Saint Joseph Roman Catholic Church Oradell - New Milford, NJ November 27, 2011 Sunday, November 13, 2011 members of our parish s TARGET Youth Ministry Team (pictured above) attended the Youth Recognition Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark. They gathered with hundreds of other young people from throughout the Archdiocese of Newark. The event recognized outstanding young people and the adults who work with them. Saint Joseph Parish had the pleasure of honoring Kevin Burns (top row, far right). Kevin is a senior from Don Bosco Prep. As a member of our parish s Confirmation Preparation Team, Kevin has spent many weekends on retreat sharing his faith. In addition to all that he does for our parish as a member of TARGET and the Confirmation Team, Kevin is a member of our parish s Boy Scout Troop 142, where he will be awarded the rank of Eagle Scout in May of 2012. Our parish is very proud to have Kevin as a member. We congratulate him on his recognition by the Archdiocese of Newark and on all of his many achievements. Schedule Mass Schedule Saturday 5pm, Sunday 7:30am, 9am, 10:30am, 12 Noon Weekdays: 7am, 8:30am Saturday 8:30am Holy Days: As announced in the bulletin Baptism Contact the Parish Office before the fifth month of pregnancy Sick / Homebound / Hospital Ministry Call the Parish Office Marriage Call the Parish Office at least one year in advance Reconciliation / Confessions Saturday, 4 pm - 5 pm Christian Initiation of Adults Contact the Parish Office Miraculous Medal Novena: Monday, 7 pm Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament First Wednesday of the Month, 9am to 5:30 pm Parish Registration: Contact the Parish Office Phone Fax Email Website Parish Office 105 Harrison St., New Milford 201-261-0148 201-261-0369 office@sjcnj.org sjcnj.org St. Joseph School 305 Elm St., Oradell 201-261-2388 201-261-0830 office@sjsusa.org sjsusa.org Religious Education 300 Elm St., Oradell 201-261-1144 201-261-1163 religioused@sjcnj.org sjcnj.org Parish Office Hours: Weekdays 9 am - 4 pm or by appointment Religious Education Office Hours: Mon., Tues., Wed., & Thurs. 9 am - 5pm
ST. JOSEPH CHURCH ORADELL/NEW MILFORD, NJ Sunday 7:30 am 9:00 am 10.30 am 10:30 am MC 12 noon Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 5:00 pm Sunday 7:30 am 9:00 am 10.30 am 10:30 am MC 12 noon November 27, 2011 First Sunday in Advent Anthony J. Perrone Hank Jabel Anna Culmone Deceased Members of the Piazza Family Mary and William Sweeney November 28, 2011 Irene Bolter Margaret Connolly November 29, 2011 Elaine Totaro Madeline Moir November 30, 2011 Regina Fletcher Brendan Patrick Hodnett December 1, 2011 Connie Tanasi Dr. John J. Sonzoni, Jr. December 2, 2011 James Rahal, Jr. Charles J. Dodd December 3, 2011 John Serocke People of the Parish December 4, 2011 Second Sunday of Advent Grace Gaetano James I. Toscano Robert Klein William Brady Deceased Members of the Pinto Family BREAD AND WINE INTENTIONS The Bread and Wine for the week of November 27, 2011 are given to the glory and praise of God. PRAYER REQUESTS Let us pray for the sick, in particular, Patricia McMahon. Let us remember those who recently died: John Dabrowski. Let us remember those serving in the military: may they be protected and return home unharmed. UPDATE ON ARCHDIOCESAN CATHOLIC EDUCATION COMMISSION In recent weeks, the members of the Catholic Education Commission examining the future of Catholic elementary education in the Archdiocese of Newark have been meeting in smaller subcommittees charged with such areas as Facilities, Finance and Governance Curriculum, Marketing, Enrollment, Leadership and, most important, Catholic Identity. During this period, the subcommittee members have been developing and evaluating a range of information, including ideas and programs that are working in other dioceses and educational programs, and the challenges of incorporating some of these ideas within the Archdiocesan program. They are also looking to Best Practices nationwide in terms of educational models and finances. In addition, these groups are analyzing the current data on areas like enrollment trends, academic test scores, finances and demand for a Catholic education in order to help position the Catholic schools of the Archdiocese as a vital and vibrant program for educating children for the future. The impact of current legislative issues, including both full school choice and the Opportunity Scholarship Act, are also concerns that the subcommittees and overall Commission are examining. Archbishop Myers has met with the members of the Commission, and has expressed both his appreciation for the work to date, and his anticipation that the full strategic plan for the future of the Catholic elementary schools will be comprehensive and ready for submission by its February 2012 deadline. We ask for your continued prayers and support as the Catholic Education Commission continues in the coming weeks to work to ensure the highest quality Catholic education program for the benefit of God s children here in the Archdiocese. NOTE: Mrs. Colette Vail, our school principal, is working with this Education Commission, as is Meitler Consultants, the firm helping us with Forward in Faith 2016, the strategic plan for our church and school. GIVING THOUGHT The master, spoken of in today s Gospel for this First Sunday of Advent, placed his servants in charge during his absence and gave them work to do. Like the master, the Lord Jesus has given us, his servants, responsibility for the Church and for doing good in our world until he comes in glory. One concrete way we fulfill that responsibility is by supporting God s Church with our money and with the gifts of our time and talent. 2
FIRST SUNDAY IN ADVENT NOVEMBER 27, 2011 THE PASTOR S COLUMN A NEW YEAR BEGINS AND NEW THINGS HAPPEN! Today, Sunday, November 27, 2011, we begin the liturgical year of 2012. The New Year is already here! I suppose you might conclude that time goes even faster when you spend it in Church. And that is true. Doesn t time seem to go all too quickly when you spend it with someone you love and someone who loves you! And in church that is what we do we spend time with the God who loves us and whom we love! This first Sunday of the liturgical year is particularly significant since today we begin using the new English translation of the Roman Missal. As you know, we have been speaking about this new translation during recent homilies, we have published articles about it in our Sunday bulletin, and for the past month or so we have been learning new musical Mass settings that fit this new English translation. Today, all of us here at Saint Joseph Parish, and in every Catholic parish across the United States, go from hearing about this new translation to actually using it in the celebration of Mass. \ A MASS CHANGE It will be a change for you and even a bigger change for priests. I have been praying the same words at Mass for the past 36 years, now I begin presiding at Mass with new words of prayer. It will be a time of learning for all of us. May the Lord be with you as you adjust to the new translation and may the Spirit of the Lord be with me and with Father Raul and Father Roy. May we all pray well as we lift up our hearts to God using these new words. In order to help us adjust to the new translation, we have carefully designed our parish worship aid so that you can easily find the new words you will need to say. The worship aid has a QUICK REFERENCE section where all the people s prayers and responses that have changed can be found. These prayers also appear again in the worship aid in the appropriate places in the order, the sequence, of the Mass, that follows. If you would like more information about the translation or the new prayers of the Mass, please visit the special website created by the Archdiocesan Office of Divine Worship, (RomanMissalNewark.org). Forward in Faith 2016 Last week, Meitler Consultants, the firm that has been working with us to develop a five year strategic plan for our entire parish, including our school, finished its work. The plan is now complete. It will be formally presented to all the parish community Monday, January 9, 2012. You will be hearing more about this in the weeks ahead. The Steering Committee, which has been working closely with the consultants from Meitler thought it would be best to roll out the plan after the holidays. Originally the presentation was to take place in mid- December, but as you know the time before Christmas is very busy and most people are over scheduled. After the plan is made public, the really hard work begins, namely, implementation! THANK YOU Before closing, this Thanksgiving Weekend is a perfect time to thank you for your prayers, your support, your good example, and your cooperation. I am grateful to God for the opportunity to serve as your pastor and am privileged to lead you in prayer as we gather at the altar of the Lord. I give thanks to God for you! Love, Father Tom Iwanowski MEETINGS THIS WEEK Parish Pastoral Council meets Monday, November 28, at 7:30 pm in the rectory / parish office. Parish Music Committee meets Wednesday, November 30, at 7:30 pm in the rectory / parish office. A CORNERSTONE REFLECTION by Kim Scalanga Did you ever feel there was something you needed to do, yet you weren t sure what that was? Well, I had that very feeling about eight years ago. I was searching for something when a friend reached out and asked me to join her for the weekend of the Women s Cornerstone Retreat. Not knowing much about the weekend, I was a bit timid about saying yes. I am SO glad that I did. Joining the group of women that weekend was the something I needed in my life. The spirituality, sense of community and friendship that I felt on that weekend eight years ago is still a feeling that I enjoy to this very day. Cornerstone is a gift that I gave myself that no amount of money can buy! (The next Women s Cornerstone Retreat is March 2 & 3) (The next Men s Cornerstone Retreat is March 23 & 24) FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT OUR PARISH VISIT sjcnj.org (Church Website) sjsusa.org (School Website) 3
THE NEW ROMAN MISSAL The following article contains material prepared by the Archdiocesan Office of Divine Worship to help us pray for the Third Edition of the Roman Missal. Over the past months, you have heard about changes that are coming to the Mass. These changes are happening because starting today, Sunday, November 27, we begin using a new edition of the Roman Missal that contains the prayers of the Mass. This Missal, first published in the Latin language in the year 2,000, has been translated into English in a more literal way. The Church now requires our English translation to be as close as possible to the Latin original. In some cases, the newly translated prayers will highlight our sense of unworthiness before God, who is all good and holy. Yet despite our unworthiness, God comes to us. This is illustrated in the words at the invitation to Holy Communion. In response to the priest s invitation to the assembly to come and receive, we have been used to saying, Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word and I shall be healed. Beginning today, we will begin saying, Lord I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed. This revised translation is an effort to be more precisely close to the prayer as it is offered in Latin. As we begin praying it, perhaps the change in wording will help us reflect more profoundly on what we are saying. To enter under my roof can make us think of the passage from Matthew s Gospel where the centurion tells Jesus that he does not feel himself worthy for Jesus to enter his home to heal his servant. There is the sense that when we invite people into our home, we are trusting them, honoring them, but also relating with them on a more intimate level. We would probably feel stunned and anxious if a king or movie star wanted to visit our home. In this prayer, we express our trepidation before God about inviting him, and yet also declaring that we trust that if it is his will, then it is indeed something we desire. We long for God with our soul, the deepest core of our being. Our unworthiness, our sinfulness, need not be a barrier because Christ has gained for us forgiveness and freedom. It is up to God to determine our worthiness. Last Sunday, the Feast of Christ the King, we remembered that Christ is our King, but he is a charitable and loving king who teaches us to look for him in the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the ill and those in prison. Christ did not mention deciding whether or not they are worthy of compassionate help. ST. JOSEPH CHURCH ORADELL/NEW MILFORD, NJ 4 DOES ANY OF THIS DESCRIBE YOU? Are you a baptized Protestant, who is interested in learning a little more about the Catholic Faith? Are you someone who was never baptized, who thinks that God may be calling you to faith and to the Church? Are you someone who attends Mass with a Catholic spouse and are curious about how you could become a Catholic yourself. Are you a Catholic who never received your First Communion, or First Penance or Confirmation? If any of the above describes you, we warmly invite you to discover how you can take a step forward in faith and in your relationship with Church. Please join us for an informal, no commitment meeting, Sunday, December 4, at 11:45 am in the rectory/parish office at 105 Harrison Street. Feel free to bring along a family member or friend. If you have a question or concern before December 4, contact Father Roy Regaspi at (201-261-0148) or (FatherRoy@sjcnj.org) AN EVENING IN DECEMBER WITH OUR MUSIC MINISTERS Our Music Ministers Domenick Panfile and Peter Greco will be performing at Calvary United Methodist Church, 185 West Madison Ave. Dumont, NJ to benefit a local Ambulance Corps. Join Domenick and Peter for AN EVENING IN DECEMBER, that will include a Dinner and Holiday Concert on Saturday December 10. Dinner at 6 pm Concert at 7:30 pm. Dinner & concert combo tickets for adults: $20. Tickets for Ages 8 to 15 years: $12 Combo tickets must be purchased in advance by calling (201-384-3630) or email (Calvary185@verizon.net) by December 6. Concert only tickets can be purchased at the door: $12 (all ages) KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS 50/50 CASH RAFFLE Our local Knights of Columbus is sponsoring a 50/50 Cash Raffle to raise funds for its Scholarship Program and Local Charities. Last year s first prize was more than $3,300. Raffle tickets are $20 each and will be available before/after our Masses, November 26 & 27. The Raffle drawing will be held on Saturday, December 3, at 9 pm during the Christmas Open House at the Council Hall, 199 River Road, New Milford. Winner need not be present to win. Contact Jeff Walters at (201-925-7174), or leave a message at the Council Hall at (201-262-9722). LIKE US ON FACEBOOK! Saint Joseph Parish now has a fan page on Facebook. Please take a look. You can find us at (facebook.com/church.st.joseph) You like our parish, so "like" us on Facebook! Our page will be regularly updated so keep checking us out!
TARGET NEWS DECEMBER EVENTS Sunday, December 4, Sunday Night Meeting from 7-9pm in the Rectory Basement December 9, 10, and 11 TARGET Tree Sale: We need volunteers for our Christmas Tree and Wreath Sale on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. This is a great way to receive community service hours and get into the holiday spirit. You can sign-up at all TARGET events or by emailing Anthony Armando. Sunday, December 18th- New York City Trip: Our annual trip into New York City to enjoy the sights, sounds, and smells of the Christmas season. We will begin with Mass at St. Patrick s Cathedral and then go to see the tree at Rockefeller Center. We will also stop at FAO Schwartz and the Toys R Us in Times Square. Permission Slips are available at all TARGET events. Every Thursday night from 7-9pm in the TARGET Room, we have our Hangout Night with pool, ping pong, and prayer time. BUY A CHRISTMAS TREE & WREATH DECEMBER 9, 10, 11 AND HELP THE YOUTH GROUP The TARGET Christmas Tree and Wreath Sale is coming soon. We will be in the rectory parking lot on Friday, December 9, from 6-9 pm; Saturday, December 10, from 9-6 pm; and Sunday, December, 11, from 9-1 pm. Please come support our youth ministry program and get a beautiful tree or wreath to help make your Christmas season bright. FIRST SUNDAY IN ADVENT NOVEMBER 27, 2011 SAINT JOSEPH PARISH SHARES THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS THROUGH THE GIVING TREE Once again, it is time to prepare our homes and hearts for Christmas. What better way to prepare than to share the blessings and joys of Christmas with those in need. This year our Giving Tree will be helping families from Catholic Charities, families from the North Bergen area through Our Lady of Fatima Parish; Covenant House; and Bergen Regional Medical Center. The Giving Tree is located in the main entrance of the Church, with a second tree at the Harrison Street entrance. Please, take a tag from the Giving Tree; purchase the requested gift; and place the wrapped gift under the tree the next time you come to Mass. The tag you take from the tree is very important. It tells our office staff and the agencies we are helping to whom the gift is meant for. Therefore, it is very important that the tag you took from the Giving Tree be attached securely to the wrapped gift so that it will reach the correct person on Christmas. All Giving Tree Gifts need to be returned to the church no later than Sunday-December 11 Should you have any questions or concerns, please contact Anne Annunziato, our parish secretary, at the rectory office (201-261-0148). GRAMMY NOMINATED DAVID HAAS IN CONCERT AND WORKSHOP Grammy nominated Catholic composer David Haas and composer/vocalist Lori True will appear in concert at Sts. Peter & Paul Church, 404 Hudson Street, Hoboken, on Friday, December 9, at 7:30 pm. Haas has composed some of the Catholic Church's most beloved hymns including "You Are Mine", "Blest Are They" and "We Are Called". Haas has produced over 45 collections of liturgical music. Haas and True will also offer a workshop day on Saturday, December 10, 9:30 am to 2:30 pm. The theme is The Ministry and Vocation of Liturgical Leadership: A Call to Prayer Leadership and Gospel Living. The workshop will explore the many facets of music in worship. Concert tickets are $15. Workshop tickets are $30. Attend both events at Sts. Peter & Paul for $40. Call (201-659-2276) or visit (spphoboken.com) for information or contact (secretary@spphoboken.com) RELIGIOUS EDUCATION NEWS CELEBRATION OF FIRST RECONCILIATION On Saturday, December 3 and December 10 the children of the Communion Class of 2012 will celebrate their First Reconciliation at a special service at 10 am in the Upper Church. We invite the members of Saint Joseph Parish to keep these children in your prayers. GOOD NEWS FOR LITTLE ONES CHILDCARE ON SUNDAY DURING MASS The Good News for Little Ones program, for children 6 months through 4 years of age, provides a safe and comfortable environment for children while their parents attend our 9 am or 10:30 am Sunday Mass. Good News for Little Ones takes place in the greenhouse classroom located in the Saint Joseph Lower School on Elm Street. 5
ST. JOSEPH CHURCH ORADELL/NEW MILFORD, NJ The Gospel is the Good News about Jesus The Gospel Reading for today is from Saint Mark Chapter 13 verses 33-37. Today is the first Sunday of Advent, which is the season of promise. Jesus, our master and teacher, tells us to Stay awake and be alert because we have no idea when He will return in glory. When you play on a basketball or soccer team, you learn how to pay attention. Your coach reminds you and your teammates to stay ready. You learn to watch the ball. Those are good lessons to learn, because Jesus wants us to pay attention, too. We should keep our eyes and our mind on Jesus, so we are ready when he comes. He can come at any time, in the morning or in the evening or at dawn or at midnight. In some way, Jesus comes into our life each day! Pay attention! NOTE TO PARENTS The Liturgy of the Word with Children takes place at our 9am Sunday Mass. During that Mass the younger children are sent forth just before the First Reading and go to the lower church for their own celebration of God's Word. The readings, homily, songs and prayers are geared to their understanding. The children return before the presentation of the gifts to continue the celebration of the Liturgy with their families. We want God's Good News to be exciting for the younger members of our parish family. If you are interested in joining our committee, please contact us at kids@sjcnj.org COMING NEXT WEEK GOD SENDS A MESSENGER NOTE TO KIDS Be sure to use your special envelopes in the Sunday collection. You can get extra envelopes during the Liturgy of the Word With Children. Compiled by the Liturgy of the Word With Children Committee. 6