Our Lady of Czestochowa Catholic Church 120 Sussex Street, Jersey City, NJ 07302 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. 1911 2014 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 201-434-0798 Fax 201-985-0918 Email pastor@olcjc.org bulletin@olcjc.org Websites www.olcjc.org www.olcschool.org Counseling 917-312-3303 www.kathleenchurch.com The OLC School 201-434-2405 Little Harbor Academy 201-434-6708 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 07302 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 07302 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 07302 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. Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time February 16, 2014
A WORD FROM OUR PASTOR Dear Parishioners, Our parish is very rich in ethnic diversity. We have parishioners from the far corners of the world. Accordingly, English is not their first language and these parishioners frequently learned their prayers in another language. By respecting this ethnic diversity we can all grow in our worship and devotion. I have discovered through my experiences, the melodies of church music in other languages can greatly edify all of us. I often don t understand the lyrics, but you need not understand the words in order to allow the beauty of the music to inspire and uplift your soul. I have found this to be true with both Spanish and Filipino music. Their melodies are very sweet, uplifting and heartfelt. With this in mind I am hoping to introduce more Non-English church hymns at our masses. We introduced one Filipino hymn in our worship aid and our cantors and choir sang it during communion two weeks ago. Since the pronunciation and accents in Tagalong are different to those who are unfamiliar with the language, you may only want to listen to the music, but someday you may find it possible to pronounce the words and even sing along. Hopefully, this will be only one of more hymns we introduce. I believe that it is important for us to be exposed to hymns from other countries. In this we can also bring a little taste of home to parishioners who know these hymns in their own language. This can say something about ourselves in that we respect people from other lands and who did not speak English as their first language. This can be a very welcoming and accepting statement about who we are. 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. To register, go to our website, olcjc.org and reference Formation and Sacraments. Follow the link to Baptism of Children, or call the rectory. Upcoming dates are: March 2, 2014, May 4, 2014, July 6, 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: April 6, 2014, June 1, 2014, August 3, 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. FAITH AND SAFEY WEBSITE Technological tools are a primary way that child predators get into the lives of children! There is a new website from the USCCB to help keep children and families safe online. The website is a partnership with the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and it is designed to be a place where families learn to see technology through the eyes of faith and stay safe online. The site offers guidance on how to use the internet, cell phones and video games safety, as well as protecting children s privacy. www.faithandsafety.org One of the interesting sections has to do with geotagging of pictures posted on the internet. Parents and other caring adults don t realize that pictures they post may be giving away the exact location where the picture was taken. This could put their family at risk. The article is under the Learn Tab, under cell phones and kids. ARCHBISHOP S ANNUAL APPEAL We have begun our 2014 Archbishop s Annual Appeal (AAA). Each year the Annual Appeal raises money to fund the many charitable works of the Archdiocese. In your personal life, what charitable works do you perform? Do you feed the hungry, clothe the naked, shelter the homeless, console the troubled, visit the sick or the imprisoned? Do you do any of these things? The AAA conducts programs and services that provide these services to those most in need. If you make a contribution to the AAA, you can claim that you fed the hungry, clothe the naked, sheltered the homeless, consoled the troubled, visited the sick and the imprisoned. When we look at the sacred scriptures one often reads that when we face our creator, we will be judged most harshly on our negligence for not living the corporal works of mercy, for not feeding the hungry, giving shelter to the homeless, etc.. Jesus judged very harshly those who neglected to care for those most in need. Will you be judged accordingly? Please, make a pledge or donation today to the Archbishop s Annual Appeal. Pledge envelopes and literature are found in the church.
MASS INTENTIONS Remembering someone in our prayers (whether alive or deceased) is always important. Because the celebration of the Mass is the highest form of worship the Church celebrates, the practice of having a Mass offered for an individual, deceased or living, or for a particular intention, is an excellent way of bringing our intentions to God. This 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 love. 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 201-434-0798 or send an e- mail to: secretary@olcjc.org. 2014 EVENTS AT OLC 2 nd Grade Reconciliation Class: Group B will meet February 23, Group A March 2, 8:45 AM. 8 th Grade Confirmation Class: Next class, March 2 at 11:00 AM. Mass beforehand at 10 AM Seniors Luncheon: February 18 at Ginger Restaurant, 227 Franklin Avenue, Nutley. Cost is $10. Bus will pick up at 11 AM from 221 Warren St., then to 72 Montgomery, 100 Montgomery, lastly 500 Manila Ave. 201-333-4888 Seniors Meeting: Wednesday, March 12 at 1 PM in the church hall. It will be a St. Patrick s Day meeting. Luncheon of corned beef and cabbage with be served. Cost $15. 201-333-4888 Seniors Trip: Trip to Hunterdon Hills Playhouse Friday, March 14, in Hampton, NJ, (88 Route 173 West). Cost is $52, which will include: lunch, a play, transportation, and all taxes and tips. Bus will leave 221 Warren St. at 9:30 A.M., and then proceed to 72 Montgomery, 100 Montgomery and 500 Manila. 201-333-4888 Children s Liturgy: Every Sunday during 10 AM Mass for 20 minutes. Ages 2 and older. Parents are welcome. No registration required join in! SUNDAY SCRIPTURE READINGS Reflect on today s readings. Prepare for next Sunday Sunday, February 16, 2014 Sir 15:15-20; 1 Cor 2:6-10; Mt 5:17-37 Sunday, February 23, 2014 Lv 19:1-2, 17-18; 1 Cor 3:16-23; Mt 5:38-48 REGISTER WITH OLC PARISH There are many new faces at OLC! If you have not yet registered with the parish please stop in at the rectory, Monday Friday from 9:30 AM 5 PM and we will help you make it official! It s a fast process! 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 February 8/9, 399 people attended Mass. The collection amounted to $5,759 of which $2,303 was contributed by those using ParishPay. This is $241 below above our weekly goal. Contributions for the Christmas Gift Appeal have risen to $63,373. This is a very good first step in reaching our goal of $75,000. We have reached 84.5% of our goal. With only $12,600 left to meet our goal, could you make a Christmas Gift to the parish to help us make our goal? If you haven t given, now is the time. We thank you for being so generous. If you are moving out of the parish please inform the rectory. 201-434-0798 CATHOLIC MEN S CONFERENCE Be not afraid! This is the theme of the annual Catholic Men s Conference, sponsored by the Archdiocese of Newark this year. His Eminence Timothy Cardinal Dolan will be the Keynote speaker at the Archdiocese of Newark Catholic Men s Conference on March 15, 2014. It will be Saturday, March 15, 2014, at Seton Hall University in South Orange, NJ. This can be a prayerful, spirit-filled, life changing experience! The day begins at 8:00 AM and ends around 4:00 PM. Mass will be celebrated by Most Reverend Archbishop John J. Myers along with our local Bishops and Priests concelebrating. A dynamic line-up of speakers is scheduled for this day! They include Fr. Larry Richards and Gregory Floyd. There is a ticket price of $25 for adults, $20 for students and senior citizens. This includes a free breakfast and lunch. For registration please visit their website at www.rcanmenscommission.org or Tel. 973-497- 4545 E-mail: CatholicMen@rcan.org
MASS INTENTIONS FOR THE WEEK Saturday February 15, 2014 5:00 pm Rozalia Gradowska, 41 st Ann. From Terri & Ted, children Sunday February 16, 2014 10:00 am Special Intention 12:30 pm Tanios Kerbaj From Kerbaj Family 7:00 pm People of the Parish Monday February 17, 2014 12:30 pm Rev. Walter Niedziecki, 6 th Pastor, 20 th Ann. Tuesday February 18, 2014 12:30 pm Vera Healy From Edward, son & Maryann Wednesday February 19, 2014 12:30 pm Communion Service Thursday February 20, 2014 12:30 pm Estolar D sa From Maria, Priya & Pravir Rasquinha Friday February 21, 2014 12:30 pm Joseph Ciba, 4 th Ann. From family Saturday February 22, 2014 5:00 pm Nancy Arcuri From friends Sunday February 23, 2014 10:00 am Stanley, 31 st Ann. & Anna Kuklasinski From Josephine, daughter 12:30 pm Estolar D sa From Maria, Priya & Pravir Rasquinha 7:00 pm People of the Parish Attend daily Mass. It will make a difference in your life! STEWARDSHIP For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. MATTHEW 5:20 The scribes and Pharisees lived according to the letter of the law and they used this to elevate themselves above the other people. Jesus is clear it s the love that you have in your heart that will get you to heaven. Simply following church rules out of obligation, not love, does not put you on the path to heaven. Attending Mass on Sunday and then gossiping about a fellow parishioner at the parking lot is an example of a modern day Pharisee. OLC 2013 TAX STATEMENTS Keep a look-out for your OLC 2013 Tax Statements, which were put in the mail a few weeks back. If you participate in ParishPay you will get a separate tax statement from them. Thank you for generously supporting OLC in 2013!
A CHRISTMAS TRADITION of GIVING TO OLC Even though the Christmas Season has passed, we continue our Christmas Gift Appeal. As we made gift-giving a part of our Christmas experience, we undoubtedly remembered those important to us. Our traditional Christmas Gift Appeal has allowed OLC to flourish because of the generous gifts of its Parish family members. This is the time of the year that we asked you to make a Christmas Gift to your parish. Your Christmas Gift will go a long way in making improvements to the Church such as repairing the church doors, fixing the church hall kitchen and more. Our Christmas Gift Tradition goes back many years. This Tradition has been very successful making it possible to make major repairs and improvements in the church without conducting a capital campaign. However, we need everyone s support in making this year s Christmas Gift. Perhaps, you were away for Christmas. Now that you have returned it is not too late to make your Christmas Gift. We still need additional donors, and your gift will make a difference. To make it easier to make a gift, either from yourself or in memory of a loved one, you may make two or more payments. Please use the Christmas envelope(s) or the pledge cards found in the back of Church. Gifts may also be made online through Parish Pay by selecting the Donation s tab on www.olcjc.org. Presently, your Christmas Gift donations have amounted to $63,373. We only need about 30 more gifts (a suggested gift being $400.) to make our goal of $75,000. Presently, we have reached more than 84.5% of our goal. If you have not contributed, please be generous, make your gift today and be one of our donors. Thank you. IMMIGRATION LEGAL ASSISTANCE A non-profit, social services organization affiliated with the Archdiocese of Newark can provide immigration legal assistance at reduced rates. The organization employs licensed attorneys. If you have an immigration case, please call Joseph Volcy at 973-733-3516 for an appointment at their Jersey City office, 591 Summitt Avenue, 7 th floor. They will consider evening hours based on needs. They handle green cards, deferred action, deportation, work permits, and other parts of the immigration process. SERRA CLUB FUND RAISER H & R Block is having a fund raising program for the Serra Club of Hudson County #1064. Any new client using H & R Block to prepare their taxes and brings in this bulletin or mentions referral #40010001078748, H & R Block will make a donation for vocations. A new client is defined as anyone who did not have their taxes prepared by H & R Block last tax season. The program runs January 1 through April 15.