RCIA Begins Sunday, October 2nd

/

“Come follow me”, Jesus says to the fishermen, Simon and Andrew, who were busy at their work.

He told them he would make them fishers of men. For Simon, later named Peter, and Simon their walk with Christ changed them and the whole world. It started with a simple invitation.

Come with us, for we follow Christ. The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults offers the same invitation. It is a call to discipleship in the Lord Jesus Christ. The rite is for adults. Made of four parts, it leads us through the process where we learn about Jesus, the Church he entrusted to his followers, and life as a Catholic Christian.

Are you baptized, confirmed, and received Holy Communion? If no to any of these, come answer Jesus’ call. Do you know someone who is searching? Do you want to know more about the sacramental life the Church offers? Contact Frank Miller at rcia@stachurchbloomfield.org. We begin this October 2 after the 8AM mass in the Parish Center with the Inquiry part of the Rite. Come with us.

RCIA ministry page

The STA September Club Celebrates September Birthdays

/

At the most recent STA September Club meeting, we celebrated September birthdays! In the September Club, senior citizens meet each week at the parish center. We share prayers, conversation, a meeting, food and fun times. We celebrate birthdays every month with cake and recognition.

Happy Birthday to our seniors with September birthdays!

For more information or how to join, please visit the September Club ministry page.

Calling all 6th, 7th, and 8th graders!

/

Junior High Youth Group

Calling all 6th, 7th, and 8th graders! Mark your calendars for Friday, October 7th from 7:00-9:00pm for our Junior High Youth Group meeting. There will be lots of games, music, prizes, snacks, and fun! The meeting will take place in the St. Peter Room in the Parish Center which is located below the church. Bring a friend -all are welcome! All 7th and 8th graders who attend will receive one hour of Confirmation community service! For questions, call Tracey at (973) 338-7400.

Register Now: The 19th Annotated Retreat of the Spiritual Exercises Of St Ignatius

/

From the Ministry of Spiritual Direction

The Spiritual Exercises Of St Ignatius: The Nineteenth Annotated Retreat

St. Ignatius of Loyola, in his Spiritual Exercises, designed a life-changing retreat to help people discover and deepen the presence of God in their lives and grow in the gift of discernment. You, the retreatant, are invited to contemplate Jesus’ life, death and resurrection.

You will meet once a week with a spiritual director to process your prayer experience. Participation may be virtual or in-person.

Sessions begin on October 4th. Registration is limited. Please contact Anna Graziano at (973) 338-9538 or at annagraziano08@gmail.com to sign up.

Deacon Tom's Homily For Sunday, September 11, 2022

/

ON DECEMBER 7th 1988, A devastating earthquake, registering 6.9 on the Richter scale, leveled northern Armenia, killing 45,000 people in just four minutes and leaving half-a-million people homeless.

A FATHER LEFT HIS WIFE securely at home, and quickly ran to his son’s school, which had totally collapsed.

THE FATHER RUSHED TO THE right rear of the school building where his son’s classroom was located and began to clear away rubble and debris.

OTHER PARENTS TRIED TO pull him away, “Let them be…” “They’re all dead. . .” “There’s nothing you can do. . .” but the father continued to dig.

THE FIRECHIEF TRIED TO GET him to leave, “There’s danger of an explosion. You’ve got to get out of here.” But the father persisted.

10 HOURS, 24 HOURS, 36 hours, he kept clearing rocks and debris. Finally, in the 38th hour, as he pulled back a huge boulder, the father heard his son’s voice faintly calling: “Popa, Popa, is that you? I knew you’d come, I knew you’d come!”

IMAGINE THIS FATHER’S tremendous joy at, against all odds, finding his child and thirteen of his classmates . . . alive!

IN OUR GOSPEL TODAY, Jesus shows us how important each one of us is to Our Heavenly Father.

WITH TODAY’S THREE parables, Jesus shows the Pharisees, the Scribes, and us what it means to be a child of God. Jesus describes for us the extravagant, fatherly love of God.

THE NEXT TIME WE’RE feeling lost in the midst of an illness or depression or we’re feeling helpless in the grip of sin, may we take heart and know that, even before we can say, “God, help me,” or whisper, “Father,” may we know that our Loving Father is already searching for us.

TODAY, MAY WE REALIZE, IN the depths of our heart, what it means to be Our Heavenly Father’s child!

AND MAY WE REALIZE NOW in the depths of our heart that at the hour of our death, our Loving Father will be standing right there next to us clearing away all the debris. “Abba, is that you?” we’ll whisper. “I knew You’d come. I knew You’d come!” as He hugs us tightly to Himself and welcomes us home!

Upcoming Listening Sessions: Come and Be Heard

/

The newly commissioned STA Pastoral Council invites all parishioners to a Listening Session. Attendance is highly encouraged. Each attendee will be given the opportunity to share any comments or suggestions related to the parish before the Pastoral Council.

There are two sessions available for your convenience: Thursday, October 20th at 7pm and Sunday, October 23rd at 11am. Both will be held in the parish center.

Any questions related to the sessions can be emailed to pastoralcouncil@stachurchbloomfield.org.

See you there!