June 5, 2020 | eNewsletter
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Live-Streaming on
Facebook
and on the Parish website
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A Note from Fr. McClane
On this Trinity Sunday, we think about how God is love within himself. He is not alone or solitary. He is three persons but one God. He is a community, a communion. Father, Son and Holy Spirit. St. Augustine described the Trinity in this way: God the Father is the one who loves; God the Son is the one who is loved; and God the Holy Spirit is the love that is between them. The love between the Father and the Son is so immense and powerful that it is actually another person of the Trinity!
This love God has poured out upon the world and pours out upon us, so that we can take part in the life of the Trinity and live that love toward others. It is important to be on the road, on the path, to take those steps in the direction of being more like God. When I think of the immensity of God’s love, and then I think about the love that is in my heart, I see a great distance between my ways and God’s ways -- but I must keep trying.
In these days of division in our country, divisions that go back decades if not centuries; in these days of division that can even creep into our institutional Church, with people disagreeing over fundamental values or thinking according to the world’s principles of power and prestige, it is refreshing to hear the call of St. Paul today in the 2
nd
Reading: “Mend your ways, encourage one another, agree with one another, live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you” (2 Cor 13:11). Let us heed his call!
The love and power of the Holy Spirit in us through baptism truly enables us to accomplish great acts of forgiveness and love and can bring about healing and unity, if we turn to God and ask for his help, ask for Him to be present in our lives!
Sincerely in Christ,
Fr. McClane
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On May 30 Bishop O'Connell released
Directives for limited Restoration of Public Masses
in the Diocese of Trenton. The St. Gregory the Great COVID-19 Task Force is currently meeting to discuss how these directives will be implemented in our parish. More information will be provided as soon as plans are finalized.
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Open for Private Prayer
During select hours of the day, St. Gregory the Great Church will be open for private prayer. Thank you for your strict adherence to the guidelines put in place by the SGTG COVID-19 Task Force.
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Volunteer to be a Monitor during Private Prayer
In order to assist parishioners partaking in private prayer and to insure that social distancing rules are followed, volunteers to perform monitoring are being solicited.
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Thank you for your unrelenting efforts to submit your donations each week by mail, in-person drop off or with online giving. If you are not already registered, 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.
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Pope Francis Prays for George Floyd, Decries 'The Sin of Racism'
The pope's message to the U.S. was part of his address during Wednesday's (6/3/20) general audience at the Vatican. Here's the full text of that portion of his remarks:
"I greet the English-speaking faithful joining us through the media.
"Dear brothers and sisters in the United States, I have witnessed with great concern the disturbing social unrest in your nation in these past days, following the tragic death of Mr. George Floyd. "My friends, we cannot tolerate or turn a blind eye to racism and exclusion in any form and yet claim to defend the sacredness of every human life. At the same time, we have to recognize that "the violence of recent nights is self-destructive and self-defeating. Nothing is gained by violence and so much is lost,"
"Today I join the Church in Saint Paul and Minneapolis, and in the entire United States, in praying for the repose of the soul of George Floyd and of all those others who have lost their lives as a result of the sin of racism. Let us pray for the consolation of their grieving families and friends and let us implore the national reconciliation and peace for which we yearn. May Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mother of America, intercede for all those who work for peace and justice in your land and throughout the world.
"May God bless all of you and your families."
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A Call To Charity
Since the outbreak of COVID-19, which has closed our schools, churches, and places of business, the Knights of Columbus have been busier than ever doing charitable works for our community.
For all men over 18 who feel the call to help their fellow neighbor, now is the time to join the Knights of Columbus. Our initiation ceremony is totally online, and new members can earn their first, second, and three degrees in one sitting. In the last month alone, over 2,000 men nationwide became Knights. Now is your time.
If you would like to speak to someone about becoming a Knight, please contact Tom Lencovich, Chancellor, at
tom@experiencedbrokerage.com
for further details.
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Food and Clothing Drive
Food Donations:
The Knights of Columbus are outside St. Gregory the Great Church every Saturday from 9 am to 11 am to collect food from your car.
Clothing Donations:
If you're using this time to do a little spring cleaning and have gently used clothes you would like to donate, our clothing bins on St. Gregory the Great campus are open. Please feel free to drop off your clothes at your convenience.
If you or your family are in serious need of food and are unable to purchase what you need, feel free to contact John Zubricky, St. Gregory the Great Food Pantry Coordinator, at 609-275-9157. Please leave a message and your call will be returned.
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Community Garden Ministry
We Need Your Help to Feed the Hungry
More than ever, the St. Gregory the Great Community Anti-Hunger Garden will be only able to feed the hungry with your help, because of the extra economic stress on the Parish from the pandemic. Please consider donating items we can use or money to buy supplies. Please also consider donating your time—we can set you up with instructions for watering or weeding by yourself, so we can all social distance. What we need:
- Help with watering and weeding. Can you come intermittently? Can you commit to a day a week?
- Good quality stakes or tomato cages—no pressure treated wood, since we are an organic garden, please.
- Bagged organic topsoil or compost.
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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
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Novena to the Holy Spirit - Thank you!
The Women of Spirit would like to thank the members of our ministry and the Knights of Columbus who helped to bring the Novena to the Holy Spirit to our parish family in the nine days preceding Pentecost. If you haven’t had a chance to pray the novena, the videos and prayers are still available on our parish website.
Click here to view.
We are grateful to John and Sharon Zubricky, John and Mary Ann Isaac, Tim and Jacqueline Cupo, Marty and Donna Valerio, Tom and Mimi Lencovich, Ed and Jeannette Kohler, Dan and Mary Ellen Parotta, John and Nelly Thomas, and Dan and Alyce Rossi for their participation in the Novena. In addition we would like to recognize Dwight Torlay and Liz Pelikan for their expertise in filming and editing.
May the Holy Spirit continue to guide us during this time of pandemic and bestow upon us his fruits of charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control and goodness to sustain us now and always.
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Counseling Services
Parishioners seeking help through difficult issues such as: marital problems, raising children, eldercare, bereavement/grief, or the stress of job loss that can be successfully addressed by brief counseling support.
Through a joint effort of the Diocese of Trenton and Catholic Charities, licensed professional counselors are available to help.
You must be a parishioner in a parish of the Diocese to take advantage of this program, which can
be accessed by contacting on
e of our priests who will provide additional information and a referral.
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Church of St. Gregory the Great
Rev. Michael McClane, Pastor
4620 Nottingham Way, Hamilton Square, NJ 08690
609-587-4877
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