ST.JOSEPH PARISH NOW ACCEPTS DONATIONS FOR HAITI RELIEF

I’m writing you all this week while taking a post-Christmas vacation. When I turned on the news on television my heart sank at the terrible news breaking forth. On Tuesday January 12, 2010 a catastrophic earthquake hit the capital city of Port- au- Prince in Haiti. The devastation has been unprecedented. The poorest nation in the Western hemisphere now faces a long and painful recovery. Our hearts and prayers go out to the many victims and the entire nation as they asses the awful damage, assist the injured, and recover those who have perished. Haiti is a deeply Catholic country with almost 80% of the population being Catholic. The Archbishop of Port-au-Prince is already been identified as having died during the earthquake. There is great fear and panic as many try to make contact with loved ones.

I know many of our own parish family have been affected as many of you have family members in Haiti. Information is still coming in as I write this column but there is no question that much of the news that will surface in the days to come will not be encouraging. In solidarity and support of all, our parish community will open a voluntary collection of funds to be sent to Catholic Charities for earthquake relief. A special second collection will be taken up at all Masses this weekend. Checks should be made out to St. Joseph Church and clearly marked Haiti earthquake relief. If you are unprepared this weekend you may send your donation directly to the parish office during the week. In the meantime our faith community will continue to pray and offer our support as this horrific event unfolds.

In God’s Peace and Love
Fr. Michael

IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE HAITIAN COMMUNITY

Our heartfelt prayers go out to the victims, their families and the entire Haitian Community in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake, which resulted in serious loss of human life, a great number of homeless and missing, and enormous material damage.

We will immediately move into action and appeal to the generosity of everyone, so that our brothers and sisters receive our concrete solidarity and the effective support in this moment of need and suffering in coordination with the Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Newark.

We, the St. Joseph Parish Faith Community, invite everyone to join in our prayer to the Lord for the victims of this catastrophe and for those who are mourning their loss. We assure our community’s spiritual closeness to people who have lost their homes and to all those affected in various ways by this calamity, imploring from God consolation and relief of their suffering.