Rev. Nicholas Bozza, Pastor 375 Main Street, P.O. Box 730, Chester, New Jersey 07930
Coordinators of Religious Education: Carla Fuscaldo, Dorothy Kudron, Terry Leing
Cynthia Vittitow— Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Brian Flanagan — Confirmation
Kathleen Galdi — DRE Music Minister: Joseph P. Tamburro Youth Minister: Brian Flanagan Mercy Minister: Cindy Zeis
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION FOR CHILDREN: Gr. K-4 & CGS 1: Sun. 9:00-10:45 am Gr. 1-8: Thurs. 4:30-5:45 pm
Gr. 5-8: Sun. 4:30-5:45 pm OR Mon. 7:00-8:15 pm Gr. 9-10: Sun. 5:40-8:00 pm
ADULT RELIGIOUS EDUCATION: RCIA: Sundays (September-Easter)
SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION: Saturday: 4:00-4:45 pm, Monday: 6:30-7:00 pm & on request.
SACRAMENT OF THE SICK: Please call the Parish Office anytime for communion calls or visitation of the sick and elderly. Keep us informed so that we can be attentive to those who are ill at home or in the hospital.
Parish Email: [email protected]
Parish Web Site: www.stlchester.org
Web Master: Joanne Franklin (908-879-6222)
Welcome Janet Villafane (908) 879-3032 Haiti Twinning Program Christine Colannino (201) 314-9824
Bereavement Don Martone (908) 879-7957 Lectors John Kennington (908) 872-0575
Good Samaritans Patsy Soden (908) 879-3374 Eucharistic Ministers Loretta Stewart (973) 222-7492
Grocery Cards Jean Ward (908) 334-3442 Ushers Bob Holl (908) 876-3488
Moms & Tots Melissa Altieri (908) 797-0676 Music Minister Joe Tamburro (908) 453-3302
Arimathaea Arlene McDonald (973) 584-7319 Spanish Ministry Louis Villafane (908) 879-3032
Liturgical Environment Joanne Carr (908) 879-5543 Youth Minister Brian Flanagan (973) 946-8770
Women’s Cornerstone Judy Irwin (201) 400-7847 Altar Servers Chuck Feller (908) 768-2838
Men’s Cornerstone Marc McFeely (973) 222-9739 Evangelization Bob Holl (908) 876-3488
Pastoral Adv. Board Jerry Frech (908) 377-2900 RCIA Jan Richards (908) 975-3555
Rosary Society Marie Holl (908) 876-3488 Respect Life Connie Wieczorek (908) 879-6453
Media Ministry Jeanne McCormick (908) 879-6884 Barn Ministry Ed Wieczorek (908) 300-0098
Mary’s Moonflowers Karen Jones (973) 479-5271
Rev. Rolands Uribe, Parochial Vicar
Deacon William DeVizio, Permanent Deacon
Trustees: Phil Guidone, Jeanne McCormick
Parish Secretary: Karen Jaworski
Accountant: Sharon McCann Business Manager: Bill McCormick
MASSES: Saturday: 5:00 pm Sunday: 7:30 am, 9:00 am, 11:00 am, 12:30 pm (Spanish), 6:00 pm Daily Mass: Mon.-Fri. 8:00 am & 9:00 am, Sat. 9:00 am Holy Day Vigil: 7:00 pm Holy Day: 8:00 am, 4:30 pm, 7:00 pm (bi-lingual)
Healing Mass: 7:00 pm every 3rd Tuesday of month. Rosary at 6:30 pm
BAPTISMS: Baptism Preparation Class: Please call the Parish Office to schedule.
Baptisms: Please call the Parish Office to schedule.
SPANISH BAPTISMS: Baptism Preparation Class: Please call the Parish Office to schedule.
Baptisms: Please call the Parish Office to schedule.
MARRIAGES: Please contact the Priest/Deacon whom you wish to officiate at your wedding one year in advance to arrange for Marriage Preparation Sessions.
PARISH MEMBERSHIP: Every family moving into the parish is requested to register. If you move to another parish or change your address, please notify the Parish Office.
St. Lawrence the Martyr Church SUNDAY, MARCH 4, 2018
MISSION STATEMENT St. Lawrence the Martyr Church is a community of Catholic Christians who gather
together to celebrate the Eucharist, their love of Jesus Christ and their love of one another
as children of Christ. We are a diverse community focused on creating an enthusiasm for our faith and enriching the lives for all who come to worship in our parish. Inviting and
welcoming liturgies, multiple youth and young adult activities and adult enrichment
programs all help make the Word of Christ a living reality at St. Lawrence.
Parish Office: 908-879-5371 Priests’ Home: 908-879-1901 Religious Ed.: 908-879-6714 Youth Minister: 973-946-8770 Fax: 908-879-7701
Parish Ministries and Ministry Facilitators
Page Two SUNDAY, MARCH 4, 2018 - THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT
GOD IS CLEAR. WE MUST CARE FOR THE POOR!
This past Thursday’s Gospel reading at Mass contained a story that Jesus
told His disciples. You might know it as the story of the rich man and Laz-
arus, the poor man. It can be found in the Gospel according to Saint Luke,
Chapter 16, verses 19 to 31. Simply, the story reports how the rich man had
many pleasures and ignored the suffering of the poor man. Jesus reports
that God makes up for the poverty of the poor man in the afterlife and for
the affluence and cold-heartedness of the rich man by placing the rich man
in a place of suffering and flames in the netherworld after his death. One
lesson we can all take from Jesus’ story is that we must not ignore the suf-
fering of the poor. We must do something for them in this life or we will
suffer consequences for our neglect of the poor in the next life, namely, in
purgatory or hell.
A similar story is contained in the Gospel according to Saint Matthew, Chapter 25, verses 31 to 46. This is the
famous story of the Final Judgement of the Nations. In this teaching, Jesus, the Son of God, tells us that we
must care for the “hungry, the thirsty, the homeless, the naked, the sick and the imprisoned,” or we will “go
off to eternal punishment.” God is very clear in this story that He expects us to care for the poor and needy or
we will suffer painful consequences after we die.
During Lent, we examine our present lives in the light of the Gospel and we make the necessary changes in
preparation for our entry into heaven. Clearly, God has expressed Himself clearly and firmly that we must do
what we can for the poor.
God bless.
Father Nick
FROM THE PASTOR’S DESK
TREASURES FROM OUR TRADITION
If your parish is reading from Year B of the Lectionary today, and not Year A, as is normally done when there
are elect present for the scrutinies and preparing for Easter baptism, you hear about Jesus driving the money-
changers from the temple. If you wished to get as close as possible to this site today, you would in fact be at a
Muslim shrine, the Dome of the Rock, built on the ruins of Herod’s temple. Archeologists believe that this
striking, gold-domed crown of a shrine is set precisely where the Holy of Holies once was. Jews believe that
the rock is the exact spot where Abraham was prepared to sacrifice Isaac. It is not a mosque, as some think,
but a shrine, the oldest one in the Muslim world. For them, the rock is the place from which the Prophet Mo-
hammed ascended on a visit to heaven. The Crusaders mistook the shrine for the actual Temple of Solomon,
and the infamous Knights Templar used it as their headquarters and model for their churches elsewhere. The
geometric perfection of the shrine is a mathematician’s dream. The inscriptions are not exactly hospitable
though, since they encourage Christians to “depart from error” and declare that “Jesus son of Mary was only a
messenger of God.” In ancient times, those who prayed here after walking around the rock were given a certif-
icate entitling the bearer to admission to paradise. The ticket had to be buried with them.
GIFT
What I am is God’s gift to me. What I become is my gift back to God.
~Anonymous
Page Three SUNDAY, MARCH 4, 2018 - THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION THIS WEEK
Sunday
• CGS
• Gr. K-4
• Gr. 5-8
Monday
• Gr. 5-8
Thursday
• Gr. 1-8
Sunday
• CGS
• Gr. K-4
• Gr. 5-8
• Confirmation Session #10
MEETINGS / EVENTS THIS WEEK
Sunday
• Antioch Follow-Up - 7:00 pm
Monday
• Confession at all Paterson Diocese churches - 7-8:30 pm
• Haiti Committee - 7:00 pm
Tuesday
• Finance Committee - 7:00 pm
Wednesday
• Sins/Virtues - 8:00 am, 7:00 pm
• Mary’s Moonflowers - 7:00 pm
• ESL - 7:30 pm
• Bold PST - 8:00 pm
Thursday
• Moms & Tots - 10:00 am
• Bell Choir - 6:00 pm
• Adult Choir - 7:00 pm
Friday
• Divine Mercy Chaplet - 3:00 pm
• Stations of the Cross - 7:00 pm
• Bold Middle Funplex Trip
Saturday
• Pre Cana - 9:00 am
Sunday
• Antioch Follow-Up - 8:00 pm
WE CONTINUE TO PRAY FOR THE SICK . . .
Kirsten Mumma, William Ware, Julio Carrera, Sebastian
Quinn, Ralph Bozza, Sister Eucharia, Bishop Frank Rodi-
mer, Father Rolands Uribe, Father Eugene Romano, Father
Paul Knauer, Father Rafael Perez, Msgr. Martin Rauscher, Msgr. Richard Rusconi, Msgr. Peter McBride, Patrick John
Moran, Ann Kelly, Lloyd Matsamoto, Helen Crowe, Jane
Alt, Patrick Pronio, Allison Spina, Lesley Pawar, Tom
Walsh, Steve Briggs, Brian Graham, Colleen Saito, William
Kelly, Mary Norwood, Mary Lanzara, Rocco Colantuono,
Diane Verge, Cade Feitel, Christine Ambrosino, Carole
Stessl, Kathy Bollwork, Dick Goodwin, Nicholas Brown,
Jane Rufino, Kevin Callahan, Judith Stampone, Jeanette
Mahoney, Paul Fitzgerald, Charlotte Poth, Colleen Looby,
George Serafin, Charlie Romano, Salman Javed, Joe Cillo,
Jerry Green, Mary Constantinople, Dan McGuigan, Patricia
Gilvey, Daisy Hallock, Ryan Menzel, Vincent & Giuliana Petane, Betty Macaluso, Dorothy Powers, Ellie Cowie, Wes-
ley Snawder, Jeanne McCormick, Tom Murray, Eidelia
Jimenez Martinez, Mila Balicki, Timothy Gearty, Consiglia
Erdenberger, Arnold Family, Connie Dziomba, Bonnie
Lieberworth, Barbara Drive, Jack Ratti, Finn Michael, Oliv-
ia Gill, Teresa Smith, Frances Ferreri, Katelin Riggs, Teresa
Colamonaco, Baby Gianni Mazza, Carol Mattone, Anna
Birsilli Garich, Greg Villafane, Anne Owens McGrath, Janet
Courtland, Jackie Donnelley, Jack Arnold, Peter Haynes,
Lily Barbero, Hunter Barbero
FORGIVENESS
If a bad person wrongs you, forgive the person,
lest there be two bad people.
~ Anonymous
ALTAR SERVER SCHEDULE
5:00 pm
CB – Evan Tusa
S1 – Kath-leen Tusa S2 –
7:30 am
CB –
S1 – S2 –
9:00 am
CB – Katie Vaillancourt
S1 Maken-na Spence S2 – Gwen Spence
11:00 am CB – Har-lan Iverson
S1 – John Iverson S2-Liam Brandt
6:00 pm
CB William Mayhood
S1 – James Mayhood S2 – Alyssa Mayhood
TRAVELING MARY Our “Traveling Mary” is a statue of
Our Lady of Fatima which will spend
the week in your home. We are asking
that families say the rosary together during that week. Please find a promi-
nent place to set up the statue so that
everyone in the family may see it daily. Along with the statue are some pam-
phlets on how to say the Rosary, a
DVD for younger children and some rosary beads for you to use during the
week. Pick up and drop off will be dur-
ing any of our Faith Formation Class
sessions or during normal business hours. If you are in-terested in taking part in this program, please contact the
Faith Formation Office at 908-879-6714.
FLORAL REMEMBRANCE
PROGRAM
Parishioners have the opportunity to spon-
sor a floral arrangement for the church
altar ($125), the tabernacle ($75) or the chapel altar ($100) in memory/honor of a
loved one. If interested, please call the Parish Office at
908-879-5371 to choose an available Sunday (other than Easter or Christmas) .
Page Four SUNDAY, MARCH 4, 2018 - THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT
LENTEN PROGRAM:
BISHOP BARRON’S SEVEN DEADLY SINS
Join us this Lent for an engaging video presentation of
Bishop Barron’s Seven Deadly Sins. Each week we will
explore one of the deadly sins. Bishop Barron presents these sins as patterns of dysfunction within us that will
lead to unhappiness. He will show us how to counteract
these seven sinful patterns through a conscious process of opposition, which are the “seven lively virtues." The
seven lively virtues offer antidotes to each sin and help
set us on the right path to healing and happiness. Dis-cussion to follow.
Two sessions will take place on Wednesday
After the 8 am Mass and at 7pm
Parish Center - Classroom 12
March 7 - Anger and Forgiveness
March 14 - Sloth and Zeal
March 21 - Avarice and Generosity March 28 - Gluttony and Ascetcism
April 4 - Lust and Chastity
DINING WITH THE DEACONS
Friday, March 23
(after Stations of the Cross)
Come join us as we spend time to-
gether as a community of faith while being treated to a delicious “meat-
free” dinner prepared especially for
Lent by our deacons. After dinner we will hear from our special guest, Dan Venezia. Dan will
share his incredible journey on how he learned the true
blessing of forgiveness; perfect for a Lenten reflection. He is a popular public speaker as well as a former profes-
sional baseball player who has appeared frequently on
national television and radio. This will be an evening to
remember. Contact Karen Jaworski at 908-879-5371 or [email protected] to register.
Middle School Students Cooking For CASH
(Chester Area Senior Housing)
IDEAS FOR HOLINESS IN THE
ORDINARINESS OF LIFE
• Do small gestures . . . let someone go ahead of you in
traffic or in line
• Pray a Rosary of gratitude . . . think of something
you are grateful for on each bead
• Multitask with CD’s, podcasts or Catholic radio . . .
while doing chores
• Keep prayers handy . . . read during traffic jams,
waiting for the microwave, when on hold
• Ask for help . . . from the saint of the day
• Talk to your guardian angel . . . every day
• Take a pilgrimage . . . to a nearby shrine or cathedral
• Fast daily . . . skip the fries or dessert
• Set an alarm daily for 3 pm . . . to pray the Chaplet of
Divine Mercy
• Pray for those that irritate you . . . it makes God hap-
py and you holy
• Pay others back . . . with an hour of adoration of the
Blessed Sacrament
• God bless everyone . . . say a little prayer for them
• Stand up for God . . . make the Sign of the Cross or say God’s last name isn’t “damn” when others use
His name in vain
RECENTLY BAPTIZED
May God hold you always in the palm of Hand.
Raffaele Daniel Haight, son of Michael & Maaike
Haight of Hillside Road, Chester.
LENT REMINDERS . . .
Confession Mondays at 7-8:30 pm. Saturdays at 4-4:30 pm.
Stations of the Cross
Fridays at 7 pm. Church (English), chapel (Spanish).
Lenten Rice Bowls
Available at the church entrances.
From the Cross to the Empty Tomb book
Available at the church entrances for a $3 donation.
Page Five SUNDAY, MARCH 4, 2018 - THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT
MASS INTENTIONS FOR THE WEEK
MONDAY, MARCH 5, 2018 8:00 am - Spec. Int. of Greg Villafane
9:00 am - Spec. Int. of Kathleen O’Connor
TUESDAY, MARCH 6, 2018
8:00 am - William Mackey
9:00 am - Josephine Loprest
- Ida Basso
- Max Kubler
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 7, 2018 8:00 am - Basia Jaworski
9:00 am - Spec. Int. of John Ambrosino
THURSDAY, MARCH 8, 2018 8:00 am - Spec. Int. of Barbara Farbanish
9:00 am - Maureen Makris
FRIDAY, MARCH 9, 2018 8:00 am - Patricia Vandenbree
9:00 am - Spec. Int. of Knapik Family
SATURDAY, MARCH 10, 2018
9:00 am - Frank Fila 5:00 pm - Ruth Colantuono
- William Welch
- James Welch
SUNDAY, MARCH 11, 2018 7:30 am - Jim Pasapane
9:00 am - Russell McGee
-Spec. Int. of Arnold Family
11:00 am - John Rodzinka
- Catherine Basso
12:30 pm - For the People of the Parish
6:00 pm - Marilyn Koren
- Brian Cutalo
KEEP HOLY THE SABBATH There’s no better way to deepen our Lenten practice than
to review the Ten Commandments. The first three, having
to do with our right relationship to God, get the most ink.
The one we busy people probably have the most problem with is keeping holy the Sabbath.
If we take this commandment literally, babies will go un-diapered and dishes will stay on the table, or perhaps
meals will not be served. The sick will go unattended and
nothing that has anything to do with physical labor will be done. Is mental labor really work? How about changing
that dirty diaper (poor baby!)?
We need to depend on God to discern how to observe real Sabbath time in our lives. The point of this commandment
is that God has given us a great gift: one whole day per
week when we are free to rest, worship God, sing, feast, love, and rejoice. As Psalm 19 proclaims: “The law of the
LORD is perfect, / refreshing the soul” (19:8). Our Sab-
bath rest is a great gift, to be received from God with joy, not with nitpicking.
THE SURLY BIRD Some doctors say that cheerful people resist disease bet-
ter than grumpy ones. The surly bird catches the germ.
~ Anonymous
TODAY’S READINGS First Reading — God gives the law through Moses (Exodus 20:1-17 [1-3, 7-8, 12-17]) or Exodus 17:3-7. Psalm — Lord, you have the words of everlasting life (Psalm 19) or Psalm 95. Second Reading — We proclaim Christ crucified (1 Corinthians 1:22-25) or Romans 5:1-2, 5-8. Gospel — Many began to believe in Jesus’ name when they saw the signs He was doing (John 2:13-25) or John 4:5-42 [5-15, 19b-26, 39a, 40-42].
MASS READINGS FOR THE WEEK Monday: 2 Kgs 5:1-15b; Ps 42:2, 3; 43:3, 4; Lk 4:24-30 Tuesday: Dn 3:25, 34-43; Ps 25:4-5ab, 6-7bc, 8-9; Mt 18:21-35 Wednesday: Dt 4:1, 5-9; Ps 147:12-13, 15-16, 19-20; Mt 5:17-19 Thursday: Jer 7:23-28; Ps 95:1-2, 6-9; Lk 11:14-23 Friday: Hos 14:2-10; Ps 81:6c-11ab, 14, 17; Mk 12:28-34 Saturday: Hos 6:1-6; Ps 51:3-4, 18-21ab; Lk 18:9-14 Sunday: 2 Chr 36:14-16, 19-23; Ps 137:1-6; Eph 2:4-10; Jn 3:14-21 Alternate readings (Year A): 1 Sm 16:1b, 6-7, 10-13a; Ps 23:1-6; Eph 5:8-14; Jn 9:1-41 [1, 6-9, 13-17, 34-38]
NEXT HEALING MASS
Tuesday, March 20
Rosary at 6:30 pm followed by Mass at 7:00 pm
Bring your prayers for physical, mental, financial, rela-tional and spiritual healing and place your needs before
the Lord. The Healing Mass takes place every third
Tuesday of the month. All are welcome!
TITHING: GOD’S PLAN FOR GIVING
Tithing Income February 25, 2018 $10,549.00
Tithing Income February 26, 2017 $11,940.50
FROM FATHER NICK: “44 times in the Bible, God
invites and encourages us to try Him on tithing. He ad-
mits that it is a sacrifice and a stepping out in faith. He
explains that we are helping Him in His care for the poor
by ‘filling up His storehouse.’ He promises, too, to re-
ward us with many blessings for trusting Him!”