In and Around the Diocese

Join in 'The Joy of Love and Family' Conference Series.   Visit lightingheartsonfire.org/joylovefamily to sign up for notifications and view additional details.
The Joy of Love and Family Conference Series began premiering talks in June 2021 and continues to dive into topics over the course of the next six months. 

The Catholic Campaign for Human Development
Thank you for your generous support last week for the collection for the Catholic Campaign for Human Development. If you missed the collection, it’s not too late to give! Visit www.usccb.org/ nationalcollections and click “How to Give” under “Resources.”

Political engagement is part of our Catholic Call

In their statement on Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, the U.S. Catholic bishops urge Catholics to form their consciences through being open to truth, studying Scripture and Church teaching, examining facts and background information, and prayerful reflection (no. 18). Visit FaithfulCitizenship.org to learn about the steps you can take to form your conscience, watch videos and access other great resources on conscience formation for faithful citizens.

Diocese 40th Anniversary Mass - Friday, November 19, 2021 at 7 p.m. at Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi, Metuchen
With praise and thanksgiving to Almighty God, all are invited to attend the 40th Anniversary Mass marking the establishment of the Diocese of Metuchen. Clergy, religious and lay faithful from all the parishes in the Diocese of Metuchen are invited to attend this historical anniversary Mass. The Most Rev. James F. Checchio, JCD, MBA, will be the celebrant and the homilist. For more information, please visit: diometuchen.org/40. Join us as we celebrate forty years of building the Kingdom of God in Central New Jersey!

SAVE HYDE. SAVE LIVES.
For 45 years, the Hyde Amendment and similar laws have protected taxpayers from being forced to pay for elective abortion. The Hyde amendment has been signed into law every year since 1976, whether the Congress and the White House were led by Republicans or Democrats. An overwhelming majority of Americans, including low-income women and women of color who are most impacted by it, support the Hyde Amendment and laws that prevent government-funded abortion.

The Hyde Amendment has saved nearly 2.5 million babies and mothers in difficult circumstances from the tragedy of abortion.

Pope Francis has said, “the future of humanity is fundamentally in the hands of people and their ability to organize.”

To ensure that the Hyde Amendment and all similar life-saving appropriations riders remain in place during the 117th Congress and beyond, we must oppose any bill, including any appropriations bill, that expands taxpayer funding of abortion. Americans ought not be forced to subsidize the taking of innocent life. Please visit the website: No Taxpayer Abortion (https://www.notaxpayerabortion.com/)

Bishop Checchio and I invite parishioners to join our diocesan response to sign a petition to express your disapproval for tax dollars being spent to pay for elective abortions.

You can also contact our elected officials:

Senator Robert Menendez
528 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510 (202) 224-4744 https://www.menendez.senate.gov/contact/email

Senator Corey Booker
717 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510 (202) 224-3224 https://www.booker.senate.gov/contact/write-to-cory

Tom Malinowski
75-77 North Bridge Street
Somerville, NJ 08876
Phone: (908) 547-3307
https://malinowski.house.gov/contact

Your assistance and cooperation are appreciated. It is hoped that millions of Catholics across the country will make their voices heard – let’s do our part here in Blessed Sacrament Church and the Diocese of Metuchen.

Cemetery Maintenance Worker - Piscataway, NJ
Presently, the Diocese of Metuchen is seeking a Cemetery Maintenance Worker. The individual will perform general maintenance, landscaping, and excavation duties. The ideal candidate will be reliable and dependable, able to perform manual labor, be able to work some weekend/overtime shifts, and have a familiarity with operating heavy machinery and equipment. Must have a valid driver's license. Interested candidates should email their resume to hr@diometuchen.org. Or mail to Human Resources Director, Diocese of Metuchen, PO Box 191, Metuchen, NJ 08840-0191

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.

Open Your Heart and Home to a Foster Child.
Catholic Charities, Diocese of Metuchen is seeking loving families to foster children of all ages, who have been abused, neglected or have had mulƟple out of home placements, through its Treatment Family Homes Program, contracted by New Jersey’s Department of Children and Families. Applicants must have adequate space for a child and complete a home study which includes background checks, references, interviews, and a home inspection. All Catholic Charities licensed families receive iniƟal and ongoing specialized training, 24 hour emergency access to staff, respite services, monthly reimbursement for the child’s expenses and support from experienced families. For more information about the program, please visit www.ccdom.org or contact Miguelina Nunez at 866-247-HOME (4663) or at mnunez@ccdom.org..


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.

Catholic Charities, Diocese of Metuchen
Please consider supporting our local poverty relief services by donating gently used clothing, shoes, household items and small appliances to Catholic Charities-Diocese of Metuchen. Clearly marked donation boxes are available in more than 30 locations throughout our four-county diocese. For a complete list of drop-off locations, visit https://ccdom.org/clothing-donation-drop-boxes. If you have an item that is too big to fit in a donation box, call 877-343-3651 to arrange for a free pick up at your home.

Bishops Emergency Disaster Fund

We offer our prayers to those families who have witnessed and suffered from the devastating impacts of natural disasters, among them Hurricane Laura and the California wildfires. The U.S. Bishops are inviting all to participate in a special collection for the humanitarian, long-term recovery, and Church needs arising from these calamities. The funds collected in this special appeal will become part of the Bishops Emergency Disaster Fund and will be used to support the efforts of Catholic Charities USA and/or Catholic Relief Services, the official relief agencies of the U.S. Catholic Church.   Click the following link to donate: online donation

Pray for vocations!
Bishop James F. Checchio recently ordained five men to the priesthood during a Mass of the Rite of Ordination. Please pray for our new priests Rev. David Edward Keyes, Rev. Thomas William Lanza, Rev. Gustavo Andres Rodriguez-Perez, Rev. Gilbert Zachariah Starcher and Rev. John Fredy Triana-Beltran, C.O. as they begin their priestly ministry and please pray for a continual increase of vocations in our Church.

Volunteers Needed
We are looking for volunteers to participate in one-to-one activities and become a mentor to the youth of Middlesex County and Franklin Township. Do you want to make a difference in a child’s life? Have a minimum of three hours a week to offer to a child? If you are interested in this great program, contact Jeanette Cullen at 732-738-1323.