Intergenerational Valentines Gathering

POLO (Parent’s of Little Ones)
INTERGENERATIONAL VALENTINE EVENT
On Sunday, February 12th, POLO will have our Intergenerational Valentine get together. Come join us in creating Valentine’s Day cards for our homebound parishioners. We will be meeting immediately after the 9 a.m. Mass. You can plan on it lasting for about 1-1 1/2 hours, but feel free to stay for as long as you can. We’d love to see you for some fellowship and outreach. Since Bernard Hall is under repair, please check with our organizer Mary Riesett at 973-313-9670 or call the parish office later in the week to find out if the location needs to be changed.

Men's Cornerstone Alumni

MEN’S CORNERSTONE ALUMNI
PRE-LENTEN RETREAT
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Beginning with a Mass at 9 AM and concluding at 3 PM
Organized, facilitated and presented by the
CORNERSTONE 3 TEAM
Come and continue to be held in the grace of brotherhood. Experience the joy of being seen, heard and honored for the deep man you are. During our time together we will rediscover the strength of our vulnerability and the wonder of our gifts. The freedom we seek requires only that we accept ourselves. And yet this is a journey that, when taken in solidarity with other men, brings us very quickly to the prize.
A light lunch will be served for a free will donation.

WOMEN'S CORNERSTONE REUNION

SISTERS OF CORNERSTONE I & II REUNION
On Wednesday, February 15th at 7:00 p.m. all participants of the first two Cornerstone retreats are invited to gather at St. Joseph’s Bernard Hall for an evening of reflection, renewal, and socialization. Please set aside time to join us as we recall a special time shared in the past, and begin a new chapter of sisterhood allowing our Christian community to grow. A donation of $5-$10 is requested.

Tracy Grafton, MSW, LSW Hospice and Oncology Counselor will be the guest speaker for the evening. RSVP to Beverly Mozone at mozonebee@yahoo.com or call 973-763-0973.

New Icon

BLESSING and DEDICATION of the ICON of ST. JOSEPHINE BAKHITA – FEBRUARY 11/12
You may have noticed the icons of OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE, ST. MARTIN de PORRES and SAN LORENZO RUIZ DE MANILA at the Holy Family shrine. ST. JOSEPHINE BAKHITA will be the new addition in our commitment to assuring that every person is represented in our church and recognized as integral to the Body of Christ. St. Josephine Bakhita is a Sudanese-born former slave who became a Roman Catholic Canossian nun in Italy, living and working there for 45 years. In 2000, she was canonized by Blessed John Paul II. Her feast day is on February 8.

Youth Encounter

A day of gathering for our parish teens where they share faith, witness to the power of Christ’s love, and come to appreciate a whole new way of living their religious values.

The weekend’s message is simple. It poses the three questions every young Christian must ask: Who am I? What am I to do? How am I to do it? The encounter takes up God’s gift of Grace and our response in Faith. It examines the way Holiness, Christian Study, and Christian Action are used as tools as Christians attempt to live the life of Christ.


March 24th 10:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M.

Lenten Series at St. Joseph's

Growing in Christ
THREE TUESDAYS OF MARCH
7:30 to 9:00 P.M.

March 13 – Prayer: A Call to Holiness
March 20 – Visualization in Prayer: Making Prayer Practical
March 27 – Examining the Road to Perfection: “Be perfect as
your heavenly Father is perfect.”

Rev. Fr. Jim Tortora, Ph.D.
Catholic Charities, Archdiocese of Newark
Speaker and Facilitator

Each of us is on a spiritual journey.  In the heart of every person is a God-shaped vacuum that can only be filled by God Himself.  God's desire is that each of us have our heart filled with His love through the person of Jesus Christ.  God sees us as a precious treasure, and He longs to have a close relationship with us. More than anything He wants us to have an intimate love relationship and friendship with Him. God wants us to spend time with Him and intimately communicate with Him, to enjoy fellowship with Him, to trust and follow Him, and to give your life meaning and purpose by giving you the privilege of joining Him in His work.
Do you desire a deeper and closer relationship and friendship with God? Is your desire to know Him and to please Him growing? Do you know that hearing God's voice is by far the most important part of your prayer & fellowship time with God ? God needs to touch our hearts so that Jesus is our 1st Love, and so that we will faithfully and passionately seek Him and follow Him, however and wherever He may lead us.

Burning of Palms

From PALMS to ASHES
-the Rite of Burning of Palms for Ash Wednesday

To reinforce the origin and symbolism of the ashes used on Ash Wednesday, we invite all of our parishioners to gather their old palms from Palm Sunday 2011. Please place all old palms in the container in the back of the church. Our confirmation candidates will lead us during the Rite of Burning on Saturday, February 18, at 6:30 p.m. to remind us that “dust we are and to dust we shall return” The resulting ashes will be used on Ash Wednesday, February 22, on which Lent begins. Come and burn your own piece of palm as an expression and confirmation of a Lenten resolution you have made.

COMPASSIONATE SHARING GROUP

COMPASSIONATE SHARING

But as for me,
my prayer is to you, O Lord
at an acceptable time, O God,
in the abundance of your steadfast love, answer me.
Ps. 69:13

COFFEE , CONVERSATION AND SUPPORT
For those who have lost a loved one.

Come and share an hour with others
who are missing their special Valentine
and are on the journey toward healing.

Members of the Ministry of Compassion of St. Joseph Parish
cordially invite you to join us

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5th AT 10:00 a.m.

In the St. Joseph Parish Rectory Meeting Room

YOUTH GROUP NEWS 1/26/12

YOUTH GROUP NEWS

St. Joseph Youth Group will meet Sunday, January 29 from 7:30 to 9:00 p.m. in the house that hosts our food pantry (right next to the gym). We will be discussing the Snow Tubing Trip on February 19th and the youth group service project for February. If you cannot make this week’s meeting and would like more information, please contact our youth minister Tom Berrios at tombberrios@hotmail.com.
 

Music Classes For Children

MUSIC CLASSES FOR CHILDREN
Inviting parents/caregivers of young children aged 0-6 ~ Join us for fun music and prayer time together on Thursday mornings at 10am in the rectory!  Drop in and try it out, new LENT session beginning on March 1st.  Questions call Leslie Frost 973-763-5215.
Making Music Praying Twice is a research based Catholic music and movement program where parents and children sing, play and pray together.  Guided by the principle that music is a pathway to God, the curriculum incorporates music from a variety of multicultural sources in an engaging, prayerful, playful context!  Classes are weekly and are for children age 6 and under with caregiver.  Tuition includes songbook and CD's for home use.  Each season reflects the liturgical calendar and includes traditional children's songs, Gregorian chant and folk music.

WEDDING ANNIVERSARY LITURGIES

Once again, the Archdiocese will be honoring those couples who are celebrating 5, 25, and 50 years of Christian marriage in the year 2012. These anniversary liturgies will be celebrated by the Archbishop John J. Myers in the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark as follows:

April 19th at 3:00 p.m. will be for those celebrating 50 years.
June 3rd at 3:00 p.m. will be for those celebrating 25 years and 5 years.
Please contact the rectory to register for one of these Masses.

Youth Group News 1/19/2012

St. Joseph Youth Group will meet this Sunday, January 22nd from 7:30 to 9:00 p.m.in the youth room located in Bernard Hall, all high school aged students are welcome. The youth group will also be taking a day trip to Mountain Creek to go snow tubing on Sunday, February 19th. The cost of the trip will be $20 per person for two hours of snow tubing. For more information about this trip or anything else youth group related please stop by our youth group meeting or email our youth minister Tom Berrios at\tomberrios@hotmail.com

Cornerstone 3

Souper Bowl of Caring

Prayer Shawl Ministry

help heal someone's heart with your talented hands.

Please join us for our next gathering! Bring your shawls (completed or in progress) to show and share.

Thursday, February 2, 2012 at 12:30 pm in the Rectory Meeting Room.

Pray together
Bless the shawls
Impart stories of witness
Share patterns and ideas

Bring a knitting or crochetting friend or two!

MLK HOLIDAY SCHEDULE

In observance of the Martin Luther King holiday, there will only be one Mass celebrated on Monday, January 16th at 9:00 a.m.

The parish offices will also be closed and the Rainbow Seniors Group will not meet that day.

ARCHBISHOP'S ANNUAL APPEAL 2012

ARCHBISHOP’S ANNUAL APPEAL
MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Individuals and families living with disabilities, particularly developmental disabilities, often feel at the margins of parish life. They also typically have additional struggles concerning their relationship with God, world, church, and school systems. The Archdiocesan Department of Pastoral Ministry with Persons with Disabilities works to build structures of support at the parish level to address this special group. This department seeks to affirm the Baptism of people with disabilities, acknowledging their call to participate in the life and mission of the Church, to the extent that each person desires and is able. This includes catechesis and faith formation, the sacramental life of the Church, evangelization, outreach and pastoral ministry.

Last year, with the help of this department, 112 parishes in the Archdiocese offered catechesis for individuals with disabilities. It also promotes faith-based support for mothers and fathers, Inclusive Family Masses, and has worked directly and indirectly with more than 500 families over the past few years.

Thank you for your support of the Archbishop’s Annual Appeal, which helps bring to reality the experience of welcome and affirmation for individuals and families living with disabilities in the Archdiocese of Newark.

Youth Group News 1/12/2012

St. Joseph High School Youth Group will meet this Sunday from 7:30 to 9:00 p.m. in the youth room located in Bernard Hall.  We will be discussing our participation in an upcoming retreat sponsored by the Archdiocese of Newark, which will take place on February 3rd, 4th, and 5th.  We will also be planning our trip to go snow tubing at Mountain Creek during the month of February. If you have questions or cannot make the Sunday night meeting, please email our youth minister Tom Berrios at
tomberrios@hotmail.com

OPEN ARMS MINISTRY TO MEET

Open Arms is a welcoming spirituality group for gay and lesbian Catholics and their families and friends. Join us for our next gathering on Sunday, January 29, at 5:00 p.m. in the rectory. If you would like more information, please contact Dugan McGinley at dmcginley@stjosephmaplewood.org

Thank you!!!

ST. JOSEPH PARISH, THE LITTLE PARISH THAT COULD…AND DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

Thank you to Parishioners and Friends of St. Joseph Parish for supporting our Giving Tree and Re-Gifting Tree projects. Several carloads of gifts were donated to many families in need thanks to your generosity! A thank you note from Sr. Linda of the Pierre Toussaint Food Pantry at St. Mary’s, Newark, can be found on the bulletin boards by the church exits.

Thank you St. Joseph Religious Education students and families for your generous and thoughtful donations of cookies for our Food Pantry guests. The cookies will be a sweet treat for our guests to enjoy on a chilly winter day. And the holiday cards from our second grade Religious Ed. class warmed the hearts of our guests!

Thank you for your ongoing support of our Food Pantry:
St. Joseph Food Pantry organizers and volunteers, South Mountain Elementary School Families, CHS students, Cub Scout Troop Pack 3, Prospect Presbyterian Church, Jamie Anthony, St. George’s Episcopal Church Outreach Committee, St. Joseph Confirmation Candidates, Rent Party organizers, SO Elk’s Club, HK Community Fund, Maplewood Memorial Post 10120 VFW, and MEND (Meeting Emergency Needs with Dignity)

Food Pantry Information

If you are interested in helping at the Food Pantry, volunteers are meeting to sort on Monday, January 16th and Pack on Thursday, January 19th. Volunteers meet both nights in the house at 241 Hilton Ave. (between the school parking lot and the church.) Distribution and delivery to seniors is Saturday, January 21st at 10:00 a.m. New Volunteers are always welcome!

PRO LIFE MASS AND HOLY HOUR

PRO LIFE MASS AND HOLY HOUR
Sacred Heart Cathedral Basilica
Sunday, January 15
12:00 noon
All are invited to attend the Annual Archdiocesan Pro-Life Mass and Holy Hour marking the 39th anniversary of the infamous Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion in the US.

The Most Reverend Thomas A. Donato will preside. Followed by a Eucharistic Holy Hour for Life at St. Lucy’s Church, Newark (a few blocks away). There will be a short procession to St. Lucy’s immediately following the Mass. Holy Hour will include the Rosary and the Divine Mercy Chaplet, & Benediction. Young Adults of the Archdiocese will lead prayers and music.

Let us come together in prayer, sorrow and hope .

SAVE THE DATE MEN'S CORNERSTONE REUNION

MEN’S CORNERSTONE REUNION
SAVE THE DATE!
ST. JOSEPH AND OUR LADY OF SORROWS
Tuesday, January 17th, at 7:30 p.m.
Bernard Hall (St. Joseph Church Basement).
This is a social gathering, and we will include describing plans for Social Action Project for the upcoming quarter.
RSVP for an accurate count by Monday, January 16th to
John Otchy 973-762-4185 or Don Blaesser 973-986-3521

Breakfast and Presentation

BREAKFAST AND SPEAKER

The Holy Name Society of St Joseph and Our Lady of Sorrows Parish will host a breakfast program in Bernard Hall on Sunday January 15th after 9 a.m. Mass. Our speaker will be from the Several Sources Shelter program, who will speak on:


“Making Room at the Inn: The Mission of Several Sources Shelters in Welcoming Pregnant Women Who Are Without Resources”
All are welcome to attend, to hear of the work of this modern-day group of dedicated people who have successfully provided options to young, pregnant women who may otherwise be without hope. For information, call John Otchy @ 973-762-4185, or Tony Leitner @ 201-406-6715.

Youth Group News 01-05-12

Our next meeting will take place on Sunday, January 8th at 7:30 p.m.in the youth room located in Bernard Hall. There will be info on our February retreat and also snow tubing trip to Mountain Creek.

For more information, contact Tom Berrios at tomberrios@hotmail.com

BASKETBALL FREE THROW CONTEST

Sponsored by the Knights of Columbus
Regina Pacis Council 4066

January 21, 2012 at 9:00 a.m. SHARP at Union Catholic High School, 1600 Martine Ave. Scotch Plains, NJ 07076.

Open to boys and girls ages 11-14.
Proof of age is required! Open to all! Prizes for winners!

Please contact Gary Luciano at 908-313-2832
for more information.

Knight of Columbus to meet

The next meeting of the Regina Pacis # 4066 Council of the Knights of Columbus will be on Monday, January 9th at 8:00 p.m. All men of the parish are welcome!

St. Joseph Food Pantry Info

If you are interested in helping at the Food Pantry, volunteers are meeting to sort Monday, January 9th and pack on Thursday, January 12th. Volunteers meet both nights at 7:00 p.m. in the house at 241 Hilton Ave. (between the school parking lot and the church). Distribution and delivery to seniors is Saturday, January 14th, at 10:00 a.m. New volunteers are always welcome

Tithing the Tithe

‘TITHING THE TITHE’ REPORT TO PARISH
GRANTS AWARDED TO LOCAL GROUPS

Each week as you prayerfully make your contribution to our offertory collection, know that two percent is set aside for distribution to charitable organizations selected by our Tithing Committee to assist them in their Works of Mercy. As these monies accumulated last year (the 2010-11 fiscal year), we were able to send some of these funds to overseas outreach efforts and have reported to you previously about donations made to the Philippines and Nigeria. We also have identified a Haitian organization to be our next international recipient and will report on that to you soon.

Half of the ‘Tithing the Tithe’ fund will go to local non-profits engaged in a variety of practical outreach efforts. In your name at Christmas, the committee sent out letters and grants to five groups. These were recognized for feeding the hungry (Our Lady’s Kitchen in Orange), for housing vulnerable women (Magnificat House in Jersey City), for being a leader in ambitious outreach projects over many years (Morrow Memorial Methodist Church in Maplewood as they celebrate their 200th anniversary), for giving people the language skills and knowledge they need to find work (the South Orange ESL/GED program) and for offering counseling and emergency aid to those in crisis (the St. Vincent de Paul Society chapter at Our Lady of Sorrows in South Orange.)

Through your donations, these grants will help “minister to needs” as Jesus, in Matthew 25, verse 44, has asked us all to do. Thank you for your support and generosity

Cornerstone 3

Cornerstone 3 is just around the corner!

February 24-25 Women's Cornerstone Retreat

March 9-10 Men's Cornerstone Retreat

Save the dates and make it a new year's resolution to participate in theis great opportunity to energize and deepen your faith!