St. Joseph R.C. Church

Home

Welcome to St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church

Our Saturday @ 5:30PM Mass can be viewed weekly via livestream by clicking on the link to the right: YouTube: Parish Livestream

e are a Roman Catholic community of believers in Jesus Christ in Lincoln Park and surrounding areas, located in the Diocese of Paterson, New Jersey. Our Bishop is Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney. Please feel free to visit the pages of our Parish site, learn about who we are as a community of faith and the services our parish provides. If you are thinking about moving to the Lincoln Park area, we cordially invite you to make St. Joseph's your parish.

The Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time: September 18, 2022

Trustworthy Stewardship

trinity2021 The "dishonest" or "untrustworthy" servant of this week's Gospel takes his place among so many others found in Jesus' parables such as the five foolish virgins, the wedding guest who gets thrown out of the wedding banquet for lack of a proper attire, the rich young man too wrapped up in himself to answer the Call, and the laborers who work all day long only to get the same pay as those hired at the final hour. These are the strange ones - those who didn't prepare well, those who didn't prepare at all, those who "squandered the master's property" or those who seem to have no place in the kingdom.

And we wonder about these folks. These are not bad people. These are not evil or malicious people. But somehow they just don't measure up. The invitation to discipleship is a call to build up the Kingdom in the here and now, and it is at once both Gift and Challenge.

It strikes me that this might very well be the point of today's Gospel parable. We need to be realistic, though. We are sent into the world to share what we have been given so we cannot simply cut all our ties with world we live in. But that doesn't mean that we have to "buy into" all of the world's values either.

We hear so much about "stewardship" these days. Pope Francis’ 2015 Encyclical Laudato Si’ is a worldwide wake up call to help humanity understand that all people are part of one family where the Earth is our common home. It invites us to protect God's creation for future generations, to embrace a lifestyle change for our own good, and to take care of those who are poor and vulnerable. The gifts we have been given in this life do not belong to ourselves alone. They belong to everyone. All good things come from God and we are what we are because of Him. We are called to mission, to stewardship.

Jesus teaches stewardship and accountability at every turn. He urges us to be concerned for the needs of others. His challenge is that we use God's gifts wisely and well. And He gives us the Power to do all of this. At the heart of our faith is a spirit leading us to acknowledge that it is God's love and goodness that provides so abundantly for all of our needs. And at the center of our love for God is the challenge to share this gift with our brothers and sisters.

We have a responsibility to use the things of the earth, as well as things we have earned, in responsible ways because we belong to a community of human beings - in family, community, parish, nation and world. The parable should make us uneasy if most of our energy and time are focused on our material security and our future and less on what is valuable in God's eyes. We would do well to heed the warning of Amos in our first reading: "Hear this, you who trample upon the needy and destroy the poor of the land! ...The LORD has sworn by the pride of Jacob: Never will I forget a thing they have done!"

What can we do to make our world a better place? How can we help the desperately poor? To whom must we show forgiveness and compassion? What must we do to deepen our personal relationships? What, in other words, must we do as children of light in a world that values people and nations based on their power, wealth and influence in the world?

There is no way we can claim to love God without being accountable to Love itself and without living our lives in the service of others. It is our task to enter into this mystery over and over again so that we will always see something we have never seen before. It's all about listening to the Jesus story with open ears and a fresh heart. It is about crossing over into uncharted lands. It is about constant, interior conversion.

And it is trusting that if we are faithful in very little, we will indeed be faithful in much.

https://ecatholicism.org/index.php/11-lectionary-cycle-c/176-25th-sunday-in-ordinary-time-trustworthy-stewardship

Parish News

Eucharistic Ministers Needed
As we start a new year we are looking for Eucharistic Ministers to take Communion to shut-ins, Lincoln Park
Nursing Home and Chilton Hospital. We want to bring back this sacred service to those seeking to receive
Jesus. Anyone interested in becoming a Eucharistic Minister, call the Parish Office at 973.696.4411 x10.
Women of Faith
The Women of Faith will meet on September 15 & 29 and October 13 & 27 to begin our study "The Bible and
the Virgin Mary" from the St. Paul Center. The 12-video series will be shown one video per session through June 2023. Please join us on Thursday evenings at 7:30 PM in the Holy Family Room at OLGC. Purchase of the participant workbook from www.StPaulCenter.com is encouraged to enhance the study. For additional
information, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call Vicki 201.410.6869, Tricia 862.248.0216 or Camille 201.396.3798.
Music Ministry for Grades 3-8
Those in 3 rd through 8 th grade who love to sing are invited to join Choristers. Rehearsals will be held every
THURSDAY from 6:30 to 8 PM in the church, beginning on Thursday, September 15. . Please text or call Music Director Denise Dixon at 973.590.9975 for more information or to register.
Eucharist Adoration Every Tuesday 8:30AM - 10:00PM
EUCHARISTIC ADORATION
Every Tuesday
8:30 AM – 10:00 PM

Ways to Spend an Hour with Jesus:
 Tell Him what angers you; then listen.
 Speak about your loved ones.
 Pray for an enemy.
 Talk with Him about work.
 Sing a song for Him in your heart

.
“If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it.”
St. Maximilian
Confirmation to Be Held on October 8, 2022
On Saturday, October 8, 2022, the present Confirmation Class, (’21-‘22) will be confirmed by Bishop Serratelli at 11 AM here at St. Joseph’s Church.

The final requirements for their Confirmation are:
- attendance at Mass
- selection of a Confirmation name (must be a saints’ name)
- selecting a Sponsor
- attendance at the Retreat that is scheduled for September 17th at 9AM
- Confession before making Confirmation

Those who choose to be confirmed are, in a sense, claiming their choice for their faith and are affirming their desire to be a member of the Roman Catholic Church and a true disciple of Jesus. After receiving the gifts of the Holy Spirit there should be a willingness to be and do for others, as well as sharing their God-given gifts with those in need. They are to give witness to God in their lives.
Additionally, once someone receives the sacrament of Confirmation they are eligible to be a Lector at Mass, a sponsor for a candidate in Confirmation and a Godparent at a Baptism
Year of the Eucharist
In honor of the Year of the Eucharist, we are happy to announce that we are expanding our hours of Adoration
of the Blessed Sacrament.

Thanks to you we now have guardians for all 16 hours of Adoration. But now we need two substitutes for each
hour. Sign up sheets are in the back of church. We will begin our weekly Adoration this Tuesday, March 1st and every Tuesday after the 8:00 AM Mass until midnight. Jesus, our Friend, waits for our visits.

St. Maximilian Kolbe made frequent visits to the Blessed Sacrament
Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA)
R.C.I.A., the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, is a process for anyone wishing to know more about the Roman Catholic Faith and the reception of the sacraments of initiation (Baptism, Eucharist, and Confirmation). By our baptism, each of us is called to share the good news. Each of us may know someone who, if asked, would consider becoming a Catholic. The invitation needs to be extended.

As a member of the faith family, have you extended the invitation? If you want to become a Catholic or know someone who may be interested in becoming a Catholic, please come to the Parish Center room 6 for classes on Sundays at 11 AM or call the office at
973.696.4411.
Religious Education Program: September 18
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION INFORMATION FOR GRADES K-8

GRADES K-6

Sept 25              1st Communion Parent Meeting 9 & 11 AM

Sept 28              Classes Begin – 5 & 6

For more information or to request forms, please call
973.696.4411 x10.

CONFIRMATION PROGRAM

Sept 25              Ceremonial start of Confirmation,4 PM – Church (Grade 7 & 8)
Sept 28    Classes Begin – 7 & 8

CONFIRMATION GRADE 9

Oct 2                 Stole Blessing

********************

For more information, please call 973.696.4411 x12.
Polish Masses to Be Celebrated at St. Joseph's on the Third Saturday of Each Month
Polish Masses are now being celebrated at St. Josephs on the 3rd Saturday of every month at 7 PM.
Parish Registration
If you are new to the parish or have not previously registered in the parish, please do so by calling the office at 973.696.4411 x 101 for a registration form. Also, if you are not receiving collection envelopes, we can arrange to have them sent them to you.
First Friday Benediction
Please join us for our regular First Friday services with a monthly Eucharistic Holy Hour from 7 to 8 PM, featuring Exposition of the

Blessed Sacrament, Adoration, and Benediction, provided by our Deacons. Please note that Mass will only be available in the morning at 8 AM.
Visiting the Sick and Shut-Ins
If you have a famly member or know of someone who is in the hospital or homebound and they would like to receive Holy Communion, please call Sr. Ellen at (973) 696-4411, etx. 3.

Because of privacy laws, the hospital does not contact us when a parishioner is admitted and therefore, we have no way of knowing. Notifying us will enable us to visit our parishioners and bring them the sacraments.
Parish Email List: Great Way to Stay Informed!
If you would like to be added to the parish email list or to update your email address with us, to receive notifications of funerals and parish events, please email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and let us know. As of now, we have over 500 people on our email list. What a resourceful way to keep up to date on our parish happenings! Thank you.