Rejoice, let Mother Church also rejoice,
arrayed with the lightning of Jesus' glory,
let this holy building shake with joy,
filled with the mighty voices of the peoples.
My dear friends,
Jesus Christ is Risen - Indeed He is Truly Risen!
The line at the top of our bulletin is from the great Exultet hymn of the Easter Vigil after the new Paschal Candles is placed next to the ambo (pulpit). Allow me to share a few more moving lines this ancient hymn of our Faith:
"This is the night, when Christ broke the prison bars of death and rose victorious from the underworld. Our birth would have been no gain, had we not been redeemed.
O wonder of your humble care for us! O love, O charity beyond all telling, to ransom a slave you gave away your Son! O truly necessary sin of Adam, destroyed completely by the death of Christ! O happy fault that earned so great, so glorious a Redeemer!
The sanctifying power of this night dispels wickedness, washes faults away, restores innocence to the fallen, and joy to mourners, drives out hatred, fosters concord, and brings down the mighty."
For all parishioners returning home to IHM, God's peace upon you. For those who are visiting our parish, may you receive grace in abundance!
For all who joined Fr. Thumma and myself at St. Pat's Cathedral to renew our priestly promises and to witness Cardinal Dolan bless the Holy Oils, thank you for your support and taking time out of your day to experience this beautiful Mass.
To Dr. Laurie Adamo with our cantor, Elizabeth Farnum, along with the soloists and IHM choir at the Liturgies thus far including the chanted Tenebrae Morning Prayer, as well as our dedicated team of Saint Veronica Guild members who take care of the sanctuary and chapel, and our servers, ushers, lectors and EM's - thank you for your amazing work!
To those who visited the Eucharistic Jesus in various Altars of Repose on Holy Thursday night - I hope you had a grace-filled time. To the group I went with (pictured below at Annunciation in Crestwood), who actually visited 7 churches (including IHM), thank you for making it a great pilgrimage!
May I encourage your consideration of a number of wonderful IHM Parish offerings and needs:
- a Catholic education of your child(ren) at our IHM Parish School.
- read up on the list of 40 parish organizations and groups and get involved/more involved.
- become a volunteer or a catechist in our Religious Education Program.
- nominate another or yourself to run for the Parish Council this spring for a three year term.
- review the parish financials from the past 2 fiscal years, if you have not done so already; and prayerfully consider a 10% increase of donations.
- become the coordinator of our parish library that is ready - Eagle Scout Candidate Luis Marquez and his team put the list of all the books online and the area was recently, thoroughly cleaned.
- devote yourself to an hour of Eucharistic Adoration in our Marian Chapel each week or month.
Join us this evening for the Easter Vigil - at least once in your life make it a point to go! This evening Dalber Barbosa will complete his Christian Initiation in the Catholic Church through the Sacrament of Confirmation and the the reception of his First Holy Communion. Fr. Thumma will celebrate this special Mass and the 9am and 12noon tomorrow. I will have the 7:30am and 10:30am Easter Sunday Masses.
A blessed Easter Week to you and your families!
In this Edition:
- Happy Easter!
- 2024 Easter Schedule
- IHM Easter Break Closures
- IHM School Registration 2024-25 and Information
- IHM Religious Education 2024-2025 Online Registration will open on Tuesday, June 4th at 12 noon
- IHM Finance Report for Fiscal Years 2022-2023 and 2021-2022
- Easter Flower Memorials
- Religious Educations photos from Holy Thursday
- Collage from March 26th Chrism Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral
- Photo albums from March 8th Lenten Fish Fry with Cardinal Dolan
- IHM College Group Annual Easter Basket Drive thank you
- IHM School Classes of the 80s, 90s and 00s Reunion - Saturday, April 20th
- Photos from last weekend's Girl Scout cookie sale
- IHM Upcoming Events:
- School of Community - Communion & Liberation - meets on Wednesday evenings at 7:00PM in the IHM Rectory
- Seasons of Hope - a 6 Week Catholic Bereavement Series at St. Pius X parish starting on April 25th
- The next Midnight Run will be on April 27th - donations and volunteers are needed
- “Saint Elisabeth of the Trinity: The Mystery of Christian Prayer" Symposium at St. Joseph's Seminary, Dunwoodie on August 8th-11th
- IHM Continuing Events:
- Attention Homebound or Elderly Parishioners
- Check out the IHM Rectory Library - library card signup and access to the online catalog below
- Eucharistic Adoration at IHM
- Community News:
- Catholic Widows and Widowers of Yonkers Anniversary Luncheon will take place on April 18th
2024 Easter Schedule
Holy Saturday (March 30th)
9:00AM - Tenebrae (Solemn Morning Prayer)
8:00PM - Solemn Easter Vigil Mass
(No 5:30PM Mass)
EASTER SUNDAY (March 31st)
Masses: 7:30AM, 9:00AM, 10:30AM & 12:00 noon
or call the Rectory at (914) 723-0281
Alleluia! Christ is risen! May the joy of Easter fill your soul with love and hope. Wishing you a blessed and holy Easter season. He is truly risen! Happy Easter!
"Do not abandon yourselves to despair. We are an Easter People and Alleluia is our song!"
Immaculate Heart of Mary Easter Break Closures
- IHM Religious Education will be closed from March 25th through April 5th
A family catechesis will take place on Holy Thursday, March 28th from 11AM-1PM - IHM School will be closed from March 28th -April 5th (resumes April 8th)
- The Rectory Office will be closed Easter Monday, April 1st.
IHM Religious Education 2024-2025 Registration
To enroll in the Immaculate Heart of Mary Religious Education Program a Family must be a registered Parishioner of IHM Church before the start of the new school season. If you need to register with the Parish or inquire about your IHM Parish Registration/Envelope status, please call the IHM rectory or click the button below.
Online registration for the 2024-2025 school year for children in grades Kindergarten through 8th will open on Tuesday, June 4, 2024, at 12 noon. (We encourage parents to register children in Kindergarten, but it is optional.) IHM Religious Education student registration, including credit card payment, is completed online. Registration will be on a first-come-first-served basis.
Weekly Classes: In-person classes will be held once a week on Mondays or Wednesdays in the late afternoon or early evening. Specific days and times per age group will be announced before registration opens.
Student Fees for 2024-2025: Tuition for the 2024-2025 school year will be announced before registration opens.
Online Registration for 2024-2025: IHM uses a registration system called Parish Giving. The system open for registration on Tuesday, June 4, 2024 at 12 noon.
Returning Family: Any Family with a child enrolled in IHM Religious Education Grades K to 7 in 2023-2024 will receive an email request to re-enroll for 2024-2025. The email will provide a link and sign-in information for Parish Giving. A parent/guardian will be asked to sign in, review family information, add any additional children if needed, select Sessions, and pay the registration fee online by credit card. (Please contact the Religious Education office if you do not receive the email on 6/4/24.)
New Family: Any Family that did not have a child enrolled in IHM Religious Education in 2023-2024 is considered a new family. A link to the new family registration form will be available on the IHM Church website and published in the Bulletin once registration opens.
New Student: Whether you are a Returning Family registering an additional child for IHM Religious Education or a New Family registering a child for the first time with IHM Religious Education, we require a copy of the child's baptismal certificate. Grades above first grade require proof of previous religious education, and copies of First Communion and First Penance records (grades 3 - 8).
Weekly Classes: In-person classes will be held once a week on Mondays or Wednesdays in the late afternoon or early evening. Specific days and times per age group will be announced before registration opens.
Student Fees for 2024-2025: Tuition for the 2024-2025 school year will be announced before registration opens.
Online Registration for 2024-2025: IHM uses a registration system called Parish Giving. The system open for registration on Tuesday, June 4, 2024 at 12 noon.
Returning Family: Any Family with a child enrolled in IHM Religious Education Grades K to 7 in 2023-2024 will receive an email request to re-enroll for 2024-2025. The email will provide a link and sign-in information for Parish Giving. A parent/guardian will be asked to sign in, review family information, add any additional children if needed, select Sessions, and pay the registration fee online by credit card. (Please contact the Religious Education office if you do not receive the email on 6/4/24.)
New Family: Any Family that did not have a child enrolled in IHM Religious Education in 2023-2024 is considered a new family. A link to the new family registration form will be available on the IHM Church website and published in the Bulletin once registration opens.
New Student: Whether you are a Returning Family registering an additional child for IHM Religious Education or a New Family registering a child for the first time with IHM Religious Education, we require a copy of the child's baptismal certificate. Grades above first grade require proof of previous religious education, and copies of First Communion and First Penance records (grades 3 - 8).
Sunday, March 31, 2024 | The Resurrection of the Lord| John 20:1-9
There are three key lessons that follow from the disquieting fact of the Resurrection. First, this world is not all there is. The Resurrection of Jesus from the dead shows as definitively as possible that God is up to something greater than we had imagined. We don’t have to live as though death were our master and as though nihilism were the only coherent point of view. We can, in fact, begin to see this world as a place of gestation toward something higher, more permanent, more splendid.
Second, the tyrants know that their time is up. Remember that the cross was Rome’s way of asserting its authority. But when Jesus was raised from the dead through the power of the Holy Spirit, the first Christians knew that Caesar’s days were, in point of fact, numbered. The faculty lounge interpretation of the Resurrection as a subjective event or a mere symbol is exactly what the tyrants of the world want, for it poses no real threat to them.
Third, the path of salvation has been opened to everyone. Jesus went all the way down, journeying into pain, despair, alienation, even godforsakenness. He went as far as you can go away from the Father. Why? In order to reach all those who had wandered from God. In light of the Resurrection, the first Christians came to know that, even as we run as fast as we can away from the Father, we are running into the arms of the Son.
Let us not domesticate these still-stunning lessons of the Resurrection. Rather, let us allow them to unnerve us, change us, and set us on fire.
Bishop Robert Barron
Immaculate Heart of Mary
Finance Report for Fiscal Years 2022-23 and 2021-22
Finance Report for Fiscal Years 2022-23 and 2021-22
My dear friends,
Attached are the Financial Reports for the Parish (Church, Religious Education Program, Rectory and House of Prayer) and School for the two Fiscal Years from September 1, 2021 until August 31, 2023. They are the income and expense summaries of the most recent two years that followed the reporting of fiscal years 2019-20 and 2020-21. This cover letter seeks to put these attached reports in context, make reference to our current fiscal years projections and then inform you of the plans for the subsequent fiscal year. Details of these years have been reviewed by our parish finance council and this summary was reviewed with the parish council.
Attached are the Financial Reports for the Parish (Church, Religious Education Program, Rectory and House of Prayer) and School for the two Fiscal Years from September 1, 2021 until August 31, 2023. They are the income and expense summaries of the most recent two years that followed the reporting of fiscal years 2019-20 and 2020-21. This cover letter seeks to put these attached reports in context, make reference to our current fiscal years projections and then inform you of the plans for the subsequent fiscal year. Details of these years have been reviewed by our parish finance council and this summary was reviewed with the parish council.
Over the past several years, we have experienced issues getting timely reports and clarity on financial trends from our former accountants. Last summer the parish hired a new firm, Jilleba & Co., who came well recommended to us from other peer parishes. The good news is that we now have clarity in our financial position and we understand the drivers of our revenue and expenses. With this clarity, however, we now must deal with the issues posed by the improved reporting and develop a plan to assure the fiscal sustainability of our parish and its important ministries.
During the last several years, both the parish and the school benefited greatly from government programs mitigating the impact of the pandemic. While these programs greatly assisted in carrying us through this period, these programs have now ended and operational income and expenses must be addressed.
Here are the highlights of the parish and school financials for the attached documentation, keeping in mind that the parish and school fiscal years goes from 1 September until 31 August each year.
Click on the below PDF to continue reading the Finance Report Letter from Msgr. Luke Sweeney.
The below PDF is the IHM Finance Report (Income and Expense) for the Church and School (2021-2023)
EASTER FLOWER MEMORIALS
Easter Flower Memorial Envelopes are available for donations for our Easter flowers. Your donation can be made in memory of a deceased loved one.
Easter Flower Memorial Envelopes and Easter Offering Envelopes are available at the doors of the Church and are also included in your packets. Use the button below to contribute online.
The children in Religious Education came together on Holy Thursday for prayer and to remember the ultimate sacrifice Jesus made for each and every one of us. They spent the afternoon listening to a child's Easter story, as well as, watching a short movie about the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Additionally, they worked on an Easter craft, had pizza and finished the day with an Easter egg hunt. It was wonderful spending the time with them as they gave thanks to God for His Son and our Savior, Jesus Christ.
On behalf of the Religious Education office, we wish you and your families a Blessed Easter!
At the Chrism Mass on Tuesday, March 26th at Saint Patrick's Cathedral, our Archbishop, Cardinal Dolan, blessed the new Holy Oils and invited the priests of the Archdiocese, including Msgr. Sweeney and Fr. Thumma, to renew their priestly promises.
IHM provided bus transportation to NYC for this special Mass. Take a look at the beautiful collages made by parishioner Victor Ghiozzi.
On Friday, March 8th, IHM welcomed His Eminence Timothy Cardinal Dolan to our Lenten Fish Fry! The Vicar General, Msgr. LaMorte, and his priest secretary, Fr. Ries joined Cardinal Dolan on his visit. Click the below buttons to view the photo albums from his visit.
The IHM College Group is conducted their annual Easter Basket Drive for Hope Community Services. The group successfully dropped off 18 fully made baskets, along with extra toys and plastic easter eggs! See below photo. Thank you to our IHM College Group and all those who donated!
Last week, on Palm Sunday, IHM's Kindergarten Girl Scouts set up a cookie booth at our Church. The girls had a wonderful experience, and they were able to raise close to $800! Thank you to those who supported our Girl Scouts!
Communion and Liberation (CL) is a lay movement whose members seek to continually discover the relevance of faith to life's daily needs through the encounter with Jesus Christ in the community of believers. CL's founder, Msgr. Luigi Giussani said "I came to believe deeply that only a faith arising from life's experience and confirmed by it could be sufficiently strong to survive in a world where everything points in the opposite direction. Faith corresponds to a fundamental, original need that men and women find in their hearts."
Join us for weekly catechesis and faith sharing called School of Community Wednesday evenings at 7:00PM in the Conference Room in the IHM Rectory. All are welcome.
For more information about CL you can visit us.clonline.org or contact Carolyn Donovan at carolyndonovan26@yahoo.com.
Seasons of Hope: A Catholic Bereavement Series
Are you grieving the loss of a loved one?
The Church of St. Pius X is offering a six session faith-based catholic series for those in mourning. Seasons of Hope offers an opportunity to gather with others in a small group setting and to share in Gods love. With the support of the faith community, we give voice to our unique journeys of grief and find healing and spiritual growth. Seasons of Hope sessions explore our personal journeys of mourning through scripture, prayer, reflection, and faith sharing.
The Seasons of Hope series will take place Thursday, April 25th and will meet for six Thursdays through May 30th from 6:30-8:00PM
at St. Pius X Parish Pavilion (91 Secor Rd, Scarsdale)
Pre-registration is required and the size of the group is limited. Due to the very personal sharing of this experience, all participants are required to register prior to April 25th. No one will be admitted to the program after that date. Click the button below to sign up.
Seasons of Hope will be facilitated by Linda Puoplo, a St. Pius X parishioners and seasoned social worker, experienced with all journeys of the human experience. If you would like additional information, please contact Linda at (845) 803-9187 or LPuoplo@gmail.com.
Spring cleaning? While you are looking through your closets, please consider donating to Midnight Run as we transition into the warmer weather! Our next Run will be April 27th and we would greatly appreciate those items which don't fit or that you will no longer wear. Especially needed are: men's and women's travel size deodorant, men's jeans, men's shoes and sneakers, sweatpants, hoodies, rainwear, backpacks, shorts, T-shirts, women's sneakers and sweatpants.
Our recent Runs were very successful and we found homes for ALL donated items! We thank everyone for their generosity. There is much need in this metro area and all donations help!
If anyone is interested in going on a Run, helping as a Sorter, or helping with the food prep before each run, please email ihmmidnightrun@gmail.com, thank you!
“Saint Elisabeth of the Trinity: The Mystery of Christian Prayer" Symposium at St. Joseph's Seminary, Dunwoodie
IHM CONTINUING EVENTS
Homebound or Elderly Parishioners
To any of our parishioners that are homebound or elderly, please reach out to the Rectory if you are interested in having a priest from the Church visit to hear Confession, receive an Anointing for healing and then to receive Jesus in the Eucharist. If you, a family member, neighbor or loved one is interested, email ihmchurch@ihmscarsdale.org or call 914-723-0276. Please let us know how we can help!
EUCHARISTIC ADORATION AT IHM
- IHM High School of Religion (HSOR): HSOR welcomes all high school students to our gatherings Wednesdays from 7:30-9:00PM in the Lower Church (next meeting will be after Easter). We offer a fun and relaxing faith community of service projects, Prayer & Pizza, Game Nights, sacraments, lively discussions and Open Gym. Come see why our students say HSOR “is a night out in the middle of the week!” For more information, please contact Nancy Vericker at nancy@nancyvericker.com.
- IHM Centering Prayer Group: The group meets on Wednesdays at 10:00AM in the Church Library. Newcomers are always welcome. Meetings last around 45-60 minutes. The format includes: 20 minutes of Centering Prayer (a silent prayer form in the Christian contemplative tradition in which we seek to open our minds and hearts to the Divine Life within), Lectio Divina (a prayerful reading of Scripture) and a brief discussion. For more information, contact Elise Kuhn a 914-725-4728.
- IHM Women's Prayer Group: The Prayer Group holds weekly prayer gatherings for women Thursdays from 7:00-8:00PM in the Church Library. For more information, please contact the Rectory (914-723-0276 or ihmchurch@ihmscarsdale.org).
- Charismatic Morning of Renewal Meeting at the House of Prayer: This group meets on Thursdays after the 9:00AM parish Mass - Morning Prayer, Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament with Intercessory Prayer and a discussion of the Scripture Readings for the coming Sunday.
- IHM School of Community: this group meets on Wednesdays at 7:00PM in the IHM Rectory Conference Room to look at our daily life and discover who we are as Christians. The text discussed is "The Religious Sense" by Father Luigi Giussani. If you are interested in attending via Zoom, please contact the Rectory and ask to be put in contact with Carolyn of School of Community.
- IHM Bible Discussion Group: The IHM Bible Discussion Group meets every Tuesday night through mid-June from 7PM to 8:30PM in the IHM lower Church and are currently reading John's Gospel. Parishioners gather to read, analyze, and discuss Sacred Scripture while enjoying a little dessert and each other’s company. To make Bible Discussion more accessible at IHM and accommodate those unavailable on Tuesday night, there is a do-it-yourself-at-home option. CLICK HERE for more details, to submit questions, or if you are interested in joining.
- IHM Troop 2 (Boy Scouts): this group welcomes 5th through 8th grade boys interested in outdoor adventure. If hiking, camping, white water rafting and first aid skills interest your child, consider joining! For more information, email info@troop2scarsdale.org or visit www.facebook.com/Troop-2-Scarsdale.
- IHM College Group: Sign up to receive upcoming news through the email notice. An Easter service project is in the works - CLICK HERE if you would like to inquire. We will contact you directly for future meetings!
- IHM Young Adult Group for those in their 20's & 30's: We will plan an IHM gathering at some point.
- Parishioner looking for an apartment: a Senior in our parish is looking for an apartment for $1,000/month or less. Please speak to the pastor for any leads.
- The Catholic Widows and Widowers of Yonkers will have their Anniversary Luncheon at Tombolino's Ristorante (356 Kimball Ave, Yonkers), on Thursday, April 18th, at 1:00PM. $30.00 per person - payable in cash at the luncheon. Reservations required, call (914) 423.5331.
Parishioners who attend DAILY MASS, can sign up to receive an email each day for the readings of the day. If you would like to subscribe to the emails for the daily readings, Click HERE
For THIS SUNDAY's Readings, March 30/31, Click HERE
Please be advised that you can print them out at home or you can use your phone or tablet to follow along with the readings in church or at home.
SUNDAY, March 31, 2024
Easter Sunday
8:00PM - Denis J. Mulcahy
7:30AM - The People of Immaculate Heart of Mary
9:00AM - Richard G. Fontana
10:30AM - Diana Casey
12:00PM - Living & Deceased Members of the Grogan & Vaccaro Families by Johanne Grogan
MONDAY, April 1, 2024
6:45AM - The Gondiosa & DeRose Families by Phyllis Attisani
9:00AM - Manuel Fernando by Alexander
TUESDAY, April 2, 2024
6:45AM - Vincenzo Arrigo by Anthony & Sebastiana Tagliamonte
9:00AM - Fred Cohen by Cohen Family
WEDNESDAY, April 3, 2024
6:45AM - Delia and Al Accia by Patti Greig
9:00AM - Lawrence Farrell by Lucy Farrell
THURSDAY, April 4, 2024
6:45AM - Gaetano Serraino by Anthony & Sebastiana Tagliamonte
9:00AM - Salvatore Iorio by The Reiss and Santoro Families
FRIDAY, April 5, 2024
6:45AM - Brother Vincent Colella by Carolyn Colella
9:00AM - Eileen Hayes by Gerry Mullen
SATURDAY, April 6, 2024
8:30AM - March Remembrance
5:30PM - Bro. Timothy Murphy FSC by Maureen T. Murphy
5:30PM - Bro. Timothy Murphy FSC by Maureen T. Murphy
Please Remember in Your Prayers
The Sick of Our Parish
Sean Fogarty
Rosetta Ferroro
John Byrnes
Gino Catalano
Gino Catalano
Joan Boccardi
Solange Dorsainvil
Solange Dorsainvil
Michael Whelan
Thomas LiFrieri
Angela LiFrieri
Angela LiFrieri
Pren Gjidoda
Mary Jane Holzmann
Antonietta Iorio
D. Levy
The Deceased of Our Parish
Denis Mulcahy
Claire Leone
Christina Lozano
Frank Karlozy (Father of Ava Ross)
- As part of the Communion of Saints and members of the Body of Christ, it is important for us to pray for our sick members and for those who have died.
- If you wish to be included by name, please contact the Rectory (ihmchurch@ihmscarsdale.org or 914-723-0276).
- If you are calling for another person, please ensure his/her permission.
- Our parish will keep the name of a deceased parishioner or loved one for 2 weeks on our bulletin and Sunday Mass lists.
Prayer for Healing
Dear Lord, We lift up all those who are
facing illness today.
We ask that You would bring Healing,
Comfort, & Peace to their bodies.
Calm their fears
Let them experience the
Healing powers of your love.
Amen.
A Prayer to our Guardian Angel
Angel of God,
my guardian dear,
to whom God's love commits me here,
ever this day be at my side, to light and guard, to rule and guide.
Amen.
Angel of God,
my guardian dear,
to whom God's love commits me here,
ever this day be at my side, to light and guard, to rule and guide.
Amen.
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