Our Lady of Czestochowa Catholic Church

Transcription

1 Our Lady of Czestochowa Catholic Church 120 Sussex Street, Jersey City, NJ Our Mission The mission of our Parish is to reach out to all people and encourage them to join us in joyfully giving praise and glory to God; to build a Christian community that, with trust in God, embraces the future, and in doing so, is a beacon of faith, hope and love on the Jersey City waterfront. Our History Our Lady of Czestochowa Church, or OLC, was founded in 1911 to serve Polish immigrants to Jersey City. Today, OLC is growing and changing as it seeks to serve all those who now live in our neighborhood. The Church takes its name from a city in Poland that houses a cherished icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary. A copy of that icon is centrally located in our historic Church Very Rev. Thomas J. Ciba, V.F. Pastor Rev. Michael Braden, SJ Weekend Assistant Rev. Anthony Azzarto, SJ Weekend Assistant Mrs. Anna Mae Stefanelli Principal Mr. Jonathan Blevis Pastoral Associate Mr. Ben Rauch Director of Music Ms. Kathleen Church, Licensed Clinical Social Worker Parish Office Fax pastor@olcjc.org bulletin@olcjc.org Websites Counseling The OLC School Little Harbor Academy Mass Schedule Monday - Friday: Saturday: Sunday: Note: 12:30 pm (Church open from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm) 5:00 pm, Sunday Vigil Mass 10:00 am, 12:30 pm and 7:00 pm St. Anthony of Padua, 330 Sixth Street, Jersey City, the Center for Polish Ministry in Jersey City, offers a Polish Language Mass at OLC, Sundays at 8 am. Faith Formation during 10 am Mass We provide a Faith Formation program called Children s Liturgy of the Word for children 2 years of age on up during the Sunday Mass. We dismiss the children from Mass after the Opening Prayer to the church hall, returning before the Offertory. Parents are welcome to accompany their child if they wish. Confessions/Sacrament of Reconciliation Saturday 4:00 pm to 4:30 pm in the church & at other times by appointment with the pastor. Weddings Those interested in celebrating the Sacrament of Marriage should contact the parish office one year in advance of their proposed date of marriage. Infant Baptisms Preparation for Baptism should ideally begin before the birth of the child. Expectant parents should visit the parish website for more information. The OLC School Quality Education on the Waterfront 248 Luis Marin Blvd., Jersey City, NJ Grades 1-8 Accredited by The Middle States Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools The Little Harbor Academy The Early Childhood Division of The OLC School 186 Grand Street, Jersey City, NJ Programs: Kindergarten; Pre-Kindergarten Program for 3 & 4 year olds; Montessori Toddler Program for 2 year olds The OLC Counseling Center Well Being on the Waterfront 120 Sussex Street, Jersey City, NJ Individual, Marriage, and Family Counseling To Register and Be Part of OLC We welcome you to register and to be part of our parish family. Please contact the parish office to arrange an informal appointment with the pastor. Saints Peter and Paul Church, Hoboken and OLC Church, Jersey City We work together to proclaim and live the Gospel on the Hudson River Waterfront by sharing our time, energy, and resources and in doing so, we more powerfully witness the presence of Christ. Third Sunday of Advent December 15, 2013

2 A WORD FROM OUR PASTOR A Mormon bishop who wanted to teach his flock a lesson about charity went to the extreme and enlisted a Hollywoodstyle makeup artist to transform him into a scruffy vagrant who then panhandled outside his church. David Musselman, 45, said he knew some of his congregants would be kind and some might be mean, "but what surprised me the most was the reaction of indifference. The majority of the people just ignored me and went to great lengths not to make eye contact," Musselman, the bishop of Taylorsville Fourth Ward in a suburb of Salt Lake City, told NBC News on Friday. "And that was an unexpected lesson for me: We don't always have to give money or even food, but if we act the way we say we believe, just smiling and making eye contact and allowing them to have a little bit of dignity can be enough." Musselman said he got the idea for the stunt from a friend of his who chided him from being annoyed that she is always stopping to empty her pockets for the unfortunate. He took it to heart and then began thinking about how he could get his church members to do the same. He decided he needed something with more "shock value" than a Sunday sermon to get the point across. He approached makeup artist Tara Starling, whose TV and film credits include "High School Musical," and also started an organization that makes sandwiches for the homeless. "For me, it was the two parts of my life colliding," she said. Starling spent about two hours last Sunday giving Musselman unkempt mutton-chops, grimy, scarred skin and bad teeth. About an hour before services, he showed up at the front door of his church in dirty clothes with a sign that asked for food and a box where people could put money. "It was very surreal," said Musselman, a divorce mediator and father of six. He had dozens of interactions with people arriving at the church. Some were giving: He collected an apple, some crackers and about $20. "But I had several people ask me to leave the property," he said. He said the children were "very kind," and he could tell many of them wanted to help and approached their parents. "Some of them gave and some of them didn't." He said, "Some wished me a happy Thanksgiving and some avoided me." When the service started, Musselman walked into the church and took a seat in the front pew until an assistant, who was in on the ruse, announced that "this homeless man would like to say a few words." "The congregation was besides themselves," the bishop said. "They had no idea what was going to happen." He approached the pulpit in character, recited the hymn "Have You Done Any Good Today," said he wanted to give some of what he had collected to the church, and asked if the bishop was there. "Of course, they said he wasn't. Then I pulled my wig and glasses off," Musselman said. "The gasp the congregation had nearly knocked me over. They were stunned." Jaimi Larsen, 38, who had not recognized Musselman when she saw him outside, said, "You could hear a pin drop." Once he had unmasked himself, the bishop gave a talk on "giving and gratitude and compassion," which apparently struck an emotional chord. "There was one woman who was pretty much sobbing uncontrollably," Larsen said. Afterward, those who had shunned Musselman came up and confessed their shame. One woman said she was going to tell her grown children to donate anything they bought her for the holidays to a homeless shelter. "I felt horrible that they felt so horrible," he said. "But I believe it had the effect I hoped it would have." By Tracy Connor, Staff Writer, NBC News I read this article on the web last weekend and recalled that a parish priest had done the same thing in his own parish. He received the same response as Bishop Musselman. This is the time of the year when different charitable organizations dramatically draw our attention to the needs of the less fortunate. Beggars can make all of us feel very uncomfortable. We never know whether they will use our money for food, drink or drugs. We may not have a beggar outside our church, but we can attempt to meet the legitimate needs of others through our food pantry program, our Giving Tree program or through other charities. This is the time of the year to appreciate our blessings and recognize our obligations to share those blessings with those less fortunate. BAPTISM PROGRAM & SCHEDULE AT OLC GATHERING TO REJOICE is the first component of our Baptism Program. This component is intended for those preparing for the birth of their child. It is required that you pre-register for this program, or notify the rectory that you will attend. Our next session is Sunday, January 5, 2014, 11 a.m., in the rectory. You can register for this program by going to the parish website or calling the rectory. Please refer below for a list of up-coming dates and plan to attend accordingly: January 5, 2014, March 2, 2014, May 4, 2014 GATHERING TO UNDERSTAND is the second part of our Baptism program. If you are preparing for the baptism of your child, this program is required. It addresses theology, the responsibilities and requirements of parents and Godparents, etc. You can register for this program by going to the parish website or calling the rectory, or you can just walk in (however, preregistration is extremely helpful). Please refer below for a list of up-coming dates and plan to attend accordingly: February 2, 2014, April 6, 2014, June 1, 2014 Please register to be parishioners before attending the baptism classes. You can register in the rectory Monday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. till 5 p.m.

3 MASS INTENTIONS The Mass book for 2014 is available. There are still a couple of days open in the 2013 book. The practice of having a Mass offered for an individual, deceased or living, or for a particular intention, is a long standing tradition in the church. It is also a devotional practice whereby we keep alive the memory of our loved ones. Through this practice we can maintain that loving bond between ourselves and those whom we have loved in this life. A Mass can be offered on the anniversary of death or on a person s birthday, or at any time. You may also have a Mass celebrated for someone who is ill, in thanksgiving and for special intentions for family and/or friends. If you wish to have a Mass celebrated, simply stop by the rectory, call us at or send an e- mail to: secretary@olcjc.org. We maintain a living bond with our loved ones as we remember them in prayer EVENTS AT OLC 2 nd Grade Reconciliation Class: Group A will be December 15, Group B - December 22, 8:45 AM. 8 th Grade Confirmation Class: Next class, December 22 at 11:00 AM. Mass beforehand at 10 AM Children s Liturgy: Every Sunday during 10 AM Mass for 20 minutes. Ages 2 and older. Parents are welcome. No registration required join in! Coffee & Donuts: Due to the cold Winter weather coffee and donuts will be served in the church hall every Sunday after the 10 AM Mass. Kiddies, please drag your parents down! All are welcome! SUNDAY SCRIPTURE READINGS Reflect on today s readings. Prepare for next Sunday Sunday, December 15, 2013 Is 35:1-6a, 10; Jas 5:7-10; Mt 11:2-11 Sunday, December 22, 2013 Is 7:10-14; Rom 1:1-7; Mt 1:18-24 CHRISTMAS MASSES AT OLC Tuesday, December 24, :00 PM Vigil 11:30PM Christmas Concert Midnight Mass (12:00 AM) Wednesday, December 25, :00 AM Christmas Day Mass 12:30 PM Christmas Day Mass No 7:00 PM Mass Christmas Day Tuesday, December 31, 2013 (New Year s Eve) 5:00 PM Vigil Wednesday, January 1, :00 AM New Year s Day Mass 12:30 PM New Year s Day Mass No 7:00 PM Mass New Year s Day WEEKLY OFFERING Thank you so much for your financial support and for living your financial commitment to your parish. We are grateful for those who are especially generous and who wish to remain anonymous. We need your support for us to achieve our weekly collection goal of $6,000 per Sunday. Reaching this goal, and exceeding it, is essential to the financial health of your parish. For the weekend of December 7/8, 391 people attended Mass. The collection amounted to $5,891 of which $2,176 was contributed by those using ParishPay. This is $109 below our weekly goal. We thank you for being so generous. CHRISTMAS GIFT APPEAL Members of our Parish Finance Committee spoke to you about our Christmas Gift Appeal at different masses last weekend and the weekend before. Over the years the Christmas Gift has allowed the parish to make significant improvement to the church along with making necessary repairs to an aging building. We do not constantly ask for money, but in the spirit of Christmas giving, we ask our parishioners to make a special Christmas Gift to their parish. Your Christmas Gift will allow us to make more improvements to the parish such as repairing the kitchen in the church hall, refurbishing the pews and repairing (or even replacing) the church doors. This year we have a goal of $75,000 for our Gift Appeal which is realistic. To meet this goal we are suggesting a $400 Christmas Gift from each family. We understand that there are those who cannot give this amount, but if you are doing well occupationally and financially, you may be very capable of giving much more. May God bless you. SHOPPING CAN EARN MONEY FOR OLC! If you shop online, you can benefit OLC at no cost to you. Most major retailers participate in Goodshop.com. Select OLC, shop through Goodshop, and a percentage of your purchase will be donated to OLC. You can even download a toolbar to make it easier. You can also earn a penny per internet search using Goodsearch.com. If you have a Target RedCard, you can benefit OLC School by designating the school. 1% of your purchases on the card will be donated to the School, at no additional cost to you, through the Take Charge of Education program PARISH CALENDAR 2014 Parish Calendars are now available, free, in the back of the church. They come compliments of the Bromirski Funeral Home.

4 MASS INTENTIONS FOR THE WEEK Saturday December 14, :00 pm Bruno & Francis Ruskowski From Bruno Ruskowski Sunday December 15, :00 am Pinh Huynh From daughter 12:30 pm For the Intentions of Theresa Costarino From Anne McLean, daughter 7:00 pm People of the Parish Monday December 16, :30 pm Sophie Lemanowics From Melanie & Bill Zazula Tuesday December 17, :30 pm Eugene & Louise Miller From The Christensen family Wednesday December 18, :30 pm Communion Service Thursday December 19, :30 pm Anuradha Pole From Karen Friday December 20, :30 pm Margaret Presko From Donald Puckey Saturday December 21, :00 pm Walter Rzaski, Jr. From Barbara Rzaski Sunday December 22, :00 am Kavita Arumugam From Karen & Jitin 12:30 pm Thomas Eckert From Kathy Eckert 7:00 pm People of the Parish Attend daily Mass. It will make a difference in your life! STEWARDSHIP Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, and the dead are raised MATTHEW 11:45 When Jesus cured the sick we called it a miracle. Yet God has blessed us with many good things our eyesight, our hearing, our talents, our health and so much more and we often take it all for granted. The good steward recognizes every blessing in life as a miracle from God and strives to use those gifts for God s honor and glory. OLC ADVENT GIVING TREE Giving tree gifts are due this weekend! All gifts will be delivered this week of December 16. For further information, you may call Pat Duemig at or Maggie Englese at Thank you in advance for your generosity!

5 SANTA S ELF FACTORY AND VENDOR VILLAGE There is still time to take part in Santa s Elf factory! Up-coming dates are December 15, 21 and 22. The events run from 10 am 5 pm. Kids will spend an hour participating in activities like: taking a photo with Santa, making a holiday card and ornament, decorating a cookie with Mrs. Claus and dressing and dancing like an Elf! In addition, you will receive a local gift/coupon book, free. Visit the Vendor Village (also at Victory Hall) a unique shopping experience of local artisans and crafters. Santa s Elf Factory promises to be fun for everyone of any age! All are offered ticket discounts when you donate an unwrapped gift for Toys for Tots. Half of all the event net proceeds will be donated to OLC church and school. Event timeslots are limited so sign up NOW! For more information and to register, visit jcfunraisers@gmail.com or call Merry Christmas! FESTIVAL OF CHRISTMAS SONG The Festival Of Christmas Song is today Sunday, December 15, 2013, 4 PM. Admission is FREE, but happiness and joy are mandatory! This year s theme is "Peace and Love." There will be songs sung by the OLC Christmas Choir, solos by the OLC Cantors, The OLC Kid s Choir, a neighborhood children's string ensemble, performances from various musicians from OLC, good old fashioned Christmas sing-a-longs for everyone, and a special guest appearance by Tommy "Two Scoops" Parisi. He will be doing his signature Louie Armstrong impression while singing "What A Wonderful World." All under the direction of OLC's Director of Music, Ben Rauch! All are invited, parishioner and non-parishioner alike. CHRISTMAS FLOWERS: INTENTIONS Christmas flower donations were made in memory of: Patrick Mangosing, Ramon Martinez, John & Veronica Tuzinkiewicz, Donald J. Monahan, Sr., Nena Toro, Hugo Botero, Charles & Mary Czysz and families and friends, Weronika & Eugeniusz Sowul, Henry L. Dwulet and the deceased members of the Dwulet & Secovich families, Lucille Hoffman, All deceased Stapinski & Gradowski families, Cynthia Weaver, Olan Gallagher, Attracta Gallagher, Martin Qurgley, Mary & Van Kornutik, Nancy Fitzgerald, Maria Zandalasini, Edward John Bromirski, John & Helen Hyjek, Piatkowski and Hyjek families, Edward W. & Wanda Bromirski, Edward J. Bromirski, Alexandra C. Sarno, John & Theresa Zazula, Victoria Costa, Sophie Rzeczkowski, Stanley Rzeczkowski, Frank Rzeczkowski, Julia Sokolowski, Stanley & Anna Kuklasinski, deceased members of the Karczewski & Grego families, Muffin, Margaret Presko, deceased family members, Sophie, Chester, Sr. & Chester, Jr. Brozowski, Joseph Przyblinski, Richard Reinemann, Sr., Rose Reinemann, William Reinemann, Irene Nelson, Mrs. Genia Whitaker, Nora & Felix Feehan, The Strasz family, The Ross family, Barbara Rubino, Anne Niemira, Florence Perino, Thomas H. Eckert, Virgal Bladecki, Robert Kazmerski, Mary Thrush, Malachy P. Corrigan, Petra Rivera, Victoria Rivera, Ricky Ramos, Luz Galarza, Mr. & Mrs. Eugenio Arboleda, Margaret Brown, Dwayne Wade, deceased members of the Julewics and Dzieglewicz families, Vitus Rodricks, Hector D Souza, Kock families, Englese families.