Below are links you will find particularly interesting !
A Letter from Most Reverend David M. O’Connell, C.M. Bishop of Trenton
A THREAT TO RELIGIOUS FREEDOM
My Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ in the Diocese of Trenton:
As your Bishop, I write to you concerning an alarming matter that negatively impacts the Catholic Church in the United States directly, and that strikes at the fundamental right to religious liberty for all citizens of any faith. The federal government, which claims to be “of, by, and for the people,” has just dealt a heavy blow to almost a quarter of those people—the Catholic population—and to the millions more who are served by the Catholic faithful.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced last week that almost all employers, including Catholic employers, will be forced to offer their employees’ health coverage that includes sterilization, abortion-inducing drugs, and contraception. Almost all health insurers will be forced to include those “services” in the health policies they write. And almost all individuals will be forced to buy that coverage as a part of their policies.
As a result, unless the rule is overturned, we Catholics will be compelled to violate our consciences or to drop health coverage for our employees (and suffer the penalties for doing so).
We cannot—we will not—comply with this unjust law. People of faith cannot be made second class citizens. We are already joined by our brothers and sisters of all faiths and many others of good will in this important effort to regain our religious freedom. In generations past, the Church has always been able to count on the faithful to stand up and protect her sacred rights and duties. I hope and trust she can count on this generation of Catholics to do the same. Our children and grandchildren deserve nothing less.
This is not an attempt by the Church to interfere with anyone’s politics. It is, rather, an attempt to lift up and live our Catholic faith the way that our nation and our constitution have always guaranteed us the freedom and the right to do. Please join me and all of those harmed by this legislation in prayer and in an all-out effort to have our freedom restored. History cautions us repeatedly that once we walk down such a dangerous path, we will get lost in the process. For more information, please go to www.usccb.org/conscience.
Respectfully yours in Christ,
Most Reverend David M. O’Connell, C.M.
Bishop of Trenton
“Souper Bowl of Caring”
This year on February 4th and 5th…Super Bowl weekend…we will be having our annual “Souper Bowl of Caring” collection.
This is a collection that is done at each Mass that weekend. This year we will be donating the money to Habitat for Humanity! The organization had a property donated to them and it is in the beginning stages of demolition. With our donation, we will help to provide the necessary material to complete the home. Paint, nails, fixtures, flooring etc. Please help make a difference in a family’s life. Habitat for Humanity works in partnership with God and people everywhere, for all walks of life, to develop communities with God’s people in need by building and renovating houses, so that there are decent houses in decent communities in which people can live and grow into all that God intended. One of the most important lessons learned in the Youth Group is helping others and here we will prove it!
ST. MICHAEL’S 2ND IRISH FESTIVAL
PRESENTED BY HOMELIFE
SATURDAY, MARCH 3, 2012
9:00 am Irish/English Mass celebrated by the Rev. Harold Cullen
10:00 am to 12:30 pm
- Irish Breakfast catered by Pat Conte Catering
- Irish Soda Bread Contest*
- Irish Music performed by Trinity
- Step Dance Performances by Patricia Murphy School of Irish Dance
Ticket Prices: $20/adult, $5/child ages 5-12. Under 5 Free
Pre-paid, advance reservations requested. The deadline is 2/24/12. For information call Kelly Lamb at 908-489-8258.
Send checks payable to “St. Michaels” to 6 West End Court, Long Branch, NJ 07740 along with the following information:
Name, Contact info (email, telephone) Number of Adults, Kids(5-12), Kids (under 5)
*There will be an Irish Soda bread Contest. Contestants should bake one loaf of Irish soda bread and bring it to the event pre-sliced into sample size pieces. Guests will be invited to vote for the best tasting soda bread by secret ballot.
The ballots will be counted and a winner announced at the event. A small prize will be awarded. Please indicate on the registration form if you intend to participate.
BIBLE STUDY
Our weekly Bible study resumed on January 11th. Join us on Wednesdays at 7pm at the
No need to make a Commitment—just stop by and check it out. Come and meet some new people for the new year and travel through the Bible with us!!!!! . Hope to see you there
Any questions call Patty at 732-483-0360 ext 10.
DIVORCED, SEPARATED, AND WIDOWED MINISTRY
Our path through this life can be gentle one that is walked in love. This means love for ourselves and love for others. Sometimes it is difficult to love others. Sometimes it is more difficult to love ourselves than it is to love others. We are called in the Christian life not to be a push over as there are times we need to set boundaries. Sometimes we need to detach. We need to take care of ourselves. Sometimes it is hard to walk our path in love finding the balance between assertive action taken in our own best interests and love for others. We sometimes equate personal strength with being strong. But we naturally have days when we cannot push any harder, cannot hold back the self-doubt, cannot stop focusing on fear. We just cannot be strong. Sometimes need to just fall apart and need to give ourselves permission to fall apart. We don’t have to be the perpetual towers of strength. It is okay to be human. Our strength will continue.
Our group meets on the second and fourth Thursdays of the month at the Living Room in our Outreach Center located at 6 West End Ct., Long Branch N.J. For more information call Deacon Somma at 732-483-0360 ext 12. Our Topics this month are:
February 9, Letting Go in Love
February 23, Strength
LENTEN LONGINGS
DON’T GIVE UP CHOCOLATE OR DESSERT THIS LENT!
Instead join a small group community for the six weeks of Lent to participate in Lenten Longings to read Scripture and share your faith. Small groups will be meeting once a week for six week for 90 minutes a week. There are groups on various days and time slots to choose from.
Catholics traditionally have fasted and prayed with the hope that they would have time to think about the more important things in life. Why not try something else this Lent? In our parish, we have the opportunity to gather in small groups. When we gather, we read scripture, pray, and share our faith. Don’t allow this lent to end with the feeling… Is that all there is? Fill out a sign up form and pick a day and time that works for you. You’ll be happy you did.
Sign up forms due February 15. Groups begin the week of February 18th. For more information, call Deacon Somma at 732-483-0360 ext 12
CHURCH RESTORATION PAGE
We have posted a new page that will keep parishioners up to date with regard to the church restoration project, both explaining the existing structural problems and at what point we are at in making the necessaary repairs. You can access the page by clicking here or the link in the box above.
PRAYER REQUEST PAGE
We have added a Prayer Request page to our website. All prayer requests will be forwarded to the Rosary Society, who will remember your intentions at the Communion Service every Saturday at 9 AM. To be taken to the Prayer Request page click here or on the link in the box above.
CHARLIE’S ANGELS PROGRAM
Come One Come All to our Charlie's Angels program!!!
We are going on a new Bible Adventure!!
Every week during the 11am Mass downstairs in the lower Church, kids from ages 3-6 (your child must be potty trained) will take a bible adventure through the gospel readings!!!
So don't forget to drop off your child before you go upstairs for Mass and we will take care of the rest.
For any questions or concerns or if you would like to volunteer to help please contact Patty at 732-483-0360 ext.10
This is a great volunteer service project for our teens to become involved in.
Divorced, Widowed, and Separated
In the 1800’s people flocked to Long Branch during the summer to take advantage of the curative powers of the salt air and water. President Garfield was brought here to heal from his bullet wound. It didn’t work for the President.
Emotional healing is difficult. The causes of are pain are not so easily identified as a bullet wound. We need deal with deeper wounds: wounds that separate us, wounds that cause an emptiness, wounds that cause loneliness and anxiety. These take more than salt air and salt water to cure them.
God offers us healing energy, but we have to accept it. We have to let it come into us and to heal us. We have just to ask for it and accept it. Healing can change our energy. It can change the dynamics.
There can be blocks to our ability to heal. Making amends for our actions can begin a great chain of events in us. It enables us to release negative feelings and energy and open us for positive feelings and energy. It opens us to taking God into us. And so the healing will begin.
The Divorced, Widowed, and Separated group meets on the second and fourth Thursdays of the month at St. Michael’s Living Room at 7pm. For more information please call 732-483-0360 ext 16.
ST. MICHAEL’S RESPECT LIFE
You may not have heard about the March for Life in Washington, DC held on January 23, 2012. Here are some statistics. At the Vigil Mass held at the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, the official count was 17,851 persons in attendance. It is estimated that some 500,000 participated in the rally and march, that stretched from the Mall to the Supreme Court Building. The New Jersey Bishops have released an important STATEMENT ON MARRIAGE. The Bishops are asking everyone “to reach out to your neighbors, your legislators and the governor with a simple message: Preserve the definition of marriage as a union of one man and one women.” Please read the full article online at NJCATHCONF. COM. The Statement includes information on why citizens should care about the state’s definition of marriage and answers many of the questions you may have. Do you know when an embryo’s heart begins to beat? We’ll give you the answer in next Sundays bulletin.
Love God, Love Neighbor, Love Yourself. Let’s act together to end abortion and build a Culture of Love.
Questions, more information, or to Stand up for Life call Raymond at 732-870-0427 or email
Faith Direct
The people we serve in our area, and the ministries, programs and services we provide are what make St. Michael’s Church truly special!
Your financial support makes all of this work possible. Please consider enrolling in our electronic giving program, Faith Direct. Using Faith Direct is a simple way that your financial support can further benefit not only our parish, but those in the surrounding community.
Faith Direct offers efficiency and simplicity: you can make all of your contributions to St. Michael’s Church via automatic payment from your checking account or credit card.
Please visit www.faithdirect.net to securely enroll online by using our church code: NJ319.
Thank you.
In the Events Calendar below, if you would like more information on a specific event just click on that day in the calendar.
Events Calendar
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
©2012 St. Michael's Church. All Rights Reserved.
