Wednesday, November 8, 2023

9:30 am to 12:30 pm

Schedule:

Continental Breakfast & Fellowship

Guest Speaker: Msgr. John Fell, STD, Episcopal Vicar Health Care Apostolate

Health Care Considerations for Aging Catholics

St. John Neumann Pastoral Center

Holy Mass

+++++++++++++

$10.00 per person

REGISTRATION OPEN

Youth Minister Meet Up & Formation Day



St. John Neumann Pastoral Center

October 21^st 

9:30 am-2pm.

This is a day intended to train, encourage, connect, and renew us in our roles in ministry to Youth. It is a day that will allow our local diocesan community of Youth Workers to show us that we are not alone in our service to young people. 

All who minister to youth OR who have the desire to minister to youth/want to learn more about youth ministry are invited! (This includes all youth ministers, youth ministry volunteers, priests, parishioners who may want to help with youth ministry but don't feel equipped, PCL's, etc.)

The day will include the opportunity to come together in fellowship, receive training from Vice President of Ablaze Ministries, Chris Bartlett, as well as celebrate the Holy Mass together. Lunch is included. Cost is $15.

Webinars on The Divine Office Hymnal

On October 19 and 26 at 1pm, the Secretariat of Divine Worship and the Federation of Diocesan Liturgical Commissions will co-sponsor two, 75-minute webinars on The Divine Office Hymnal. This is recently published hymnal which will be found in the forthcoming new edition of the divine office in English. If you would like to learn more about this new hymnal for the Divine Office you can sign up at : https://fdlc.org/2023/08/the-divine-office-hymnal-webinars/. 

Synod on Synodality Intercessions



As the Church begins the Synod on Synodality, the Vatican has released intercessions to be prayed at Mass for the success of the synod. Parishes and Schools are encouraged to use some or all of these intercessions leading upon to sessions of the Synod or during the sessions. You can download the intercession here:

https://files.ecatholic.com/21916/documents/2023/9/Synod%20Intercessions.pdf.

Perpetual Adoration - Shrine Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament 

The Shrine Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament, in Raritan, is looking for adorers to sit with the Blessed Sacrament Monday through Friday from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament is also being offered the third Thursday of each Month (Night Vigil) from 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. Anyone interested in signing up should visit https://blessedsacramentshrine.com/.

Liturgical Music News

The Diocesan Festival Choir is seeking new members in all sections (SATB) to join those who already give generously of their time to serve the Church as Liturgical Musicians. The choir prayerfully renders music from all periods, with a focus on Renaissance polyphony and Gregorian chant. Rehearsals are on the three preceding Tuesdays for any particular Diocesan liturgical event; rehearsals are typically held at the Cathedral of Saint Francis in Metuchen. Interested persons may set up an interview/audition by contacting Christopher Deibert, Director of Diocesan Liturgical Music, at cdeibert@diometuchen.org.

RCIA Formation Event - TeamRCIA - Making Disciples Institute

The Office of RCIA is pleased to announce that it is hosting an RCIA Formation Event this November 10-11 at Immaculate Conception in Annandale. This two-day Making Disciples Institute will be run by Nick Wagner and Diana Macalintal from TeamRCIA and will provide our RCIA team members a comprehensive overview of the entire catechumenate process, focusing on each period. Participants will also explore how evangelization is the ongoing work of all the baptized and how the entire parish becomes the training ground for catechesis. It is our hope that this Making Disciples Institute will help your catechumenate teams deepen their community’s engagement with seekers, become more confident, and find more joy in this life-changing ministry. Anyone interested in learning more about this important event should contact Adam Carlisle, Secretary for Evangelization and Communication, at acarlisle@diometuchen.org.

Save the Date!

Catechist Formation Day

February 3rd, 2024

“Catechesis on the Eucharist: Teaching children and adolescents about the Source and Summit of the Faith”

Jill Kerekes

Director, Office of Discipleship Formation for Children

732-529-7930

jkerekes@diometuchen.org

The most recent edition of The Catholic Spirit is now available. The September issue, which was dedicated to the opening of a new school year, included articles or columns about Suicide Prevention, a “Feminine Genius Brunch” open to women of all ages, and an I.H.S alumnus who signed with the New York Giants just prior to training camp. We are also hard at work on next month’s edition, which will feature an article about the Hispanic Heritage Mass, introductions to a number of new PCLs, and an article by Msgr. Kerrigan dedicated to Pope Francis’ new encyclical (a follow-up to Laudato Si’), which is scheduled to be released on October 4, the feast of St. Francis of Assisi. The October issue will also feature a special section dedicated to World Mission Sunday, which is scheduled for October 22.

Employment Opportunity - Freelance Photographer



The Diocese of Metuchen is seeking a freelance photographer to cover important events throughout the diocese, including the Bishop’s pastoral visits. The ideal candidate will assist the Office of Communications and Public Relations, as well as The Catholic Spirit, the official newspaper of the diocese, in telling the story of the diocese and its partners. Interested candidates should contact Jerry Wutkowski at communications@diometuchen.org

HEROIC MEN (Powered by the Catholic Men’s Leadership Alliance)

Men have a heroic call to follow Christ’s example of leadership, learning, and service with our families. But we can’t do it alone. Jesus Christ shows us how to be a real man, and a heroic leader through prayer, learning, and purpose. HEROIC MEN (powered by the Catholic Men’s Leadership Alliance) is a 100% free, Catholic streaming platform designed especially for men who want to discover (or re-discover) the truth, beauty, and goodness of the Catholic faith. They curate and stream the best content to engage, educate, and equip men for mission. For more information or to sign up for a free account, please visit https://heroicmen.com/.

National Eucharistic Pilgrimage

The National Eucharistic Pilgrimage (NEP) has publicly launched! The NEP (https://www.eucharisticpilgrimage.org/) will consist of four cross-country Eucharistic processions, collectively traversing the entire continental United States over a two-month period, beginning during the feast of Pentecost, May 17-19, 2024.

The pilgrimage is being organized by the National Eucharistic Revival campaign in conjunction with Modern Catholic Pilgrim, a Catholic nonprofit dedicated to deepening the faith across the country through pilgrimages. Along the way, the pilgrims will make stops in major U.S. cities, churches, Catholic colleges, and holy sites. Parishes along the routes will host Mass, adoration, devotions, praise and worship, lectures on the Eucharist, and more.

The Seton Route, which will begin in New Haven, Connecticut, will be passing through the Diocese of Metuchen on May 27-28, 2024. The four pilgrimage processions will ultimately converge in Indianapolis on July 16, 2024, to participate in the National Eucharistic Congress. Adam Carlisle, Secretary for Evangelization and Communication, will be helping to organize our diocese’s involvement. If anyone is interested in assisting with this important event, please feel free to contact him at acarlisle@diometuchen.org.

National Eucharistic Congress – Tickets/Travel Packages Available

(Coming Soon)!

Registration is now open for the National Eucharistic Congress! At the National Eucharistic Congress (https://www.eucharisticcongress.org/), the Church will draw into a deeper intimacy with our Eucharistic Lord, allowing our eyes to be opened and our hearts to be set on fire with his love. This historic five-day gathering (July 17-21, 2024) will be an experience of prayer: a liturgical act offering the Catholic Church—those in attendance in Indianapolis as well as across the country—to the Father, through the Son, and in the Holy Spirit. This reconsecration will result in a massive outpouring of grace and renewed missionary sending as participants are moved to share the Eucharistic love of the Lord “for the life of the world” (John 6:51). This is a pivotal moment in both American history and the legacy of the Catholic Church. (It is the first National Eucharistic Congress in 83 years!) Tens of thousands of pilgrims are expected to attend—but space is limited. To ensure that the Diocese of Metuchen is well-represented, we are pleased to announce that we have purchased 100 tickets to next summer’s Congress. These packages include transportation to and from Indianapolis, as well as hotel accommodations. More information on how to purchase tickets to next summer’s Congress will be forthcoming. In the meantime, anyone interested in learning more about the Congress, or about how to purchase tickets/travel packages, should contact Adam Carlisle, Secretary for Evangelization and Communication, at acarlisle@diometuchen.org.

National Eucharistic Congress - Customize Your Congress Experience!

Preparation for the Congress is in full swing! In order to make this gathering the most fruitful for Catholics of so many different stages of life and vocational callings, speakers and breakout sessions will be organized into tracks with various themes and intended audiences. Ask the Lord how he is calling you to participate in the Congress and how he wants to form your heart through these five powerful days. Individual speakers and session topics will be announced very soon. In the meantime, we are thrilled to unveil the various ways you will be able to participate in this historic moment.

For more information about what participation options will be available, or to get details about each track, please visit

https://www.eucharisticcongress.org/tracks.

Speakers and breakout sessions will be announced soon.

National Eucharistic Revival - Parish Phase (Leader’s Playbook)

The National Eucharistic Revival is a movement to “rekindle a living relationship with Jesus in the Eucharist and send our Church out on mission ‘for the life of the world.’” On the Feast of Corpus Christi (June 11), we will enter the second year of this initiative—the Year of Parish Revival. To mark this important transition and to help parish leaders and Catholics across the nation, the National Eucharistic Congress has released the Leader’s Playbook (https://www.eucharisticrevival.org/lead) Supercharge your local Revival response with this essential resource! The Leader’s Playbook is your springboard into the Year of Parish Revival, providing concrete steps you can take to answer each of the four invitations at the heart of this movement. Use this resource to discern the Lord’s call for you and your ministry, and join us in gathering tinder for God to reignite our Church with Eucharistic love. Please click on the above link to find out what to expect from this Year of Parish Revival and how your parish community is invited to respond.

The Catholic Charities Immigration Services Program

The Catholic Charities Immigration Services Program provides immigrant individuals and families with comprehensive legal services through consultation and representation. The program assists individuals in gaining or continuing lawful status in the United States through legal benefits that may be available to them. We work to facilitate family reunification through family-based petitions and adjustment of status, as well as protect vulnerable populations, including immigrant victims of crime and domestic violence.

The program also educates immigrant communities about lawful paths to immigration relief, their rights as immigrants, and the dangers of fraudulent immigration law practitioners. Through this comprehensive approach, we seek to improve access to quality immigration legal services and access to justice for our immigrant communities. Services are available in English and Spanish. Contact us to schedule an appointment: 732-324-8200.

Are you looking for a job?

Do you love working with children? Catholic Charities has positions open for their before and after school programs. Please send resumes and cover letters to soswald@ccdom.org and drannie@ccdom.org.

Contact: Tiffany Workman

at tworkman@diometuchen.org

or call 732-243-4581