News - January 2019 RSS Feed

The Knights of Columbus councils 514 and 3359 wish to thank the generous parishioners of St Cecilia’s and Sacred Heart whose Rose for Life donations of $1300 helped cover a significant portion the $4,000.00 cost to send 2 busloads of pro-life marchers to Washington, D.C. It was one of the most energizing marches in memory and you can read comments from our riders in the Jan. 24 issue of the Beacon. Please keep the cause of life in your prayers and may God continue to richly bless you all.   

The Men’s Society of Sacred Heart and St. Cecilia parishes will hold its monthly meeting in Suchon Hall on Saturday Feb 9th after an 8 AM mass at Sacred Heart Church. This is the first time the group will meet at Sacred Heart and all men of the parish wishing to find out more or wishing to join are invited.

The traditional blessing of the throat in commemoration of the feast of Saint Blasé, Bishop and Martyr, will take place at the conclusion of Masses the weekend of February 2-3.

Catholic Schools Week will be commemorated at our 10:00 AM. Mass on January 28th with students from Divine Mercy Academy participating. The second collection will be used to support our children. Please be generous!

My Dear parishioners,   Jesus’ words today, at the Beginning of his ministry are something like a priest’s sermon at his first Mass – on a theme really important to the priest. He knows he is appointed and chosen by God.

Father Jonas St. Martin, brother of our departed assistant Father Jean Claude St. Martin, will visit St. Cecilia Church on the weekend of February 9th and 10th . Father will tell us about the status of the foundation established in his brother’s memory to help poor children in Haiti. Father Jonas is a member of the religious order, Holy Cross Fathers, and is stationed at Saint Joseph’s Oratory in Montreal, Canada.

It has come to our attention that some people have received “scam” emails from Fr. Pawel or one of the priests. Please know these messages requesting “favors” or “gift cards”are fake. Should you have any questions, please call the rectory at 973-627-0422 or St. Cecilia Parish office at 973-627-0313. Do not reply to these emails.

All are welcome to attend the Adoration prayer service on Sunday, January 27th , at 3:00 PM to be held at St. Mary's Church in Wharton, located at 371 South Main Street, Wharton, NJ 07885. This is a great opportunity to come together and pray for the protection of life. This Pro-Life Holy Hour will include singing the Divine Mercy Chaplet and Benediction.

PIZZA NIGHT WITH BISHOP: For young men in high school or college, or even older come join Bishop Serratelli and priests from the Diocese of Paterson for adoration, reflection, fellowship and of course, pizza!!! Tuesday, February 5th at Pope John, XXIII in Sparta from 7:00 to 9:00 pm. For more information, please contact the Vocation Office at 973-777-8818, ext: 711.

LISTEN TO POPE FRANCIS… “Why it is so important to go to Mass on Sundays and why it is not enough to just live a moral life, loving others: We don’t go to Mass to give something to God, but to receive from Him that which we truly need. Sunday Mass is the time and place Christians receive grace and strength to remain faithful to His work, follow His commandment to love others and be credible witnesses in the world. Just like a plant needs the sun and nourishment to live, every Christian needs the Sunday Eucharist to truly live. Without Christ, we are condemned to be dominated by the fatigue of daily life with all its worries and the fear of tomorrow. The Sunday encounter with the Lord gives us the strength to live today with confidence and courage and to move forward with hope.”

You are cordially invited to Divine Mercy Academy's Open House on Sunday January 27th , from 10:15 AM to 12:30 PM at Divine Mercy Academy, located at 87 Halsey Avenue, Rockaway, NJ.

The Women at the Well meet on  the FIRST SATURDAYS of each month. These evenings are meant to serve as spiritual and social refreshment for women.  The evening begins with a potluck dinner, followed the Rosary, quiet prayer and ending with dessert and socializing.

Parents, do your teens know God's plan for love and relationships in their lives? True Love Waits teaches teens how to be happier (and safer) in relationships by following Christ's plan for them.  Sessions run every Sunday, from January 13th to January 27th from 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM. The program is capped by a commitment ceremony during the 4:30 PM Mass on Feb. 9th. This program is open to teens from 7th grade to high school juniors. For more information, please contact Jenny at 862-219-2028

On Saturday January 19th , St. Cecilia’s Church will be hosting a special pro-life event.  All those that support the culture of life are welcome to join us, for a morning of prayer, public witness, and education of the dignity and beauty of all human life. If you are interested in joining us, we will begin at 8:00 AM for Mass, followed by coffee, juice and other light refreshments in Hayes Hall. 

My Dear Parishioners,   Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Baptism of Our Lord. The Church recalls Our Lord's second manifestation or epiphany which occurred on the occasion of His baptism in the Jordan.   The baptism of Jesus is reported in each of the three Synoptic Gospels—Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Clearly, it was an event of great significance for Jesus and for the early Christian community. The Evangelists Mark and Luke report the story from Jesus' perspective; the voice from heaven is addressed to Jesus. Compare this to Matthew's Gospel in which the voice from heaven speaks to everyone. In Luke, however, the Holy Spirit descends upon Jesus during his time of prayer after his baptism. Through his Gospel, Luke will show Jesus to be a person of prayer who withdraws from the crowds and his disciples to pray to his Father.

If you have not yet responded to the 2018 Bishop’s Annual Appeal, there is still time to do so as the 2018 Appeal funds are used to support ministries and programs through the end of the diocesan fiscal year on June 30, 2019.   Your gift is a great blessing and valued so we can serve Christ by serving his people.  For your convenience, you can make an online gift at www.2018appeal.org.

The Women’s Cornerstone is hosted and facilitated by a team of women who have previously experienced Cornerstone. The team has been meeting, praying and preparing for many months to bring you this special event. It involves their sharing of personal stories and experiences of finding God amidst the challenges of the modern world.

Divine Mercy Academy, a PreK3 to Grade 8 elementary school located in Rockaway has an opening for a Part-Time Technology Teacher for the 2018-2019 school year. Please send your cover letter and resume to Mrs. Annie Mitchell, Principal at [email protected] .  

The Little Sisters of the Poor are an international congregation of Roman Catholic women religious founded in 1839 by Saint Jeanne Jugan. Together with a diverse network of collaborators, they serve the elderly poor in over 30 countries around the world

You are invited to join Catholics from Rockaway and around the country to participate in the National Right to Life March in Washington, DC on Friday, January 18th. Bus transportation is free with departure from Gardener Field in Denville at 6:00 AM. For information and reservations, please call Jim Rizos at 973-627-2596. The bus is financed by the Knights of Columbus.