April 17, Forth Sunday of Easter. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them and they follow me.

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1 Page 1 #623 April 17, 2016 Forth Sunday of Easter My sheep listen to my voice; I know them and they follow me. This Week at Holy Cross This Weekend; *Knights of Columbus Membership Drive, * Blessing of Newly Baptized * And Hospitality Sunday Wednesday; Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament Thursday; Holy Cross Next Weekend; Food Drive For Project Paul Inside this Issue Knights of Columbus Membership Drive Faith in Our Future 2 Holy Cross Food Drive 2 Girl Scouts Selling Cookies 2 Holy Cross 3 Charismatic Healing Mass 3 Holy Cross Scholarship 3 Diaper Drive To Help Mom s In Need Annual Catholic Appeal Contribution Statements 4 Please Pray for the Sick of the Parish 2 4 Mass Intentions 4 Calendar at a Glance 5 3 World Day of Prayer for Vocations Today, the Fourth Sunday of Easter; Good Shepherd Sunday, is a special celebration of World Day of Prayer for Vocations. Christ Jesus gives his life for us that we might know fullness of life. Forth Sunday of Easter We pray for openness to God s call and to accept the gift of our Christian vocation. Christ Jesus the Good Shepherd is with us to guide and to protect us on our life journey. God used the image of a shepherd to describe his covenant relationship and care for his chosen people who were called by his name. God called David, who shepherded his father's flock in his youth, to be the anointed king and shepherd for his people Israel. Jesus called himself the Good Shepherd of the people whom his Father had entrusted to his care. Peter the Apostle tells us that the Lord Jesus is the Good Shepherd and Guardian of our souls. He keeps a close and personal watch over every one of his sheep, his followers who belong to him. He calls each of us to follow him, and he promises to be our guardian and protector from the snares of our enemy, Satan, the father of lies and a murderer from the beginning. The Lord leads us each day to good pastures, places where we can feed on his word and drink from the well-springs of living water which is his Holy Spirit. If we feed on his word and drink from the living water of the Holy Spirit, we will find the nourishment and strength we need to live each day for his glory and honor. Holy Cross Blessing of the Newly Baptized This Sunday at the 10:30 Mass, Fr. Manning will bless all children who have received the Sacrament of Baptism during the past year at Holy Cross. Hospitality Sunday Join us this Sunday, April 17th, following the 10:30 Mass for Hospitality Sunday in the St. Joseph s Room. Enjoy light refreshments while spending time with other parishioners. Holy Cross School Mass Join us at our Holy Cross School Mass this Monday, April 18th, the feast of St. Laserian, at 9:00 AM in the church.

2 April 17, 2016 Page 2 #623 Knights of Columbus Membership Drive The Knights of Columbus Red Bank Council #3187 will conduct a membership drive after each mass this weekend, April 16/17. Representatives from the Knights will be on hand to speak with interested gentlemen ages 18 and over. As Knights, we serve our local parish and community while working each day to create a better world through charity. If you are looking to live out your faith in the spirit of charity by helping others, the Knights of Columbus welcomes you to join us. For more information visit or contact Grand Knight, Brett Beach at bbeach72@verizon.net or call Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament We will have Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament from 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM on Wednesday in the church. Holy Cross Pergola Column Donations Consider helping us defray the cost of the pergola by dedicating a column in gratitude or prayerful memory of someone. Please contact the Parish Office for details. Faith In Our Future Update Faith in Our Future Initiative We continue to meet with the other area Parishes to assess our strengths and identify areas that we can each improve. The focus areas are: Sacramental Life, Communal Life, Stewardship & Leadership, and Evangelization, Catechesis, & Catholic Schools. Based on these beginning conversations, it is apparent that we each can learn from the successes of each other. There was universal agreement that we will work to improve communications and the effective use of social media. Over the next few weeks we will explore how we can best work together in the future to better serve our Parishes. We are working on a May 20 th deadline to present recommendations to the Bishop. We will continue to provide the Parish with timely updates on our progress as we move forward in this process. Please pray for us as we continue to take part in this initiative. Holy Cross Food Drive Holy Cross Parish will have a Food Drive next weekend, April 23/24, for Project Paul in Keansburg. Please help by donating non-perishable food, along with personal and household items. Monetary donations are also always appreciated. Girl Scouts Selling Cookies Next weekend, April 23/24 the Girl Scouts will be selling Girl Scout cookies after all the masses. Please support the Girl Scouts!

3 April 17, 2016 Page 3 #623 Holy Cross Holy Cross A Man after God s own Heart Holy Cross Please join the Holy Cross on Thursday, April 21st, at 7:00 PM in the Saint Joseph Meeting Room, lower level of Holy Cross Church. The will be meeting on Thursday, April 21, with a video presentation on the topic: A Man after God s own Heart. The goal is to help us use the life of Saint Joseph to develop a framework based on the lessons of the first year of the. The discussion is intended to help men have an open discussion about the life of Saint Joseph and our need to imitate him, while also obtaining a commitment from each of us to support one another in our continuing spiritual journey. The Holy Cross provides opportunities for spiritual and personal growth, service to the parish community, and social interaction. Bring A FRIEND! For information, please contact the Parish Office. Charismatic Healing Mass The Healing Shepherd Prayer Group invites all to a Charismatic Healing Mass on Tuesday, April 26th at 8:00 PM in Holy Cross Church. Fr. Bill Halbing will be our Celebrant. Our next Healing Mass will be on Monday, May 23rd Holy Cross Scholarship Attention High School Seniors! Holy Cross is offering a scholarship to college-bound students who have volunteered or ministered at Holy Cross during high school. The scholarship will be awarded on the basis of volunteer hours and the merits of a well-written essay. Applications are online on the Holy Cross website. Submission due April 27th. Diaper Drive to Help Mother s In Need In honor of our Holy Mother and in an effort to help moms in need in our area, the Social Concerns Justice Committee is asking parishioners to donate disposable diapers, or money to buy diapers, to our Diaper Drive on Mother's Day weekend, May 7/8. The diapers will be distributed to those in need by Project Paul. Please think of the families in our community who have difficulty affording this basic need, and contribute to our Mothers' Day Diaper Drive. Annual Catholic Appeal Home Health Nursing Program: Free, in-home nursing and home health services are available to Seniors in Greater Trenton through Mt. Carmel Guild. Emergency Assistance: People in Mercer County are able to receive food through Mt. Carmel Guild. Over 30,000 received food through this program last year. Your gift gives them a place to turn to in their need. Easter Collection In case you missed our Easter collection, please send your contribution or drop it in the next collection basket. The Easter collection is an important portion of our parish operating budget. Thank you for your support.

4 April 17, 2016 Page 4 #623 Holy Cross Memorial Votive Candles Holy Cross Memorial Candles and Cards are available online on our website The donation for Memorial Candles is $20 each. Contribution Statements Holy Cross Parishioners who would like to receive a 2015 Contribution Statement may request one by ing webmaster@holycrossrumson.org. Please Pray for the Sick of the Parish In an effort to better minister to the sick of our parish and provide for their pastoral needs, let us know how your relative or friend is doing. We want to be sure to keep sick parishioners or family members in our prayers and to make the Sacraments available to them. We review the Sick List every three months. Call with any concerns! Catherine O Malley, Ann Connor, Eleanor Blass, Sophia Gonzales, James Mueller, Joey Weikel, Sarah Dey, Ian Silkowski, Jack Preston, Jake Paschen, Ray Knierim, Maria & Ben Mauloff, John Wizeman, Marisa Murphy, Ralph Stauffer, Richard Prinzi, Hudson Gartland, Coral Loftus, Charles McAuliffe, Daniel Bonifacio and Connie McCarthy. Mass Intentions Saturday, April 16 9:00 AM John Vilardi (M/M James Parent) 5:00 PM Edward Duffy (Teresa Manning) Sunday, April 17 8:00 AM ( C) Robert Joseph Geiger (Darrah/Joe Kenney & Fam.) 10:30 AM (C) James Bredin (Gray Family) 12:00 PM (C) Ethel McBride Moran (Rigby Family) 5:00 PM (C) John Gary Montana (Darrah/Joe Kenney & Fam.) Monday, April 18 9:00 AM Anna Ciampoli (Sallie Kabash) Tuesday, April 19 9:00 AM Kim Dey (M/M Frank Shanley) Wednesday, April 20 9:00 AM Frances Bucich (M/M Ray Viggiano) Thursday, April 21 9:00 AM Richard Nicholas Fairclough (Heine Family) Friday, April 22 9:00 AM Robert Joseph Geiger & Dr. William T. Brandfass (M/M John Fitzgerald) Saturday, April 23 9:00 AM Kimberly Anne Dey (Gary Sammon) 5:00 PM John V. Ellis (Family) And Nora Goldschlager (M/M John Blass) Sunday, April 24 8:00 AM ( C) Dr. William Taylor Brandfass (M/M Michael Winchell) 10:30 AM (C) Ethel Moran (M/M Joe Kenney) 12:00 PM (C) Jessica Masterson (Don Carolina) 5:00 PM (C) John Gary Montana (M/M Dave Iwan) Church Memorial Opportunities Please help us complete the Church Construction project by contributing to the capital campaign. Thank you if you've already completed a pledge; please consider another donation. Or, if you have not yet made a pledge, prayerfully think about making one. We have posted a new and updated brochure to the Holy Cross Website. If nothing in this brochure seems apt, please consider an unrestricted gift, or call the Parish Office to discuss other memorial opportunities. Thank you for your support of this project. A sample of our memorial opportunities; * Cry Room Stained Glass Windows * Round Steeple Stained Glass Window *St. Joseph Meeting Room (With Plaque) * Lights for statues in the Narthex and Transept * Church Security Camera System

5 April 17, 2016 Page 5 #623 Calendar at a Glance Monday, April 18th Monday, April 25th Holy Cross School Mass 9:00 AM Tuesday, April 26th Tuesday, April 19th Charismatic Healing Mass 8 PM RCIA 6:30 PM Wednesday, April 27th Wednesday, April 20th Youth Ministry 7:00 PM Youth Ministry 7:00 PM Thursday, April 28th Thursday, April 21st Children s Choir, 3:30 PM (PC) Bible Study, Last session, 9:45 AM (St. Joseph Room) Adult Choir, 7:30 PM (PC) Children s Choir, 3:30 PM (PC) Saturday, April 30th Holy Cross, 7:00 PM (St. Joseph Room) Mass 9 AM, Confession and Novena after Mass Adult Choir, 7:30 PM (PC) Sunday, May 1st Saturday, April 23rd Mass Sitters Available Mass 9 AM, Confession and Novena after Mass Monday, May 2nd Holy Cross Food Drive for Project Paul Girl Scouts Selling Cookies after 5 PM Mass Confirmation Practice Group 1, Sunday, April 24th Tuesday, May 3rd Mass Sitters Available Confirmation Practice Group 2, SOR Last Classes Wednesday, May 4th Holy Cross Food Drive for Project Paul Girl Scouts Selling Cookies after all Mass NJ AIDS Walk On May 1st, The Center in Asbury Park will be hosting the NJ AIDS Walk. Our challenge is to exceed the dollars we have raised in previous years. Please organize a Team of friends, family members, coworkers etc. Go to and register at the Asbury Park location. If you are not able to walk with us, please go online to make a contribution and support a team or individual. Mother And Daughter Retreat The Marianist Family Retreat Center in Cape May Point invites you to their Mother and Adult Daughter Retreat on Mother s Day Weekend, May 6-8. Eucharist, small group sharing, prayer experiences, socials and fun are included, beach walks too! Cost is $130 per person. Sign up online at or call for details. Singles Journey This is a support group for adults over 50 that are widowed, divorced or never married. This group was formed 20 years ago and meets at St. Mary s Church in Colts Neck on Sunday mornings at 11:45 AM in the Parish Hall building, room 10. The Gennesaret Retreat For Those Loving With Life Changing Illness This retreat is designed to provide a spiritual and temporal oasis for men and women suffering with a life changing illness, will be held the weekend of May at the Archdiocesan retreat Center, located in Kearny, NJ. The retreat will begin Friday at 2:15 PM and end with a closing Prayer Service Sunday at 1:30 PM. There is no cost for the retreat. For further info call Hilare at Year of Mercy Pilgrimage To Lourdes & Italy Visit Lourdes, Nice, Avignon, Genoa, Carcassone, Florence, Assisi and Rome for comprehensive tour of Rome and Papal Audience including entrance through the Holy Doors of Mercy Basilicas. October 31 thru November 10, 2016, $2989, all inclusive (except for lunches). See a brochure on or call Fr. David Kosmaski at for details and reservations. Knitting and Prayer Learn how to combine your knitting/crocheting skills, prayer and compassion and be rewarded with the satisfaction of creating prayer shawl. Come to the Upper Room Spiritual Center on Wednesday, April 20th from 1:30 3:30 PM.