THE TWENTY-NINTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
St. Lawrence Parish
1520 East Delavan Avenue
Buffalo, New York 14215
stlawrencebuffalo@gmail.com
PASTORAL STAFF
Fr. Robert Gebhard………………………….Pastoral Administrator
Dcn. Paul Weisenburger……………………….Permanent Deacon
Luke Dyer…………………………………....Food Pantry Coordinator
Joe Strusienski...………..……………………………...….Maintenance
Debbie Obstarczyk…………...………………….....Parish Secretary
LITURGY AT ST. LAWRENCE
Saturday, October 21 Vigil: The Twenty-ninth Sunday in
Ordinary Time
4:30 p.m. For the parishioners of Family 21
Sunday, October 22 he Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Noon Roberta Piepszny—Fassel Family
Wednesday, October 25
3:30 p.m. For the parishioners of Family 21
Saturday, October 28 Vigil: The Thirtieth Sunday in Ordi-
nary Time
4:30 p.m Mr. & Mrs. Gerard Mandi—Family
Sunday, October 29 The Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Noon All Souls Day Intentions
SANCTUARY LAMP
The Sanctuary candle is above the Tabernacle in Church. Each
week, the Sanctuary Candle may be offered for any intention
for a donation of ten dollars. Please contact Debbie in the rec-
tory, 892-2471, to schedule your Sanctuary Candle intention.
The weekly intention will be listed in the bulletin.
LORD HEAR OUR PRAYER
Please pray for Bruce Austin, Joseph Biniaszewski, Roseann
Barthelemy, Larry Bartos, Twila Berst, Eleonore Clark, Bob
DeRoss, Baby Luca Matthew Dicenzo, Diane Dryja, Mike
Ellis, Pat Farrell, Joe Giancarlo, Linda Hammer, Mike Hart-
man, Carol LaBelle, Judy Maurino, Nick Parini, Christina
Reyes, Aida Rivera, Maggie Stevenson, Jessica Strusienski and
babies, Tiana Valentin, Nancy Vogt, and all of our parishioners
and their families during this challenging time. Please contact
the rectory, 892-2471, to have a person placed on the List.
READINGS FOR THE WEEK OF OCTOBER 22, 2023
Sunday: Is 45:1, 4-6/1 Thes 1:1-5/Mt 22:15-21
Monday: Rom: 4:20-25/Lk 12:13-21
Tuesday: Rom 5:12, 15, 17-21/Lk 12:35-38
Wednesday: Rom 6:12-18/Lk 12:39-48
Thursday: Rom 6:19-23/Lk 12:49-53
Friday: Rom 7:18-25/Lk 12:54-59
Saturday: Eph 2:19-22/Lk 6:12-16
OCTOBER 22, 2023
MASS SCHEDULE
MASSES ARE ALSO ONLINE
Watch on our YouTube channel StLawrenceBuffalo
Saturday: 4:30
Sunday: Noon
Wednesday at 3:30 p.m.
PHONES
Rectory………………………………………716-892-2471
Fax………………..……………………………716-892-1315
Faith Formation…….……………………716-892-2471
Parish Hall………………………………….716-896-9796
Franciscan Guest House (FGH)……716-893-8853
Food Pantry………….……………………716-896-0047
RECTORY OFFICE HOURS
Wednesday & Thursday 9:00 a.m.—2:00 p.m.
OFFICE HOURS
The office will be closed on Wednesday and Thursday
through October 26th. Regular hours will resume on Novem-
ber 1st.
IN IT TO WIN IT
Please return your IN IT TO WIN IT tickets
by Wednesday, Oct. 25th. All sold and un-
sold tickets must be returned by this date to
be entered into the drawing. The drawing
will be after the noon mass on Oct. 28th.
Good Luck to all!
BAKERS NEEDED
The BAKERY will be OPEN for business
this weekend! Muffins and cookies and
chocolates OH MY! Items begin at .50! Fol-
low mass will a delicious goodie and support
St. Lawrence. THANK YOU!
HOPE AFTER HEARTACHE
TOOLS FOR LIVING WITH LOSS
Buffalo Diocesan Catholic Cemeteries offers a comprehensive
grief support program for those who have lost a loved one.
There are three locations and four meeting choices per month.
All are welcome. Open to the community; no charge. Call Ma-
rianne Hubert, Director of Grief Support Services, at 716-873-
6500 or email mhubert@buffalocatholiccemeteries.org, for a
brochure of grief support times and locations, as well as other
activities and remembrance services.
St. Lawrence Pray
for Us
ST. LAWRENCE CHURCH
THIS WEEK IN OUR
FAMILY OF PARISHES
Monday 10/23:10-11:30AM Food Pantry
STL
7 PM Bi-Lingual Rosary (Spanish/English)
via Zoom Click the Family Calendar Links BT
Tuesday 10/24: 4:00 PM ZOOM Gospel of Matthew - link
is available on Faith Formation page of BT website
Wednesday 10/25: 9:30 AM – 1:30 PM Food Pantry BT
12:30 PM BINGO STL Doors open 11 AM
Thursday 10/26:10 AM–11:30 AM Food Pantry STL
6:20 PM Bible Study via Zoom from CB (Contact CB for
Zoom link and reading assignment)
6:30 PM Confirmation Class CB
8:00PM Bingo doors open at 6:30 PM BT
Friday 10/27: 11:30AM Rosary Group BT in person -chapel
6PM Wine Tasting BT
Our regular weekday Mass schedule:
BT Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday & Friday 11 AM
STL Wednesday 3:30 PM
Our weekend Mass schedule:
BT Saturdays 4:30PM & Sundays 10AM
CB Saturdays 4PM and Sundays 9AM (Spanish) &11AM
Last Sunday of the month: Bi-Lingual 10AM
SMdP Sundays 8AM and 9:30AM
STL Saturdays 4:30PM and Sundays Noon
Confessions By appointment or prior to the Satur-
day Vigil Masses
BT—Blessed Trinity, CB—Columba Brigid, SMdP—St.
Martin de Porres, STL—St. Lawrence SLVMI -St. Law-
rence Vineyard Ministries Inc FP – Family Promise
Save the Dates:
Bible Study BT Cancelled for October 24
Wine Tasting BT October 27
Baptism Class BT October 30
Pasta Dinner CB November 4
Introduction to the Gospel of Mark with Dcn Don Weigel
BT 6:30 PM November 14
Confirmation STL 7 PM November 27
Prison Project Packing BT December 1
Advent Penance Service CB December 11
INREACH/OUTREACH SURVEY
INREACH OUTREACH survey- Please take
the time to complete a survey to let us know
what services, needs and activities you would
like to see at St. Lawrence and our Family of
Parishes. We need to hear from you. Thank
you for your time and support.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
Catholic Health is looking for volunteers for all of our hospital
sites – Kenmore Mercy, Sisters of Charity, Mercy Hospital of
Buffalo, and Mt. St. Mary’s. Volunteers are the heart of our
community! For more information, call Lisa Carey, Supervisor meat & much more! Tickets available online at stleo-
of Volunteer Services, at 716- 862-1106 or apply online at:
https://www.chsbuffalo.org/volunteer.
BUFFALO, NEW YORK
The heart of the matter
L ife is becoming increasingly complex. We value people who
have the gift of getting beyond the multiple dimensions of
an issue so as to zoom in on the heart of the matter. Such people
prevent us from missing the wood for the trees. They are good
at separating out what really matters from the things that are less
important. They encourage us to invest our energies in what is
really worthwhile, rather than allowing them to be dissipated by
what is not significant.
Jesus was a person who knew how to go to the heart of the mat-
ter. On one occasion someone asked him to intervene in a family
dispute about inheritance. In his reply, he ignored the concrete
issue and, instead, he called on the person who approached him
to “Be on your guard against all kinds of greed” (Lk 12:13-15) .
He saw that the real issue was not the details of the particular
case but the greed which underlay the dispute.
This capacity of Jesus to get to the heart of the matter is clear
from his response to the question put to him by one of the Phari-
sees in today’s gospel reading, “Master, which is the greatest
commandment of the Law?” In the time of Jesus there were
known to be 613 commandments in the Jewish Law. The poten-
tial here to miss the wood for the trees was enormous. Preoccu-
pation with the detail of regulations could result in people ignor-
ing what really matters, like straining out a gnat but swallowing
a camel (Mt 23:24) . Jesus answered the Pharisee’s question by
going straight to the heart of the Jewish law. He was asked if
there is one “greatest” commandment, but in reply he named
the second greatest commandment as well. For the first com-
mandment, loving the Lord your God with all our heart and
soul, is inseparable from the conjoined commandment, of loving
my neighbor as myself. For Jesus, what God wants from us
above all else is love. There is no genuine love of God unless it
finds expression in love of our neighbor. Love of neighbor, in
turn, presupposes a healthy self-love, recognizing and appreciat-
ing myself as fundamentally good, because I am created in the
image and likeness of God..
CONCERTS FOR THE SOUL
Join Tenor Vocalist Cory James Gallagher and Writer Amy Gal-
lagher for a Musical-Poetic Journey by Candlelight on Saturday
October 28th at 7PM at SS Columba-Brigid Church, 75 Hickory
Street, Buffalo. Autumn is a soul-stirring where we see God’s
glory shining in full splendor. The days grow shorter, and we are
invited to turn inward and listen. Autumn teaches us the grace of
letting go, and the beauty of transformation. This is a time of
mystery where the veils between heaven and earth are thin, and
we can feel our departed loved ones near. Come receive the heal-
ing gifts of this special evening. Event is By Donation. A Re-
ception will follow.
MEAT RAFFLE
Saturday, October 28th at St. Leo the Great Parish
Center, 885 Sweet Home Rd., Amherst. Doors open
at 6 pm; raffle at 7 pm. Admission ticket includes
beer, wine, pop and water. Bring your own snacks.
Lottery tree, 50/50, gift basket raffle, freezer full of
thegreatamherst.com/events/ or at the parish office; no phone
orders. For further information, call 716-835-8905.