Understanding Depression

The OLM Wellness Committee invites you to view a video featuring committee members and expert guests as they discuss depression and depressive symptoms. This video will help you to recognize possible signs and symptoms in your life or in others.. Resources are available at the end of the video. Any questions or information from the video can be addressed to the Wellness Committee.

WATCH THE VIDEO

A GREAT PROGRAM “VIRTUALLY” RETURNS TO OLM FOR THE COMING SEASON OF ADVENT

From the Pastor

Dear Parishioners of Our Lady of Mercy,

I hope and pray that you are all doing well and safe.

How are you doing? During this stressful time of the coronavirus pandemic, we have been asked that question by people who care about us. We have also asked the people in our lives that very same question: How are you doing? That same question might come to mind when we think about our parish.

We are writing to let you know how OLM is doing as it confronts a situation that none of us could have imagined at the start of 2020.

Our parish was certainly affected when the lock down began in mid-March. No Masses, no weddings, no funerals, no baptisms, no celebrations of Holy Week, no meetings, no social gatherings, and a steep decrease in financial support.

Thankfully, since our churches were permitted to reopen at a reduced capacity, things have somewhat improved.

Mass attendance is now averaging about 500 people on a weekend, that is about 1/3 of our pre-Covid-19 attendance. Weekday Mass attendance has returned to normal with about 30 to 50 people at each weekday Mass. We are taking all necessary and suggested precautions and people seem to be comfortable gathering to pray as a parish family. We are also live streaming our 10 am Sunday Mass and our 8:30 am weekday Mass for the benefit of those with health concerns.

We have resumed baptizing infants, but we now celebrate baptisms on Sunday afternoons in small family groups. We are once more celebrating funerals and weddings. We celebrated First Communion at different Sunday Masses during August and Confirmation with Bishop Cruz on Sunday, October 18.

Parish groups and committees and the OLM parish staff are meeting, but now through Zoom. We have also resumed our program of religious education, but the sessions are virtual for the present time.

We have greatly improved our parish website (olmnj.org) to give you more information about the parish and also to provide you with resources that might help you as you deal with the current pandemic.

Our parish’s financial situation remains challenging. Our Sunday collection has decreased. Before the pandemic, our Sunday collections averaged slightly over $8,000. Now we receive about $5,500 per Sunday from the contributions brought to church, received through the mail, or given online.

Since our church was closed during Holy Week, our 2020 Easter collection decreased $25,000 from the previous year. That reduced amount combined with lower Sunday collections means we are not doing as well as we need to.

Thankfully, our parish was able to take advantage of the Paycheck Protection SBA Loan Program. We received a $53,095 loan that was used to help us meet payroll for eight weeks. We plan to submit a loan forgiveness application in the future.

Once we receive the required information that we have requested from the Archdiocesan Finance Office, we will publish a complete financial statement. In the meantime, we wanted to give you some idea of how your parish is doing.

As you may guess, your increased financial support is greatly needed, especially this Christmas. Even more importantly, your presence at Mass would be a blessing and it would encourage us as we lift our hearts to the Lord. Also, we miss seeing you!

In Christ,

Father Marty and the Members of the OLM Finance Council
Celia Obedencio, JoAnn Valencia, Presy Lorenzo, Rose Duque, Cyr Empestan, Lourdes Miranda, Ato Tuazon, Vickie Figueras