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All Catechists for grades 7th, 8th and 9th grade Confirmation Facilitators are invited to stop by the Parish Center to pick up a copy of the teaching manual for the coming school year. It would be helpful to have looked at the first chapter/session prior to our meetings in September. Meetings are as follow: Grades 7 and 8, Monday, September 9th
at 7:15 PM
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(This information was incorrect in last week’s bulletin) Parents meeting for students enrolled in grades 6 - 10 religious education
programs are scheduled as follows:
PLEASE MARK YOUR CALENDARS, PLAN ON ATTENDING! |
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On Tuesday, September 10th at 10:00 PM, the Youth Ministry will hold a candlelight Vigil on the front lawn of the church. All youth are invited and encouraged to bring friends to pray with us. Wednesday, September 11th, will mark the one year anniversary of the horrific terrorist attack on our country. Our parish will remember this day at the 9:00 AM Mass which will be a Mass of Remembrance for all those taken so violently from us. The Rosary will be recited after Mass. All are invited to pray together as a parish on this infamous day. The church will be open from 7:00 AM - 9:00 PM for silent prayer and reflection. As a wider community, we are all invited to attend the Community Interfaith Service of Healing: A Commemoration of 9/11 at Temple Emanu-El, 765 E. Broad St., Westfield, at 7:30 PM. During this service, all the residents of Westfield lost on September 11th will be remembered. The township of Clark will dedicate a park to Port Authority Police Officer James A. Nelson, who lost his life at the World Trade Center. The Nelsons are members of our parish community. The event will start at 7:30 PM on Wednesday, September 11th. The location is at the corner of Grand Street and Broadway. Parking is available at Mother Seton Regional High School on Valley Road. For more information, call (732) 388-3600. Archbishop John J. Myers extends an invitation to everyone to join in an inter-religious gathering to commemorate the anniversary of the Tragedies of 9/11 in the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart, Newark on Sunday, September 8, 2002 at 6:00 PM. The celebration of Evening Prayer in the Roman Catholic tradition will remember those whose lives were taken, support families still dealing with the loss of loved ones, and gratefully acknowledge those who gave selflessly of themselves in the recovery effort. Everyone, including members of religions and communions other than Roman Catholic are cordially invited to this prayer service of remembrance, support, healing, reconciliation and hope. |
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We are starting a group for newly separated or divorced people which will meet at Saint Helen's on Monday, September 9, at 7:30 in the Annex. The group will be led by Eileen Cumiskey and Father Don McLaughlin. We will meet until approximately October 28th. We have room for 10 people and the diocese will also be sending people here. Call Father Don at (908) 232-1214, x12, to register. |
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Every day we make decisions – many of them trivial, but some quite important - about how to live our lives. Our faith gives a special dimension to our decisions… Every moment is an invitation to be truly a disciple of Jesus. Our Inquirers will be meeting over the next few weeks to explore what becoming a disciple in our Catholic tradition will mean for them. If you’d like to participate as a welcoming parishioner with us or possibly as a sponsor for one of them, please call Sr. Joanna or be in touch with one of our RCIA team members. This experience is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for participants – one to be treasured for the deeper understanding and enjoyment of our faith it offers to all of us! |
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We have had more than 10 parishioners sign up for the prison ministry at Rahway Prison (better known as East Jersey Prison). They have filled out the required paperwork and we are awaiting authorization from the Department of Corrections in Trenton to begin our ministry there. We hope to begin with a centering prayer experience and branch out to a literacy program which seems to be much needed. At the same time, it is expected a married deacon will also be appointed to work in the prison. We ask your prayers for a successful conclusion to our endeavors. |
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If you can volunteer for 2 hours one Thursday a month, the Food Pantry would be happy to have your help. Please call Theresa Maresca at (732) 499-8092. |
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St. Helen’s faith-sharing groups will resume for six weeks, beginning the week of October 7th. Current members will be contacted by their leaders. Sign-up cards are available in the vestibule of the church for new members. Information, call Fr. Don McLaughlin, (908) 232-1214,x12 or Eileen at (908) 233-6344 |
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27 The basic liturgical principles for designing and renovating churches today are drawn from the Second Vatican Council and the documents that implemented its decrees. Even though the Church offers no universal blueprint or style for the design of a church, attention to the following principles will insure that from the beginning, the ritual requirements will receive the priority they deserve in the design process. 28 The church building is designed in harmony with church laws and serves the needs of the liturgy. The liturgical books are the foundational source for those who wish to plan a building well suited for the liturgy. First among these are the prescriptions contained in the fifth chapter of the General Instruction of the Roman Missal and the norms in the introduction to the Rite of Dedication of a Church and an Altar. Other directives can be found in the various liturgical books and the Code of Canon Law. 29 Because the church is a house of prayer in which the Eucharist is celebrated and the Blessed Sacrament is reserved, a place where the faithful assemble, and a setting where Christ is worshiped, it should be worthy of prayer and sacred celebration, built in conformity with the laws of the Church, and dignified with noble beauty and intrinsically excellent art. The general plan of the building reflects the Church that Christ gathers there, is expressive of its prayer, fosters the members’ participation in sacred realities, and supports the solemn character of the sacred liturgy. 30 The general plan of the building should be such that “in some way it conveys the image of the gathered assembly. It should also allow the participants to take the place most appropriate to them and assist all to carry out their function properly. 31 The church building fosters participation in the liturgy. Because liturgical actions by their nature are communal celebrations, they are celebrated with the presence and active participation of the Christian faithful whenever possible. Such participation, both internal and external, is a faithful’s “right and duty by reason of their baptism.” The building itself can promote or hinder the “full, conscious, and active participation” of the faithful. Parishes making decisions about the design of a church must consider how the various aspects and choices they make will affect the ability of all the members to participate fully in liturgical celebrations. 32 The design of the church building reflects the various roles of the participants. Since the liturgical celebration is an action of Christ and the Church, it belongs to the whole Body of the Church. While all the members are called to participate in worship, not all have the same role. From the earliest days of the Church, the Holy Spirit has called forth members to serve in a variety of ministries. That same Spirit continues to call the members to various ministries today and to bestow gifts necessary for the good of the community. “Built of Living Stones: Art, Architecture and Worship”
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Robert Michael LaMendola - August 1, 2002 Mother: Irene Maralynn Ricca - August 4, 2002
John Maher - August 8, 2002
Josephine Berta - August 11, 2002
John Ryan - August 28, 2002
Raymond F. Fagan - September 3, 2002
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If you have a submission for the bulletin, please either fax it to the Parish Center (908) 317-5459 care of Rick Schmidt or e-mail it to rschmidt@sainthelen.org the Friday a week prior to when you would like it to be printed. Please keep in mind that space is limited every week so notifications should be limited to a short paragraph to allow more parishioners to have their events viewed by the community in this publication. Please include your name and phone number. Thank you. |
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Bulletin for the Week of August 25, 2002 |