Author: Nathalie Godet

15th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Posted on by Nathalie Godet

 

Dear Friends,

12 or 72 disciples? We reflected on this question last Sunday based on the Lukan gospel about Jesus sending out 72. It is such an important point for our understanding of our own role as disciples that I wish to emphasize it further. Luke, the only gospel writer who mentions this, has a universalist outlook. He wants us to know that the mission of Jesus is not restricted just to the 12 Apostles, but also to a much larger group. The 72 thus represents us all who are baptized Christians whose duty it is to pass on our Faith, as Pope Francis wrote in his first Encyclical ‘The Light of faith’ (Lumen Fidei): “… from one person to another, just as one candle is lighted from another. … It is through an unbroken chain of witnesses that we come to see the face of Jesus.”

We are part of that beautiful chain of witnesses, binding us all the way back to Christ and the first 72 he sent out. Whether others become part of that chain depends on whether we do our part like those ahead of us have. It is wonderful to see some of our parishioners doing precisely that. When I talk to some of our parishioners, they tell me they came because someone invited them to worship at St. Matthias. That’s a beautiful example for the rest of us. If more of us were to do that…. well, you know the result!

But there are difficulties, too. Some parishioners have shared with me their struggle to answer some of the questions people put to them about our faith, our church, our doctrine or about the Bible in general. We feel less confident to share or speak about faith matters. That’s one reason I have been giving an open invitation to all to attend as many sessions as you can – whether it be the RCIA, GIFT or FAITH SHARING. Many parents have expressed – to us priests, deacons and the catechists – their lack of understanding of our faith as they truly want to educate themselves about what we believe. Attending these sessions will enable them not only to teach their children but also to engage other adult acquaintances and friends on religious topics.

Here’s another suggestion for all of us: this summer offers us a wonderful opportunity to enrich ourselves with some knowledge of our faith. When media gurus speak about summer reading lists, why not make our own list of faith-related summer reading list? How many of us have read the writings of or about Pope Francis? Last Sunday I mentioned, “The Joy of Love” which made people more aware of the joy of living the Christian? Or his writing on The Care of Creation (Laudato Si)? This one caught the world’s attention like a wild fire as soon as it was published. In fact, my plan to go solar for our parish buildings was approved due to the openness created by Laudato Si towards better stewardship of our natural resources.

My point is this: we all need enrichment about matters related to our faith. The more effort we will make, the better we will be able to speak boldly about why we believe what we believe. Hence I invite you to do something constructive this summer for our inner life, the life of our soul.

Your brother in Christ,

Fr. Abraham Orapankal

14th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Posted on by Nathalie Godet

 

Dear Friends,

Last Sunday’s 60th Anniversary Mass, presided by our Bishop Checchio, was a memorable event for everyone present in person or online. What was particularly touching was the presence of some of the original members of our parish who were there in 1962 to build up this parish that was led by our first pastor Fr. William McKenna. ( See some of the pioneers on the cover page.) As we honored them with a luncheon in our cafeteria after the Mass, it was exciting to listen to some of their stories and anecdotes about the challenges of those early years. Jeff Hentz, the Co-chair of the Anniversary Committee, interviewed some of these pioneers. These will be made available soon for us to view.

Speaking of the Anniversary Committee, I have only words of appreciation for the many events and ideas they have been meticulously planning and
implementing. Anne Marie Francis (Co-chair), Jeff Hentz (Co-chair), Dee Christmas, Pat Cullen, Joanne Diana, Gondee Tibay, Mary Frances, Emily Chavez, Sue Lenczewski and Msgr. Seamus Brennan deserve special gratitude from all of us for organizing these events – some of which will be happening
in the coming months.

Happy July 4th weekend to all! On this anniversary of the declaration of independence from Great Britain in 1776, we celebrate the freedom we cherish. It was interesting for me to read that the first description of how Independence Day would be celebrated was in a letter from John Adams to his wife Abigail on July 3, 1776. He described “pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations” throughout the United States. As we celebrate the positive aspects of our nation on this patriotic holiday, let this also be a time for us to express and give thanks for the freedom and liberties won for us by the first generation Americans.

Happy July 3rd to the Christians of India, who celebrate the feast of St. Thomas the Apostle. This year his feast falls on a Sunday and therefore the Lord’s Day takes precedence. But our neighboring Parish of St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Church on Elizabeth Avenue in Somerset, celebrate today as their parish feast with a 9-day Mass and Novena. I was the celebrant for one of the Novenas/ Masses. St. Thomas, better known by his nickname “doubting Thomas,” evangelized southern India.

Some parishioners here and elsewhere have asked me if I was converted or my parents were converted to Christianity. The truth is that I am proud to belong to the “St. Thomas Christian Community” that traces its origin to St. Thomas himself. How could Thomas, one of the 12 Apostles, have reached India? Merchants from the Middle East used to go to India to buy spices and so Thomas reached India in one of their ships in the year 52 AD. He converted several Hindu families and established seven churches. He was martyred near Chennai and his tomb is in the Cathedral of San Thom. In fact it is interesting
for us to know that there are only three Cathedrals in the world, built over the tomb of an apostle: St. Peter’s in Rome, St. James in Santiago de Compostela (Spain) and St. Thomas in Chennai (India).

As we rightly celebrate our political freedom this July 4th weekend, let us not forget that the good news of freedom in Jesus Christ that St. Thomas proclaimed will always be ours.

Your brother in Christ,

Fr. Abraham Orapankal

Eucharistic Procession at St. Matthias!

Posted on by Nathalie Godet

We had a Eucharistic Procession, led by Msgr. Seamus Brennan, accompanied by Altar Servers, members of the Knights of Columbus and some 100 parishioners, soon after the 5 pm Vigil Mass on Saturday June 18, 2022 as we celebrated the solemn feast of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi). Many commented that this was the first time in memory that they witnessed such a procession here at St. Matthias. To watch a glimpse of the procession in a 2-minute video please click here.

13th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Posted on by Nathalie Godet

 

Dear Friends,

A warm welcome to our Bishop Checchio who is presiding at our 60th Anniversary Mass today!

Celebrating 60 years of the founding of our parish is a time for us to stop and thank God, and all those who went before us, those who made this beloved parish what it is today. I was  struck by the initial struggles our founding pastor Fr. McKenna and the original parishioners had to go through, as I was reading the history of our beginnings, like this passage:

“As with many new parishes, this parish began without money, land or a home for its pastor. The late Rev. John J. Reilly, pastor of St. Augustine’s in Franklin Park, a classmate of Father McKenna’s offered the hospitality of his rectory and the use of his offices. During November 1962, Father McKenna purchased an addressograph and other office equipment. Ben and Elly Beckage graciously offered their home and an office was established. Envelopes were printed by Lovell Claypool and the church bulletin was prepared by Elly. On Monday nights volunteer women came in to prepare the mail. Father McKenna lived at St. Augustine’s for a year until a home on Easton Avenue was purchased as a rectory for the parish.”

This is only a glimpse of what they had to cope with in the beginning years. It is important for us to know more about their struggles and challenges that they bore happily and patiently for the community of St. Matthias. It is good to hear of their efforts in getting the two pieces of land that make up our present campus. The first piece of 12 acres was donated generously by Mr. Nathan Koslow of the Amwell Estates, and the second piece of 10.8 acres was bought from Mr. & Mrs. Albert Helmstetter. We are so very grateful for these and the many other challenges and sacrifices the pioneers made to make this into a well established Catholic stronghold with a strong sense of Catholic identity through its witness to Jesus Christ, with numerous ministries and a thriving school. Kindly read more about our early history in this bulletin. So let us celebrate with a sense of joy and gratitude and look forward with hope for greater things for us. As you already are aware, our church building needs some renovation that is long overdue. Hence as announced earlier, I, together with our Pastoral and Finance Councils, would like to hear from you what you think our building/renovation priorities are. Please respond to the survey at www.stmatthias.net/ParishSurvey

Yes, taking care of our church building is very important. But what is even more important is the church community. Even though we have 3000+ families on record, we know many of them do not attend church for various reasons. Many of them are plainly hurt by the church and so left the church; many feel that they are simply ignored by the church. Can we reach out to all of these brothers and sisters? They are part of this community. You can make them know that we miss them and they matter to us.

I wish to start a renewed effort of evangelization – a mission that the Lord Jesus has given to all of us. The word ‘Evangelization’ can be scary for many of us. Don’t be. Evangelization begins with a simple invitation that you and I can give to an individual or family to come to our church. I wish to prepare us all for this mission with follow-up steps soon. In the meanwhile, let us rejoice and thank God for the blessings of 60 years to our wonderful community of St. Matthias.

Your brother in Christ,

Fr. Abraham Orapankal

Parish Survey To Determine Parish Needs – Please Participate!

Posted on by Nathalie Godet

The Parish Pastoral & Finance Councils, and other parishioners have suggested that we use this year of the 60th Anniversary of our parish to do some renovation of our church that is long overdue. Many ideas are suggested. But the Councils felt since we cannot hope for all the suggested projects to be implemented immediately without enough funds, we should ask the whole parish for your input to see what you think should be the priorities. Hence this short and easy Google survey. The answers to the survey are completely anonymous.  None of your personal information is collected.

The suggested needs/projects are: refurbishing the pews, new floors throughout the Church, bathrooms, narthex (gathering area), deep clean and brighten the walls, replace windows with stain glass.

Please participate, your voice matters.

To take the Parish Survey please click here.

The Most Holy Body & Blood of Christ

Posted on by Nathalie Godet

 

Dear Friends,

Happy Father’s Day to all fathers, grandfathers, stepfathers, single fathers and other father figures in our life. We will have a special blessing for all these good men at every Mass.

There are also some other celebrations worthy of our attention. The Bishops of our nation are calling for a three-year grassroots revival of devotion and belief in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. In our Diocese, the launch of the Eucharistic Revival begins today, June 19 at the Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi, with a noon Mass celebrated by Bishop Checchio and a Eucharistic Procession to follow. In our parish, I am not aware of any Eucharistic procession in recent memory. This Sunday’s feast of Corpus Christi is a beautiful opportunity for us to have a Eucharistic procession. Hence, weather permitting, we will have a short Eucharistic procession on Saturday within our campus – just around the church and school – at the end of the 5 pm Mass and conclude with Benediction. I invite us all to join and receive the Lord’s blessings.

This Sunday is “Juneteenth.” What is it? Even though the Emancipation Proclamation granting freedom to all enslaved persons took effect on January 1, 1863, the last quarter of a million enslaved people were finally set free by Union troops in Galveston Bay, Texas on June 19, 1865. This triumphant day is known as “Juneteenth.” Although it has long been celebrated in the African-American community, this event remains largely unknown to most Americans. The historical legacy of Juneteenth shows the value of never giving up hope in uncertain times. Just as we praise and thank God for the emancipation of the enslaved Israelites during the Exodus, we raise our hands in prayers of gratitude for the freedom of our formerly enslaved Black Brothers and Sisters! Remember what we sang on the Easter Vigil: “Sing a song of freedom! God has won the victory!” This is applicable to Juneteenth and any other instance of injustice that calls for liberation.

Next Sunday we celebrate our 60th Anniversary Mass presided by our Bishop. We have invited all the priests, deacons, religious and lay men and women who have served our parish and school. The Parish Pastoral & Finance Councils, and other parishioners have suggested that we use this Anniversary to do some renovation of our church that is long overdue. Some of the suggested ideas are: Refurbishing the pews, renewing the floor, Add more bathrooms, Narthex (a big enclosed gathering area from the breezeway up to the statue of Mary) Renew/clean the Church walls, Replace church windows with stained glass. But how do we raise funds? It was suggested that we ask each family to contribute, keeping in mind the 60th Anniversary, a minimum of $60 or multiples of 60 (120, 180, 240, etc) as each family is able to sacrifice.

What among these church renovation ideas should we prioritize? Or, are there other needs that you, our parish family, have in your mind? Our Councils agreed that we ask the whole parish for your input. Hence, we will have a short and easy google survey. I invite all of us to respond to that so that your voices will be heard, and appropriate decisions can be made.

God bless us all to have a happy and meaningful 60th Anniversary Mass and continue other celebrations throughout the remaining part of this year.

Your brother in Christ,

Fr. Abraham Orapankal

Finance Council Update to the Parish – June 2022

Posted on by Nathalie Godet

Our Parish Finance Council has been giving us periodic updates about our financial health. Please read the letter from the Finance Council to all parishioners on this matter below.

Dear Parishioners,

This letter is to continue our commitment to keeping you, our fellow parishioners, informed regarding the activities of our council and the financial health of our beloved parish.  First, our thanks to all who continue to support our church and school with their generous giving of their time, treasure and talent.  Your Parish Finance Council feels blessed to be just one of many ministries along with parish and school staff that work diligently to create the caring community of Saint Matthias led by Father Abraham, Monsignor Brennan, and Principal Mary Lynch.

Some updates:

  • Parish Giving On Line – We are told St Matthias has the most on line contributors in the Diocese which helps solidify our revenue projections. We invite others to consider Parish Giving on line (parishgiving.org) if appropriate for them.
  • Parish Financial Status Improved – Our revenues have stabilized after our difficult Covid times and our expenses have decreased, resulting in current net gains for both the church and school. We will be providing another annual financial report to you in the fall.
  • Facility Improvements – The upcoming Parish 60th Anniversary is an opportunity for us to consider facility improvements, many that are long overdue. Along with Father Abraham, the Pastoral Council, Property Management Committee, and others we can plan together. We will need your help, fellow parishioners, completing improvements by running a fund raiser.  Parishioner input will be solicited.
  • Financial Audit – The Diocese recently had an independent firm audit our prior fiscal year and we look forward to the report which should help us going forward.
  • In House Finance Review – Currently we have a CPA firm reviewing our financial books. The purpose is to assure that we are observing the best accounting practices and procedures.

Much still needs to be done but together we can plan and move forward as a thriving Catholic Community.  Any questions may be directed to us at financecouncil@stmatthias.net.

Sincerely,

Saint Matthias Finance Council

Kester Hector, Chair, Carmen Driz-Melilli, Barry Dusault, Audrey Francis, Mary Pat Burke-Grospin, Gwen Orlowski, Joan Pritchard, Joe Porter, Fr. Abraham, Pastor.

The Most Holy Trinity

Posted on by Nathalie Godet

 

Dear Friends,

This is the season of graduations. Thousands and thousands of students all over the nation are having their graduation celebrations this month. But many of them will not have the unique way of celebrating graduation as our 8th graders had here at St. Matthias School: celebrating it with the Holy Mass, followed by the graduation ceremony. The involvement and participation of the graduates in reading, singing, and leading the prayer of petitions brought joy and pride to their families, the faculty and administration of the school. The Pre-K and Kindergarten graduation ceremonies also had the unique Catholic touch – though without Mass.

This way of celebrating the graduation gives a distinct identity and message to our children and parents. The catholic identity makes us realize that we continue to further the mission of Jesus Christ through Catholic education. St. Matthias School motto, “Faith, Caring and Excellence,” puts our Catholic faith first without diminishing the importance given to caring for the person and striving for excellence in all fields of school education. Many students received awards for academics and for various other achievements. St. John Paul II rightly said: “The mission of the Catholic school is the integral formation of students…”

A couple of years ago, I was happy to read a report from the Wall Street Journal newspaper that found Catholic school students have more self-discipline than their counterparts. Here at St. Matthias, Mrs. Mary Lynch, our Principal, together with Mr. Joe Gidaro, our Vice-Principal and all the teachers, nurtured our students’ Catholic identity through daily prayer, Mass attendance, reception of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, celebrating other Catholic devotions like Rosary, May Crowning, Stations of the Cross, etc.

Such a faith-based formation is vital to the future of us Catholics as we know that these young students will continue our Catholic faith and heritage. In my homily during the Mass, I told them “Remember, St Matthias will always be your home. You are always welcome here at St. Matthias. I hope you will continue to attend the Sunday Mass here, I hope you will continue to be altar servers. And I will be very happy if all of you can participate as readers/lectors and be ushers/ministers of hospitality, or join the choir.”

Maintaining our St. Matthias School would not have been possible without the cooperation of parents, well-wishers of our parish community and other interested persons. So many of you – even though you have no children of your own in the school – have been very supportive and appreciative of the school in many different ways, especially through becoming “Tuition Angels” who brought much needed relief to so many families in financial straits. Thank you. Let us continue our efforts to bring the mission of Jesus Christ to as many more as possible through our commitment to St. Matthias Church and School.

Your brother in Christ,

Fr. Abraham Orapankal