ST. JOSEPH ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH

ST. JOSEPH ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH 55 High Street, Carteret, NJ 732-541-8946

EASTER SUNDAY APRIL 1, 2018 PARISH CALENDAR SUNDAY April 1 9:30 AM Choir, church MONDAY April 2 Parish Office Closed TUESDAY April 3 No PREP WEDNESDAY April 4 No PREP THURSDAY April 5 6:00 PM Adult Confirmation Class, parish center conference room 7:00 PM Servants of Mary Mtg., church hall FRIDAY April 6 8:00 PM A/A, Alanon, Alateen, church hall SATURDAY April 7 PLEASE NOTE: The Parish Office will be closed on Monday, April 2. For everything there is a season and a time for every purpose under heaven... a time to heal... for the sick of our Parish and especially for Mary Wagner, Fr. John Morley, Barbara Sewing, Feliz Ramon Mendez, Anna M. McComb, William Itzen a time to die... Julia Healey, Ida Gulino, Alberta Hoy PRAY FOR OUR TROOPS Eternal Lord God, mercifully take under Your Almighty and most precious protection the members of our Country s Armed Forces. Preserve them from danger upon the sea, on the land, and in the air, and from the violence of the enemy, that they may be a safeguard for our Country and a security for its people; that we may in peace and quietness serve You, our God, to the glory of Your name. Amen. Remember in your prayers the members of our Armed Services, especially: Josh Hayes, cousin of Kathy Perkins; JP Brown, godson of Elizabeth Melo; Justin Molarz, grandson of Susan Molarz; Jesus L. Santiago, cousin of Felix and Ana Morales; Christopher Czapik, grandson of Carol Knittel; Justin Lurker, grandson of Helen Lurker; Robert Michnowicz, nephew of Helen Lurker; Mario Roman, son of Janice Pastures; Marc Repace, grandson of Pat Consiglio; Taylor Setar, daughter of Greg and Terry Setar; Gabriella Gatto, daughter of Carmelo and Nicole Gatto; Laura Roe, daughter of Maria and Luis Pena. POPE FRANCIS' APRIL PRAYER INTENTION Universal: For those who have responsibility in economic matters. That economists may have the courage to reject any economy of exclusion and know how to open new paths. The liberating message of the Gospel of life has been put into your hands. And the mission of proclaiming it to the ends of the earth is now passing to your generation. Like the great apostle Paul, you too must feel the full urgency of the task: "Woe to me if I do not evangelize" (1 Cor. 9:16). Woe to you if you do not succeed in defending life. The Church needs your energies, your enthusiasm, your youthful ideals, in order to make the Gospel of life penetrate the fabric of society, transforming people's hearts and the structures of society in order to create a civilization of true justice and love. -Saint John Paul II to Youth, August 15, 1993, Denver, Colorado AN EASTER PRAYER FOR LIFE Lord Jesus Christ, You are the Author of Life, Who died and now lives forevermore. May we who work and pray that children in the womb may be protected always, draw strength, confidence, and joy from Your victory over death. For You are Lord for ever and ever. Amen. STAND FOR LIFE! Catholics from many parishes in the area gather every Saturday morning from 9:00 a.m to 11:00 a.m. in peaceful, prayerful, non-confrontational witness to the value of human life and dignity of every human being. Please join those gathered at the clinic, located at 228 Main St., Woodbridge (American Wellness Center). They recite the Rosary at 9:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m., and 10:45 a.m. All are welcome at anytime! PRAY AND FAST FOR VOCATIONS Bountiful God, You are boundless with Your blessings and faithful to Your promises. Through our ancestors in faith we have come to know and to trust in Your guidance on our life s journey. At Jesus Baptism You confirmed Him in His mission. Commission us through our baptismal graces to follow in the footsteps of Jesus. Open our hearts to recognize Your holy calling. Bless our Church with devoted married couples, committed single men and women, and dedicated deacons, priests, sisters, and brothers. Guide those who are discerning how to best serve You. With Your favor, we set out to proclaim Your reign through Jesus, Your beloved Son in the power of Your Holy Spirit. Amen.

SUNDAY READINGS First Reading - Acts 10: 34a, 37-43 Second Reading - Colossians 3: 1-4 or 1 Corinthians 5: 6b-8 Gospel - John 20: 1-9 or Mk 16: 1-7 Proclaim the Risen Christ On Easter morning everything the spring weather, the flowers, birds and butterflies, the people around us in their finery, the beautiful liturgy and music everything seems to bear witness that Jesus Christ is risen today! Like the eyewitness accounts in today s scriptures, the glorious and joyful life all around us helps us to believe the good news of the Resurrection and sing Alleluia! In the scriptures today we hear from Peter and Paul and John. All three speak with conviction about witnessing the resurrected Christ. John s Gospel account includes Mary of Magdala, who also was privileged to witness the Resurrection and tell others the good news. On this glorious Easter Sunday can we ourselves give eyewitness accounts that Jesus Christ is risen today, alive and active in our lives? Copyright J. S. Paluch Co. SCRIPTURE READINGS FOR THE WEEK Monday: Acts 2: 14, 22-23; Mt 28: 8-15 Tuesday: Acts 2: 36-41; Jn 20: 11-18 Wednesday: Acts 3: 1-10; Lk 24: 13-35 Thursday: Acts 3: 11-26; Lk 24: 35-48 Friday: Acts 4: 1-12; Jn 21: 1-14 Saturday: Acts 4: 13-21; Mk 16: 9-15 Sunday: Acts 4: 32-35; 1 Jn 5: 1-6; Jn 20: 19-31 EUCHARISTIC ADORATION Thursday, 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. - Church Chapel Know also that you will probably gain more by praying fifteen minutes before the Blessed Sacrament than by all the other spiritual exercises of the day. True, Our Lord hears our prayers anywhere, for He has made the promise, Ask, and you shall receive but He has revealed to His servants that those who visit Him in the Blessed Sacrament will obtain a more abundant measure of grace. -St. Alphonsus Liguori ST. PEREGRINE HEALING MASS Our next St. Peregrine Healing Mass will be celebrated in the Church on Thursday, April 12, at 7:00 p.m. Following the Mass, there will be an opportunity for individuals to receive a blessing and healing prayers. We invite you, your family and friends, or anyone you know that is suffering from a serious illness, to join us for this special Mass. If you would like the name of a loved one placed before the Shrine of St. Peregrine prior to this Mass, you may obtain a Spiritual Bouquet Card in the Gift Shop or at the Parish Office. OFFERTORY COLLECTION March 18, 2018 $6398 $6752 (2017) Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have; God is pleased by sacrifices of that kind. -Hebrews 13:16 YOUR HELP IS NEEDED! Our Parish St. Vincent de Paul Society will be collecting Communion Outfits along with Donations for Communion Outfits for Parish families in need and for the families of the Perth Amboy Food Pantry. Members will be in the narthex on the weekends of April 7/8 and 14/15 to accept your donations. Your support is appreciated! ST. JOSEPH SCHOOL REGISTRATION 2018-2019 SCHOOL YEAR Your Children are part of our Parish Family. Consider joining our School Family! Interested in enrolling your child in St. Joseph School? We would be happy to schedule a School Tour or provide you with additional information. Just call the School Office at 732-541-7111 or visit our School website at www.sjps.net Save Your Aluminum Can Tabs The students at St. Joseph School are collecting Aluminum Can Tabs found on soup, soda, cat food, etc. Help them reach their goal by collecting your tabs and placing them in the container located on the counter in the narthex. Your efforts, along with the efforts of the students of St. Joseph School, help families who need assistance when a child is very ill. Thank you for your continued support! SAVE THE DATE! SPRING TRICKY TRAY ~ SUNDAY MAY 20 Saint Joseph School s HSA will host their annual Spring Tricky Tray on Sunday, May 20. Doors open at 12 noon; first number called at 2:00 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at the School Office: advance tickets/$12; at the door/$14. Bundle Packs of Prize Tickets can be purchased in advance for $50 each (a $70 value). Any questions feel free to call the School Office at 732-541-7111. The Servants of Mary (O.S.M.) are an important part of our Parish history. In celebration of 125 years ministry in the United States, the Sisters are offering 125 DAYS OF PRAYER for you. Between now and June 20, email your intentions to them at servites125@gmail.com or mail them to Servants of Mary 125 Day of Prayer, 7400 Military Avenue, Omaha, NE 68134.

MARRIAGE ENCOUNTER WEEKEND A Worldwide Marriage Encounter Weekend gives you the time and tools to revitalize romance, deepen communication, and nourish the spirituality in your marriage. The next Weekend will be held April 20-22. For information, visit www.aweekendforyourmarriage.org or call 732-904-9636. A Holy Hour of Prayer on Good Shepherd Sunday and World Day of Prayer for Vocations, co-sponsored by the Office for Religious and the Office of Vocations, will be held on April 22, 3:00 p.m., at St. John Neumann Pastoral Center, Piscataway. Fellowship and refreshments will follow the service. For information, call 732-562-1990. Diocesan Office for Persons with Disabilities offers... -a 24 Hour Prayer Line for those who desire prayers for special needs. If you, a family member or friend would like to be remembered in prayer for a temporary or permanent illness, please send an email to catholicswithdisabilities@gmail.com or call and leave a detailed message at 732-765-6431. -a Facebook Page that provides daily updates with short inspirational reflections for people with disabilities, family members and care givers. The site also provides endless resources for those with physical, emotional, cognitive, visual, auditory, and other special challenges. To access the Facebook page, type the following into your search engine: Diocese of Metuchen Office for Persons with Disabilities. Open Your Heart and Home to a Foster Child Catholic Charities, Diocese of Metuchen, is seeking loving families to foster children of all ages, who have been abused, neglected or have had multiple out of home placements, through its Treatment Family Homes Program, contracted by New Jersey s Department of Children and Families. The goal for the children in this program is to leave foster care and achieve permanency through reunification with their families, adoption, or independent living. Catholic Charities provides these resilient children with individual and family therapy, assistance with educational and medical needs, and independent living skills to help them reach their full potential. Applicants must have adequate space for a child and complete a home study which includes background checks, references, interviews, and a home inspection. All Catholic Charities licensed families receive initial and ongoing specialized training, 24 hour emergency access to staff, respite services, monthly reimbursement for the child s expenses and support from experienced families. For more information about the program, please visit www.ccdom.org or contact Miguelina Nunez at 866-247-HOME (4663) or at mnunez@ccdom.org Think of what is above, not of what is on earth. -Colossians 3:2 On this day we thank God for His Son, Jesus, Who died and rose for us. We celebrate and sing Alleluia. Let s try to keep the joy of this Easter season in our hearts throughout the year! Pray daily and listen for how He is calling each of us to joyfully use our gifts to fulfill His salvation plan. The Diocese of Metuchen is honored to host the RELICS OF SAINT PIO OF PIETRELCINA to commemorate the 50 th anniversary of his passing. All are welcome for public veneration. Tuesday, April 17, 9:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., at the Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi, 548 Main St., Metuchen. Confessions will be available throughout the day. To learn more, please visit www.stfranciscathedral.org or call the Cathedral Parish Office at 732-548-0100. IT S COMPLICATED. A discussion of Israel, Christianity, and Islam and building bridges to peace. Wednesday, April 25, 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m., at St. John Neuman Pastoral Center, 146 Metlars Lane, Piscataway. For more information, email gselvester@diometuchen.org or call 732-529-7937. ST. PETER S GIANNA CENTER, in New Brunswick, is dedicated to offering truly pro-life women s health care, including infertility services, general gynecologic care, and more. All services are provided in accordance with the US Catholic Bishops Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services. For information, call 732-565- 5490 or visit www.saintpertershcs.com/giannacenter/ COURAGE is a spiritual support group helping Catholic men and women live in accordance with the Catholic Church s teaching about same-sex-attraction and discipleship. Courage members strive to develop lives of interior chastity in union with Christ, through participation in the Sacraments, prayer, fellowship and moral support. Courage meets within the Diocese with a priest chaplain. ENCOURAGE is a separate spiritual support group for family members and friends of loved ones with same-sex attraction. For information about locations and meeting times for each of these groups call: 732-562-2476 for Courage (email: couragecnj@gmail.com) and 732-248-9460 for EnCourage. Visit the national website at www.couragerc.org. All contacts are confidential. Bishop Ahr High School Fundraiser Designer Pocketbook Bingo - Friday, April 27 Doors open at 5:30 p.m.; the games begin at 7:30 p.m. There is a limited number of tickets being sold, please don t wait until the last minute. Order forms can be found on the Bishop Ahr High School website www.gbahs.org or by contacting Barbara Herbert at 908-403-2642.

Jesus Christ Is Risen Today! SATURDAY March 31 ~ Holy Saturday 8:00 PM Parishioners of St. Joseph Parish SUNDAY April 1 ~ Easter Sunday 8:00 AM Parishioners of St. Joseph Parish 10:30 AM Parishioners of St. Joseph Parish 12:00 PM Parishioners of St. Joseph Parish 1:30 PM Parishioners of St. Joseph Parish MONDAY April 2 8:00 AM Vincent Seufert, Sr. TUESDAY April 3 8:00 AM Deceased members of the Hanley and Barney Families WEDNESDAY April 4 8:00 AM Mary and Fred Lakatos THURSDAY April 5 8:00 AM Julia Paiva 11:30 AM Eucharistic Adoration FRIDAY April 6 8:00 AM Deceased members of the Romano Family SATURDAY April 7 8:30 AM Lena Marinelli 5:00 PM George Sabol SUNDAY April 8 8:00 AM Nick Romano, Jr. 10:30 AM Sabol Family 12:00 PM Parishioners of St. Joseph Parish 1:30 PM Ada S. Lopez INTENTIONS ~ APRIL 1-7 The Altar Bread and Sacramental Wine have been donated in loving memory of Mike Gervino, Amelia Gervino, Virginia Taglieri, Noreen Pucci. The St. Joseph Church Sanctuary Lamp burns in loving memory of Mike Gervino. The Pieta Lamp burns in loving memory of Mike Gervino. The St. Joseph Lamp burns in loving memory of Mike Gervino. PRESENTATION OF THE GIFTS If you have requested a Mass to be celebrated for your intention and would like to present the gifts that will become the Body and Blood of Christ at that Mass, please be sure to inform one of the ushers before Mass; otherwise, they will ask someone from the congregation to present the gifts. Thank you. God our Father, by raising Christ Your Son, You conquered the power of death and opened for us the way to eternal life. Let our celebration today raise us up and renew our lives by the Spirit that is within us. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. On this Easter Sunday, allow Jesus to fill Your mind, body, and soul. Pray for guidance on how to live your life, open your heart to those in need, and give thanks to God for all that He has given you. Lord, by Your Cross and Resurrection You have set us free; You are the Savior of the World! PARISH MEMBERSHIP All Catholics should be registered in a Parish so that the Parish may know you and your family and so be able to serve you better. Registration is your statement that you belong to a particular faith community where you are known, your faith is strengthened, and your relationship with God is nourished and given expression. When you are registered, actively involved, and a Catholic in good standing, the Parish is able to provide you with testimonial certificates to be a sponsor for Baptism or Confirmation. Your registration information is strictly confidential and never in any way becomes a public record. If you would like to register with St. Joseph Parish, fill in the information below and place this form in the collection basket or the Parish Office mail slot and a Registration Card will be mailed to you. Name: Mailing Address: Phone Number: