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Nativity of The Lord and The Holy Family

From the Pastor

Dear Parishioners of Our Lady of Mercy,

Fr. Marty JacintoI hope and pray that you all are safe and doing well.

This weekend we are celebrating the feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. It takes real effort to create a Christian home. That is why we need to exert ourselves to make that effort. To succeed, all the members of the family need to pull together with the same purpose in mind and with the right attitude.

We do well to reflect on today’s Second Reading from Saint Paul’s letter to the people in Colossae. Saint Paul wrote about what it takes to achieve a truly Christian and holy family. He tells us, “Put on as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” (Col. 3:12). These are wonderful words but unless we put those virtues into practice on a daily basis, they are just pretty words. St. Paul says to “PUT ON” these virtues just as we put on the clothes that we wear.

Then he continues saying: “… bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if one has a grievance against another; as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do.” (v. 13) St. Paul tells us to bear with one another and forgive one another. That means that we do not try to “get even” with someone when they hurt our feelings. Rather, we deal with it appropriately and try not to hold a grudge. Our forgiving is not a sign of weakness on our part. By being able to forgive and be reconciled with others, we strengthen the bond that is between us and we all win.

“And over all these virtues put on love, which is the bond of perfection.” (v.14). You see, the whole point of this is to preserve that bond of perfect love that is God’s gift to us in any relationship, but especially in the relationships we have with our family members. Nothing pleases God more than to see a family united in love and care for one another, even in the midst of trials and troubles. There is nothing greater than the love and support of your family.

St. Paul also offers us some very good advice that is specific to family life when he tells us, “Wives, be subordinate to your husbands, as is proper in the Lord. Husbands love your wives, and avoid any bitterness toward them. Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is pleasing to the Lord. Fathers, do not provoke your children, so they may not become discouraged.” (verses 18-21)

This is good advice that fits the people and the society of St. Paul’s time. It may not be as appropriate for our day since our society has changed a great deal since then. Nevertheless, the basic ideas are sound, and the purpose is good. It is to preserve the bond of love that we need in our families. That was Paul’s main objective, and it should be the goal that we have as well, namely, to have a truly holy, Christian family life. Times may change, our expectations may change but the need for good, healthy and holy family relations never changes.

May we strive to follow this good advice from Saint Paul. May we always have the model of the holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph before us.

On another note, I thank all of you for your generosity in gifting your parish this Christmas. It is highly appreciated. Every single dollar you give helps our parish to keep moving forward. For those who have not sent in their gifts, know that you can still do so.

I also thank Jon Camaya, Guiz Macalintal, the Holy Name Society, ushers and all those who help facilitate Father Nol’s last weekend and greetings. You made the receiving line easy and properly distanced.

Last but not the least, please check our bulletin and take note of our schedule of Masses for the coming weeks.
God bless you all.

Love,

Father Marty


Father Tom and Father Marty pose with Father Nol at his farewell event, Sunday, December 13.

MAILING ADDRESS FOR FR. NOL
Rev. Ranulfo Docabo, Administrator
Saint Anthony of Padua Church
750 North Seventh Street
Newark, NJ 07107
Note the Church is located at
63 Franklin Street, Belleville, NJ 07109



Father Marty and Father Nol pose with Querubin & Beatriz Padilla who celebrated the Sacrament of Marriage at our parish, on November


Residents of our area are pictured waiting in line for a Covid-19 Test. The testing was provided by Prestige Infusions. It took place Monday, November 30, through Saturday, December 5, in a mobile van located in our parking area on Lembeck Avenue. 712 tests were administered during the six days. The testing event was a result of the efforts of the OLM Wellness Committee, in particular committee member, Henry Racelis.

Lautaro Sanfilippo of Prestige Infusions (far right) is seen presenting a donation of $1,000 to Our Lady of Mercy Parish to thank OLM for providing a testing site in our neighborhood. Pictured from left to right are: Beth Anne Macdonald, Director of Community Planning and Development at Commercial District Services, Henry Racelis of the OLM Wellness Committee, Father Tom Iwanowski, and Father Marty Jacinto, Pastor.


Video Dealing with Depression

The Wellness Committee of our parish has a new video on our website (olmnj.org) dealing with depression. The ongoing pandemic has affected our lives in different ways. One effect of the pandemic is depression, which manifests itself in different ways. It affects us physically, mentally, and spiritually. This video features a discussion by health care professionals, including a psychiatrist, a psychologist, a nurse, and a priest speaking about the topic of depression. We encourage you to view this video. We are sure you will find it helpful. Watch it here.


Our Mass Book is Now Open

Our 2021 Mass Book opens today, Sunday, November 29, for your Mass Intentions. Please note that no more than five Mass intentions may be scheduled at any one time. Besides Mass intentions, you will also be able to make donations for the sanctuary lamp and for the bread and wine used at our Masses.


OLM Giving Tree

The Giving Tree is a wonderful custom that involves people giving to those in need during the Christmas season. Many families cannot afford rent or food, and certainly not Christmas gifts. The beautiful tradition about the Giving Tree is that the giver does not know the receiver, and the recipient does not know the giver, but both are touched by the love of Christ.

The Giving Tree continues this Christmas season despite the current pandemic. Stars are on the trees and on display in the entrance area of the church, however, in the interest of everyone’s health and safety, rather than purchasing actual items, we are requesting only cash, gift cards, or checks.

Your donations will be given to the charities that we normally support: Saint Ann’s Day Care Center, Catholic Charities, Several Sources Shelters (serving unwed mothers), Broadway House (HIV/AIDS) and Covenant House (Newark). These charities will then purchase gifts for those in need this Christmas.

Please return your donations by Friday, December 18 and place them under the Giving Tree or bring them to the parish office.


The 2021 Bible Diary is Now Available!

The new edition of the Bible Diary is now available for $10 at the Parish Office after Mass or during office hours. The 2021 Bible Diary contains the assigned scripture reading for each day of the year, a reflection on the reading, and also information about the saint of day. The Bible Diary is a great help for personal daily prayer. These books also make an appreciated Christmas Gift.


Update on Shining The Light of Christ

“Shining the Light of Christ” is the theme of 2020 Annual Appeal that supports the mission, programs and ministries of the Archdiocese. This year’s goal for Our Lady of Mercy Parish is $42,809. There is a 100% rebate of every dollar collected above our goal. Currently, the total pledge amount is $50,600 and $47,316 has been collected. Please support this appeal.


New Update On We Are Living Stones

Our total pledged amount is now $501,472. We are at 100.65% of our goal of that $432,293 has been collected and $194,137 disbursed to the parish. We remind those who have not fully paid their pledge to continue sending your payment to the We Are Living Stones Office. (171 Clifton Avenue, Newark, NJ 07104-0500) God bless your generosity!

Archbishop’s Annual Appeal

“Catholic Stewardship in Action” is the theme of this year’s Annual Appeal of the Archdiocese of Newark. This appeal supports the mission, programs, and ministries of the Archdiocese. This year’s goal for Our Lady of Mercy Parish is $42,122. OLM will receive a 100% rebate of every dollar collected above our parish goal. Please be generous and support this Annual Appeal. It will benefit the Archdiocese and our parish as well. Thank you and God bless! If you need a pledge envelope, they are available at the doors of the church or at the parish office.

Watch this presentation on the CoronaVirus Vaccine by Dr. Patricia Whitley-Williams
It is highly recommended.

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. (Click here)

Flu Vaccine Q&A with Drs. Norie and Rey Ramos

Watch “Stress: A Discussion.” A series by OLM Wellness Ministry, Episode 2 | Episode 1


WELLNESS WEDNESDAY

To help keep you all moving, the OLM Wellness Ministry will be sharing exercise videos on Wednesdays that will help guide you through some exercises that you can do at home. (Watch the second video here). If you missed the first one, it’s here.

New Parish Office Hours

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday
9 am to 3 pm
Wednesday
9 am to 12 noon
Saturday & Sunday
9 am to 1 pm

Confessions Times
Monday through Friday
9 am to 9:30 am
Saturday
4 pm to 4:30 pm

UPLIFTuesday

Shiloh Guanlao | Tiffany Liora Velarde | JJ Ohri | Jedrik Digao | Margarette Rivera | Alexandre Lewis Cheng | Kyle Arano | (Joachim Dalloran) | Mikaela Christie Catuncan | Rafael Reyes | Ysabelle Baculod | Zachary Zulueta| Julz Balbutin | Evan and Lauren Nguyen | Bridget Benoit | Gelayne Lim | Alyssa Bacay | Emily Gocon | Justin Nguyen | Tiffany Esteban

Our Lives At This Time

Previous Posts: Alain Aldea | Rey Ramos | Lambert Pitao | Angel Juan | Michael Rivera | Bobby del Rosario | Dominic Rivera | Jayvee Dacasin | Annjo Balbutin | Julie Nguyen | John Flora | Gigi Macalintal | Tina Lanting | Regina ‘Jeng’ Matias-Villa

Care For All God’s Creation

(The following reflection was written by Cardinal Tobin. It appeared in the September 11, 2020 issue of Rejoice in the Lord. The full text is available at www.rcan.org.)

Faith Formation

Faith Alive @ Home! A guide to family worship and family faith fun! (Click here)

The OLM Mission Statement

We, the faith community of Our Lady of Mercy Parish, joyfully and humbly seek to make our Lord Jesus Christ ever more real in our lives and in the lives of all people. We enliven our Mission by a commitment to Stewardship as a Way of Life. We strive to pursue our mission by being a welcoming community that provides a home for all and celebrates life, hope and reconciliation through WORD, WORSHIP and SERVICE.

Stewardship of Treasure

Thank you so much for your generosity.
March 28, 2021 Palm/ Passion Sunday Collection = $6,856

The amount of the Easter Collection will appear in a future bulletin. We are still receiving Easter Contributions. If you have not yet made your special 2021 Easter Donation to our parish, you still have time to do so. Thank you for your support of OLM.

Four Ways To Support Your Parish
You can support OLM when you shop at Amazon

Mass Schedule

WE HAVE RETURNED TO OUR USUAL DAILY MASS SCHEDULE

Monday through Friday 7:00 am & 8:30 am

Saturday 5:00 pm
Sunday 8:00 am, 10:00 am, 12:00 noon

OLM MASSES ARE LIVESTREAMED
Sundays at 10 am
Monday – Friday at 8:30 am
Go to olmnj.org and click on Facebook l Livestream

Our Lady of Mercy Roman Catholic Church • 40 Sullivan Drive, Jersey City, NJ 07305 • Phone: 201-434-7500