MAKING MUSIC, PRAYING TWICE

MAKING MUSIC, PRAYING TWICE
Coming soon to our parish!
This childhood program offers classes which include spoken rhymes, traditional children’s music, world folk music, chant, hymns and spirituals. Children from birth to age five, with their parent or caregiver, make music and move to music using percussion instruments and shaky eggs, scarves and religious imagery. Each family receives a songbook and CDs to take home. Does this sound like a wonderful way for your family to engage in parish life and meet new friends? If you might be interested in more information, please email faith@stjosephmaplewood.org and someone will be in touch.

St. Joseph Parish Prayer Shawl Ministry

The St. Joseph Parish Prayer Shawl Ministry donated dozens of knit/crocheted “Caps of Comfort” this past week to The Valerie Fund. The Caps, knit with compassion, prayer & care, will be distributed to children with cancer & blood disorders who may be experiencing hair loss due to medical treatments.

Food Pantry Shopping next weekend

Pick up a St. Joseph Church
canvas bag for your
Food Pantry Shopping next weekend
August 7 & 8 after Masses.



Return bag and donated items before Mass on
August 14 & 15.

If your summer vacation plans are scheduled for these dates please feel free to leave your donations in the church vestibule before you leave or after your return.

WARNING:
Knowing you contributed to keeping the Food Pantry shelves stocked this summer could possibly make your nap on the beach, paddling a canoe, trip down the water slide, dip in the pool, BBQ or hike even more enjoyable!!!

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY

Saturday, August 14th , the next volunteer build day in Newark for Habitat for Humanity. A sign-up sheet is in back of church on the bulletin board next to the Children’s Chapel. If you have any questions regarding volunteering, contact Gail Laughlin during regular business hours at the rectory, 973-761-5933, ext. 14.

BRIDGES OUTREACH, INC.

BRIDGES OUTREACH, INC.

School Supplies for children in need.

Please help by donating NEW school supplies.
Colored Pencils, Pencils, Erasers, Crayons, Markers, Highlighters, Loose Leaf Paper
Rulers, 2 Pocket Folders, Spiral Subject Notebooks, Marble Notebooks, Pencil Cases, Scissors, Glue Sticks.
Or a $5.00 Donation purchases one NEW backpack.

Bring donations through 8/24/10 to: Bridges 120 Morris Avenue (Oakes Center) Summit 908-273-0176
Tuesdays: 8:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.; Fridays 8:30 a.m. and 6 p.m.

COOPERATIVE ADMISSIONS EXAM

COOPERATIVE ADMISSIONS EXAM

Eighth Graders and their families
interested in attending
a Catholic High School in September 2011

The Cooperative Admissions Exam for participating Catholic High Schools in the Archdiocese of Newark will be administered on Friday, November 5, 2010.

Application forms and handbooks for this test and a listing of all Catholic High Schools and their admission requirements are available from:

MCS/CTB at their Web site, www.coopexam.org
or e-mail support@coopexam.org;
Catholic Elementary Schools of the
Archdiocese of Newark;
Catholic High Schools of the Archdiocese of Newark

Questions or to obtain registration form,
please call 1-888-921-2667 or visit www.coopexam.org

St. Joseph CYO Celtics Basketball

St. Joseph CYO Celtics Basketball

Registration will begin in September and we are looking for boys and girls entering 3rd to 8th grades. We are in need of adult volunteers to help with the coaching staff. Any questions contact Gerry O'Connor at stjospehscyobb@aol.com or 201-341-4289

DON’T FORGET TO PACK A SUPERMARKET GROCERY CARD!

DON’T FORGET TO PACK A SUPERMARKET GROCERY CARD!

Don’t forget to stock up on sunscreen and an exciting book to read while relaxing at the beach. Your local supermarket has everything you need for your vacation; and why not make all your purchases with a Supermarket Grocery Card?! Help St. Joseph Parish by making your next purchase with a Supermarket Grocery Card. $25, $50, and $100 cards are available for Kings, ShopRite, Stop&Shop and Pathmark. Cards are available every weekend after all the Masses from one of our volunteers or during the week by calling Jeanne Duffy at 973-763-4877.

ST. JOSEPH PARISH PRIESTS HOMILIES ON iTunes

http://stjosephpodcast.blogspot.com

IHN VOLUNTEERS, THANK YOU

The key to our success rests in people like you,who embody the spirit of greatness.
Thanks for your inspiring dedication and tremendous example to the world.

To the organizers through the leadership of Carmen Meades, IHN Parish Coordinator
and Liz Petroccia, Coordinator for Parish Ministries. We want to thank you for your dedication,and being there from the very start.Words cannot convey our gratitude
for your tremendous contribution.

The credit for our good deeds firmly rests with our dedicated volunteers and those who donated time, talent and treasure, for your contributions to our cause,Thank you!

Thank you so much for all of your hard work and to bear witness to love of Christ
was an unexpected perk. We never could have asked for a more dedicated volunteer
and words cannot express how grateful we are to have you here. It is a pleasure and a privilege to work with you. Thank you.

ST. JOSEPH PARISH ONLINE GIVING

L WHAT IS ELECTRONIC GIVING? It is an Electronic Funds Transfer which enables you to have your weekly offering automatically debited from your checking account or credit card through secure transactions over the Internet. You choose how much to give, how often to give, and what method is to be used. You can also make special offertory donations for second collections and special events.

L IS THERE A FEE INVOLVED FOR USING THE PROGRAM? It’s free, convenient and gives you peace of mind knowing that St. Joseph Church will receive your stewardship even if you’re away for the weekend or on vacation.

L IS ELECTRONIC FUND TRANSFER SAFE? Absolutely. Sensitive account information is rendered unreadable anywhere it is stored, and encrypted anytime it is transmitted via SSL technology. We adhere to the strictest guidelines regarding security of the financial information you provide. Sensitive information is never shared with a third party. We safeguard your system with advanced firewall, thorough anti-virus and aggressive anti-hacking technologies.

L HOW SHOULD I REGISTER? To learn more and to sign up, check out the “Electronic Giving” link on the parish website, www.stjosephmaplewood.org or pick up a leaflet at the doors of the church.

L When you have signed up for the program, you can use the “Electronic Giving Cards” available in the racks at the entrances of the church to drop in the collection basket during Mass instead of Parish Tithing envelope or cash.

L You can access your account at www.parishgiving.org at anytime with the user name and password you created at registration. You can view your contribution history, edit upcoming contributions and change your billing date and/or billing method if necessary.

PREVIEW THE STUFF YOU WANT TO TAKE HOME AT ST. JOSEPH PARISH RUMMAGE SALE 2010

http://picasaweb.google.com/sjpmcommunity/STJOSEPHPARISHRUMMAGESALEPREVIEWOFTHESTUFFONSALEATTHERUMMAGESALE2010#

Want to see the stuff on sale? Open this link to preview the items at on sale at the ST. JOSEPH RUMMAGE SALE 2010. These photos were taken today, June 25, 2010 at 10AM. More stuff are coming today....

http://picasaweb.google.com/sjpmcommunity

Fund Raisers

As the hearts of summer draw near we have our last two major fundraisers going on. Next week after the 11:30 mass our Cash raffle drawing will take place. The winner’s share from the fall raffle was over $6000! Make sure you have a chance to win! Please return your sold tickets to the rectory this week or purchase them at the doors of Church this weekend.

The rummage sale will be held the last weekend in June. Donation will be accepted beginning June 17^th at the school gym. See the other information about the sale on the announcement page of the bulletin.

Finally, an explanation of our on-going grocery card program is available at the doors of the Church. This is an easy way for you to contribute tot eh parish while doing your food shopping. I invite you to pick up one of these flyers if you are unaware or have questions about how the program works.

During these tough times I want to say thank you for all the efforts that are being made to support our Church financially. Thank you for making the effort to do all you can. It goes without saying how important your support is to the on-going mission of our parish!

In God’s Peace and Love,

Fr. Michael

PENTECOST NEXT WEEKEND, MAY 22-23

The PENTECOST SPIRIT BLOWS AFRESH

Be Lit! Pentecost Sunday and every day!

PENTECOST NEXT WEEKEND, MAY 22-23

AT ST. JOSEPH PARISH CHURCH

767 Prospect St., Maplewood, NJ 07040

973-761-5933

Pentecost is the great feast when we celebrate the “birthday of the Church” through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. It is not just a solemn celebration. It is a time for vigor, excitement, energy, movement, birth, fresh air and fresh commitment. If Pentecost has a sleepy feel to it in your life, wake up! Indeed, one of the best ways to celebrate it is to do just that: wake up! It’s a time to celebrate and worship. If you regularly go to church, invite someone to go with you for Pentecost Sunday because the Spirit birthed the fellowship of Jesus' disciples on that first Pentecost.

Take some time to think about the gifts the Spirit has given you: 'Is there a way I can use these to build up the community of disciples or help bring healing to others, to the credit of God alone?' The thanks that the Spirit wants for giving gifts is in your using them instead of sitting back and frittering away the opportunities.

We invite your special participation next weekend in two ways:

BRING A SMALL BELL to ring during the Gloria, just as we did during the Holy Triduum, but this time to signal the completion of the Easter Season.

WEAR RED, especially if it is part of clothing that represents your unique ethnic or cultural heritage. Red recalls the tongues of flame in which the Holy Spirit descended on the first Pentecost.

EASTER CELEBRATIONS

EASTER VIGIL

GOOD FRIDAY

HOLY THURSDAY

PALM SUNDAY

MEN'S CORNERSTONE REUNION

HAPPY FEAST DAY TO ALL OF YOU

TODAY IS MARCH 19,
SOLEMNITY OF ST. JOSEPH
HAPPY FEAST DAY
TO ALL THE PARISHIONERS OF
ST. JOSEPH PARISH
Please join us in our Parish Celebration
on Sunday, March 21, 2010; 4-7 PM in Bernard Hall.
Join the Fun with Food, Music, Dance and laughter.

Admission is FREE.
Please bring a dish to share that reflects your family heritage.
(main course or casserole to serve 5 or a vegetable dish to serve 10 - large families, bring more).
Please bring food in a disposable aluminum serving pan
to be placed on warmers.
You can also bring your own wine or beer if you wish.
We will provide soda, juice, water, coffee and tea.

ST. JOSEPH PARISH FEAST DAY CELEBRATION

http://picasaweb.google.com/stjosephinformationservice

click the link to view photos of past FAITH COMMUNITY DAYS

If there is just one self-evident fact that presents itself to us time and time gain, it is this – that we belong to this beautiful faith community of St. Joseph Parish- which is filled with diversity!

We are Living Stones; We are an outward looking people of faith who reach out into the community; We are a community which puts a high value on our Catholic Faith expressed in many different traditions and practices - such as we looked at from the Letter to the Hebrews. “Let us come near to God; Let us persevere; Let us be concerned for one another to show love and to do good; and Let us not give up the habit of meeting together for worship. All of these things emphasize the importance of our working together. We are a community of believers, who desire to Know Christ personally, and also in our commitment to Make Christ known to others. We are a family, in Christ – not a bunch of solo individualists each doing their own thing, concerned only for one’s self.

But an extremely important principle of being a family in Christ, being a community of faith – is that there is, and will always be many languages, many faces, various cultures, different traditions, CELEBRATING ONE FAITH!

COME TO OUR

FAITHCOMMUNITY DAY

A celebration of the cultural heritage and diversity OF OUR PARISH FAMILY
IN HONOR OUR PARISH PATRON SAINT
ST. JOSEPH
Sunday, March 21, 2010

4 - 7 pm in Bernard Hall.

This is the occasion that no one should miss.

Beginning with a brief prayer service in honor of St. Joseph, our patron saint,
followed by
POT-LUCK DINNER
featuring
INTERNATIONAL CUISINE
from our parish family.
Admission is a dish to share that reflects your family heritage
(main course or casserole to serve 5 or a vegetable dish to serve 10 - large families, bring more).
Please bring food in a disposable aluminum serving pan to be placed on warmers. You can also bring your own wine or beer if you wish. We will provide soda, juice, water, coffee and tea.

KIDS' PLAY DATE PARTY at the FAITH COMMUNITY DAY

FILIPINO MASS

THE BIBLICAL STATIONS OF THE CROSS

Evening of Prayer, Devotion and Reflection on

THE BIBLICAL STATIONS OF THE CROSS

First Friday
MARCH 5 at 7:30 PM

The great Pope John Paul II
developed a set of Stations of the Cross
based on events in the final days of Jesus’ life
as recounted in the Bible.
Join us for this special evening
of prayer and reflection on the Stations.
We will have a prayer service
featuring scripture reflections, music, movement and visual art.

When we come together to meditate on the Stations of the Cross, we want to tell ourselves that all is not lost in hard times. When bad news comes, one bit after another, we grow anxious. When misfortune hits us close to home, we grow disheartened. When we fall direct victims of a disaster, our self-confidence is totally shaken and our faith is put to the test. In testing times we see no reason for believing and hoping. And yet we believe. And yet we hope. This can happen in our personal lives. It happens in the wider society.

We renew and strengthen our faith, and continue to trust in the Lord. For he saves those who have lost all hope. And this hope does not ultimately disappoint us. It is truly in Christ that we understand the full meaning of suffering. During this meditation on the Stations of the Cross, while we hear with anguish the painful side of Jesus' suffering, we will also give attention to its redemptive value. It was God's plan that the "Messiah had to suffer", and that these sufferings should be for us. An awareness of this fills us with living hope. It is this hope that keeps us joyful and patient in our troubles.

A journey of faith and hope is a long spiritual journey, as we ponder the deeper design of God in the cosmic processes and events of human history. Below the surface of calamities, wars, revolutions and conflicts of every kind, there is a quiet presence, there is purposeful divine action. God remains in the world, in society, in the universe. "Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who hope in the Lord."

POLO VALENTINES EVENTS IN PICTURES

Hello All - I wanted to share some photos from our POLO Valentine's event last weekend at Winchester Gardens. Following is a thank you from Pat Rush, fellow parishioner and Winchester Gardens resident:"On behalf of everyone at Winchester Gardens who participated, thank you and POLO for your most generous contribution to our Valentine's day. You parents came awesomely prepared and your kids mixed most comfortably with the residents. I heard remarks like, how cute they are, how sweet, how poised, etc. referring to the children. And I know the cupcakes, brownies and other favors were so appreciated." We hope to see you at the next POLO event!
POLO

http://www.kodakgallery.com/gallery/creativeapps/slideShow/Main.jsp?token=285244472407%3A1919090034

SOUPER BOWL OF CARING 2010

Super-sized offense hits South Florida as Drew Brees and the Saints will square off with Peyton Manning and the Colts in what has all the makings of a high-scoring Super Bowl XLIV. Indy's second-ranked passing offense will be pitted against the Saints' 26th-ranked pass defense, while the Saints' fourth-ranked aerial attack will contend with the 14th-ranked pass defense of the Colts. There should be no shortage of touchdowns through the air in this one.

As these football teams play each other in South Florida, our candidates for Confirmation will try to score a touchdown for the poor and needy on our annual Souper Bowl of Caring, February 6 & 7, 2010.

"The Souper Bowl of Caring" is an annual parish event and is a great opportunity to help the needy. Our young parishioners will use that weekend, transforming the days of parties and celebrations into a day of caring for the hungry, the poor and hurting. Armed with soup pots, they will be at the doors of the church, collecting donations from each person walking by in all Masses next weekend.

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.