Holy Spirit Roman Catholic Church 318 Newark-Pompton Turnpike Pequannock, NJ 07440

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1 Holy Spirit Roman Catholic Church 318 Newark-Pompton Turnpike Pequannock, NJ Rev. David Monteleone Pastor In the Spirit Volume 4, No. 1 January/February 2019 My dear Parishioners, I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and Happy New Year. I was very blessed with all of your support, prayers and goodies this year! As I have always said before; Holy Spirit is the small parish with the big heart! It truly is a beautiful time of year with the church decorated beautifully and the atmosphere of peace and good will towards all. The Infant King has come and has made a home in our hearts. May we keep this spirit of Christmas all year long, not just until the Baptism of the Lord (January 13). I am pleased to announce that we as a parish family have made our goal for the Bishop s Annual Appeal. This is a wonderful thing! Because of your generosity, so many of our less fortunate brethren will be helped and we at Holy Spirit will get a rebate check for going over our goal. This again goes to show the spirit of generosity that lives here in Holy Spirit Church. The new lift is taking longer than expected. Plans for the new lift and shaft had to be sent to Trenton for approval. This was done in late October and as of writing this, we just very recently received final approval. The old lift has been dismantled, the shaft is ready for the new lift to go in, and installation will begin within the next three weeks. In July of 2019 I will be here for three years. So many wonderful things have been able to be done with your time, talent and treasure. Without the good people of Holy Spirit Church, all of these things would not have taken place. Be assured of my prayers for May it be a year of health and peace for you and your families. I am forever grateful to all of you. Peace, Fr. David Monteleone

2 Holy Spirit Parish Mission Statement Holy Spirit Parish Mission Statement We the people of Holy Spirit Parish are a worshipping community, called by God, and empowered by the Holy Spirit, sharing joyfully the Good News of Jesus Christ s message of love and salvation. We offer prayer, fellowship, hospitality, service and outreach with all who seek a relationship with Christ. A Look Ahead. Tuesday, Jan. 1 Sunday, Jan. 6 Saturday, Jan. 12 Saturday, Jan. 12 Monday, January 14 Sat./Sun, Jan Sunday, Jan. 27 Sunday, Feb. 3 Saturday, Feb. 9 Wednesday, Mar. 6 Thurs.-Sun., March Sunday, Mar. 24 Saturday, April 13 Sunday, April 20/21 The Solemnity of Mary, Holy Mother of God 8:30AM, 10:30AM Mass Hospitality Sunday following the 11AM Mass 10AM Altar Server training for Grades 3-7 in the church Please contact Fr. David or Ken Gertler Holy Spirit School Comedy Night Doors open at 7PM; Show begins at 8:30PM 7:30PM Parish Council Meeting Quilting for a cause at Holy Spirit School Beginning of Catholic Schools Week Hospitality Sunday following the 11AM Mass 10AM Altar Server training for Grades 3-7 in the church Please contact Fr. David or Ken Gertler Ash Wednesday. Mass Schedule to be announced. Holy Spirit School Performing Arts presentation Grains of Hope Packing Day. Watch for signup announcements. Applebees Parish Fundraising Breakfast Easter Vigil/Easter 2

3 Enrichment at Holy Spirit Church On Tuesday, December 4 at 7PM, Steven Kass, an adjunct theology professor at Seton Hall University, presented a guided study opportunity and reflection on the Infancy Narratives of Matthew and Luke at Holy Spirit Church. With approximately 34 parishioners in attendance, Steven Kass lead the group through an examination of the first two chapters of the Gospel texts of Matthew and Luke that tell the story of Jesus birth. Each Gospel has a different and important message to communicate about how Our Savior came into the world and how it was that the first two disciples of Christ, Joseph and Mary, walked by faith and not by sight on their own pilgrimage to the tiny village of Bethlehem 2,000 years ago. The Bible Study was followed by light refreshments. A similar opportunity for study and reflection is planned for the season of Lent. Are You Receiving Our Parish s? Join the 237 (and ever increasing number of) individuals or families who are part of our database, and are always the first to know about what is happening in our parish! If you have not already done so, please provide your address to be included in our database so you can be informed of parish events, mid-week deaths and funerals, Mass changes, and other items of importance. By providing your contact information, you can remain informed about all things Holy Spirit. Send your contact information to: kimrizzo@holyspiritparishnj.org. 3

4 Through Operation Christmas Child... For the second consecutive year, Holy Spirit parishioners opened their hearts, giving of their time and treasure to carefully select gifts for children a world away who otherwise would never know the joy of receiving a beautifully-decorated box of their very own, filled with treasures and packed with love. During the first two weeks of October, multiple boxes placed at the entrances to our church were filled, emptied and repeatedly refilled by our parishioners who gave so generously to reach out to dozens of children they will never know or even meet. The following items were donated: 157 Boxes of Crayons 57 Pkgs of Markers 30 Pkgs of Colored Pencils 68 Packages of Pencils (736 pencils) 108 Individual Pencils 34 Packages of Pens (177 pens) 15 Individual Pens 79 Toothbrushes 31 Bars of soap 3 Character Washcloths 24 Soap and Washcloth sets 7 Nail brushes 22 Personal pkgs of tissues 95 Pairs of Socks 2 Handtowels 21 Story books and card games 193 Misc. school supplies (glue sticks, rulers, erasers, pencil sharpeners, etc.) 42 Spiral notebooks 47 Composition Notebooks 5 Pkgs of looseleaf paper 80 Beanie babies 40 Plastic shoebox-sized containers 70 Christmas-theme boxes 239 Toys (Misc., not including stuffed animals) 28 Items of clothing (excluding socks) 106 Small notebooks and note pads 94 Misc. teen items (combs, hair ribbons, etc.) 20 Zippered pouches filled with school supplies 95 Coloring books, coloring play sets, sticker sheets 4

5 ...Holy Spirit Reaches Honduras and the Ukraine Together, Holy Spirit parishioners donated a total of 1822 items, an increase of 457 small gifts over last year s total. Our donations filled 75 shoe box-sized gift boxes, and we also were able to donate approximately 200 items which were used by Operation Christmas Child volunteers to complete boxes from other organizations which might have arrived not completely filled, or with prohibited items (candy, liquids, war-related toys) that were removed and replaced with some of our extras. Helping in Honduras Honduras is a central-american country with a population in excess of 9 million people. Sixty-six percent of the population lives below the poverty line. Honduras is 97% Catholic and 3% Protestant. Testimonials from shoebox recipients in many countries can be found on the Operation Christmas Child website. One girl from Honduras explained that she was growing up in an orphanage when she received a shoebox, and was thrilled to get a toothbrush. Before she had her own, she d had to share one toothbrush with 25 other children. She was also overwhelmed to receive a package of 10 pencils in her shoebox. That was a treasure, because she was given one pencil a year, and it was expected to last her through the entire school term. She hid her pencils in fear that someone would take them. It was through this shoebox that she realized that someone cared about her and that Jesus loved her. God has big plans for this little girl who lost her family. She earned a soccer scholarship and attended college in the U.S. Today she is enrolled in medical school. Thanks to Fr. David for allowing and advocating the participation of our parish in this annual project. Thank you to Kathy Washington, Suzanne Unger, Joanne Richardson, Rita Ann Gilfedder, Meredith Mascitello, and Through the bar code tracking label we attached to each box, we have learned that our Holy Spirit gift boxes this year were sent to Honduras and to the Ukraine. Kim Rizzo for their work on packing day, and thanks to Frank Unger and Sam Rizzo for helping to deliver the boxes to our dropoff point at the New Apostolic Church in Parsippany. But most of all, thanks to our parishioners, guests and friends who took the time to select special gifts for children to share with them the love of Christ and the generosity of others which makes such a positive impact on their young lives. 5 A Story from the Ukraine I grew up in an orphanage in the Ukraine, we didn t have a lot of things including showers or bathtubs. They put us on a school bus once a month and drove us to the public bath house. The 120 kids in the orphanage were divided by age group for the event. In my group of 30 kids, we shared one bar of soap. At age 12, I received my shoebox wrapped in blue Christmas paper. There was a slinky and some small plastic rubber balls in it, and a nice white washcloth, too. Looking at the washcloth, I thought: What is this? I had no idea how to use it. But, best of all, there was a bar of scented soap. It smelled wonderful! That bar of soap was precious. It was my own. I specifically remember that I didn t want anyone else to use it. I d never had my own bar of soap. Today, I work for a pharmaceutical company in Texas that makes eye care products. I am also a photographer in my spare time. Looking back, I realize that my shoebox gave me a sense of hope. It showed me that someone really cared enough to pack this gift and send it to me. Now as I pack shoeboxes for others, every one contains a bar of scented soap just like the one I received and a washcloth. I want the child to experience what I experienced. I want them to know that there s someone who cares for them. Most of all, I want them to know God loves them.

6 Making More Christmas Wishes Come True! Thank you to Mike and Ann Tizio for coordinating two very important sharing projects in our church each year: the Sweater and Coat Collection, and the Angel Tree collection. The Tizios reported a very generous response to our annual collection, with 95 gifts being donated for clients of Straight and Narrow, and 51 gifts and gift cards for Catholic Family and Community Services (CFCS is a part of Catholic Charities in the Diocese of Paterson.) More than $2500 in gift cards was collected for Holy Spirit School and Parish families in need of assistance. Grains of Hope Needs You! Your contributions to support the Grains of Hope Community Meal Packing event on March 24th are needed now. Sponsorship forms are available at the doors of the church if you wish to use them. Contributions may be made by dropping your support in the wooden collection boxes at the main and wing doors of church, or in a marked envelope in the collection basket. Contributions in any amount may be made by mailing your check (marked for "GoH-HS") directly to Community Partners for Hope PO Box 532 in Pompton Plains, Thank You! Find Us On Our Websites and Social Media Check our websites regularly Holy Spirit Church Holy Spirit School Find us on Facebook Holy Spirit Church Holy Spirit School Follow us on Instagram Holy Spirit Church and School HolySpiritPequannock 6

7 Hospitality Sundays: A Growing Tradition For the past 2 1/2 years (approximately), members of the Hospitality Ministry have been hosting monthly Hospitality Sundays as an opportunity for parishioners to meet socially and get to know one another as more than that person you see in church. We re pleased to report that we have developed a very consistent group of faithful parishioners who participate each month, but we re always looking for new friends to join us. Find us in the downstairs meeting room under the wing of the church on the first Sunday of the month, following the 11AM Mass. We ll greet you with coffee, tea, cold beverages, and an assortment of baked goods, pastries, etc. You ll always feel welcomed by those people in the pew. And you ll always find Fr. David there, with a friendly word and conversation for everyone. 7

8 The MPFPA Annual Concert On Sunday, December 8, the Maureen Piccoli Foundation for the Performing Arts presented Lessons and Carols: The Journey to Christmas for their annual concert to benefit the performing arts program at Holy Spirit School. The Instrumental Prelude was performed under the direction of Mr. Glen Sullivan, Instrumental Music Instructor at Holy Spirit. The PreK-3 musical selections of The Little Baby Jesus and Christmas Day Will Soon Be Coming were coordinated and directed by Mrs. Betty Russo, Holy Spirit Parishioner and volunteer for the preschool music program, with Kristen Barnard, PreK-3 head teacher. Lessons and Carols was performed by members of the Holy Spirit School performing arts program, and was directed by school music Director Mr. Nick Bushey, with Assistant Directors Ms. Patricia Dean and Mrs. Maryann Daw, teachers at Holy Spirit School. Luke Walsh (a narrator), Mr. Glenn Sullivan, Mr. Louis Piccoli, Ms. Patricia Dean 8

9 Scenes From Christmas Eve 4:30PM Many thanks to the decorating committee, lead by Rita Ann Gilfedder for their work in making our church so very beautiful for the Christmas season, and to Mary Lou Weinberg for putting the wheels in motion prior to leaving for her Christmas time away. Thanks to the children s choir for sharing their angelic voices for the Christmas Eve preludes and to their director Prin Sielski. Thank you to the altar servers for their joy and reverence, and to their guide and mentor, Kenny Gertler. And thank you especially to Deacon Mike Scruggs and to Fr. David for the beautiful and meaningful liturgies throughout the year. Grateful to be. Holy Spirit Parish! 9

10 The Annual Santa Breakfast Santa Claus, Sr. Marie Antonelli, M.P.F., Principal, and (part of) the 8th grade class of 2018/2019! So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. Romans 12:5 10

11 ...One of the Many Places Where School and Church Meet! Thanks to Confirmation candidates/holy Spirit parishioners Emily Bogush, Victoria Chavez, Jessica Pierson, Mia Barkley, Paige McCoy, Dylan Tuback, AJ Seele, David Brain, and Nick Mazzana for volunteering their time and demonstrating patience and a great work ethic while staffing the craft tables at the annual Santa Breakfast. Thanks also to parishioners Mary Lou Weinberg, Rita Ann Gilfedder, Bernice Sauer, Loretta Loony, Christina Paternostro and Kim Rizzo for supervising the craft tables, and to members of the Knights of Columbus and Columbiettes for cooking and serving. 11

12 Parish Life Marty and Antoinette Van Wyck Lisa Meyers and Ronnie Giardino Parishioners enjoying the annual Maureen Piccoli Concert Sr. Marie Antonelli and Linda Zeigler Angie and Mary Speziale The Sacrament of Reconciliation Bob Washington and granddaughter, Mckinnley Rose Mark 12