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Are we able to use our rights, liberties and our own self-awareness and examination to defend the freedoms of all? If the answer is yes, then we can say that we are truly free.

There’s a message for all of us this week. Turn to God. Ask Him. Trust Him to provide not just enough… but extra! Decide to have faith.

Welcome Fr. Peter Bassey! Fr. Peter is our new Parochial Vicar to the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels and St. John the Evangelist linked parishes! Born in Nigeria, Fr. Peter never planned on ending up in Buffalo, but he listened and followed his calling and learned how to handle the cold. He was ordained in 2018 amongst many challenges in the Catholic Church. Fr. Peter focuses on serving Jesus first and doing all the work of the Church in the spirit of love. He is a great example of the good work many young Catholic priests are doing to rebuild the Church while leading, inspiring and serving others. We will hear more from Fr. Peter very soon.

During these times, and in these areas, let us turn to Our Savior, Our Liberator, Jesus, Our Brother and Our God, and pray for deliverance from these areas that hold us captive either from external or internal barriers. Let us embrace that which makes us truly free. Let us turn to and rely on the Lord and embrace with open hearts, mind and souls, the One Who gifts us with His very  Being. Let us freely embrace Our One and Only God, and choose Life, Liberty and True Freedom!

Jesus is the Good Shepherd for His time, for our time and for all time! Let’s find a deserted place and rest with Him and pray with Him and help Him to minister to His people. 

Diocese of Norwich Outreach to Haiti At Masses on July 24-25, parishioners will hear about the Diocese of Norwich Outreach to Haiti’s mission serving the poor of Haiti. The second collection is dedicated to this ministry in Haiti. Funds from this collection will support the thousands of families in the poverty-stricken area of Christ the King in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Your gifts can help provide medical care, nutrition supplements and food, education scholarships, support for orphanages, and efforts to rebuild the medical clinic. For 40 years, the ministry has been serving some of God’s poorest, faith-filled Haitians, in the values of the Gospel, providing sacramental and spiritual support through its programs and relationships with twins in both the US and Haiti. Fr. Frank Rouleau lives in Port-au-Prince, serves as Chaplain & Director of Parish Twining for Outreach, and as translator/guide for all visitors. He comes to share Christ’s mission and invite you to be a part of our diocesan ministry. Our Haitian brothers and sisters are struggling with severe food shortages, political unrest, and the uncertainties we are all facing with this virus, but more challenging in Haiti where health care is meager. We hope the Holy Spirit will speak to you for prayerful support of Outreach to Haiti and we thank you for your generosity. For more information about this ministry please visit www.outreachtohaiti.org

During this time, as we acknowledge and celebrate our liberties that flow from our Lord, let us choose to follow Him and to make Him the center of our lives as the image above so beautifully illustrates. Let us decide on a choice freely made to stamp out oppression, to acknowledge and condemn the killing and disregarding of the vulnerable and the innocent, and to protect the God given rights of all people to follow their faith as their conscience dictates without oppression and persecution. Let us cry out from every aspect of our being, our soul -- Freedom!  

Summarily, in today’s Gospel the disciples are sent out and, simultaneously, we’re being sent out to share our faith in a spirit of humility and characterized by detachment from possessions. We are sent out with a spirit of love, with intent to comfort and even heal others with the same unconditional love which we have received from our God; the Most Holy Trinity. We are asked to preach repentance and to evangelize others. Some faculties, such as forgiveness of sins and celebrating Mass are reserved for priests, but we are ALL called to love, serve and evangelize others. We are all being called to extend the Kingdom of God by sharing our faith and letting it shine! Let’s all be a “praise of glory!”

Attn: No 7:30 am Saturday Mass at the Basilica. Saturday Confessions at St. John's (1:30-2:30pm) are canceled due to staff shortage.

https://www.sjteolean.org/st-johns-festival.html Let us support our linked Parish's 39th Annual Festival to be held on Saturday, July 17th. St. John's will be selling their raffle tickets before and after every Mass the weekend of July 10-11 in front of the Basilica! Ticket is $100 with the opportunity to win cash prizes totaling $20,000. Pre-order your delicious take-out food that St. John's is always noted for. Take a chance on the theme baskets. Pick up one of the fliers at the entrances of the Basilica. Go online to order at sjteolean.org or call Parish Office at 372-5313. Outdoor Mass Boardman Park at 4 pm. There will be NO 4:30 pm Vigil Mass at the St. John's Church - Only the 4:00 pm in Boardman Park located on N. Union St. https://www.sjteolean.org/st-johns-festival.html

Reflect that if people wouldn’t listen to Ezekiel, Paul and Jesus, they won’t listen to us, either when we speak out on moral or ethical issues of our day. Nevertheless, we must try. Be prepared to be humbled and exalted!

Healing Prayer Healing river of the Spirit, bathe the wounds that living brings. Plunge our pain, our sin, our sadness deep within Your sacred springs. Weary from the restless searching that has lured us from your side, we discover in Your presence peace that world cannot provide. Wellspring of the healing Spirit, stream that flows to bring release, as we gain ourselves, our senses, may our lives reflect your peace. Grateful for the flood that heals us, may your Church enact your grace. As we meet both friend and stranger, may we see our Savior's face. Lord God, our beloved, Father, I know You are the Creator of all things and bring all things to goodness. I know and believe that You Sent Your Son, the Resurrection and the Life, to recreate us so we may remain in Your image. You created me and know my every need (Psalm 139:14-16). My heart is full of desires for healing, and today, I come before You and I trust You completely with those desires. Open my eyes to see the healing that You are already working within my life and the lives of my loved ones. You work in mighty ways, and I pray that Your Healing love, Your Holy Spirit would be at work bringing all those that I pray for to wholeness of health in mind, body and Spirit. I pray this through Jesus Christ, Your Son. Amen

Monday, July 5th: 7 am Communion Service at the Basilica 8 am Communion Service at St. John the Evangelist 12 noon Mass at the Basilica

NEW COVID GUIDELINES: There are new guidelines concerning the relaxed COVID restrictions that have recently been outlined from the Diocese. At this time, the wearing of the masks is optional based on your comfort level and your vaccination status. All clergy and Eucharistic Ministers will still use masks during Communion distribution. Social distancing continues for just the side pews, again, for your pew choice and your comfort while other pews are all open. Please be respectful of the distancing and mask wearing that fellow parishioners choose to maintain.

“See what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called the children of God.  Yet so we are.” - 1 John 3:1 Click title for full article.

Once again we’re told to make decisions that bring us closer to God so we can ask for help and be confident that help and healing will be given. Get close to merciful Jesus. Ask. And, believe! Miracles happen. Have faith! 

Fr. David will be leaving our Olean Catholic Community. He will be the pastor of St. Dominic's Catholic Community in Westfield, NY. We want to thank you, Fr. David, for the past nine years of guiding us in your prayerful way. Although Fr. David will be leaving by the end of next week, we will have an official farewell on August 1st. Stay tuned for details.

Parish Office will be closing at 10:30am as the staff has a meeting at St. John's. We are sorry for the short notice, but we only learned of this late yesterday afternoon. We will re-open on Monday at 9 am.

No 12:15 pm Mass on Monday, June 21st. Alternatives: 7 am Communion Service and 8 am Mass at St. John's.

A Father’s Day Prayer Heavenly Father, Today we ask You to bless our earthly fathers for the many times they reflected the love, strength, generosity, wisdom and mercy that You exemplify in Your relationship with us, Your children. We honor our fathers for putting our needs above their own convenience and comfort; let them be examples of faith and love that shine forth -- for teaching us to show courage and determination in the face of adversity; for challenging us to move beyond our self interests; for modeling the qualities that would turn us into responsible, caring adults of good character. Give these men the grace to acknowledge and learn from their mistakes. Help them to be examples of humility and love. We ask your blessing on those men who served as father figures in our lives. Give new and future fathers the guidance they need to raise happy and holy children, grounded and anchored in a love for God and other people. We pray that all of our fathers who have passed into the next life have been welcomed into Your loving embrace, and that our family will one be day be reunited in your heavenly kingdom. In union with St. Joseph, whom you entrusted with your Son, we ask your generous blessings today and every day.