Author: Nathalie Godet

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

 

Pentecost Sunday

Posted on by Nathalie Godet

 

Message from Msgr. Seamus Brennan

On June 4th, 1972, I was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Michael Russell at Holy Trinity Cathedral, Waterford, Ireland. I was ordained for the Diocese of Trenton and served my first assignment at Saint Barnabas Church in Bayville. My second assignment was Associate Pastor at Saint Philip and James, Philipsburg and then I began my first pastorate at Saint John’s, Lambertville. Following a brief four years there, I divided the next 36 years between Saint Matthews, Edison and Immaculate Conception, Somerville.

When I reflect back, I think of my priesthood in the two words Saint John Paul II used regarding his priesthood — gift and mystery. No one is worthy to share in the priesthood of Christ and to stand at the altar to consecrate the Eucharist or to sit in the confessional and absolve sin. But through the power of his Spirit, God has shared with me this gift. By definition, a gift is unexpected and unmerited, but God has given me this gift. Totally out of God’s generosity, he has given me a share in his priesthood.

All this is a great mystery to me because there is no reason I can see for this call. I was a farmer and lover of sports with no particular gifts in learning or leadership or service. I had been an altar server and assisted as an usher but was not otherwise involved much in church. But in the great mystery of God’s plan, He called me to serve as a priest.

I am deeply grateful for the example and encouragement I have received all along this journey, starting with my parents and siblings and continuing with my fellow priests and the parishioners I have served. In every way, I have felt supported by the prayers of the people of God, including here at St. Matthias Church. Please continue to pray for vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life and to pray to the sanctification of these and all God’s people. As I celebrate my 5oth Jubilee this Pentecost weekend, I pray that the Holy Spirit will continue to guide and strengthen every Christian and that I may willingly follow where he leads me. Thanks for your ongoing prayers and your love for God’s Church.

Msgr. Brennan

Golden Jubilee of Msgr. Brennan

Posted on by Nathalie Godet

Congratulations to our Msgr. Seamus Brennan on the golden jubilee of his ordination! He was ordained as a priest on June 4, 1972. He has served the people of God in many different parishes of our diocese in various capacities. Pope St. John Paul II elevated him to the rank of Papal Chamberlain, with the title Monsignor, in 1991. We are very fortunate to have his priestly ministry with us here at St. Matthias. We will celebrate his golden jubilee on June 4 – this Saturday – at the 5 pm Mass with him as the presider.  Msgr. Brennan asks that we respect his wish not to have any other celebration here. Instead, he is inviting us to join him for the Jubilee Mass he will celebrate at 3:30 pm on this Sunday, June 5th at his former parish of Immaculate Conception, 35 Mountain Ave, Somerville. Light refreshments will be served in the Immaculate Conception School cafeteria after the Mass. All are welcome.