BULLETIN ANNOUNCEMENTS Updated: March 23, 2021 ***** Bishop Checchio’s Easter message is available as a PDF. The full text will also be available on the diocesan website here: https://diometuchen.org/2021-easter-message ***** Please insert the following information into your bulletin on weekends in March and April: Life-Giving Wounds Virtual Retreat The Diocese of Metuchen's Office of Family Life will sponsor a Life-Giving Wounds retreat, designed for anyone over the age of 18 whose parents are no longer together. The virtual retreat will be conducted over the course of 3 Saturdays: April 17th, April 24th and May 1st. On the first 2 Saturdays, participants will attend via Zoom from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and on the 3rd Saturday, a Mass will be celebrated for all adult children of divorce. People of all backgrounds attend, but together they have one key thing in common: they have lost the love of their parents together. Topics will include discussing anxiety, anger, sin, temptation and forgiveness. All presentations are given by trained, expert speakers who are children of divorce. So whether a person’s parents divorced decades ago or last week, the retreat content will apply to them. The retreat is also for people whose parents are separated (but not legally divorced), received a declaration of nullity, or were never married (maybe never even “together”) and are now broken up. For more information and to register, please visit: www.diometuchen.org/adult-children-of-divorce ***** Please insert the following information into your bulletin on weekends in April: Young Couples' Bible Study All young engaged and married couples are invited to explore the Biblical foundations of the Catholic faith. Led by Family Life Director, Cristina D'Averso-Collins and her husband, Brian, the group will meet every other Tuesday evening at 7 p.m. on Zoom beginning on April 6th. All that is needed is a Bible! For details or to join, please contact Cristina at cdaverso@diometuchen.org. ***** Please insert the following information into your bulletin the weekend of April 3/4: April 4, 2021 Easter Sunday Welcome to our Celebration We welcome the following who receive the Initiation Sacraments at the Easter Vigil: (names of those to be baptized) will receive all three Sacraments (Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist) and the previously baptized, (names of those previously baptized) will receive Confirmation and Eucharist. The five have been preparing to become disciples of Jesus through the Catholic Church. They are fully aware that their call to the Catholic Family is much more than just a call to attend Mass on Sundays and holidays. Their reception of the Sacraments of Initiation unites them to the mission of the Church - to build God's Kingdom. They have accepted the responsibility of bringing the Good News to those who have not or cannot hear it. Welcome (names)!. May the sacraments that you receive at the Easter Vigil continue to fill you with the Spirit and give you the graces that you will need to bring God's Word to others. We are more because you have become a part of us!!!!! Christ has risen! Welcome to our celebration. We invite you to return again. If you are thinking about becoming part of the Catholic family, or receiving Confirmation and Eucharist, and would like to know more about the Catholic faith, please call (contact info). ***** Please insert the following information into your bulletin the weekend of April 10/11: 2021 Bishop’s Annual Appeal Transformed by Christ Body and Blood – Sent on Mission to Light a Fire in the Heart of the Church A vocation to the priesthood is both challenging and rewarding. A priest is called to be a witness of Christ. He is a minister of the sacraments, proclaimer of the word, teacher of the faith, and steward of the Church. He accompanies the faithful through this world, leading the way to the eternal kingdom of heaven. Discernment of a vocation to the priesthood requires specialized guidance to navigate the spiritual formation and academic demands of the seminary. While the Diocese of Metuchen has been blessed with an increase in the number of men studying for the priesthood—currently 24— the expense of educating and preparing our future priests is also rising. Your gift to the Bishop’s Annual Appeal will help provide men with the opportunity to successfully complete their journey through the seminary and ensure the future of our Church. Please give as generously as your means allow. ***** Please insert the following information into your bulletin the weekend of April 10/11: April 11, 2021 Second Sunday of Easter Peace Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.”’ Just as the Risen Lord extended his peace to his disciples, he extends that peace to us too. If you, or anyone you know would like to hear more about the Risen Jesus, the joyful peace that He brings to us, or about the community of faith that gathers each week to celebrate that resurrection, we invite you to join us at an Inquiry Session. Inquiry sessions DO NOT assume a commitment to join the Catholic Faith family. Inquiry sessions are opportunities to ask questions about God, Jesus, the Catholic Faith Family. All who are unbaptized, baptized into another faith denomination, or baptized Catholic but have not received Eucharist or Confirmation, are invited. Inquiry sessions are for those who wish to inquire, explore, and search for ways to grow in relationship with God. For more information, call RCIA at (contact info). ***** Please insert the following information into your bulletin the weekend of April 17/18: 2021 Bishop’s Annual Appeal Transformed by Christ Body and Blood – Sent on Mission to Light a Fire in the Heart of the Church Thank you to all who have given so generously to the 2021 Bishop’s Annual Appeal. If you have not made a pledge, there is still time to participate. Mail your gift to: Diocese of Metuchen, Bishop’s Annual Appeal, PO Box 4000, Metuchen, NJ 08840-4000 or give online at www.diometuchen.org/BAA. ***** Please insert the following information into your bulletin the weekend of April 17/18: April 18, 2021 Third Sunday of Easter A Witness During this Easter season, which is the Mystagogy phase of the RCIA process for the neophytes, they hear that baptism into the Risen Christ requires them to become witnesses to others, to share with "all the nations" what they themselves have experienced, that is, "how Jesus was made known to them in the breaking of bread." In the experience of the sacraments a person comes to an intimate knowledge of the living Christ whom one truly encounters in the sacraments. Therefore, should not we, also, be able to say with conviction: "God raised Jesus from the dead; of this we are witnesses." Are we not, also, sent forth with the command to share this Good News with others? Isn't there someone in your life who is hungry to hear about the Good News? Bring them to an RCIA Inquiry Session. Invited are those who are unbaptized, baptized into another Christian denomination, or baptized Catholic but have never received BOTH sacraments of Confirmation and Eucharist. For more information call RCIA at (contact info). ***** Please insert the following information into your bulletin the weekend of April 24/25: April 25, 2021 Fourth Sunday of Easter Belonging to a Family In the post Easter (Mystagogy) phase of the RCIA process, the neophytes (new Catholics) explore more deeply what it means to "belong" fully to the people of God as a result of their sacramental initiation at the Easter Vigil. An essential element of truly belonging to a community is shared experience. The foundational experience for every Christian is the wondrous love that has made us God's children. During this Easter Season, we, the community, are invited to draw upon the newness of the neophytes' experience as a way to reawake our own appreciation for the mystery of being the beloved children of God, a reality which perhaps has become so familiar that it no longer arouses in us wonder and awe. Isn't there someone in your life with whom you would like to share that reality? Bring them to an RCIA Inquiry Session. Invited are those who are unbaptized, baptized into another Christian denomination, or baptized Catholic but have never received BOTH sacraments of Confirmation and Eucharist. For more information call RCIA at (contact info). ***** Please insert the following information into your bulletin the weekend of May 1/2: May 2, 2021 Fifth Sunday of Easter Bearing Fruit To be a follower of Jesus is to be in communion with the word of God, to be at peace and filled with the Spirit, and to bear fruit. This calls for nourishment, connectedness, evaluation and reflection. In seeking to understand the will of God in our lives, each of us is in relationship with the word of God, the company of believers, and the world in which we live. We are called to be church not for our own comfort and wholeness, but for the world. Isn't there someone in your world who wants to know more about being a follower of Jesus in the Catholic Church? Bring them to an RCIA Inquiry Session. Inquiry sessions are for inquiries and questions, not commitments. All who are unbaptized, baptized into another Christian denomination, or baptized Catholic but have never received BOTH Sacraments of Confirmation and Eucharist. Inquiry Sessions will continue through the summer. For more information, call RCIA at (contact info). ***** Please insert the following information into your bulletin the weekend of May 9/10: May 9, 2021 Sixth Sunday of Easter Agape Love Love is one of those words that is used so often, it is taken for granted and even misused. A Greek word found in scripture, agape, expresses a concept of love that means service. This kind of love was the hallmark of the early Christian church: "See how these Christians love one another." Agape love is rooted in God and his love for us, a love which had no conditions. Our task then is to acknowledge this gift of God and, in our small way, to return it both by loving God and loving one another. Isn't there someone in your life who has been asking you about our loving God or about the Catholic faith community that celebrates God's love? Bring them to an RCIA Inquiry Session. At an Inquiry Session we do not ask for a commitment to the Church. We ask only for the inquirer's questions and then we try to answer them. Anyone who is unbaptized, baptized into another Christian denomination, or baptized Catholic but has never received BOTH sacraments of Confirmation and Eucharist are invited. Inquiry Sessions will continue through the summer. For more information call (contact info). ***** Please insert the following information into your bulletin the weekend of May 15/16: May 16, 2021 Seventh Sunday of Easter Carrying on The Mission The early Church was preoccupied with the utter need for the mission of Jesus to be carried on through the work of his disciples. All of us, who have heard the Good News, have been called to share in the ministry and mission of Jesus. We are instruments of the gospel's spread, just as surely as were the apostles. When you think about your family, your workplace, your neighborhood, isn't there someone to whom you feel called to tell the Good News about Christ's love, compassion, forgiveness and peace. Bring them to an RCIA Inquiry Session so that their questions may be answered and where they will learn more about the Good News as told through the Catholic Faith. Anyone who is unbaptized, baptized into another Christian denomination, or baptized Catholic but has never received BOTH sacraments of Confirmation and Eucharist are invited. Inquiry sessions will continue throughout the summer. For more information call the RCIA Office at (contact info). ***** Please insert the following information into your bulletin the weekend of May 22/23: May 23, 2021 Pentecost Birthday Greetings HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! Today we celebrate our empowerment, through the Spirit, to continue the mission of Jesus. We Catholics, followers of Jesus, believe that we are a people, a community of faith, and that each one of us has been lavished with the Sprit’s gifts, which are not for our personal aggrandizement, but are to be put to the service of our brothers and sisters in the Body of Christ. Do you know someone who seems interested in learning more about Jesus or about our Catholic Faith Family? Bring them to an RCIA Inquiry Session and allow us to help you tell them the Good News. Anyone who is unbaptized, baptized into another Christian denomination, or baptized Catholic but has never received BOTH sacraments of Confirmation and Eucharist is invited. Inquiry Sessions will continue throughout the summer. For more information call (contact info). ***** Please insert the following information into your bulletin when space allows: Legalization of Recreational Marijuana Use On November 3, 2020, New Jersey voters approved Ballot Question #1, legalizing recreational marijuana use for individuals over the age of 21. The approval of the ballot question made the possession and recreational use of marijuana a constitutional right for individuals 21 years of age and older in New Jersey. This constitutional right went into effect on January 1, 2021. On Monday, February 22, 2021, Governor Murphy signed a series of bills that will: - Establish the Regulatory system for the production and sale of Adult use Marijuana; - Decriminalize the possession of marijuana; and - Address the penalties for underage use/possession of marijuana. More information and resources, prepared by the New Jersey Catholic Conference Public Policy Committee, to assist Catholics with understanding the complexities and the potential negative health effects related to the use of recreational marijuana can be found by visiting: https://njcatholic.org/substance-abuse. ***** Please insert the following information into your bulletin when space allows: Volunteer to Make Pocket Rosaries for Law Enforcement The Office of Family Life is pleased to announce the creation of the Blue Rosary Guild. The purpose of the Guild is for community members of all ages to make pocket Rosaries for law enforcement officers, providing them with support and spiritual strength and promoting devotion to the Rosary among all the faithful. All materials and instructions will be provided and a Zoom virtual tutorial will also be scheduled. Anyone interested should contact Cristina D'Averso Collins, Director of the Office of Family Life at cdaverso@diometuchen.org. ***** ATTENTION BULLETIN EDITORS: please insert the following announcement: How to Report Sexual Abuse If you were sexually abused by a member of the clergy or anyone representing the Catholic Church, or you know of someone who was, you are encouraged to report that abuse to local law enforcement, the New Jersey Division of Child Protection and Permanency at 1-877-NJ ABUSE (652-2873) or 1-800-835-5510 (TTY/TDD for the deaf), and also the Diocesan Response Officer at (908) 930-4558 (24 hours/7 days a week). For more information on how to report abuse, visit our diocesan website: diometuchen.org/healing. ***********