ST. TERESA OF AVILA PARISHST. TERESA OF AVILA PARISH Akron, New York

TERESIAN TIMESTERESIAN TIMES Volume 9, No. 1 (Deluxe Edition) Lent 2016

Pastor

Rev. David Baker

Rectory

5771 Buell Street

P.O. Box 168, Akron, NY

14001

Phone: 716-542-9103

Fax: 716-542-2444

stteresasofakron@verizon.net

Mass Schedule

Sunday

8:00, 10:15 AM

Saturday Vigil

4:30 PM

Weekday Liturgies

Daily

8:00 AM

Except Wednesday 5:30 PM

Saturday

9:00 AM

Vigil of Holy Days

4:30 PM

Holy Days

8:00 AM and 7:30 PM

Religious Education

Director

Sr. M. Ruth Warejko, CSSF

Convent: 716-542-9717

Classtime Office: 716-542-5777

Business Manager

Melissa Sanford

Baptisms

Arrangements must be made

3 weeks prior

Marriages

Please contact the Parish

Rectory for more information

“All my longing is that, since the Lord has so many enemies

and so few friends, that these friends be good ones.”

HAPPY 500th BIRTHDAY, ST. TERESA!

Throughout all of 2015, the Discalced Carmelite order worldwide

celebrated the 500th birthday of their foundress, St. Teresa of Avila.

It seems no coincidence that in the same year,

Bishop Malone announced that this parish, under St. Teresa’s patronage,

would remain open and receive a new pastor.

Thanking God for this gift, we begin a new volume of the Teresian Times...

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NOVENA PRAYER WITH SNOVENA PRAYER WITH ST. TERESAT. TERESA

Father in Heaven,

by Your Spirit

You raised up St. Teresa of Avila

to show Your Church

the way to perfection.

May her teaching awaken in us

a longing for true holiness.

May we share her love for You

and remain blameless

through the new life we receive.

Grant these graces through Christ our Lord.

Glory Be (3 times)

St. Teresa of Avila, pray for us.

Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on us.

FROM OUR NEW PASTOR...FROM OUR NEW PASTOR...

Blessed be God forever!

I have felt the grace of many prayers

surrounding me this first month as your pastor.

In the hope that God will continue to bless

our parish (particularly with success in our

March Mission), I invite you to join me in

offering a Novena for St. Teresa’s prayerful

intercession, using the prayer in the next column.

We will pray this prayer at daily Mass beginning February 26,

nine days before March Mission begins. For those who cannot

attend daily liturgy, I invite you to pray the novena from home,

united with us through spiritual bonds. Ministry of Praise

members, I am thinking especially of you as I write this request.

One of my immediate goals is to reach out to the young

church, some of which is underway with our teens (see page 6). I

also want to connect with our young adults. I recall being 25 and

feeling like no one in my generation valued their faith. I'd like to

highlight the other side - those who stayed strong in the Spirit. In

each issue, I'll profile a young adult from our parish and let them

tell how they kept their faith intact. First up is a young woman

from our developing youth ministry team, Amanda Buczek. See

page 7 for Amanda’s soul story.

I’ve had the chance to introduce myself from the pulpit and in

the Akron Bugle, but the real question is, “what do other people

think about you?” On page 5 is a biography written by a teenager

from my previous parish. She convinced me to tell a few secrets

which I usually don’t reveal. Read on, dear parishioners, and I

hope to see you at Mass and at the many parish events advertised

herein.

Fr. Dave

Did you know…

Fr. Dave is the Friday co-host of

Calling All Catholics

on WLOF 101.7 FM

the Station of the Cross.

Tune in Fridays from 5—6 p.m.

Better yet, call in with a question and

stump your new pastor live on the air!

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Forget about March Madness

and come to

March Mission at St. Teresa of Avila Parish Hall

Three Sunday Afternoons

March 6th — Does faith make any sense in a world of telescopes and microscopes?

March 13th — ’Put out into deep water’ - becoming a more spiritual person.

April 10th — Living the abundant life - what the resurrection means for your life.

Schedule:

12:30 p.m. Social mingling time

1:00 p.m. — Old fashioned family pasta dinner… “mangia!”

- prepared by Cipollina’s own Chef Jerry

2:00 p.m. — Witness talk (learn more of Fr. Dave’s secrets!)

2:30 p.m. — Meditation from St. Teresa of Avila

3:00 p.m. — Main Speaker

Main Speaker March 6th:

Jeffrey Skurka

Combining his faith and

engineering background

from the nuclear Industry,

Jeffrey explains how the 1988

radio-carbon dating results

of the Shroud of Turin

prove it’s authenticity!

MARCH MISSIONMARCH MISSION

Child C

are

will be

availab

le!

Shroud Of Turin. 1898. Sententias.org. Sententias: Dialogues Concerning Philosophy, Theology, and Science. Web. Photograph

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A JEDI KNIGHT & ST. TERESAA JEDI KNIGHT & ST. TERESA

Who could forget the great British actor Sir Alec

Guinness? Sir Alec had a lifelong history of

Shakespearean drama on stage

and screen, but many American

fans knew him only as Obi-Wan

Kenobi from the Star Wars films

(a fact that pained him deeply).

With the current excitement over

Star Wars Episode VII, what

better time to mention another

side of this great actor: his Catholic faith.

Alec Guinness was raised Anglican and always had

an attraction to the idea of God. He read many

spiritual books, including the writings of St. Teresa of

Avila, as well as her associate, St. John of the Cross.

In his own words, from his memoir My Name

Escapes Me, Sir Alec speaks about his fascination with

both these Carmelite saints:

“It was at the beginning of the war, many years

before I became a Catholic, that I became interested,

in a totally uncomprehending way, in the Spanish

mystics. St Teresa of Avila's autobiography -- which

must be the greatest given to the world -- set me off,

reading it nightly by the kitchen fire in a tiny cottage

we rented for a few shillings a week.

As Teresa was a penfriend with St J of X, I wanted

to delve into him as well. But he is a tougher going

and hasn't the endearing jokes that make St T of A

almost fun. Among the qualities they have in common

is a breathtaking honesty.”

It was years later, on location

in France filming the movie Father

B r o w n ( b a s e d o n G .K .

Chesterton’s priest-detective

novels) that Guinness decided to

become a Catholic.

While on break from filming,

Guinness wandered into town,

still wearing his priest costume. A

young child ran up, grabbed his

hand, and began talking excitedly.

Guinness decided that any faith

which could inspire such trust in

a child must be the true one.

He was received into the Catholic faith on March

24, 1956. Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord. And

may the Force (of God’s Spirit) be with us all.

NEW STATUENEW STATUE

GRACES ST. TERESA’S CEMETERYGRACES ST. TERESA’S CEMETERY

Did you know: St. Teresa of Avila Parish has its

very own Cemetery, located on Bloomingdale Road

just past the school, heading out of the village?

Over the past couple of years there have been

several improvements made to this sacred land. A

new road has been put in through both the old and

new sections, new water lines have been added, and

an additional .82 acres has been purchased for

future use. Most recently, a beautiful statue of Jesus

has been erected in the new section.

Future plans include the addition of benches and

a memorial garden. Opportunities for memorial

paving stones will be offered when this happens.

Also, the newly purchased land will allow new graves

to be plotted for sale. If you are interested in

acquiring a burial plot for yourself or your loved

ones, please call Melissa at the Rectory any weekday,

and she will visit the cemetery with you to pick out

the perfect spot for your final resting place.

We are also planning a special event at the

Cemetery this Spring to bless the new statue.

Attendees will have a chance to stroll and enjoy the

cemetery, and see whom they might know among its

occupants. Please watch future issues of the bulletin

for more details.

By Source (WP:NFCC#4), Fair

use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/

index.php?curid=38864312

Image: By Source, Fair use, https://

en .wikipedia .org/w/index .php?

curid=32739796

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“It was quite the big shock story,” Laufer said. He

admitted he thought Baker was going to say he was getting

married. “At the time he was dating this young girl and they

seemed like the perfect couple,” Laufer said.

Baker's decision to become a priest required much spiritual

discernment. Although the priesthood was not the livelihood

he initially chose, he now can see the roots of it throughout

his life, including his natural talent for preaching.

“I'm the introverted, nerdy kid who keeps his head down

in the hall, but when it was time to do the public-speaking

part of English class, I could totally run the room,” he said.

Laufer said he thinks if anyone could be a priest, it's

Baker. “How smart he is, how compassionate he is… how he

cares for people. I just think it's perfect,” he said.

Baker spent seven years preparing for the priesthood,

mainly at Christ the King Seminary in East Aurora.

Throughout most of this time, he sported a head of long

hair, which Baker said was partially inspired by The Lord of

the Rings.

On May 16, 2007, he was ordained a priest at St. Joseph's

Cathedral in Buffalo by Bishop Edward Kmiec.

At St. Amelia's, Baker is well-known for his engaging

sermons, into which he often incorporates references to Star

Wars and other such movies. “Because nerd culture has

become so popular right now, I can use those (references) as

ways to explain theological concepts,” he said.

“He has a sense of humor that's not immediately

evident...as well as a serious side,” said Monsignor Thomas

Maloney, St. Amelia's pastor. “The serious side I especially

like,” Maloney continued. “When he prepares a homily, it's

well done – it's not off the cuff.”

In his ministry, Baker is especially committed to working

with young people, and he jumps at every opportunity to do

so. He has even organized a group of young adults that hikes

through Goat Island in Niagara Falls.

“If you are natural with teenagers, they realize that, and

they'll listen to you,” Baker said.

“He’s very devoted to and committed to what he's doing,”

Maloney said, and described Baker's dedication to his

vocation as a priest is one of his best qualities.

Baker said he believes he is doing what he was meant to

do. “It's the reason God gave me life,” he said.

* Zoe Uhrich is a homeschooled senior and correspondent for the Buffalo News’ NEXT section. While taking an advanced journalism course, her instructor told the class to interview someone in authority and make them relatable. Zoe chose to interview Fr. Dave, and this article is the result.

FR. DAVE’S PATH TO TFR. DAVE’S PATH TO THE PRIESTHOODHE PRIESTHOOD by Zoe Uhrich*

The board game sprawls across the table and forms a land

of castles, roads, farmland, and rivers. Fr. David Baker, 43,

reaches for a tile from the draw pile, his tall, thin frame

leaning forward in his chair. After some deliberation, he

plays the tile – a monastery, one of the most treasured pieces

in the game Carcassonne – and looks on with interest as

Lenore Uhrich, a friend and parishioner, takes her turn.

Some may think it's odd

for a Roman Catholic priest

to play board games on a

Saturday night with his

parishioners, but for Baker,

it's just another day in the life

of a “spiritual nerd,” as he

calls himself.

Characterized by a height of 6 feet 4 inches, an easygoing

persona and a quirky laugh, he [was] the parochial vicar at St.

Amelia Catholic Church in Tonawanda, N.Y., and is used to

embracing a very unconventional lifestyle.

Born on December 4, 1971, Baker is a Buffalo native, a

cradle Catholic and a long-time lover of all things atypical,

including science fiction and strategic board games.

For his 42nd birthday, he threw a party themed around

“The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” by Douglas Adams,

and Baker and his guests read aloud their favorite excerpts

from the novel.

“I was, and am to this day, a nerd,” he said.

Baker described himself growing up as an “introverted

homebody,” and from an early age he used his faith to get

through the tough times. “I went through some bullying in

school when I was younger, and God was the one thing I

could rely on,” he said.

Later in college, his religious morals and unusual interests

made it difficult to fit in. Baker said it continued the pattern

of his life. “Folks were just kind of taking their new-found

freedom to the absolute extreme,” he said. “They weren't

worshiping and they weren't holding the biblical morality…

and I tried to do that. I wanted to do it.”

After four years of engineering school, Baker graduated in

1993 and became a designer at Cooper Turbocompressor in

Cheektowaga. There he met Marty Laufer, who trained him

for the job and specifically remembered Baker giving him a

Proclaimers CD as thank-you gift for helping him out.

“I thought that was just fantastic,” Laufer said. Laufer

recalled the moment Baker announced his decision to enter

the seminary to his group of friends at a local restaurant.

By Klo (talk) (Uploads) - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0,

https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1080731

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High School

St. Teresa teens will represent our parish for the first time at the Diocesan Youth Convention

on February 27th. Here’s what they’re looking forward to:

Middle School

We’ve got plans for you too! Save the weekend of May 20-21 for an XLT Retreat.

What’s XLT? Exult! Amped up praise

& worship with Eucharistic Adoration,

plus an overnight retreat with other

kids your age. And lots of junk food.

Fr. Dave will be there, and he hopes you

will too. Give him a call to sign up.

And… we’re just getting started. It’s gonna be a great year for young people at St. Teresa’s!

YOUTH NEWSYOUTH NEWS

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To give a little background, I have been a parishioner for about

21 years and counting. I’m 26 years old, graduated from Gannon

University in 2012 with a BS in Biology, and am currently a

Laboratory Technologist at a local dairy plant. I test for bacteria

and antibiotics on products we make and milk we take in.

I’m so excited to be able to share my story with you! It was 10

years ago that my world was turned upside down and my faith

journey truly began. Some of you may have known my

Grandfather, Michael Kelly. He was such a prominent member

of our parish and always helping out. Whether it was teaching

Sunday School, Children’s Liturgy, Eucharistic Minister, or even

offering rides for those who couldn’t make it to church, he was

so in love with God and serving him to the fullest. My point is,

he was my faith role model, the holiest man that I knew.

As a young kid, I didn’t care about church that much. I just

knew I had to go. I didn’t really want to be there at all. But my

Grandpa started doing things that caught my eye and saying

things that made me want to learn more about God. I started to

try to follow in his footsteps. Until one day Grandpa became

really ill and next thing I know, March 6th 2006, I was sitting in

English Class and received a phone call that I was dismissed from

school. I knew instantly what happened. He passed away, and

from then until 2011 my world was never the same. I rebelled. I

didn’t lose faith completely but I was a Negative Nelly and

Doubting Thomas. I stopped paying any attention during church.

As a Freshman in college, I slowly started to get back into the

Mass, but at the same time, I was

struggling. My roommates all came

from Catholic Schools and knew so

much about our faith and what

little I did know I couldn’t

remember. I felt so dumb around

them, they were so into their faith

and happy. Truly happy. I thought

to myself, “how could they be so in

love with their faith, aren’t they

bored at church?” I just didn’t

understand it. I watched people

make fun of them for it and it

didn’t even phase them.

They kept bugging me to go on this retreat. I kept telling them

no, I thought it was weird, and why the heck would I want to go

on some weekend with a bunch of kids I’ve never met before? To

make it even better, the retreat is a huge secret, full of surprises

so they couldn’t tell me anything about it. They just kept assuring

me to trust them, trust God, and that it would change my life.

The word “No” kept flying out of my mouth every time another

retreat came up. I’m 90% introverted, there was no way anyone

was going to get me to go on this retreat.

It wasn’t until the start of senior year of college, my roommate

called and said “Hey I’ve been praying for the past 3yrs for you to

make this retreat, will you do it before we graduate?” At that

point I was so exhausted from saying “no” that I just said “heck

why not, if it will get you to leave me alone about it.” She says

“Ok, great because I already signed you up.” She had such strong

faith that she already paid for me! I thought she was crazy, little

did I know I was about to find out how amazing our God truly is!

I was extremely nervous, the weekend was getting closer and I

was ready to back out. The thought of all these people I didn’t

know terrified me, and the fact that I would be sharing sleeping

quarters with them and stuck for 3 days with no cell phone had

me set to cancel. I called my friend and said “look, I’m scared

and I don’t want to go.” She explained she would understand but

they would pray for me. After hearing that, a voice inside said

“Do not be afraid, I am with you always.” I started to tear up and

told myself I could get through this.

I showed up, and the first few hours were really hard, talking

with strangers, doing group activities with people I didn’t know.

Then all of a sudden it just clicked for me. I was comfortable, I

got along with my group members so well, it felt like we’d known

each other for years. By the second day we were all good friends,

excited to see what was next.

I’m going to let a secret slip: there is a part of the retreat where

Adoration takes place. This is the final turning point in my story.

I went to Adoration and opened my heart, mind, and soul to

Jesus and prayed for him to come into my life and fill me with

his Love. I prayed so hard I was sobbing and I just felt this

overwhelming sense of happiness, love, joy, and comfort. I’ve

never felt anything like it, words can’t describe.

I knew right then God had a whole other plan for my life. I

prayed and apologized over and over for abandoning Him

because of my sadness and anger over my Grandpa. It wasn’t

until we walked out of Adoration that the exact same song was

playing as the one while walking out of my Grandpa’s funeral. I

just knew that was a sign. I looked up and saw white beams from

the stained-glass window and felt

nothing but love and closure. I

knew everything was going to be

OK from that moment on.

And it was. Since 2011, I have

been helping work that very same

retreat. I got involved with the

Catholic youth group on campus,

and my faith increased beyond

any capacity I thought possible. I

have been blessed, a great job in

my field of study, amazing friends and family, and I am able to

pray without fear of what others think. I used to have a

hardened heart and now the slightest mention of God’s love, I’m

pinching myself to hold back tears. I can’t fully describe to you

what I felt that weekend. It’s something you have to experience

yourself. God’s knocking on the door to our hearts and I learned

the hard way it’s up to us to let him in. He makes all things new!

Even when I don’t understand his ways, He uses us as His

disciples to have His light and love shine through to others. Sure

there are days where I can get angry with Him or I am struggling,

it’s not always happiness, but I know without those days I

wouldn’t be where I am today.

I am so excited that Fr. Dave is involved with youth ministry.

After leaving college, I didn’t think I would ever feel that same

joy and excitement about sharing Christ with young people.

Behold, my prayers have been answered. I truly believe everything

that happens in our lives is just another stepping stone to His

kingdom if we allow it to be. May God Bless you always!

YOUNG ADULT SPOTLIGHYOUNG ADULT SPOTLIGHT: AMANDA BUCZEKT: AMANDA BUCZEK

Young Adults ages 18-30

Fr. Dave invites you to Final Fridays

A different event on the last Friday of each month.

Meet us Friday, February 27th, 7:30 p.m. in church.

We’ll pray Stations of the Cross then go for coffee.

St. Teresa of Avila Parish Post Office Box 168 Akron, NY 14001

NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE

PAID AKRON, NY

PERMIT NO. 5

Stations of the Cross, every Friday in Lent

at 7:30 p.m., followed by Adoration.

February 26th

Fish Fry in Parish Hall, 4—7 p.m.

February 26th

Final Fridays—young adult gathering, 7:30

February 27th

Youth Convention for high school teens

February 28th - Knights Spaghetti Dinner

at Our Lady of Peace from noon-5 pm

March 6th

March Mission—session 1, 12:30 p.m.

March 11th

“Fully Alive” Eucharistic Adoration, 8 p.m.

March 12th

First Penance, 1 p.m.

March 13th

March Mission—session 2, 12:30 p.m.

March 14th

Tri-parish Penance Service

@Our Lady of Peace, Clarence, 7 p.m.

April 3rd

Anointing Mass, 10:15 a.m.

April 8th

“Fully Alive” Eucharistic Adoration, 7 p.m.

April 10th

“March” Mission—session 3, 12:30 p.m.

April 30th

Women’s Guild A—Z Sale, 9 a.m.—>2 p.m.

May 20th

XLT Teen Adoration @ Seminary, 7 p.m.

(overnight retreat for middle-schoolers)

May 21st

First Communion, 10 a.m.

June 4th

Priestly Ordinations @ Cathedral, 10 a.m.

COMING EVENTSCOMING EVENTS