News - January 2018 RSS Feed

Today we mark the Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time as we celebrate the Lord’s Day. I am celebrating the Lord’s Day today in Jerusalem and in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. It is in this church that Calvary, the place of Jesus’ crucifixion is located, and the Tomb of Christ is also found. I am remembering all of you, my dear people of Rockaway, as I pray before these sacred places which were the scenes of our salvation.

We wish to extend a warm welcome to the Hutchinson family who recently registered as parishioners of Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish. We ask that you keep them in your prayers as they grow with us within the life of our parish community.

The Senior Citizens Club recently conducted elections

A presentation on the subject of religious freedom in our country will take place on Thursday evening, February 1st at 7:00 PM in St. Cecilia Hayes Hall.  This presentation has been given in a number of parishes in the Archdiocese of Newark and will alert us to some of the difficulties believers may be experiencing in the future.   

 The Knights of Columbus, Lafayette Council #514 Dover, NJ, is holding their annual “Free Throw Championship.” On Sunday January 28, 2018 at 1:00 PM at St. Mary’s School Gym, 345 South Main Street, Wharton, NJ.

Come to Divine Mercy Academy's Open House on Sunday January 28th , from 10:15 AM to 12:30 PM.  Divine Mercy Academy's is located at 87 Halsey Ave., Rockaway, NJ.  Come see the difference an academically excellent Catholic education makes!

Divine Mercy Academy’s Calendar Raffle is underway!  The calendar raffle will feature a total of $5,000 in cash prizes.  A winner will be drawn every week from February 2nd  through June 1st .  Weekly cash prize amounts vary. Each week the winning ticket will be put back in the drum, so each $10 ticket gives you 18 chances to win!  Please email [email protected]  or call 973-769-1028 for tickets. 

Ignatian Silent Retreat, sponsored by Knights of Columbus, Our Lady of the Lakes Council #3359 , will take place from February 2, 2018 to February 4, 2018 (Feb 2, 2018 at 7:15 PM to Feb 4, 2018 at 1 PM) at the Loyola Jesuit Center, Morristown, NJ.

As we gather to celebrate the Lord’s Day we mark the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time in our liturgical assembly.  Today’s Gospel reading brings us to the Sea of Galilee. This is where I will be on Wednesday when I celebrate my 65th birthday! On Monday morning I will be traveling on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land which is being led by our Bishop, His Excellency the Most Reverend Arthur Serratelli. Our Bishop holds a doctorate degree in Sacred Scripture from Rome and had served as a Scripture professor at Immaculate Conception Seminary in South Orange before being named Bishop by Pope Saint John Paul II. As a matter of fact I was a student of the Bishop when I did some graduate work at the seminary back in 1990. The Bishop is a brilliant teacher who made the Scriptures come alive in the classroom. Now to be with him at the sacred sites and to hear his commentaries is something I am looking forward to so that I can come back and share it with you.

The traditional blessing of the throat in commemoration of the Feast of Saint Blase, Bishop and Martyr, will take place at the conclusion of all Sunday Masses, February 3 & 4.

Our Monthly Food Collection for the Rockaway Food Pantry will be next weekend, January 20th & 21st . Canned goods, cereal, peanut butter, pasta, etc. Thank you for your support.

2017 Bishop’s Annual Appeal, “In Giving, We Receive”. If you have not yet responded to the 2017 Bishop’s Annual Appeal, there is still time to do so as the 2017 Appeal funds are used to support ministries and programs through the end of the diocesan fiscal year on June 30, 2018.  

Congratulations to Anthony Carrea and Caitlin Pfeifer who were married at Sacred Heart of Jesus on December 29, 2017. We pray that they continue to grow in love & faith as they begin their new life together.

We assemble on the Lord’s Day commemorating the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time. Today’s Gospel periscope from John is a reminder to us that in Year B of the Lectionary, which is focused on the Gospel of Mark, Johannine segments are inserted due to Mark’s Gospel being so short. We will be even more aware of this later in the year when for five weeks we will hear the “Bread of Life Discourse”, that is chapter 5 of John’s Gospel.

The Knights of Columbus Councils 514 and 3359 will be selling Roses for Life at all Masses on December 16th and 17th to fund the bus trip to the 45th March for Life in Washington, DC on Friday, January 19th 2017.

Women at the Well is a new group for women ages 18+, to grow in faith & friendship together. Women at the Well provides social & spiritual refreshment for women ages 18 and older.

On behalf of the Sacred Heart Confirmation Group, we would like to thank all of our parishioners who supported our Angel Tree for Christmas. We collected every single gift, received many rolls of wrapping paper, and dozens of gift bags! Thank you for always opening your generous hearts to those in need or less fortunate. We wish you all a blessed, happy, and healthy New Year.”

The Christmas decorations in the church will be taken down this week following Monday’s celebration of Our Lord’s Baptism in the Jordan. The crèche and other exterior decorations will remain until the 40th day, the Feast of the Lord’s Presentation on February 2nd following ancient custom.

I am so grateful to the volunteers who meet every Thursday evening to clean our church. In addition, I would like to thank them for their “Cleaning Crew Christmas Contribution” to our church which totaled $100.

The family gathers in the main room of the house. The father (or mother) of the family begins by inviting everyone to make the sign of the Cross Leader: In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Response: Amen Leader: During these days of the Christmas season, we keep this feast of Epiphany, celebrating the manifestation of Christ to the magi, to John the Baptist in the River Jordan, and to the disciples at the wedding in Cana. Today Christ is manifest to us! Today this home is a holy place! Leader: Let us pray: Lord our God, bless this household. May we be blessed with health, goodness of heart, gentleness, and the keeping of your Law. We ask in the Name of Jesus who is Lord forever and ever. Response: Amen Our Father… Hail Mary… ​​​​​​​ Without words the leader sprinkles those present and the house with holy water. The leader takes the blessed chalk and writes the following inscription on the top door post of the main door of the house, 20+K+M+B+18. The inscription reminds us of the initials of the Magi (Kasper, Melchior and Balthasar). The three crosses represent the Blessed Trinity. The numbers are the current year of grace