SAINT JOHN THE APOSTLE Catholic Community

Serving: Clark, Cranford, Linden, Rahway & Winfield, New Jersey

1805 Penbrook Terrace  Linden, New Jersey 07036

Rectory Phone...... 908-486-6363 Rectory Fax...... 908-486-5345 Parish E-mail...... [email protected] Parish Website...... www.sjanj.net School Website...... www.sjanj.org

Rev. Mauro Primavera ...... Administrator December 6, 2020 Rev. William Halbing Rev. Nnaemeka Andrew Onyemaobi CONFESSIONS: Monday through Friday after 7:00 pm Mass. Saturdays, Deacon York ...... Religious Ed. Coordinator 1:00 - 2:00 pm & 7:45 pm, Sunday: 7:45 pm.

Dr. Deborah Egan, Ed.D...... School Principal BAPTISMS: Parents are asked to contact the Religious Education Office Amy Giglio...... Sacrament Preparation Coordinator in the sixth month of pregnancy for Baptism Classes. (732-388-1253) Patricia Woolley...... [email protected]

MARRIAGES: Contact the rectory at least one year in advance & before making other arrangements.

SICK CALLS: Any hour - Day or Night

HOSPITAL VISITATION: Contact Rectory

MASSES  Saturday...... 8:30 am RESPECT LIFE: Holy Hour for life and liberty every Monday at 7:00 pm Cenacle for Life Rosary, Thursdays at 8:00 & 9:00 am Saturday Evening...... 5:00 & 7:00 pm

Sundays ...... 7:00, 9:00, 11:00 am, 1:00 & 7:00 pm (Youth) CRISIS PREGNANCY HELP: Any woman who is pregnant and in need of Daily (Monday to Friday) ...... 7:00, 8:30 am & 7:00 pm assistance should never feel that abortion is her only option. Personal and confidential assistance is available at the following numbers: of Holy Days ...... 7:00 pm CCS - Pat Chiarello ...... 201-246-7379 Holy Days...... 7:00, 8:30 am, 12:00 noon & 7:00 pm Crisis Pregnancy Helpline...... 1-888-4-OPTIONS First Fridays...... 7:00, 8:30 am & 7:00 pm Birthright...... 1-800-550-4900 Post Abortion Healing...... 1-877-HOPE 4 ME

DEVOTIONS  Miraculous Medal Novena IMPORTANT NUMBERS

Mondays ...... 8:30 am & 7:00 pm School...... 732-388-1360 Our Lady of Fatima Devotions Religious Education Office ...... 732-388-1253 First Saturdays...... 8:30 am St. John the Apostle Food Pantry...... 732-388-1216 Rosary ...... Mondays, 6:30 pm Respect Life Office...... 973-497-4350 Perpetual Adoration...... 24 hours a day Page 1 SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT DECEMBER 6, 2020 The Word of the Lord

First Saturday, December 5 8:30 am Carl Weilandics, Sr. 2nd Sunday of Advent First Reading: Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11 5:00 pm Blessings For Emilia Filak Isaiah emphasizes that from the desert to the mountains, all people must prepare for “the glory of the Lord to be revealed.” 7:00 pm Dr. Thomas Bejgrowicz Rather than looking only at ’s power, Isaiah focuses on Sunday, December 6 God’s kindness, comparing it to a shepherd who feeds and 7:00 am Jeffrey Sacks cares for his flock. 9:00 am Anne Marie Leone 11:00 am James C. York – 10th Anniversary Second Reading: 2 Peter 3:8-14 1:00 pm Raymond Wines For those who are impatient for the Second Coming, Peter 7:00 pm Frank and Teresa LaVezzi explains that is different to God than to people. He reminds them that they should be grateful for the extra time to Monday, December 7, St. Ambrose, Bishop and Doctor prepare, and concentrate on striving to become all that God of the Church would want them to be. 7:00 am Lawrence K. Wheat 8:30 am Josephine & Edward Halloway : Mark 1:1-8 7:00 pm End To Abortion In this passage, stressed the importance of Tuesday, December 8, The Immaculate Conception of The the coming of the . He acknowledged that he was only Blessed Virgin Mary the messenger, and unfit to “stoop and untie his sandal straps.” John urged them to prepare for one far holier than he, 7:00 am Vera Maksimiuk who would walk among them. 8:30 am Eleanor Kuczynski 12:00 pm Helen Rappoccio 7:00 pm Stephanie Ottowski READINGS FOR THE WEEK SUN Is 40:1-5, 9-11; 2 Pt 3:8-14; Mk 1:1-8 Wednesday, December 9, St. Juan Diego MON Is 35:1-10; Lk 5:17-26 7:00 am Michael Loughran – 10th Anniversary TUE Gn 3:9-15, 20; Eph 1:3-6, 11-12; Lk 1:26-38 st 8:30 am Elizabeth Guarducci – 1 Anniversary WED Is 40:25-31; Mt 11:28-30 7:00 pm Charles Parisi, Jr. THURS Is 41:13-20; Mt 11:11-15 Thursday, December 10 FRI Is 48:17-19; Mt 11:16-19 7:00 am Elizabeth Tremmel SAT Zec 2:14-17 or Rv 11:19a, 12:1-6a, 10ab; Lk 1:26-38 8:30 am Jorge Arroyo 7:00 pm Andrew Pachana Friday, December 11, St. Damasus I, Pope THE STEWARDSHIP OF TREASURE 7:00 am Dr. Thomas Bejgrowicz OFFERTORY COLLECTION 8:30 am Marguerite & Richard Canavan Through Sunday, November 29, 2020

7:00 pm DeLorenzo Weekly Budget Need – FY’21 $ 15,940.00 Saturday, December 12, Our Lady of Guadalupe Actual Weekly Collection $ 9,775.00* 8:30 am Elizabeth Tremmel Surplus (Deficit) $ (6,165.00) * Included Weekly On-Line Giving

3rd Sunday of Advent 5:00 pm Traci Roman Thank you for your consistent generosity 7:00 pm Peggy Malossi

Sunday, December 13 Let Us Pray For The Deceased and Their Families 7:00 am Friends & Families of the Stulpins Elsie Moran, Andrew Zagorski, William Zukosky 9:00 am Loretta & Vincent Livolsi – 30th Anniversary 11:00 am Edward Falkowski Please have your articles in by 1:00 pm on Tuesday, prior to 1:00 pm Chester Fortuna publication. All bulletin articles must be approved by Fr. Mauro,and submitted to [email protected]. 7:00 pm Peter Tran – 1st Anniversary

*7:00 am Mass will be in the Main Church Memorials For the Week of The 2021 Mass Book will be opening this weekend December 6, 2020 of 12/5 and 12/6. If you wish a Mass Intention or Memorial Candle Intention, someone for this Altar Candles: Mercedes Sanchez weekend only will be available in the Msgr. Price Tabernacle Candle: Michael Loughran Room to assist you. After this weekend, please go to the Rectory during business hours. Perpetual Adoration: Intention of the Parishioners

Sanctuary Lamp: Intention of the Parishioners Oplatki (Christmas Wafers) are now available in the Bread & Wine: Intention of the Parishioners Rectory.The offering is $3 for a package of 4 wafers. Memorial Flowers: Lawrence K. Wheat Page 2 SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT DECEMBER 6, 2020 Schedule of Events For December 5 - 13 St. Vincent DePaul Society would like to thank the SAT Mass 7:00 pm followed by Confessions – Msgr. Price Room parishioners of St. John’s, for their generous Thanksgiving SUN Mass 7:00 pm followed by Confessions – Msgr. Price Room food donations. The donated turkeys and other foods, MON Mass 7:00 pm followed by Confessions - Msgr. Price Room TUE Immaculate Conception Holy Day of Obligation 7 am, 8:30 were distributed to our needy families, and to other local am, 12 pm and 7 pm Masses organizations which provide food for those in need. Those Mass 7:00 pm followed by Confessions – Msgr. Price Room CYO Youth Ministry 8:00 pm in Rectory Basement receiving our donations were extremely grateful and WED Mass 7:00 pm followed by Confessions – Msgr. Price Room Advent Mission after 7:30 pm Mass in Church wanted to express their thanks to all. God bless all of you Bible Study with Fr. Bill 7::30 pm in the Church for your generosity.” THU Mass 7:00 pm – followed by Confessions – Msgr. Price Room Advent Mission after 7:30 pm Mass in Church FRI 7:00 pm followed by Confessions – Msgr. Price Room Please Pray for Our Sick and Their Caregivers Advent Mission after 7:30 pm Mass in Church Helen Angelo William Stypa Lofgren SAT Confessions 1:00 – 2:00 pm – Msgr. Price Room Judith Bayou Mary Jo Mackowski Mass 7:00 pm – followed by Confessions – Msgr. Price Room Joan Bernacki Frank Biondi SUN Mass 7:00 pm followed by Confessions – Msgr. Price Room Betty Hora Boetsch Carl Matyas Baby Calie John Miller Tom Hyslop ****Date Change – The Marian Cenacle has been Deacon Ed Campanella Jean Mizejewski Genelyn Pijuan rescheduled for 12/19/20 from 9:00 – 10:45 am in the Thomas Davey Jr. Stephen Mizejewski Theresa Rogoz Church Joseph DeLorenzo Albert Moore Joan Roszkowski The Giving Tree will be taken down on Melissa DeSanto Eddie O;Brien Robert Rusnak Sunday, December 6, 2020 after the 7 James Desiderio Loren Gonczi Joanne Russo Jannette Faulk Katherine Graba Pat Smorol p.m. mass. All gift must be returned to Harry Faulk Carol Horling Maria Sroaka the church no later than Sunday, Anthony Fiorillo Jr Edward Koza Sr. Frank Wancea December 13, 2020 for Tony Fiorillo Sr John Paffrath Nancy Whelan distribution. Due to the Covid- Kim Friedman Janet Petrone Skip Whelan Pandemic restrictions this year, please Becky Friedman Juan Perez Manuel Lopez only purchase items that are on the Mark & tags from the Giving Tree. St. Joseph’s Social Services will only Urban

be accepting these items. Please take a paper ornament off the

tree, purchase the gift and put the unwrapped gift with the attached paper ornament in the hallway in the back of the church Please Pray For Our Troops in the designated boxes. Gift bags are acceptable, but any gift that is wrapped will be unwrapped. Please do not put the items CPL L. Borowski USMC Mercylinda V. Miro, USN LCPL in gift boxes. Please remember that all gifts must be new. If RSSGT Andrew Caprio, USAF Chris Niedziocha USMC HM3 Lance Dearing, USN Joseph Orth, USMC further information, please call Johanna at 732-499-9730 after 6 Lt. John DeLorenso Lt. Anthony Parenti USMC p.m. Thank you for your generosity. Pvt. Jason Kobylka, USA Lt Jeffrey A. Regep USAPFC SPC Matthew Lambert USMC Justin Roskowski, USN PO3 Thomas Maes, USN CPL Norbert Sieczkowski* MAJ SPC Dominic P. Mansour USA Capt. Frank J. Walter III, USGregory Melencio, USA Remembrance Ornaments

Pay Tribute to your loved ones by purchasing a Cenacles of Life Devotions Remembrance Angel Ornament for the special Christmas tree display at Church this season.These ornaments will include the name of your loved one, be blessed, and proudly displayed The Cenacle of Life has been on a special Christmas tree at St. John’s during the Christmas Season meeting at St. John’s since its - making it a great way to honor and remember our dearly departed. inception by Fr. Joseph Meagher They will then be available after Jan 1st for you to take home for safekeeping.The angel ornaments were handmade during the COVID- and led faithfully year after year by 19 pandemic by the Junkroft sisters (8th & 5th grade) of St. John the Joan Dennison. Apostle School. Money collected will be donated to the St. John's Food It consist of saying two rosaries, Pantry. will be available for purchase for $3.00 each before and one half hour before mass and the after weekend masses on Dec. 5th & 6th and Dec. 12th & 13th. other half hour after mass every For more information, text 732-986-1325. Thursday Morning in the Church. It starts with a prayer of offering and ADVENT MISSION ends with the Consecration to the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary. Each member is encouraged to fast one day PLEASE JOIN US FOR PRAYER per week on bread and water or offer up a day of fasting IN THE CHURCH THIS ADVENT from a favorite thing (such as watching TV or talking on the SEASON STARTING ON phone) to end the culture of death . WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 9TH THURSDAY 10TH, AND FRIDAY DECEMBER 11TH AFTER THE Everyone is Welcome to Join Us Anytime. Any questions, 7:30 PM MASS. please call Ann (732)-382-7229.

Page 3 SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT DECEMBER 6, 2020 THANK YOU ~ FAREWELL ~ BEST WISHES FATHER ANDREW on your new assignment effective 12-15-2020 as Parish Administrator of St. Valentine Church, Bloomfield.

R EV. NNAEMEKA ANDREW ONYEMAOB The name Nnaemeka has significance in the language of Fr. Andrew’s native Igbo tribe, as it can be interpreted as God is great or Thank you God.

We thank Fr. Andrew for serving the parishioners of St. John th e Apostle. ______Fr. Andrew will be forever in our hearts and memories! Please stop by after Mass or at the Rectory to wish Fr. Andrew well! ______

Page 4 SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT DECEMBER 6, 2020 without interference.” The interferences are the St. John’s Family Page attachments we have, especially to …which prevent us from surrendering our will to God and allowing His Divine Will to operate within us. Our response to the call to repentance is going to Confession. Confessing our sins centers ourselves and our lives on God. St. Jerome said that if you don’t show your wound to the doctor, how can he recommend the right medicine? Christ is the Divine Physician. We must show our wounds to Him to be healed spiritually. As the Second Letter of St. Peter tells us: be eager to be found without spot or blemish before him, at peace. This Advent, let’s take a spiritual inventory of our lives and by the power of the , make the necessary changes, especially with the grace from the Sacrament of Reconciliation. May God bless us all always! Deacon Mike RCIA

RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) is for anyone desiring to receive the Sacraments of Initiation in the Catholic Church: Baptism, Confirmation, First Holy Communion. RCIA is for the unbaptized, baptized and baptized Catholics. If you have questions or would like John the Baptist appeared in the desert proclaiming a to enroll, please contact Deacon Mike, [email protected] or baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 732-388-1253. The beginning of the Gospel of Mark is proclaimed on this Second Sunday of Advent. The first words quote the First Reconciliation Book of the Prophet Isaiah, found in our first reading: Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you; he Our 2nd graders in St. John the Apostle School and CCD will will prepare your way… We learn that the messenger is be making their First Reconciliation on December 5th and John the Baptist and the mission given to him by God is 12th. Please pray for them as they prepare for this to prepare the way of the Lord. John does so by sacrament! proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance with water, not with the Holy Spirit, like our Baptism. Do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years and a thousand years like on day…But the day of he Lord will come like a thief… Perhaps we have experienced the sudden death of a loved one or friend…where the day of the Lord came like a thief as described in the Second Letter of St. Peter. Today’s Scripture readings remind us that as we spend our lives preparing for the day of the Lord, we must heed the call to conversion. People from the countryside and all the inhabitants of were going out to him… We see that many people came from the country and city to heed John’s call to repentance, but some did not. Fr. Walter Ciszek, who spend 20 years in Russian prison camps described the proper response to the call to conversion: “I realized that true freedom meant nothing else than letting God operate within my soul Page 5 SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT DECEMBER 6, 2020

Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration is the adoration of Jesus Christ’s REAL presence in the Holy Eucharist

All are invited to devote your prayer time for ANY hour as an Adorer to the Blessed Sacrament.

Hours most needed for a scheduled Adorer:

MONDAY 2 am, TUESDAY 7 am Wednesday 11 am & Wednesday 3:00 pm, Saturday 1 am & 3 am

Be Still And Know That I Am God

Call or text Anne Tel# 908-247-6998 email [email protected] sign up at

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