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When it comes to protecting human life from the womb to the tomb, New York's policymakers behave more like a "Vampire State" than to serve the Empire State. That is where you and I come into the picture. Let's remind our state legislators that our elderly, frail, and disabled deserve more than DEATH as a prescription to their disabilities and problems. Kindly visit www.nyscatholic.org/action-center to send your objections to our legislators because New York is the Empire State, not the Vampire State!

On this feast day, also known as Candlemas and to many Catholics of traditional spirituality or Hispanic background as the end of the Christmas season, Holy Mass in the Ordinary Form will be offered at 8 a.m. at Presentation Church and at in the Extraordinary Form at 11:30 a.m. at Sacred Heart Church. At each Mass, our priest-celebrants would be only too happy to bless candles and reverent images of the Baby Jesus for Mass-goers. All people of good will are most welcome at our Masses and blessings.

In concert with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, our parish kept the National Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children on Mon., Jan. 23 since this year the anniversary of "Roe v. Wade" (Jan. 22) fell on a Sunday. Holy Mass in the Ancient Use was offered at 11:30 a.m. at Sacred Heart Church. Flags at both churches were flown at half-mast in mourning and protest over abortion on demand and its millions of victims. Our parish continues to work with the Ulster Deanery Respect Life Committee.

We join our Archdiocese and the world to pray for the soul of Pope Emeritus BENEDICT XVI. Consistent with guidelines provided to us, we have erected memorial spaces at Presentation Church and at Sacred Heart Church. After the 8 a.m. Mass today, the Presentation church bells were rung 95 times for the age of His Holiness at death. We thank God for the dozens of people who attended our End-of-Year Holy Hour on the night of December 31st, including praying for the late Benedict XVI. May he rest in peace! Amen.

As announced previously on this website, our parish bulletin, and announcements at Mass, in 2023 we hope to see you and your family at Mass on Sundays as follows: PRESENTATION: 9 a.m., with confessions heard from 8:15 to 8:45 a.m. SACRED HEART: 11:30 a.m. (Extraordinary Form), with confessions heard from 10:45 to 11:15 a.m. VIGIL MASS ON SATURDAYS: The time remains at 5 p.m. at Sacred Heart Church. 4:15-4:45 Confessions

Building on the success of last year's inaugural End-of-Year Holy Hour at Presentation Church with dozens of participants, we invite you anew to join us in adoration of the Eucharistic JESUS, the Lord of all time, from 11:15 p.m. to 12:15 a.m. All people of good will are welcome to join us for this hour of Solemn Eucharistic Exposition, Adoration, and Benediction. Families are most welcome too. Sat., Dec. 31, 2022, from 11:15 p.m. to 12:15 a.m., Sun., Jan. 1, 2023. No preregistration required. Come with your faith!

At the festivities of Our Lady of Guadalupe (Dec. 12) at St. Mary-St. Andrew Church at Ellenville, on behalf of our parishioners and their donations on Thanksgiving Day, Fr. Rojas presented a check to the pastor of St. Mary-St. Andrew with the collections as help to hos parish's Food Pantry, which helps dozens of the poor and hungry every week in the most economically distressed part of Ulster County. The check of $2,113 is more than triple the amount collected last year from our parish. Truly an Advent work of mercy!

(Dec. 7, 2022) Our parish and R.C.I.C./Religious Education Program was most pleased to cooperate with Council #275 (Knights of Columbus) to invite the REAL Santa Claus, St. Nicholas of Myra, to visit Port Ewen tonight at St. Leo's Hall at Presentation Church. Almost 100 children, youths, and elders enjoyed in English and Spanish the visit of Saint Nick as well as prayer, carols and hymns, good food, sweets, gifts and holy cards, and even pictures with the REAL Father Christmas. St. Nicholas of Myra, inspiration of "Santa Claus", pray for us! Blessed Advent to you! (Picture thanks to Mr. Vincent Coq)

Our parishioners, the DiIorio family, are no "holidians"! Compared to last year, when we featured their Advent display at their home, the DiIorios increased the elegance of the violet colors of Advent this December. While others celebrate the "holiday" season, the DiIorios are following Advent to prepare for the coming of the Lord at CHRISTMAS, the birthday of JESUS CHRIST. We salute the DiIorios for decorating their home as CHRISTIANS this Advent and providing valuable witness to their neighbors of a CHRISTIAN sense of time and place. (Picture thanks to Mr. & Mrs. C. DiIorio)

On November 27th, the first Sunday of Advent further was graced after the 11 a.m. Mass at Sacred Heart with the baptism of baby GABRIEL GERARD RICHARD CLAVIN. The "churching" blessing of Mrs. Clavin afterwards was arguably the first at our parish in some decades. The monthly Fellowship Hour after the 11 a.m. Mass was very joyful as dozens of parishioners celebrated with Mr. & Mrs. Dennis Clavin, Gabriel's parents, and Mr. & Mrs. Christian Willis, his godparents. (Picture thanks to Mrs. Emily Clavin),

Since in both Ordinary Form and Extraordinary Form calendars, the patronal feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary falls on Nov. 21st, on Monday a special Mass was offered by Fr. Rojas at Presentation Church, Port Ewen. About 40 persons attended the first Extraordinary Form Mass offered inside the church in about 55 years. A tasty luncheon followed at St. Leo's Hall for dozens of people, thanks to the Women's Society at Presentation Church (Mrs. Linda Zifchak, President).

We salute the ULSTER DEANERY RESPECT LIFE COMMITTEE for its resolve against the intolerant cowards who defaced its pro-life billboard on Nov. 14th. Our parish stands with all who believe that the TRUE threat to democracy comes from those who respond to moral stances by mayhem instead of by argument. We cheer the speedy replacement of the defaced poster and its vile graffiti with a brand-new pro-life poster to evangelize the traffic on Route 9W. That poster is welcome in our parish territory!

Catch your rays from the Eucharistic JESUS in the Blessed Sacrament at our parish this month as follows: SATURDAY, Nov. 5th from 8:45 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. (after the 8 a.m. Mass) at PRESENTATION Church, 209 Hoyt Street, Port Ewen, and SATURDAY, Nov. 19th from 3:15 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. at SACRED HEART Church, 1055 Broadway, Esopus. JESUS LOVES IT WHEN YOU VISIT HIM!

About 40 persons on average - including a few children each session - attended each session of our first in-person Catholic Bible Study course under the administration of Fr. Rojas, "Encounter with Jesus Christ: The Gospel according to Saint Matthew." Starting on October 29 and concluding on November 12, Fr. Marc Oliver sagely guided his listeners through this Gospel over three Saturdays at Sacred Heart Church. Given the interest in future in-person study of the Holy Bible, Fr. Rojas hopes to introduce a next offering at the start of 2023.

ALL SAINTS DAY (Nov. 1, Holy Day of Obligation): Masses at Sacred Heart at 8 a.m. (Ordinary Form) and 11 a.m. (Extraordinary Form) and at Presentation at 6:30 p.m. (Ordinary Form). RELICS OF SAINTS WILL BE VENERATED AFTER MASS. Confessions will be heard at Sacred Heart from 10:15 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. ALL SOULS DAY (Nov. 2): Masses at Sacred Heart at 8 a.m. (Ordinary Form) and 11 a.m. (Extraordinary Form) and at Presentation at 6:30 p.m. (Ordinary Form). Prayer for the Dead is a Spiritual Work of Mercy!

According to the current issue of "Catholic New York", of the 24 Life Chains scheduled for Respect Life Sunday (Oct 2) in the Archdiocese of New York, eight were located in Ulster County. Of the seven parishes sponsoring these eight chains, only Presentation-Sacred Heart Parish sponsored more than one Life Chain. Each church, Presentation at Port Ewen and Sacred Heart at Esopus, held a Life Chain from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. which together rallied 62 peaceful and prayerful witnesses for the prolife cause along Rte. 9W. Thanks to the local Bruderhof for sending us some participants.

All of pro-life good will are welcome to the Annual Respect Life Mass on Fri., Oct. 21 at 5:30 p.m. at St. Joseph's Church, 242 Wall St., Kingston. No pre-registration is required. The annual Respect Life Dinner will follow at the Venue Restaurant of the Best Western Inn at Kingston. Tickets are $45 each. Reserve them IN ADVANCE via Barbara McCabe at 845/338-9306 or [email protected] To reserve your ad in the dinner journal, please visit www.ulsterdeaneryrespectlife.org for details.

PRAYER CHAINS FOR LIFE, Sun., Oct. 2, 2-3 p.m., One chain on the block of Mid-Hudson Valley Federal Credit Union on Broadway (Port Ewen) and the other in front of Sacred Heart Church, 1055 Broadway (Esopus). PEACEFUL, PRAYERFUL PRO-LIFE WITNESS. Families are most welcome! For more info, Dcn. Timothy Dean 845-658-2004/Barbara McCabe 845-338-9306.

More than 50 persons, including some youths, enjoyed the Day of Recollection, "Christ: the Divine Physician", given by Fr. Thomas DeSimone (St. Mary-St. Andrew, Ellenville) at Presentation. The event concluded with a Holy Hour atop the outdoor altar of Our Lady of the Hudson amidst the beauty of the Hudson Valley. Kudos to the Women's Society (Presentation) for the refreshments, our volunteer sound team, and everyone who helped with the beautiful, JESUS-filled day in body and soul.