St. Veronica Church 4215 Route 9, Howell, NJ 07731 First Sunday of Lent 732-363-4200 www.stveronica.com March 5, 2017 Pastoral PastoralStaff Staff Pastor Father Pastor Vincent T. Euk Father Vincent T. Euk Parochial Vicar Fr. VicenteVicar Magdaraog Parochial Fr. Vicente Magdaraog Weekend Assistant Fr. Bill O Brien Weekend Assistant Fr. Bill O Brien Deacons Tom Cechulski, Sr. Deacons Charles DayeSr., Jr. Gene F.R. Moir, John Franey James Littlefield Gino (Louis) Esposito Tomasz Cechulski Charles R. Daye Jr. School Principal John Franey Sister CherreeEsposito Power, C.R. Gino (Louis) Religious Education School Principal Sr. AnnCherree Norton,Power, D.R.E. C.R. Sister Linda Clayton Religious Education Business Manager D.R.E. Brenda Heffernan, Deacon Esposito Lauren Gino DeMaio, C.R.E. Parish Administrator Director of Weg Music Leonard P. Emer O Mahony Director of Music Youth NancyMinistry CondardoCoordinator Sister Ann Norton Director of ACTS Phone Contacts Deacon Tom Cechulski Bozena Cechulski Rectory 732-363-4200 Convent 732-364-2361 Coordinator of Youth School 732-364-4130 Ministry Education Religious Deacon John Franey 732-364-4137 Rectory Fax 732-370-3891 Phone Contacts Rectory 732-363-4200 Rectory Office Hours: Convent 732-364-2361 M-F 9:00-4:30 PM School 732-364-4130 Second & Education Fourth Saturday Religious 9AM 12:30 PM 732-364-4137 Cafeteria 732-364-9455 Baptisms: Every 2nd and 4th ACTS Office 732-364Sunday of each month,. 2936 Fax 732-370-3891 5:00 PM Sundays: 7:30, 9:00, 10:30, 12 noon, 5PM Weekend Masses: Saturdays: 4:00 Daily Masses: Mon-Fri 7:20 AM & 12 Noon, Sat: 8AM Holy Days: As announced in the bulletin. HealingMass Mass every everythird thirdtuesday Tuesdayatat7:30PM 8PM. Healing SacramentSacrament of Reconciliation SaturdaysSaturdays from 4:00from to 4:45PM call to schedule aneach appointment with a priest. of Reconciliation 3:00 toor3:45pm and before Sunday Mass
Mass Intentions for this Week March 5, 2017 MONDAY 7:20 Norine Kelly... Colleen Rayner 12:00 Suzanne McGrath... Moore Family TUESDAY 7.20 Bernard Boglioli... Joseph Millan 12:00 Joseph Diovisalvi...Jack & Fran McGuire WEDNESDAY 7:20 Ann Repko... Serge Family 12:00 Rodney Norton... Ed & Mary Althaver SATURDAY 8:00 AM Thomas Fahey, Jr.Lovenguth Family 4:00PM Angela Bettyas... George & MaryBeth Klink SUNDAY 7:30 Regina Reif... Louis & Betty Cartagena 9:00 Madalene Rieker... Vic & Priscilla Lagdameo 10:30 John & Josephine Cronin & Family... Eric & Helen O Doherty 12:00 For the People of the Parish 5:00 Theresa Ambrose... Diane Bordonaro THURSDAY 7:20 Gene Berry.Wife, Theresa 12:00 Souls in Purgatory......Colleen Rayner FRIDAY 7:20 Olga Hubble....Bob & Diana Morris 12:00 Kristen Butterfield...Barbara Mackanic Events for this coming Week Sanctuary Candle Week of March 5, 2017 In memory of Sister Roberta..Eileen & Patrick McCarthy Chapel Candles Week of March 5, 2017 In memory of Meagan Barnes.....Family See our website www.stveronica.com Sacrificial Offering Update Last Week s Offering: $17,881.00 February Parish Pay: $5817.00 Thank you for your continued support. Readings for the Week of March 5, 2017 Monday: Lv 19:1-2, 11-18/Ps 19:8-10, 15/Mt 25:31-46 Tuesday: Is 55:10-11/Ps 34:4-7, 16-19/Mt 6:7-15 Wednesday: Jon 3:1-10/Ps 51:3-4, 12-13, 18-19/Lk 11:29-32 Thursday: Est C:12, 14-16, 23-25/Ps 138:1-3, 7c-8/Mt 7:7-12 Friday: Ez 18:21-28/Ps 130:1-8/Mt 5:20-26 Saturday: Dt 26:16-19/Ps 119:1-2, 4-5, 7-8/Mt 5:43-48 Next Sunday:Gn 12:1-4a/Ps 33:4-5, 18-20, 22/2 Tm 1:8b-10/Mt 17:1-9
Pastor s Notes In the Second Creation account, when God made Man from the dirt of the earth and breathed His life breath into Adam, he was given a restriction, not to eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. All that God created was good and it seems that God only wanted us to know what was good. This tree, however, became a temptation for Adam and Eve to learn another dimension of Eternal Life eternal death. It appears that the Angels already had their trial and those who failed it ended up in eternal death or what we know as Hell. Their hatred of God was extended into God s Creation because God made us in His Image and Likeness. Nothing pleases the devils more than to cause this Image to die. Each of us, as long as we live on this planet, has at least a little sparkle of that Image. The temptation to eat of this Tree of Good and Evil was the Devil s opportunity to deface God. The Serpent cleverly appealed to Adam and Eve s love of God by making them believe that they could be God s equal instead of being only like God. He did not even have to lie, but deceive. He told them that they would not die if they ate of the fruit, at least not yet! Once the sin was committed, the whole of Paradise was fractured, symbolized by their feeling of shame because of what now became their nakedness. Perhaps their greatest wound has become their diminished capacity to not only love God, but also their neighbor. Their desire to be sharers with others in the gifts that God gave them was transformed by a struggle with easily acquired vices by a new susceptibility to concupiscence. Concupiscence is the instinct to prefer material, lustful and demonic desires over God. Our Baptism has wiped away Original Sin, but it has not taken away the everyday struggle with concupiscence. Psalm 51 is attributed to King David. He committed adultery with Bathsheba and she became pregnant. To cover up his crime, King David arranged for Bathsheba s husband, Uriah, to be murdered in the line of duty. This beautiful prayer expresses a true repentance for sin. If we have committed a big sin, this is the Psalm to pray to get relief by entrusting ourselves to God s mercy. The temptations of Christ in the desert actually became a line of demarcation for the Devil. It is the first time that a human being, outside of the special privilege given the Blessed Mother, has not been duped by the Devil to sin. These temptations are very delectable for corrupt world leaders. Being able to provide bread from stones would have a lot of weight in countries like the Sudan or Syria, where people are being systematically starved to death. Having the protection of angels from having their faces wiped with poison at airports would provide opportunities to do a lot of evil free of worry of being caught. How many dictators would not want to have all the kingdoms of the world under their thumbs? Lent is a time to give alms, repent of sins and pray. I hope you can all make reasonable resolutions so that you will succeed in carrying them out. Maybe you can choose this time to overcome a vice or perhaps start a new pattern of prayer that will last for the rest of your life. This will give you a deep spiritual joy at Easter Time. Fr. Euk Scripture Meditation He fasted for forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was hungry. And no surprise! That s an incredibly long time to fast. Undoubtedly Jesus physical and emotional strength would have been extremely weak after enduring such a marathon of abstinence. And isn t it interesting that the tempter should choose to appear at this particular moment? When bread must have sounded better than ever, the devil comes and tests Jesus, saying, Command that these stones become loaves of bread. How hard it must have been to resist! Surely, Jesus could have caved in. He could have shown the devil his power and had a bite to eat while he was at it but he didn t. Instead, Jesus relied upon the word of God, and battled the devil by holding fast to the truth. One does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God. What an excellent model this provides for us. We too face temptation of various kinds and degrees. As the first reading from Genesis reminds us, the cunning serpent has been slithering around humanity from the beginning of time. Even when we have all that we need, the devil makes us want more, or want different, than what we have. Today s Gospel calls Satan the tempter for good reason. He tempts us to break God s law as Adam and Eve did when they ate from the tree in the middle of the garden. But Jesus shows us the right response by battling the devil with the truth of God s word. Whatever temptations might beset us, there is power in clinging to the truths that we find in Scripture. In our moments of trial, may we have the strength to claim these truths as our own and, like Jesus, defeat the deceit of the devil.
OUR SPIRITUAL LIFE Please Pray for Our Sick Tom Lovito Lorraine Groh Marjorie Paulmann Mark Stoughton Vinny Placanica Mia Castellan Michael Kuras Susan Termine Connie Camilleri Erin Haber Jan Fleming Monica Noble Paula Baiga Diane Cudhedy Deacon John Franey Bob Yuro Michael Connolly Joe Oates Jane Oates Ann Donovan John Kerod Robert Farrell Christine Clements John Rodrigues Cathy Forman Ed Kelly Dennis Hayward Kathy Hayward Claire Archer Vincenzo Centineo Greg Mador Brayden Walton Victoria Burke Robert O Malley Sr. Karen D Souza-Casiero Mary Althaver Gianna Faith Malen Debbie Mossa Kevin Corcoran Barbara Sewing Rose Perrotta Sharon Calabria Nicole Kessner Joanne Oates Carmen Devone Milagros Martino Please Pray for our Parishioners Serving our Country: Sgt. Sean T. Curran Sgt. Brennan Six PV2 William Wotton GSMI Sandro Farduchi Sgt. Krystyna Cechulski Capt. Julio Collazos S.R. Steven Brennan Sgt. Gregory Hiller Corp. Ethan Bolger PFC Zackary Burkey Sgt. Luke Wlodkowski 1st Lt. Robert F. Farrell 1st Lt. Ash Young Sgt. Paul Coyle LCDR Matthew W. Smith Church and Chapel Sanctuary Candles If you would like to donate a Sanctuary Candle for a loved one, please contact the rectory office (732-363-4200). Candles will be in memory of or intentions of the named individual for one week (Sunday to Saturday) and announced in our bulletin. Weekly Donation: Church Candle $15 Chapel Candles $20 (2). Baptism St. Veronica s Parish Family wishes to welcome those who have become members through the Sacrament of Baptism. Lily Ann, daughter of Megan & Michael DeLaney Thank you for the gift of life! Banns of Marriage Aaron Smith & Lindsay Ostrowski (2) 4/7/17 Stations of the Cross We will have Stations of the Cross every Friday from March 3rd through April 7th at 7:30PM. All are welcome! Divine Mercy Prayers Today, March 5th. "O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the heart of Jesus as a fount of Mercy for us, I trust in You"- St Faustina Diary # 187. Please join us Sunday March 5th @ 1:30 PM for our monthly Divine Mercy Prayer Service. Looking around of what's going on in today's world, mankind needs Jesus more then ever. As always we will be praying for the future of our country, as well as for the conversion of peoples hearts. Please join us today, March 5th, at 1:30 PM in the church. All are welcome Holy Land Pilgrimage Msgr. Peter Kochery once again will be leading us on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Please save the dates: Oct. 23rd Nov. 1st 2017. The cost is $3000 pp double occupancy. Health insurance included. For more info contact Deacon Tom at 732-610-5434 or 3marysway@optonline.net Trenton Catholic Academy to Honor Bishop David M. O Connell, C.M. and others at Gala The Trenton Catholic Academy School community invites you to our Celebrate Iron Mikes Gala on April 22, 2017, 6:00 PM, at Cedar Gardens, Hamilton. Here we will honor Most Reverend Bishop David M. O Connell, C.M., Judith Persichilli, alumni Marty Flynn and Rick Dell and former teacher Mr. Jack Lally, who will be honored posthumously. Ticket and sponsorship information is available on our website:https://trentoncatholic.org or by contacting Tracey Destribats, Director of Advancement, (609) 586-3705 ext. 135 or by email:tdestribats@trentoncatholic.org. High School Music Ministry Calling all Youth Music Ministry!!! We will be having regular practices on Sundays from 3:30-4:30pm in the church, on the same Sundays as Youth Ministry meetings, once every two weeks. We will rehearse for a number of weeks until we are ready to play/sing at a Mass. We need vocalists, a drummer, a guitarist, and any other instruments you can play. Please respond to Sr. Ann or Emer O'Mahony ( give email addresses/ phone numbers) Sr.ann@stveronica.com 732-364-4137 Or emer.omahony@stveronica.com 732-600-4592 Our 1st practice will be on Sunday March 12th.
Special Offering Envelope Envelopes are now available in the back of the church and narthex for earmark donations and repairs. Thank you for your generosity. 40 DAYS FOR LIFE The 40 Days for Life is a campaign of prayer and fasting for an end to abortion here in America, from March 1 to April 9. Since its inception in 2007, 12,668 lives have been saved, 143 abortion workers have quit, and 83 abortion centers have closed. 40 Days for Life also involves prayerful, peaceful witnessing in front of an abortion clinic. The goal is to help women who are considering getting an abortion and encourage them to change their minds. People are being asked to simply stand (or walk) there and say the Rosary or other prayers for one hour. Here in Monmouth, the site is the Planned Parenthood facility at 69 E. Newman Springs Rd. in Shrewsbury. We have been asked to staff each Wednesday from March 1 to April 9. That would be 6 Wednesdays: March 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, and April 5. The hours are from 8 AM to 6 PM. Please see the 40 Days for Life web site http://40daysforlife.com/ Shrewsbury for a wealth of information. Please join in this campaign of prayer and sacrifice for all mothers and their unborn children. Please consider joining in this life saving effort for just one hour on one or more Wednesdays. Please give us a call at 732-367- 2565, or send us an email at hmador@optonline.net to sign up. Thank you Downey Side Adoption Agency DO YOU WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE LIFE OF A FOSTER CARE CHILD? IF SO, APPLY TO ADOPT THROUGH DOWNEY SIDE AND GIVE FOSTER CARE CHILDREN A PERMANENT HOME. CHILDREN ARE SCHOOL AGE AND UP. Orientation, Sunday, March 12, 2017 at 3 PM. St. Uriel s Episcopal Church 219 Philadelphia Blvd. Sea Girt, N.J. Contact: Sr. Elizabeth Engel 732-359-8434 or email your interest to (sister.engel@gmail.com) Ushers Closet The gold colored ropes were returned to the rectory last Saturday, 2/25. Thank you for dropping them off. Rediscover the Love in Your Marriage Retrouvaille provides help for marriage problems, difficulties or crises. The next program begins on the weekend of April 21st at the Family Life Center in Malvern, PA. Visit www.helpourmarriage.com or call 215-766-3944. Adoration Chapel During Lent: prayerfully consider making an effort to do an hour of adoration or stop by the chapel even for a few minutes. Do you realize that Jesus is there in the Blessed Sacrament expressly for you, for you alone? He burns with desire to come into your heart! St. Therese of Lisieux Help us at St. Veronica maintain perpetual adoration by signing up for any hour. Hours Urgently Needed: Sunday noon and 5PM Monday 1AM, Wednesday 11PM Saturday 6PM Weekend and Overnight Adoreres needed.aturday 6PM Contact Debbie drev514@aol.com or leave message 732 367-7750. St. Veronica s Parish Lenten Mission Starts This Sunday The Holy Trinity Made in the image of God A spirituality of God s presence within us. All are invited to join our Parish Mission. March 5-8, 7:30-9:00PM, each night in the church. Presented by rev. Francis A. sirolli, OSA. Save the Date!! St. Veronica Vacation Bible School Monday July 10th through Friday July 14th OUR NEEDS Legion of Mary Legion of Mary is in need of religious statues, holy cards and religious articles. If you are able to donate, please contact Mary Anne at 732-367-0284. Pantry Needs Canned meat, jello, pudding, boxed rice
,