The Diocese of Brooklyn will be celebrating a Vigil Mass of
Repose for our Holy Father, Pope Francis, on Friday, April 25, 2025.
It will be held at 6:30pm at Saint Bartholomew parish,
43-22 Ithaca Street, Elmhurst, New York 11373.
Bishop Brennan will be the main celebrant.
This Mass will be celebrated bilingually in English and Spanish.
It will also be live-streamed on the parish Facebook page at
https://www.facebook.com/SaintBartsRCChurch
We invite you to watch a short video explaining how your donation to the Catholic Appeal helps fund vital services provided by the diocese, including the formation of future priests in the seminary.
Without your generosity, we risk a future where parishes like ours may not have a priest to lead us in faith. Every pledge matters — even a small contribution of $20 helps sustain the services that strengthen our Catholic community.
On May 3rd and 4th, please take a moment during Mass to complete a pledge card.
Together, we can ensure the future of our Church and our faith.
Thank you for your support!
A Special Moment of Remembrance at St. Margaret Church
This morning, St. Margaret Church witnessed a heartfelt and moving ceremony
following the 9:00 AM Monthly Memorial Mass, honoring all those who passed away during the month.
In a touching display of community and faith, Fr. Joseph led the congregation in a beautiful blessing of the new memorials
added to our cherished Tree of Life. These memorials serve as enduring tributes, lovingly dedicated to the memory of our
departed loved ones, symbolizing the everlasting bond we share with them.
The service was a poignant reminder of the strength and unity of our parish family,
as we continue to celebrate the lives and legacies of those who have gone before us.
Thank you to everyone who joined us for this meaningful occasion.
Let us continue to keep our loved ones in our prayers and hearts. ❤️
Our Infant of Prague statue has been a beloved part of the St. Margeret’s parish for many decades, It resided in the Padre Pio Alcover where many people would come and leave their heartfelt petitions under the statue in the devout belief that their prayer would be answered. Last year the decision was made to restore the statue, and it was removed just in time, as not long after, the ceiling in the alcove collapsed exactly above where the Infant had been. The statue would never have survived and so we believe that this was quite miraculous.
Devotion to the Infant of Prague is devotion to the infancy of Christ and dates back to Europe in the 1600s. When the Emperor Ferdinand II moved his palace to Vienna and stopped supporting the Carmelite monastery, they fell into such financial distress that they did not even have enough to eat. The Spanish princess, Polyxena, living there at the time, brought them her statue of the Infant Jesus, her most prized possession in the world, telling them “As long as you venerate this image you will never know want.” The Carmelites put the statue in a place of honor, praying to Him daily and discovered that those words were true.
As long as the community honored the Infant Jesus, they found that they were financial sound and found that there were no problems that could not be overcome which is reflected in this quote from a book from that time:
All those who approach the miraculous statue and pray there with confidence receive assistance in danger, consolation in sorrows, aid in financial distress, comfort in anxiety, light in darkness, health in sickness and hope in despair.
With this wonderful legacy of miracles throughout the centuries, St Margaret’s parish made the decision to turn to he Infant of Prague in their time of need, restoring His statue and devotion,
And so, on January 12, 2025, at the Family Mass, Father Peter dedicated the restored Infant of Prague statue with this dedication.
We the parish of St. Margaret’s, come to you, dearest Infant Jesus, as did the Carmelites of Prague, begging you to deliver us from our financial distress with the promise that just as they gave you the place of honor not only in their church but in their hearts and families, we will do the same in our church, our hearts and our families.
We invite everyone to bring your needs and the needs of the parish of St. Margaret’s to the feet of the Infant of Prague