The extraordinary Holy Year of God’s Mercy proclaimed by Pope Francis will begin on December 8th, the feast of the Immaculate Conception. For that reason, we thought the parish mission in November should focus on God’s Infinite Mercy. HOLD THE DATE – Nov. 1, 2 & 3rd at 7pm in the Church & Mon. & Tues. Nov. 2 & 3rd at 9am in the Chapel.
On Oct. 4th, the Confirmation Program will begin the 2015-2016 school year. Teens meet once a month – usually on the first Sun. of the month. If you have teens entering 9th or 10th grade that have not yet registered please contact the Confirmation Office immediately at 973-283-1212. We have changed the program this year to improve the connection between the confirmation candidates and the OLM community. Beginning Oct. 4th, teens will join the OLM congregation at the Sun., 11am Mass. We encourage the families of our candidates to join us at Mass! This is an exciting change for the program, as the teens will be involved in a new way with the OLM community, and it will allow the 11am congregation to witness the strength and growth of the faith of our soon-to-be fully initiated Catholics! Also, at the opening Mass for the confirmation program, on Oct. 4th, OLM will be graced with talents of the Straight and Narrow Choir.
“MAKING A JOYFUL NOISE UNTO THE LORD” On Sunday, October 4th at the 11AM Youth Mass, the MEN AND WOMEN FROM STRAIGHT & NARROW will join us to celebrate this special liturgy. Straight and Narrow is a human service agency of the Diocese of Paterson Catholic Charities. Thanks to the treatment and facilities offered by Straight & Narrow, these men and women, whose lives were once broken by addiction, are now on their way to living wholesome and productive lives as enthusiastic contributors to society. You’ll hear that optimism, determination and gratitude in the way they give Praise to the Lord. Come…You’ll never forget this experience.
Religious Education for Grades 6-8 starts Mon., Sept. 28, 7:15-8:30 in the school. Grades 1-5 resumed last week and we had a wonderful start. The classrooms were filled with excitement, learning and prayer. Our catechists were well prepared and did a great job sharing their faith and teaching the material. OLM is truly blessed to have such a devoted group of people to pass on the faith to our youngsters. There is still room if you have not yet registered your children! Please do it right away…there are only so many desks and classrooms. Call or email Mary Ramsden, 973.838.0567 or [email protected].
Serving Christ Among Us It is important that when you give to any charitable organization, you are confident that the funds are used wisely. Be assured that your gift to the Bishop’s Annual Appeal supports four causes: our Catholic Charities agencies, seminarian education, our inner city area elementary schools and our priests’ retirement residence. Funds are used for no other purpose. All funds raised for the Paterson Diocese stay in the Diocese. Please make a pledge to the Bishop’s Annual Appeal today.
CATECHIST NEEDED for the Confirmation Program which starts on 10/4/15. Classes meet one Sunday per month between October and May. We will provide you with all the necessary training and information! All you need is a love of God and a willingness to share that love. If you can help, please contact Grace Davin at 973-283-1212 or [email protected].
Good Friends, food and fun…Sat. Oct. 17th - 7 p.m. in the school auditorium. Enjoy authentic German food (served by Schwinds Marketplace), Oktoberfest beer crafted by Ramstein brewery, professional comedian Mike Marino, and an Om-pa-pa band. Tickets are $30. Call David Puccia at 973-694-1955 to reserve seats. Proceeds support local families in need.
The Parish Mission is scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 1st, Monday, Nov. 2nd and Tuesday, Nov. 3rd. Fr. Ronan Murphy will present the theme of the extraordinary Holy Year, God’s Infinite Mercy. The presentation on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday evenings will begin at 7:00pm. In addition to the evening sessions, for those who don’t like to venture out at night, Monday and Tuesday morning Mass will begin at 9:00am in the chapel and will incorporate the Mission theme.
CLASSES BEGIN Sept. 20 and 21. Note time changes: Sunday classes begin at 10:15 and end 11:30. Monday afternoon classes 4:30-5:45. Monday night remains the same time, 7:15-8:30. Please send your child with the signed last page of the parent/student handbook, their admission slip and a pencil. We are very excited to begin classes with our children. Questions – call or email Mary Ramsden at the Rel. Ed. office, 973.838.0567 or [email protected].
At all Masses this weekend, those who participate in the ministry of bringing the faith to our children will be recognized and commissioned. Also, a certificate will be waiting for each of them in the back of the church. If you attend Mass in the chapel, your certificate will be in the narthex of the church. Let us all extend a word of encouragement to our catechists and keep them, and the Religious Ed. department, in our prayers. As we bless and recognize our catechists this weekend, keep in mind that there is always a calling for more catechists. Your prayerful consideration of this ministry is greatly appreciated.
Serving Christ Among Us As you consider your pledge to the 2015 Bishop’s Annual Appeal, it is important to know that the Partners in Faith campaign conducted in 2013 and the Bishop’s Annual Appeal are different drives serving different needs. The Partners in Faith campaign raised funds for ministries outside the Diocese’s general operating funds and included some endowments with an eye toward future needs. The Bishop’s Annual Appeal, on the other hand, helps fund immediate day-to-day operations of four important ministries and programs: Catholic Charities, seminarian education, our diocesan priests’ retirement residence and our inner-city schools. A parish would not suspend its Sunday collection after conducting a major parish capital campaign because it is needed to fund the day-to-day operations of the parish. Similarly, the diocese cannot suspend the Bishop’s Annual Appeal since it helps fund the annual operations of important ministries and programs. With this in mind, please be as generous as possible to this year’s Bishop’s Annual Appeal. If you have received the Bishop’s letter, please prayerfully respond today.
4-Get-Me-Not Sunday is Sept. 27th. Carlos at the Catholic Charities Fr. English Food Pantry said that he is struggling to offer food to the hundreds of families coming each week. Food donations have fallen off remarkably this summer. He notes that people might forget about donating food, but those who are experiencing hunger cannot forget. OLM has a reputation of being an especially generous donor and so a heartfelt request goes out for food donations next Sunday. Thank you!
For well over a century, the Catholic Church in New Jersey has provided adoption services. Throughout all those years, the Church promised to honor the privacy of birth parents and adoptees. That promise of privacy also was assured by law and affirmed by the State Superior Court. Those promises can no longer be kept. On May 27, 2014, a new law took effect that will allow adoptees and certain relatives to request and obtain the names of their biological parents beginning January 1, 2017. Any birth parents who wish to preserve their privacy must submit a Redaction Request Form to the New Jersey Department of Health no later than December 31, 2016. By filing this form, birth parents will be able to keep their names off any documents provided by the State to adoptees or anyone else. The State made the Redaction Request Form public on August 3, 2015. The form can be downloaded at http://nj.gov/health/forms/reg-36c.pdf If you know a person who placed a child in adoption, please tell them that if they do not file a Redaction Request Form, their name and other information could be given to the adoptee. Anyone needing assistance can call a HELPLINE AT 609-989-4809.
On Sept. 12th at the 5pm Mass Msgr. Carroll will presented a check for $2,500 to Judy Slodky, a Heifer International representative. This donation was made possible by our OLM Faith Sharing Groups, Bible Groups, Ladies Guild, Knights of Columbus and the Rosary Group. Click here to read more.
Due to the very hot and rain-free summer and the price of gas, many parishioners took vacations outside of Kinnelon so our parish collections have taken a nose dive. Any help in this regard would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.