Page 1 The Parish Community of St. Matthew the Apostle 81 Seymour Avenue, Edison, New Jersey 08817 | Phone: 732-985-5063 Website: stmatthewtheapostle.com | School Website: stmatthewtheapostle.com/school “Follow the Truth, not the crowd.” 6th Sunday of Easter - May 9, 2021 NOTICE: Ascension “Thursday” is Moved to Next Weekend For many years, most dioceses in the U.S. have celebrated the Feast of the Ascension on the 7th Sunday of Easter. The dioceses of New Jersey have not done this until last year because of Covid. The obligation to attend Mass on the traditional Ascension Thursday was therefore moved to the Sunday. This year again, the bishops of New Jersey (i.e. The Province of Newark) have agreed to transfer the feast to replace the Seventh Sunday of Easter. They will decide over the next few months whether this move would continue for future years. Currently, it only applies to this year. This coming Thursday would normally be that Holy Day of Obligation. But it is not a holy day, and we will only have the regularly-scheduled Mass at 8:30 AM which will be Thursday of the 6th Week of Easter (we will not do readings or Mass formulas for Ascension). You are not obligated to attend Mass on Thursday. Remember, during Covid, you are not required to attend Mass anyway. Parish Phone Numbers Mission Statement St. Matthew the Apostle Church is a diverse Roman Church ............................................ 732-985-5063 Fax .................................................. 732-985-9104 Catholic community empowered by the Spirit of God, School ............................................. 732-985-6633 formed by His Word, and nourished by the Eucharist. School Fax ...................................... 732-985-7748 We are called to bear witness to the Gospel through Office of Religious Formation .......... 732-985-5063 stewardship, hospitality, and service. Parish Office Hours (not during Covid) Parish Membership Monday - Friday: 10:30 AM-4:30 PM Membership in our parish is open to all Catholics who Wednesday evening 4:30 PM-8:00 PM reside within our borders as well as others who wish The priests and deacons are available by to worship with us and support our mission. All adult appointment through the Parish Office. Catholics should officially register as members of the Covid hours: Tue thru Fri Noon to 2:00 PM parish in which they reside. Registration is a condition Mass Schedule for admission to our Religious Formation program and Saturday Evening: 5:00 PM reception of the Sacraments of Baptism, First Pen- 2nd Saturday 7:00 PM (Tagalog) ance, First Eucharist, Confirmation and Marriage. Be- Sunday 7:30, 9:00, 10:30 AM, ing registered for at least one month as an active pa- 12:00 & 1:30 PM (Spanish) rishioner is required before we can testify to your eligi- Monday-Saturday 8:30 AM bility to be a sponsor for Baptism or Confirmation. Please call the Parish Office (732-985-5063) to ar- Sacrament of Reconciliation range an appointment to register. Saturdays: 11:00 AM to 12:00 Noon (no evening hours during Covid) or Young adults over the age of 21 should register inde- by appointment with one of the pendently of their parents. Please notify the Parish priests Office of any changes in name, address, marital sta- tus or if you are leaving the Parish. Page 2 GODPARENT / CONFIRMATION SPONSOR LETTERS Church law mandates that a sponsor for baptism and PARISH ORGANIZATIONS/MINISTRIES confirmation be an active Confirmed Catholic. An active Parish Pastoral Council: Catholic is a parishioner who is registered, attends Mass Marge Hermitt 732-985-5063 weekly, contributes to the support of the church, is in a Choirs/Music Ministry: valid Catholic marriage (if married), and publicly leads a David Jules 732-985-5063 life compatible with Church teaching. We can only write Eucharistic Ministers/Lectors/Ushers: letters of eligibility for parishioners who meet these Fr. Joseph 732-985-5063 criteria. Mass attendance is normally confirmed by Religious Formation: envelope use. If you don’t use envelopes, the office will Alice Fogarty 732-985-5063 provide a form that you need to have signed by a parish priest for several consecutive weeks before a St. Matthew’s School: sponsorship letter can be written. Call the office for more Mrs. Joyce Schaefer 732-985-6633 information. HSA: Jason Williams PRE-BAPTISM A mandatory Pre-Baptism instruction Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA): class is scheduled once a month. Please call the parish Henry Frohnhoefer and Alice Fogarty 732-985-5063 office at 732-985-5063 to register. High School Youth Group: Diane Kohlbecker BAPTISM Baptism is normally celebrated on the 732-742-4613 second Saturday of each month at 12:15 PM. Baptisms Rosary Altar Society/Social Ministry Group: are not celebrated during Lent. To arrange for Baptisms Marie Reybert 848-200-7925 please call the parish office at 732-985-5063. St. Vincent de Paul Society: RELIGIOUS FORMATION (CCD) If you are new to the Mary Callahan 862-621-5327 parish and wish to enroll your child in the Religious Philippine American Association: Formation Program, please call the Office of Religious Ramon Aggabao 732 650 1718 Formation at 732-985-5063. Office hours: Monday - School Advisory Council: Friday, 1:30 - 4:30 PM. President: Maria Corbett 732-267-5572 RCIA Adults wishing to become Roman Catholic or Fathers’ Club: receive First Eucharist and/or Confirmation should Jose Ortiz 917-396-2492 contact the Parish Office for information on the Rite of Knights of Columbus: Christian Initiation of Adults. Donald Becker – 732-261-4778 MARRIAGE Marriage arrangements should be made Legion of Mary: one year in advance and prior to any social plans. Joan Gage 732-985-1888 Contact the Parish Office for all pre-marriage information. Athletics: MINISTRY TO THE SICK or HOMEBOUND Our Randy Encarnacion 201-344-2281 Priests, Deacons and Eucharistic Ministers visit and bring Spanish Charismatic Prayer Group: Communion to homebound parishioners or those in JFK Laura Bazares 732-718-7146 Hartwyck at Edison Estates nursing home. Contact the Parish Office to arrange such visits. To contact a priest in LIKE US ON FACEBOOK parish community of st.matthew a genuine emergency involving the sick or dying, call the the apostle roman catholic church AND st-matthew edison rectory office. After business hours dial the parish emergency line at 732-735-9570. ST. MATTHEW PRAYER CHAIN Call Tom or Pat Krosnowski at 609-586-2320 with your request or email it to [email protected] & it will be sent to a group of STEWARDSHIP God invites all people to be good people who will pray immediately. All requests will be stewards of the gifts and talents he has entrusted to us. confidential and will remain on the prayer list until you ask All parishioners are urged to give a weekly pre-planned for them to be removed. generous contribution based on a percent-age of their income. Please use the church envelope system. MASS INTENTIONS Contact the Parish Office to schedule a Mass for our beloved deceased. HOLY ORDERS If you are interested in learning more about the priesthood, diaconate or religious life, contact MUSIC MINISTRY For information regarding our Father George at the Parish Office (732-985-5063). Adult Choir, Children’s Choir, Middle Choir, Youth Choir or Hand Bell Choir, contact the Parish Office at 732-985- SCRIP OFFICE Melissa Krakowiecki (908-406-1199) 5063. Monday-Friday 7:45 - 8:15 in the School (on school days only); PARISH ORGANIZATION FUNDRAISERS Groups are permitted to run and schedule fundraisers which have MIRACULOUS MEDAL NOVENA Saturday Morning happened in the prior year. New fundraisers or significant after 8:30 AM Mass. changes to prior fundraisers (or restarting ones from over a year ago) require permission from the pastor. Page 3 WEEK AT A GLANCE Covid Edition! SUNDAY, May 9, 2021 Sixth Sunday of Easter Sunday, May 9, 2021 7:30 AM +Teresita Rodriguez r/o Marilou & Rene Mayor Monday, May 10, 2021 9:00 AM +Mary Faccone & WandaTagliareni r/o the Tuesday, May 11, 2021 Tagliareni Family 10:30 AM +Rose Sauchelli r/o the Catalina Family Wednesday, May 12, 2021 12:00 PM +Deacon Frank Yuhas r/o St. Matthew Youth Group Alumni Thursday, May 13, 2021 1:30 PM People of the Parish Friday, May 14, 2021 (Spanish) Saturday, May 15, 2021 MONDAY, May 10, 2021 St. Demien de Veuster Sunday, May 16, 2021 8:30 AM +Dr. Antonio Javier Guzman r/o the Munar Family THE PRESENCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT TUESDAY, May 11, 2021 We have a unique episode in the Acts of the Apostles 8:30 AM +Andres Cervantes r/o the Munar Family today. A whole roomful of people are baptized with the Holy Spirit before they are baptized with water! The verb WEDNESDAY, May 12, 2021 used—“the Holy Spirit ‘fell’ on them” (Acts 10:44)—is Sts. Nereus, Achilleus, & St. Pancras characteristic of the way the Spirit works throughout the 8:30 AM +Patricia Sheerin r/o Monica Foulkes book of Acts: powerful and surprising. Though this “baptism” is not the normative way the New Testament describes baptism, it is still a good reminder today that THURSDAY, May 13, 2021 the Holy Spirit is not controlled by whether or not we Our Lady of Fatima pour water, but rather that our sacramental signs reveal 8:30 AM +The Kay & Kowalski Families r/o Brooks the presence of the Spirit at work among us. And we have & Paula Kay a double reinforcement of how this work is accomplished from a Letter and a Gospel bearing John’s name. It is love, self-sacrificing and self-giving love, that manifests FRIDAY, May 14, 2021 the Spirit of Jesus in our midst.