St. Joseph Parish offers


Compassionate Sharing

Coffee, Conversation and Support

for those who have lost a loved one



Come and share an hour with others

who are on the journey toward healing



Members of the Ministry of Compassion

cordially invite you to come

Sunday, September 9th at 10:00 am

in the Rectory Meeting Room

767 Prospect Street, Maplewood

DO YOU FEEL CALLED TO SERVE?

Have you ever thought about helping St. Joseph Church by serving as a liturgical minister? The Mass could not “happen” without various roles being filled by parishioners like you! We are always in need of more lectors, Eucharistic Ministers, singers, musicians, altar servers, ushers, greeters, coordinators. The summer is a good time to think about how you might give of your time and talent to make our Liturgies ever more meaningful and participatory. In most cases, all that is required is a short training session and a sincere desire to serve God’s people. We will be taking on new ministers in the fall and would love for you to join us. If you would like to explore how you can help, contact Dugan McGinley at the rectory.

Looking For Music Ministry Members

As August winds down, it’s a good time to start thinking about ways to become more involved during the coming year. Are you interested in sharing your talent in our parish music ministry? We can always use more singers, both in Trinity for the 9:00 a.m. Mass (rehearse Wednesday evenings at 7:30 p.m.) and for the choir at the 11:30 a.m. Mass (rehearse Thursday evenings at 7:30 p.m.). We also are looking for additional musicians who would like to share their talent with our parish. If you play drums, flute, violin, trumpet, woodwinds, brass or other, we would especially love to expand our music ministry to include more instruments. Join us for rehearsal this week, September 5-6. Enter the church through the side door on Hilton Ave. If you would like more information, please contact Dugan McGinley at the rectory.

Holiday Schedule

PLEASE NOTE HOLIDAY SCHEDULE


Due to the Labor Day holiday on Monday, September 3rd, there will only be one Mass celebrated at 9:00 a.m. The Parish Office will be closed and the Rainbow Seniors will not be meeting.

Save the Date St. Joseph Family Picnic

Sunday, September 23, 2012
1-5 pm
Maplecrest Park, Maplewood
Rain location Bernard Hall

Order your Gray picnic shirts now!  Only $12.00 sizes youth small thru adult 3XL.  Free admission just bring a dish to share!  Fun for all ages.

CYO Basketball Registration

Boys and Girls in Grades 2 through 12 who are registered students in the parish Religious Education program, High School Youth Group or attend a local Catholic School are invited to play CYO Basketball. Teams will practice and play games at St. Joseph’s Parish Gym from October to March. Registration
has begun and will conclude by October 1. Additional adult volunteers are needed to be coaches for some teams. Contact Gerry O’Connor, St. Joseph’s Parish Athletic Director, at 201-341-4289 or stjosephcyobb@aol.com, with any questions or to volunteer. Additional information can be found on the St. Joseph’s CYO Basketball web site at

http://www.eteamz.comstjosephcelticscyobasketball/

St. Joseph Homilies Available

You can hear or share a homily that has touched you by visiting our parish website. The homilies of our priests are recorded on a weekly basis, and are available for downloading. Just log onto www.stjosephmaplewood.org and click “hearing’ then select the podcast download for the week you want to hear

LOOKING FOR SINGERS

As August winds down, it’s a good time to start thinking about ways to become more involved during the coming year. Are you interested in sharing your vocal talent in our parish music ministry? We can always use more singers, both in Trinity for the 9:00 a.m. Mass (rehearse Wednesday evenings at 7:30 p.m.) and for the choir at the 11:30 a.m. Mass (rehearse Thursday evenings at 7:30 p.m.). We will begin again the first week of September. If you would like more information, please contact Dugan McGinley at the rectory.

CYO GIRLS VOLLEYBALL

St Joseph’s CYO is exploring the idea of joining the Archdiocese of Newark CYO Girls Volleyball League. We are looking for adults who are interested in organizing and coaching teams made up of parishioners from both St. Joseph’s and OLS. This fall league will consist of girls from the 4th to 8th grades. Anyone interested in coaching should contact Gerry O’Connor at stjosephcyobb@aol.com or by phone at 201-341-4289.

FAITH FORMATION FOR ALL AGES

FAITH FORMATION FOR ALL AGES For Children in Grades K to 8 Our Sunday morning program of instruction for those not attending Catholic School will open on September 23rd for the 2012-2013 year. We are looking forward to welcoming everyone back and to meeting new students. To be placed in a class in time for this first session, children need to be registered by September 4th. New families are invited to call the Rectory this week for more information. The special schedule for opening day and a calendar for the year is mailed on or around Labor Day to all registered families. For Adults We have received several inquiries from adults interested in preparing for Sacraments or learning more about the teachings of the Church. Please feel free to call the rectory for more information about updating your faith or becoming a Catholic. Informal inquiries are always welcome. For Children at Sunday Mass Liturgy of the Word with Children is a special time with the Scriptures which will resume in September during 9:00 a.m. Mass. We are looking forward to gathering the children again to hear and talk about God’s word. As usual, there will be two groups, one for those in First Grade and above, the other for pre-schoolers old enough to cooperate in our Pray and Play session. Parents are welcome to visit and pray with their children who return to their pews in time for the Liturgy of the Eucharist. Pre-registration is not required for this worship experience.

I'M 55 +...WHAT DO I DO NOW????

New Jersey professionals age 55+ with skills, talent and generosity of spirit can make a social impact and reinvest a career’s worth of experience towards serving a non-profit or public institution. ReServe in Newark matches continuing professionals ages 55+ with rewarding part-time service opportunities at nonprofit organizations and public institutions in order to strengthen their communities. These opportunities allow you to serve your community while also earning a stipend. Questions??? Learn more at www.reserveinc.org/newark. Contact us at 973-596-6400 Ext. 124 or email us at Newark@reserveinc.org

THANK YOU FROM THE IHN TEAM

A huge thank you to all of the St. Joseph's parishioners and volunteers who made our Interfaith Hospitality Hosting a huge success from July 8th through the 22nd. Your generous donations through our Giving Tree, and the gifts of your time, through our various committees made IHN hosting happen here at St. Joseph. We had five families pass through our doors during these two weeks. One family signed a lease for permanent housing! Another family is not far behind in doing so. What did St. Joseph Parish do? We created a "home" for five families and supported them as treasured guests. Each family had their own private space created by our set up crew. Our guests felt the love! St. Joseph volunteers prepared and served forty-two meals; washed countless loads of laundry; played games with kids for at least twenty-hours; stayed overnight as hosts; talked; laughed, smiled and even cried. St. Joseph’s parishioners gave hope and we received joy! We made a difference in the lives of these families. This Parish ministry is not small by any means, and it would not have happened without the full support of the parishioners of St. Joseph Church. Our hats are off to you for your support and love. You all were the hands and feet of our Lord. We fed the hungry, clothed the poor, and gave shelter to the very least of us. May God Bless you all!

BRIDGES "RUN"

A Bridges food outreach Run to Penn Station to feed the homeless is scheduled for Saturday, August 25th from approximately 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. A “Run” is the outreach visit to our street sheltered friends where we distribute bagged lunches/breakfast, new and gently used clothing, toiletries and other necessities. Equally important, it is an opportunity for volunteers from housed communities to meet friends living on the street and in shelters to share time, fellowship and smiles. All Run volunteers must be in high school or older. If under 18 you must be accompanied by a parent. A sign-up sheet is in the back of church on the bulletin board outside the Children’s Chapel. We are limited to 12 people so put your name on the list right away! Please contact Don Blaesser at 973-986-3521 if you have any questions.