heart, we are called to dive into the sea of prayer, which is the sea of God’s boundless love, to enjoy its tenderness. Lent is a time of prayer, a more intense, more diligent prayer, [one] more able to take care of the needs of the brethren, to intercede before God for the many situations of poverty and suffering.

In Christ’s Peace, Father Jim Ferry

Dear Brothers & Sisters of Our Lady of Lourdes: Need a lift? This favor would be our hope, were we to pass through the doorways of life with arms full or hearts heavy under difficult conditions of climate or geography.

Simon of Cyrene helped our Savior on the road of the Passion. In service, we may also be called to lift up others physically or spiritually. We can lift them up not only by what we carry but also what we communicate.

St. Paul writes about our call to unconditional love and to avoidance of judgment about the laments or the luxuries of others. Seeing someone with certain woes or wealth, we might retreat into the crowd. However, all of us -- Simon of Cyrene, you, and I -- are invited to give a lift. St. Paul summarizes this, “Rejoice with them that rejoice; weep with them that weep. Being of one mind one towards another. Not minding high things, but consenting to the humble. Be not wise in your own conceits.” (Romans 12:15-16)

Giving – or taking – a lift reminds us to be mindful of our route, to seek the way of the cross each day. This means that we are called – in prayer – to acknowledge our need for God’s direction.

In an Ash Wednesday homily, Pope Francis spoke about the practice of prayer for Lent and God’s lift to us:

We are invited to embark on a journey in which, in defiance of the routine, we strive to open our eyes and ears, but especially the heart, to go beyond our “little garden.”

To open oneself to God and to others: we live in an increasingly artificial world, in a culture of “doing”, [a culture] of the “useful”, in which we exclude God from our horizon without even realizing it. Lent calls us to “give ourselves a ‘shake-up’”, to remember that we are creatures, that we are not God.

Prayer is the strength of the Christian and of every believing person. In the weakness and fragility of our life, we can turn to God with the confidence of children and enter into communion with Him. In the face of so many wounds that hurt us and that could harden the

25 MARCH 2018

For Your Stewardship of Time, Talent and Treasure

FISCAL YEAR STARTING JULY 2017 WEEKLY GOAL: $ 6800 Collection: Mar 10-11* $ 3879 Deficit: $ 2921

* Includes Online Giving Weekly Average Deposit

LITURGICAL MINISTERS— SUNDAY 1 APRIL - EASTER SUNDAY

Mass Lector Eucharis c Ministers**

Altar Servers

7:30 pm Easter Vigil Choir

Pat Sigalas Joe Riopel

Joseph Petrillo Sr. James Soon Eileen Reilly ( C ) Wendy Sheyka

Volunteers

7:30 am Bless Bernardo Mary Ellen Chandler Mary Cassels

Paul Parada Ross Parada

9:30 am

Carmelita Dizon Anne e Chiaramonte Ann Pflug Myrna Regino Bill Talbot

Volunteers

11:30 am Choir

Doris Spivey Judith Albore Paul Hirsch

Volunteers

Children’s Liturgy and RCIA will not be held on Easter Sunday

MASSES FOR THE WEEK SATURDAY 24 MARCH 8:30 am - Louise O’Hara 5:30 pm - Helen & Walter Supczynski SUNDAY 25 MARCH 7:30 am - People of the Parish 9:30 am - Margaret McCann 11:30 am - Josephine De Vincen s & The Pederson Family MONDAY 26 MARCH 8:30 am - Janice Lombardi TUESDAY 27 MARCH 8:30 am - Eloi Lahoz WEDNESDAY 28 MARCH 8:30 am - Fleur Nicole and Jennifer Michelle Massena (Mass of Thanksgiving) THURSDAY 29 MARCH 8:30 am - Morning Prayer 7:30 pm - MASS OF THE LORD’S SUPPER

FRIDAY 30 MARCH 8:30 am - Morning Prayer

SATURDAY 31 MARCH 8:30 am - Morning Prayer 7:30 pm - EASTER VIGIL MASS

SUNDAY 1 APRIL 7:30 am - People of the Parish 9:30 am - People of the Parish

PRAY FOR THE SICK Vincent Aiello, Sean Bailey,

Suzane Ball, Gina Cammarata, Darlene Cangialosi,

Teresa Carbin, Josephine Ciullo, Tom Collinson, Jeannie Cox,

Ramona De Castro, Peggy Dolan, Edna Drudy, Pierre Ferrus, Marie Fierro,

Helen Filan, Anna Frazzano, Catherine Gascoyne, Al Gebhardt,

Judy Givas, Michael Harris, Marissa and Richard Hedstrom,

Jovann Henry, Yann Henry, Prepty Joint, Evelyn Judge, Bruce Kiefer, Tim Klein,

James Leung, Rose Mateus, Marion McConville,

Pete McDonald, Mary McGuiness, Stephanie Montano, Noreen Meyers,

Liam Morley, Florence Olabiyi, William Ollenschleger, O lia Ortega,

Idelourdes Pe on, Patrick Pierre, Mark Quarno, Thelma Ramaglia, Amy Ricciardi, Mary Lou Ruppel,

Marie Salvatoriello, Vincent Santucci, Jr., Heather Scoffone, Patricia Seib, Natalie Sims, Joseph Lee Taylor,

Jimmy Tiernan, Robin Tobia, Ann Whelan, Dolores J. Williams.

If you wish to have a loved one prayed for,

please call the rectory at 973.325.0110.

THIS WEEK’S CALENDAR OF EVENTS SUNDAY 25 MARCH— 10:30 am RCIA

WEDNESDAY 28 MARCH 6:00 pm - Choir Prac ce HOLY THURSDAY 29 MARCH 10:00 am Deadline - News, Announcements For Apr 8th Bulle n email: lourdesbulle-

n@aol.com RECTORY OFFICE WILL CLOSE AT 11:45 AM

7:30 pm—MASS OF THE LORD’S SUPPER Eucharis c Adora on in church un l 11:00 pm GOOD FRIDAY 30 MARCH 3:00 pm—COMMEMORATION OF THE LORD’S PASSION and VENERATION OF THE CROSS 7:00 pm—Sta ons of the Cross

RECTORY OFFICE WILL BE CLOSED HOLY SATURDAY 31 MARCH 7:30 pm—EASTER VIGIL MASS - RCIA—Sacraments of Ini a on EASTER SUNDAY 1 APRIL - Masses: 7:30, 9:30 and 11:30 am 9:00 am - Recita on of the Rosary

This week’s Sanctuary Candle, a gi of Arlene Jones Galante, is in memory of LESTER & CONSTANCE JONES

Holy Thursday 7:30 pm Choir

Carol Ford Bill Talbot

Albore, Dizon, Petrillo ( C ), A. Pflug

Volunteers

Good Friday 3:00 pm Choir

Carmelita Dizon Wendy Sheyka

J. Chiaramonte, Kunz, Lanfrank, Refinski ( C )

Volunteers

APRIL 8— Divine Mercy Celebra on

Dr. Shane Conrad O’Connor, CFR, will be the guest homilist

at the Divine Mercy Mass and Celebra on at St. Philomena Church, 386 S. Livingston Ave., Livingston.

Confessions at 1:15 pm followed by Mass at 2 pm. Adora on of the Blessed Sacrament, chan ng of the Divine Mercy Chaplet and Venera on of a first class relic of St. Faus na and the Image of Divine Mercy.

Palm Sunday commemorates the triumphal entrance of Christ into Jerusalem when palm branches were placed in His path, before His arrest on Holy Thursday, and His Crucifixion on Good Friday. It marks the beginning of Holy Week, the final week of Lent, and the week in which Chris ans celebrate the mystery of their salva on through Christ’s Death and His Resurrec on on Easter Sunday.

The palm branches were donated through the generosity of Darren and Mellen Dangler and family

in memory of GEORGE WILLIAM DANGLER. THANK YOU!

The Paschal Candle which will be blessed at the Easter Vigil and used throughout the year as a reminder of the Presence of the Risen Christ in our midst, was purchased through the generosity of Steve and MaryEllen Chandler in memory of the Chandler and Chiarella Families. THANK YOU!

TRICKY TRAY The Rosary Altar Society is accep ng gi s for its Tricky Tray. Gi s of new items are welcome and greatly appreciated by April 13th.

Gi s may be le at the rectory weekdays between 10:00 am and 1:00 pm or, by contac ng Marge Chris ano at 973-325-0379

or Carol Ford at 973-736-2394.

“Morning a er morning he opens my ears that I may hear,” As we celebrate Palm Sunday, let us keep our ears open to the love from our spouses and God by par cipa ng in a Worldwide Marriage Encounter. To receive an informa on and registra on brochure, contact Mike and Janet Turco at 973-427-7016 or, 609-335-6880 or email

UPCOMING COMMUNITY EVENTS

Rockin’ Thru The Years Classic 50’s & 60’s Rock & Roll Dinner Dance Fundraiser

Friday, April 20, 2018 - 6-10 pm $45.00 per person Sea ng is limited

St. Joseph’s Home for the Elderly, 140 Shepherd Lane, Totowa

Please contact Cathy Ann Dewar or Margaret Kolb at 973-942-0300 or twdevelopment@li lesisterso hepoor.org.

ARCHDIOCESE OF NEWARK PRO-LIFE YOUTH RALLY

HEAL THEIR WOUNDS: BECOMING A MINISTER OF MERCY

Wednesday, April 25, 2018 8:30 am—1:00 pm

Archdiocesan Youth Retreat Center 499 Belgrove Drive, Keanry, NJ

Cost: $10 per student

For more informa on, contact:

Divorced/Separated Support Groups

“It’s true...there’s no such thing as “Catholic Divorce”...but millions of Catholics DO get civilly divorced. And it affects and hurts us all. Maybe you or someone you know has suffered the breakdown of the marriage and family, or maybe they are going through it right now. No ma er how long it’s been, the Church IS HERE to help. The Archdi-ocese of Newark currently has 13 parishes who offer a support group for the separated/divorced and these groups will be star ng during the next couple months. For a list of these groups, please visit our website at: www.rcan.org/separateddivorced-support-groups or Email Lauren.Egan@rcan.org or call the Family Life Office at 973-497-4327.