Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time July 26, 2015 The eyes of all look hopefully to you, and you give them their food in due season.

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1 Our Lady of Mt. Virgin Church 600 Harris Avenue, Middlesex, New Jersey Parish Office: Rectory Emergency: Fax: SERVED BY Very Rev. Patrick J. Kuffner, Pastor x 1006 pkuffner@olmv.net Rev. Mark Kehoe, Associate Pastor x 1011 mkehoe@olmv.net Deacon John R. Tietjen jtietjen@olmv.net Deacon John Czekaj jczekaj@olmv.net Deacon Tom Sommero tsommero@olmv.net Sr. James Xavier Landi S.S.J., Pastoral Minister sjvavier@olmv.net Dorothy Zmigrodski, Parish Catechetical Leader x 2010 dzmigrodski@olmv.net Anita McGinley, Catechetical Assistant x 2010 amcginley@olmv.net Rives Cassel, Director of Sacred Music x 1105 rcassel@olmv.net Kelly Rooney, Coordinator of Youth & Young Adult Ministry x 1108 krooney@olmv.net Elizabeth Graebener, Ministry to Veterans Military x 1109 Ellen Fleming, Parish Office Manager x 1002 efleming@olmv.net Carol Valente, Pastor s Assistant, Financial Manager x 1003 cvalente@olmv.net Gabriella Rosales, Parish Secretary / Hispanic Ministry x 1001 grosales@olmv.net Ed Kura, Facilities Manager x 2009 ekura@olmv.net Sean Fleming, Custodian x 2009 MARRIAGES: Couples are encourage to contact the parish office to begin Marriage Preparation Program. It is recommended that engaged couple begin this process a year in advance of the wedding. Please contact the parish office for additional information. INFANT BAPTISMS: The Sacrament of Baptism is celebrated on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Sunday of each month after the 11:30 am Mass (except during Lent). Families must be registered in the Parish and attend a Baptism Preparation Class. Please contact the parish office for additional information. VISITS TO THE SICK & HOMEBOUND: Eucharistic Ministers are pleased to bring Holy Communion to the members of the parish who are homebound. Please contact the Parish Office to arrange for a visit by a Eucharistic Minister or to arrange for the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick. Our Lady of Mount Virgin is a vibrant and welcoming Roman Catholic Parish that, guided by the Holy Spirit, offers opportunities for all to experience God. OLMV is open each day until 4:15 pm. All are encouraged to visit and spend time in prayer and meditation in the church and in our Meditation Garden. Parish Office hours: Monday-Friday (8:30 am-4:00 pm) MASS SCHEDULE: Saturdays: 8:00 a.m. & 5:00 p.m. (Sunday Vigil Mass) Sundays: 8:00, 10:00 & 11:30 a.m. 1:30 p.m. (Misa en Español) Weekdays: 7:00 a.m. (M, W, F); 12:00 Noon (Tu, Th) Holy Days: 7:00 p.m. Vigil Mass, 7:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon ADORATION: 1st and 3rd Friday after the Morning Mass until 12:00noon SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION: Saturday from 3:30 to 4:15 p.m. Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time July 26, 2015 The eyes of all look hopefully to you, and you give them their food in due season. -Psalm 145:15

2 MASS INTENTIONS MON., July 27 th Weekday 7:00 A.M. Pasqualina Memolo r/o Tony & Monique Sasso TUES., July 28 th Weekday 12:00 P.M. Nicholas Alimecco r/o The Boyajian Family WED., July 29 th Saint Martha 7:00 A.M. Patricia Bereheiko r/o Ann Butera & Family THURS., July 30 th Weekday 12:00 P.M. Richard Fleming r/o Ellen, Michael, Sean & Jeanne FRI., July 31 st Weekday 7:00 A.M. Dom Palladino r/o Lissy Family SAT., Aug. 1 st St. Alphonsus Liguori 8:00 A.M. Purgatorial Society 5:00 P.M. Amy Antunes r/o Ken & Marianne Antunes SUN., Aug. 2 nd Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time 8:00 A.M. John & Elizabeth Finnerty r/o Jim & Mary Jane 10:00 A.M. Patricia Heller r/o Joe, Lynda, Sarah, Carrie England 11:30 A.M. Melissa Legacki r/o Bill & Annabelle Green 1:30 P.M. Comunidad Hispana de esta parroquia, ninos en especial The following little one was Baptized on July 19, 2015 Mya Rose Weber, daughter of Richard Weber & Mikole Rotunno for the Week of july 26 August 1 Tabernacle Candles Mary Petrik s health r/o Helena Urbanik We offer our prayers... for all serving in the Military for unborn children for families around the world for those in need for those in hospitals & nursing homes.. PRAY FOR THE SICK In your charity please pray for the sick of our parish, the sick who remain in our intentions and those whose names are kept on our prayer list. Today s Readings First Reading Elisha feeds a hundred people with twenty barley loaves (2 Kings 4:42-44) Psalm The hand of the Lord feeds us; he answers all our needs (Psalm 145) Second Reading Paul urges the Ephesians to live in a manner worthy of the call they received (Ephesians 4:1-6) Gospel Jesus feeds a large crowd with five barley loaves and two fish (John 6:1-15). Wedding Banns I Gary Bifano & Christina McNulty There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what good are these for so many? (JOHN 6:9) The miracle of the Loaves and Fishes is the only miracle which is recorded six times in the Gospel. It carries two important messages. First, no matter how little we have, we always have enough to share. Second, Christ can take our humble gifts and do great things with them if we are just willing to let Him. GOD S PLAN FOR GIVING July $9, Major Renovations $ July $9, Second Collection Mission Cooperative....$5, Major Renovations....$ Weekly Expenses.....$19, Opportunities to help your Parish Did you know that in addition to Mass intentions for your loved ones you may remember them through the following memorial opportunities: Floral Memorial at the Altar Altar, Sanctuary or Tabernacle Candles Meditation Garden Remembrance Bricks A gift of cash, securities, or other assets to OLMV Is Our Lady of Mount Virgin Church in your will? Parishioners who wish to make a gift of a specific amount or a percentage of an estate to support OLMV may do so by contacting Father Pat. Envelopes: If you are not receiving envelopes, please contact Ellen at the Parish Office at: OLMV welcomes all newcomers to the parish. Please stop by the parish office for a registration form.

3 A letter from our Pastor My Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Our God is a generous God! As we meditate upon today s readings from Scripture, we are drawn to God s generosity in caring for and providing for the people He calls His own. In today s first reading from the 2nd Book of Kings, Elisha draws attention to the generosity of Yahweh in providing for his people. A man brings Elisha an offering from the first fruits of the harvest. It is a generous gift---one that would be pleasing to the Lord. Elisha commands that this gift be set before the people. The man tells Elisha that this is not possible as there certainly is not enough to satisfy 100 people. This man expresses both a lack of understanding of the ways of God and a lack of faith in the power of God. Elisha assures the man that there will be enough for everyone---in fact---there will be some left over: for such is the power of Yahweh God! And, indeed, just as God had promised, there is some left over! We transition to today s Gospel passage from the Gospel of John. A huge crowd had come to hear Jesus and to see miracles and the curing of the sick. There were about 5,000; quite the crowd! To get a sense of this crowd, think of our church and then try to imagine it to be about 8 times its current size. And at that size, everyone would have to be squeezed next to each other! Jesus challenges the disciples to prepare this crowd for a meal. Philip is just incredulous. How can the Lord even think that there is enough money in the treasury to buy food for a crowd like this? Andrew offers advice little better than that of Philip. He has found a child with five barley loaves and two fish. Isn t Andrew trying to advise Jesus that with so little food available to them, the best would be to disburse the crowd? There is just no way that these people can be fed! Sure, Jesus is a great miracle worker--- but nobody can do the impossible! And that is just what Jesus does. The impossible!!! In what is clearly a metaphor for the sharing of Holy Eucharist, Jesus takes the bread and fish and offers it to the Father in thanksgiving, and then distributed the food among the thousands who were gathered before him. After everyone had enough to eat, twelve wicker baskets of excess food were collected. Again, how generously does God respond to the people He calls His own? The Feeding of the Five Thousand is a favorite Gospel passage of many Christians. There are so many interpretations of its meaning. Many books have been written about this miracle. So much has been said, so much has been written! My brothers and sisters, I think that as we meditate on these beautiful scriptural passages, we are invited to consider God s indescribable generosity. Just as God took care of the people in Elisha s day, so the Father takes care of us in the time of Jesus and even today. God fed the hundred in the time of Elisha. God fed the thousands in the time of Jesus. In his generosity, the Father takes care of us today---all of us---if only we ask. Jesus raised the barley loves in prayer and thanksgiving. It is now up to us to raise in prayer Jesus himself---the very Bread of Life! Jesus is truly Bread of Life---for us and for the world! How generous is God to the people He calls His own! In peace and prayer, Father Pat. Attending the Papal Mass in Philadelphia on September 27, 2015: Please review and follow the attached information. Transportation to the Papal Mass The Diocese of Metuchen has made arrangements for bus transportation to the public Mass to be celebrated by Pope Francis, on Sunday, September 27on the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. For those interested in reserving a bus seat, there are limited number of seats still available leaving from the following locations: St. Bernard of Clairvaux, Bridgewater St. Cecilia, Iselin St. John Neumann Center, Piscataway Our Lady of the Mount, Warren St. Joseph, Washington Online registration is strongly recommended. Visit You may also register via phone by calling (732) ext during the hours of 10:00 am 1:00 pm., Monday thru Friday. All payments will be by credit card only. Remember our ongoing Buy a Brick campaign. What a great way to remember loved ones, living or deceased, events and milestones in a peaceful prayerful environment! Parish Office Hours during the month August M Th: 8:30 am 4:00 pm Friday: 8:30 am 1:30 pm. Copies of The Catholic Spirit may be found at the entranceways. Please feel free to take a copy courtesy of the Diocese. Also available online at

4 Our Religious Education program is outstanding in so many ways due to the leadership of Mrs. Dorothy Zmigrodski and a large number of dedicated and talented Catechists and Aides who work so effectively with the children of our parish. If we are to continue to successfully proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ to the younger members of our parish, we need your help! Won t you consider serving the Lord and our parish youngsters as a Catechist or an Aide for the 2015/2016 Academic Year. Please take a few minutes to stop by or call Mrs. Zmigrodski to find out about helping to proclaim the Gospel to our youth. OLMV needs you ---the youth of our parish need you and are counting on you!!! Please help!!! The Religious Education Department is in need of the following volunteers: TUESDAY AFTERNOON (4:00-5:10PM) Substitute Teachers and Aides 7 th or 8 th grade students to help with students needing assistance TUESDAY AFTERNOON (5:30-6:40PM) Substitute Teachers and Aides TUESDAY EVENING (7:00-8:15PM) Substitute Teachers and Aides Please take a volunteer form that can be found around the church entranceways, complete and return it to the Religious Education Office. Religious Education Office will be open on Thursdays throughout July and August from 9-3PM. The office will be CLOSED for vacation from July 24 th August 5 th and will re-open on Thursday, August 6 th. All re-registrations are DUE and regular tuition will apply. All new 1 st graders to the program should register ASAP as the classes are filling up. Families of new 1 st graders need to supply a copy of their child s Baptismal Certificate and be registered members of OLMV. THE DEANERY SCHOOL- HOLY SAVIOR ACADEMY Holy Savior Academy, 149 South Plainfield Ave., South Plainfield. Come tour the prekindergarten-through-eighth-grade school and ask about plans for the upcoming school year, including our Academic Power Hour and the year-round pre-kindergarten program for 3 and 4 year-olds. Visit with our faculty and staff as well as with school parents and students. For more information, call or visit LATE NITE CATECHISM is an uproarious piece of theater that takes audience members back---sometimes nostalgically, sometimes fearfully---to the children they once were. The irrepressible Sister teaches an adult catechism class to a roomful of students (the audience). Over the course of the play, Sister goes from benevolent instructor, rewarding the students for correct answers with glow-in-the-dark rosaries and laminated saint cards, to authoritative drill sergeant. These abrupt mood swings are bound to strike a resonant chord with everyone who survived the ups and downs of going to school, with an omniscient authoritarian at the helm. The NY Times called Late Nite Catechism uproarious interactive theater. The Badger Herald reported that Late Nite Catechism is both refreshing and hilarious for all ages and religious backgrounds. This is a show not to be missed!!! Mark your calendars: Saturday, October 17, 2015 right here at OLMV! CALL FOR NEW ALTAR SERVERS: 4th GRADE AND UP Boys and Girls in grades 4 and above are invited and encouraged to become altar servers here at Our Lady of Mount Virgin Parish. Altar servers assist the priests and deacons at Mass and at other important Liturgical actions that take place here in our church. The ministry of Altar Service is a truly special way to honor the Lord and also to share in the work of the church. Please take an altar server sign up form that can be found around the church entranceways, complete it and return it to the parish office. Contact Father Mark at mkehoe@olmv.net if you have questions about altar service.

5 Few Notes from our Pastor: OLMV Eblast system: Our Lady of Mount Virgin Parish now has an Eblast system which we plan to begin using as an additional means of parish communication. Eblasts allow the parish to communicate through s to a wide parish audience. Using this system will allow the parish to share important information to all who sign up---in a timely fashion. To sign up to be part of this system and add your to the Eblast list, please visit our parish website at and click new sign-up form and follow the directions to register. Thank you. Papal Encyclical: Laudato Si: Laudato Si, the first papal encyclical devoted to the environment has been released. Start reading Pope Francis document at and take up the pope s urgent call for dialogue on the future of our common home. Visit the diocesan website at for related information. All are invited for a Laudato Si Prayer and discussion event to be held at the Saint Isadore Field at Holy Family Parish (Throop and Townsend St. in New Brunswick) Thursday, July 30 at 7:00pm. Rain location will be in Sacred Heart Church in New Brunswick. This event is sponsored by the Catholic Charities Solidarity Team. Call for additional information. Msgr. Joseph Kerrigan, Pastor of Holy Family Parish in New Brunswick, has written a commentary on Laudato Si entitled Praised by the Seizing of this Moment. This informative commentary is written in both Spanish and English and can be found by the church entranceways. Fire upon the Earth: A new evangelization course for all Catholics will be available at the St. John Neumann Pastoral Center beginning this September. It will take place one Saturday each month from September through May. Please see the flyer on our parish bulletin boards for additional information or contact the diocese at x Marriage: Where do we go from here? Archbishop Kurtz, the President of the USCCB, presents a beautiful and powerful response to the U. S. Supreme Court recent ruling which changes the definition of marriage. Archbishop Kurtz writes clearly, compassionately and intelligently on this decision which he calls a tragic error. Copies of Archbishop Kurtz s essay can be found by the church entranceways. This essay originally appeared in Our Sunday Visitor Newsweekly. Please feel free to take a copy as you exit the church. Notice of Bible Study Gathering on Wed. August 5 at 10:30 am or 7:00 pm in Petra House. We continue our study with the new Testament reading of the Acts of the Apostles. Please join us...no fee or need to preregister. Just bring your Bible and come, join us. All are welcome! The OLMV Book Club The Book Club will take a break for the summer and resume on September 28 th where we will discuss Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins. Any new members interested in joining our group in September, please contact Dorothy Zmigrodski at dzmigrodski@olmv.net. Our club meets every other month to discuss the selected title. Happy reading!!! Prayer Shawl Ministry. All knitters and crocheters are warmly invited to join our prayer shawl ministry. Prayer shawls are handcrafted with love and prayers, and given to those in need of God s comfort. To learn more about this wonderful ministry, please call Patty Reents at REMEMBER... If the weekend Mass is being offered for your loved one please report to an usher. You have the privilege of carrying up the gifts in the offertory procession. RCIA Are you an adult thinking more deeply about God? about faith? about things that last? Are you an adult thinking about joining the Catholic Church? Are you an adult who considers yourself Catholic but has never been baptized? or been confirmed? or celebrated First Communion? If so, please call Sister James at for more information...and to find out how you can join the RCIA process. OLMV ST. VINCENT DE PAUL SOCIETY HELP LINE ext. 6 All calls for assistance are confidential VEHICLE DONATION PROGRAM: donate a vehicle to help the less fortunate. To do so please call the help line: ext. 6 The St Vincent de Paul Society, thanks our parishioners for their support. Donations cards can be found at the church entranceways. God bless you!

6 Church Ministries.God gives gifts or charisms to each one of us to give to others, to build up the kingdom of God. In Christ, you are called to extend that unconditional love to others. We presented and highlighted the various OLMV ministries at our Parish Ministry Fair in May. We encouraged you to visit and think about these Ministries. Now we are asking that you take time to pray and discern where and how YOU can share your gifts or charisms. Then call the parish office to inquire how you can become part of the ministerial life of our parish family here at OLMV. OUR LADY OF MOUNT VIRGIN invites parishioners to become more involved in parish organizations. Please contact the following people for information: Altar Rosary Society Ann Butera Altar Servers Father Mark Boy Scouts - Dave Langton Choir Adult, Youth & Bell Rives Cassel Cultural Diversity Ministry Mary Konopacki Evangelization Committee - Sister James Hispanic Ministry Ana & Joaquin Palucha Historical Guild Myra Efinger Knights of Columbus Dave Langton Lazarus Ministry- Sister James Lectors & Eucharistic Ministers Sister James R.C.I.A.- Barbara Lyons Religious Education Dorothy Zmigrodski Scouts (Boys) Dave Langton Eucharistic Adoration Susan Ragucci Social Ministries Mary Czachur Young Adult & Youth Group/Children s Ministry Kelly Rooney Vocations Father Pat Veterans Ministry Betty Graebener PARISH REGISTRATION: In order to be considered a parishioner, all adults (persons 21 years of age or older) must complete a registration form which can be picked up at the parish office. Often, young adults who grew up in the parish don't realize that they must be registered on their own. Please remind young adults (family and friends) that they must register with the parish. Many young adults presume that they are registered because their parents are members of the parish. Once a person has reached adulthood, he or she must register in person to be considered a member of the parish. To be eligible to receive sacraments or to receive sponsor letters, persons must be registered and active members of OLMV. Godparent and Sponsorship letters: Only registered and active parishioners can receive letters to serve as a godparent for the Sacrament of Baptism or to serve as a sponsor for the Sacrament of Con- irmation. Very often a person who is not registered at OLMV will request a sponsorship letter, explaining that he/she graduated from the school, made sacraments at OLMV or that parents still attend our parish. It is important for young adults to realize that it is their responsibility to register at the parish of their residence. REGISTRARSE EN LA PARROQUIA ES IMPORTANTE!! Para calificar para la preparación sacramental (Bautizo, Eucaristía, Confirmación, Matrimonio) AQUELLOS QUE NECESITAN REGISTRARSE... Pasar por las oficinas y recoger un formulario de inscripción y un sobre de bienvenida. INFORMACION SACRAMENTAL.. Bautisos: Las clases Pre-Bautismales serán el primer jueves de cada mes a las 7:30 pm. Toda familia interesada en participar deberán llamar a la oficina parroquial. Bautisos se realizan el ultimo Domingo de cada mes en la Misa de 1:30 pm en Español. Acompañe la delegación de la Diócesis de Metuchen en esta histórica visita del Papa Francisco a los Estados Unidos Términos y Condiciones del Viaje por Bus: Debe destacarse que no se requiere ticket para participar en la Misa Papal, ni se vende ticket ninguno para el evento. Es abierto al público y se realizará al aire libre en el Parkway Benjamin Franklin, con el altar ubicado cerca del Museo de Arte de Philadelphia. Los interesados en participar pueden considerar otras maneras de transporte a Philadelphia. Se estima que habrá unas dos millones de personas para este evento. Los que piensan participar debieran estar en buen estado de salud física, ya que el día exigirá mucho esfuerzo físico. Los participantes tendrán que caminar largas distancias y estar parados por períodos largos en espacios con mucha gente. No hay disposición de asientos. Durante la Misa hay que estar parados, y se celebrará con sol o lluvia. Debido a las multitudes de personas que acudirán, no hay garantía de cuán cercano al Papa uno puede estar. Habrá acceso limitado a comida y baños. Todos los participantes pasarán por los puestos de seguridad, y puede haber restricciones en cuanto a lo que se puede llevar al evento (por ejemplo: mochilas, paraguas, sillas plegadizas, etc.) Quizás se requerirá presentar documento de identidad. Todos los participantes deberán seguir las instrucciones de los capitanes de los buses. No se permiten niños menores de 12 años en la peregrinación diocesana. Personas entre los 12 y los 18 años de edad tienen que ser acompañados por padre o madre o su encargado en todo momento. Se pedirá a todos los adultos llevar su teléfono celular, y comunicar al capitán de su bus el número del celular. Asientos reservados no son transferibles. Los pagos no serán reembolsados. Debe destacarse que los buses no son accesibles a sillas de ruedas. Al adherirse a esta peregrinación, Ud. por la presente libera, mantiene indemne y se compromete a no interponer demanda contra los Capitanes de Buses de la Peregrinación, la Diócesis de Metuchen, representantes y personal diocesanos, y el Obispo de Metuchen por cualquier y toda responsabilidad por cualquier tipo de pérdida, daño o lesiones.