Dear Parishioners of Our Lady of Mercy and Our Lady of Sorrows:
I hope all is well despite the fact that we have been blasted by snow storms in these past few days.
First and foremost, we give glory to God for all that He has bestowed on us. Surely, His “presence is in our midst” (Genesis 28:16) even in the face of hardships and challenges we experience in life. For those of you who are experiencing difficulties in whatever form, know that God is always there. You are in our prayers. Don’t loose hope.
I personally thank God for our safe trips to and from the Philippines. It was of another great blessing (after our new Archbishop, Cardinal Tobin’s installation in Newark) to be able to attend the Ordination and Installation of the new bishop of Baguio, Msgr. Victor Bendico. It all went well. It was great to see familiar faces of priests from my hometown, Capiz. A lot of people don’t know that I was from Capiz because I didn’t go to any of the seminaries there. I left the Philippines in 1989 when I was twenty one years old, right after college. And there never had been a Father Jacinto in the Archdiocese of Capiz. But I was able to make priest-friends of my hometown when I became a priest here in the USA because one by one has started coming here at Our Lady of Mercy church and rendered their services while having their break from home. And every time I go home, it’s nice of them to invite and host me and Father Jack together with our priest-friends from here. So, that trip to Baguio was like a mini-reunion for us. I do appreciate all of your prayers for our safe journey!
Folks, time flies so fast that sometimes we don’t realize it. So before I forget, I am giving you heads up that in February 11th, after the five o’clock mass (at 6:30pm to be exact), there will be an exposition and veneration of the relics of St. Therese of Lisieux (the “Little Flower”) at Our Lady Of Mercy church. For more information please check out the bulletin. I also would like to ask you to pass the word to other people you know. This will be a great opportunity for us to ask Saint Therese’ intercession for us.
Of course I always ask you to check out other events in our parish and be involved.
I extend my gratitude to Fr. Nol and the committee for a very nice Santo Niño celebration last Sunday at Our Lady Of Mercy. I also thank Sister Elise and Jeng Villa for putting together with our young people a service to people in need in our area of Jersey City. And to our young people: Thank You for your effort and help in putting a smile to those who need it. May that gesture of love and concern be passed on to the next generation. The church and the world need you. Be bearers of that virtue of kindness!
My best regards and God bless us all!
Love,
+Father Marty
Santo Niño Celebration
An Opportunity for All Parish Lectors / Readers
All lectors / readers of our parish are invited to attend a renewal and updating session sponsored by the Archdiocesan Worship Office this coming Saturday morning, January 28, at the Archdiocesan Center in Newark. The workshop will cover three areas: Scripture & Liturgy; the Role of the Lector; and Public Speaking. This workshop will help those who read at Mass to improve their skills and their understanding of the liturgy. We encourage all parish lectors who have not attended this workshop in the past to please join us. We will leave OLM for the workshop at 8 am this Saturday, January 28, and return by 1 pm. The parish will cover the registration fee. If you are interested in taking advantage of this opportunity, please contact Father Tom by calling the parish office (201-434-7500, Ext 14), sending him at an email (olmchurchmail@gmail.com) or speaking to him after Mass. Don’t miss this workshop, it will not be repeated until the fall of 2017.
Young Adult Retreat
February 10-12, 2017
Marianist Family Retreat Center
Cape May Point, NJ
Come join other young adults (ages 22-35) married or single, to take a step back from your busy lives. This will be a time to examine your personal faith and your relationship with God, your family members and yourself. Our time will be filled with prayer experiences, peer group discussions. Eucharist and lots of fun.
Cost: $130.00 per person, double occupancy. Register at: www.capemaymarianists.org. Some financial aid is available.
Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament
Every FIRST FRIDAY from 9:15am until 12 noon only in the Chapel.