MASS TIMES
Saturday Vigil - 4:00 PM
Sunday - 8:00AM | 10:00AM
Daily Mass: Tuesday - Friday - 8:30AM
Crystal Cove Parking Lot is CLOSED due to heavy ICE
Adoration on First Friday of the month after the 8:30 mass (9:00 am - 11:00 am)
If Averill Park Schools are closed or delayed due to inclement weather daily Mass will be cancelled
Sacrament of Reconciliation by appointment
BULLETIN
Read our most recent bulletins to stay up to date with what’s happening at the church and in the community.
OUR MISSION
St. Henry's is a welcoming community fed by Christ's compassion and called to bring God's word to life in loving service to all..
Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord - Midnight Mass
With Our Holy Father Pope Leo XIV
Dear brothers and sisters,
For millennia, across the earth, peoples have gazed up at the sky, giving names to the silent stars, and seeing images therein. In their
imaginative yearning, they tried to read the future in the heavens,
seeking on high for a truth that was absent below amidst their homes.
Yet, as if grasping in the dark, they remained lost, confounded by their
own oracles. On this night, however, “the people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined” (Is 9:2).
The Liturgy of the Hours
The Liturgy of the Hours, also known as the Divine Office or the Work of God (Opus Dei), is the daily prayer of the Church, marking the hours of each day and sanctifying the day with prayer. The Hours are a meditative dialogue on the mystery of Christ, using scripture and prayer. At times the dialogue is between the Church or individual soul and God; at times it is a dialogue among the members of the Church; and at times it is even between the Church and the world. Read more about the Liturgy of the Hours Click here:
Every Christmas, in the office of the readings from the liturgy of the hours, we contemplate a Sermon from Pope St. Leo the Great (d. 461AD) commonly entitled: Christian, remember your dignity. Father John invites you to pray this prayer during Christmastide. Click Here
Pope Leo XIV's Christmas Message and Blessing "Urbi et Orbi"
"Jesus Christ is our peace first of all because he frees us from sin, and also because he shows us the way to overcome conflicts — all conflicts, whether interpersonal or international. Without a heart freed from sin, a heart that has been forgiven, we cannot be men and women of peace or builders of peace. This is why Jesus was born in Bethlehem and died on the cross: to free us from sin. He is the Savior. With his grace, we can and must each do our part to reject hatred, violence and opposition, and to practice dialogue, peace and reconciliation."
Cardinal Pizzaballa says
"The light of Bethlehem...spreads from heart to heart, through humble gestures, reconciled words, daily choices of peace" in Powerful Christmas Homily from Bethlehem. This is the first Christmas Mass held at the site of Jesus' birth in two years due to the unrest in the area.
Click to read the full text of his Homily or watch the video.
The Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV announced that he has named Bishop Mark O’Connell, JCD
as the 11th Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany.
Holy Mass presided over by Pope Leo XIV with Canonization for Blessed Carlos Acutis and Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati
MADE FOR MISSION
The mission of the Catholic church is to continue the work of Jesus Christ by proclaiming the Gospel to all people, fostering a community of faith, hope, and love, and serving the needs of others, especially the poor and marginalized.
Remade for Mission calls us to bring the Gospel to all, serve the needy, and build communities of faith and service. Each parish, no matter its size or history, plays a role in Christ's command to "go and make disciples of all nations" (Matthew 28:19). The goal of Remade for Mission is not just survival, but a renewed, unified Church that brings Christ's love to the world and supports its members and neighbors alike. As Pope Francis reminded us, we are called to be "a Church which goes forth," rooted in Christ, confident in hope, and alive in the Spirit.
July 11, 2025
The most recent letter from the Remade for Mission Support Team outlines the first steps parishes are to take to make assessment and information sharing so parishioners can understand their parish's current state of affairs. This is a link to the most recent letter. (Click here to see the letter)
The Remade for Mission webpage is a resource for all including all the messages, the outline of the process, frequently asked questions, words of encouragement, stories from parishes around the diocese sharing their ideas and best practices. https://www.rcda.org/remadeformission
In the letter to parishioners, dated April 7, 2025 linked here, Bishop Edward Scharfenberger announced he was launching a process to implement a newly envisioned future for long term growth and the formation of mission-focused disciples.
As promised in that letter, he shared details of the process this past weekend, Pentecost Sunday was a time when the Holy Spirit descended on the Apostles, marking the beginning of the Catholic Church. This “Remade for Mission” process is a call to action to turn our hearts, resources, and efforts beyond our church walls, truly serving the Gospel.
Beginning in the Fall 2025, each parish network, or neighboring parishes, will enter a journey of discernment asking: What do we have? What do we need? What must we let go of? What are we being called to become?
This process will stir emotions, challenge attachments, but more importantly inspire new dreams. It’s not about forgetting our past. It’s about honoring it by shaping a sustainable, faithful future. Jesus reminds us: “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:21). Our treasure must be Christ’s mission - to make disciples, transform lives, and serve the world.
Habemus Papam! We have a Pope!
Pope Leo XIV has also chosen a motto that reflects this Augustinian tradition: In Illo uno unum, which means “In the One, we are one.” The phrase is taken from Saint Augustine’s Exposition on Psalm 127, where he explains that “although we Christians are many, in the one Christ we are one.”
To learn more about our new Pope, click here:
10 takeaways from Pope Leo XIV’s address to youth at NCYC
Pope Leo XIV speaks to teenagers during a digital encounter at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis during the 2025 National Catholic Youth Conference (NCYC) on Nov. 21, 2025. | Credit: Tessa Gervasini/CNA
Five teenagers asked the pope questions regarding using technology, recovering from mistakes, giving worries to Jesus, avoiding distractions, and preparing for the future of the Church. The pope gave guidance to the young crowd with words applicable to both teenagers and the universal Church.
The Holy Father’s advice that Catholics can apply to their lives included:
Sin never has the final word
Give your worries to God
Find real friends
It’s OK to get distracted, but then come back to God
Technology should serve your life, not the other way around
Jesus will always protect, guide, and love his Church
Be involved
Your vocation is always connected to the greater mission of the Church
We were made for something greater
Don’t use political categories to speak about faith
Read the full article here: https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/268033/10-takeaways-from-pope-leo-xivs-address-to-youth-at-ncyc
Watch the full encounter with Pope Leo at NCYC
“The Power of One Hour” is a five-part video series, produced by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany and Sheehan Productions.
It’s aimed at enriching the understanding of the Celebration of the Eucharist and was created as a teaching tool for all who share the faith or who want to learn more about the Catholic Mass.
It was made possible by a grant from the USCCB Catholic Communication Campaign.
The Ministries of St. Henry's Church
With You the World Can Be Different
God expects something from you.
Have you understood that?
God expects something from you.
God wants something from you.
God hopes in you.
God comes to break down all our fences.
God comes to open the doors of our lives, our dreams, our ways of seeing things.
God comes to break open everything that keeps you closed in.
God is encouraging you to dream.
God wants to make you see that, with you, the world can be different.
For the fact is, unless you offer the best of yourselves, the world will never be different.
This is the challenge.
(Pope Francis, World Youth Day, Poland, 30th July 2016)
Get involved in the life of our parish.
39 Old Rte 66, Averill Park, NY 12018 | (518) 674-3818
henryparish550@gmail.com