Dear Friends, The first reading for the Feast of St. Philip Neri which we celebrate today is a passionate exhortation from St. Paul to the church in Phillipi. It is too long to reprint but here is a link (no pun intended) http://www.liturgies.net/saints/philipneri/readings.htm to the Mass proper’s for the feast. Phillipi is the first Christian community in what is now Greece. Lydia, a business woman and integral leader in the early church, was the first believer baptized there by Paul during his first visit. Paul writes from a jail cell. His future is uncertain at best. Remember the early church did not have a building, or halls or formalized liturgy. They gathered, prayed and lived as was possible. Paul knew that along with joys they would have struggles, perhaps even like his own. As in the earliest days of the church so too are we exhorted to rejoice always; show kindness to all; have no anxiety; surrender needs to God’s providence; reflect on what is true, honorable, just and pure. And as in the time of St. Philip the faith that brought life to the church was not found in a structure but in the human heart and spirit, infused with the power and gifts of the Holy Spirit. As we carry on the pilgrim mission of the church, we too are not defined nor constrained by buildings as we pursue excellence in our spiritual quest. Where we gather may be dear to us, but it is not us - not the Body of Christ. St. Phillip understood this well. While he rebuilt Santa Maria in Vallicella, he understood that it was by touching hearts that the Spirit could heal, strengthen and renew the Body of Christ. While we are in building and renovation projects at our parishes, the buildings do not make us Oratorians, Catholic or believers. It is the union of our hearts, in the heart of Jesus, in the way of St. Philip, that we are the church. We are the church – pilgrim, sacrament, servant, herald and community whether buildings are open or not. We will re-open our worship spaces, and more importantly, open to the Spirit, we will be renewed as the Body of Christ. Let us pray for this earnestly as we come to Pentecost this Sunday. May the same Spirit that filled the heart of St. Philip, fill our hearts and bring us joy and peace. Fr. Michael Callaghan C.O. & Fr. Mark Lane, C.O.

Plan for Reopening Parish Churches in Brooklyn We are happy to announce that beginning May 26, the diocese is permitting limited opening of worship spaces. The diocese has announced a four-phase plan for reopening parish facilities and the return of some liturgical activities in very limited form. Over the coming weeks, we will be working to ensure as safe a reopening as possible. Once buildings are open, we will need your help in observing the standards and keeping one another safe. The initial phase provides for a church to be open for up to four hours in a day for private prayer only. Requirements in phase 1:  No more than 10 persons may be in the church at any given time  All persons must wear masks and have sanitized hands Wear a mask and bring hand sanitizer Persons in the church may not touch anything other than the seats they occupy when present There may be no congregating of persons in the church – no talking, no touching, no standing together All fonts will remain empty of holy water All hymnals, books, pamphlets and bulletins must be removed  One door should be marked for entrance into a church Social distancing of a 6-foot spacing minimum must be observed at all times Church buildings must have clear signage that demarks six foot intervals and rope off seating to meet the 6’ minimum Churches should be sanitized prior to opening and each day after use Baptisms, wedding and funerals are permitted outside of Mass with 10 or fewer people These would be scheduled, and the church not open to others during that time The “elderly and health compromised” are advised to stay home Anyone who feels sick must stay home As you can see re-opening thoughtfully will take some significant effort in order to ensure a clean and appropriate environment. Please stay tuned for further developments and dates when we will have met the standards to open church buildings.Our pastors are hoping to accomplish this in the next several weeks. There are no dates established for any of the future phases.

Your Help Needed In order for a church facility to be open, there must be two volunteers who will monitor admission and social distancing. We will need assistance at each parish church to accomplish this. If you might be able to give an hour or two of your time to assist in this, and can fall within the parameters noted above, please email us at [email protected] .

Virtual Coffee Hour A Success! Eighty people attended the Virtual Coffee Hour on Sunday. The half hour Zoom - included 15 minutes in small group breakout rooms and 15 minutes in a large group full of greetings. Funny hats and joy filled our screens as we celebrated St Philip’s upcoming Saints day. A bonus to a virtual coffer hour is that we were joined by parishioners who moved away. Save the Date for the Second Sunday of each month at 11:30 am for Virtual Coffee Hour. We will continue virtual coffee hour via Zoom the second Sunday of each month - Join us on Sunday, June 14 at 11:30 am.

Please keep the sick of the community in your prayers: Phyllis Condon, Rita Stumbo, Deacon Rich Gilligan, Mary Peterson, Stephen Potter, Ed Acerra, Eleanor O’Neill, Fr. Mike Gibbins, Laura Greeney, Bob Mollman, Marie Smith, Raymond Muhs, Rachel Potter, Linda Anderson-Honsa, Dolores Leon. Rest In Peace: Helen Potenzano and sister, Br. Joe Guyon from the Rockhill Oratory, Joan Hallgren, Fay Milea, Nancy Schiup, Joseph and Rosemary Rontino, John Walter, Sis Bresnahan. If you would like add someone to the prayer list email the parish office at [email protected] or go to the website https://oratorychurch.org/contact-us and complete the information there.

Zoom Instruction Upon Request  Need Zoom instruction? Feeling disconnected from a “virtual” world? Patient & loving instructors available. Contact [email protected]

Stewardship Please remember, if you are able, to keep supporting our parishes as we try to maintain staff, clergy and operations during this time. You can make your donation online through PushPay by clicking on one of the links.  For Assumption https://pushpay.com/g/oratorychurch?src=hpp For St. Boniface https://pushpay.com/g/oratorychurchbrooklyn?src=hpp  Or mail checks to: 64 Middagh St Brooklyn NY 11201 Attn: ABVM or St Boniface ____________________________ Upcoming Collections Monthly Utilities – Assumption Father’s Day Remembrance The Holy Fathers’ – Peter’s Pence, June 28 Donations for special collections can now be made via Pushpay.

New Mailing Address for the Parish Offices The Brooklyn Oratory Parishes of ABVM & St. Boniface 64 Middagh St. Brooklyn NY 11201

Prayer to St. Philip Neri O holy St. Philip Neri, patron saint of joy, you who trusted Scripture’s promise that the Lord is always at hand and that we need not have anxiety about anything, in your compassion heal our worries and sorrows and lift the burdens from our hearts. We come to you as one whose heart swells with abundant love for God and all creation, hear us we pray especially in this need.... Keep us safe through your loving intercession, and may the joy of the Holy Spirit which filled your heart St. Philip,  transform our lives and bring us peace. Amen