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December 20, 2024

ST ANTONINUS CATHOLIC CHURCH

Constant Contact newsletter

337 S. ORANGE ST, NEWARK NJ 07103

SaintAntoninusChurch@gmail.com ~ 973-623-0258

www.saintantoninuschurch.org

Inside...

What's happening at St Antoninus?

Our Christmas liturgies

Note 2 changes below:

• there is NO 8am Mass on New Year's Day as shown below.
• Also, the Christmas potluck party is moved to Sunday, Dec 29. It was previously listed as Friday, Dec 27.

REGULAR CONFESSION SCHEDULE :

Every Sunday: 9 - 9:50 am ( in Church)

Every Saturday: 3-5 pm ( Lower Church)

1st Fridays of the month : 2 -5 pm (Rectory Chapel)

1st Saturday of the month: 2-3 pm (Lower Church)

Or call for an appointment.

Watch "Confession is a Place of Victory" by Fr. Mike Schmitz. Click here.

Notice to all: If you have changed your home address, phone number or email address, please email your updated information to SaintAntoninusChurch@gmail.com. Please include your full name and if you can, also your family members. Thank you.

Our parish is celebrating a Christmas Day Mass in Spanish on Wednesday, December 25 at 1:30pm. This is our effort to welcome our Hispanic brothers and sisters , especially the newly settled ones in our neighborhood. Please invite your Spanish speaking friends to this Mass. Feliz Navidad!



Updating information:

Real Love Ministries is sponsoring annual Children's Christmas party this Sunday. This will take place right after our 10am Mass.

All children welcome- and adults too!

Santa is coming to town!

After the party, we will be going to a family outreach location to distribute our Giving Tree gifts to the children.



Come to our Potluck parish Christmas Party on Saturday, December 28 at 7pm. Bring your whole family !

Note: the original date stated was Friday night, Dec 27. It was changed to Saturday, Dec 28.



PREPARING FOR OUR

DOUBLE 2025 JUBILEE

(The 150^th  Anniversary of St. Antoninus & the 50^th Anniversary as a Charismatic Parish)

Our preparation begins with prayers!

The purpose for this is to discern and to follow the Lord's continuing direction for St Antoninus Church and for her mission.

First, we will pray a 9-day Novena to Mary, Mother of God to prepare for the consecration of our Jubilee year of 2025 to Our Blessed Mother on her Feast.

The novena will begin this Monday, December 23 and culminate on December 31, the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God (New Year's Eve). Click here for the 9-day Novena prayers.

Part 2 is a process of surrender to God's plans for St. Antoninus as a parish community and for you.

You are invited to join the parish on a 33 day "retreat", based on the teachings and prayers from the book, "The Fruit of Her Womb: 33 Day Preparation for Total Consecration to Jesus"

by Fr. Boniface Hicks, OSB.

This will begin on Tuesday December 31, on the eve of the Solemnity of Mother of God (New Year's Eve) and culminate on Sunday, Feb 2, on the Feast of the Presentation of Jesus.

There will be a chance for the parish to pray DAY ONE together during our 8-10pm Eucharistic Adoration before our New Year's Eve Mass on Tuesday, Dec 31.

Then on the following 32 days, you can join us at our Zoom Rosary where we will pray this together just before the Rosary. Or you can do it on your own with the book.

Click here for the Zoom link

It takes 10 minutes each day to go through the prayers and reflections.

On the final day, the day of our Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary, on Sunday, Feb 2, we will pray the consecration prayer during our 10am Mass.

Additionally, at the end of each week during the 33 day preparation, you are invited to join Fr Joseph in person or on Zoom for reflections and brief discussions. This is during our Wednesday night prayer meetings at 8pm. The dates for this are Jan 8, Jan 15, Jan 22, Jan 29, & Feb 5. (Use same Zoom link as the Rosary link)

You can purchase the book from Sophia Institute Press

here or from Amazon here.

More about the book, Fruit of Her Womb below:

“What this consecration teaches us is that we have a sweet, loving, perfect Mother who actually wants to live in this intense relationship with us,” Fr. Boniface reflects. “And so, if we accept Mary’s invitation to this relationship, we will find all the healing and happiness we have always longed for.

This book affirms what St. Louis teaches us: that Mary’s womb is the best place to be formed perfectly into saints and into Christ Himself. By contemplating Jesus through Mary, the first tabernacle of the Lord, your love of the Holy Eucharist will become more fervent, and your heart will be inflamed as you pray the Rosary and reflect on the mysteries of her Son.

This Sunday!

The Advent season is a time of preparation that directs our hearts and minds to Christ’s second coming at the end of time and to the anniversary of Our Lord’s birth on Christmas.

This Sunday,

December 22, 2024

THE FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT ( There are just 3 days in the 4th Sunday of Advent, and then the Christmas Season begins) always.” 

8 am Mass

in the Rectory Chapel

10 am Mass

in the Main Church

9 am Holy Hour (Confessions available)

Entrance to Church & Rectory Chapel is from S. Orange Ave

For those who truly cannot come to Mass on Sunday, livestream of the 10am Mass is available. Livestream does not fulfill one’s obligation, but when a person is truly unable to come to Mass, it does provide spiritual benefits.

To watch the 10am livestream on our YouTube Channel: go to https://www.youtube.com/c/SaintAntoninusChurch

Or go directly to this link. https://youtu.be/80YNCLCblHA

Below, read this Sunday's bulletin.



The fourth candle of Advent represents Love, the ultimate love of God that He might send His only Son for us. This is called the “Angel’s Candle,” as a reference to the angels announcing the birth of Jesus. This candle is lit the Sunday before Christmas, and it is the color purple, leading us to eagerly await the new Kingdom of God on earth.

May we be like Mary, open and cooperative in God's plan for salvation....

Fourth Sunday of Advent

On this the last Sunday before Christmas, our Gospel reading prepares us to witness Christ's birth by showing us how Jesus was recognized as Israel's long-awaited Messiah even before his birth. The Gospel turns our attention from the ministry of John the Baptist to the events that preceded John the Baptist's birth. The story of John the Baptist and his parents, Elizabeth and Zechariah, are reported only in Luke's Gospel. Luke pairs the birth of John the Baptist and Jesus, establishing John's early connection to the Messiah.

Our Gospel reading recalls Mary's actions after the announcement of Jesus' birth by the angel Gabriel. Mary goes to visit Elizabeth, her cousin, who is also with child. Elizabeth greets Mary with full recognition of the roles that they and their unborn children will play in God's plan for salvation. If we were to continue to read the verses that follow in Luke's Gospel, we would hear Mary respond to Elizabeth's greeting with her song of praise, the Magnificat. Both women recall and echo God's history of showing favor upon the people of Israel.

In Luke's Gospel the Holy Spirit helps reveal Jesus' identity as God to those who believe. Elizabeth is filled with the Holy Spirit and sings Mary's praise because she bears the Lord. We sing these words of praise to Mary in the Hail Mary. Even John the Baptist, the unborn child in Elizabeth's womb, is said to recognize the presence of the Lord and leaps for joy.

It is appropriate in this season of Advent that we consider the role of Mary in God's plan of salvation. Elizabeth describes Mary as the first disciple, as the one who believed that God's word to her would be fulfilled. Mary's faith enabled her to recognize the work of God in her people's history and in her own life. Her openness to God allowed God to work through her so that salvation might come to everyone. Because of this, Mary is a model and symbol of the Church. May we be like Mary, open and cooperative in God's plan for salvation.

https://www.loyolapress.com/catholic-resources/liturgical-year/sunday-connection/

Let us pause and take time to pray for parishioners' recently departed family members...

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord,

and let perpetual light shine upon them. May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

Amen.

Rest in Peace: 

Anthony Oluwadaisi Akinwuntan

Please pray for the eternal repose of the soul of Anthony Oluwadaisi Akinwutan, who passed away on November 30, 2024 in Nigeria. He was 86 years old.

Pa Anthony is the beloved father & father-in-law of Christopher & Mary Akinwuntan.

A Funeral Mass for Pa Anthony will be held in February in Nigeria. In the meantime, a Memorial Mass for him is being planned at St Antoninus. The date will be announced as soon as the information becomes available.

 

Rest in Peace: 

Felicidad Ruaya

Let us pray for the eternal repose of the soul of Felicidad Ruaya last Tuesday, December 17 in the Philippines.

Felicidad is the beloved mother of Rizza Ruaya, our longtime choir keyboardist of St Antoninus Church.

Felicidad leaves behind her children: Rizza, Perfecto "Pip”, Claire, Ruby, Ritche, Liway, Rosebud and Shiela Ann; & grandchildren: Angel, Christine Ann, Rhiebjohn.

Felicidad was predeceased by her husband, Perfecto Ruaya, Sr.

Rizza is leaving for the Philippines on Dec 25 her mother's funeral on Dec 30.

A Memorial Mass for Felicidad is being planned at St Antoninus. The date for this will be announced .



Rest in Peace: 

Blanchard Yao

Please pray for the eternal repose of the soul of Blanchard Yao, beloved brother of Josiane Yao, who passed away in Paris last Tuesday, December 17.

A Memorial Mass for Blanchard will be celebrated at a date that will be announced.

This Sunday's Bulletin.

Read and download by clicking on image.

Around the Archdiocese



Precious Blood /Patriotic Rosary for the Nation & the Newly Elected Officials

Join us at 7pm on Zoom every night.

Click here for the zoom link

Here are the Rosary prayers for this series.

Joyful Mysteries

Sorrowful Mysteries

Glorious Mysteries

Luminous Mysteries!"

Spiritually nurturing

VIDEOS

Go deep into God's Word to prepare for His His coming!

Jeff Cavins reflects on the readings for the Fourth Sunday of Advent. Watch this!

Interested in becoming Catholic ?

Or maybe you still need to receive any or all of the Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, Confirmation or Holy Communion)?

Classes are on Tuesdays .

Call the rectory to sign up ( Every Sunday at 12:30pm)

This class part of what is called RCIA.   RCIA stands for: “Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults.”

This program is for:

- Those adults 17 years old and older who are not baptized and want to inquire about becoming Catholic OR

- Those who are baptized non-Catholic Christians who want to consider becoming Catholic. OR

- Adult Catholics (17 years or older) who have not received Confirmation or Holy Communion.



Extend this invitation to your family and friends.



Sacramental Preparations at St. Antoninus

To register, call the church office 973-623-0258 

Tuesday - Fridays 9-3pm

or email us at 

saintantoninuschurch@gmail.com:

WEDDINGS. Contact the parish office one year in advance of the proposed marriage date.

INFANT BAPTISM. Expectant parents should call the office to register for the baptism of your baby. and for baptism classes with Fr Joseph. Baptisms at St Antoninus Church are celebrated during Sunday 10am Mass.. DOWNLOAD form needed before scheduling any meetings with the pastor.

CATECHISM CLASSES FOR CHILDREN - take place on Sundays, from 8:00am to 9:45am. (new hours)

ADULT BAPTISM & other Sacraments of Initiation – call to register.



RCIA Class is every Sunday at 12:30pm. Call to register.

SEE OUR LITURGY & EVENT SCHEDULE below.



Please consider making an offering to the Lord on behalf of St Antoninus, that we may continue our mission. Thank you and God bless you!

We are accepting Zelle for online contributions. 

All you need to do is enter on the Zelle info:

Name: St. Antoninus Church

Email: saintantoninuschurch@gmail.com

This means that you can open a Zelle account and put St Antoninus as a recipient.

If you don't have a Zelle account yet, it is easy to do this one time setup: https://www.zellepay.com/get-started

When you sign up, please include your email or phone number. Thank you.

Other options for Offering:

You can click below to choose other convenient online options.

973-623-0258

Email: SaintAntoninusChurch@gmail.com

337 South Orange Ave, Newark NJ 07103 

Rev. Joseph A. Meagher (Pastor)

Click here to visit our website

Click here for our YouTube Channel