Category: Uncategorized

THE GREAT ADVENTURE: A JOURNEY THROUGH THE BIBLE

Posted on by Marta

Signup for the Bible Study for the Book of  JAMES…..Pearls for Wise Living

JAMES is one of the most practical books in the Bible.  Like the book of Proverbs, it is a book of wisdom, a collection of teachings on issues faced by ordinary Christians in everyday life. These teachings speak to all those who feel torn between the competing demands of this world and their faith.

This 11 WEEK STUDY offers “pearls for wise living” by giving practical solutions to handle and sanctify everyday circumstances…to help us be more “Christlike”. See how God’s Wisdom helps us to face suffering, temptation, and the storms of life.

WHEN:   Wednesday mornings 9:30-11:30AM
WHERE: Sacred Heart Parish Hall
START DATE: Wednesday October 21, 2020

COST: $20 (covers workbook)
QUESTIONS: Barbara Turro 732-903-7551 or email: barbara.turro@gmail.com
CHECKS TO: SACRED HEART CHURCH (Memo: BIBLE STUDY)
MAIL TO:  Barbara Turro, 1103 Barnegat Lane, Mantoloking, NJ 08738

When registering please include your NAME, ADDRESS, PHONE & EMAIL ADDRESS.

Challenge: Matching Gifts Needed for Valentine House

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Many of you may be familiar with Valentine House – their residents are the recipients of our Giving Tree gifts at Christmas. The Joan Valentine House in Point Pleasant Beach is a 40-bed residential health care facility dedicated to providing mentally ill residents with the safe, healthy, pleasant, caring environment they deserve. Managed by The Ocean Housing Alliance, Inc. a NJ nonprofit corporation comprised of family members and friends of the mentally ill. They are committed to the total care of each resident, which includes full housing provisions, coordination of health care providers, and various additional support services to give residents the opportunity to experience a decent quality of life.  The House is totally self-sustaining and dependent upon donations to operate.

 

Sacred Heart Church has received a donation of $5,000, our parish is matching that donation from our Charitable Giving Account and we are asking parishioners to join in on the challenge and all together match the donation with another $5,000 for a total of $15,000. We ask your support, no gift is too small, together we can help this happen! Please make your check payable to Sacred Heart Church and write Valentine House in the memo field.

Healing After Abortion

Posted on by Marta

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.

Diocesan Advisory

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Media reports have indicated significant spikes in Corona virus cases in 21 states that have re-opened or relaxed restrictions. As we approach the first weekend of public, in-church Masses, I remind the Diocese of our directions, lest there be any confusion:

  1. COVID-19 is still extremely contagious, especially indoors or in closed settings;
  2. The dispensation from the obligation to attend Sunday/Holy Day Masses remains in effect so that all Catholic faithful, in good conscience, are not required to be physically present in church; live-streamed Masses will continue in most parishes;
  3. Anyone who is sick or at risk should not come to church; that is not punitive but, rather, common sense and an act of charity toward your neighbors
  4. All parishes are expected to abide by occupancy and other regulations of the Diocese with care;
  5. Masks must be worn (no exceptions), physical contact of any kind must be avoided, social distancing must be practiced, proper sanitation must be observed at all public, in church Masses;
  6. Before attending public, in church Masses, the Catholic faithful are asked to consider any possible health and safety risks involved.

Diocese of Trenton DISCLAIMER: This electronic mail transmission is privileged and confidential and is intended only for the use by the party to whom it is addressed. If you have received this transmission in error, please disregard it.

Bishop’s Message

Posted on by Marta
A message from The Bishop and Father Joe.
The Holy Father has invited all clergy, religious and lay faithful of the world to take part in a special televised prayer service this Friday, March 27, at 1 pm EST.
It will be broadcast on EWTN  (Comcast 1668, Optimum 135) and live streamed on www.vaticannews.va.
At the Bishop’s request all the clergy, religious and lay faithful are asked to pray the Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be as ceremonies begin at 1 pm on Friday, March 27.

PLEASE SPREAD THE NEWS OF THIS GRACE-FILLED OPPORTUNITY  TO PRAY WITH THE HOLY FATHER TO FAMILY AND FRIENDS.
NO PUBLIC GATHERINGS INSIDE OR OUTSIDE OF CHURCHES.  PROMOTE FAMILY/AT HOME PRAYER AND PARTICIPATION.
Please note, that while the President is optimistic about Churches opening for Easter,  at this time, the Bishop’s Decree for Corvid-19  planning for the Diocese of Trenton as communicated in his decree and communications remains in tact and to be observed.

Pope’s Messages

Posted on by Marta

Pope Francis Prays the Angelus and a Rosary

“All Christians together … let us lift our voices toward Heaven.” This is the call Pope Francis has made to “invoke the Almighty, the Omnipotent God” for an end to the Coronavirus pandemic.

Following the Our Father prayed by Christians around the world and led by Pope Francis, then the pope will continue with the Angelus prayer. This prayer recounts the moment that is celebrated precisely on March 25: The Annunciation of God’s message to Gabriel, and the Virgin Mary’s response, and thus the incarnation of the Word in her womb.

After the Angelus, the pope will lead the praying of the Rosary.

Join in at the link above.

Pastor Update

Posted on by Marta

On March 13, 2020, Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., announced the following appointments, effective immediately:

Father Joseph G. Hlubik, from priest-in-residence, Sacred Heart Parish, Bay Head, to pastor, St. Pio of Pietrelcina, Lavallette, and Sacred Heart Parish, Bay Head.

Father Douglas Freer, from pastor, St. Pio of Pietrelcina, Lavallette, and Sacred Heart Parish, Bay Head, to medical leave.

Click the link Below for the full article: St. Pio Pastor Update

Bishop Coronavirus Statement

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The link below will take you to Bishop O’Connell’s latest message regarding the coronavirus.

Bishop O’Connell statement March 12, 2020

From Fr. Joe Hlubik

All parish functions including daily and weekend Masses are cancelled.
The Parish office will be closed until April 3rd.
We are still open for funerals, baptisms, and emergency anointing.
The Wednesday evening Penance Service is cancelled.
The Chapel will be open for private prayers from:
     St. Pio – 6am – 7pm
     Sacred Heart – 7am – 8pm

A Message from Bishop O’Connell On Measures to Mitigate the Spread of COVID-19.

God has not abandoned us and is present among us. As we learn each day of the growing concern surrounding the spread of the coronavirus in our communities, we need to have faith and confidence in God, especially in times like these, praying that He will see us through the present adversity safely.
Mindful of the Lord Jesus’ own words in St. Luke’s Gospel, “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself, take up his Cross daily, and follow me (Luke 9: 23),” the coronavirus pandemic has placed such a Cross before us.

In response to the latest guidelines from national and state health authorities aimed at stopping the spread of the disease, I have directed the following:

MASSES, SACRAMENTS AND OTHER CHURCH SERVICES
  • All public Masses throughout the Diocese of Trenton will be temporarily suspended through April 3, 2020.  That date is subject to change as the coronavirus pandemic evolves.
  • Baptism, funerals and weddings may continue based on the judgement of pastors, with the caution that crowds should not exceed 50 persons as mandated by the State of a New Jersey.
  • Social distancing practices (3-6 feet of space between participants) should be observed for any event inside church spaces.
  • Churches should remain open for prayer, private devotion and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.  Pastors are asked to consider Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament during the day. Praying in large groups, however, should be avoided.
  • Attention should be paid to the cleanliness of our church facilities.
  • Televised or online celebrations of the Mass and other religious programming are available for use of the faithful during this time.
  • All scheduled Confirmations in the Diocese will be temporarily postponed until after Easter and will be re-scheduled after that time.
  • The Sacrament of Penance should remain available according to need, but public Penance Services are not to be conducted.
  • The Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick should also remain available for true emergencies. Hospitals and nursing homes may be on lock-down and priests are advised to check on their status beforehand.
SCHOOLS, RELIGIOUS EDUCATION AND OTHER CLOSURES
  • All Catholic schools in the Diocese will remain closed as mandated by the State of New Jersey.  Directions for academic work have been provided by the Superintendent of Catholic Schools in coordination with Catholic school administrations.
  • All religious education programs are suspended with at-home work provided by the local parish leaders where possible.
  • The Chancery offices will be closed March 16 through March 23 and staff will work remotely during that time. A limited number of staff will be present in the office on an as-needed basis to provide essential services.
  • Pastors should make appropriate judgments regarding parish offices.  Other regular parish activities and previously scheduled events should be postponed or canceled.
  • Catholic social and charitable outreach programs and services in the Diocese should be adjusted to meet directions mandated by the State of New Jersey.
The Catholic faithful of the Diocese — priests, religious and lay faithful — are advised to keep informed and updated regarding the progress of the coronavirus pandemic during this national and state emergency. You will find links to national, state and local agencies on our webpage:  dioceseoftrenton.org/coronavirus.
We will continue to evaluate new information that could impact these directives and will post regular updates to dioceseoftrenton.org/coronavirus; TrentonMonitor.com/coronavirus and on the Diocese’s social media pages.
FINALLY, avoid crowded areas, observe careful hygiene, keep appropriate distances outside the home and if feeling sick, stay at home.  I ask that all of the faithful remember the elderly and other persons at risk in their families and communities, and reach out to them by phone to see if help is needed.
 A CALL TO PRAYER
An Act of Spiritual Communion is proposed for the faithful who are temporarily unable to receive the Eucharist:
“My Jesus, I believe that You are present in the Most Holy Sacrament.
I love You above all things, and I desire to receive You into my soul.
Since I cannot at this moment receive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already there and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You.  Amen.”
For a list of streamed or recorded Masses available online, or television stations airing the Sunday Mass,   go to dioceseoftrenton.org/coronavirus
As we all face what has become a grave and growing health risk, it is important for all the Catholic faithful to “persevere in hardship and keep praying regularly (Romans 12:12).”  As Bishop of the Diocese of Trenton, I invite all the Catholic faithful to join with me in prayer:
O Mary, loving Mother, you always shine on our path as a sign of salvation and of hope. We entrust ourselves to you, who at the Cross took part in Jesus’ pain, keeping your faith firm.
You, Salvation of Your People, know what we need, and we are sure you will provide so that, as in Cana of Galilee, we may return to joy and to feasting after this time of trial.
Help us, Mother of Divine Love, to conform to the will of the Father and to do as we are told by Jesus, who has taken upon himself our sufferings and carried our sorrows to lead us, through the Cross, to the joy of the Resurrection.
Be present to all those suffering from coronavirus and to those who care for them: families, friends, neighbors, doctors, nurses, staff, government officials, pastors, priests and all who seek to do God’s will. Bring comfort and calm to the elderly, to those at risk and to all who are afraid.  Be for us all a beacon of hope, lighting our path once more to the heart of your beloved Son, the Divine Healer and Health of the Sick.
Under your protection, we seek refuge, Holy Mother of God. Deliver us from every danger, O glorious and blessed Virgin. Amen.