Welcome to Good Shepherd Parish Hopelawn, New Jersey 08861

Transcription

1 Welcome to Good Shepherd Parish Hopelawn, New Jersey MISSION STATEMENT We are called by Jesus as a community of faith to love God and love one another by our acts of worship, fellowship and stewardship. March 4, 2018 The Third Sunday of Lent Rev. Michael G. Krull, K.C.H.S. Deacon Sam Costantino Deacon Edward Rodes Deacon Albert Coppola Maria C. Arcelay Wayne Behr Pastor R.C.I.A. Parish Secretary/PCL/Cemetery Coordinator Director of Liturgical Music MASS SCHEDULE Saturday Vigil Mass Sunday Masses: Daily Mass Holy Days Confessions: Novenas: & Monday at 7:00PM Tuesday-Friday at as announced Saturday afternoon 3:30-4:00PM Miraculous Medal and St. Jude Novena following Monday 7:00PM Mass St. Anthony Novena Wednesday morning following Mass Eucharistic Adoration: Monday, 5:30-6:30PM THE PARISH CENTER Parish and Cemetery Offices 625 Florida Grove Rd., Hopelawn Phone: Fax: Website: Goodshepherd20@verizon.net Office Open Monday-Friday 9:00AM - 4:00PM Evenings by Appointment Only Closed Weekends and Federal Holidays PERTH AMBOY CATHOLIC SCHOOLS Holy Spirit Primary School Sr. Beverly Policastro S.C. (732) St. Stephen Upper School Sr. Rebecca Piatek CSSF (732) BLESSED SACRAMENT ORATORY Located in the Parish Center Open for Private Prayer during office hours

2 Sacramental Preparation Baptism: All Baptisms are celebrated on the first Sunday of the month at 9:45 AM. The preparation process should begin at least three months before the planned date of the Baptism. A Baptism Preparation Class is required for parents (godparents may attend if they wish). This class is offered on the fourth Sunday of each month at 9:45 AM. Please call the parish office to register. The date of the baptism is scheduled after attending the class. Parish membership and active worship is required for two months prior to preparation. Haven t Received Your Sacrament on Schedule? Families of children in grades three and up who have been baptized but have not yet received any formal religious education, as well as those who have not been baptized, should contact the Parish Office for information on how to proceed. Initiation of Adults and Older Children: This is an extended formation process for unbaptized or uncatechized adults or baptized Christians of other faith traditions who wish to become members of the Catholic Church, as well as for unbaptized or uncatechized school-aged children. Please contact the parish office for more information. Initiation is celebrated at the Easter Vigil after a formation period of one or two years. Adult Confirmation: This is a program for persons over the age of 18 who have received the Sacraments of Baptism and First Eucharist, but who never completed their initiation with the Sacrament of Confirmation. The program is a week program, with Confirmation being celebrated on the Solemnity of Pentecost. Please call the parish office for more details. Matrimony: Couples wishing to marry in Good Shepherd Parish are required to make initial arrangements at least one year in advance. Four sessions with the priest or deacon, as well as Pre-Cana or Engaged Encounter take place during this year. Parish registration and active worship for at least two months are required before a date may be scheduled. Anointing of the Sick: Anyone who is seriously ill or unable to come to church for a length of time should contact the parish office to arrange for the Anointing of the Sick. Eucharistic Ministers bring Holy Communion to homebound parishioners every Sunday, and one of the priests will visit on the First Friday of each month. Please call the parish office to make arrangements. The Diocese of Metuchen provides Catholic priests to serve at all local hospitals. Holy Orders: If you are interested in learning more about the priesthood or religious life, contact the Vocations Office of the Diocese of Metuchen at , ext or by at vocations@diometuchen.org or visit Parish Registration: We welcome you to the Good Shepherd Parish Community! Please register at the Parish Office as soon as you are able to do so, and the staff will be more than happy to inform you about our parish and the opportunities we offer. Parish registration is required for religious education, celebration of all Sacraments and certification as a sponsor for Baptism and Confirmation. Regular Sunday worship with us indicates a practicing Catholic, not just parish registration. An assurance of family practice and raising children in the faith they seek is necessary for the sacraments of initiation and certification of sponsorship. Please notify the parish office of any changes in phone number, address, address or when leaving the parish. 2 GOOD SHEPHERD PARISH FINANCIAL CORNER Collection Report 2/25/18 Weekly $,.00 A/C & Heating $,.00 Monthly Operating Income & Expense December 2017 Collection Income $ 46, Other Income $ 14, Total Income $ 61, Expenses $ 56, Month's Income/(Deficit) $ 4, Year-to-Date (Jul '17 - December 17) Income/(Deficit)* $ (3,452.00) Outstanding Diocesan Debt $ 54, Statement of Donations You can request a statement of your 2017 donations by completing a Tax Contribution Statement. These are available in the back of our church. Please place your completed form in the collection basket or mail it to the Parish Office. You may also call the Parish Office directly and request your Contribution Statement. We are asking parishioners to help with postal costs by providing a self-addressed, stamped envelope. This will save time and money. Thank you in advance. ORGANIZATIONS NAME DAY TIME Family Prayer Group 1st Friday 6:30PM Girl Scouts 1st & 3rd Thursday 5:00 PM Holy Name Society 2nd Thursday 7:00PM Ladies Guild 2nd Tuesday 7:00 PM Rosary Altar Society 2nd Sunday 9:30 AM Tuesday Seniors 2nd & 4th Tues. 12:30 PM Wednesday Seniors 1st & 3rd Wed. 12:30 PM Youth Ministries 3rd Sunday 5:00PM If you are interested in any of our above organizations/ministries, please contact the Parish Office for more information. MINISTRIES NAME CONTACT PHONE Chairperson-Finance Council Marty Joyce Music Ministry Parish Office Religious Education Maria C. Arcelay

3 A Letter FROM OUR PASTOR: As the season of Lent progresses it s hard to believe that we re almost at the midpoint now - more things start happening, so here goes: The Scrutinies: On the Third, Fourth and Fifth Sundays of Lent, the catechumens (those who will be baptized at the Easter Vigil) undergo a series of rites called the Scrutinies. These rites consist of prayers over the catechumens, asking God s assistance for them as they prepare inwardly for the grace of the Sacraments. As we did last year, these rites will be celebrated at the 11:00 AM Mass beginning today and the following two Sundays. At those Masses, as the prayers for the rites correspond to the A cycle readings in the Lectionary, we will be using those readings at the 11:00 Mass, while the Cycle B readings (which we are using throughout the rest of the year) will be used at the 4:30 Saturday vigil Mass and the 8:30 AM Mass. Both sets of readings are in our books, and we ll be making an announcement prior to Mass as to the page they can be found on all it means for me is two different homilies to write every weekend! More importantly, please continue your prayers for our catechumens as Easter draws ever closer. Lenten Retreat: Traditionally during the Fourth Week of Lent, the parishes of the Perth Amboy Deanery join together in prayer, with special events planned for all the parishes. On Thursday, March 15 th, Colleen Kelly-Rainer will be here with us for a Lenten Retreat Evening for all parishioners. As with her previous retreats here, From Couch Potato to Super Hero in Forty Days promises to be an entertaining and faith challenging evening for us all. Please note that the registration deadline is TOMORROW, March 5th. On Friday, March 16 th, there will be a city-wide Mass at St. Stephen s Church at 7:00 PM. More information will be in next week s bulletin. Welcome! This past Monday, Fr. Jason Pavich, our diocesan Director of Vocations (who himself spent a year with us when the House of Discernment was here) called me up to see if we could help him, and the Diocese, with a happy problem. At the present time, the House of Discernment in Highland Park is FULL! Fr. Jason called me to see if we could give housing from time to time for one of our current seminarians who needs a place to stay on vacations, and he, Bishop Checchio and Msgr. Puleo, our Vicar for Clergy, thought about our parish. I was quite happy to say Yes to this request so you will see another one of our diocesan seminarians here in the parish from time to time, starting this weekend as they are just starting Spring Break. Jordan Drevelus is a freshman at Seton Hall University, living at St. Andrew s College Seminary (he and our own Luis DeJesus are the only two Metuchen students currently at St. Andrew s.) Jordan will be here this coming week and from time to time in the coming months. I know that you ll make him feel right at home, as you have done for all the seminarians who have been here over the years! Altar Server Training: We will be starting a new training class for Altar Servers this coming week. A number of boys and girls who signed up over the past year missed the training sessions last Summer, so we ll be getting these and any new recruits trained before Holy Week. There will be TWO training sessions, on Saturday, March 10 th and Saturday, March 17 th from 11:00 AM 12:00 noon. Attendance at both sessions is required. We will be contacting those boys and girls who previously signed up; however, if there are any other boys and girls in grades 3-12 who are interested, please call the Parish Office before this Friday so we know that you ll be here. The training sessions will be held in the church. Two Other Upcoming Events: On Tuesday, March 13 th, the Ladies Guild will have HGTV and QVC TV personality and writer Jamie Novak as their guest speaker who will give a lively and humorous presentation on Keep This-Toss That just in time for us to think about spring cleaning! Everyone - especially those of us who just can t seem to get rid of stuff - are invited to attend. It should be a fun evening for all of us and I expect it ll give me some food for thought for a homily somewhere! On Sunday, March 18 th, the Holy Name Society will be sponsoring its annual Family Communion Breakfast after the 8:30 AM Mass. Tickets for this breakfast will be on sale after Mass next weekend and from any Holy Name member. Bulletin Information: During the months of March and April we will have a number of earlier than usual deadlines due to the Holy Week and Easter holidays, and also as our parish secretary Maria will be away on vacation the week following Easter. Please take note of these following deadlines: information for the March 18 th bulletin must be submitted no later than Monday, March 12 th; information for the March 25 th (Palm Sunday) bulletin must be submitted no later than Friday, March 16 th ; information for the April 1 st (Easter Sunday) must be submitted no later than Friday, March 23 rd ; and information for the April 8 th bulletin must be submitted no later than Tuesday, March 27 th. Please note that no flyers will be inserted in the Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday bulletins. Thanks in advance for your cooperation. Mass attendance on February 24/25 was 554. Let s continue to pray for each other in this great season of grace! Fr. Mike 3 For the month of March pray for our brave solders & their families, those in nursing homes, and the sick and home bound of our Parish family, especially: Carlos Bendrell, Noah Dahlberg, Pat Dunn, Rose Celecki, Andrea Costantino, Chuck F., Tommy Fitzpatrick, Mike Gaffney, Carol George, Richard Hajzer, Tommy Jones, Arleen Kopin, Carol Magyar, Fr. John Morley, Lynn Munoz, Dianne Petro-Duncan, Megan Ortega, JoAnn Magyar, Raymond Magyar, Maryanne Mateuszyzyk, Danny Parker, Judy Liik, Connie & Vince Montuoro, Mary Murray, Catherine Paone, Christopher Paone, Julia Possert, Stephen Pry, Caroline Pry, Allen Puleio, Ann Rapetti, Greg Rohrbacher, Kylie Silverio, Telofski Family, Dave & Louise Utter & Elsie Vega With respect to personal privacy only requests made by immediate family members will be taken. If you would like to add or continue to keep a name on our list: call the parish office at or Goodshepherd20@verizon.net. Please keep in mind that we pray for all the sick every day in the general intercessions of the Mass.

4 Minister Schedule LECTOR Saturday, March 10th Ron Schendorf Sunday, March 11th Sian Brossard Ben Salerno Sr. EUCHARISTIC MINISTERS Saturday, March 10th Deacon Ed Rodes, Michele & Ron Schendorf, N. Soltren & R. Yergeau Sunday, march 11th Claudia & Jose De Jesus, Mildred & Rudy Morales, Deacon Sam Costantino Deacon Mickey Copolla, P. Hardish, M. Arcelay Volunteers Needed ALTAR SERVERS Saturday, March 10th M. LaRocco, I. Marrero, Mackias & Zamira Ysaac Sunday, March 11th J. Lopez, Andrew, Christopher & Gianna Lopez D. De Jesus, Alex & Joseph Jurado, B. Salerno Lenten Confession Schedule Mondays 7:30 to 8pm (Except March 26th) & Saturdays 3:30pm to 4pm (Except March 24th, 11am to 11:30am, no Confessions will be heard on March 31st) For the Week of March 3-9th SANCTUARY CANDLE In Memory of Noel Muniz (Oratory) Req Sister Evelyn Rose Puleio & Richard Zaleski (Church) Req Toni Bromirski BREAD AND WINE In Memory of Rose Puleio & Richard Zaleski Req Toni Bromirski Please help support Catholic Charities. We need gently used Clothing, Bedding, Shoes, Small Household Items. Have a clothing donation too big to fit in the box? Just call our toll free number to arrange a free pick up at your home: Drop box is located in our Parish parking lot near the Florida Grove Rd. entrance way. (Proceeds benefit the Food Pantry) 4 7:00PM MASS INTENTIONS MONDAY, March 5 : Lenten Weekday Joseph Critelli Req Maria Gianfrancesco & Family TUESDAY, March 6 : Lenten Weekday Marie Acciani Req Good Shepherd Ladies Guild WEDNESDAY, March 7 : Lenten Weekday Anthony Infante Req Mr. & Mrs. Biagio Buffolino THURSDAY, March 8 : Lenten Weekday Sr. Marie Aquines Req Estate of Helen Egan FRIDAY, March 9 : Lenten Weekday Harold Kubinak Req Rose Langan SATURDAY, March 10 : The Vigil of the Fourth Sunday of Lent Patrick Waters Req Groshen family SUNDAY, March 11 : The Fourth Sunday of Lent John Petrick Req Dee, Patrick & Mary Ann Beryl A. Behr Req the family PRAY FOR HIM Please pray that our deceased loved one, John Montecalvo may know the joy and peace of eternal life. Pray that his family may be comforted. Join us every Friday during Lent till March 23rd for a free Lenten Soup & Bread Dinner With your help we will continue to make a difference in the lives of those in need throughout the entire year. You can help by supporting our free will donation basket which will be available at all Friday evening Lenten Soup dinners (All proceeds benefit the CRS Rice Bowl Campaign). Or you may bring a non-perishable food item to any Friday s Dinner for the Good Shepherd Parish Food Pantry. For more information please call Stay each Friday evening for the Stations of the Cross at 7:00pm

5 R.C.I.A. This week at the 11:00 a.m Sunday Mass, the first of three Scrutinies will be celebrated with the Elect of our parish (who will be baptized at the Easter Vigil Mass), Allison Carbajal- Pariona, Nevaeh Roman, Mia Sanchez, Lisette & Lisbeth Sessoms, Robert Silverio & Alex Thompson. The Scrutinies afford the Elect and the community the opportunity to examine our hearts and minds by the light of the gospel. Scrutinies are intended to heal what is weak, defective and sinful, and to protect the elect from temptation and to strengthen them in Christ. The first Scrutiny focuses on the gospel story of the Samaritan woman at the well. That gospel story allows us to encounter the sins that prevent us from quenching our thirsts with the "Living Water", who is Jesus our Redeemer. Please pray for Allison Carbajal-Pariona, Nevaeh Roman, Mia Sanchez, Lisette & Lisbeth Sessoms, Robert Silverio & Alex Thompson as they journey towards baptism. Next Sunday they will celebrate the second scrutiny at the 11:00 a.m. Mass. SPIRITUAL SPONSORS: Please remember to pray for our Elect/Candidates as they prepare to receive the Sacraments of Initiation at the Easter Vigil. If you have not had an opportunity to select an Elect or Candidate to spiritually sponsor during Lent, please take one of their prayer cards which are at the doorways of the Church. A small note, or card, indicating your support, will help make them feel welcomed into our community. Bring it to the rectory, or drop it in the collection basket, addressed to the name of the Elect or Candidate c/o RCIA. For more information call the Parish Office PERTH AMBOY CATHOLIC SCHOOL Open Enrollment AdvancED Accredited/NCA Primary: Pre-K 3&4, K, 1,2,3 at Carlock & Brace Ave Upper: 4,5,6,7,8 at 500 State Street or Call for an appointment and a personal tour! CATHOLIC SCHOOL TUITION ASSISTANCE ONLINE APPLICATION PROCESS OPEN Families interested in applying for tuition assistance to attend an eligible Diocese of Metuchen Catholic elementary or high school may do so now. The application process is online through FACTS Grant & Aid Assessment. Online applications must be completed (including supporting documentation) no later than Saturday, March 31, Printed applications are available in English and Spanish in our Parish Office. Families that need assistance completing the online application, or need access to the technology to apply, may register for one of two Application Workshops, which will be held in two locations in January and February. Go to and follow the Workshops link. RELIGIOUS EDUCATION NEWS: Our next regular class will be March 3rd at 8:45am in the Perth Amboy Catholic Primary Building (across the street from Holy Spirit Church) Special Session - March 10th, at 8:45am: Levels 2nd & 8th will meet in Perth Amboy Catholic school Building (8th level double session). If you forgot your Mass attendance sheet at home, you can use this week s bulletin. If you have any questions please call us at We d love to help! Yay.for Religious Education!! Please respect the Sacred Silence RCIA/Adult Confirma on If you are an adult over 18 years of age who has not received the Sacrament of Baptism, First Communion or Confirmation, please contact our Parish Office for more information. Our 9th session will be held on Tuesday, March 6th at 7pm. We hope to see you then! Deadline is soon approaching!!! Good Shepherd Parish 2018 Scholarship Application Good Shepherd Parish Scholarships are awarded to young men and women of our parish who give of themselves to their school, community and the parish. To date, the parish has awarded 56 scholarships to students who are attending a Catholic high school or starting college. If you are a registered member of Good Shepherd Parish and attend weekly Mass on a regular basis, you may apply for a scholarship by picking up an application from the Parish Office located at 625 Florida Grove Road, between the hours of 9am-3pm Monday through Friday OR call the Parish Office ( ) and request an application to be mailed to your home OR the Parish Office at: Good Shepherd20@verizon.net to request the application to be mailed to you. Completed applications must be returned to the Parish Office no later than noon, Friday, March 9th. Applications will not be accepted after that time. For more information or questions, please call the Parish Office at Please let one of the ushers know if you are unable to walk up at Communion time. A Eucharistic Minister will gladly bring Communion to you. 5

6 Feeding the Homeless Monday, March 12th The Confirmation Candidates deliver and serve food to the homeless. We could use your help by: volunteering, or with a monetary donation, or even a simple meal. Please call Mildred at (732) Thank you in advance. ORGANIZATIONS Everyone is invited! New members are welcome! All meetings are held in Msgr. Gambino Hall Girl Scouts: Thursday, March 29th 5pm. Meetings are held twice a month. Holy Name: Thursday, March 8th, 7pm. Meetings are held the second Thursday of every month. Rosary Altar Society: Sunday, March 11th, 9:30am. Meetings are held on the second Sunday of the month. Tuesday Seniors: Tuesday, March 13th at 12:30pm. Meetings this month will only be held on the above date. Wednesday Seniors: Wednesday, March 7th, at 12:30pm. Meetings are held twice a month. Youth Group: Sunday, March 18th, at 5:00pm. Meetings are held every third Sunday of the month. TRIPS Please join us!! All bus trips begin in our parking lot behind Most Holy Rosary Church. Renault Winery/Resorts Casino - Atlantic City Bus leaves 9:30am on Tuesday, April 3, 2018 Cost $75.00, you get $25 slot play. 2 hours at winery Italian family style lunch & wine tasting. Please contact Connie or Ronnie Bishop s Annual Appeal Lighting a Fire in the Heart of Our World Thank you to all who have given so generously to the 2018 Bishop s Annual Appeal. If you have not made a pledge, there is still time to participate. Mail your gift to: Diocese of Metuchen, Bishop s Annual Appeal, PO Box 4000, Metuchen, NJ or give online at To date, the Development Office has received pledges totaling $9, and payments totaling $7, from 65 parishioners. This represents 37.6% of our $24, goal. Thank you for your efforts!!! Votive Sanctuary Candles If you would like to light a Votive Sanctuary candle, please see an usher before or after any Mass. They are available for a small fee. 6 for a Breakfast Fundraiser at the good Shepherd Parish (sponsored by the Los Criollos) Sunday Morning, March 4th, 9:30am-1pm Msgr. Gambino Hall $8.00 per person (for tickets call Susan Nieves at , walk-ins welcome) Menu includes; eggs, bacon, sausage, home fries, bread, orange juice or coffee. All proceeds benefit medical expenses for our parishioner Jennifer Lopez-Soltren Join Us All are invited to attend "Keep This Toss That" A program presented by organizing specialist Jamie Novak Tuesday, March 7pm in Msgr. Gambino Hall Sponsored by the Good Shepherd Ladies Guild See flyer in this weeks bulletin for further details To reserve your seat call Chris Greges at Family Communion Breakfast The Good Shepherd Parish Holy Name Society Parishioners mark your calendars for our annual Family Communion Breakfast to be held 3/18/2018 in Msgr. Gambino Hall after the 8:30 A.M. Mass. Adults are $10.00 and children under 12 are $5.00. Fliers will be available soon on credenzas by the entrances of church. Tickets will be available at the Parish Office and from members of the Holy Name Society. Save the date!!! We re having a Chili Throwdown! Sunday, April 22 1pm in our Church Hall Sponsored by the Rosary Altar Society If you're interested in entering your Chili, joycesignorile@gmail.com or call , by March 25th. 1st, 2nd & 3rd prize winner will receive a gift card. More information will be in future bulletins. To maintain a spirit of reverence, please turn off or silence your cell phone during Mass.

7 Rice Bowl Campaign In Burkina Faso, we encounter Safiata, a mother, grandmother and farmer who relies on the money she makes form her crops to put her children through school. How can our purchases this Lent support farmers and artisans? How can you support those worldwide, who are forced to flee their homes to find safety or better opportunities? Visit crsricebowl.org for more information. We will also have a Free will donation basket at all Friday evening Lenten Soup dinners. Your participation in CRS Rice Bowl will continue to make a difference in the lives of those in need throughout the entire year. Thank you! fñüxtw Çz à{x jéüw You shall not carve idols for yourselves in the shape of anything - Exodus 20:4 How many gods do you put before God? Idols do not always take the shape of physical things, things we can touch and feel. Those are easy to recognize. Many times they take the form of things we cannot touch and are much harder to spot like pride, power, ego, time, comfort or health. Chrism Mass Monday, March 26, 2018 Cathedral of St. Frances of Assisi, Metuchen Bishop James F. Checchio will celebrate the Chrism Mass with the priests of the Diocese. At this Mass, the Bishop will bless the Holy Oils which each parish receives for the rites of anointing. Saint Ambrose [ ] began the custom which we now call the Chrism Mass in his Cathedral in Milan. These Holy Oils, which are used to sanctify the faithful, have been channels of holiness for centuries! The Oil of Catechumens is used to anoint infants and adults before their Baptism; the Oil of the Sick is used on the forehead and hands of the infirmed on the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick; and the Sacred Chrism is used to anoint the head of the newly baptized, the foreheads of the confirmandi, the hands of a priest at his ordination, the head of a Bishop at his ordination, and the altar and walls of new churches. At the Mass, all priests make a Renewal of Commitment to Priestly Service, recommitting themselves to their Bishop and to their ministry to God and His People: the Bishop and all Priests then ask the people for a pledge of their prayerful support. All are strongly encouraged to join in the ancient, grace-filled Chrism Mass at the Cathedral of St. Frances of Assisi in Metuchen at 7:30pm. PERTH AMBOY CATHOLIC CHURCHES COMMUNITY BLOOD DRIVE St. Stephen Church School Cafeteria Mechanic St. Entrance Sunday, March 11 9am-3pm Please bring ID with signature or photo. You can donate if you are between 17 and 75 years old and in general good health. 16 year olds can donate with parental consent form and those 76 and over can donate with doctors note. You must weigh at least 100 lbs. and meet other requirements. Most medications will not keep you from donating. People with diabetes and blood pressure controlled by medication can donate. Bring your donor card if you have one. For an appointment call Walk-ins Welcome!! 7 Lenten Obligations So that the Church of Metuchen may be spiritually one in a common observance of Lent, the following days of fast and abstinence are to be observed by all Catholics of the Diocese who enjoy the blessings of good health: 1. The days of fast and abstinence are Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. 2. All other Fridays of Lent are days of abstinence. 3. From the Evening Mass of the Lord's Supper on Holy Thursday until the celebration of the Easter Vigil on the evening of Holy Saturday, the Easter fast should be observed so that, with uplifted and welcoming hearts, we may be ready to celebrate the joys of the Resurrection. This ancient tradition, intimately connected with the Rites of Holy Week and the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults, is encouraged, especially in those places baptizing catechumens at the Easter Vigil. The obligation to fast applies only to Catholics between the ages of 18 and 59. To fast in the Catholic tradition means to limit oneself to one full meal during the day so as to experience hunger. The obligation of abstinence affects all Catholics who have reached the age of 14. Abstinence in the Catholic tradition means to abstain from meat. The obligation of fast and abstinence, as a whole, is a serious obligation. While failure to observe any penitential day in itself may not be considered serious, the failure to observe any penitential days at all, or a substantial number of them without good cause, would be considered a grave matter. Those unable to abstain for a valid reason on any given Friday of Lent are asked to perform some other penitential act, or to abstain on another day. Queenship of Mary 19 Dey Road, Plainsboro The Queenship of Mary St. Vincent de Paul Conference is hosting a speaker from Catholic Charities on the topic of immigration. The talk will be given on Monday, March 19 at 7:30 PM in the Church hall. We would like to extend an invitation for this talk to all SVDP Conferences and parish social ministry groups. If you and members of your ministry would like to attend, please Joe Quinlan at jq10953@aol.com to let him know so he can get a rough idea of how many will be attending. International Trips within the Diocese of Metuchen Pilgrimage to the Holy Land Israel/Jordan - 11days, Nov. 6-16, 2018 $ $590 airline, taxes, fuel surcharge, return ticket airfare from Newark. Daily Breakfast/ Dinner. Great hotels, tips for guided tours, deluxe motor coach and more. Fr. Abe Orapankal, Pastor of St. John Neumann, Spiritual Director/Tour Chaplain. Please call Juliet Banaag Hobson Pilgrimage to Poland August 9-18, 2018 $2950 Price includes airfare, fuel surcharges, taxes, 3 meals a day, superior hotel, all entrance fees. For more information call Fr. Joseph Kubiak at St. John Vianney, or Phyllis Gomulka or