Parish Feast Day Masses Next Weekend
Next weekend, September 19 and 20, we will celebrate our patronal feast, the Feast of Our Lady of Mercy, at all our parish Masses. Since we cannot gather socially after Mass, we have prepared a “virtual celebration” to mark our parish feast day.
The Feast of Our Lady of Mercy:
What Do You Love About OLM?
The Feast of Our Lady of Mercy Virtual Talent Show
“Faith Over Fear”
Dear Parishioners of Our Lady of Mercy,
I hope this finds you safe and well.
We are happy to see the increasing number of people coming to worship with us at Mass. It is a good sign of your desire to receive Jesus in the Eucharist and to see the faces of the members of your OLM parish family. We give thanks to God for this blessing and for the fact that we are well and safe during this health crisis. May the good Lord continue to protect us and may this crisis be over soon.
We are in the middle of September and things are easing towards recovery for the better. Time has gone by so quickly. If you asked me what have we been doing here at OLM, I would say that we have been trying to move along optimistically – keeping our faith and deepening our hope in God, in spite of the disheartening events; warning everybody to be safe; and working at keeping our church facilities sanitized. One challenge we have faced in sanitizing our church is the low supply of materials. Stores run out of them. If you know stores or businesses where we can get sanitizing supplies, please let me know.
I again thank Jojo Paloma, our Director of Maintenance, and our ministers and other volunteers for their effort in sanitizing the church after every Mass. I also thank you for cooperating with what we ask from you, that is, maintaining the proper spacing in coming in and going out of the church, patiently following the direction of ushers, keeping masks on all the time, and washing your hands with sanitizers. Let us keep doing those things for everybody’s safety. So far, we are doing well health-wise because you are doing the right thing.
Regarding our spiritual well-being, our readings tell us that we are all human beings with flaws and weaknesses. We are not perfect. We are all sinners. And Jesus is reminding us once again of how many times we have to forgive one another. We have to forgive one another endlessly. Let us bear that in mind always and carefully meditate on the readings we hear. God loves and cares for us.
Thank you and God bless us all!
Take care of yourselves by staying safe and well.
Love,
Father Marty
Register Now for Faith Formation 2020-2021
Our registration for Grades 1-8 Faith Formation is now open! The program this year will be VIRTUAL. We will abide by the guidelines and make adjustments in the future should in-person gatherings be allowed. For now, your family’s safety is our priority. We will utilize Google Classroom and other online platforms to journey with you to grow in faith. We will need the utmost cooperation and support of parents in order to navigate this “new normal”. Kindly fill out the form from our website-– olmnj.org/olmfaithformation
Confession Schedule
We have resumed our usual schedule for the Sacrament of Penance / Reconciliation. One of the priests is available for confessions Monday through Saturday, following the 8:30 am Mass. Confessions are heard from 9 am to 9:30 am in the daily Mass chapel. Use the door located in the church vestibule.
The Sacrament of Baptism
We have resumed the celebration of Baptisms. They are now being celebrated on designated Sunday afternoons. To inquire about a baptism, contact the parish office (201-434-7500). Deacon Meynardo Espeleta, who coordinates our baptism program, will then be in touch with more information.
Latest Update on We Are Living Stones
The total pledged amount is now $501,372. We are at 100.65% of our goal of that $431,275 has been collected and $192,999 disbursed to the parish. These funds are for:
- Purchase and Installation of a gas generator
- Church building facade caulk sealant replacement (completed at a cost of $19,100)
- Replacement of windows on school’s 3rd floor (completed at a cost of $119,213.)
- Repairing the boiler in the school (completed at a cost of $41,675)
- Debt reduction
We remind those who have not fully paid their pledge to continue sending your payment to the We Are Living Stones Office. (171 Clifton Ave, Newark, NJ 07104-0500). May God bless your generosity.
Update on Shining The Light of Christ
“Shining the Light of Christ” is this year’s 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 $47,280 and $40,826 has been collected. Please be generous and supportive of this appeal. Thank you!