Community Life ministries are those organizations which gather as a community for fellowship, prayer, and activities that support the mission of the parish. They include:
Ministries for children
The Scouts — Our Scouting program includes Cub Scouts for young people in grades K-5 and Scouts BSA for Grades 6-12, and seeks to teach them about their Duty to God, Country and Self while building Leadership, Citizenship and Personal Fitness – all while having fun and providing service to our parish and the community. The Cub Scouts are open to boys and girls, and we hope to expand our current male Scouts BSA program to include young ladies in the near future. If you are a girl in grade 6-12, contact Deacon Kevin now for information about the new program (see the Scouts page for more information)
Special Interests
The Holy Name Society—a religious organization that serves the spiritual, social, and educational needs of the men of the parish.
The Rosary Altar Society—a parish confraternity whose members enhance the life of our parish through liturgical service, prayer and devotion to the gospel teachings, honoring the desire of our Lord to know, love and venerate His Mother
Seniors Clubs—provide an opportunity for those in the second half of life a safe place for fellowship and involvement
Hospitality Committees—provide a festive and welcoming atmosphere in which people who see each other at Mass can get to know each other better, fostering a true sense of community
Golf Classic—a yearly event, open to men and women, and held in the Fall, usually in September
Parish Picnic—another yearly Fall event, when our parish family gets together for fun and food on the grounds of the Our Lady of Sorrows campus, right next to the church
Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is building a network of CRS Chapters to mobilize Catholics and others of good will to end global poverty through meaningful action. There will be a Zoom meeting on March 1 from 6:30 - 8:00 pm to learn more about this new initiative. Click the article title for contact information.
There appear to be no moral issues to prohibit a Catholic from receiving vaccines produced by Pfizer or Moderna. If other vaccines are released that have an illicit origin, Catholics should choose the option that is least morally problematic. I strongly urge everyone to register for the vaccine. I have registered and have an appointment. Please visit: covid19.nj.gov/vaccine.
Just a reminder--please remember those in our community who may be hungry and drop off some nonperishable food for Mount Carmel Guild and St Raphael’s Pantry. The need is greater than ever! To address this need, more food pantries have opened, but the resources are now spread out over additional food pantries. Please be generous! Click the article title for more information, including distribution dates.
We are pleased to announce that parish grants of various amounts totaling $3,100 were awarded to six families of our school as tuition assistance. This help is made possible through your contributions to our parish tuition assistance fund throughout the year. Thanks to all those who made gifts this past year. It is a great help to families who wish to provide a Catholic education to their children.