As disciples we are called to foster our relationship with Jesus, to know him in a personal way. And, as with any important relationship in our lives, our relationship with Jesus changes us, helps us to grow more into the woman or man that God wants us to be.

Jeremiah 20:7-9
Romans 12:1-2
Matthew 16:21-27

It has been so good to see you back at Mass. At this time we still have a restriction of 100 people at each Mass. so if you have been thinking about coming back, but have not done so yet ... PLEASE DO! You may reserve your spot on our parish website. It you are not comfortable with reserving online, please call the parish office and we can do it for you.

Dear Parishioners,
I am pleased to inform you that Reverend Mr. Gustavo Rodriguez-Perez, who is serving in our parish, has been called by the Most Reverend James F. Checchio, Bishop of Metuchen, to the Order of Priesthood.
He will be ordained a priest on Saturday, August 22, 2020. We are grateful to God for the gift of Deacon Gustavo to our parish and our Diocese!
Please keep Deacon Gustavo in your prayers as he prepares for his Ordination and begins his ministry among us as a Priest of Jesus Christ!

Sincerely yours in Christ,
Fr. Jerome Johnson,
Pastor

Dear Parishioners,

It has been so good to see you back at Mass on the weekend! At this time we still have a restriction of 100 people at each Mass. As of this last weekend we still have room at each Mass, so if you have been thinking about coming back but have not done so yet…. PLEASE DO! You may reserve your spot on our parish website. If you are not comfortable with reserving online, please call the parish office and we can do it for you. I know some of you are hesitant to return but please know we have taken every precaution possible to protect all our parishioners …from requiring everyone to wear masks to hand sanitizer to social distancing in pews to limiting the amount of singing to distributing Holy Communion as you leave Mass a pew at a time to disinfecting the entire church after every Mass. It IS safe to come back and we would love to see you!

Jesus liked to stay at the house of Martha, Mary and Lazarus, his friends at Bethany, when he was in Judea. One of these visits has ever remained dear to Christian memory. On that occasion Martha, busily serving the Master, asked Him to persuade Mary to help her. Without in any way reproaching Martha, Jesus explained to her that certain souls, called by God, should choose a better part still 2 the primary duty of listening to Him and contemplating Him.

St. Mary Magdalene is one of the greatest saints of the Bible and a legendary example of God's mercy and grace. The precise dates of her birth and death are unknown, but we do know she was present with Christ during his public ministry, death and resurrection. She is mentioned at least a dozen times in the Gospels.

Jesus tells the story of a farmer whose crop of wheat is attacked by an enemy who sows the seeds of weeds along with the grains of wheat. Once the violent act was done, there is was no going back. The wheat and weeds had to be allowed to grow together.

Wisdom: 12:13, 16-19
Romans: 8:26-27
Matthew: 13:24-43 or 13:24-30

Dear Parishioners,

We received good news that inside numbers can increase immediately to 100, so that is reflected on the sign ups on our website for weekends only: reopen.church/r/IoxBeHPr.

• Weekday Mass continues daily at 12:15pm in the church and no reservation is needed.
• Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, Fri from 10:00-11:30am in the church, excluding Friday's when there is a funeral.
• In car confession Sat: 12:30pm
• Sat Vigil: 4:00pm, Sun: 8:00am, 10:00am, and 12:00pm (12:00pm includes distribution of Communion outside after Mass as well.). Masses will also be live streamed and available to watch on demand.

The office is now open Monday-Friday 10:00am-2:00pm. You must wear a mask and be socially distanced.

Dear Parishioners,

It has been so good to see you back at Mass on the weekend! At this time we still have a restriction of 100 people at each Mass. As of this last weekend we still have room at each Mass, so if you have been thinking about coming back but have not done so yet…. PLEASE DO! You may reserve your spot on our parish website. If you are not comfortable with reserving online, please call the parish office and we can do it for you. I know some of you are hesitant to return but please know we have taken every precaution possible to protect all our parishioners …from requiring everyone to wear masks to hand sanitizer to social distancing in pews to limiting the amount of singing to distributing Holy Communion as you leave Mass a pew at a time to disinfecting the entire church after every Mass. It IS safe to come back and we would love to see you!

Jesus liked to stay at the house of Martha, Mary and Lazarus, his friends at Bethany, when he was in Judea. One of these visits has ever remained dear to Christian memory. On that occasion Martha, busily serving the Master, asked Him to persuade Mary to help her. Without in any way reproaching Martha, Jesus explained to her that certain souls, called by God, should choose a better part still 2 the primary duty of listening to Him and contemplating Him.

St. Mary Magdalene is one of the greatest saints of the Bible and a legendary example of God's mercy and grace. The precise dates of her birth and death are unknown, but we do know she was present with Christ during his public ministry, death and resurrection. She is mentioned at least a dozen times in the Gospels.

Jesus tells the story of a farmer whose crop of wheat is attacked by an enemy who sows the seeds of weeds along with the grains of wheat. Once the violent act was done, there is was no going back. The wheat and weeds had to be allowed to grow together.

Wisdom: 12:13, 16-19
Romans: 8:26-27
Matthew: 13:24-43 or 13:24-30

Dear Parishioners,

We received good news that inside numbers can increase immediately to 100, so that is reflected on the sign ups on our website for weekends only: reopen.church/r/IoxBeHPr.

• Weekday Mass continues daily at 12:15pm in the church and no reservation is needed.
• Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, Fri from 10:00-11:30am in the church, excluding Friday's when there is a funeral.
• In car confession Sat: 12:30pm
• Sat Vigil: 4:00pm, Sun: 8:00am, 10:00am, and 12:00pm (12:00pm includes distribution of Communion outside after Mass as well.). Masses will also be live streamed and available to watch on demand.

The office is now open Monday-Friday 10:00am-2:00pm. You must wear a mask and be socially distanced.

There is very little about the apostle Thomas in the Gospels; one text calls him the "twin." Rarely during Jesus' lifetime does he stand out among his colleagues. There is the instance before the raising of Lazarus, when Jesus was still in Perea and Thomas exclaimed: "Let us also go and die with Him." Best-known is his expression of unbelief after the Savior's death, giving rise to the phrase "doubting Thomas." Nevertheless, the passage describing the incident, in the Gospel, must be numbered among the most touching in Sacred Scripture.

Acknowledging Jesus before others incorporates not only the words we speak, but also our actions. The empirical evidence convicting us as Christian should be apparent in every aspect of our lives. The person we portray in the office should be the same we bring home at night, and clearly recognizable as the person who arrives at Sunday Mass. Jesus identifies Nathanael as a person with no duplicity, no guile, no deceit within him.

Dear Parishioners,

Starting Friday, June 12, 2020, the restoration of Masses with a congregation will begin. Please check our website for the latest details as they are changing constantly.

Weekday Masses will be celebrated at 12:15pm and will be limited to 25 people. Weekend Masses will be celebrated Saturday, at 4:00pm, Sunday, at 10:00am* and 12:00pm. They will be limited to 90 people, sitting socially distant as state guidelines demand. Restrooms will NOT be available.

Dear Parishioners,

The restoration of Masses with a congregation will be a phased approach and will begin on June 12, with a maximum of 25 available seats at 12:15pm. Weekend liturgies will begin on June 13/14 (The Feast of Corpus Christi) with 90 available seats with Mass at 4:00pm on Saturday, 10:00am and 12:00pm on Sunday. At the 12:00pm Sunday Mass, we will still offer distribution of Communion in the lot in a specific section. This schedule will be evaluated as we progress. Limited capacity and 6 feet physical distancing and the wearing of masks in the church will be practiced.

Dear Parishioners,

Starting this Sunday, May 24, we will distribute Communion in the parking lot after the 12:00pm live-streamed Mass. The Mass will still be live-streamed from the church, so that you may view or listen to it on your personal device in your car. In time, we hope to transmi over FM radio for those who may not have a smartphone. The Mass will be celebrated in its entirety then Holy Communion will be distributed in cars as they drive by the distribution station in front of the main entrance of the church. You may only park in the designated spaces. After the lot is filled it will be closed. Please bear with us, as these are unchartered waters. We will continue streaming our normal schedule: 4:00pm Vigil, 10:30am and 12:00pm.