The Roman Catholic Community of St. Bernard of Clairvaux 500 Route 22 East, Bridgewater, NJ 08807 October 23, 2016 - Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time “We are the Living Stones”, a family of Faith which strives to love God and our neighbors through the church. Served by: Rev. Msgr. Joseph G. Celano, Pastor Rev. Mhonchan Ezung, Parochial Vicar Rev. Andrew Smith, O.S.B., Weekend Assistant Mr. Patrick Cline, Deacon Mr. Gerard Sims, Deacon Mr. Michael Wojcik, Deacon Mr. Paul Anderson, Deacon (Retired) Mrs. Christina Blalock, Director of Sacred Music Mrs. Karen Dill, Director, Office of Catechetical Formation Mr. Sean O’Brien, Youth Ministry Leader Mrs. Barbara Turse, Director of St. Bernard Pre-School and Kindergarten Mr. Mark LaFleur, Director, St. Bernard Cemetery Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy December 8, 2015 - November 20, 2016
Transcript
The Roman Catholic Community of St. Bernard of Clairvaux
500 Route 22 East, Bridgewater, NJ 08807
October 23, 2016 - Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
“We are the Living Stones”, a family of Faith which strives to love God and our neighbors through the church.
Served by:
Rev. Msgr. Joseph G. Celano, Pastor Rev. Mhonchan Ezung, Parochial Vicar
Rev. Andrew Smith, O.S.B., Weekend Assistant Mr. Patrick Cline, Deacon Mr. Gerard Sims, Deacon
Mr. Michael Wojcik, Deacon Mr. Paul Anderson, Deacon (Retired)
Mrs. Christina Blalock, Director of Sacred Music Mrs. Karen Dill, Director, Office of Catechetical Formation
Mr. Sean O’Brien, Youth Ministry Leader Mrs. Barbara Turse, Director of St. Bernard Pre-School and Kindergarten
Mr. Mark LaFleur, Director, St. Bernard Cemetery
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The Liturgical Week Today’s Readings
No Comparisons
Readings for the Week
First Reading — The LORD is a God of justice who hears the cry of the oppressed, the orphan, the widow, the lowly (Sirach 35:12-14, 16-18).
Psalm — The Lord hears the cry of the poor (Psalm 34).
Second Reading — The crown of righteousness awaits me (2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18).
Gospel — The tax collector stood at a distance, beat his breast, and prayed, “O God, be merciful to me, a sinner” (Luke 18:9-14).
How many times have we read or heard about someone who’s gotten into trouble—maybe even fired from a job—because of a brush with the law? While our “Christian” minds tell us to be sorry and even pray for the person, a little voice inside our heads may also be saying, “I’m glad I would never do anything like that.”
And perhaps we wouldn’t. But are there some things we do that are still not pleasing in God’s eyes? Today’s readings caution us not to look so intently at someone else’s wrongdoing that we overlook our own weakness-es and shortcomings. When we measure ourselves against the worst people we can think of, we come out looking pretty good. There is a danger, however, in using someone else’s behavior as a way of reflecting our own goodness.
In your kindness we ask you to remember all the sick members of our parish, as well as those who reside in nursing homes and senior facilities. We ask you also to pray for our beloved dead, among them Natale Mazzaferro.
Monday, October 24
St. Anthony Mary Claret
8:00 AM Milton Sunshine, req. by his family 12:10 PM Thomas Usewick (1st ann.), req. by the Vizzoni family
Tuesday, October 25
8:00 AM Deceased Priests of MSM Seminary, req. by Msgr. J. Celano 12:10 PM Frances Camalleri (1st ann.), req. by John & Jo Casey
Wednesday, October 26
8:00 AM Jane Madey, req. by the Straka family 12:10 PM Deirdre Abelha, req. by Luis Alves
Thursday, October 27
8:00 AM Margaret Pinter, req. by Kathy & Paul Zec 12:10 PM Alfred Owens, req. by Mark & Carol LaFleur
Friday, October 28
Ss. Simon and Jude
8:00 AM Elsie Crann, req. by Denise & Don Pachuta 12:10 PM Wayne Wojcik, req. by Lynn Ruezinsky
Saturday, October 29
Blessed Virgin Mary
9:00 AM Joseph Sadowski, req. by Debbie & Ed Gebhart and Diane & Jay Young 5:15 PM (Vigil) Alfred Martz, req. by Lorraine Martz
Sunday, October 30
Thirty-first Ordinary Sunday
7:30 AM People of the Parish 9:00 AM Angelamaria Freda, req. by Vince & Flavia Riello 10:30 AM Alfred Martz, req. by Lorraine Martz 12:00 PM Chris Coppola, req. by his family
The flowers which grace the altar this week were donated in loving memory of Louis Crisa by his family.
Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time October 23, 2016
The prayer of the lowly pierces the clouds; it does not rest until it reaches its goal,
nor will it withdraw till the Most High responds.
— Sirach 35:17-18a
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This Week at St. Bernard
Sunday, October 23 – Thirtieth Ordinary Sunday
World Mission Sunday, Knights of Columbus Drive After All Masses
8:30 am - 9:45 am - CF Classes 10:00 am - 11:30 am - PACT, Rooms A/B, C, D/E
10:30 am - Children’s Liturgy at Mass, Chapel 1:00 pm - 6:00 pm - CYM Basketball, Gym
9:00 am - 6:00 pm - CYM Basketball, Gym 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm - Confessions, Church
Sunday, October 30 – Thirty-first Ordinary Sunday
Diocesan Pilgrimage Table at all Masses, Right to Life Raffle Tickets on Sale at all Masses,
No CYM Basketball
8:30 am - 9:45 am - CF Classes 10:30 am - Children’s Liturgy at Mass, Chapel 1:00 pm - 6:00 pm - Private Party, Cafeteria 6:00 pm - 8:30 pm - Men’s Basketball, Gym
Stewardship Thought
“Christianity is the meeting-point of earth and heaven. It lays claim to the whole man, body and soul, intellect and will, inducing him to raise his mind above the changing conditions of this earthly existence and reach
upwards for the eternal life of heaven, where one day he will find his unfailing happiness and peace.”
- Saint Pope John Paul II
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Following is Deacon Gerry Sims’ Homily from the Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time
If I had to summarize the message of today’s readings in one word, it would be “persistence.” In our Gospel reading we hear the parable of the widow and the unjust judge. In Israel, at that time, widows had essentially no rights in the courts because only a husband or father could legitimately act as a spokesperson for a woman in their justice system. Therefore the widow’s only weapon in this case was her persistence. Yet, Jesus tell us how this powerless widow wore down this unjust judge just that way, by being persistent. He then concludes that, in a similar way, we must be persistent and persevere in our prayers to God. Now it would be easy to misinterpret Jesus’s words and conclude that God is like the unjust judge in the story. That is, that we must nag God and somehow wear Him down with our prayers and convince Him that we are right and deserve whatever it is we are seeking. Of course, this is a false view of God and the meaning of prayer. The fact is, God loves you dearly, not reluctantly or in spite of Himself, but because of who He is, for, as St. John tells us, God is love. And far from being unjust, God wants only the best for you and is seeking it for you even when you may not know yourself what it is. And so it is important for us to keep in mind that, because God is all-knowing, there is no need to convince Him of the rightness of our requests, nor can we ever wear God down. Instead, it is we who will often become weary in our prayer. And that is really the point of today’s Gospel lesson. What Jesus is telling us is that we should not grow weary or discouraged in our prayer, but should persevere in prayer. You see, the purpose of our prayer is not for us to change God’s will, but rather to allow God to work change in us. For it is in prayer that we open ourselves to God and His grace. Let us think for a moment about a serious athlete. In order to compete, he or she must first have a healthy body. However, for even the most gifted athletes that alone is not enough. They also need to train their bodies. They need to eat right, work out and practice. It is through these determined efforts and perseverance that they can develop the skills and mental toughness they need to succeed in their chosen sport. Jesus is telling us today that this need for effort and training also applies to our spiritual life. If everything in life came easily, we would never grow and develop as a person. And so, for our own good, God often does not immediately give us whatever we ask for, or exactly in the way we ask for it. Parents, I’m sure you follow this same philosophy in dealing with your children. And so, we can see that one of the reasons God acts in this way is that, in the effort of praying regularly and persistently, we train and condition ourselves. We change and we grow. Praying consistently teaches us to recognize, and be grateful for, God's loving presence in our everyday life, even when our daily battles may not seem to be going our way. Indeed, daily prayer is the way in which Jesus hopes to develop a personal relationship with you.
Homily
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The fact is, God is always present in the difficult aspects of our life, such as a broken relationship, a death in the family, the loss of a job or the temptation to do something we know is wrong. When these things happen, we need reassurance, we need confirmation, we need hope. If we have conditioned ourselves spiritually through regular prayer and have developed a personal relationship with Jesus, we can then persevere secure in the knowledge that we are God's Beloved, that God is fully with us, that He will never abandon us, In fact, God will lift us up as we go through our struggles. In this regard, I recently came across a very insightful quotation from Vaclav Havel, the playwright and former President of the Czech Republic. He said, “Hope is not the conviction that something will turn out well,…but the certainty that something makes sense regardless of how it turns out.” Indeed, as I prepared this homily, I recalled a couple I met a few years ago in one of our parish baptism preparation classes. They shared with the other expectant parents that their first child, an eleven year old daughter, had died the previous year from cancer and now they were expecting their second child. They movingly explained that while one might expect that the devastating experience of the loss of their daughter might have driven them away from God, it had not. In fact the opposite had occurred. They related that, in their prayer and in their grief, they came to experience God’s presence in a very real way. Further, they experienced great love and support from our priests and from their fellow parishioners here at St. Bernard, most of whom they had not previously known. The faith and love of this community supported them during this most difficult trial. I could certainly relate to their experience. As many of you know, my wife and I lost our 10-year old son to leukemia. And the support of so many people from this parish was vital to seeing us through that very difficult period, both emotionally and spiritually. These stories point up to one of the great aspects of Christian community, of the Body of Christ. That is, that there is no need for us to go it alone in dealing with life’s problems. We pray to God for help and God uses His people, His Body here on earth, to reach out to us, to support us and to answer our prayers. We need only be open to accepting that help from our brothers and sisters in Christ. And of course, we must also be open to giving that help as well to our brethren. Jesus concludes His teaching in today’s Gospel with the question, “But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” If we are consistent and persistent in our prayer, the answer to Jesus' question will be a resounding YES! A yes that is spoken, not just with words, but with our entire lives that are firmly rooted in a life of prayer and of service. God is waiting for you -- not like the unjust judge in the parable who had to be nagged and persuaded, but as a lover who wants to be embraced. Let us put our whole being -- our energy, our passion -- into our loving response to God's Love for each and every one of us.
Homily (Continued)
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Commission for Liturgy and Worship
Ministers of the Liturgy
We acknowledge with appreciation the following Liturgical Ministers who will serve at next weekend’s Masses:
The Choirs and Music Ministry groups are back this fall! We welcome new members! This year, in addition to the Parish Choir, Youth Music Group, and Children’s Choir, we have two new groups. We are starting a Contemporary Music Group, open to all adults who enjoy singing Praise & Worship music. We are also developing a Treble Choir of young voices to sing classic sacred songs during Mass. Finally, we welcome additional Cantors and Song Leaders. Consider sharing your time and talent! For more information, please see Christina, our Director of Sacred Music, after Mass or email her at [email protected].
All Souls Day Mass
Each year during the month of November, we especially commemorate the memory of our loved ones who have gone before us to their eternal rest.
We invite you to attend our Annual All Souls Day Mass to be held in the Chapel of Mausoleum II on Wednesday, November 2, 2016, at 9:00 am.
All are welcome to join us in this celebration of Christ’s victory over sin and death, and the hope of eternal life.
No CF Classes – All Saints Day – Holy Day Of Obligation
SAVE THE DATE
VIRTUS / PROTECTING GOD'S CHILDREN
The diocese requires that everyone interacting with children, in any parish ministry, must attend a Virtus / Protecting God's Children Awareness Training session and be fingerprinted and have a State Police back-ground check.
On Saturday, November 5, 2016, a Virtus session is scheduled. It will be held at 9:30 am in Rooms A & B in the church basement. In addition to those who must attend, the session is open to anyone interested in child safety.
On line registration is now available on the diocesan website. Go to www.diometuchen.org. In the bottom right corner Click on ‘Sign up for Virtus Registration”. Scroll down to St. Bernard Parish & complete personal information to register for the November 5th session.
Refer any questions to Walt Steele 908-537-9868 or [email protected].
Called & Gifted
God is calling you to a unique purpose in life, a work of love that only you can do. Discern your spiritual gifts! Discern your call! What is your vocation? Come and begin to discover this work. You have received gifts, through Baptism and Confirmation, for the ways God intends his love to reach others through you. Come and discover these gifts!
The Called & Gifted program presents the ancient teaching of the Church on how gifts of the Holy Spirit work in your life and in the life of your parish community. During this process you will learn:
the 5 steps of discerning the gifts that God has given you; the signs and characteristics of 24 of the most common gifts of the Holy Spirit; how discerning your gifts can change your own life; how discerning your gifts can change the world and help spread the Gospel; how discerning and using our gifts together can help transform and renew our parishes.
If this program interests you, we will be having an information meeting on Wednesday, November 2nd at 7:30 pm in Room D/E of the church. For more information contact us at [email protected], or call the Religious Ed. office at 908-725-0552 ext. 810.
(For more information on the Called & Gifted program visit www.siena.org)
“Whatever you do for the least of my brothers and sisters, you do for me” - Matthew 25:40 ____________________________________________________________
Mercy is “the beating heart of the Gospel”
“Pope Francis writes: “It is absolutely essential for the Church and for the credibility of her message that she herself live and testify to mercy.” Mercy, he says, is “the beating heart of the Gospel” (Misericordiae Vultus). To live mercy, we must rediscover both the spiritual works of mercy (counsel the doubtful, instruct the ignorant, admonish sinners, comfort the afflicted, forgive offenses, bear patiently those who do us ill, and pray for the living and the dead), and the corporal works of mercy (feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, welcome the stranger, heal the sick, visit the imprisoned, and bury the dead).” - USCCB Website
“The Spiritual Works of Mercy have long been a part of the Christian tradition, appearing in the works of theologians and spiritual writers throughout history. Just as Jesus attended to the spiritual well-being of those he ministered to, these Spiritual Works of Mercy guide us to ‘help our neighbor in their spiritual needs.’” (USCCA)
To learn more about the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy visit the United States conference of Catholic Bishops website at www.usccb.org
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OCTOBER CHALLENGE ~ FORGIVE INJURIES
Ideas/Suggestions (but not limited to this list): Forgiving others is difficult at times because we do not have God's limitless mercy and compassion. But Jesus teaches us that we should forgive as God forgives, relying on him to help us show others the mercy of God.
Say sorry and give true forgiveness. Remember that forgiveness transforms hearts and lives. Participate in the Sacrament of Penance Refrain from criticizing or finding faults in others, especially those who criticize you. Go out of your way to be positive and affirming to those you are having a difficult time with. Pray for those who have been wounded by others and have the greatest difficulty in forgiving, especially
victims of crime, domestic violence and abuse. If you have injured another, seek forgiveness and reconciliation to whatever degree is possible. Resolve to let go of hatred, anger, bitterness, judgement and the desire for revenge. Pray for your enemies and the enemies of peace throughout the world.
SIGN THE POST-IT NOTES ON THE BACK TABLE IN THE NARTHEX AND AFFIX TO THE DISPLAY BOARD
TO ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR COMMITMENT TO OCTOBER’S MONTHLY CHALLENGE.
Save the Date Join St. Bernard of Clairvaux Parish
As We Journey With The Diocese of Metuchen’s
35th Anniversary Pilgrimage to The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
in Washington, DC Saturday, November 19, 2016
For registration and details see insert. For questions, contact [email protected]
The Art of Prayer: The Streams of Catholic Spirituality
I have never met a single person who, wanting to grow in their faith, didn’t have a desire to pray. But, it is also my experience that I have never met a single person who did not experience difficulties in prayer - distractions, times of dryness, uncertainties about how they should pray, and the like. This series will explore several of the main spiritual “streams” of the Catholic tradition including the Benedictine, the Franciscan/Dominican, the Carmelite, and the Ignatian, and what unique elements they bring to the practice of prayer and what they can teach us about how to respond to God’s presence and action in our lives. This series has a view to the practical; teaching us above all “how” to pray in these different “streams” of Catholic spirituality. I hope you will consider joining us in this series. - Msgr. Joe Celano
Like the streams that lead to the large body of water, so do the many “streams” of prayer lead us to God the Father. This fall join us as we hear about the spirituality of the Benedictines, Ignatians, Dominicans, and Carmelites.
Learn how we may deepen our spirituality, quiet our daily distractions and draw closer to God through the examples of the saints.
The Art of Prayer evenings begin Monday, October 17, from 7:00 PM– 9:00 PM in the Parish Center Cafeteria.
Monday, October 17 - Theme: Catholic Spirituality Monday, October 24 - Theme: Benedictine Spirituality Monday, November 7 - Theme: Dominican Spirituality Monday, November 14 - Theme: Ignation Spirituality
Wednesday, November 16- Theme: Carmelite Spirituality (In the Church) Monday, November 28 - Theme: Challenges, motivation and commitment to our spiritual life
All are welcome to join us as we pray the Scriptural Rosary
for your special intentions each Thursday in October at 7:00 pm in the Chapel.
Commission for Evangelization
Commission for Christian Community Activities
Separated, Divorce and Beyond Ministry
Join us for a 6-week Program as we journey through the challenges of Separation and Divorce focusing on forgiving yourself and enriching your relationship with Jesus Christ.
Weekly Sessions meet Wednesday evenings from 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm
in the Parish Library.
DATES: October 19, 26, November 2, 9, 16, and 30
Register at [email protected] or by contacting the Parish Office. There is no fee for attendance, just an open heart to God’s voice for your life!
Team Facilitators will be available each and every Wednesday evening throughout the year for prayer.
Commission for Christian Service News
SHIP Update
The October donations from St. Bernard to SHIP (Samaritan Homeless Interim Program) included 16 casseroles, 8 large cans and 2 small cans of veggies, 32 drink donations and 2 bags of utensils.
St. Bernard collects casseroles and #10 cans of vegetables on the 2nd Sunday of every month in support of SHIP (Samaritan Homeless Interim Program). The next pick up is scheduled for November 13th.
Please consider preparing a casserole to help feed our neighbors in the community who are not able to provide full meals for their families. There are four recipes to choose from. All recipes can be found on the St. Bernard website, http://stbernardbridgewater.org. From the HOME page menu bar go to “Ministry at St. Bernard,” then “Ministries-Commissions,” then “Commission for Christian Service” and then click on “SHIP”.
You can also consider participating in the SHIP ministry by donating drinks. The most popular drinks are iced tea, soda or juice boxes, preferably in cans or boxes.
Building a culture of life in our community through education, pastoral care, advocacy and prayer
Physician Assisted Suicide - What’s At Stake?
“New Jersey “Aid in Dying for the Terminally Ill” Act A2451/S2474 would give a patient diagnosed with a terminal illness and given a prognosis of less than six monthsto live, the ability to request a lethal prescription to end his/her life. If passed, physician-assisted suicide would become legal under New Jersey law. Contact your state representatives and urge them to vote “NO” on A2451/S2474.”
See the parish website under the Ministry - Respect Life Tab for a “fact sheet” about this critical issue.
For more information, also refer to noassistedsuicidenj.org or www.usccb.org/toliveeachday
October is Respect Life Month! “Every life is Worth Living!”-- Respect for Life Theme 2015-2016
Respect for Life
Mark Your Calendars
Oct. 29-30 & New Jersey Right to Life Raffle Ticket Sales. Nov. 5-6: Volunteers needed to sell tickets. Can you lend a hand? Contact Carolyn Alaimo 908-575-7857. Oct. 29-30: Critical Life Issues Conference St. John Neumann Pastoral Center 146 Metlars Lane, Piscataway NJ 08854 8:30 am -3:30 pm, $25 Registration Fee, To register or for more info, contact Angela Marshall 732-562-1990 ext. 1543, [email protected]
WE ASKED & YOU DELIVERED BIG TIME! With your generosity, the Social Concerns committee was able to deliver 107 ... YES, 107 bags of food and other necessities to the Food Bank in October! Five times our collection in August and double our largest collection in more than 8 years!
Please continue being a part of this ministry by supporting our next monthly collection during the weekend of November 13th.
The mission of The Food Bank Network is to distribute food and to provide other basic human needs to those less fortunate in our community in a manner which recognizes and advances self worth and human dignity. Their method of distributing this food is through three food pantries, located in Somerville, Bound Brook, and North Plainfield, and a warehouse in Bridgewater.
On a daily basis, they take emergency calls from people who need our help and are unable to wait until our Saturday pantry distribution. Usually, they are first-time people or people with special needs. They also take walk-ins of people needing immediate help. Their goal is to help create the opportunity for each person to become self-sufficient.
Here’s a list of the most needed items: Canned Fruits and Vegetables, Deodorant, Canned Meats (Spam, Corned Beef, Stew),Hand Soap Canned Spaghetti, Diapers/Wipes, Cereal (Hot/Cold),Dish Detergent, Jelly, Laundry Detergent Juice, Paper Towels, Macaroni & Cheese, Shampoo, Parmalat Milk, Toilet Paper Peanut Butter, Toothpaste, Soup, Spaghetti Sauce, Tuna
The Parish Finance Council wishes to thank Distinctive Landscaping
for its recent contribution to the Scrip Program as a result of work done for our Parishioners.
Remember Scrip
for your shopping and gift giving needs!
Consider using our Parish Scrip Vendors for all of your landscaping, home improvement/
maintenance, income tax preparation, investment planning and family fun.
Finance Council Update
Report of Sunday Offerings in Support of our Parish
July, 2016 to June, 2017 Financial Year
Remember that money is a resource for ministry. Thank you for making ministry possible at St. Bernard.
Weekly Offertory Collection
(October 16, Week 16) Weekly Budget Need $ 22,050.00
Weekly Plate Contributions $ 11,677.00
ParishPay/Other Contributions $ 8,000.00
Surplus/(Deficit) $ ( 2,373.00)
Year to Date Offertory Collections
Weekly Budget Need $ 352,800.00
Actual Weekly Plate Collections $ 195,449.93
ParishPay/Other Contributions $ 135,150.00
Surplus/(Deficit) $ ( 22,200.07)
Other Items
K of C Membership Drive THIS WEEKEND
The Somerville Council Knights of Columbus is holding their Semi-annual Membership Drive this weekend. There will be representatives at each mass looking for “a few good Catholic men.”
The Somerville Council will also be hosting an open house at their Council Hall on November 2nd so that those interested can find out more about the Knights. If you have any questions or would like to know more about the Knights of Columbus, please contact Bill Marzzacco, Membership Director, on 908-208-9698 or email him at [email protected].
The Finance Council – an advisory or consultative body to the Pastor in matters pertaining to the ordinary and extraordinary matters of financial administration. The Council shares, with the Pastor, the responsibility for prudent administration of financial affairs and the formation of its policies and procedures in service to effective management of parish assets.
The Stewardship Council – provides a systematic way of infusing the theology and practice of Stewardship into the life of the parish, identifying opportunities for members to exercise their gifts for the betterment of the parish and community.
The Pastoral Council – devoted to prayer and the study of church documents and other sound resources, as well as parish centered reflection on that study; collaborates with the pastors, clergy and staff in the work of ministry. From the Pastoral Council evolved five commissions and their ministries:
Commission for Christian Service
Appalachian Mission Pro-Life Awareness Bereavement Ministry SHIP Mobile Soup Kitchen
Blood Drive Social Concerns Collections Guatemala Partnership Interfaith Hospitality Network
Commission for Christian Community
Christian Word Ministry Doughnut Sunday Divorced/Separated Support Group Golden Stewards Hospitality Committee Singles Alive in Christ Men’s Ministry Small Faith Community Parish Events Committee Young Builder’s Club Prayer Shawl Ministry Youth Basketball
Commission for Evangelization
Cursillo Retreat Public Relations Committee Ecumenical Board Women’s Prayer Group Parish Retreat (Beloved)
Commission for Liturgy and Worship
Altar Servers Adult Altar Servers Care Facility Visitation Ministry Children’s Liturgy of the Word Choir & Instrumental Readers Eucharistic Ministers Right of Christian Initiation Liturgical Environment Sacristan Ministers of Hospitality Visitors to the Homebound
Commission for Catechetical Formation
Adult Spirituality/Scripture Study Baptism Preparation
Catechetical Formation Fr. Barton Parish Library Senior High Youth Group
If you are interested in finding out more about a particular council, commission or ministry, please call the Parish Office.
The Councils and Ministries of St. Bernard Parish Directory St. Bernard of Clairvaux Church
500 Route 22 East, Bridgewater, NJ 08807
Telephone: (908)725-0552 Fax: (908)725-4524
Website: http://stbernardbridgewater.org / Also on Facebook All emails are @stbernardbridgewater.org
Bulletin articles are due no later than Noon Sunday for publication in the upcoming Sunday’s bulletin.
Please submit article requests to Christine Yarwood at [email protected] or drop off in the Parish Office.
The Parish Clergy
Rev. Msgr. Joseph G. Celano, Pastor - ext. 803, Email: [email protected] Rev. Mhonchan Ezung, Parochial Vicar - ext. 806, Email: mezung@... Rev. Andrew Smith, O.S.B. Weekend Assistant Mr. Patrick Cline, Deacon, Email: [email protected] Mr. Gerard Sims, Deacon, ext. 805, Email:[email protected] Mr. Michael Wojcik, Deacon, Email: mwojcik@... Mr. Paul Anderson, Deacon (retired)
The Parish Office
Email: [email protected] Ms. Virginia (Ginny) Hayden, Office Mgr. & Adm. Asst. to the Pastor - ext. 802, Email: ghayden@... Mr. Brian Curtis, Finance & Business Mgr. – ext. 821, Email: bcurtis@... Mrs. Donna Blanton, Receptionist, Parish Registrar and Wedding Prep.– ext. 800, Email: dblanton@... Mrs. Christine Yarwood, Bulletin Editor, Parish Calendar and Website Management - ext. 818, Email: cyarwood@... Mrs. Evelyn Mutek, Sacristan Mr. Bill Chmielewski, Maintenance Supervisor – ext. 819
Welcome to the Parish Community of St. Bernard of Clairvaux
Parish Life at St. Bernard Sacramental Life at St. Bernard
Parish Membership
Welcome Newcomers! So that we might provide for all of your sacramental and pastoral needs, we would like to officially welcome and register you in the parish. If you haven’t already done so, please call the Parish Office to begin your registration process.
Parishioners are reminded that we can best serve you if we have accurate information in our Parish Census program. Please call the Parish Office with any changes in your ad-dress, phone number, family status, etc. or if you notice any misinformation in any correspondence you might receive from us.
Catechetical Formation
Students in grades Pre-K through 8 are provided Catholic instruction and sacramental preparation by our Catechetical Formation staff and parent volunteers. Parish membership is required for enrollment in our program. Please call our Office of Catechetical Formation to register your child for classes.
Youth Ministry
Our youth are an active part of our ministry here at St. Bernard. All high school teens are welcome to attend Tuesday youth group meetings in The Lighthouse, on the third floor of the Parish Center, from 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm. Please call Sean O’Brien at ext. 804 or email Sean at [email protected] for details. Join Us!
Young Builder’s Club at St. Bernard
As part of our Youth Ministry program, we offer our Young Builder’s Club one Saturday each month for children aged 3 to 10, with a parent. Using the K’nex build-ing toys, the group encourages teamwork and social interaction. Each meeting opens with prayer and song. Watch the bulletin for upcoming events.
Pre-School and Kindergarten at St. Bernard
Welcome to St. Bernard Pre-School and Kindergarten! Our programs are available to all! We are licensed by the state of NJ and offer a 3 half-day, a 5 half-day, or a 5 full-day program, which includes extended care. Our hours of oper-ation are 7:30 am – 5:30 pm for Extended Care and 9:00 am – 11:30 am for our half-day programs. Children must be 3 years old by December 31st of the school year in which they are enrolled to be eligible for our pre-school program.
We offer a challenging and exciting full-day Kindergarten Program. Our school is open from September through June.
Please call the Pre-School / Kindergarten Office for further information and watch the bulletin for open-house, registration and enrollment information!
Baptism
Expectant and adoptive parents are required to attend our Baptism preparation class. It is best to call the Parish Office at least four months before your child’s birth or in the case of adoption, upon completion of the adoption process. The Order of Christian Initiation of Adults
Individuals who have never been baptized, baptized Christians from other denominations, and baptized Catholics who have never received the Sacraments of first Eucharist and Confirmation, and who are interested in becoming full participants in the Catholic faith are invited to call the Parish Office to begin the Inquiry process. The Sacrament of Reconciliation
Saturday: 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM, or by appointment The Celebration of the Eucharist
Monday— Friday (Chapel): 8:00 AM & 12:10 PM (12:10 PM suspended in July and August)
Saturday: 9:00 AM (Chapel); Vigil 5:15 PM
Sunday: 7:30 AM, 9:00 AM, 10:30 AM and 12 NOON
Holy Days of Obligation: 8:00 AM, 12:10 PM and 7:30 PM The Celebration of Christian Marriage
Arrangements with the Church for a wedding should be made approximately one year prior to the desired date. Participation in a Diocesan Pre-Cana program will assist couples in their preparation for the sacrament of Matrimony. Catholics who have been away from the Church and the Sacraments need to re-establish their Church and Sacramental life as a pre-requisite for marriage. Sacrament of the Sick - Homebound
We encourage you to call the Parish Office to make arrangements for either the Celebration of the Anointing of the Sick or for the Eucharist to be brought to the sick, the elderly, and the homebound.
