Holy Spirit R.C. Church 318 Newark-Pompton Turnpike Pequannock, NJ 07440 Rev. David Monteleone Pastor “In the Spirit” Volume 3, No. 3 May/June, 2018 My dear parishioners, I hope you are all enjoying the Spring so far. It has been a somewhat fickle season, but I hope that warm and comfortable weather will follow soon. Several things have taken place since the last parish newsletter. The new air conditioning has been installed and we will all enjoy its effect this summer. Work was done on the chimney of the church building. A new liner and brickwork was done. This work was needed to prepare to convert to a gas-fired furnace. The oil tank will be removed soon and the Church building will be heated with natural gas for a cleaner, more efficient burn. Both the men’s and ladies’ lavatories will be “refreshed” once school is over. New paint, tile work and commodes will be installed. This work will take approximately two weeks. All of these wonderful things are able to happen due to your continued generosity. Holy Spirit is a small, but vibrant parish. All of these improvements show that many people are committed to this wonderful community of love. I cannot thank you enough for this wonderful response. As of the writing of this letter, we have collected almost $9,000 for the new lift. This project will take some time and I do hope to have a new lift in as soon as we get the money. I still hope to have the church painted in the near future. Rome was not built in a day and I need to remind myself of this often. As we continue to make these improvements to the parish plant, it will ensure a bright future for Holy Spirit Parish. I remain your faithful servant. Peace, Fr. David Monteleone Mass Schedule Change The summer Mass schedule will begin on Memorial Day weekend, Saturday/Sunday, May 26/27. Beginning on Sunday, May 27, the summer Mass schedule will be in effect as follows: Saturday Mass: 5PM Sunday Mass times: 7:30AM, 10:30AM, 7PM A Look Ahead... Saturday/Sunday, May 5/6 First Holy Communion Weekend: 5PM, 9:00AM, 11:00AM Sunday, May 6 Hospitality Sunday after the 11AM Mass May 5/6 and 12/13 Rosary Altar Society’s baby items collection for Birth Haven Saturday, May 19 John McKniff Scholarship Bowl-a-thon, 1-3PM at T-Bowl, Wayne Saturday, May 26/27 Summer Mass schedule begins: Saturday 5:00PM Sunday 7:30AM, 10:30AM, 7:00PM Sunday, June 3 Hospitality Sunday after the 11AM Mass Sunday, June 3 8th Grade Baccalaureate Mass, 3:30PM Wednesday, June 6 8th Grade Graduation June 12-16 Holy Spirit School Carnival 2 Congratulations, Fr. David! Congratulations, Fr. David, on the fifth anniversary of your ordination to the priesthood: May 25, 2013 We You ! Lenten Stations of the Cross On the Fridays in Lent, Stations of the Cross are led by various groups or individuals: the Deacons, the choir, the Knights of Columbus/ Columbiettes, the Parish Council, and Holy Spirit School. Shown left are members of the Parish Council following the Stations of the Cross on Friday, March 16. (Right) On March 23, following their annual tradition, the fifth-grade class at Holy Spirit School presented the “Living Stations” to a full church of students in grades 1-8, in addition to parents, parishioners and guests. The Stations presentation was narrated by members of the fifth grade class with fifth grade student actors, directed by their homeroom teacher, Jenna DosSantos. 3 The Mass of Chrism Fr.. David Monteleone is shown as part of the procession of deacons and priests at the Diocese’s annual Mass of Chrism March 26 in the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist. Bishop Serratelli consecrated the Oil of Chrism and blessed the Oil of Catechumens and Oil of the Sick during the Mass. These holy oils will be used in parishes throughout the Diocese during the year in celebration of the Sacraments. The Oil of the Sick is used in anointing those who are ill; the Oil of Catechumens is for those preparing to be baptized and the Chrism, which the bishop consecrated, is used for Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Orders and the consecration of altars. The oils were distributed to representatives from each parish in the Diocese after the Mass. Left, Deacon Gary Zack processes in with the permanent Deacons at the Mass of Chrism at the Cathedral on Monday, March 26. The Beauty of Easter Thanks to Mary Lou Weinberg for leading the decorating of our church for Easter, and to the team of Rita Ann Gilfedder, Ken Gertler, Michael and Matthew Gertler, Regina McKniff, Sue and Frank Unger, Bernice Sauers, Meredith and Margaret Mascitelo, 4 Nancy Cascone, James and Erica for their hard work!. Holy Thursday, The Mass of the Lord’s Supper At the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, shown during the Presentation of the Gifts are Fr. David, Deacon Gary, and altar servers Liam, Michael, Aedan and Margaret. Below left, Fr. David washes the feet of young parishioner Matthew Gertler. Below, right, shows the repository for the Blessed Sacrament following the Holy Thursday Mass of the Lord’s Supper. The church remained open from after the Mass until midnight, as parishioners, friends and guests, spent time in Eucharistic Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, just as the Disciples kept a vigil with Christ. 6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” 7 Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” 8 “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” 9 “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!” John 13:6-9 5 What is New at Holy Spirit? The two new air conditioning units have been installed for the main church and for the wing. Above, the new brass candle stick, which holds the Pascal Candle, was donated by Scanlan’s. The dedication plate on the Pascal Candle holder reads, “In memory of the many Holy Spirit families that we have been privileged to serve. M.John Scanlan Funeral Home.” Left: In preparation for the conversion from oil to gas heat, the chimney needed to be rebuilt due to deterioration of the bricks. The “cage” on top was added to prevent entry by birds and squirrels! Immediate Parish (Property) Priorities In the new few months, you will be hearing about more projects to upgrade and refresh our beautiful country church! Next projects on the list of priorities will include: Repair and refreshing of the women’s and men’s restrooms in the church. Conversion from oil heat to gas for the church. New lift/elevator. 6 Confirmed in Christ: April 16, 2018 Our Newly-Confirmed Parishioners Douglas Ryan Alcott Elizabeth Jennifer Aurelia McCollum Emma Rose Cecilia Amiaga Matthew Meyers Nicole Lauren Assadourian Anna Christine Mezzina Danielle Marie Bakelaar Zachary Moody Erin Marie Clare Cavanaugh Nicholas Palazzo Massimo Claudio Rafael Garcia-Astolfi Alvaro Pliego Matthew Conner Golas Alyssa Madison Romano Amina Ann Johri Alexander Soperanz Ryan Keaveney Melissa Elizabeth Unger Sierra Klassens Patrick Thomas Walsh Kasper Dominic Kozdron Lindsay Koloe Bernadette Yap Julia Patricia Maier The Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit: Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude, Knowledge, Piety, and Fear of the Lord. 7 “Easter Bunny” Breakfast Fundraiser On Saturday, March 24, Holy Spirit Church held an Easter Bunny fundraising breakfast at Applebees in Butler. Special thanks to all who sold tickets after the Masses, served at the breakfast, donated items for the “baskets”, or otherwise worked to promote this event. In particular “thank you” to Fr. David, Oliver Alvarado (as the Easter Bunny), Helen Gunning, Michael and Meredith Mascitello, Margaret Mascitello (Bunny’s helper and guide), Lou Piccoli, Mary Lou Weinberg, Rita Ann Gilfedder, Antoinette VanWyck, Joan Deodato, Diane McCrostie, Lynda and Vince Ladd, John Van Seters, Anne and Mike Tizio, Lisa Meyers, Kathy and Bob Washington, Sam and Kim Rizzo. The breakfast was a fun social event, and a heart-warming validation of the dedication and commitment of our parishioners to our church and its ministries. The breakfast earned $1285 toward the new lift needed in the church. 8 Our Garage Sale Was A Huge Success!! Several weeks of planning, organizing and collecting preceded our two-day parish-wide garage sale on Saturday, April 28 and Sunday, April 29. Thanks to the overwhelming generosity of our parishioners, friends, and our community, three garage bays were completely filled “front-to-back”, “side-to-side”, and “top to bottom” with donations. Volunteers and shoppers continued to discover hidden treasures throughout the two-day sale. “Pay the lady with the hat.” (Antoinette Van Wyck) Working at a garage sale can be exhausting when you’re eleven— taking a break! 1 Corinthians1 12:14 member, but many." many." but member, "For the body is not one one not body is "For the Special thanks and congratulations to Lynda and Vince Ladd for Patrick Walsh and coordinating the garage sale, and requesting and receiving Fr. David hard at work. donations. Special thanks, also, to Bernice Sauers for her leadership in pricing and organizing on the days of the sale! And thank you to the many parishioners who gave of their time for setup, staffing, and cleanup throughout the two days. The sale earned $3020 toward our new lift, and provided an opportunity for further strengthening the “volunteer corps” of our parish! 9 Celebrate the Birthday of Our Church! 10 The Religious Sisters in Concert at the Cathedral The Religious Sisters Filippini, including Sr.