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Parish Registration: Call 973-539-2141 or visit the parish website at www.assumptionparish.org.
Assumption School: 973-538-0590; www.assumptionnj.org Sr. Merris Larkin, S.C. Principal
Religious Education: 973-267-5638, Fax 973-267-4223 Email: [email protected] Linda Macios: Director Sharon Bertram: Coordinator Grades 6, 7, and 8 Lisa Sullivan: Confirmation—973-267-8519 Tara Speer: Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Sue Paradise: Secretary
The Religious Education program runs for 16 or 20 Sundays—October through March. Kindergarten through 5th grade classes meet 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.; 6th through 8th classes meet immediately following the 5:30 p.m. Sunday Youth Mass. The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd classes meet on Sunday mornings and Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoons. Confirmation groups meet once or twice per month on Sunday evenings.
Music Ministry—973-539-2141, extension 19 Claudia Nardi: Director, Karen Chiappini: Organist Adult Choir, Youth Ministry Choir, Children’s Choir
Holy Rood Cemetery—973-539-7501 Website: www.holyroodcemeterynj.com Diana Loughman: Cemetery Director Emerson Brito: Caretaker Caleb Dunn: Caretaker
Church Sexton—Doug Reisch
Sacrament of Reconciliation: Saturday—4:15 to 5:00 p.m. or by appointment
Marriage: Arrangements should be made with a priest or deacon by registered parishioners at least one year in advance of the marriage date. Marriage arrangements should be made PRIOR to reserving reception facility.
Baptisms: Registered parishioners should contact Liz Rotunno in the Parish Office to arrange for Baptismal Preparation and the Sacrament of Baptism. For first-time parents, attendance at one Baptismal Preparation evening class is required.
Visitation of the Sick and Elderly: Please keep us informed so that we may be attentive to those who are ill at home or in the hospital. Eucharistic Ministers are available to bring Communion on Sundays.
Africa Surgery Tom Johnson 973-292-3320 Altar Linens Mike Cherello 973-267-6825 Altar Servers Fr. John Hart 973-539-2141 Bereavement Marion Lapchak 973-285-1976 Bethany Linda Macios 973-539-2141 Boy Scouts Dave Lage 201-919-7259 Cub Scouts John Lago 609-213-1790 Centering Prayer Fr. Ken Lasch 973-538-2653 Children’s Worship Linda Cannilla 973540-1683 CYO Basketball Kevin Bopp 917-861-2876 Deaf Interpreter Kathleen Skaf 862-432-6004 Deaf Ministry Barbara Zurlo 973 337-7591 VP Divorced Catholics Deacon Elliot Stein 973-539-2141 Endowment for Poor Claudia Nardi 973-539-2141 Eucharistic Min. Hope Zenker 973-401-1010 Family Promise Mary Dougherty 973-538-9003 Finance Committee Dorothy Flynn 973-538-2634 Food Pantry Claudia Nardi 973-539-2141 Gardening Janet Dedrick 973-539-2141 Giving Tree Brian Morgan 973-462-6972 Good Samaritan Pat Moore 973-539-2141 Home School Assoc. Debbie DeAngelis 973-889-8520 Holistic Health Michele Cameron 973-769-9634 Homeless Solutions Ralph Ferrara 973-538-8268 JustFaith Kerry Mowry 973-683-1220 Knights of Columbus Joseph Lee 973-267-9175 Moms and Tots Henriette Kahn 973-539-1350 Nursing Homes Joan Kramer 973-539-4910 Pre-Cana Ken and Rosa Rose 973-539-9845 RCIA Fr. John Hart 973-539-2141 Readers Andrea Bozzi 973-656-9864 Respect Life Anne Marie and 973-539-4650
Leonard Crann Senior Citizens Joan Kramer 973 539-4910 Singles 45+ Denise Imperiale 908-477-9450 Soup Kitchen Annaliese Rush 973-455-0391 Ushers Anthony Romano 973-267-5433 Welcome and Hospitality Moira Clarkin 973-539-4390 Women's Cornerstone Denise Imperiale 908-477-9450 Vocations Deacon John Brandi 973-539-2141 Young Professionals Fr. Przemek 973-539-2141 Youth Ministry Lisa Sullivan 973-267-8519
Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin MaryChurch of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin MaryChurch of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin MaryChurch of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
91 Maple Avenue, Morristown, New Jersey 0796091 Maple Avenue, Morristown, New Jersey 0796091 Maple Avenue, Morristown, New Jersey 0796091 Maple Avenue, Morristown, New Jersey 07960 973973973973----539539539539----2141, Fax2141, Fax2141, Fax2141, Fax————973973973973----984984984984----0632063206320632
Visit our Website: Visit our Website: Visit our Website: Visit our Website: www.assumptionparish.orgwww.assumptionparish.orgwww.assumptionparish.orgwww.assumptionparish.org Email: Email: Email: Email: [email protected]@[email protected]@assumptionparish.org
Pastor: Rev. Msgr. John E. Hart Parochial Vicar: Rev. Przemyslaw Nowak
Pastor Emeritus: Rev. Msgr. Martin F. Rauscher In Residence: Rev. Dennis J. Crowley In Residence: Rev. Samuel Monaco
In Residence: Rev. Geno Sylva Deacons: Brian Beyerl, John Brandi, Michael Hanly, Elliott Stein
Trustees: Dan Poling 973-451-1617, Kathleen Hyland 973-539-2860
Parish Coordinator—Linda Macios Secretary—Liz Rotunno Comptroller—Robyn Morris
Parish Office Hours Monday through Thursday 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; Friday 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
MinistriesMinistriesMinistriesMinistries
January 31, 2016 The Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
SATURDAY January 30 8:00 a.m. Allan W. Adams 5:30 p.m. Kelly Kirby Charles M. Seergy, Sr. SUNDAY January 31 7:00 a.m. People of the Parish 8:30 a.m. Kathleen Sisco Mary Sullivan 10:00 a.m. Sergio Nepomunceno Armand Villa 12:15 p.m. Cindy Nausid (Living) Jane Bardes 5:30 p.m. Richard Quagliano Michael Eberhardt MONDAY February 1 7:00 a.m. Alice Boehler 12:05 p.m. Deacon William Harty TUESDAY February 2 7:00 a.m. Charles Seergy 12:05 p.m. Samuel DeJoy WEDNESDAY February 3 7:00 a.m. Gene Redman 12:05 p.m. Eileen Goff THURSDAY February 4 7:00 a.m. The Zamarelli Family and Doctor 12:05 p.m. Milagros Nepomuceno FRIDAY February 5 7:00 a.m. Jackie Negri 12:05 p.m. Deceased Members of the Hoffman and O’Malley Families SATURDAY February 6 8:00 a.m. Richard Quagliano 5:30 p.m. Claire and William Dunlap Charles M. Seergy, Sr. SUNDAY February 7 7:00 a.m. People of the Parish 8:30 a.m. Christine Dillon George and Mary Bobalik 10:00 a.m. George E. Parker, Jr. Patric Hyland 12:15 p.m. Florence and Michael Coppola Quentin Lucarello
GATHER IN PRAYER
• Pray the Rosary weekdays 20 minutes before the 12:05 p.m. Mass.
• Pray the Perpetual Novena in honor of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal every Monday immediately following the 12:05 p.m. Mass.
• Eucharistic Adoration the first Saturday of each month 8:30 - 9:00 a.m. and the first Monday of every month at 7:00 p.m.
• Eucharistic Adoration every Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Notre Dame of Mt. Carmel, Cedar Knolls.
irst Reading: Jeremiah 1:4-5,17-19
This Hebrew Scripture reading tells of the call of the prophet Jeremiah. Although as a prophet he will face opposition and danger, Jeremiah is assured that God will be with him.
econd Reading: 1 Corinthians 12:31-13:13
Continuing with his plea for unity in the Church in Corinth, the Apostle Paul declares that every form of ministry, from the lowliest to the most exalted, must all be founded on love.
ospel: Luke 4:21-30
The evangelist Luke often portrays Jesus as the greatest of Israel’s prophets. This is true in this Gospel reading in which Jesus, like Jeremiah before him, encounters opposition from his kinfolk.
We invite you to prayerfully reflect
on the Readings for the week of January 31
Monday 2 Sm 15:13-14, 30; 16:5-13; Ps 3:2-3, 4-5, 6-7; Mk 5:1-20 Tuesday Mal 3:1-4; Ps 24:7, 8, 9, 10; Heb 2:14-18; Lk 2:22-40 Wednesday 2 Sm 24:2, 9-17; Ps 32:1-2, 5, 6, 7; Mk 6:1-6 Thursday 1 Kgs 2:1-4, 10-12; 1 Chr 29:10, 11ab, 11d12a, 12bcd; Mk 6:7-13 Friday Sir 47:2-11; Ps 18:31, 47, and 50, 51; Mk 6:14-29 Saturday 1 Kgs 3:4-13; Ps 119:9, 10-14, Mk 6:30-34 Sunday Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time Is 6:1-2a, 3-8; Ps 138:1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 7-8; 1 Cor 15:1-11; Lk 5:1-11
Mass Intentions
Assumption Parish Morristown, NJ
PLEASE REMEMBER AND PRAY
FOR THE RECOVERY OF: Rosalie Sottile, Charles Arteglier, Jake Faccenda, Charles Arnolt, Paul Albanese, Eileen Scheibner, Dylan Lewman, Gladys Wilcox, Anthony DaMelio, Kenneth Eastman, Colin Wisniewski, Barbara O’Hagan, Sandy Hruska, Joanne Veon, Susan Krauss, Kimberly Caswell, David Harris, Anetta Burdzy, Robert Kamenetz, Julie Winne, Ruth Rusin, Marge Hefferon, Frank Lutz, Gloria Dabal, Jack Kelly, Allan Russo, Francis Bourdin, Jim and Kay Cavanaugh, Justin Lee, Josephine McCarthy, Albert Garcia Jr., Jim Gallo, Frank Geraghty, Phyllis Savage, Marie Therese Vaz, Brenda Hinds, John Hyland, Carol Padden, Elaine Metzger, Julia Marley, John Geraghty, John Cvicker, Tom, Greg and John Baxter, Ruth Necco, Patty Parker Moncrief, Marva Jean Corbin, Lisa Maderna, Rossana Wright, Vivian Harris, Mary Reisch, Robert Hook, William Thigpen, Patricia Waters, Audrey Sherry, Dennis Joseph Roberts, Melissa Cavezza, Steven Cavezza, John Theivon, Mike Baxley, Dyrick Phillip, Jessie Moore, Barbara Kane, Kenneth Krause, Kathy Shay, Baby Emma Wyman, William Moeller, Augustus Perkins, Angela Irene, Cynthia Scott, Cora Brady Huston, Paul Drobbin, Francis Montemurno Jr., Elizabeth Quinn, Martin Cerza, William Perkins, Jr, Brian Chewning, Paula Rose Carducci, Sandra Moorman, Joan Kobylarz, Matthew Luteran, Jack Frost, Payton O'Brien, Ralph Depp, James Preston, Deedee Bentley, Baby Wilbert Ridgley III, Nancy Arteglier, Willette Greer, Eileen Lanfare, Victoria Ramirez, Brendan Carey, Keeya Little, Margaret Saengar, Debra Peniston, Donna Polise, Savio Vaz, Ursula Bennett, Kathleen Callahan, Louis E. Terreri, Patricia Ioannou, Virginia Rigoletto, Paul Abrams, Ralph Coti, Marie Garibladi, Robert Kaps, Ronan Davis, Bob Nace, Margie Herman, Joseph Gabriele, Richard Fredrick Smith II, Liam Hanly Jr., and Jim Mongey. Please call the Parish Office at 973-539-2141 with the names of who you would like included in the prayers for the good health of the sick and homebound.
GOOD SAMARITAN MINISTRY
Need help? Our ministry can assist Assumption parishioners with shopping, banking, local doctor and dentist appointments, and other similar errands. Contact our coordinator for January, Audrey Geraghty, 973-538-3134.
LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR
SPECIAL COLLECTION TODAY
The Little Sisters of the Poor from St. Joseph’s Home for the Elderly in Totowa will be visiting our parish on Saturday and Sunday, January 30 and 31, 2016. The Little Sisters of the Poor operate 188 homes throughout the world providing loving care to the elderly poor and have served the aged in New Jersey since 1879. Please be as generous as your means allow. Thank you for your support.
PLEASE PRAY FOR MEMBERS OF OUR
PARISH COMMUNITY AND THEIR LOVED ONES
WHO HAVE SERVED, OR ARE SERVING, IN
THE ARMED FORCES
CW3 Michael Benkosky Green Beret, Special Forces, Airborne Joint Forces; Commander William H. Shipp, Commanding Officer HCS-8, San Diego; Andrew Vasquez US Army; Andy Soucy US Army; Dan Lessnau Former Marine and Veteran of the Viet Nam War; Kevin Felix US Military Colonel; Lt. Tim Fleury, US Navy; Staff Sergeant William J. McSweeney Retired Marine Served Around the World; Matthew Gonabe, Lt. US Navy Pilot Serving in the Persian Gulf; David Ribardo, 1st Lt. US Army Serving in Afghanistan; Capt. Brendan Griswold 82nd Air Borne in Afghanistan; Capt. Patrick Flynn, US Army 1st Infantry, Afghanistan; Sergeant Richard Galluzzo Serving in Afghanistan, Lt. Thomas Keyes Jr.; PFC Chad Chojnacki, Combat Medic, grandson of Annabel Wannemacher; Capts. Scott and Meghan Harra, US Army in Afghanistan; Captain Timothy Newcomb, US Army Special Forces; Col. Jason M. Barrett, USMC in Iraq and Afghanistan; Capt. James Cassidy, USMC in Afghanistan; Ensign Devon Cassidy, Navy Nurse in California; Penny and Christian Jimenez, Navy Lt. Commanders in Japan; 2nd Lt. Andrew Pineda and Capt. Laurence Pineda, US Air Force, SMSgt. John Bartow, Stratton ANGB NY, Douglas Reisch, 1/325 Infantry, 82nd Airborne Division, Daniel Baron, US Navy, Hawaii, 1LT Schuyler Orecchio, 10th Mountain Division, Afghanistan.
.EUCHARISTIC ADORATION AND BENEDICTION
We will have Adoration and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament on Monday, February 1 at 7:00 p.m., and on Saturday, February 6, after the 8:00 a.m. Mass. Please join us. " Our Redeemer ever present in the most Blessed Sacrament,
extends His hands to everyone. He opens His heart and says,
'Come to Me, all of you.'"
- St. Raphael Kalinowski, O.C.D.
THE CALL TO PROCLAIM THE GOOD NEWS " No prophet is accepted in his own native place." (Luke 4: 21-30)
Jesus calls us to follow him and speak the truth about how God wants us to live. We can expect
opposition. Here is a reflection I hope you will enjoy. A first-year high school English teacher caught a student in an act of blatant plagiarism. The teacher
was stunned - she was an excellent student: inquisitive, thoughtful, and responsible. But her final paper was a mishmash of her own work with that of someone more famous. The teacher had to report her and let the school's disciplinary process do its work. The teacher, not all that much older than her teenage students, hated playing the big, bad grown-up, but she had no choice. The student was suspended.
The student then came to see the teacher in her office. The teacher braced herself for recriminations
and tears. But, instead, what she got was gratitude: "Thanks for caring enough to notice that I did something wrong," the student said. "I appreciate it. I'm glad you were paying attention."
The student's words were exactly what the young teacher wanted to hear and she has carried them
down through the years when she struggles to stand firm - especially now that she is a parent herself, the mother of a two-year old. She writes:
"My son is at the age where the world is a grand experiment and each hypothesis must be tested,
again and again, to be sure it still holds true. Often, he will reach for stove, knives, or scissors and shout 'No!' as he does so. Then, hand hovering near the forbidden object, he'll look up at me to see what I do. When I say 'No' along with him, he looks pleased. The pleasure, I'm sure, comes not from the boundary, but from the sense that he has figured out something about how the world works. But when there's something new he wants and I say 'No,' his response is not what you might call positive. It's intense, frustrated, primal. He definitely does not thank me for establishing boundaries."
At those moments, she remembers her student of a few years ago and what she learned about having
to be the big, bad grown-up: "[it] isn't how good it feels to be thanked by a child, but how thankless it must be, sometimes, to try to be good for a child." [From "Being the Big, Bad Grown-Up" by Alison Lobron, The Boston Sunday Globe Magazine, April 7, 2013.]
We often find ourselves in that difficult position of having to be the "big, bad grown up" for our children
- or for adults who are acting like children. Such "prophetic" actions stretch our patience and cause us anxious second-guessing - but to follow Jesus is to speak and act with integrity, to do what is right and just no matter how unpopular we become. In baptism, we are all called to be prophets of what is good, regardless of the cost such prophesy exacts from us. May we possess the grace to act prophetically with compassion and forgiveness; may we possess the wisdom to respond faithfully to God speaking to us in the example of integrity and faithfulness of the prophets in our lives. (Connections)
In Christ’s Peace, Father John
January 31, 2016 The Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Assumption Parish Morristown, NJ
POWER OF LOVE Saint Paul described how loving people act: with
patience and kindness, without envy, boasting, arrogance, or rudeness. A loving person is understanding, pleasant to be with, and happy when good things happen to others. With love, Paul writes, anything is possible.
Adults: What keeps me from acting with love? What can I do to change my attitude and behavior in these situations?
Children: What are three things I can do this week to act as a loving person?
A Family Perspective: As you gather as a family, consider proverbs or other wise sayings that are familiar to your family (“Blood is thicker than water;” “All that glitters is not gold.”) Consider what these proverbs mean and whether you believe them to be true. Why or why not? Jesus challenges the people of Nazareth by reminding them of old sayings that seem to have a lot of truth in them. Consider what these proverbs mean. Ask: What were the proverbs that Jesus quoted? (Physician, cure yourself; No prophet is accepted in his native place.) Consider the meaning of these proverbs and look for examples from your own family life that show their truth. Consider how your family might accept one another's wisdom and guidance and not reject the prophets in your midst.
SUPER BAKE SALE
SUPERBOWL WEEKEND
Our 8th grade religious education youth has taken on a very special service project this year. The group has committed to sponsoring two orphaned children from Sierra Leone through Africa Surgeries, Inc. The money they raise will help support these two siblings by supplying them with the funds they need for education. Our 8th graders realize that these children do not have the opportunities that they have. They are in dire need, and we are in a position to support them. Our youth want to help them get an education which will help them in their future. Please stop by the community room after Mass next weekend to show your support to our 8th graders by purchasing something from their bake sale. You can plan to pick up some goodies for your Superbowl party!! We are truly grateful to our wonderful parish for their kindness and generosity.
HOLISTIC HEALTH MINISTRY—SAVE A LIFE
Learn basic CPR and use of AED ( defibrillator). This is Important for everyone, parents, grandparents, babysitters, co-workers, etc. Saturday, Feb 6, 8:00 a.m. -12:00 p.m.. Assumption Church Community Room.
$20 per person. Class size limited. Call Michele Cameron at 973 769-9634 to register.
MASS ATTENDANCE JANUARY 23/24 5:30 p.m. 15 7:00 a.m. 14 8:30 a.m. 36 10:00 a.m. 88 12:15 p.m. 141 5:30 p.m. 128 Total: 422
FINANCIAL BLESSINGS Assumption is a Tithing Parish
The collection total for the weekend of January 23/24 was $9,438. The collection total for this weekend last year was $23,288. Pastor’s Note: Thank you for your generosity and your great love of Our Lord which is so evident when people come to Assumption. Serving the Lord here with you is an immense blessing and an incredible joy.
FAITH DIRECT E-GIVING PROGRAM Your financial support is vital to Assumption’s
mission. Giving electronically allows you to contribute without interruption due to bad weather, as we had last weekend. Join the many parishioners who have already enrolled in Faith Direct for automated giving to Assumption. Faith Direct is secure and convenient, and will provide you with an offertory card to place in the basket during the collections. There is no cost to you, and the program provides a great benefit to our parish. Sign up today by visiting www.faithdirect.net. Our parish code is NJ294. You can also pick up an enrollment form at the parish office or call Faith Direct’s toll-free number, 866-507-8757, for more information.
Your generosity means a great deal to our parish family. Please consider using Faith Direct today.
CALLING ALL PARENTS:
JOIN IN THE RESCHEDULED RECHARGE! With all the snow, Catholic Parents Recharge (CPR), Assumption's own parent discussion group, will meet for the first time now in 2016 on February 7, from 10.15 - 11.30 am. The group meets at Assumption school. Child care is provided; bagels & coffee will energize the conversation. CPR provides parents with a supportive, faith-filled environment to: • help recharge from the pressures of the secular
world • strengthen family dynamics, based upon our
Catholic faith and values • further a network of other Catholic families So far, we've discussed keeping faith and family top of mind with daily distractions, focusing on the meaning behind Christmas with all the festivities, and talking with our children about the recent terrorist attacks in Paris. If you have ideas for discussion topics and/or would like to join in, please email parishioner Kelly Harris at [email protected].
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL
SAVE THE DATES!
Although summer seems far away, registration for VBS begins on April 25. So mark your calendars with the dates of the 2016 VBS schedule, August 8-12, Monday through Friday, from 9—11:45 a.m. Come Join the fun! Teen and adult volunteers needed.
SEARCH FOR CHRISTIAN MATURITY
High School Retreat
SEARCH for Christian Maturity is a 3-day retreat experience for juniors and seniors in high school, run by several local parishes in the Paterson Diocese. The upcoming retreat will take place Friday-Sunday, February 5-7, 2016, at Sacred Heart Center in Newton, NJ. For more information and to receive an application, please contact Kelly Loftus ([email protected]).
SENIOR COMMUNION BREAKFAST
Over 45 parish seniors enjoyed good food, good conversation and good company at the Communion Breakfast held on January 16. Also in attendance were Fr. John, Fr. Przemek, Fr. Dennis and Fr. Martin. The breakfast was catered by Swiss Chalet, and Fr. Mateusz Jasniewicz was the guest speaker.
Thank you to all who attended and a special thanks to Linda Macios and Deacon John Brandi for all their help.
Stay tuned for details about our next meeting.
WEDDING WORKSHOP Sunday, February 28, From 2:30 – 3:30 p.m.
Join members of the music staff of the Church of the Assumption for our 2015 Wedding Workshop. We will answer any questions you might have concerning the music for your wedding celebration and review planning and proper placement of the music you choose. Relatives, family, and friends are welcome. If you have any questions feel free to call Claudia Nardi at 973-539-2141, Ext. 19.
THINK OF CATHOLIC CHARITIES
CLOTHES DONATION BOXES
At this time of the year that saying “out with the old, in with the new” gets repeated again and again. Think of that saying as you start to put away all the new clothes, shoes and accessories you received this Christmas and perhaps place the old ones they will replace, into the Catholic Charities clothes donation bin in our parking lot.
The clothing box revenues help to feed almost 9000 people every month in our pantries as well as fund other emergency services for the poor.
THE BEST CATHOLIC CONTENT ALL IN ONE PLACE
We are excited to announce that our parish has subscribed to a dynamic new online platform called FORMED. Every parishioner will have 24/7 access to the best Catholic content on any device, including your computer, smartphone and tablet with internet access. With FORMED you’ll find video programs that explain the Catholic faith, explore the deepest meaning of marriage, receive Bible studies on a variety of topics and includes inspiring audio talks. And you’ll find presenters like Dr. Tim Gray, Dr. Edward Sri, Dr. Mary Healey, Chris Stefanick, Dr. Scott Hahn, Bishop Robert Barron and a lot more. They’re all part of our parish subscription. It truly is the Catholic faith - on demand.
Here’s how easy it is to get FORMED: Go to www.FORMED.org. You should see the registration box for parishioners. Type in the parish code PRNMFC. Now set up a username and a password. Now you are all set to use all the great programs on FORMED.org anytime by simply logging in.
If you have any questions about FORMED please contact the parish office at 973-539-2141, or email [email protected].
PANTRY NEEDS
After the holiday season, our pantry shelves can be quite bare. If you are able to help fill the shelves, you will be answering God’s call to feed the hungry. Please bring items with you when you attend Mass and place them in the bins at the doors of the church. You can also drop items off at the parish office during regular office hours.
Items that are always welcome include: Parmalat (shelf stable, 32 oz.), dry milk (1-qt. packs), hearty soups, low-sodium soups, spaghetti/tomato sauce, ensure, tea, breakfast cereal, peanut butter, mac ‘n cheese, canned meats and meals, canned fruit (juice or lite-syrup), canned vegetables, baby food: stage 1, fruits and vegetables, dry beans and canned beans, tuna fish, pasta/whole wheat pasta, quart-sized re-sealable plastic bags.
January 31, 2016 The Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Assumption Parish Morristown, NJ
PILGRIMAGE TO POLAND
WITH FATHER PRZEMEK
Join Fr. Przemyslaw Nowak and other Assumption parishioners on a Jubilee Year of Mercy pilgrimage to Poland. The trip will take place from September 1 through September 9, 2016, and the cost per person is $2,999. The trip includes: • Round-trip airfare from Newark or New York
7 nights at centrally located First Class Hotels in Warsaw, Czestochowa, Zakopane, and Krakow
• Breakfast and Dinner daily • Transportation by air-conditioned motor coach • Sightseeing and admissions fees as per itinerary • Mass daily & Spiritual activities To learn more about the trip, visit www.assumptionparish.org, and click on the link to the pilgrimage. For more information, call 206 Tours at 800-206-8687 and ask for Elise, Katherine or Yaritza.
JOIN THE YOUTH CHOIR
We need middle school and high school students willing to share musical talents by serving in the choir at our weekly Youth Mass. We rehearse on Sundays at 4:30 p.m. for the 5:30 p.m. Sunday evening Mass. Please consider being part of this group especially if you are in your school choir.
Service hours will be granted for being part of this ministry. This will also serve you well when you need a letter of recommendation for your college of choice! And God will love it, too.
Contact Claudia Nardi at [email protected]. SAVE THE DATE: MONDAY, MAY 16
Spend a day at Fiddler’s Elbow Country Club in Bedminster to benefit the Villa Walsh Academy Athletic Program. Join a foursome for the annual golf tournament on the River and Meadow Courses. Not a golferV Relax at the club as a “member-for-the-day” and enjoy a variety of other activities, including tennis, fitness classes, pool, and massage. A gourmet dinner reception and prize auctions complete the day.
For more information, contact Maria and Mike Manley at 973-626-1425.
MERCY AND HEALING RETREAT AT
IMMACULATE CONCEPTION IN SOMERVILLE
Beginning with a Healing Mass on Friday, Feb. 5th at 7:00 p.m., and continuing the morning of February 6th with talks by genocide survivors Immaculee and Fr. Ubald, Immaculate Conception Church in Somerville is hosting a Healing and Forgiveness retreat. Kitty Cleveland will also be there to sing the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. The sacrament of Reconciliation will be offered and the day will end with a 5:00 p.m. vigil Mass.
For information about registration and cost, please email [email protected], or call 908-725-1112.
BEREAVEMENT SUPPORT GROUP SERIES
Assumption’s Bereavement Group Series will begin meeting on February 2 at 7:30 p.m. in the library of the parish center.
Among the topics discussed will be: • Expectations and myths about the grieving process • Anger and loneliness • Feelings of guilt • Handling pain and sadness • Communications with family and friends • Changing perspectives on life • Letting go of the pain
To register, please contact Marion at 973-285-1976 or email her at [email protected].
HOLISTIC HEALTH MINISTRY
“Healing Your Grieving Heart: Exploring practical
touchstones for caring for yourself”
Join Dr. Alan Wolfelt, nationally acclaimed author, educator and grief counselor, from the Center for Grief and Life Transition, Fort Collins, Colorado as he speaks about healing and grief on Tuesday, February 23, from 6:30-9:00 p.m. at Overlook Medical Center Auditorium, 99 Beauvoir Ave. In Summit.
Reservations are required RSVP 908 522-6348 by
February 12.
FIFTEENTH ANNUAL CARING BASKET GALA
With gratitude to God, Assumption College for Sisters and the Sisters of Christian Charity cordially invite you to save the date of Thursday, April 14, 2016 when we will celebrate the 15th Annual Caring Basket Gala, at the Hanover Marriott in Whippany.
For more information about the gala, please call the Assumption College for Sisters at 973-543-6528, or email [email protected].
EMPLOYMENT HORIZONS COLLECTS BOOKS
We accept all books in good, readable condition. Simply place the books in the bin at the back of the Employment Horizons building at 10 Ridgedale Ave. Cedar Knolls. Employment Horizons earns money for all books collected. You may also donate CDs, DVDs, and video games (no VHS, please). All items are recycled, re-sold, or donated. Visit our website at www.emhorizons.org. Please call Maria at 973-538-8822 ext. 240.
WE WELCOME INTO THE CHURCH
THROUGH THE
SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM
Anneliese Joelle Varro Daughter of Joseph and Michele
Lexie Ane Viduya
Daughter of Mark and Grace
January 31, 2016 The Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
FEBRUARY AT ST. PAUL INSIDE THE WALLS
Being Single, Being Faithful (35+) Whether single by choice or by circumstance, we must
live every “single” day to the fullest. We can find fulfillment in Christ and his Church by embracing the opportunities in the Church for spiritual growth, meaningful service and a sense of community. Madison, Saturday, February 6 from 10:00 a.m.-noon The God of Mercy: A Biblical Understanding of
Mercy in the Old and New Testament What is the biblical understanding of wrath, anger and
mercy and how do we reconcile the idea of God’s wrath along with his infinite mercy for his children? Allan Wright, presenter. Madison, Monday and Tuesday, February 8 and 9 from 10:00-11:30 a.m. Men After His Heart A basic course in spirituality for men. Self-contained
sessions will explore spiritual themes important to men and their growth in faith. Fr. Paul Manning, presenter. Madison, Tuesday, February 9 from 7:30-9:00 p.m. Reasons to Believe: Why the Catholic Faith Makes
Sense Come hear what Catholics believe, why Catholics
believe it, the personal difference it makes, and how it makes sense in today’s world. Fr. Derek Anderson, presenter. Madison, Saturday, February 20 from 10:00 a.m.-noon Catholicism from Scratch: Ashes, Palms, Lilies,
and Mangers (Celebrations and Sacramentals) A course in basic Catholicism for those who need a
brush-up, those who missed it the first time around, or those who never heard it before. Fr. Paul Manning, presenter. Madison, Saturday, February 27 from 10:00 a.m.-noon Women’s Health and Fertility Awareness Learn an effective, healthy, moral and inexpensive
system that integrates health with moral family planning for couples who are trying to achieve pregnancy, who have infertility concerns, or who need to regulate pregnancy. Materials are included. Madison, Saturday, March 5 from 10:00 a.m.-noon.
Please go to www.insidethewalls.org for more information and to register.
PIZZA NIGHT WITH THE BISHOP
Pizza Night with Bishop at Morris Catholic is Tuesday, March 1 at 7 PM.
All young men of high school age are invited to participate in this evening of prayer, discussion and fraternity with Bishop Serratelli and other young men as well as priests from around the diocese.
If you know someone who may be interested, please ask the young man to contact the Vocation Office at 973-777-8818, extension 711 or by email at [email protected], or call Fr. John or Fr. Przemek.
MORRIS CATHOLIC HS SPRING AUCTION
Morris Catholic High School will be conducting its' 26th Spring Auction on Saturday March 12, 2016 at Hanover Marriott. Tickets $75. Msgr Raymond Kupke will be the honoree. For reservations contact [email protected].
GROW IN MERCY LENTEN SERIES Join us in the community room at Assumption Church
on Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m. for our Grow in Mercy Lenten Series.
In this Year of Mercy, make a commitment to enrich your Lent by learning about the great women and men of our Church who are our models of mercy and faith for each of us. February 17 St. Gianna Beretta Molla February 24 St. Faustina and St. Therese of Lisieux March 2 Dorothy Day March 9 St. John Maria Vianney March 16 The Mother Cabrini Shrine - A Place of Prayer and Peace
WHAT ARE YOU GIVING UP FOR LENT?
Maybe it’s time to try something different. Don’t just give something up for Lent. Do something. Sign up for the BEST LENT EVER email program with Matthew Kelly, America’s best-selling Catholic author. It’s simple and free, and based on his new bestseller Rediscover Jesus, the book we distributed at Christmas. The only cost is your commitment to live better each day this Lent.
Sign up at BestLentEver.com.
Ashes will be distributed after the homily at the following Masses on Wednesday, February 1O; : 7:00 a.m., 12:05 p.m., 5:30 p.m., 7:30 p.m.
Ashes will also be distributed at a Mass for Assumption School Children at 9:00 a.m. in the Church and at a special children’s prayer service at 4:00 p.m.
Assumption Parish Morristown, NJ
Join us on Saturday, February 20 for good food and great company at our annual Pasta Supper and Basket Raffle. Enjoy pasta, meatballs, salad, bread, beverages and dessert, and take a chance or two on our incredible basket raffle. All proceeds from the evening benefit our Religious Education program.
Saturday, February 20 at Assumption School
5 p.m. or 7 p.m. Seatings Ticket Prices
Children 12 and under $ 5.00
Seniors $ 8.00
Adults $10.00
Take out orders available between
5:30 and 6:30 p.m. only.
Pasta Supper and Basket Raffle Saturday, February 20
Name
Phone or Email
Seating Preference 5:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m. Take Out
Children’s Tickets X $5 =
Senior Tickets X $8 =
Adult Tickets X $10 =
Total $
I can’t attend, but please accept this donation of $
Please make checks payable to Assumption Religious Education Return your order form and check to Assumption Religious Education
91 Maple Avenue, Morristown, NJ 07960
Reservations must be received by Wednesday, February 17
Come One - Come All! - Mangia!
DIOCESE OF PATERSON Diocesan Center 777 Valley Road
Clifton, New Jersey 07013
(973) 777-8818 Fax (973) 777-8976
January 28, 2016
The Feast of Saint Thomas
Aquinas, Priest and Doctor of the
Church
Dear College Student,
For some time, I have wanted to write to you. I congratulate you on taking the path through higher studies to
knowledge and wisdom. Whether you are moving toward a career in medicine, law or any other profession or whether you
are seeking to learn a trade that serves the common good, all education is a gift.
College education, for its part, provides an immersion in the world of ideas. You have embarked on a most exciting
adventure. The humanities, the sciences, the arts, philosophy and theology can open your mind to truth and expand your
worldview.
I am sure you realize that college studies are just the beginning of your disciplined and serious striving to understand
your place in this vast, beautiful universe. As Thoreau once said, "Asa single foot step will not make a path on the earth,
so a single thought will not make a pathway in the mind." Lectures and personal study, together with research and
dialogue, help you gather knowledge. But, to attain the wisdom needed for happiness in life, much more is required.
At every level of education, from freshman year to post-doctoral studies, you will find yourselves swimming in a pool
of information. We live at a time when each day brings new discoveries that challenge our accustomed ways of thinking.
"The saddest aspect of life right now is that science gathers knowledge faster than society gathers wisdom" (Isaac
Asimov). Higher education is a marketplace of competing ideas. Knowing those ideas is commendable. Discerning the
truth in those ideas births wisdom.
I am deeply concerned for each of you during your formative undergraduate and postgraduate years. There are few
positions that carry as much influence and authority as that of teacher. Everyone has a point of view, based on his or her
own experience. And, not one of us is without our own biases. Remember that college professors have the privilege of
helping you to reach your own conclusions.
They do not have the right to impose their own.
Itis hardly a secret, and I am sure your experience proves this true, that most of your professors espouse many of
the attitudes of today's secular culture. Just to give you an example, 84% of college professors across the nation
suffer no moral qualms about the taking of the life of the unborn and 67% support same-sex unions. As result, you
will continually face statements that are not only inconsistent with your Catholic upbringing but hostile to it.
To be honest, Cicero was right when he said, "The authority of those who teach is often an obstacle to those who
want to learn." The views of your professors may be so strong that they suffocate your desire to learn about your
faith in a way commensurate with your academic studies. Itis all too easy to let yourself be swept away by what is
most popular. As Fulton Sheen astutely remarked, "Dead bodies float downstream. It takes live bodies to resist the
current."
A grade school understanding of arithmetic hardly equips you with the ability to deal with the Newton-Raphson
method for discovering the root of an equation. So also, a high school level understanding of your faith cannot help
your navigate the shoals of secularism in higher education. In such circumstances, you will inevitably face the
temptation to dismiss your faith as an outdated way of viewing reality.
Office of
THE BISHOP
As your bishop, I am deeply saddened to learn that nearly one-fourth of you succumb to this temptation. You
even stop participating in Sunday Eucharist. In some cases, it is not your professors' dismissal of the relevance of
faith that succeeds in dismantling your religious formation. Rather, it is the pressure of campus lifestyle and peer
influence to experiment with drugs, alcohol and sex that distance you from the faith. So often the rejection of the
faith finds its cause not in some philosophical disagreement with it, but in a lifestyle that does not embrace God's
design for our happiness.
For some of you, tragedy strikes a serious blow to your beliefs. How can an all-good God allow a young person
to die in a sports accident? How can he allow disease to rob us of our loved ones? The question of evil has perplexed
the world's greatest thinkers. It need not be the end of your faith. For faith is more than just the ready answer to the
mysteries of this life. Our faith is not a therapeutic deism that makes us always feel good. Our faith is a lived
relationship with God within the Church. God is truly infinite. How can our finite minds ever grasp his infinite
wisdom? Pride prompts us to think that we must have all the answers.
While facing the sad fact that some of you leave your faith behind when you cross the threshold of higher
education, I have confidence that most of you can successfully navigate between the Scylla of anti-Christian
hostility and the Charybdis of moral indifferentism. In your heart, you know the difference between good and evil.
You may leave the public practice of the faith, but deep down, there will always be a yearning for something more
than this world offers. Close to 80% of you willingly confess that you desire a spiritual life.
Our faith is both cognitional and relational. As cognitional, it offers us truths about God, the world and
ourselves. Not having at the ready a quick defense of your faith when challenged does not mean that your beliefs
are indefensible. Do you not owe it to yourself to keep learning about your faith? Why cut yourself off from a
stream of tradition that has nourished and inspired many people like the third order Dominican Copernicus,
proponent of the heliocentric model of the solar system, the Augustinian friar Mendel, the founder of the modern
science of genetics, Lavoisier, the father of modern chemistry and the Belgian priest Lemaitre, founder of the Big
Bang theory? And the list of great scientists who were devout Catholics continues!
Our Catholic faith can never be compartmentalized. It is a comprehensive worldview. It speaks to every area of
knowledge. The truths of the faith are the light that can aid science, psychology, sociology, law, ethics, economics,
and even politics along the path for the common good. St. Augustine had a point when he said, "Do not seek to
understand in order to believe, but believe that though may understand." Hold fast to your faith and you will come
to a deeper and more lasting understanding of life.
Our faith is not simply believing something. It is relational. It is believing in Jesus as our Lord and Savior. We
believe first and foremost in the person of Jesus who has come into the world to be the Truth, the Way and the Life.
You are involved in many relationships in college. Not a single one will grow if neglected. Neither will your
relationship with Jesus grow unless you spend time with him, listening to his word in Sacred Scripture, speaking to
him in personal conversation every day, belonging to a parish or Newman center and receiving the Sacraments
regularly. You are responsible for your own faith life. Faith is a gift. It is given in Baptism. It can be lost. And,
what a loss!
Your parents and family want the best for you. As your bishop, I do as well. I want you to find your way in life
and come to the eternal life which God gives us in Christ. Yes, I know it is hard at times to believe. It is hard, also,
to love. As Pulitzer prize winner Anatole France once said, "You learn to speak by .speaking, to study by studying,
to run by running, to work by working; in just the same way, you learn to love by loving." And, I would add, "You
learn to believe by believing!"
You are in my prayers, especially at the altar. Remember questioning and doubting the faith are signs of growth.
May you never stop growing in the irreplaceable gift of your faith lived out in the Church Jesus himself founded!
Sincerely yours in Christ
Most Rev. Arthur J. Serratelli, S.T.D., S.S.L., D.D.
Bishop of Paterson
