In and Around the Diocese

Man to Man
Men have unique roles in life…husbands, fathers, grandfathers,
the single life and religious life…We’re pushed
and pulled in a thousand directions by responsibilities,
stress, loss and by joys. Where can we find time to reflect
on the loss and gain of our lives? For all men—
young, old and in between. Join our group over coffee or
tea for life affirming discussions and prayer to find God in
our lives and to make a difference in our own worlds.
4th Tuesday of the Month; May 24th from 7-8:30 both at
the House of Prayer and on Zoom. Freewill offering

Relics of Saint Bernadette From April to August 2022
The relics of Saint Bernadette will tour the United States for the first time, bringing the grace of Lourdes to parishes across the country. The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes is organizing the pilgrimage of the relics in partnership with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, North American Volunteers, Hospitalité of Miami and the Order of Malta. The Relics of Saint Bernadette will visit the Diocese of Metuchen, the only diocesan stop in New Jersey, from May 17-20, 2022. Learn more: diometuchen.org/saintbernadette

Synod on Synodality – Have you been heard?
Two additional Synod Listening Sessions will be held in May for those who have not yet had the opportunity to make their voices heard. A virtual session will be offered on Zoom from 7 p.m. – 9 p.m. on May 25 and an in-person session will be offered the following day, May 26, at the St. John Neumann Pastoral Center in Piscataway from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. All are invited to participate, though registration is required: diometuchen.org/synod2023

New Jersey Safe Haven Law
Under the New Jersey Safe Haven Infant Protection Act a person may give up an unwanted infant anonymously. The purpose of Safe Haven is to protect unwanted babies from being hurt or killed from unsafe abandonment. A distressed parent who is unable to care for an infant can give up custody of a baby less than 30 days old safely, legally and anonymously. All that is required is that the baby be brought to any hospital emergency room, police station, fire station, ambulance, first aid, and rescue squads in New Jersey that are staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week. As long as the child shows no signs of intentional abuse, no name or other information is required. The parent can call the Safe Haven Hotline - 1-877-839-2339 - and get the address and directions for any hospital emergency room, police station, fire station, ambulance, first aid, and rescue squad in the state.

Ordination to the Permanent Diaconate

All are welcome to join Bishop James F. Checchio as he ordains 15 men to the permanent diaconate at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, May 14, at the Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi in Metuchen. The men to be ordained are part of the Diocese of Metuchen’s first ever Spanish speaking diaconate class. Access to the livestream and updates about the ordination can be found on the diocesan website: diometuchen.org/ordinations.

Please hold in prayer all deacons of the Diocese of Metuchen and this year’s candidates: Ysidro Abreu; William Chirinos; Jose R. Diaz; Sergio Diaz; Richard Ferreira; Paul Flor; German Gonzalez; Vidal Gonzales Zelaya; Francisco Jaurides; Jose Fritz Molina; Hernando Patino; Freddy Perez Sena; Pedro Sanchez Duval; Jose Suarez Aular; and Ubaldo Valdez.

Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord
Effective this upcoming Easter season, the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord will be permanently transferred from Thursday of the Sixth Week of Easter to the following Sunday, the Seventh Sunday of Easter, in all Catholic dioceses in New Jersey. This year, the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord will be observed on Sunday, May 29. This liturgical observance is an integral dimension of the completion of Our Lord's paschal mystery and, after much discussion, the Catholic Bishops of New Jersey collectively discerned that the transferring the observance to the following Sunday would allow for greater participation among the faithful.

Statewide Youth Rally at Six Flags Great Adventure-Sunday, May 15, 2022
The Diocese of Metuchen's Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry is excited to share that the 2022 New Jersey Youth Rally at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, NJ, is scheduled for Sunday, May 15, 2022! The cost for the day is $55 per person ($25 for season ticket holders) and includes advance entry into the park, a FREE return ticket to Park, a 3-hour all-you-can-eat buffet, Mass, the Opening Ceremony, and a Free Parking Pass. Open to all Jr. High, High School & Young Adult Ministry, Scouting, Parish/School Athletic Programs, families, and all. To purchase your tickets please visit the Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry page on Diocesan Website and register before the May 6th deadline. Questions? Please email mvantslot@diometuchen.org.

Action Needed: Ask Governor Murphy to Increase Funding for Chapter 192
Chapter 192 (Compensatory Education) provides remedial  instruction in Reading, Language Arts, and Mathematics for students in nonpublic schools. The per-pupil amount of $995.33 for these services has not been increased since the 2008-2009 school year, while the amount of time provided for the service has been decreased as a result of costs incurred by the providers of the service. Please contact Governor Murphy and ask that he increase the per-pupil amount for Chapter 192 to $1,300.00 per service so that eligible students can get the services they need to be successful in school. If you have a personal story regarding this issue, please add that to the message.

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 cdaveso@diometuchen.org.

“Amoris Laetitia Family,”
As we celebrate the Year “Amoris Laetitia Family,” the diocesan Office of Communications and Public Relations is compiling a digital family photo album. We invite you to share a photo of your family – a photo of your domestic church by which our local Church of Metuchen is constantly enriched. Please consider sharing your family’s photo with us by sending your photo to communications@diometuchen.org, so we can together bear witness to the love of God through our “family of families.”

Catholic Press Month
This is held during the month of February. Donations for The Catholic Spirit will supplement the newspapers free distribution to the parishes.

In celebration of our 40 years of building the Kingdom in Middlesex, Somerset, Hunterdon and Warren
Follow our joyful celebration at www.diometuchn.org/40 Upcoming Events:

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.

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.