Fish Finder The meaning behind popular St. Patrick’s Day symbols

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Holy Trinity Church Presents Stations of the Cross

Grape Belt Seniors Upcoming Events

Come join us on Monday, Wednesday and Friday’s for our aerobics and weights class at the Masonic Lodge from 9:00am-10:00am. You must be a member to attend and memberships are now being taken for 2023. Class is $1.00 each time you attend.

Day trips for 2023 are :

April 19th going to West Side Market which has over 100 venders and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame which has 7 levels to explore. Leaving at 8:00am and returning at 8:00pm. This trip needs to be finalized soon so please call asap to get your seat.

June 8th we will be going to the Niagara Falls power vista, lunch is at the Top of the falls restaurant and we will embark on the Maid of the Mist boat tour. We depart at 8:30am and return at 5:00pm.

June 27th we are going to the Seneca Allegany Casino to see the Kenny Rogers Tribute show. You will get $20.00 in slot dollars and $10.00 towards food which you can use for the buffet that will be opened for the show. Leaving at 9:00am and returning at 5:00pm.

July 19th we will see the HIGH ENERGY musical comedy “Chicago Speakeasy”. This will be at the Erie Station Dinner Theater in Erie. On our way home we will be stopping at a local ice cream shop to enjoy an included sweet treat. Leaving at 9:00am and returning at 6:00pm.

August 9th we are going on a cruise in Pittsburg aboard the “GATEWAY CLIPPER FLEET”, a sightseeing cruise on the three rivers. We will have a fabulous luncheon buffet and the entertainment being “Women of Broadway”. Following our cruise we will be going to the IKEA store. We leave at 7:30am and return at 8:00pm.

September 7th we are off to the George Eastman Museum & Strong Museum’s Toy Hall of Fame. Lunch is included at the Shadow Lake Golf Club. We will make a stop in Batavia at the famous Olivers Candies. Leaving at 8:00am and returning at 6:30pm.

September 17th is our trip to Pittsburg to see the Yankee/ Pittsburg baseball game at 1:35. The seats are in section 114 right behind the Yankee dugout. There is a $15.00 food voucher included. We leave at 9:00am and return at 8:30pm.

October 7th we take a scenic route to the Windmill Craft & Farm Market in Penn Yan. There are more than 200 venders. Following that we will stop at the Oak Hill Bulk Foods, a specialty food store. We leave at 8:00am and return at 7:30pm.

All trips leave from behind Big Lots. Our trips are open to members and nonmembers. To sign up for these trips or for more information call Judy at 716-672-5778.

Saint Patrick is commemorated each March 17 as a man who championed Christianity over paganism in Ireland. St. Patrick was so influential in Ireland that he was proclaimed a saint by popular appeal (as there was no official process for canonization in place until the 12th century). He would later become the patron saint of Ireland.

St. Patrick lived a storied and influential life. He is perhaps most notable for using many different items as symbols for explaining the mysteries of the Christian faith. In fact, St. Patrick’s Day is a holiday that is quite rich in traditional symbolism. Even though many of these symbols are familiar and even celebrated, people may not know the full meaning behind their usage.

Shamrock snakes from Ireland was likely metaphorical in that the serpent was seen as an evil entity in Christian scripture. St. Patrick drove pagan beliefs out of Ireland and ushered in new ways of thinking.

The shamrock is one of the most recognizable symbols utilized by St. Patrick. This three-leaf clover is native to Ireland and a plant with which the Irish long have been familiar. St. Patrick demonstrated the meaning of the Holy Trinity — the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit — by showing the public that the shamrock is one leaf with three parts, just as Christians believe God is one entity with three persons.

Celtic cross

Many historians surmise that St. Patrick was so successful in converting the Irish to Christianity because he did not attempt to have them abolish all of their old beliefs. Rather, he modified traditions and symbols to fit his teachings. One example of this is the Celtic cross, which blends the formerly pagan traditions of honoring nature and sun worship with Christianity. The Celtic cross marries the traditional image of the Christian cross on which Christ was placed, with a sun at the core. It exemplifies a Lord who has dominion over all creation, but serves as a reminder that it is acceptable to enjoy all that God has created.

Green

Friday, March 31st 7pm, Holy Trinity Church will present its Stations of the Cross with live music and reflection from a modern perspective inside the candlelit church. This inspiring event combines the traditional stations with contemporary songs and a short reflection connecting Christ’s final journey to the Cross with the challenges we face each day in our world.

Sixteen contemporary songs by artists such as Billy Joel, Bryan Adams, Josh Groban, Eric Clapton, Our Lady Peace and others follow each station and reflection. The songs are performed live by Holy Trinity’s own talented musicians and vocalists. The music brings out the human emotion of each station in Jesus’ suffering, death, and resurrection.

This is the nineteenth year of the presentation. Each year, reflections are updated to bring a fresh perspective to the event.

Five musicians and vocalists make the music come alive. The group consists of Christina Donovan, flute, bass guitar, cello, violin and vocals; Tom Donovan, lead vocals; Evonne Hennebery, keyboard; Marie Sedota, guitar, violin, and vocals; and Nick Siracuse, drums.

Past attendees have called this event “…beautiful!

Amazing singers and musicians, and so reverent.”

Others have reported that “…I’ve gone every year for the last several, and wouldn’t miss it for anything. It sends shivers down my spine. A moving and prayerful experience. I would urge everyone not to miss this!”

Still others said “…when I attended last year, a few months after losing my husband, I was deeply moved and my tears freely flowed in the darkened church. I attended again this year and was equally touched and inspired. Thank you for a program that bridges denominations and speaks to the heart.”

Come and experience Stations of the Cross as you have never experienced it before. This event is free and open to everyone of all ages and faiths. Holy Trinity is located 1032 Central Avenue in Dunkirk. For more info call the Holy Trinity parish office at 716-3662306, visit the website at holytrinitydunkirk.com, or email allarewelcome@ holytrinitydunkirk.com

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Interesting facts about the month of March

Millions of people look forward to the month of March every year. In the northern hemisphere, March 20 or 21 marks the beginning of spring, a season of rejuvenation in which individuals enjoy the first consistent periods of warm weather since the previous fall. Though the official start of spring is a much-anticipated event each March, the month is more than just the end of winter. The following are some interesting facts about the month of March.

• March derives its name from “Martius,” which was the first month of the earliest Roman calendar. The Romans gave the month that name in honor of Mars, the Roman god of war, and Martius was considered the beginning of warfare season, which is a far cry from the beginning that March is now associated with. • March is host to one of the more popular sporting events in the United States. March Madness is a single-elimination college basketball tournament featuring 68 Division I teams (there are separate tournaments for men’s and women’s basketball). Much of the ongoing popularity of the event is a byproduct of bracket pools. Those pools involve participants predicting the outcomes of each game of the tournament by filling out their own bracket. March Madness can trace its name back nearly a century to an Illinois High School Association official named H.V. Porter, though many credit broadcaster Brent Musburger with popularizing the term for the annual tournament in the 1980s.

• Though March might be a great time of year for college basketball fans, it’s decidedly less so among their employers. Estimates from Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc., determined that employers lost roughly

$13 billion in productivity in 2019 due to March Madness.

• March also is host to one of the most popular holidays in many parts of the globe. March 17 marks St. Patrick’s Day, a day initially designed to commemorate the life and contributions of St. Patrick, who is the patron saint of Ireland. During the twentieth century, St. Patrick’s Day became a celebration of Irish culture and has become synonymous with boisterous revelry, particularly in cities such as Chicago and New York.

• Many people find Daylight Saving Time in March inspiring. That’s because regions that still participate in DST turn the clocks forward each March. That adds an extra hour of evening sunlight and ensures people who work indoors all day long get to enjoy some welcome sunlight at the end of each workday.

• The daffodil is the birth flower of March. For many people, these generally white and yellow flowers reinforce the feeling of rejuvenation that comes each March with the official beginning of spring.

• Students tend to enjoy March as well, as this is typically when Spring Break is scheduled. That’s especially common on college campuses and annually compels millions of college students to descend upon warm locales for a sunny and much-needed respite from their studies.

• Fans of inventor Alexander Graham Bell have reason to celebrate in March as well. That’s because the man behind the first phone call ever made patented the world’s first telephone on March 7, 1876. March is known for coming in like a lion and going out like a lamb. In between that entry and exit, individuals can celebrate and enjoy a host of memorable and fun events.

Snakes

There is a legend that St. Patrick was responsible for banishing snakes from Ireland. However, there are no snakes in Ireland, nor have there ever been, as Ireland is an island surrounded by cold waters that prohibit snake migration, according to National Geographic. Driving

The wearing of green, as well as inclusion of a band of green in the Irish flag, is reminiscent of the verdant nature of Ireland itself. Blue was initially the color associated with St. Patrick and later his namesake holiday. In the 19th century, this was slowly changed to green, a transition that was likely inspired by nature and shamrocks. Green is now the color most associated with Ireland, and there is the tradition of pinching people who forget to wear green on St. Patrick’s Day. These are just a few of the many items and images that are symbolic of St. Patrick’s Day.

Spring cleaning pointers

Spring is a season of renewal. When the flowers are blooming and the trees are budding and the weather is pleasantly warm, people often feel inspired to make changes around their homes. Work may begin with culling belongings and organizing essentials.

There is debate regarding where the practice of “spring cleaning” originated. Some researchers link it to certain religious groups. It has long been an ancient Jewish custom to thoroughly clean a house in preparation for the springtime feast of Passover. The house is scoured to remove any yeast bread, or chametz, from the home. Similarly, members of the Greek Orthodox church celebrate “Clean Week,” which is a week of cleaning before Lent. In Iranian culture, families spend days cleaning prior to the Persian New Year, which begins on the spring equinox.

Spring cleaning also has some secular roots.

For instance, in the 1800s, Londoners routinely cleared their homes of grime and soot that accumulated over the winter.

Spring cleaning is still a ritual for many today.

As people embark on their plans to tidy up, these tips can help them along.

Tackle one big task a day

Who hasn’t started one project only to be distracted into moving along to another room? This often occurs when people discover something out of place in one space and then move that item where it belongs, only to find a new cleaning task at hand in that space. Inefficiency can make you give up on spring cleaning prematurely. Agree to address one room/task a day.

Keep a basket or box handy to store errant items until you move on to the next room.

Stock up on supplies

Prepare all of the cleaning supplies in advance. Put together a tool kit of sorts with the equipment you need, including mops, brooms, rags, cleansers, and the like. Organization can keep you on course.

Harness your strengths and weaknesses

Some people clean because they are stressed or angry, others do so to avoid other tasks. Keep personality in mind when establishing a cleaning schedule. For example, clean at night if you’re a night owl, or wait until you are feeling antsy before embarking on a “calm down cleaning.”

Tackle seasonal chores first

Some tasks need to get done to prepare for the spring and summer season. These may include cleaning the grill and sorting through outdoor furniture and decor. Spring cleaning may involve readying the pool for another year of use, or cleaning out rain gutters to prepare for spring storms. Tackle time-dependent tasks first and then move on to others that are less time-sensitive.

Spread out the work

Some people like to devote full weekends to spring cleaning, but that can be overwhelming for others. Breaking down cleaning tasks into 15- to 30-minute intervals each day can make the job more tolerable. Spring cleaning season has arrived, and certain tips can make the job more efficient and manageable.