Our Lady of Mercy Church
Park Ridge, New Jersey 07656
January 11, 2015
The Baptism of the Lord
Rev. Charles P. Granstrand, Pastor
Rev. Robert T. Ulak, Parochial Vicar
Rev. Msgr. James C. Turro (Weekends)
Rev. Msgr. Carl D. Hinrichsen (In Residence)
Rev. John Chadwick (Weekends)
Joseph Romano, Deacon
Gary Tankard, Deacon
John Rokoszak, Pastoral Associate
Debra Wyka, Minister of Music
Amy Ballanco, Religious Education Coordinator
Jennifer Kavanagh, Youth Minister
Donna Quinn, Business Manager
RECONCILIATION
Saturday: 9-9:30AM & 1-1:30PM
Monday: 7-7:30PM
MASS SCHEDULE
Saturday Evening: 5:30PM
Sunday: 7:30AM, 9:30AM, 11:00AM, 12:30PM
Daily: 6:30AM, 8:30AM
Saturday: 8:30AM
BAPTISM
The Sacrament is celebrated one Sunday every month.
Parents should contact the rectory prior to the birth of
their child for dates of Baptism Preparation Sessions.
MARRIAGE
Couples planning to be married should contact the rectory
at least ONE YEAR PRIOR to the wedding date.
Rectory
Websites
School
201-391-5315
UROLM.org
201-391-3838
2 Fremont Ave. OLMAcademy.org
SCHOOL
Our Lady of Mercy Academy
2011 National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence
25 Fremont Avenue, Park Ridge, NJ 07656
Laraine Meehan, Principal
CATECHETICAL MINISTRY
Grades K-6: 4-5PM Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday
Grades 7-8: 3:45-5:15PM Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday
Catechetical Center
201-391-3590
201-802-1771
Music Minister
E-Mail
201-358-2994
[email protected]
[email protected]
OUR LADY OF MERCY PARISH MISSION STATEMENT
Our Lady of Mercy Parish is a Catholic community that worships God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit,
celebrating Mass, proclaiming the Gospel Message and uniting in prayer. We strive to welcome all and to educate
ourselves and others in the Good News of Jesus Christ. We support one another in times of joy and sadness and
attempt to serve each other by reaching out to those in need in our community and beyond. We are imperfect people
on a journey. Our goal is that the life of each person leads to the Lord.
MASS SCHEDULE
SATURDAY, JANUARY 10
5:30
Philip Jay
The Baptism of the Lord
SUNDAY, JANUARY 11
Is 42: 1-4, 6-7/ Acts 10: 34-38/ Mk 1: 7-11
7:30
People of the Parish
9:30
Ida Antonelli
11:00
Caroline Miller
12:30
Joseph Farinelli
MONDAY, JANUARY 12
Heb 1: 1-6/ Mk 1: 14-20
6:30
Nina Carlini
8:30
Joseph Sangallo
St. Hilary
TUESDAY, JANUARY 13
Heb 2: 5-12/ Mk 1: 21-28
6:30
Debbie Fitzpatrick
8:30
Stanley Lukasewicz
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14
Heb 2: 14-18/ Mk 1: 29-39
6:30
Laura Humble
8:30
Mary Vitale
2pm
Mass at the Plaza Regency in Memory of:
Madeline Field
THURSDAY, JANUARY 15
Heb 3: 7-14/ Mk 1: 40-45
6:30
John Johnson
8:30
Marie Praias
FRIDAY, JANUARY 16
Heb 4: 1-5, 11/ Mk 2: 1-12
6:30
Nicholas Mellas
8:30
Anne Vaccaro
St. Anthony
SATURDAY, JANUARY 17
Heb 4: 12-16/ Mk 2: 13-17
8:30
Nancy Lovett
5:30
John Kashickey, Sr.
Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
SUNDAY, JANUARY 18
1 Sm 3:3b-10, 19/ 1 Cor 6: 13c-15a, 17-20/ Jn 1: 35-42
7:30
People of the Parish
9:30
Daniel & Gertrude Clements
11:00
Donald & Kathleen Tonner
12:30
Maureen Ferguson
LET US PRAY
In your love and kindness please pray for the sick
especially: Ella Gamble, Brian Long, Colleen Strabone,
Fr. Peter Funesti, Claire Mangieri, Lek Nikolla, Teresa
Hurd, Patricia McGowan, Violet Squellante, and
Vincenzina Mazza.
Please also remember the deceased of our parish and
their families, especially: Barbara DePalma, James
Strabone, Dominick Calabro, Deborah Kay, Angela
Malara, George Roy, Patricia Eichenlaub, Gertrude
Dukes, Michael Pansini, Margaret Pusterla, and
Stephen Asanio.
Please join with us in praying one OUR FATHER
per day for all those who have no one to pray for
them.
THE SANCTUARY LAMPS burn this week in memory
of: Patricia King, Patricia Foley, and for Joseph &
Catherine Pezza.
If you would like more information about reserving
a Sanctuary Lamp in memory of a loved one or for
a Special Intention, please call the rectory office at
201-391-5315.
GOD’S PLAN FOR GIVING – Tithing
Christmas Collection to date: $102,444
December 28 Collection:
$ 15,187
January 4 Collection:
$ 17,192
The collection totals for Christmas and December 28
will be posted in a future bulletin.
Tithing is God’s plan to support His Church. Full
tithing means 10% of gross income to God. We ask
half of this, or 5%, for your Parish church. The other
5% goes to your favorite charities.
SCRIPTURE SHARING GROUP with Deacon Gary
Meets every Monday after the 8:30am Mass in the
Gathering Space. As has been the custom, the
scripture reading of the Mass of the day will be used.
All are welcome.
THE FAMILY OF GOD PRAYER GROUP meets every
Tuesday at 7:30PM in the chapel to praise God and
pray for special intentions.
ABUNDANT LIFE PRAYER GROUP meets Thursday
mornings at 9:30am in the Chapel.
THE MIRACULOUS MEDAL NOVENA will be recited
each Saturday in the Sacred Heart Chapel immediately
following the 8:30AM Mass.
PASTOR’S COLUMN
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
Today as we remember and celebrate the Baptism
of the Lord Jesus by John, we also complete the
Christmas Season according to the calendar of the
Church. What we celebrate is a further manifestation,
or showing, of Jesus the beloved Son of God the
Father. After Mary and Joseph completed their difficult
journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem and struggled to
find a suitable place for Mary to give birth, they shared
the awesome experience of a new born child but so
very soon they were given signs of how special He
would be. Angels appearing to shepherds, announcing
the birth and telling them to seek out the humble
location to worship Jesus, followed later by strangers
from the East who come to honor the new born King of
the Jews, and then another angel messenger tells them
to flee the violence of King Herod. As Jesus grows up
we only hear about the pilgrimage to Jerusalem when
He is twelve and the parents go through the painful
experience of missing him during the return journey.
The young Jesus gives Mary and Joseph a clear
statement that He has a mission to fulfill; He must be
about his Father’s business.
Now with the event of the Baptism, the unfolding of
God’s plan truly goes public. The calling of disciples
picks up speed as Jesus travels through Galilee and
people begin to seek him out in great numbers. All of
this remembering that what we do in the rhythm of the
Church’s year of worship gives us the opportunity to go
deeper and deeper into the mystery of Jesus who came
to save all people. As we return to Ordinary Time we
are invited to reaffirm our desire to be more effective
disciples of Our Lord. Just as John the Baptist in his
unique way prepared the way for Jesus and pointed him
out to the people, even sending some of his own
disciples to contact Jesus directly. Each of us by our
baptism is called to witness to Jesus by our lives,
encouraging one another by word and example to live
our faith with courage and mercy.
In the next two weeks I will be away from the parish
for a mix of events. First, I am leaving early Monday
morning for a gathering of former colleagues from my
years on the formation faculty of the North American
College in Rome. Six of us will meet on the campus of
the University of San Diego for four days. I sure hope
we enjoy typical southern California weather. Then I
am going to visit my nephew Rob who is now working in
Phoenix and he assures me we can get on a golf
course. If all goes well with flights, I arrive back in
Newark early on Tuesday the 20th. The next adventure
is to be part of our parish delegation to Haiti leaving
early on Wednesday the 21st and returning the following
Wednesday. Please pray for our safe journey and for
the well being of our friends in Vallieres. Thank you for
the wonderful response at Christmas in support of our
scholarship program.
Peace in the Lord,
THE BAPTISM OF THE LORD
Friend or Foe?
Water is a rich and potent symbol. We all know
that no life on earth would be possible without it. We
use it for our sustenance, our cleansing, our relaxation;
it touches nearly every facet of human life, and its
absence is soon noted. Without it, the grain, wine, milk,
and other “rich fare” from Isaiah would not be possible.
The messianic age is characterized as a time of
abundance and fertility, not attainable without water. It
was a precious commodity in Jesus’ world. Water has
its dark, dangerous side as well—the chaos of the
dawn of creation was symbolized by water, the earth
was destroyed (and still knows destruction) by the
waters of the flood. Israel risked it all in the waters of
the Red Sea as they fled Egypt and entered the desert.
In similar fashion, today Jesus risks it all in his calling
as Son of God and, like the Israel whose son he also
was, he will enter the desert in the next few verses of
Mark’s Gospel.
Thicker Than Water
Another powerful life symbol is blood. Like
water, it is essential. John’s letter today tells us that
three things testify to Jesus as the Son of God: water,
blood, and the Spirit. Today’s feast forms a hinge of
sorts between the two great “water and blood”
moments in the life of Jesus. It is the culmination of the
season of the Nativity, the time when we remember
and celebrate that Jesus came into the world as a fully
human being, in water and blood. It is also the day on
which he begins his public ministry of calling Israel to
repentance by proclaiming the reign of God, a ministry
that will ultimately end in water and blood as he is
crucified. But hovering over all of this is the Holy Spirit.
It is by the Spirit that Jesus was conceived in the womb
of Mary; it is the Spirit who guides his entire ministry
from Jordan to Calvary; and it will be the Spirit who
brings his resurrected life back to the world, who
continues it to this very day in the waters of baptism
and the blood of disciples, by which his Body, the
Church, is still proclaiming the reign of God to the
world.
Copyright © 2005, World Library Publications. All rights reserved.
UN-TRIM THE CHURCH - If you would like to help untrim Our Lady of Mercy Church on January 12th at
7p.m., please call the Rectory. This is an ideal service
project for High School students and Confirmation
candidates.
BIBLE STUDY—Eucharistic Ministers! Deepen your
love for Christ in the Blessed Sacrament by
participating in the spring bible study, “The Eucharist In
Scripture.” To register and get more information, come
to the Gathering Space on the weekend of January 1718 or see the web site. Study begins the week for
February 2.
NEXT BI-LINGUAL MASS—January 18th at 12:30pm.
CHILDREN’S LITURGY—Join us during the 9:30 Mass
as we gather the children in the chapel after the
Opening Prayer. They will listen to the same liturgy as
the regular Mass, but in a way they can understand
with stories, coloring, and songs. The children will then
return to the church during Offertory. Best for ages 3 to
8 years old, but older siblings are welcome to help out.
N.I.C.E.
“Liturgy of the Word With Special Needs”
SESSIONS CALENDAR 2014-2015
JANUARY
11, 18, 25
FEBRUARY
1, 8, 22
MARCH
1, 8, 15, 22
No sessions on Palm Sunday or Easter Sunday
APRIL
12, Last Session
(Autism Awareness Month)
A resource table will be set
up in the Gathering Space
ALL DATES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE. If you are
coming for the first time, please call to be sure we are
in session and for further instructions. Religious
Education Office 201-391-3590 Amy Ballanco/DRE
No fee required. Donations accepted.
OUR LADY OF MERCY ACADEMY
A National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence
celebrates Catholic education
Catholic Schools: Communities of Faith, Knowledge
and Service
Are you looking for a better education experience for
your child? Along with an outstanding Preschool
Program, Our Lady of Mercy Academy offers an
excellent full day Kindergarten– 4th Grade Primary
School Program, a stand alone Grade 5-8 Middle
School Program, a Before/After School Program and
additional enrichment programs. We follow the
curriculum guidelines of the State of New Jersey and
the Archdiocese of Newark. Our students' standardized
test scores are well above national norms.
Catholic Schools Week Open Houses
Sunday, January 25th 10:30am – 12:30pm
Tuesday, January 27th – Wednesday, January 28th
9:30am-11:00am & 1:00pm-2:00pm
Bring your child or come alone. Take a tour of our
school and have all your questions answered by
members of the Home-School Association. On
Tuesday and Wednesday we will have classroom
visitation in addition to school tours.
Questions? Call the school office at 201.391.3838.
Visit our website www.olmacademy.org.
www.urolm.org
OurLadyofMercyChurch07656 is on
Facebook. Like us to get information about
upcoming events, parish news, parish programs and
inspirational messages.
R.C.I.A The group will meet after the 9:30 Mass in the
Parish Center on January 11, 25, February 8, March 8,
22, May 3, June 7. For more information, or if you are
unable to make a Sunday Session, please contact
John Rokoszak at 201-391-3590 or call/text 201-2646376 or email [email protected]
OUR LADY OF MERCY BEREAVEMENT MINISTRY
Wednesday, January 14, 2015
7:30pm – 8:45pm
Managing grief after the loss of a loved one
Often after the loss of a loved one, there are feelings,
and issues left unresolved. If you have experienced
the loss of a loved one, please join us for the evening.
Our Bereavement Group will meet in the Parish
Center (former Convent). For more information call
John Rokoszak at 201-391-3590.
The Acoustic Café Music Series at OLM is
looking forward to our first show of the year on
Saturday, January 24th when we welcome
critically acclaimed singer/songwriter Ellis Paul! Ellis
has won 15 Boston Music awards, has 19 record
releases, a documentary film, a book of poems & short
stories, an award winning children's book project, as
well as songs featured on Hollywood soundtracks.
More info about Ellis here:www.ellispaul.com Special
guest 17 year old emerging artist Hayley Reardon will
open the show. Proceeds benefit the Vallieres, Haiti
Scholarship Fund. 8 PM in OLM Academy. Get your
tickets now - $20 advance online, $22 at the door.
www.cafeacoustic.org 201-573-0718 Refreshments,
accessible.
THE OLM FALL NEWSLETTER can be viewed on line
at www.urolm.org.
THE OLM MASSBOOK for February 2016 will open on
Sunday, January 11th. If you would like to schedule an
intention, please stop by the Rectory Office during
Rectory hours: Monday—Friday 9AM—7PM. Saturday
9AM—1PM. Sunday 9AM—-1:30PM
2015 MARCH FOR LIFE—The annual March For Life
will be held in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday,
January 22nd, 2015 on the 42nd anniversary of the US
Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade legalizing
abortion on demand. The chairman of the Committee
on Pro-Life Activities of the U.S. Conference of Catholic
Bishops, Cardinal Sean O’Malley of Boston, said
before last year's March that the over 55 million
abortions since the decision reflect “with heartbreaking
magnitude” what Pope Francis means by a “throwaway
culture. Yet our society relegates abortion to a matter of
personal choice, often denying the integrity and even
the recognition of the personhood of unborn children."
If you are interested in attending the March contact Art
Lavis at 201 391-6431 for information.