Dear Parishioners, from Mr. Ed Karpinski

Dear Parishioners,

“At that time Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. He fasted for forty days and forty nights,  and afterwards he was hungry.”

The Super Bowl came and went….the Olympics came and went….Mardi Gras came and went. Isn’t it amazing how such huge build-ups for events can leave us as quickly as they came? And many times, the only thing left is used confetti, empty buildings and broken hearts. In this weekend’s Gospel, three times Jesus is tempted to use his power to satisfy his own needs, to prove his identity, and to gain power and fame. Jesus resists those temptations. He does not give in, claiming “the devil made me do it” like we hear from Adam and Eve in the first Reading. Jesus remains faithful to his heavenly Father and to the identity given him at his baptism. He is God’s “beloved Son.” As he resists each temptation, Jesus holds fast to the truth found in the Scriptures. He calls to mind the word of God, knowing that a person only truly lives “on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.” Let this Gospel reminds us that as children of God we can resist temptation. We are not powerless in the face of evil. The Spirit of God dwells within us. And the truth of God’s Word that we hear proclaimed at every Mass reveals the lies marketed by the devil and sometimes by society around us.
Jesus was tempted and so are we. Jesus resisted temptation and so can we. Jesus remained faithful to his dignity as a child of God and so can we. With Jesus’ guidance and grace from the Holy Spirit, we too can live as Children of God and not puppets manipulated by evil and sin. Lent gives us a chance to resist the flashy temptations, quick fixes and living life for only our own pleasure and fulfillment. Let us have a truly spirit-filled Lent so we can look back on Easter Sunday and rise with the Lord knowing that we have shared the 40 days of Lent with Him. Amen!

A clean heart create for me, O God, and a steadfast spirit renew within me. Cast me not out from your presence, and your Holy Spirit take not from me. Give me back the joy of your salvation, and a willing spirit sustain in me. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.

God bless you and your family, and throughout Lent, let the Light increase in your days and in your heart!

In Christian service,
Ed Karpinski
Pastoral Associate, Faith Formation

Dear Parishioners, from Monsignor Desmond

Dear Parishioners,

During these weeks of Ordinary Time, our Sunday Gospels are selected from the Sermon on the Mount, which, with the Last Supper Discourse, is the highest teaching of our Lord.  We see Jesus the Christ as fulfilling the Law & the Prophets (a.k.a., the Old Testament).

From today’s Gospel, I offer these reflections on Marriage.

Marriage is a sacrament.  It is a union which is modeled after and symbolizes God’s ever faithful love for all of creation.  Husband and wife minister God’s love to one another, and they are ministers of God’s love to their children.  It is a participation in the love of the Trinity, a mutual total giving of oneself to the other with the openness to receive the total gift of the other.

A married couple requires a community of support.  There is so much in our culture that does not respect the sanctity of marriage.  The temptation to infidelity might be presented in the workplace or in the neighborhood.  The support for your sacrament might come from your extended family or a group of couples you have chosen to befriend.  Ideally, that is why we are a parish.

Some of us are divorced.  I ask, “What have you learned about yourself from that experience?”  I hope you know that you are loved by God.  God is merciful!  If you are sincere in seeking to know and do God’s will for you, be at peace.

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            St. Aloysius’ Church building was erected in 1922-23, over 90 years ago.  Like all older buildings, there is a lot of upkeep.  As you recall, last autumn we repointed the entire church building, and expensive but necessary project ($18,000).  Also the plaster damage on the east side of the church was repaired and repainted.  The three vestibules in the front of the church were painted.  A railing was built across our choir loft for safety reasons.  The side roofs over the north side entrances were repaired and the plaster in the side vestibules was replaced.  The sacristy wall was seriously damaged by a leak, was replaced and repainted.  Etc., Etc.

All these things were done in the second half of 2013.

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            Our new but already effective Parish Pastoral Council has collated your responses to their survey earlier in January.  The single biggest concern (?complaint) was our kneelers in church.  You are very adept!  Most church kneelers have 2 inches of padding; ours have one-quarter inch!  Whatever happened 20 years ago with them is ancient history.

Ergo, I have contracted with the Bahret Co. in Harrisburg, Pa., for new kneeler wood and padding, and for all new pew padding.  This is a big job but the time to do it is now.  The total cost will be $ 29,815.15.

One more major project is necessary for safety in our church building.  I’ll tell you about it very soon.

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            Looking to the future, I hope that we will finally be able to install a new decent Ladies’ Room and Men’s Room.  It’s necessary and is even over-due.  However, we must be careful not to change the fabric of our church in doing so.

An excellent architect has presented us with two possibilities for new rest rooms.  A third idea has also been put forward.

We should have a parish “Town Meeting” in the near future to present the possible ideas.  More to come.

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            The local weekly, The Progress, recently raised the cost of the church and synagogue ads on the church listings. (Yes, we paid – it wasn’t a public service).  Our very small print, four –inch ad would now cost us $45 per issue, or $2250 per year.  I decided to cancel it.  We have a very fine website, Facebook and Twitter and a weekly bulletin.  These should suffice.

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            Have you remembered St. Aloysius in your will? 

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            I am happy to announce the formation of a new Parish Library in the rectory meeting room.  A strong start has been made because of the wonderful efforts of a brother and sister.

Louis Mollet, as his project for his Eagle Scout award, planned and executed new library shelves and cabinets.  Marie-Lys Mollet, as her special project for the Girl Scout Gold award, is in the process of putting the library together:  decisions on cataloging, borrowing, and the like.

Our parish is very grateful to Louis and Marie-Lys.

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            And as the poet wrote: “If winter comes, can Spring be far behind?

                  Sincerely in Christ,

                  Msgr. Desmond

Dear Parishioners, from Msgr. Desmond

Dear Parishioners,

Our Catholic religion is the result of faith wedded to reason.  Faith without reason leads to superstition, according to Blessed John Paul II.  Reason without faith leads to nihilism; reason includes philosophy, the search for Truth, and wrestling with ideas.

The majesty and mystery of Catholicism, the richness and unity of faith we share, is made real every day in the Holy Eucharist, prayer and the sacraments.  But our faith is visible in the world by characteristic Christian activity.  And so…

The Catholic Church is the indisputable leader in education and health care across the world, much of it in third-world or developing countries.  Worldwide, the Catholic Church has:

• 140,000 schools
• 18,000 medical clinics
• 16,000 homes for the elderly and those with special needs.
• 12,000 nurseries
• 10,000 orphanages
• 5,500 hospitals
• 37,000 training centers for adult and vocational training

And 65% of these are in poor, developing nations.

Charity helps the poor but is not the final answer.  Rooting out the causes of poverty is our goal.  Right now, there is an international economic crisis, food shortages in many places and climate change that threatens to undo years of positive development work.  Witness the devastation left by the typhoon in the Philippines.

Pope Francis remarked recently: “Charity that leaves the poor in the same situation as before is not adequate.  True mercy, that which God gives and teaches us, asks for justice, asks that the poor find their way out of their poverty”.

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            God love and bless you, good St. Aloysius Parishioners, who are so consistently generous to the poorest people of our area and around the world.  But we have only done our duty.

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            Trinity Academy has an interim principal who began her leadership at our school on Monday, November 18.  We welcome MARY CASSELS to Trinity.

 

Sincerely in Christ,

Msgr. Desmond

Dear Parishioners, from Sister Justine Pinto, OP

Dear Parishioners,

Did the readings in today’s liturgy sound like the evening news?  How many of us have heard and /or said I do not watch the news anymore?  The news is very depressing and filled with violence.  We are overwhelmed with all that is happening in our world today.  Today’s Gospel reading may fit into the category of the daily news.  It sounds like doom and destruction.  Any day now we can expect to read in the news or hear the news with predictions of the time and date of the end of the world!  In Paul’s Letter to the Thessalonians we read that many in the community had stopped working in anticipation of what they thought was the rapidly approaching end of times and the second coming of Jesus.  Today’s readings show that we should not be passively waiting for the end of the Earth but actively working to help bring about God’s Kingdom “on earth as it is in heaven”.  We all can get caught up in the awful words of what is happening around us.   We cannot run away from all the global challenges and human crises.  We will always be pulled into the cosmic pain and suffering of others.  We may feel overwhelmed, afraid and anxious but we must continue our mission here on earth.   We need to work together to respect life, to affirm the dignity of every person, to live a peaceful life and promote non-violence, recognizing the needs of the poor and sick, and to protect the earth.  (Catholic Social Teaching).   During this coming week we are challenged to take one step toward building the reign of God through acts of love, kindness, of justice or equality.  Can we take Jesus’ dream for humanity and help to make it a reality?

Peace,

Sister Justine 

Dear Parishioners, from Agnes Egan

Dear Parishioner,

In today’s Gospel, some Sadducees came to Jesus and wanted to prove to him how absurd it is for any reasonable person to believe in the resurrection.  “Now at the resurrection whose wife will that woman be?  For all seven had been married to her.”  Jesus replied that it was impossible to understand the life of the resurrection in terms of the standards of the present life since in the life to come there would be no need for anyone to marry, to start with.

The reality of death brings all life before us.  We see those ideas, persons, and events which really matter stand apart from all else.  Priorities align themselves very quickly in the face of death.  Like the Sadducees we may wonder about what life after death will be like.  But, unlike them, we are rooted in hope.  In scripture we are promised that we shall see God.  As Christians, the hope of resurrection gives us cause to live our lives in a meaningful way.  We reach beyond ourselves to others.

In the Apostles’ Creed we proclaim our belief in the resurrection of the body.  This is the foundation for our belief in the communion of saints.  Life after death is communal just as is our earthly life.

There is a resurrection because God is God of the living.  God has created us for life and not for ultimate extinction.  “God made me to know Him, to love Him and to serve Him in this world, and to be happy with Him forever in heaven.” (Baltimore Catechism)  God gifts us with life even after this earthly existence is over.

Let us thank God today for revealing to us the mystery of the resurrection.  Do we understand exactly how it will be in the life of the resurrection?  Certainly, not.  For we are talking about “what no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor human heart conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him.” (1 Cor. 2:9)

God bless,

Agnes M. Egan

Pastoral Associate for Faith Formation

Dear Parishioners, from Joe Wozniak

Dear Parishioner,

We are all aware of the fact that music plays an important part in our Sunday Liturgies.  The most important part of our music is the text of the hymns we sing or the choral compositions sung by the choirs at Mass.  The text expresses our praise of God and helps us think of the theme of the feast itself or the various seasons of our Church year.

The congregation expresses these sentiments in the singing of hymns and responsorial psalms.  Choirs highlight the feasts by the text and character of the composition such as joyful music at Christmas, Easter, etc.  The music and text become more somber in Advent and Lent.

It is necessary to have a certain number of members in a choir to attain this goal.  I am making an appeal to people of the parish to give serious consideration to joining any one of our choral groups at St. Aloysius.  The only one requirement is the ability to maintain pitch.  If you can sing “Jingle Bells” on pitch, you are an excellent candidate for the adult or children’s choir.

If you have any questions about this commitment, please contact me at 201-247-3952.  If I cannot answer at that time, please leave a message.

Hope to hear from you soon!

Joe Wozniak

Music Ministry

Dear Parishioners, from Ed Karpinski

Dear Parishioners,

In this weekend’s Gospel reading, God promises to secure the rights of his faithful ones who seek his justice. When we’re abused, neglected, rejected, abandoned, or falsely accused, God comes to our rescue. Although God often seems way too slow for us, whether it takes months or years (and it often does) before your problem gets resolved, Jesus is in fact at your side immediately delivering you from evil, in the very moment you begin to cry out to him. The real question is not “Where is Jesus?” nor “Why doesn’t he care enough to help me sooner?” The question that matters – for the healing of our souls – is stated in the last sentence of this Gospel passage: As he’s arriving to help us, do we greet him with faith? Or is fear spinning our minds in such turmoil that we don’t see him as he stands right next to us offering a helping hand?  If we’re not living by faith, we inadvertently expand our problems. Are you feeling miserable after calling upon God for help? Look! Jesus is at your side begging for your trust. Are you feeling frustrated because God is not removing the obstacles you’re facing? Look! Jesus wants you to follow him in a direction that’s different than where you think you should go.  We all have adversaries. Jesus is wielding his sword of truth against the spirits of darkness who are working against you; he is driving them away. But if we reject the truth he wields, his sword is of no help to us.  What about the troublemakers who continually annoy you? Oh yeah, we all have them. When our eyes are on them instead of on Jesus, we miss the healing embrace that he’s offering to us as vindication.  When we live by faith, we experience God’s vindication every day, even while injustices continue. We experience it in our hearts as we receive his peace and his patience and his endurance. Remain faithful!

Congratulations to all of our newly Confirmed who received the sacrament through Bishop Donato last Saturday in two beautiful and joy filled Masses. What a wonderful day for our parish and the Catholic Faithful! May the Holy Spirit continue to guide them and us through Jesus our strength. Amen!

 

In Christian service,

Ed Karpinski

Pastoral Associate, Faith Formation

Dear Parishioners, from Sister Alice

Dear Parishioners,

Sunday’s Gospel (Luke 17:11-19) is a great reminder of how important an attitude of gratitude is in our faith life.  The moment we conclude that we are responsible for who we are, what we have done, and what we possess, then we are in big trouble.  When we recognize that God is the source of all the blessings in our lives, we respond with an attitude of gratitude.

A profound sense of gratitude reminds us of the source of all good gifts. It reminds us of the responsibility we have to share those blessings with others.  Giving thanks to God is not for God’s benefit, but for our own.  God does not need our thanks and praise, but God asks it of us because he knows that when we do so, we will find ourselves in a good place where we can pursue a healthy relationship with God and with one another.  Those two words:  THANK YOU!  Whether spoken to our God or to one another, help us to grow in our faith life.

There is a saying of a very wise person that we should say “Thank you” for all our blessings at least 100 times and only then get out of bed in the morning.

Peace,

Sister Alice

Dear Parishioners, from Msgr. Desmond

Dear Parishioners,

Welcome Archbishop Bernard Hebda, Coadjutor Archbishop of Newark.  Pope Francis appointed Archbishop Hebda to assist Archbishop Myers two weeks ago.  A coadjutor bishop has “the right of succession”; he will become the Archbishop of Newark when Archbishop Myers retires.

Archbishop Hebda is a priest of the diocese of Pittsburgh, PA.  After South Hills Catholic H.S., he graduated from Harvard University (1980) and Columbia University Law School (1983).  After practicing law, he entered the seminary, studied in Rome, and was ordained a priest in 1989.  He has been a parish priest, a university chaplain, and a canon lawyer at the Vatican.  He has been a bishop since 2009 and served as bishop of Gaylord in Michigan.  He is 54 years old.

Archbishop Hebda’s coat of arms bears the motto: “Only Jesus”.  The parish family of St. Aloysius in Caldwell warmly welcome him to the local church of Newark, and we pray that his ministry among us will be fruitful and blessed.

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            Pray for our 9th graders, 117 of them who will receive the Sacrament of the Holy Spirit, Confirmation, next Saturday.  We welcome Bishop Thomas Donato, our confirming bishop, to our parish.

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            Our beloved former leader and pastor, John Laferrera, has been very seriously ill, requiring delicate medical procedures to relieve pressure on his brain.  Please pray for him.

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            The Rosary is a wonderful gift, a guide to meditative prayer.  Years ago I read a work on the rosary written by a Methodist minister, Neville Ward, who expressed his love for the rosary in the book: “Five for Sorrow-Ten for Joy”.  John Wesley also prayed the rosary.  October is the month of the Rosary.

Hope you join us tomorrow evening at 7:00 pm for October devotions.  Our connection with the Dominican Sisters makes our love for the rosary even sweeter.

Sincerely in Christ,

Msgr. Desmond

Dear Parishioners, from Fr. Mino

Dear Friends,

Wishing you many blessings for the rest of the year and to express once again my gratitude to God and to all of you for making me feel part of this wonderful community.  One of the things I have observed is the profound life of prayer many of you practice, and definitely a very profound love for the Mass, which is very humbling and inspiring for me.  Therefore, I would like to share with you a little proven formula for happiness that Archbishop Romero gave his brother in 1945 for his birthday.  Dear brother, today is your birthday and I want to give you three little things for you to put into practice for your own wellbeing and happiness.   First, try to go to confession at least three times a year; this will bring you healing, liberation, and knowledge of yourself and of the mercy of God.  Second, try to go to Mass often.  The Mass is the greatest gift Christ has left us; fall in love with it and stay in love with it.  Pray to the Blessed Mother every day, and you will never lack the love of a mother who always lives.  Dear brother, do these simple little things, and you will be happy and God will love you; if you don’t, you won’t be happy.  Your brother, Oscar Romero.  Today Romero’s brother is almost 90 years old, and his eyes fill with tears when he shares this story and he will tell you that this little formula works, and I know it works because I have put it into action myself.   Lastly, Raymond Moloney, S.J. has written a wonderful book called, Our Splendid Eucharist.  At the beginning of the book he quotes some prayers that the Irish Catholics would pray on the way to Church: “We walk together with Mary the Virgin, and with the other Saints who accompanied her only son on the way to Calvary, and as soon as the Church building came into view they would say: Blessed is the house of God- and I myself bless God-where He is to be found with twelve apostles. May the Son of God bless us.  At the thought of approaching Christ’s presence their prayer was: A thousand welcomes, king of the Sunday, Son of the Virgin, who rose from the dead.”

Another advice they would give one another was the following: “Do not give up the Mass for anything.”  In this world there is nothing greater.  We offer praise and deepest thanks to the only Son who rose from the dead.  Never give up regular confession and always be open to revelation and contemplation.

Blessings always, Fr. Mino