begin with a religious ceremony in the church at 1:45 pm., celebrating the 2011 motto: All is New in Christ! Afterwards, everyone will adjourn to the Parish Lower Hall for a Luncheon ($5 suggested donation), games for children, and a lottery. THERE WILL BE BIRTHDAY CAKE!
Also on Saturday, May 7th, there will be a Mass and Marian Procession in honor of our Blessed Mother at the Church of the Holy Innocents, 128 W 37th St., in Manhattan, starting with Mass at 4:00 PM The theme of the event is ONE WORLD, OME MOTHER. After Mass(At about 5 pm) there will be a procession., leaving from the church, that will proceed around the Times Square area with banners bearing images of Our Lady from all over the world. An image of Ausros Vartu, Called Our Lady of Lithuania, has been included. All members of the Lithuanian community are invited to participate. Register on line at www.oneworldonemother.com. Ramute Zukas is in charge of the Lithuanian contingent, along with members of the Save Our lady of Vilnius Committee. There will be a group of Annunciation parishioners who will leave from the Parish Hall for Manhattan by train. Contact LIT...@AOL.COM if you wish to join this group.
Annunciation Parish and the Lithuanian Folk Art Institute, New York Chapter, held a fun workshop for making VERBOS, the Lithuanian folk art „palms“ that are sold in Vilnius at St. Casimir‘s Fair in March, on Sunday, April 10, at Kavine. Annunciation Parishioners carried the VERBOS in the Palm Sunday procession the following week after Fr. Volertas blessed them. Many people still follow the tradition of taking the blessed verbos to the cemetery to mark the graves of loved ones. Go to the web site to see them! www.annunciation-ny.com. Pictures from last year‘s workshop were featured in the April edition of BRIDGES! Special thanks to Rasa Sprindys, who brought a beautiful, hand made paper dogwood tree and books with pictures of traditional verbos, to Folk Art InstitutePresident Laurynas Vismanas and Pat Sidas for demonstrating how to make the verbos, and Vytautas Cereska, Jean Pietrusiewicz, and Pat Sidas for bringing the dried flowers.
The following Sunday, Lithuanian Easter Egg making for adults and children took place after both Masses. Again Laurynas and Pat, with the help of Matas Slizys (after 10:00 am Mass) and Artist Vida Kristolaitis (After 11:30 am Mass) did the demonstrating and teaching. Many thanks to Joe and Irene Rudis and all the other people who donated boiled eggs!
Speaking of Joe, without him and his faithful helper from the Spanish speaking community, Lidia Santos, our church wouldn‘t have looked half so beautiful as it did Easter Sunday. While we are in ACIU mode, many thanks go to Father Volertas for raising his beautiful voice in the tradtitional Easter chants. Asta Barkauskas and the choir put in hours of work rehearsing for Easter Sunday Mass. Dr. Algis Lukosevicius patiently instructed our precious gaggle of acolytes. Vytautas Cereska served as Eucharistic Minister.
A HUGE ACIU goes to all the countless people who brought food for the Easter Table, who helped decorate, who helped keep the tables replenished, and who helped with the clean up, prominent among them Milda and Povilas Stanislauskas, Matas Slizys, Antanas Bublis and Arthur Wilson, our parish young folk! Our parish is blessed. Because of the generosity of our egg decorators extraordinaire, Monsignor Calise had Easter Eggs to distribute to the men and women who attended Serenity Sunday the following week……….and they were beautiful eggs. Go to the website and look at the beautiful „Albums“ Arunas has prepared showing just how Easter went in Annunciation Church! www.nyapreiskimo.com or www.annunciation-ny.com !!!!!!!!!
On May 1, Lithuanian Mother‘s Day, Maironis School heald its annual Mother‘s day Celebration and fundraising event. The children put on a touching Mother‘s Day show for all present after pesenting mothers old and young with roses. A very traditional meal of kraut and sausage, followed by cakes and cookies of all imaginable description followed the program. A lottery with many wonderful prizes rounded out the day. Congratulations to Parents Committee president Mindaugas Pranevicius and School headmistress Fausta Sinkunas for a wonderful event.
ALL the sacraments are celebrated at Annunciation Parish: The Eucharist is celebrated every Sunday. Confessions are heard before Mass Sundays. To arrange for Funerals, Baptisms, Weddings, or for the Sacrament of the Sick (anointing), or “Last Rites”, just call 718-384-0223. To arrange for religious instructions for children or adults in preparation for First Penance/First Communion, Confirmation, or for parental instruction prior to the baptism of infants, contact Raimundas Slizys (lit...@aol.com Lithuanian), or Rose Marie Walsh ( 718-384-0223, ext 28, English). There are HOME STUDY opportunities for Religious Instruction. Do not allow your children and grandchildren to be without the Sacraments and without instruction in our Holy Faith.
VAIKU LITURGJIA, Childrens’ Liturgy, is celebrated the first Sunday of the Month during the 10:00 AM Mass. ALL children are welcome. English-Only Children are accommodated, too!
CAN YOU IMAGINE IT? Due to the good offices of Visvydas Matulis and Web Administrator Arunas Tirksliunas, Annunciation Parish has made it to FACEBOOK! Visvydas maintains an ongoing list of Lithuanian events on his FACEBOOK page. Now Annunciation events will be posted there! Aciu, gentlemen!
Diocesan News: TEACHERS OF LIGHT is a newly formed organization of Catholic school teachers who have taken up the challenge of providing access to the kinds of tutoring programs available in wealthier districts, and at significant cost. THEIR PROGRAM IS FREE. This is a great opportunity for Annunciation Youth. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT! If YOU have children or young people needing tutoring in any subject, at any grade level, including preparation for the SAT exams, go to the website at www.Teachersoflight.org, or call 347-342-8354.
News from the Diocese Office of Migration. Diocese Office of Migration site can help you find vocational classes, English classes, and citizenship classes: 718-236-3000. For information about the LITHUANIAN APOSTOLATE, contact Father Volertas, or Advisory Committee members or Vida Jankauskas, Malvina Klivecka, or Joe Rudis, any Sunday at Kavine or before or after Mass.
Sick call list: Elvira Vilineskis, Phyllis Macenas, Liuda Gudelis, Vito Senken, Joe Levonas, and Anele Steponis are suffering the assaults of age. Gloria O’Brien, Richard Legeckas, Marie Strimaitis McCauley and Marianne Ward need prayers. Edward Diskevich is doing much better, but still in need of prayer, as is Simas Ulcickas. THANK YOU, God! May God bless them all with improved health!
KAVINE NEWS: A big Kavine THANK YOU to the Jurgela family, Gabriella Urbanowicz, and Henrikas Miklas, for cash donations that will help keep coffee in the pot and bagels on the table! (Coffee is now VERY expensive— think about that when you drop in your donation….) Belated thanks to Ramute Zukaite, who donated WONDERFUL Lithuanian Cheese (and the pizza for supper for the set-up crew!) for the Feast of the Annunciation. Other donors this month are: Renata Alinskas, who helped prepare a special kavine in honor of the late photographer Vytautas Mazelis, the Spanish Affairs Committee, which donated leftover cake from the Feast of the Annunciation Celebration, Vida Jankauskas, and the Brooklyn –Queens Chapter of the Lithuanian American Community.
Blessed candles are available at kavine. Every Catholic family should have a blessed candle at home to use when greeting a priest or Eucharistic Minister who might come bearing the Blessed Sacrament for someone homebound, to burn in times of great fear or suffering, to place beside the body of someone who dies at home. There is no charge for them, but a donation is appreciated.
God Bless the KAVINE SET-UP AND CLEAN-UP COMMITTEE. To join it — it is NOT hard work!—contact Vida Jankauskas or Pat Sidas. New members are urgently needed!
May they rest in peace in the arms of the angels! Laura McCarthy, daughter of Adelaide, niece of a.a. Vladas Sidas, Mother of Daniel and Suzanne Jabar has died. The wife of the late Adolfas Kasparaitis has gone home to the Lord. Choir members and Annunciation Organists past and present mourn the sudden death of bass Vincent “Skip” Skripkus, a retired sailor of the US Navy.
Like to play CHESS? Kazys Butkus, Matas Slizys , Milda Stanislauskas, Paulius Sabalis, and Antanas Bublis and others await challengers Sundays at Kavine! For those who might like a less exotic challenge, the Kavine Committee has CHECKERS!
Maironis School News: Graduation 2011 will be held May 21 in our parish church, with a reception following. This year there will be four proud graduates. For more information, please contact school principal Fausta Sinkunas at dire...@nymaironismokykla.org.
Lithuanian Scouts Association News: Atlantic Region Scout Camp 2011 will take place August 14-21 at Camp Resolute, Bolton, Mass. For more information, see the announcement on the parish bulletin board in the Lower Hall, or contact Naida Snipas-Johnson at atla...@yahoo.com A big Skautiska VALIO! to Matas Slizys, whose rank has been raised to ACCOMPLISHED SCOUT!
ANNUNCIATION SCHOOL CLASS OF 1963 Contact Larry Kiceina at azfl...@yahoo.com.
News from the Lithuanian Apostolate: Several weeks ago, the diocese held its Annual Migration Day Celebration. Father Volertas led the Lithuanan delegation. Vida Jankauskas (Who donated a Lithuanian “tree” cake), Joe Rudis, Josefina Senken (Who prepared fabulous kugelis!) and Ramute Zukas represented Annunciation. Also in attendance were members of Kuopa 110, Knights of Lithuania, Mary Stungurys, Ellen Vainus and Kuopa president Dr. Paul-Michael Kazas, who carried the Lithuanian Flag.
News from Mt. Carmel: Serenity Sunday is an evening of prayer, fellowship and healing for people recovering from addictions, and for those who love them. Mass at 5:00 pm, “pot luck” supper after, followed by “meetings” according to the precepts of “AA”. Serenity Sunday will be June 5.
News from the Brooklyn-Queens Chapter of the NY Lithuanian American Community: The Annual Meeting was held April 3 in the parish Lower Hall. The Chapter, under the direction of president Vida Jankauskas, provided a great luncheon for those in attendance. A slate of officers, including Vida Jankauskas, Edmundas Adomaitis, Arunas Tirksliunas, Josefina Senken, and Rasa Sprindyswas elected. Elected to the Audit Committee was P. Sevelkovas. CONGRATULATIONS
CAMP NERINGA NEWS: www.neringa.org. HEADS UP! WORK WEEKEND, June 3-5.
Attention dancers ages 5 to 100! The 14th Lithuanian Dance Festival will be held July 1, 2012 in Boston. If you want to participate or would like information, contact Cheryl Milukas.
More information on the Internet: Facebook: TryptinisN.Y.; www.nymaironiomokykla.org; www.2012sokiusvente.org.
LAK News: Adult Basketball takes place at Mt. Carmel Gym (275 North 8th Street) at 7:00 pm Friday nights. For information contact Jonas Jankauskas, LAK president. BASKETBALL FOR YOUTH takes place Saturdays from 2-3:30 pm at Redeemer Lutheran School, 69-26 Cooper Avenue, Glendale. Contact Joe Milukas for information about the Memorial Day weekend Basketball Tournament in Toronto!
CONSULATE NEWS: A special evening program to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the death of M.K. Čiurlonis, perhaps Lithuania‘s best known artist and musician, will be held at the Lithuanian Consulate (420 Fifth Ave., 3rd fl.,NY, NY) on May 12, 2011 at 6:00 pm. Space is limited, so e-mail or call ahead if you are planning to attend: n...@urm.lt or 212-354-7840.
EMBASSY NEWS: There will be a book presentation, BETWEEN SHADES OF GRAY, by Ruta Sepetys on May 25, 6:30 PM at the Embassy, 2622 16 Street NW. For more information and to RSVP, please contact Inga Lukaviciute at INGA...@URM.LT by May 18.
News from Virginia: The Naujokaitis family reports that Isabelle is RECOVERED from her bout with cancer! She thanks us for our prayers. Son Juozas is safely home from Iraq. He was then posted as a liaison, by his commander, to the soldiers from the Baltic States who were taking part in OPERATION SAFE STRIKE 2010! His brother Pranas is soon to be a published author..his childrens‘ book is due out in August, 2011! Gediminas spent part of his childhood in Brooklyn, in our parish!
Interesting websites:
New Online Magazine! vilnews.com
www.versme.lt/sav_a.htm is a link to the Lithuanian Army’s 1918 list of Volunteers.
Try www.lacgifts.com for the best in Lithuanian Culture Internet Shopping!
www.theessenceoflithuania.com (www.dalelelietuvos.lt) also has Lithuanian items for sale.
LITUANUS is a Lithuanian Academic Journal (in English). Visit the website at www.lituanus.org.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=n270wfaxreu will get you scenes from PAST Dance Festivals! Didelis ACIU to Gloria O’Brien for this information!
www.newseum.org/todaysfrontpages/flash/ will get you the front pages of 800 daily newspapers, including several from Lithuania! Aciu, Aciu to Ramute Zukas for this information.
www.nylithuanian.org The NYLB web site has been updated by Algirdas Grybas! A NYC Calendar of Lithuanian events can be found there, as well as information about the Lithuanian American Community, Inc. Eventually it is hoped that all the local chapters will participate in the site!
Our Lady of Vilnius News: Sunday meditation and prayer continue at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, and in front of the closed church. Visit www.ourladyofvilnius.org or ausrosvartunyc.blogspot.com for more information. Contact the Save Our Lady of Vilnius Committee, Elaine Derso, Chair, PO Box 230253, NY, NY 10023. Email: Elaine Derso. Website: https://sites.google.com/site/ourladyofvilniusnyc.
Welcome new readers: Pranas Prankevicius, Margarita Prankeviciute, Julija Zemaitaityte Kulys, Joe Kulys, Audra Zakarauskas, Adele Rocyte-Grant, Birute Radzivanas, Rev. Jaunius Kelpsas, Ramune Farley, Vida Wilson, Visvydas Matuilis, and Algirdas Grybas.
HEADS UP! The annual commemoration of the ghastly, murderous deportations of the Lithuanian Military Leadership and many innocent men, women, and 5,000 children in 1941, now called the Day of Sorrow and Hope, will be held Sunday, June 12. Following Mass, there will be a commemoration of the deportations—the sorrow—followed by a piano recital by young Arthur Wilson, son of Vida and Arthur, representing the hope! The Commemoration and luncheon following are sponsored by the New York Lithuanian American Community District Council.
TO REGISTER yourself and your family at Annunciation Parish call 718-384-0223 or e-mail. You can also register at Kavine. See Joe Rudis for a registration form. The more registered, the more secure our parish. NUMBERS COUNT!
COME VOLUNTEER FOR YOUR PARISH! Come help do His work on Earth!
Administrator:
Msgr. Joseph Calise – 718-384-0223
Associate Priest and Lithuanian Apostolate:
Rev. Vytautas Volertas
Parish Trustees:
Eric Arango, Raimundas Šližys
Lithuanian Affairs:
Vida Jankauskas
Committee:
Raimundas Šližys
Lectors, Ushers:
Bill Kumet – 718-846-3829
Annunciation Parish Lithuanian Choir:
Asta Barkauskas, Just Come to the loft!
Kavine:
Pat Sidas – 203-762-9726
Lithuanian/English Bulletin Editor:
Vida Jankauskas
Parish Website Administrator:
Arūnas Tirkšliūnas
Decorating the Church:
Joe Rudis, Lidia Santos – 718-438-4649
Acolyte:
Father Volertas, Dr. Algis Lukoševičius. See either one after Mass
Religious Education:
Dr. Milda Palubinskas, Salvijus Kungys, Dana Račiūnas Norvila, Raimundas Šližys, Rosemarie Walsh (English) – 718-384-0223, ext. 28
Ateitis:
Dr. Algis Lukoševičius
Children’s Chapter:
Dr. Milda Palubinskas
Spanish Affairs Committee / Bulletin:
Leticia Serrano
Annunciation Parish Spanish Choir:
Antonio Arenas – See him after 11:30 am Mass
Guadalupe Committee:
Clemente Randon
Queen of The Rosary Academy:
Sr. Joan Losson, OP – 718-782-1110
Diocesan Migration Office:
Msgr. Ralph Marino – 718-236-3000
FATHER VOLERTAS IS AVAILALE TO HEAR CONFESSIONS BEFORE MASS. BLESS HIM, HE COMES EARLY EVERY SUNDAY!
Are you unable to get to Mass? Eucharistic Minister Vytautas Cereska will bring the Body and Blood of Christ to you. Call Vytautas at 646-246-8270. Father Volertas (718-326-2236) is, of course, also available to bring the Sacraments and anoint the sick and frail. Do not be without the Sacraments, or let your loved ones be bereft either!
You can ask a Mass be said in Annunciation Church. Joe Rudis has the Mass Book Sundays after Mass in the Parish Hall. The usual stipend is $50.
If you want to schedule an event in the Parish Lower Hall, please do so as far in advance as possible. There are many, many demands on our limited facilities! Please contact Raimundas Šližys. (For those organizations needing access to the Halls at Mt. Carmel, that calendar opens JUNE 1.)
IF ALL OF US CAME TO MASS JUST ONCE A MONTH, OUR BEAUTIFUL CHURCH WOULD ALWAYS BE FULL!
MASS IS SAID AT 10:00 AM IN LITHUANIAN, AND AT 11:30 AM IN SPANISH
ANNUNCIATION PARISH IS ALIVE AND WELL AND LIVING AT NORTH FIFTH AND HAVEMEYER. COME BE A PART OF IT!
BLESSED VIRGIN MARY OF THE ANNUNCIATION, PRAY FOR US!
OUR LADY OF ŠILUVA, PRAY FOR US!
OUR LADY OF VILNIUS, AUŠROS VARTŲ, PRAY FOR US!