PARISH MISSION STATEMENT We, the Catholic Community of St. Joseph, The Catholic Community of are committed to follow Christ. Through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we strive to be good stewards in our lives. We pray for peace, forgiveness, and for one Saint Joseph another as Christ loves us!

MASS SCHEDULE

Saturday Vigil : 4:00 pm Sunday: 8:00 am & 10:30 am Monday through Friday: 8:00 am

Holy Days of Obligation 7:30 pm Vigil (Evening before) and 8:00 am on the Holyday.

SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION Saturday: 3:00–3:30 pm or anytime by appointment

R.C.I.A Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults Robert Paulishak, Coordinator

Religious Formation/Catechesis

Parish Sacramental Preparation Grades 1 through 8 Sundays: 9:15 am – 10:15 am For more information, call the Parish Office.

REV. KENNETH R. KOLIBAS PASTOR

Chaplain In Residence REV. LAZARO PEREZ R.W.J.B. HOSPITAL AT SOMERSET

Director of Sacred Music David Shirley

Parish Trustees Irene Amitrani, James Piccolo

Parish Office Manager and Bulletin Editor-Webmaster

James Piccolo

Please send articles to: E-Mail: [email protected]

Parish Website stjosephraritan.weconnect.com

Parish Address/Phone/Fax 16 East Somerset Street Raritan, NJ 08869-2102

(908) 725-0163 x 10

FAX—(908) 725-2333 Office Hours: Monday through Friday 8:30 am—1:00 pm Evening hours by appointment Page 2 Saint Joseph Church, Raritan – Sunday, April 21, 2019 Next Sunday, April 28 is History of the Message and Devotion to Divine Mercy

The Message of the Divine Mercy that Sr. Faustina received from the Lord was not only directed toward her personal growth in faith but also toward the good of the people. With the command of our Lord to paint an Alleluia! The exclamation rings out across the land, and image according to the pattern that we who are disciples of Jesus Christ pause to reflect on Sr. Faustina had seen, came also a the reality that he rose from the grave and, in turn, con- request to have this image venerated, quered death. first in the Sisters' chapel, and then In today's colleges and universities, in pulpits of every throughout the world. The same is denomination, and in books and journals, there are those true with the revelations of the Chap- who say it is unimportant whether or not he really rose let. The Lord requested that this from the dead. Chaplet be said not only by Sr. Faustina, but by oth- ers: "Encourage souls to say the Chaplet that I have given you." They say that the facts do not impact the moral of the sto- The same is true of the revelation of the Feast of Mercy. "The ry. Of course, two thousand years of give Feast of Mercy emerged from my very depths of tenderness. It is my evidence that they are incorrect. What the faithful of desire that it solemnly be celebrated on the first Sunday after Easter. many generations have experienced and given testimony Mankind will not have peace until it turns to the fount of My Mercy." to is not something built on an idea. It is not a philosophy These requests of the Lord given to Sr. Faustina between 1931 or a self-help psychology. The church is a direct result of and 1938 can be considered the beginning of the Divine Mercy real events in the course of human history. Without those Message and Devotion in the new forms. real events, we simply follow a man who showed us a Through the efforts of Sr. Faustina’s spiritual directors, Fr. different way to live. Instead, we follow a God who emp- Michael Sopocko, and Fr. Joseph Andrasz, SJ, and others — tied himself into a human form, suffered the pain of tor- including the Marians of the Immaculate Conception — this ture and death at the hands of those he had created, and message began to spread throughout the world. However, it is important to remember that this message of The then shattered the chains of death so that we in our hu- Divine Mercy, revealed to St. Faustina and to our present gen- man form may follow suit. Today, humanity is redeemed. eration is not new. It is a powerful reminder of who God is and It is time to face the facts! has been from the very beginning. This truth that God is in His very nature Love and Mercy Itself, is given to us by our Judeo- Christian faith and God’s self-revelation. The veil that has hid- den the mystery of God from eternity was lifted by God Him- self. In His goodness and love God chose to reveal Himself to Josephine Carmen Cortese us, His creatures, and to make known His eternal plan of salva- baptized in our church tion. This He had done partly through the Old Testament Patri- on March 31, 2019 archs, Moses and the Prophets, and fully through His only Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. In the person of Jesus Christ, conceived Daughter of Joseph & Meghan Cortese through power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary, Congratulations and welcome to St. Joseph! the unseen God was made visible.

The Divine Mercy Apostolate is returning to the Shrine of the Blessed Sacrament in Raritan, 50 West Somerset Street April 28, 2019 Rosary and Confessions, 1:00—3:00 pm, Chaplet of Divine Mercy 3:00 pm Mass of the Day (fulfills Sunday obligation) Follows Chaplet Main Celebrant and Homilist: Rev. Anthony Mastroeni

It is not possible for everyone to go to Confession on the Feast Day. As Fr. Seraphim has said, “God will not ask us to do the impossible.” Cardinal Francis Marcharski, Archbishop of Cracow, Poland the protector of the Divine Mercy devotion points out that we should be preparing for the Feast of Mercy during the whole season of , and we should make our Confession even before . All mortal sins must be brought to the Sacrament of Reconciliation and Penance as soon as possible. The important thing is to approach the Fountain of Mercy with sincere repentance for all our sins and allow Jesus to transform our hearts.

For more information Call or email Jen English 973 525-6692 [email protected] Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of the Lord, April 21, 2019 Page 3 C I E C W Sanctuary Candle Monday, April 22, 2019 + Ernestina Santos Perez No Scheduled 8:00 am Mass, Parish Office Closed

Blessed Virgin Mary Priest of the Day – Rev. Richard Rusk + Francis Sipski Tuesday, April 23, 2019 St. Joseph 8:00 am + John Bucknell Health of Glenn Kubaki Priest of the Day– Rev. Thomas Ryan -2019 Wednesday, April 24, 2019 In Memory of Minarovich, Mac Math, 8:00 am + Deceased Obszanski Family Peppe Priest of the day– Rev. Charles Sabella Thursday, April 25, 2019 Ministry Schedule-April 27-28 8:00 am + Joseph Gallagher Saturday Vigil Mass 4:00 pm Priest of the day– Rev. Michael Saharic Reader:………………………………………………….Bob P. Friday, April 26, 2019 Ministers of the Eucharist:……..Roberta L., Irene A, Teresa G. 8:00 am + Steve, John Yulia Melis Sunday 8:00 am Mass Priest of the Day – Rev. Juan Salonga Reader:……..…………………………………………Victor S. Saturday, April 27, 2019 Ministers of the Eucharist:………………………….Barbara V. Confessions 3:00-3:30 pm Vigil Mass of the Sunday 10:30 am Mass Sunday of Divine Mercy Reader:…..……………………………...……………….Bill F. Ministers of the Eucharist:…………Sharon S., Bill F., Kathy J. 4:00 pm + Joseph Jackson Priest of the Day – Rev. Leopoldo Salvania Sunday, April 28, 2019 Sunday of Divine Mercy 8:00 am Mass for the People of the Parish 10:30 am + Julie Tomczyk Priest of the Day – Rev. Charles Scillieri + denotes deceased.

SEASONAL REFLECTION Easter

Called by Name

Mary...

Even in the garden of the resurrection, Jesus goes unrecog- nized at first. The Gospel of John records a weeping wom- an, mistaking the risen savior for a gardener. Until, that is, she is called by name.

Mary...

Robert. Catherine. Joanne. Steven. Hailey. Travis.

Jesus rises for you. He rises for me. He rises for each and every one of us. We are called by name in the garden of the resurrection. This Sunday and every Sunday, Jesus comes to meet us. Imagine sitting with him. How is he looking at you? What do you say to him? When the resurrected Lord greets you with a smile, how do you respond? St. Joseph’s Senior Citizens Meet Tuesday, May 7 12:00 pm in the School Auditorium Page 4 Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of the Lord, April 21, 2019 SUNDAY’S READINGS Gospel Meditation for Easter Sunday First Reading: "He commissioned us to preach to the peo- Can you imagine that moment? Can you imagine the stom- ple and testify that he is the one appointed by God as judge ach drop with dizzying realization: "It's all true. All of it is of the living and the dead." (Acts 10:42) true! The past three years weren't a dream that ended horri- Psalm: This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and bly wrong." Can you imagine all the doubts and despair of be glad. (Ps 118) or Alleluia the past days chased away like smoke on the wind by a Second Reading: When Christ your life appears, then you rolled up burial cloth? By an empty tomb? too will appear with him in glory. (Col 3:4) It didn't start that way, of course. "'They have taken the Lord Gospel: Then the other disciple also went in, the one who had from the tomb, and we don't know where they put him.'" arrived at the tomb first, and he saw and believed. (Jn 20:8) This frantic news from Mary Magdalene would have been another unexpected blow. After all that happened, now his

Alternate Second Reading: 1 Cor 5:6b-8 body has been stolen? The love and devotion in Peter and John is apparent. They don't wait to collect more infor- Excerpts from the Lectionary for Mass ©2001, 1998, 1970 CCD. mation or stop by the tomb when they have a chance. They The English translation of Psalm Responses from Lectionary for Mass © 1969, 1981, 1997, International Commission on English in the Liturgy run to the site. When is the last time you ran for something? Corporation. All rights reserved. This isn't a run for exercise, but a huffing and puffing bolt fueled by desperation. Can you imagine that moment? The R W A 21, 2019 fear pounding in their temples, matching their accelerated Sunday: Acts 10:34a, 37-43/Ps 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23 [24]/ heart rate. Can you imagine the impatient affection of John, Col 3:1-4 or 1 Cor 5:6b-8/Jn 20:1-9 or Lk 24:1-12 or Lk who outruns Peter but refuses to enter the tomb alone? And 24:13-35 then, upon entry, "He saw and believed." Monday: Acts 2:14, 22-33/Ps 16:1-2a and 5, 7-8, 9-10, 11 This is the drama of our great feast! The promise that [1]/Mt 28:8-15 seemed lost has been found. The dead are raised. Long be- Tuesday: Acts 2:36-41/Ps 33:4-5, 18-19, 20 and 22 [5b]/Jn fore the Easter eggs and ham, we are invited to meditate on 20:11-18 this divine reality. We are invited to feel the desperation and Wednesday: Acts 3:1-10/Ps 105:1-2, 3-4, 6-7, 8-9 [3b]/Lk joy of that first Easter Sunday deep in our bones. Because it 24:13-35 is not just Mary's story. It's not Peter and John's story. It's Thursday: Acts 3:11-26/Ps 8:2ab and 5, 6-7, 8-9 [2ab]/Lk our story. From the greatest defeat can come the most awe- 24:35-48 inspiring victory, and this is true not just for our God, but Friday: Acts 4:1-12/Ps 118: 1-2 and 4, 22-24, 25-27a [22]/ for each one of us. He is risen indeed! Alleluia! Jn 21:1-14 CATHOLIC QUOTES Saturday: Acts 4:13-21/Ps 118:1 and 14-15ab, 16-18, 19- 21 [21a]/Mk 16:9-15 Next Sunday: Acts 5:12-16/Ps 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24 [1]/Rv 1:9-11a, 12-13, 17-19/Jn 20:19-31 Food Bank Weekends We collect all non-perishable foods, trial size toiletries for our local food bank. Bring a bag to Mass for the less fortunate.

St. Joseph Seniors Monthly Bus Trip Atlantic City Casinos Tuesday, May 21, 2019 Bus leaves 9:00 am SHARP! Bus leaves from the Raritan Mall Parking lot on Route 206 & Orlando Drive (opposite car wash). Seats open! Must be 21 & over. For more information and to reserve a seat call : John Hudak at (908) 725-0051. Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of the Lord, April 21, 2019 Page 5 INSPIRATION FOR THE WEEK EVERYDAY STEWARDSHIP

Alleluia! Christ is risen! We are called, by how we live our This Easter, in churches all over the world, people will be lives, to celebrate the risen Christ. How do we do that? Our fully initiated in the . Those who have come faith in the resurrection gathers us here today to celebrate from another Christian denomination have already begun this incredible event. The good news is that the doors of their journey with Jesus Christ. But for those who are bap- eternity are open! We can now understand that the fullness tized at the , a new reality has come to pass. of who we are will be discovered when we one day meet Each newly baptized man, woman, and child have become God face-to-face in heaven. Our faith in the truth of who new creations in Jesus Christ. They have died and risen with God is and who we are affects how we live our lives and the the one who rose on the third day and whose empty tomb decisions we make. We are called to love our neighbor...to we celebrate every Easter. Easter Sunday morning, they love those who hurt us...to work on behalf of the poor and awake after many months of RCIA and all have the same the weak...to be people of justice, integrity, and hope... to question before them: "Now what?" practice compassion and mercy above anything else. Our When one finds themselves having journeyed through vari- lives are meant to be oriented around the axis of the Gospel. ous thresholds of conversion and now they bear the name of Are they? Christian, the time comes to chart the course of life as a dis- QUESTIONS OF THE WEEK ciple. Stewardship is that course of life. How one lives out their life from now on is the life of stewardship. The less First Reading Peter delivered this speech in the household of one understands true stewardship and the value of their gifts Cornelius, where a group of Gentile believers in Christ had assem- and talents to the Body of Christ, the harder the journey. bled. The content of Peter's speech represents the message with Those of us who were baptized many years ago can easily which Gentiles were evangelized to the faith. In what ways do you fall into a false sense of comfort. We forget that sense of find Peter's words convincing? excitement those coming into the Church experience at the Easter Vigil. However, the story of that empty tomb re- Second Reading What do you find compelling about Paul's minds us of the power behind our baptism. Today, we, too, metaphorical use of yeast and dough in his discussion of Christ as are called to discipleship and a stewardship way of life. the sacrificed Paschal Lamb? Jesus continues to provide the answer to our, "Now what?"

- Tracy Earl Welliver, MTS Gospel Reading Luke is the only evangelist to record the resur- rected Jesus' appearance on the road to Emmaus. In the story, the WHY DO WE DO THAT? two disciples eventually recognize that Jesus "was made known to CATHOLIC TRADITIONS EXPLAINED them in the breaking of the bread." How is that experience one of the central tenets of our Catholic faith? Question: Why does the change every year, while most other celebrations are celebrated on the same day?

Answer: Every feast is celebrated at a certain time for a reason. Saints feast days are commonly the day of their death. While we don't know Jesus' exact birthday, we cel- ebrate the "light of the world" around the time of winter solstice, as dark, wintery days begin to lengthen again. We have a historical clue, however, to when the Easter events occurred. We know that Jesus was crucified the day before Passover. The Jews calculated the date for Passover based on both the solar and lunar calendars. It corresponds to the first full moon after the spring equi- nox. The early Christians maintained this connection in their celebrations of Easter on the first Sunday after the paschal full moon. We don't re-calculate the full moon every year. As astron- omy developed, so too did the forecasts of when Easter would occur in future years. The Church has created a Prayer Bowl Requests table of calculated dates, projecting the date of Easter Prayer Bowl slips are now located in the yellow decades in advance. The date of Easter also determines bowl at the Front Entrance of the Church or the date of Ash Wednesday and the season of Lent, as you may place them in the Collection Basket. well as the feast days following in the Easter season, in- cluding . So these feasts move, too! This tradi- Pray the Rosary for Life. tion may seem complicated, but it connects our Christian faith now to what has come before - our Jewish roots and the real, Thou shalt not kill! historical reality of Christ's suffering, death, and resurrection. Page 6 Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of the Lord, April 21, 2019 From the Desk of your Pastor,

Alleluia! Jesus Christ is risen! Happy Easter to all. Our Savior who suffered and died for us has risen as he said. Praised be Jesus Christ, true God and true man. We now begin the for 50 days until the Feast of the Ascension. Each day during Easter week from Easter Sunday through Divine Mercy (Second Sunday of East- er) is a solemnity in the Church and calls for the Gloria, Creed and using Preface One of Easter for Mass. At the end of mass, the double Alleluia is used until Divine Mercy Sunday. The double Alleluia was formally used throughout the Easter Season but was changed to just Easter week with the new edition of the Roman missal. Each Sunday mass during the Octave, we are blessed with the new Easter (Holy) water as a reminder of our Bap- tism and that we are cleansed from Original sin. I hope you were able to attend many if not all of the holy Week Services. I pray that your faith was shaken and deepened in response to the liturgies of Holy Week and Easter. I wish to welcome once again, Renaye Krachun who was received into the Church this Easter and is now in full communion with the Catholic Church. May all of us along with your family and friends continue to support you as you continue your journey of faith as the newest member of our Catholic community here at St. Joseph’s and the church worldwide. I want to thank Bob Paulishak for preparing Renaye Krachun these last two years in prep- aration for her entry in the Church. Thank you to all who volunteered the many hours to help decorate an assist with the various liturgies. Thank you to David Shirley and our Choir that enhanced out liturgies. To Teresa Gambino, Kathy Johnson, Barbara Snyder and Ida Ciemniecki for their help with ironing and placing the many altar cloths with several changes during the season. To those who helped decorate, those who washed and ironed the altar linens for mass. To those who maintain our missals for placement and removal. Thanks to our all our ministers who assist at mass each week. To Ed Ruzbarsky for delivering the bags of food to the Food Bank each month. For the ladies who tidy up the church each Monday after Sunday Mass making sure our church looks pristine. To Tom Sabol, Kathy Johnson and Roseann Kielar who continually vacuum and dust our parish on a regular basis. To Elaine Walters and the Piroghy team members who labored to make our delicious homemade piroghy. Thanks to Sharon Steinmetz for picking up and delivering our Holiday Kolach from the Pennsylvania bakery. To Jim, my office manager who is a tremendous help each day who I can never thank enough to keep everything running smooth. I also want to express my sincere gratitude to Teresa Gambino for her countless hours as sacristan setting up for mass each and every day. If I missed anyone, a mea culpa to you and thank you to everyone in anyway that has volunteered to help our parish. May our Lord Jesus continue to bless our parish family and bring us closer to Him. Happy Easter to you, Father Ken. Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of the Lord, April 21, 2019 Page 7 Saint of the Week

2019 Bishop’s Annual Appeal Help Build a Civilization of Love

CATHOLIC SCHOOLS: &#$L'!#-$ !&--*1 #*'#4#12& 2 SLOVAK EASTER EGGS 2&#!&'*"0#, 0#2&#&30!&-$-+-00-5T2'1-30+-0 *'+V KRASLICE .#0 2'4#2-.0-4'"# 120-,%$-3," 2'-,', -2& 2&-*'!$ '2& The tradition of egg decoration in $-0+ 2'-, ," ! "#+'!#6!#**#,!#T -30%'$22-2&#!'1&-._1 Slavic cultures originated in pa- #,,3 *#..# *'1 ,',4#12+#,2',2&#$3230#-$-30&30!&T gan times, and was transformed The Bishop’s Annual Appeal provides funding for our by the process of religious syncre- Catholic Schools for costs not covered by assessments tism into the Christian . -" 2#Q2&#%#4#*-.+#,2$L'!#& 10#!#'4#".*#"%#12-2 *',% Nevertheless, these decorated $SUQRWVT[Z ,". 7+#,212-2 *',%$SXQUT[T[Z$0-+ZT eggs have retained much of their . 0'1&'-,#01T&'10#.0#1#,21XWTU$-$7-30$TWQRRRTRR%- *T pagan symbolism. Many Slavic ethnic groups, includ- & ,)7-3$-07-30#$$-021T ing the Bulgarians (писано яйце, pisano yaytse), Croats (), Czechs (kraslice), Poles (), Mount St. Mary House of Prayer Sorbs (pisanici), Serbs (писаница, pisanica), Slovaks 1651 US Highway 22, Watchung, NJ 07069 908-753-2091 (kraslica), Slovenes (pisanica or pirh), and Ukraini- ans (писанка, ), decorate eggs for Easter.  Many of the names derive from the Slavic root pisa which relates to painting (and cognate with Latin pictu- Pocketbook Bingo Fundraiser ra), Czech and Slovak names derive from kresliť (to Designer Pocketbooks draw) or krášliť (to decorate). In Slavic tradition, the 50/50 Raffle egg (similar to icons) is written, not drawn or painted. and Tricky Tray Gift Basket Raffles This is an Eastern European tradition, since the Roma- nians, a non-Slavic ethnic group, also practice it (ouă FRIDAY, APRIL 26, 2019 încondeiate). The pattern is often applied to an egg by Mercy Hall - 1645 US Highway 22, Watchung the process of wax-resist, similar to batik. A stylus is Doors open at 5:30 p.m.- Games start at 7 p.m. $40 per person (NO ADMISSION TICKETS SOLD AT DOOR) used to apply hot wax to the shell of an egg, which is placed in a series of dye baths. The wax seals the dye  into the egg; the colors and pattern are revealed when the wax is removed (by melting it off) at the end. Other techniques include “drop-pull” eggs, a variation on ba- tik which uses a simple pin head to apply wax; a “scratch” technique, where dye is applied to an egg and then patterns scratched onto the shell; painted eggs, where the shells are painted using a brush; and various Joel Campbell Lukas Dalfonsi versions of appliqué, where Charles Governali Peter Heitz items (straw, paper, beads, se- quins) are glued to the shell of Michael Novelli Stephen Yashinski If you know of a member of our parish family an egg. While decorated eggs of serving in the U.S. Military, please let us know various Slavic nations have so we may add them to our list of much in common, national tradi- Honoring Those Who Serve our Country. tions vary. From Slavorum Lord watch over and guide them. IDEAL AUTO BODY COLLISION EXPERTS Italian Restaurant 705 Route 202 N. PROMPT QUALITY SERVICE Bridgewater, New Jersey 08807 908-429-1410 35 Old York Road, Bridgewater Fax: 908-429-3063 Reservations Suggested www.cafeemilia.com 725-5900

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