Holy Trinity Church

Dear family of the Most Holy Trinity Church,

Like in February, I would like to continue to share with you some notes from our previous pastors in celebration of our 165th anniversary. Our second note is from Father Bill Michatek. You know him very well.

Remember, The parish that we dream is the parish that I help to build!
Holy Trinity Church… 165 years evangelizing!

God bless you and may the Blessed Virgin Mary be with you always!

Fr. Jorge Ramírez

The Roman Catholic Church started the Lent Season on Ash Wednesday, February 18th. During this time, the Church reminds us of the importance to turn our faces to the Lord through fasting, prayer, and almsgiving. We are starting the second week of Lent. I wonder, what have I done during this sacred season? Have I gone to have an encounter with the Lord through the wonderful sacrament of Penance? Let us remember that Penance, Reconciliation, or Confession is a sacrament where we experience God’s mercy in our lives. However, sometimes we feel that confession is not enough to receive forgiveness by God.

Holy Trinity Church has a schedule for this Sacrament:

Saturdays	3:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Tuesdays	4:30 pm – 5:30 pm

In addition, during this Lent season, Holy Trinity Church also will have a Penance service on March 24th:

Tuesday, March 24	9:00 am – 11:00 am
	1:00 pm – 3:00 pm
	4:30 pm – 7:00 pm

Moreover, we will have extra hours for confession during Holy Week:

Holy Thursday, April 2	5:00 pm – 6:30 pm
Good Friday, April 3	1:00 pm – 2:30 pm

Also, you can make an appointment to receive this sacrament anytime. Just email me at fr.jorge.ramirez@dor.org or call me at (315) 604-8070. Do not be afraid to receive God’s mercy through the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Don’t tell God how big your sin is. Tell your sin how big God is. God can forgive all our sins. Remember, God loves us very much. Therefore, let us receive His love. Let us go and participate in this great sacrament with love and faith, and believing that God is always ready to forgive us.

Remember, the parish that we dream is the parish that I help to build!
God bless you, and may the Blessed Virgin Mary be with you always!

Fr. Jorge Ramirez

Dear family of the Most Holy Trinity Church,

The Roman Catholic Church invites all of us to practice Eucharistic fasting. “The discipline of fasting before Communion has a long history, as Pope Pius XII states in his 1953 apostolic constitution, ‘Christus Dominus’: ‘From the very earliest time the custom was observed of administering the Eucharist to the faithful who were fasting. Toward the end of the fourth century fasting was prescribed by many Councils for those who were going to celebrate the Eucharistic Sacrifice. So it was that the Council of Hippo in the year 393 issued this decree: ‘The Sacrament of the altar shall be offered only by those who are fasting.’ Shortly afterward, in the year 397, the Third Council of Carthage issued this same command, using the very same words. At the beginning of the fifth century this custom can be called quite common and immemorial. Hence, St. Augustine affirms that the Holy Eucharist is always received by people who are fasting and likewise that this custom is observed throughout the entire world… Abstinence from food and drink is in accord with that supreme reverence we owe to the supreme majesty of Jesus Christ when we are going to receive Him hidden under the veils of the Eucharist… Pope Paul VI brought in the present discipline in November 1964” (ewtn).

The Eucharistic Fasting does not refer to fast of receiving Holy Communion, but not to eat anything before the Mass. The Eucharistic fasting refers to the practice of abstaining from food and drink for at least one hour before receiving Holy Communion. Canon Law number 919 says, “A person who is to receive the Most Holy Eucharist is to abstain for at least one hour before Holy Communion from any food and drink, except for only water and medicine.” That means that we should be fasting before receiving the Holy Communion. Please, pay attention to the fact that this canon allows people to drink water and medicine if the person needs to take them. In addition, I want to remind you that if you are sick, 5 years old or younger, 60 years old or older, hospitalized/homebound, or pregnant, you are not obligated to practice the Eucharistic fasting. It is important to know if you need to take medicine or you need to eat something before the Mass, please do it. Holy Trinity Church and I, as your pastor, are very concerned for your health and safety.

Remember, Eucharistic fasting is for at least one hour before to receive the Holy Communion, not one hour before to celebrate the Mass. If you come, for instance, to 8:30 a.m. Mass on Sunday, and you usually receive the Holy Communion about 9:15 a.m., you should not eat anything after 8:15 a.m. I know that many of you are in the Church earlier, so you are observing the Eucharistic fast.

Hopefully, all of us can practice the Eucharistic fasting with love, recognizing the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is present in the Holy Communion.

Remember, The parish that we dream is the parish that I help to build!
Holy Trinity Church… 165 years evangelizing!

God bless you and may the Blessed Virgin Mary be with you always!

Fr. Jorge Ramírez

This coming Wednesday, February 18, the Universal Church will celebrate Ash Wednesday, and the beginning of the liturgical season of Lent. Ashes are used as a reminder that we are just dust in comparison with the existence of God. Hence, one of the formulas that you could hear this Ash Wednesday is “Remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” This phrase recalls the book of Genesis at the moment of the creation of a human being, “The Lord God formed the man out of the dust of the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being” (Genesis 2:7). God made us in His image (Cf. Gen. 1:26-27). However, we cannot forget that we depend totally on God. We need His presence and love in our lives to live. We need His breath of life, that is the Holy Spirit, to walk in this world and work for the Kingdom of God and gain salvation and eternal life.

To attain salvation, it is necessary to turn our faces and repent from our sins. This is the second formula that we might hear this Ash Wednesday, “Repent and believe in the Gospel.” This is what Jesus proclaimed when He started His public life (cf. Mk. 1:14-15). The Lord Jesus is constantly inviting us to ask God for forgiveness. He is teaching us that God is the merciful Father who is waiting for us with open arms to bring us His love, mercy, and forgiveness (Cf. Lk. 15:11-32). For that reason, the Roman Catholic Church is always highlighting and promoting prayer, fasting, and almsgiving as Lenten observances which help us to ask God for forgiveness. Besides, the Sacrament of Penance (known as well as Confession or Reconciliation) plays an important role in this wonderful season. Let us go to this sacrament of forgiveness and practice the Lenten observances with love, believing that through them, we can obtain the mercy of God, salvation and eternal life.

Next, here are the different activities for Ash Wednesday at Holy Trinity Church.

Morning Prayer and distribution of Ashes	6:30 am
Mass and distribution of Ashes	8:30 am
Mass and distribution of Ashes at Maplewood	11:00 am
Prayer service and distribution of Ashes	12:15 pm
Mass and distribution of Ashes	5:30 pm

If you have a person at home who is sick, cannot come to church, and wants to receive Ashes, please contact the parish office.

There will be more activities for Lent at Holy Trinity Church. Please check the Lenten program. If you have questions or concerns, please let me know.

Remember, The parish that we dream is the parish that I help to build!
Holy Trinity Church… 165 years evangelizing.

God bless you and may the Blessed Virgin Mary be with you always!

Fr. Jorge Ramírez

Dear family of the Most Holy Trinity Church,

In this celebration of our 165th anniversary as a community of faith, I would like to share with you some notes from our previous pastors. The first one is from Father William M. Hart, Ph.D. Many of you may remember him.

Remember, The parish that we dream is the parish that I help to build!

Holy Trinity Church… 165 years evangelizing!

God bless you and may the Blessed Virgin Mary be with you always!

Fr. Jorge Ramírez

This past January 7th, 2026, Pope Leo XIV, accepted the resignation of the Most Reverend Salvatore R. Matano, the Nineth Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester, and appointed the Most Reverend John S. Bonnici as the Tenth Bishop of our Diocese.

I would like to first express our gratitude to Bishop Matano for all these years serving our Diocese. He was installed as our Bishop on January 3rd, 2014. Bishop Matano succeeded Bishop Matthew H. Clark and since his installation as our Bishop, he has been working to proclaim the Gospel, administrating to the Diocese, leading us through COVID and working very hard with the sexual abuse cases, which the process ended on September 5th, 2025. Bishop Matano will continue to be our Bishop until the installation of Bishop Bonnici. Meanwhile, if you see Bishop Matano, please express your gratitude for all the wonderful work that he has been doing in our Diocese of Rochester.

Secondly, even though Bishop Bonnici is not yet installed as our new bishop, I would like to express a warm welcoming to our Diocese. He will be installed as the Tenth Bishop of Rochester on March 19th, 2026, on the Solemnity of St. Joseph. Bishop Bonnici was born in New York City, was ordained as a priest at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan on June 22, 1991, and was ordained as a Bishop on March 1st, 2022. Bishop Bonnici will work for our Diocese, proclaiming the Gospel and being a pastor to all of us. Let us pray for Bishop Bonnici so that he can always show God’s face to all people and work hard for our Roman Catholic Church.

Let us pray for our bishops:

O God, who has appointed Thine only begotten Son to be the eternal High Priest for the glory of Thy Majesty and the salvation of mankind; grant that they whom He hath chosen to be His ministers and the stewards of His mysteries, may be found faithful in the fulfillment of the ministry which they have received. Through the same Christ Our Lord.
Amen.

Remember, The parish that we dream is the parish that I help to build!
God bless you and may the Blessed Virgin Mary be with you always!

Fr. Jorge Ramírez

As we begin 2026, on behalf of families and pilgrims with a grateful heart, I would like to thank our Holy Trinity family for supporting our fundraisers and the generous donors who supported our teenagers that attended NCYC 2025.

It was a great blessing for Fr. George, Jen Schoene and myself to accompany our teenagers on the pilgrimage to their personal encounter with Jesus at NCYC for 3 days of praising God, Masses, Confession, Adoration, conferences and lots of fun.

Abby: “My favorite part of NCYC was walking around the exhibit hall and going to the General Sessions at Lucas Oil Stadium.”

Claire: “My favorite NCYC experience was listening to Echo Harbor Worship at the Lucas Oil Stadium!”

Ella: “NCYC was a very moving experience, and I learned a lot from the EMCEES and keynote speakers.”

Eve: “During NCYC I enjoyed all the new friends I made and learning where around the country they were from. I also liked growing in my relationship with God.”

Gen: “Going to NCYC not only taught me about God, but helped me understand my connection with God”

Lilly: “Going to NCYC was awesome seeing over 16,000 kids around my age with the same beliefs, so strong in faith. It was beautiful to see, and I was able to witness it.”

Lillian: “It’s impossible to overstate just how incredible this conference was, from the music to the
breakout sessions to meeting our Holy Father Pope Leo XIV. I truly cannot believe I had this beautiful opportunity to experience the Holy Spirit in such a powerful way.”

Joey: “NCYC 25 gave me the chance to speak in front of 16,000 youth, reconnect with the people I served with in Ghana, and realize how powerful faith becomes when it brings people back together to serve something bigger than themselves.”

John: “My time at NCYC was a life-change experience where, amidst 15,000 pilgrims, I felt and inexplicable pressure against my side despite my friend being over a foot away and heard God whisper, ‘Don’t worry John, I’m right here,’ which overwhelmed me with such desirable sense of the Lord’s presence that I wept uncontrollably for thirty minutes before composing myself to return to the hotel”

Mya: “NCYC was a fantastic experience and changed how I view the world allowing me to act more like Jesus. I would like to thank the parishioners for their donations that allowed me to go on this wonderful trip!”

Michael: “Attending NCYC helped me view my faith differently.”

We were blessed that Pope Leo XIV addressed the youth stating: “Let me begin with something important. You are not only the future of The Church, YOU ARE THE PRESENT!

Your voices, your ideas, your faith matter right now. And The Church needs you; The Church needs what you have been given to share with all of us!”

God Bless,
Ivan Luqueno-Tlayeca

This Sunday, January 11th, the Church celebrates the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. With this celebration, the Church finishes the Christmas season and, at the same time, starts Ordinary Time.

The Gospel teaches us that John baptized Our Lord Jesus Christ in the waters of the Jordan River. Once Our Lord was baptized, God, Our Father, said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). We were baptized because our parents, as good disciples, followed the mandate of the Lord, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20). Once we were baptized, we became God’s children by adoption; therefore, since our Baptism we are also the beloved children of God. The question here is… “Are we pleasing God with our life as Christian people?”

Baptism cannot become just a rite that is celebrated once in our lives. Baptism should be a living sacrament that is renewed constantly with each one of our actions. St. Paul in his letter to the Romans reminds us that through Baptism we died for our sins and get new life through the Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ. He says, “What then shall we say? Shall we persist in sin that grace may abound? Of course not! How can we who died to sin yet live in it? Or, are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? We were indeed buried with Him through Baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live in newness of life. For if we have grown into union with Him through a death like his, we shall also be united with Him in the resurrection” (Romans 6:1-5).

Let us live our Baptism always being truly Jesus’ disciples. Remember that Baptism makes us new people. We are protected by God through this sacrament. We received for the first time the Holy Spirit in our Baptism and then His fullness in the sacrament of Confirmation. Let us always live our own Baptism with joy, knowing that God, our Father though our Lord Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit is always protecting each one of us.

Let us renew our Baptismal promises:

Remember, The parish that we dream is the parish that I help to build!

God bless you and may the Blessed Virgin Mary be with you always!

Fr. Jorge Ramírez

The Epiphany of the Lord is a Christian feast that celebrates the manifestation of Jesus Christ to the world. Observed on January 6 in many Christian traditions, Epiphany comes from the Greek word Epiphaneia, meaning “appearance” or “revelation.” While Christmas focuses on the birth of Jesus, Epiphany emphasizes who Jesus is and to whom He is revealed: not only to Israel, but to all nations.

We find the visit of the Magi or Wise Men in the Gospel of Matthew 2:1-12. These Magi were not kings, as later tradition sometimes describes them, but scholars or astrologers from the East. Guided by a mysterious star, they journeyed far to find the newborn King of the Jews. Their arrival in Bethlehem shows that Jesus’ mission extends beyond the people of Israel. From the very beginning, Christ is revealed as Savior of the whole world.

The gifts the Magi present—gold, frankincense, and myrrh—carry deep symbolic meaning. Gold signifies kingship, acknowledging Jesus as a king. Frankincense, used in worship, points to his divinity. Myrrh, often associated with burial, foreshadows his suffering and death. Together, these gifts proclaim the mystery of Christ: fully human, fully divine, king, priest, and sacrificial offering.

Epiphany is not limited to the visit of the Magi alone. In many Christian traditions, it also includes other moments of revelation in Jesus’ early life, such as His baptism in the Jordan River and His first miracle at the wedding at Cana. At His baptism, the voice of the Father and the descent of the Holy Spirit publicly reveal Jesus as God’s beloved Son. At Cana, Jesus reveals His power and glory by turning water into wine. Each of these events deepens the meaning of Epiphany as a celebration of divine self-disclosure.

The feast carries an important spiritual message for us today. Epiphany reminds us that faith is not meant to be hidden or confined. Just as the light of the star led the Magi to Christ, we are called to seek Christ and to reflect His light in the world. It is a call to openness, humility, and willingness to journey—even into the unknown—in search of truth.

Moreover, Epiphany challenges us to recognize Christ our Savior in unexpected places. The Magi found the Messiah not in a palace, but in a humble home. This teaches that God often reveals Himself through simplicity and vulnerability rather than power and wealth.

In essence, the Epiphany of the Lord celebrates revelation, light, and mission. It proclaims that Jesus Christ is revealed to all people and invites every nation, culture, and individual to encounter Him. As a feast of light, Epiphany continues to inspire us to follow Christ Jesus faithfully and to share His presence with the world.

Let us pray:
O God, who by the guidance of a star did on this day manifest Your only-begotten Son to the Gentiles, mercifully grant that we who know You by faith may also attain the vision of Your glorious majesty. Through Christ our Lord. All: Amen.

Remember, The Parish that we dream is the parish that I help to build!

God bless you and may the Blessed Virgin Mary be with you always!

Fr. Jorge Ramírez