July 24, 2020 | eNewsletter
|
|
From Our Pastor, Fr. Mike Hall
As I said my first weekend, years ago when I was in the seminary, I told anyone who would listen that there was no chance I would ever be the Pastor of St. Gregory’s: my home parish, but God has a sense of humor. It is a blessing to be “home,” although it has been quite an interesting time in the life of the Church and the world.
There are many things around us that can be lamented, many things that could cause us anxiety, or even worse, fall into despair, but that can never be our response as faithful people. When we see a lack of charity, we are called to act. When there we see a lack of compassion, we are meant to offer it. If we recognize injustice, we work against it, and not just within our world, but even within ourselves.
The last months of pandemic have been trying ones, and the separation we felt from one another and from the grace of the Sacraments amplified our pain. And yet, here we are, still offering prayers to God, still asking for forgiveness, mercy and healing, still bringing ourselves before the altar, either in person, or from our homes and giving thanks for blessings we have. We do this knowing that hope does not disappoint, because while the crosses of this world are burdensome, and the cross of Christ was a scandal: His cross is ultimately a sign of His victory over sin and death, and has become His promise of resurrection and renewal as we help to build the Kingdom on earth and await our entrance into His eternal presence.
--------
|
|
On the
parish Facebook page
you can find pictures of work done by teenage parishioners on our campus from July 12th-17th. These young parishioners with the help of seasoned supervisors took a difficult situation and turned it into an opportunity to serve the Church. Organized by Rich Pieslak, these hard workers, who planned to participate in the cancelled mission trip to Preston County, West Virginia, instead brought the mission home, helping to beautify and maintain our buildings and grounds: power washing, painting, fixing the bases of the front pillars, building a new dumpster enclosure behind the parish center, mulching and working in our gardens, and other projects. We thank them for their selfless example and efforts, and we give thanks to God for their willingness to serve as we enjoy the fruits of their labors.
|
|
Limited Public Mass
Saturday: 5:00pm Vigil
Sunday: 9:00am (live-stream), and Noon
Daily (Monday – Saturday) 8:30am
Private Prayer in the Church
Monday
–
Friday 9:30am-6:30pm
Saturday 9:30am-3:00pm
Reconciliation
Tuesday: 6:30pm
Wednesday: 6:30pm
Or by appointment (please call the Rectory to schedule)
Baptism
Sunday: 1:30pm & 2:30pm
|
|
Join The Adult Faith Formation Team to reflect and discuss our Sunday Liturgical Readings. Thursdays, July 30 – September 3, 2020.
Two sessions to choose from:
(1) Morning Outdoor Session: 9:30 – 11am
(2) Evening Outdoor Session: 6:00 – 7:30pm
*Please bring a chair
Or call the Adult Faith Formation Team at (609) 587-4877 x434
“For where two or three gather in my name, I am with them” – Matthew 18:20
We look forward to seeing you!
|
|
Community Garden Ministry
The community garden would like to thank the volunteer students from Project Appalachia for their help. They fixed some boards and rehung new fencing to keep the bunnies out.
Last week we were able to donate 20 pounds of fresh produce to the local food pantry. Please feel free to donate excess produce from your own garden to the produce bin in the church. If there are any questions or you would like to help in our community garden please contact Megan Dinh at
mas5p@aol.com
|
|
KofCorner
The 2020-2021 Knights of Columbus executive board sends a big welcome to Rev. Michael Hall and thank you and congratulations on accepting his appointment as the Council 7677 Chaplain.
The Council congratulates Sharon and John Zubricky for being selected as the July Council Family of the Month for their ongoing and steadfast commitment to the Parish Liturgy Committee, K of C Food Bank, and Usher Ministry and especially to Sharon for being elected as President of the Saint Gregory the Great Woman of Spirit.
The Council would also like to remind all parishioners that as they continue to clean out their closets and dressers, there are 2 bins on campus for clothing donations that is used to benefit the church, the school, and the Council.
Finally, as you continue to do your weekly shopping or cleaning of pantry closets, please keep the food drive that is held weekly for all non-expired, non-perishable food items
|
|
Learn more about the KoC Food Pantry:
|
|
From the Parish Respect Life Committee
The St. Gregory the Great Respect Life Committee’s central focus is to promote and protect the sanctity of human life from conception to natural death (womb to tomb). We focus on topics from abortion alternatives to assisted suicide and the death penalty. We look to educate and inform through our weekly bulletin columns, at parish events and through fundraising activities which support pro-life causes.
As part of an ongoing effort to re-platform the parish website, we are excited to announce that we now have a new, easy to navigate, Respect Life page. Here you can find information on faith-based programs, resources for help with crisis pregnancies, a catalog of prior bulletin articles devoted to Respect Life topics, and a calendar of upcoming pro-life events.
Please visit our new Respect Life website at:
|
|
Career Support Group
Monthly meetings with CSG feature different career experts and topics to help you advance in your career or job search. The next meeting is on Saturday, August 15th at 8:30am. The topic is “How to Deal with the Impact of Job Loss on Family and Relationships” with career expert Tamarra Causley Robinson. This is a virtual meeting and all are welcome. There is no charge to participate. Please visit
careersupportgroup.org
for more information.
|
|
Healing after Abortion
Do you know someone who is carrying the grief of a past abortion? There is always hope. The pain and sorrow of abortion does not need to endure for a lifetime. A “Day of Prayer and Healing” offers the opportunity to experience the love and mercy of God and to respond to His invitation to begin the journey of healing the wound of abortion. For upcoming dates, locations, and confidential registration, or just to talk to a Sister, please call the Sisters of Life at (866)-575-0075 (toll free) or reach us by email at
hopeandhealing@sistersoflife.org
|
|
Gain access to Catholic audio talks, movies, ebooks & video-based studies with FORMED
Registering for FORMED is FREE and easier than ever:
- Go to formed.org/signup
- Select St. Gregory the Great 4620 Nottingham Way, Hamilton Square, NJ
- Register with your name and email address
- Check that email account for a link to begin using FORMED
|
|
Francis House of Prayer
Francis House of Prayer in Allentown, NJ serves the people of the Diocese of Trenton and beyond by providing a contemplative environment for ongoing spiritual growth through Contemplative Prayer,
Ignatian Spiritual Exercises, Spiritual Direction, Weekend Retreats, 7-Day Silent Directed Retreats, Monthly Programs, One-Day Programs, Study of the Spiritual Masters, Ignatian Discernment of Spirits and Intern Program for Spiritual Directors
that foster a deepening relationship with God, self, others and the world.
Learn more...
|
|
Thank you for your unrelenting efforts to submit your donations each week. If you are not already registered for online giving, please consider opening an account by going to the Parish website. You can set up donations on a recurring basis or as a one-time gift.
|
|
Church of St. Gregory the Great
Rev. Michael Hall, Pastor
4620 Nottingham Way, Hamilton Square, NJ 08690
609-587-4877
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
