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The Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Online Stations of the Cross During the Season of Lent

The Holy Name Society of our parish will sponsor Stations of the Cross on the Fridays of Lent at 7 pm. Because of the current pandemic these services will be online. To participate, go to our parish website (olmnj.org) and click on FACEBOOK|LIVESTREAM. The Stations will take place on the following Fridays of Lent at 7 pm

    February 19, 2021 – 7:00pm EST
    February 26, 2021 – 7:00pm EST
    March 5, 2021 – 7:00pm EST
    March 12, 2021 – 7:00pm EST
    March 19, 2021 – 7:00pm EST
    March 26, 2021 – 7:00pm EST

Let us journey with Jesus Christ this Lenten season. Praying the Stations of the Cross brings us closer to Jesus as we meditate on the great love he showed us in his suffering and death!

LENT BEGINS THIS WEDNESDAY, FEB. 17

This Wednesday, February 17, is Ash Wednesday. On this day, Christians receive ashes as a sign of our desire to make good use of the season of Lent to turn from sin and to grow in our faithfulness to the Gospel.

Because of the current pandemic ashes will be distributed in a different manner. The priest will say the words, “Repent, and believe in the Gospel,” only once over the entire congregation. Then ashes will be sprinkled on the heads of those who come forward. While sprinkling ashes on the head is not a common practice in the United States, it is common in Europe and elsewhere. The sprinkling with ashes will take place this Wednesday, February 17, during the Masses and the Prayer Service listed below.

7:00 am – Mass
8:30 am – Mass
3:00 pm – Scripture Service
7:00 pm – Mass

2021 LENTEN REGULATIONS

1. Ash Wednesday (February 17) and Good Friday (April 2) are days of Fast and Abstinence.

2. All the Fridays of Lent are days of Abstinence.

3. A Day of Fast means that only one full meal is permitted. Two smaller meals may be eaten. There is no food taken between meals. Those between the ages of 18 and 59 are obliged to fast, though others are encouraged to fast. The
days of fast are Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.

4. On a Day of Abstinence, no meat may be eaten. Those 14 years of age and older are obliged to abstain from meat. For a serious reason, Church Law allows the pastor to dispense an individual from refraining from meat on a Friday during the Lenten Season.

5. The obligation to observe the laws of Fast and Abstinence “substantially” or as a whole, is a serious obligation.

6. Catholics should go to Holy Communion at least once between the First Sunday of Lent (February 21) and Trinity Sunday (May 30). If necessary, they should celebrate the Sacrament of Penance. Individual confessions are heard here at OLM Monday through Friday from 9 am to 9:30 am and Saturday from 4 pm to 4:30 pm in the former daily Mass chapel.

From the Pastor

Dear Parishioners of Our Lady of Mercy,

Fr. Marty JacintoI hope this finds you well and safe.

This weekend is World Marriage Day. It is so appropriate that it falls on February 14, the Memorial of Saint Valentine of Rome who died in the year 496. You can google Saint Valentine to find out more about him. Saint Valentine is said to be the patron saint of lovers, epileptics, and bookkeepers.

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all married couples! You certainly know what it is to love one another through thick and thin. This year’s theme for World Marriage Day is “To Have, To Hold, To Honor.”

This would be a perfect day for you to recall the promises you made to one another on the day of your marriage. Meditate on how you are living out those promises in your daily lives. Reflect on how you have grown together since your wedding day. Consider how you can continue to grow in loving and honoring your spouse. Please know that you are all in my prayers as you continue your journey of faithfulness and love with your children and your children’s children.

On February 17, our Lenten season begins with Ash Wednesday. Please read our bulletin and pay close attention to our announcements as we move through this holy season. We include our calendar of events in our bulletin so that you have an idea of what is taking place in our parish.

Because of the current Covid-19 pandemic our celebrations of Holy Week will be slightly different. The little changes will help to keep everyone safe and protected from the virus. So, I ask for your utmost cooperation and compliance.
Also, please be sure to follow all the directions our ushers give you. We are doing this, more so now, because the number of Covid-19 cases is getting higher. Wear masks or face coverings the whole time you are in church, observe social distancing, and sanitize your hands.

For those of you who missed seeing the Annual Appeal video, you can view it on our parish Facebook account or website (olmnj.org). You may notice some familiar faces and places as you watch the video. I encourage you to consider supporting this Annual Appeal for the Archdiocese. If we go over our goal of $42,122, the surplus will come back to us 100%. You may place your pledge cards in the collection box by our baptismal font or bring them to the parish office.

Thank you and God bless you all.

Love,

Father Marty

Sign Up To Be Part of Our Online Lenten Scripture Program

Appreciate the Word, Live the Word

Good things are worth repeating, and that certainly is the case with Appreciate the Word, Live the Word. This small group program, which has taken place at OLM during the past three years, has helped participants to grow in their understanding of God’s word. It has helped them to see how that word might be applied to their daily lives. In the process they have made new friends and have grown in their faith.

This coming Lenten season, which begins this week, we are going to have a four-session program focused on the Gospel Readings for the Sundays of March.

(March 7, 14, 21, 28) Because of the ongoing pandemic, these sessions of Appreciate the Word, Live the Word will take place online, using ZOOM. No previous knowledge of the Bible is required, only a desire to listen to what the Lord may be saying to us in the scripture readings.

Pick the time that works best for you from the schedule below and then register today by sending an email with your name, email, phone number and preferred time slot to (olmym@aol.com).

You can also register online at https://forms.gle/1yb5Hnrze21d3cbX8

Sundays at 6 pm (Feb. 28, March 7, 14, 21) Facilitators: Alex & Rose Duque
Mondays at 4 pm (March 1, 8, 15, 22) Facilitator: Fr. Tom Iwanowski
Mondays at 7 pm (March 1, 8, 15, 22) Facilitators: Jed & Anne Bacay
Tuesdays at 10 am (March 2, 9, 16, 23) Facilitator: Grace Teves
Wednesdays at 7 pm (March 3, 10, 17, 24) Facilitator: Evelyn Apelizan
Thursdays at 7 pm (March 4, 11, 18, 25) Facilitator: Deacon Meynard Espeleta


Online Stations of the Cross During the Season of Lent

The Holy Name Society of our parish will sponsor Stations of the Cross on the Fridays of Lent at 7 pm. Because of the current pandemic these services will be online. To participate, go to our parish website (olmnj.org) and click on FACEBOOK|LIVESTREAM. The Stations will take place on the following Fridays of Lent at 7 pm

February 19, February 26, March 5, March 12, March 19, March 26

Let us journey with Jesus Christ this Lenten season. Praying the Stations of the Cross brings us closer to Jesus as we meditate on the great love he showed us in his suffering and death!


World Marriage Day

World Marriage Day is an outgrowth of Worldwide Marriage Encounter, an apostolate aimed at helping couples make good marriages even better.

World Marriage Day began in 1983 and is celebrated every second Sunday of February in Catholic dioceses across the country. In 1993, Pope Saint John Paul II, imparted his Apostolic Blessings on World Marriage Day.

This year World Marriage Day falls on February 14, coinciding with Valentine’s Day. The purpose of World Marriage Day is to highlight the beauty of marriage and to honor husbands and wives for their faithfulness and sacrifices.

In recognition of World Marriage there will be a special blessing of all married couples at our Masses next weekend, February 13 & 14. We encourage all married persons to attend Mass with their husband or wife so they might be blessed as a couple.


Latest on Shining the Light of Christ

“Shining the Light of Christ” was the name of the 2020 Annual Appeal that supports the programs and ministries of the Archdiocese. The 2020 goal for Our Lady of Mercy Parish was $42,809. The total amount that was pledged was $52,790. Of that amount, $51,961 has already been collected. There is a 100% rebate of every dollar collected above our goal.


Current Status of We Are Living Stones

Our total pledged amount in the Archdiocesan Capital Campaign, called WE ARE LIVING STONES is now $501,572. We are at 100.69% of our goal of $498,144, of that $434,968 has been collected and $194,259 disbursed to the our parish for various projects.

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.

FEBRUARY PRAYER INTENTION OF POPE FRANCIS

Stopping Violence Against Women. We pray for women who are victims of violence, that they may be protected by society and have their sufferings considered and heeded.

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.
February 7, 2021 Regular Collection = $3,322

Thank you so much for your generosity and support!

2020 CHRISTMAS COLLECTION $40,885

Thank you so much for your generous response to our 2020 Christmas Collection. May the Lord bless you for remembering the needs of your parish during this past Christmas Season.

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