Events, Videos

Community Mass – 3nd Sunday of Advent

| St. Charles Borromeo

Please join us for Mass for the 3nd Sunday of Advent (Gaudete Sunday) – Sunday, December 13.

  • 9:00 AM EST Sunday Morning Mass celebrated at the Church – not streamed.
  • 11:15 AM EST Community Mass celebrated at the Church and also streamed online and available for playback. Instructions to view the Mass are available here. You can also watch the video via YouTube Live in the window above.

Today’s readings and hymns are available to download here:

December-13Download

Scriptual Commentary

3rd Sunday of Advent – Rejoicing Heartily in the Lord

| St. Charles Borromeo

Our Lady of Guadalupe on the Tilma of Saint Juan Diego
(About this Image)

Fr. Smith’s Commentary on the First Reading
Third Sunday of Advent
Isaiah 61:1–2A, 10–11
December 13, 2020

Our passage today is again from the third person to use the name Isaiah. The author chose his name very well as he combines the interests and concerns of both of his predecessors.

First Isaiah began his ministry in 742 BC, the year King Uzziah died. This is significant. Uzziah had reigned for 40 years and had greatly increased the GDP of his kingdom. But he did so by favoring and elite and creating prosperity for some by taking the properties of those not connected to the powerful. This was compounded by his successors who made alliances with Assyria requiring the Judeans to pay vast sums in protection money which the rich managed to avoid further impoverishing the peasants. It is clear why in the very first chapter of Isaiah God says to the people:  

Continue reading “3rd Sunday of Advent – Rejoicing Heartily in the Lord” →
Events

Catholic Charities’ Virtual Christmas Concert

| Mike McGowan

Catholic Charities’ Christmas concert is available for viewing. It features holiday favorites and jazz standards sung by Ulises and Coco accompanied by Sergio or Coco on the piano. You can watch it online at ccbq.org/christmas-concert/watch. It will also be shown on NetTV on December 15th, 7:30 PM; December 18th, 9:00 PM; December 19th, 2:00 PM; December 20th, 3:00 PM; and December 26th, 10:30 AM.

We invite you to join in for uplifting music and to support the vital work of Catholic Charities. This is also your chance if you have been waiting to hear Ulises belt out My Way.

Bulletin

Summary of Christmas Giving Appeals

| St. Charles Borromeo

We sponsor opportunities for us to give in different ways this Christmas season. It’s a busy time of year, so below is a brief summary of our Christmas giving appeals. More details about many of the programs are available below on the website.

  • Toys for Individual Children
    • If you would like to buy toys for a particular child, we will have the names of individual children and what they really want.
    • Email [email protected] to obtain name of child and his/her wish list.
    • Respond by December 8, 2020.
  • Catholic Charities Toy Drive
    • New toys and baby items will be collected will be brought together in a “toy store” for parents to choose which toys they think best for their children. 
    • Bring unwrapped toys in the rear of church (by Wed., Dec. 9), or bring to Custom House on Sat., Dec. 12
    • Respond by December 12, 2020.
  • Volunteer Your Time with Catholic Charities
    • Two ways to participate: (1) Collect from churches and Investors Bank locations during the week of Dec 14; and/or
      (2) Help distribute the toys on Dec. 17/18 (Queens) and Dec. 22 (Brooklyn)
    • (1) Email or call rectory to help with toy collection; (2) Sign up online to help with toy distribution
    • Please respond as soon as possible.
  • Gift Cards for St. Vincent Scholars
    • Gift cards for young people who are cycling out of foster care and likely not receiving any gifts for Christmas this year, and foster children who do not have access to school supplies and learning tools required for remote schooling.
    • Donate online at https://stcharlesbklyn.weshareonline.org/ws/opportunities/StVincentsGiftCards or place a check in the collection box (see details below).
    • Respond by December 13, 2020.
  • Christmas Flower Memorials
  • Christmas Gift to Parish
    • We will ask for your support of our annual Christmas donation that goes to support the activities of St. Charles, and St. Charles only. A particular focus this year will be the increased costs due to the pandemic. The parish has been scrupulous in fulfilling our safety responsibilities during the pandemic, but this has been very costly and will continue longer than anticipated.
    • Donate online at https://stcharlesbklyn.weshareonline.org/ParishChristmasGift or via envelope enclosed with the pastor’s Christmas letter.
    • Respond by December 25, 2020.
  • Christmas Gift to Catholic Charities
    • Churches across our diocese take up a collection for Catholic Charities on Christmas Day. Catholic Charities has been vitally important for so many of our neighbors, particularly during the hardships of this year. We encourage you to contribute generously.
    • Donate online at https://stcharlesbklyn.weshareonline.org/CatholicCharitiesChristmasGift or place a check in the collection box.
Holy Day

Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception

| St. Charles Borromeo

Tuesday, December 8 is the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. There will be two Masses said at St. Charles Borromeo:

  • 8 AM – Online Mass – The priests will celebrate Mass in the rectory chapel. You cannot attend in person, but the Mass will be streamed via Zoom and YouTube and available on YouTube for later viewing.
  • 12:10 PM – There will also be a 12:10 PM Public Mass in the church that is open to all.

You can watch the 8 AM Online Mass in the YouTube window below.

Homilies, Videos

2nd Sunday of Advent – Fr. Smith Homily

| St. Charles Borromeo

When I first became interested in community organizing, I went to East New York to visit the 
Nehemiah Houses. East New York was once described as the place where civilization went to die. All I knew about the
Nehemiah Houses was that they were designed not so much for the residents of the community as with them. I did not know what to expect but I found lovely one family bungalows with meticulously kept lawns. Modest and unassuming but they radiated pride of ownership. When I returned to my rectory in Bed-Sty I looked out my window to an apartment house financed by Jackie Robinson and designed by professional architects from the finest materials a few decades before the
Nehemiah Houses. They had by then deteriorated to the point that I had to ask for a guard to bring me in and out when I went on communion calls. I could not understand the difference but, as we see today, John the Baptist could have explained it to me. 

Continue reading “2nd Sunday of Advent – Fr. Smith Homily” →
Events, Videos

Community Mass – 2nd Sunday of Advent

| St. Charles Borromeo

Please join us for Mass for the 2nd Sunday of Advent – Sunday, December 6.

  • 9:00 AM EST Sunday Morning Mass celebrated at the Church – not streamed.
  • 11:15 AM EST Community Mass celebrated at the Church and also streamed online and available for playback. Instructions to view the Mass are available here. You can also watch the video via YouTube Live in the window above.

Today’s readings and hymns are available to download here:

December-6Download