St. Mary's by the Sea Catholic Church

Revised Temporary Schedule: DAILY MASS (Monday-Saturday): 8:00 am SATURDAY VIGIL MASS... 5:pm (no music) SUNDAY MASSES 7:30 am (no music) 9:30 am (no music) 11:30 am Latin Low Mass will resume (The 1:30 pm Latin Mass is still cancelled). 4:30 pm Mass (no music) ADORATION & BENEDICTION: Thursday 3:00-4:00 pm CONFESSIONS: Saturday 3:00-4:00 pm

St. Narcissus (c. 99 c. 216 A.D.) was a holy and esteemed priest of Greek origin who became the 30th bishop of Jerusalem in the year 180 A.D., about a century after the city's destruction by the Romans. He was known as a miracle-worker, as well as for governing his diocese with vigor and discipline despite being in his 80th year when he was made bishop. Of his many miracles, the one for which he is most famous was turning water into oil on Holy Saturday, as recorded by the ...historian Eusebius: when the deacons had no oil to burn in the altar lamps for the Easter liturgy, St. Narcissus had them use water instead. After he prayed over the water and it was put into the lamps, it was miraculously converted into oil. In 195 A.D. St. Narcissus was part of a council of bishops who settled the date for the observance of Easter, deciding on Sunday and not the ancient Jewish Passover. Despite his reputation as a holy bishop, St. Narcissus drew opposition. Three enemies accused him of a serious crime and prayed that he might be cursed by God in punishment. This took a toll on the saint, and, forgiving his persecutors, he retired from public life and lived as a hermit for many years. His enemies meanwhile were struck by the calamities that they wished upon him. When St. Narcissus eventually returned to Jerusalem he was exuberantly welcomed by the faithful. He served the people of Jerusalem in many ways until his death at over 116 years old. His feast day is October 29th. See more

St. Jude Thaddeus (1st c.) was a blood relative of Jesus Christ and one of his Twelve Apostles. He was known for his preaching, healing, exorcisms, and his appearance was said to have closely matched that of Jesus'. He is the patron of impossible causes, desperate situations, and hospitals. He also wrote the book of the Bible that bears his name. St. Simon the Zealot (1st c.) was also one of Jesus' Twelve Apostles, but one of the most obscure. He earned his name for being zea...lous for the honor of Jesus, showing a holy indignation towards those who claimed Christ with their lips while dishonoring him with their manner of life. After the Ascension of Jesus, towards the end of his life, it is believed that St. Simon joined St. Jude to preach the Gospel in Persia, where they were both martyred in 65 A.D. St. Simon the Zealot and St. Jude Thaddeus share a feast day on October 28th. See more

Bl. Bartholomew of Vicenza (1201-1270), also known as Bartholomew of Braganca or Breganza, was born to a noble family in Vicenza, Italy. While studying in Padua he entered the newly established Dominican Order as one of their first friars, receiving the habit from St. Dominic himself. Bartholomew quickly advanced to positions of prominence within the Order, becoming prior and then overseeing several convents. He was sent to preach against the heretics in Lombardy, and was so ...successful that in 1235 the Holy Father made him Master of the Sacred Palace (an office known as "The Pope's Theologian") a position which was first held by St. Dominic. In this role he also founded a military order of knights for the purpose of maintaining civil order and peace throughout Italy called the Order of the Knights of the Mother of God (or the Knights of St. Mary). He was later made bishop of Cyprus, and also served as papal legate and confessor to St. Louis King of France, who was then leading a crusade in the Holy Land. From this friendship Bartholomew received the gift of a relic of the True Cross and a thorn from the Crown of Thorns. When Bartholomew returned to his native Vicenza as the city's bishop he built a church to house the precious relics called the Church of the Holy Crown. Bl. Bartholomew of Vicenza was an effective mediator between the factions and feuds of his day, even converting the leader of a heretical party back to the Catholic faith. His feast day is October 27th. See more

St. Alfred the Great (849899 A.D.) was the fifth son of the King of Wessex in England. Legend has it that at the age of four he was sent to Rome to be anointed as king by Pope Leo IV. Alfred rose to the throne in 871 A.D. after the successive deaths of his father and older brothers. As king he fought valiantly against the Danish Viking invaders who threatened the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England. Alfred defeated the Vikings and enjoyed fifteen years of peace until the attacks... were renewed. While other kingdoms fell to the raiders, he prevailed over them. Alfred then considered himself the defender of all Anglo-Saxon Christians against the pagan Viking threat, and after liberating villages from their control, he worked to restore what they destroyed. Wessex then became a rallying point against the enemy, which in turn consolidated the smaller kingdoms. This led to the unification of England under St. Alfred's sons and grandsons, who conquered the remaining lands seized by the Vikings and joined them to their kingdom. St. Alfred the Great was known as a courageous, just, and pious man, and the ideal Christian king. He brought learned men into his kingdom and excelled in his own academic ventures by translating into the Anglo-Saxon language many important religious and secular works that taught the ideal of Christian kingship, which he in turn endeavored to practice. His feast day is October 26th. See more

Sts. Crispin and Crispinian (d. 286 A.D.) were brothers, believed to be twins, from a noble Roman family. They were Christians and went as missionaries into Gaul (present-day France). Taking the Apostle St. Paul as their example, they earned their living through a trade, dividing their time between ministry and work. Their craft was shoe-making, and because they asked little pay for their shoes they were loved and esteemed by all. Crispin and Crispinian used their work as an ...opportunity to share the Christian faith with the pagans they encountered, and many were converted through their witness. During the persecution of the Roman Emperor Diocletian they were denounced as Christians and brought before the co-emperor, Maximanus Herculius. The emperor tried to persuade them to abandon their faith with promises and threats, but to no effect. The brothers were then given over to the governor who was notorious for his cruelty. They were stretched on the rack, their flesh was cut, and awls were driven under their fingernails. They were then thrown into a river with a millstone tied to their necks, but they both miraculously survived and swam back to shore. They were caught and finally beheaded. Crispin and Crispinian are the patron saints of shoemakers, saddlers, and tanners. Their feast, known as St. Crispin's Day, is October 25th. See more

St. Anthony Mary Claret (18071870) was born in Spain, the fifth of eleven children, the same year Napoleon invaded the country. He took up his father's trade of weaving before entering the priesthood. He served as a parish priest with a missionary's zeal for the salvation of souls. He often preached multiple sermons in a single day, traveled to preach parish missions and retreats for the clergy, and heard confessions for hours on end. His labors were rewarded by many people ...returning to a fervent practice of the Catholic faith, especially as a result of his meek and gentle manner. He was made Archbishop of Santiago and sent to Cuba from 1849-1857. His great reforms of the neglected diocese, both ecclesiastically and socially, were so sweeping and effective that his life was threatened. He was recalled back to Spain as confessor to the queen, where his tireless and fruitful priestly work continued. To increase his apostolic efforts he founded the Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, known today as the Claretians. He also founded a major Catholic publisher in Spain, and wrote or published hundreds of books. He was so opposed in his efforts that he was severely persecuted and eventually exiled to Paris, along with the Spanish queen, by revolutionary enemies of religion. He took part in the First Vatican Council, his wisdom and sanctity being evident to all, before suffering a stroke and dying in exile in France. During his life St. Anthony Marie Claret had the gift of prophesy and reading of consciences, in addition to performing many miracles. A resplendent light was also observed to shine from his face as he offered the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. His feast day is October 24th. See more

St. John of Capistrano (1385-1456) was born in Capistrano, Italy. After the death of his father, his mother sent him to study law in Perugia where he rose to prominence. He achieved great success as a lawyer and was appointed governor of Perugia. He was an upright leader who refused bribes and corruption. While attempting to negotiate a peace treaty he was imprisoned, which gave him opportunity to assess the direction of his life and the state of his soul. After having a visi...on of St. Francis of Assisi, John left the world and entered religious life as a Franciscan friar. He was taught theology by St. Bernardine of Siena, and together the two worked to reform the Franciscan order. St. John traveled throughout Italy preaching for the salvation of souls, combating the heresies of his day, and winning many souls away from schism and heresy. Merchants would suspend their business as great crowds gathered to hear him preach in the public squares. He was also known as a healer, and many of the sick were brought to him to be cured. St. John was frequently used as an ambassador by the Holy See which allowed him to preach across the Holy Roman Empire, earning him the name "Apostle of Europe." He also preached a crusade against the Muslim Turks for the emancipation of Hungary. He was present at the Battle of Belgrade and led the charge of the Christian army under a banner monogrammed with the Holy Name of Jesus, to which he had a great devotion, urging the crusaders to invoke the name of Jesus for success in battle. The victory of the Christian army was attributed to his efforts. St. John of Capistrano is the patron of judges, military chaplains, lawyers, and jurists. His feast day is October 23rd. See more

Pope St. John Paul II (19202005) was born in Poland and was a vibrant, athletic, and intelligent child. His deeply religious father played an important role in his spiritual formation after his mother's death when he was 8 years old. He studied literature, poetry, and theater before his studies were interrupted by the Nazi invasion of Poland in 1939. He answered the call to the priesthood, and after entering a clandestine seminary was ordained in 1946. He completed his docto...ral studies in Rome and returned to Poland where he ministered in a special way to young people. He was ordained a bishop in 1958 and attended the Second Vatican Council in 1962. He is well known for his leadership in encouraging a spiritual and cultural resistance to the Communist occupation of Poland. He was elected Supreme Pontiff in 1978, the first non-Italian pope in over 450 years, and had the second-longest pontificate in history. He was a remarkable theologian and philosopher and a guardian of orthodoxy. During his time as Holy Father he gave a multitude of important contributions to the Church including his teaching on the Theology of the Body, his emphasis on the Universal Call to Holiness, and his strong devotion to the Virgin Mary. He is also known as the "Pope of the Family." During his pontificate he beatified 1338 people and canonized 482 saints. He also visited 129 countries, making him one of the most well-traveled world leaders in history. He was canonized by Pope Francis in 2014. His feast day is October 22nd. See more

St. Isaac Jogues (16071646) was born in France to a middle-class family, and at the age of 17 entered a Jesuit seminary where he displayed a talent for writing and teaching. He was ordained in January of 1636 at the age of 29, and three months later was sent as a missionary priest to the rugged wilderness of New France (now Canada) to work among the Huron and Algonquin Native American tribes. Despite the hardship of life in the wilderness, Isaac experienced great spiritual j...oy in his mission. One day, six years into his work, he was captured by a Mohawk-Iroquois war party. He was enslaved and ritually tortured, in addition to being malnourished and inadequately clothed. His hands were severely mutilated and many of his fingers destroyed, which prevented his ability to say Mass. He continued to preach the faith and was named Ondessonk, "the indomitable one," by his Mohawk captors. After over a year in captivity he escaped with the help of Dutch settlers. He went back to France where he was honored as a "living martyr." He obtained special permission from the pope to say Mass with his mutilated hands. Instead of continuing his life in peace, St. Isaac was zealous to return to his mission field. He returned to New France, and by that time a peace treaty was arranged between the warring native tribes allowing him to work among the Mohawks. However, when they suffered a crisis of crop failure and epidemic disease, the Mohawks blamed the Christians for sorcery and attacked the settlers. St. Isaac Jogues died after being tomahawked in the head, and his body was thrown into the Mohawk River. He is the patron of the Americas and Canada. Isaac Jogues earned the name "Apostle of the Mohawks" for his work. New York state's first Catholic baptismal record was due to his priestly ministry. He and his companions were the first martyrs of the North American continent officially recognized by the Church. His feast day is October 19th. See more

St. Luke the Evangelist (1st c.) was a well-educated Greek physician and a native of Antioch in Syria. He was one of the earliest converts to Christianity, believed to have been one of Jesus' seventy disciples. He was a follower of St. Paul the Apostle and spent most of his life evangelizing with him in Asia Minor up until the time of Paul's martyrdom in Rome. Luke wrote a canonical account of his apostolic journeys with Paul (the Book of Acts) as well as a biography on the l...ife of Christ (the Gospel of Luke). The two books of Luke's Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles were originally a single work. The intimate accounts contained in Luke's gospel of the early years of Christ's life (the Visitation, the Nativity, the Presentation, etc.) lead many scholars to believe that one of the eyewitnesses he interviewed was the Blessed Virgin Mary herself. According to tradition he was also a skilled artist and painted the first icons of Our Lady with the Child Jesus. Several of these icons are still venerated today, the most famous of which hangs in the Church of St. Mary Major in Rome. St. Luke is the patron saint of many trades including artists, painters, doctors, surgeons, and bachelors. His feast day is October 18th. See more

Sunday’s Readings

St. Ignatius of Antioch (d. c. 98-117) was a Syrian who became a disciple of St. John the Apostle. Tradition holds that he was the infant whom Jesus took in his arms, saying, "Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me" as recounted in Mark's Gospel. St. Ignatius was a pagan convert to Christianity and succeeded St. Peter the Apostle as the third bishop of Antioch, being ordained by St. Peter himself.... He was an important Church Father of the Apostolic age, an ideal pastor, and a fearless soldier of Christ. He was tireless in supporting his flock against dangerous heresies and the terrors of the persecutions of the Roman Emperors. When Ignatius violated the imperial edict to worship false gods, he was arrested and led before Emperor Trajan. After boldly proclaiming the truth of Jesus Christ, he was condemned to be devoured by wild beasts for public sport in the Roman Colosseum. On his journey from Syria to Rome he wrote many letters to his fellow Christians, encouraging them with his apostolic zeal and exhorting them to obey their bishops. He also pleaded that none try to obtain his release, as he was eager to lay down his life for Jesus, saying, The only thing I ask of you is to allow me to offer the libation of my blood to God. I am the wheat of the Lord; may I be ground by the teeth of the beasts to become the immaculate bread of Christ. He was devoured by lions in Rome in the early second century. St. Ignatius of Antioch is the first to have used the term "Catholic" Church, meaning "Universal." His feast day is October 17th. See more