Community Events

St. Patrick’s and St. Joseph’s Fundraiser Dinner, March 27th

Community Events, Parish Life /

St. Francis Church cordially invites you to our annual St. Patrick’s and St. Joseph’s Fundraiser Dinner on Sunday, March 27th at 3pm. That means …plenty o’ Irish, Italian & Polish specialties, like corn beef & cabbage, baked ziti, pierogies & St. Giuseppe’s pastries!

Tickets are $15 for Adults and $6 for Kids under 12. Reservations are required. Please call Carol at (516) 546-2535.

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Christmas Holy Mass Schedule

Community Events, Liturgical, Parish Life, PNCC /

Christmas Eve, Vigil of the Nativity Shepherd’s Mass will be held on Friday, December 24th at 9:00 p.m. Come Rejoice!

Our Christmas Tradition continues. Please join us in the Parish Hall after Shepherd’s Mass for our special time to share a meal together, listen and care for one another. Let us know what food/dessert item you’d like to contribute (so far we’ve got: cold cuts, rolls, kielbasa, sausage bread, borsch soup, babka & chrusciki).

Christmas Day, Solemnity of the Nativity of our Lord, December 25th… Holy Mass will be held at 9:00 a.m.

Solemnity of the Humble Shepherds, Sunday, December 26th… Holy Mass will be held as usual at 9:00 a.m.

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St. Francis’ celebrates the Christmas season

Community Events, Parish Life /

From EastMeadowPatch: St. Francis Christmas Dinner Spreads Holiday Cheer: St. Francis’ congregation celebrates the holiday season

The holiday spirit was bustling in East Meadow on Sunday at the St. Francis Polish National Catholic Church. The congregation held their annual Christmas fundraiser dinner. There were approximately 80 members in attendance, making the event full and joyous.

The congregation adopts a family in need every year. St. Francis fundraises through this dinner to provide necessities for that family.

“We have three dinners a year, but this dinner is meant to fundraise for the family that we adopt,” Reverend Andrzej Koterba explained.

The evening was full of festivities. Throughout the church hall, there were smells of homemade Christmas dinner, sounds of happy chatter and children running around, excited at the thought of meeting Santa Claus.

Giving is definitely a sentiment that the church members were comfortable with. The congregation held a raffle where almost all members participated. A donation box for the adopted family was brimming with dollar bills. The church also had a “wish list tree,” a tree filled with cards on ornaments that list an item that the church needs. Churchgoers are able to pick any ornament that they want, and then they can purchase and donate that item to the church. Everyone was so willing to give generously, which contributed to the true Christmas spirit felt throughout the evening.

St. Francis also gave out Polish wafers. The wafers are used at Christmas dinner on Christmas everyone breaks off a piece of the wafer, symbolizing peace for the year to come.

The children, especially Natalie, 5, and Adam, 4, were more than happy to chat with a newcomer. They both eagerly explained what they wanted Santa Claus to bring them: a Lego jet, Batman, a glowdome and a remote control helicopter.

Before digging in to the wonderful home-cooked meal, Reverend Koterba delivered a beautiful blessing on the food.

A surprise visitor came in the middle of the raffle, ringing jingle bells and jollily greeting the children – it was Santa Claus! He gave a gift to each of the children in attendance, who were delighted to sit on his lap and smile for a lovely picture.

The night offered a sense of family and home that is rare. Everyone was incredibly welcoming and loving.

“We welcome everybody and we appreciate greatly the generosity of our congregation,” Joni Blenn, the vice president, said.

View photos of the celebration at EastMeadowPatch.

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Christmas Dinner

Community Events, Parish Life /

St. Francis Polish National Catholic Church will hold its annual Christmas Dinner on Sunday, December 5th at 3 p.m.

Celebrate Christmas with delicious traditional holiday dishes! There will be great food and tons of fun! Lots of raffles, prizes & caroling… and St. Nicholas will be there for the kids!

Tickets are $15 Adults, $6 Children. Seating is limited to 80. When you call for reservations, please leave your name, phone number, and the number of adults and/or children (ages & sex so St. Nick can bring an appropriate gift) in your party.

Please R.S.V.P by December 1st to Carol Thomas at (516) 546-2535.

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Pet Blessing memories

Community Events, Parish Life, PNCC /

Check out this article from the Neighborhood Files at EastMeadowPatch along with some great photos by author, Kim Plummer: Animal Instincts: Pets Receive Blessings at St. Francis Church

Residents and parishioners gather at St. Francis Church with their cats, dogs and fish for the annual blessing of the animals.

Residents, parishioners, cats, dogs and fish gathered at St. Francis Catholic Church on Saturday for the blessing of the animals.

Saint Francis of Assisi is known as the patron saint of animals and the environment. Traditionally, Catholic churches hold ceremonies to bless animals during the Feast of St. Francis on Oct. 4.

“Saint Francis referred to all animals as brothers and sisters, and it was reported that wild animals had no fear of him,” Thomas Kompa, parishoner, said during the ceremony.

St. Francis Catholic Church holds the annual event on the weekend so that more community members can attend. The church has held the blessing annually for the past 20 years.

Father Andrew Koterba said a prayer for all of the animals in attendance, as well as blessings for sick animals. In the spirit of St. Francis, Father Koterba encouraged those in attendance to help animals and our environment however they can: build a bird feeder, donate to an animal shelter, grow a garden or recycle.

For Joan McGratti of Wantagh having their cats blessed with her husband and daughters has become an annual tradition. Joan, her husband, Bill, and their two daughters, Lana and Laura, as well as each of their cats have been attending the ceremony for the past six years.

“It’s a beautiful and inviting Church, and it’s great that our cats are invited to be here, too, inside of the Church,” said Joan McGratti while holding her black cat, Raven.

For other pet owners it was their first time having their animals blessed. Jiselle MacDonald and her daughter Natalie brought their cat, Vinnie. Vinnie was dressed appropriately with a collar and black bow tie for the event.

“Vinnie is like a member of our family,” said Jiselle MacDonald, an East Meadow resident who moved here two years ago. “This morning my daughter was asking me if this was his Christening.”

Like MacDonald, most pet owners consider the ceremony an important way to strengthen bonds between a family and their pet. Carlo and Carla Calabrese, with their daughter Adrianna, brought their 2-year-old dog Daisy to be blessed for the third time.

“We want her to be protected fully. This is kind of like her baptism,” Carla Calabrese said. “Daisy is a major part of our family.”

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Fall Dinner

Community Events, Parish Life /

Come Celebrate Our 78th Anniversary with a Fall Dinner on Sunday, September 19th at 3pm. There will be great Home Cooked Polish Specialties & Much More. Tickets are $15 for Adults and $6 for Children under 12 years old. There will also be plenty of great prizes & raffles to help us raise funds to preserve our beloved parish of St. Francis.

Seating is limited to 80 guests. When you call for reservations, please leave your name, phone number and the number of adults and/or children in your group, R.S.V.P. to Carol Thomas at 516-546-2535.

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Blessing of the Animals

Community Events, Parish Life, PNCC /

St. Francis Parish will hold its annual Blessing of the Animals on Saturday, October 2nd at 1 p.m. We are also celebrating our 78th Anniversary! St. Francis PNC Church — 1932-2010!

Bring your hamsters, gerbils, dogs, cats, birds, fish, ferrets, lizards, etc. for a special St. Francis blessing… even the NCPD Mounted Unit will be there!

Blessed are you, Lord God, Maker of all living creatures, On the fifth and sixth days of creation you called forth fish in the sea, birds in the air and animals on the land. You inspired St. Francis to call all animals his brothers and sisters. We ask you to bless this animal. By the power of your love enable it to live according to your plan. May we always praise you for all your beauty in creation. Blessed are you, Lord our God, in all your creatures! Amen.

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Giant Fundraiser Yard Sale

Community Events, Parish Life /

We are holding a Giant (Huge, Really, really BIG) Yard Sale to benefit St. Francis PNC Church on Saturday and Sunday, August 28th & 29th from 10am until 4pm. There will be something for everyone: children’s clothes & toys, adult clothes, kitchen, bathroom, living room stuff, furniture, small appliances, and knick-knacks galore — some used, some new.

If you have any items you’d like to donate (all proceeds to St. Francis PNC Church) or you need more info, please contact Monika or Fr. Andrew at 516-794-5189.

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Holy Week at St. Francis, East Meadow, NY

Community Events, Liturgical, Parish Life, PNCC /

PALM SUNDAY – Procession and Holy Mass at 9am

Palm Sunday marks the beginning of “Holy Week.” On this day we commemorate the last triumph of Our Lord Jesus Christ on earth. On this day we celebrate the triumphant entry of our Lord into Jerusalem; when the multitudes, going before and following after Him, cut off branches from the trees and strewed them in His way, shouting, “Hosanna, to the Son of David. Blessed is He that comes in the name of the Lord.” This Palm Sunday triumph of our Lord only led to His death. But we know that this death was not a failure. It was through His passion and death that He conquered the world and entered into His Kingdom. So the faithful join in this triumphant celebration in an act of homage and gratitude to Christ our King!

HOLY TUESDAY – Holy Mass of Chrism, St. Stanislaus Bishop & Martyr Cathedral in Scranton, PA

HOLY WEDNESDAY – fast and abstinence

PASCHAL TRIDUUM – all days of fast and abstinence

For Christians the Paschal Triduum (“Three Days”) is the focal point of the entire year. During these days, covering the period from the evening of Holy Thursday through the evening of Easter Sunday, we celebrate our faith in the paschal mystery of Christ with the greatest fervor and intensity. In the liturgy we commemorate the passion, death and resurrect ion of Christ as the means of our salvation. Through our baptism, we share in the death of Christ and so hope to share in his resurrection. The liturgy of the Paschal Triduum then invites us to reflect on where we are in our own Paschal journey in Christ.

MAUNDY THURSDAY OR HOLY THURSDAY – Holy Mass at 7pm

The name Maundy comes from the Latin word which means ‘command.’ It refers to the new command Jesus gave his disciples on the Thursday before he was crucified. On that night, long ago, he served the “Last Supper” of bread and wine, washed his disciples’ feet and said, “A new command I give you; Love one another.” — John 13:34.

Church bells fall silent on this day and are not heard again until Easter morning. Instead of tinkling altar bells, wooden clappers are used during divine services. The altar will be stripped at the end of the service to symbolize Christ being stripped of his power. The holy sacrifice is interrupted and will not be offered again until the Solemnity of the Resurrection, Easter Sunday.

GOOD FRIDAY – Liturgy of the Pre-Sanctified at 7pm

Good Friday used to called God’s Friday because it was the day Jesus was crucified. This is the most solemn day of the year, as we recall the sufferings and death of Jesus. We take this time to journey the ‘Stations of the Cross,’ Christ’s road to Calvary. The Bible says that when Jesus hung on the cross, the sky became dark from noon until 3:00 p.m.. During those hours, traditionally, the faithful may meditate on the sufferings of Our Lord on the cross and remember the words He spoke on the Cross…Take time to remember, read the Passion, read a psalm, meditate, say a prayer. We share now in sorrow, grief and pain.

HOLY SATURDAY – Blessing of Easter Foods and Baskets at 1pm

All are welcome—as always! Bring your eggs, cooked foods, uncooked foods, baskets or not, covered with a white linen cloth (or not)… Father Andrew will bless your Easter foods in a short, cheerful service.

Holy Saturday is liturgically a day of deepest mourning, a day which the Church spends at our Lord’s sepulchre, meditating on his sacred Passion and death. There is no mass and the altar is bare. As we end the Lenten penitential period in pious preparation for a festive Paschal season. We have the Blessing of our Easter Foods on Saturday, April 3rd at 1:00 p.m., a token of gratitude to God for all his gifts of both nature and grace. A reminder that the Lord is part of our daily life and is always among us! Please bring a family member or a friend; help make this old but significant tradition new again!

SOLEMNITY OF THE RESURRECTION, EASTER SUNDAY – Resurrection Procession and Holy Mass at 8:30am

EASTER BREAKFAST – following Holy Mass

Come, you are invited, family and friends of St. Francis Parish, to attend our traditional “Easter Celebration Breakfast” held in the Parish Hall, after Easter Sunday Mass. Come, let us REJOICE together!

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Advance Schedule for Lent, Passiontide, and Holy Week

Community Events, Liturgical, Parish Life, PNCC /

Sunday, March 14 — Solemnity of the Institution of the P.N.C.C., Holy Mass at 9am.
Sunday, March 21 — Passion Sunday (the beginning of Passiontide), Holy Mass at 9am.
Sunday, March 21 — St. Joseph and St. Patrick Dinner at 3pm.
Sunday, March 28 — Palm Sunday, Holy Mass and Liturgy and distribution of Palms at 9am.

The Sunday before Easter is known as Palm Sunday. It celebrates Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem for the Jewish festival of Passover. Great crowds of people lined the streets waving palm branches to welcome him. The people were very excited. They spread branches on the road – and even laid down cloths. They shouted ‘Hosanna!’ which means ‘Save us now!’

Thursday, April 1 — Maundy Thursday, Holy Mass at 7pm.
Friday, April 2 — Good Friday Liturgy at 7pm.
Saturday, April 3 — Holy Saturday Liturgy including blessing of Easter food, blessing of new fire and holy water at 1pm.

The blessing of the Easter food or the “ÅšwiÄ™conka” is a tradition dear to the heart of every Pole. Being deeply religious, he is grateful to God for all His gifts of both nature and grace, and, as a token of this gratitude, has the food of his table sanctified with the hope that spring, the season of the Resurrection, will also be blessed by God’s goodness and mercy. The usual fare on the Easter table includes ham and kielbasa, cakes of all kinds – particularly babka; eggs- some shelled or some decorated. There is usually a Paschal Lamb or “Baranek” made of butter, some cheese, horseradish, salt, vinegar and oil.

The food is brought to the church and blessed by the parish priest on Holy Saturday. The food can also be blessed in the home. After the blessing the food is usually set aside until Easter morning when the head of the house shares the blessed egg, symbol of life, with family and friends. Having exchanged wishes, all continue to enjoy a hearty meal.

This centuries old custom is indeed richly symbolic and beautiful. It is one in which the whole family can participate and help prepare.

May this tradition endure for many generations to come. All of you can enjoy this beautiful Polish custom by participating at the blessing of the Easter food “Swieconka” at St. Francis Polish National Catholic Church. This is an excellent way to teach the younger members family about this treasured Polish tradition — a tradition you can make your own.

Sunday, April 4 –- Solemnity of the Resurrection (Easter Sunday), Procession of the Resurrection and High Holy Mass at 8.30am.

Advance Schedule for Lent, Passiontide, and Holy Week Read More »

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