February 2024: News, Resources & Upcoming Diocesan Events | |
This pastoral newsletter includes news, events and resources. For recurring events, please see the individual office newsletter. | |
Office of Youth & Young Adult Ministry | |
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Thank you to all who nominated teens for our 2024 Diocesan Youth Awards! Our awards ceremony will be held at the Cathedral on February 3, 2024 at 11am with Bishop Checchio. All are welcome to join us for this joyful celebration of our Youth! | |
Youth Minister Meet-Up and Formation Day | | | |
REGISTRATION OPEN!
Youth Minister Meet Up & Formation Day
March 9th, 2024
9:00 am - 1:45 pm
St. John Neumann Pastoral Center
(146 Metlars Lane Piscataway, NJ 08854)
Theme: Marketing the Mission
-Recruiting Youth and Volunteers into your Youth Ministry
-Practical Tips & Hacks for Youth Ministers, Volunteers, and Parish Leaders
The Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry is hosting our second Youth Minister Formation Day. This is a wonderful opportunity for all who minister to youth (or who have the desire to!) to gather together for fellowship and formation. Youth ministers, youth ministry volunteer teams, PCL's, catechists, and priests are welcome to join.
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.
Registration is OPEN! Please register at https://www.diometuchen.org/ymtraining
by March 4th.
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REGISTRATION OPEN!
Diocesan Youth Day
April 20th, 2024 Check-In Begins at 10:30am. The day will run from 11am-5pm.
St. Thomas Aquinas High School, Edison
The Diocese of Metuchen's Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry will run our Diocesan Youth Day at St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Edison, NJ on Saturday, April 20th, 2024.
Throughout the course of this day, 8th-12th grade teens will come together to enter into the sacrament of the Mass, have fun with one another, hear talks from Chika Anyanwu, have the opportunity for Adoration and Confession, enjoy live music, good food, and more!
Please register here: https://www.diometuchen.org/diocesan-youth-day
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Save the Youth Ministry dates:
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May 19th - NJ Catholic Youth Rally at Six Flags Great Adventure
Please visit our website for more Information.
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Office for Religious and Consecrated Life | |
February 2 (February 3-4 in parishes) 2024:
World Day of Prayer for Consecrated Life on the Feast of the Presentation of Our Lord
Please join in praying for our clergy and those in consecrated life. We would appreciate your prayers also for discerners to the priesthood as well as to a life of vowed consecration.
For more information on the World Day for Consecrated Life from USCCB:
https://www.usccb.org/committees/clergy-consecrated-life-vocations/world-day-consecrated-life
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Lenten Day of Recollection for Religious and Consecrated Life
Saturday February 24, 2024, from 9:00 AM to 1:30 PM
Retreat Master: Rev. Hank Hilton, Pastor of St. Joseph Parish
Theme: Second Joyful Mystery of the Rosary – The Visitation
Location: St. Joseph Parish -34 Yorktown Road, Borough of Millstone
Hillsborough, NJ 08844-5139
Contact and Registration: Sister Anna Nguyen, SCC
Welcome coffee and luncheon are included!
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Bible in a Year for Women
The virtual women's group will be following Fr. Mike Schmitz's "Bible in a Year" podcast and meeting each Sunday at 2:30 on Zoom to discuss insights from the week. For details or to participate, please contact Cristina at cdaverso@diometuchen.org
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NATIONAL MARRIAGE WEEK
With the 2024 theme of "Love Beyond Words," National Marriage Week (February 7-14, 2024) and World Marriage Day (Sunday, February 11, 2024) are opportunities to encourage building a culture of life and love by supporting and promoting marriage and the family. The USCCB Secretariat of Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth offers many resources.
Text Link
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Lectio Divina for Couples & Families
Two Thursdays per Month at 6:30pm on Zoom
Couples and families are welcome to join in praying Lectio Divina (a meditative reading of a short scripture passage).
Contact cdaverso@diometuchen.org with any questions and for more details.
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Stress In Your Marriage?
· Do you feel lost, alone or bored in your marriage?
· Are you frustrated, hurt or angry with your spouse?
· Have you thought about separation or divorce?
· Does talking about it only make it worse?
RETROUVAILLE is a Lifeline to Help Couples Heal and Renew their Marriages sponsored by the Office of Family Life, Diocese of Metuchen, NJ.
RETROUVAILLE consists of a weekend experience for married couples (no group discussions) with four follow-up sessions. The upcoming weekend is February 2 – 4, 2024. All inquiries are confidential. For further information, please contact Rich Colasuonno 732-236-0671 or Annette Colasuonno 732-672-0748 or email 3024@helpourmarriage.org.
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The Rite of Election will be celebrated on Sunday February 18th at 2:30 pm at the Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi in Metuchen. If you have not completed the Rite of Election form, please do at https://diometuchen.org/rite-of-election.
Every parish needs to fill out the Rite of Election form, even if you have no catechumens.
There will be no Call to Continuing Conversion at the Cathedral, instead this should be celebrated in the parish.
We are still collecting parish RCIA Director information. If your parish has not yet let us know who your RCIA Director is, please fill out the following survey: https://www.diometuchen.org/rciasurvey.
Contact: For questions pertaining to RCIA, please contact rcia@diometuchen.org
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2024 Lenten Obligations
- The days of both fast and abstinence are Ash Wednesday (Feb. 14) and Good Friday (Mar. 29).
- The other Fridays during Lent (Feb. 16 and 23, Mar. 1, 8, 15, and 22) are days of abstinence.
- Fasting in the Roman Catholic tradition means to limit oneself to one full meal with two smaller meals which together do not equal the size of your full meal. The obligation of fasting applies only to Catholics between the ages of 18 to 59.
- Abstinence in the Roman Catholic tradition means to abstain from eating meat (beef, chicken, pork, turkey, etc.). The obligation of abstinence applies to all Catholics who have reached the age of 14.
Note: This year, be aware that Ash Wednesday falls on February 14 (also Valentine’s Day). The obligation to fast does remain in effect, so it is suggested that those who are planning a special dinner make that their one main meal of the day.
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Cathedral Concerts at St. Francis Presents:
Christopher M. C. Deibert is the Director of Sacred Music and Organist of the Cathedral of Saint Francis of Assisi, and the Director of Liturgical Music for the Diocese of Metuchen, NJ. Deibert is an active organ and harpsichord recitalist, and has performed throughout the northeastern United States, Canada, and Italy. The repertoire will be announced. Improvisations on submitted themes.
A reception will follow the concert.
No tickets required. See the poster for more information.
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All are welcome to join for a
special three-part lecture series hosted by the Cathedral:
The Way of Beauty in Eucharistic Revival
February 17: The Beauty of the 21st Century Mass and other Liturgies
Very Rev. Jeffrey M. Calia, C.O., Provost, The Oratory of Saint Phillip Neri, Raritan, NJ
Each Saturday morning session will begin with breakfast following the 8AM Mass. The sessions will run until 11:30AM, with a coffee break halfway through. For more information, please contact the Cathedral Office at 732-548-0100. There is no cost to attend these workshops.
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Attention all Parish and School Music Directors:
2024 Pueri Cantores New York Children's Choral Festival & Mass for Treble Choirs (grades 4-8)
Pueri Cantores, the national student choral organization of the Catholic Church, invites all parish and school treble choirs (grades 4-8) in the region to participate in a Festival & Mass. Singers will unite with hundreds of their peers as one combined choir to sing beautiful music from the Church's rich historical repertoire.
When: Saturday, March 2, 2024 from 11:00am to 6:45pm
Where: Church of the Blessed Sacrament (152 West 71st Street, New York, NY 10023)
Registration Deadline: February 2
For more details on the Festival, Festival Schedule, Liturgical Music Arrangements for the Mass, & Registration, please download the following brochure:
To learn more about Pueri Cantores and how best to prepare your choir for the Festival day, visit the follow link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGUeGNB5Ipo
For FAQs about the Festivals, including attire, how to access music and MP3 rehearsal tracks, and much more, visit the following link to download the PDF:
https://www.pcchoirs.org/sites/default/files/FAQ%20about%20Pueri%20Cantores%20Festivals%202024.pdf
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Office of Divine Worship - Website Update
The Office of Divine Worship has updated their diocesan webpage (https://diometuchen.org/office-of-worship). The page for preparing for the Bishop’s visit has been updated and streamlined (https://diometuchen.org/episcopal-liturgies). Parishes can find the LP forms for the Bishop’s visit on our page and submit them in advance without having to directly contact the office of worship. We have also greatly expanded the resources we provide online.
(https://diometuchen.org/resources-1). Here you can find the norms and guidelines for the diocese concerning the liturgy and the sacraments, alongside general catechetical resources. We will be adding more information here going forward, and this will be the central location for information concerning the celebration of the liturgy in the diocese.
The templates for requesting deputation of Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion have been updated and can be found online on our resource page. We have updated our language from mandate to depute to correspond with the language used in Canon Law and the Roman Missal.
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Eucharistic Adorers Wanted
Please consider promoting this important apostolate in your parishes. Now that the pandemic is over, Bishop Checchio would like to offer Eucharistic adoration at the St. John Neumann Pastoral Center, Monday through Friday, from 9:00-11:45 a.m. As St. Pope John Paul II noted. “The Church and the world have a great need of Eucharistic adoration.”
Anyone who is interested in signing up should contact Angela Marshall at amarshall@diometuchen.org
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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/.
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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.
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Rev. Timothy M. Eck, STL-Lit.
Director of the Office of Divine Worship
teck@diometuchen.org
732-562-2435
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Office for Discipleship Formation for Children | |
PCLs - Save the Dates!
February 29, 2024 - for PCLs - Our Sunday Visitor featuring Dr. Joseph White
March 21, 2024 - for PCLs, Loyola Press
April 18, 2024 - for PCLs, Augustine Institute – Word of Life presentation
May 16, 2024 - for PCLs, RCL/Benziger
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Office of Human Life & Dignity | |
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40 Days for Life
Feb. 14 - March 24
A peaceful, prayerful, educational presence - a public witness to the sanctity of all human life.
Locations:
1323 Route 27, New Brunswick, NJ
66 E. Washington, Ave, Washington, NJ
For more information, visit: https://www.40daysforlife.com/
Text Link
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Save-the-Date
Choices Matter - A Critical Life Issues Conference
Saturday, March 16, 2024
9 am to 3:30 pm
St. John Neumann Conference Center
Piscataway, NJ
Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, Speakers
Exhibits
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National Eucharistic Pilgrimage
The National Eucharistic Pilgrimage (NEP) has publically 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.
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National Eucharistic Pilgrimage - Important Update
As I have indicated previously, the Diocese of Metuchen is blessed to be part of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage. The perpetual pilgrims will be traveling through the diocese this May 27-28, 2024. The pilgrims will be arriving on the evening of May 27 and departing on the afternoon/evening of May 28. As of this update, the pilgrims will be visiting the Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi in Metuchen on Monday, May 27. After spending the night in Metuchen, the pilgrims will then proceed to St. Peter the Apostle in New Brunswick (the oldest parish in the diocese). After visiting St. Peter’s, as well as The Catholic Center at Rutgers University, the pilgrims will travel to St. Augustine of Canterbury in Kendall Park, before departing for the Diocese of Trenton. These plans are still tentative, but I wanted to provide you all with some advance notice, as it is our hope that the entire diocese will participate in this once in a lifetime opportunity. Among other things, there will be opportunities to house them, to worship with them, and, of course, to walk with them on their fifteen-mile journey through our diocese (along Route 27 or thereabouts). We hope to provide you with more information about how you and your parishioners can participate in the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage in the next month or so. In the meantime, if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to email me at acarlisle@diometuchen.org.
“Jesus is as a fire in the very center of our souls ever burning. Yet we are cold because we do not stay by it.” – St. Elizabeth Ann Seton
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National Eucharistic Congress - Tickets/Travel Packages Now Available!
Travel Packages for the National Eucharistic Congress
(https://www.eucharisticcongress.org/) are now available, and have been for the better part of the past two months. As you can see from the attached brochure, those interested in attending the NEC will be given the option of purchasing a “Land Only” option, which will include passes, hotel accommodations (including free continental breakfast), and shuttle service to and from Indianapolis each day. We are also offering two flight options, both of which are direct flights. Participants may choose to fly out of Newark or Philadelphia. To make things easier, we will be providing a shuttle service to those flying out of Philadelphia. People will be able to park their cars at the St. John Neumann Pastoral Center, which will save them the hassle of driving to the airport themselves. If you missed the information session, which was held on Wednesday, December 6, you may watch the video, which has been posted to our website (https://diometuchen.org/nec2024). You will also find a copy of the brochure and a link to register for the National Eucharistic Congress. We will be updating this page regularly, so please feel free to check back in the next few weeks. Of course, if you would like to print out a poster-sized (18” x 24”) version of the brochure, please click on the following link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-wbak44kP4edV-8t3c1GSlBwSecM2bdi/view?usp=drive_link). As 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, after all!—we hope that you and your parishioners will consider joining Bishop Checchio in Indianapolis this summer. As these travel packages will be sold on a first-come/first-serve basis, we encourage you to share this information with your parishioners as soon as possible. Of course, if anyone has any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me at acarlisle@diometuchen.org.
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National Eucharistic Congress - Tickets/Travel Packages Now Available - Important Update!
I’m sure you all received Bishop Checchio’s letter, dated January 23, in which he encourage you all to attend the National Eucharistic Congress this July 17-21 in Indianapolis. To ensure that the Diocese of Metuchen is well represented, the Bishop is requesting that each parish send at least two representatives to the Congress. We ask that you please promote this important event in your parish bulletins. We also ask that you please display the poster (please see above) in the narthex (or some other highly trafficked area), as well as print out the flyers for people to pick up after Mass. We would also direct you to our website (https://diometuchen.org/nec2024) where you can find more information about the Congress, including the Bishop’s video inviting people to attend this historic event. Thank you for your support!
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A Journey to the Heart of the Father
My father’s Father, a new 6-part series from the makers of The Wild Goose and Metanoia, will be released on Wild Goose TV and Faith and Reason for free with the first episode available on January 9, 2024. This moving and enriching series follows Father Dave Pivonka, TOR, co-founder of the Wild Goose and president of Franciscan University of Steubenville, as he returns to his hometown of Durango, CO, to dive more deeply into what it means for each of us that God is Father and how our earthly fathers impact our relationship with Him. Having first focused on fostering relationships with the Holy Spirit in the series The Wild Goose and then on Jesus in the series Metanoia, Father Pivonka and 10th Hour Productions have set out to complete the Trinitarian image with this new series about God the Father. My father’s Father will release one episode each week beginning on January 9, 2024, and will stream for free on Wild Goose TV—the streaming platform that houses all the Wild Goose and 10th Hour Productions’ content—as well as on Faith and Reason, Franciscan University’s video content website. Please feel free to share this new series with your parish Men’s Group, or anyone who might be interested in this topic. If you are interested in watching the trailer, you may do so here.
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Heroic Manhood
The Catholic Men’s Leadership Alliance
(https://catholicmenleaders.org/), in association with Heroic Men
(https://heroicmen.com/), is sponsoring a free, 1-hour event this February 17. Chris Stefanick, an internationally acclaimed author, speaker, and television host, who has devoted his life to inspiring people to live a bold, contagious faith, will be sharing stories, spirituality, and street smarts to call men off the sidelines, and into the real grit and adventure of their own lives. To register for this free, online event, please click here.
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Office of Multi-Cultural Ministries | |
Save-the-Date
Multicultural Mass & Fair
April 20, 2024
St. Francis of Assisi Cathedral, Metuchen
details to follow
Lk
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To contact the Office of Multicultural Ministries:
Sr. Miriam Perez, Coordinator for Multicultural Ministries
732-529-7933 or mperez@diometuchen.org
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Office of Hispanic Evangelization and Pastoral Ministry | |
Hispanic Pilgrimage to the
Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mexico.
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The office of Hispanic Evangelization invites you to join the Hispanic Pilgrimage to the Basilica to Our Lady of Guadalupe from June 17 to June 22, 2024. Everyone is welcome to join us on a trip of spirituality, prayer and culture where we will visit Mexico City, Cholula, Puebla, Coyoacán and Xochimilco under the spiritual direction of Rev. Gustavo Rodríguez and Deacon Edgar Chaves. If you are interested, please contact us at Lescobar@diometuchen.org
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May 25, 2024, Hispanic Pilgrimage to the Blue Army Shrine from 9:30 am to 3:00 pm.
- October 11, 2024, Hispanic Heritage Mass at 7 pm at the St Francis of Assisi Cathedral.
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Click the button and visit the website where you can update your parish information about Mass in Spanish, pastoral services or activities for the Hispanic community at any time. You can send us the information in English or Spanish. | |
Click the button to sign-up to receive twice a month, information regarding the Hispanic Diocesan events and other resources for our community. | |
Office of Communications and Public Relations | |
The Church through Digital Media
As you likely know, the Diocese of Metuchen regularly uses its social media platforms to share news, events and engage with the faithful. If you haven’t already, we invite you to follow us on social media @diocesemetuchen and tag us in your posts so we can help you share your good news.
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Making the Good News Known
The Office of Communications and Public Relations is committed to making the Good News known and telling the story of the Diocese of Metuchen, which includes telling the stories of our parishes, schools, ministries and the faithful. Do you have a positive, inspiring story to share about an individual within our local Church of Metuchen? Is your parish doing something that lights a fire in the heart of our part of the world? We want to hear from you! We invite you to share your news with us by emailing communications@diometuchen.org and, as always, news@catholicspirit.com.
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The most recent edition of The Catholic Spirit is now available. In addition to a reflection by Bruce Cargill, who is studying at the North American Pontifical College in Rome, the January issue included articles about the consecration of a shrine to the Sacred Heart of Jesus on the grounds of St. Ann Parish, Hampton (to coincide with the Year of Parish Revival), the Sisters of Christian Charity, who are celebrating two milestone anniversaries in 2024, and our diocese’s participation in the National Catholic Youth Conference, which was held this past fall in Indianapolis. We are also hard at work on next month’s edition, which, in addition to the Bishop’s Annual Appeal, will feature articles about the Respect Life Mass, the St. Timothy Awards, and Catechist Formation Day. The January issue will also feature coverage of the Vietnamese Mass, as well as the incredibly popular Hispanic Bible School program. You can read the full version of both editions online by visiting: https://catholicspirit.com/, where you can browse through stories individually or view the full paper as it appears in print. As always, we thank you for your support and welcome your feedback. | | |
Employment Opportunity - Graphic Designer
Please consider posting this announcement in your parish bulletin:
The Catholic Spirit, the official newspaper of the Diocese of Metuchen, seeks a Graphic Designer to assist with the layout and design of its publication. The ideal candidate will have Adobe InDesign and Photoshop experience in a PC environment, be familiar with all aspects of electronic publishing, be a well-organized and reliable, and have a proven track record of meeting deadlines. Interested candidates should forward their resume to hr@diometuchen.org
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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
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Discerning Your Purpose
Discernment Group
Six Week
Location: The Rutgers Catholic Center
Who: Young Men 18-35
When: Begins Sunday February 18
Join us during the Lenten season every Sunday at 4 pm, starting February 18, at the Rutgers Catholic Center: 84 Somerset St., New Brunswick, NJ, 08901. The journey concludes with a free retreat on Palm Sunday weekend - sign up easily with the OR codes on the poster.
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First Friday Holy Hour and Social
St. Peter's Catholic Church
94 Somerset St., New Brunswick, NJ
First Friday of the Month at 7:30pm
Open to all Young Adults!
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Are you looking for a job?
Do you love working with children? Catholic Charities has positions open for their before and after school programs.
Contact: Please send resumes and cover letters to soswald@ccdom.org and drannie@ccdom.org.
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Office of Ecumenical and Interfaith Affairs | |
Office of Ongoing Faith Formation | |
Adult Enrichment Course
"The Theology of the Eucharist"
The Office of Ongoing Faith Formation will be offering an Adult Enrichment Course entitled "The Theology of the Eucharist" on twelve consecutive Thursdays starting January 4 through March 21, 2024 from 10 am to 11:30 am. The course will be offered at the St. John Neumann Pastoral Center located at 146 Metlars Lane, Piscataway, NJ. The classes will be presented by Fr. Glenn Comandini, S.T.D. and will include a lecture and Q & A.
There is a $15. fee to attend which covers all 12 sessions. You may register online at www.diometuchen.org/faith-formation (please register only one time for all 12 classes). For more information, please email amarshall@diometuchen.org or call 732-562-1543.
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