St. Matthias will celebrate Hispanic and Latinx Heritage Month
Come Prepared for a Lively Celebration With a Mariachi Band — Prelude at 4:30 PM, followed by the 5:00 PM Mass, Saturday, September 18th.
BYOC – BRING YOUR OWN CHAIR
WEAR CULTURALLY APPROPRIATE ETHNIC ATTIRE
Worship Aid – Hispanic and Latinx Heritage Month 9_18_2021
(Spain, Mexico, South America, Central America & the Caribbean)
Dear Friends,
We are excited to celebrate the Hispanic Heritage during our 5 pm Mass this weekend, on Saturday the 18th. I’m very happy to welcome Rev. Ron Machado, Pastor of the Most Holy Name of Jesus Parish in Perth Amboy, as our presider for this outdoor Mass. We are arranging for a traditional Mariachi band to augment the celebratory mood. This Mass is part of the National Hispanic Heritage Month observed from September 15 to October 15, celebrating the contributions and importance of Hispanics and Latinos to the United States and those American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America, and South America.
The theme for this year is “Esperanza: A Celebration of Hispanic Heritage and Hope.” According to the National Council of Hispanic Employment Program Managers (NCHEPM), this year’s theme “invites us to celebrate Hispanic Heritage and to reflect on how great our tomorrow can be if we hold onto our resilience and hope. It encourages us to reflect on all of the contributions Hispanics have made in the past, and will continue to make in the future. It is also a reminder that we are stronger together.”
Hispanic Americans have been integral to the prosperity of the U.S. Their contributions to the nation’s economy and culture are praiseworthy. But the most important gift that our Hispanic/Latino Catholics bring to the Church in the U.S. is the faith and popular piety. Bishop Arturo Cepeda, chairman of the US Bishops Committee on Cultural Diversity in the Church, says: “We celebrate our faith within our Church, in our communities. We celebrate our faith with our families, and we want to continue to celebrate our faith in the larger context of our society.” Bishop Cepeda elaborated further in these words:
“One of the greatest gifts is the sense of community…that sense of being together, of solidarity, of being united with our own planet, celebrating and respecting life, our own Catholic traditions, our great love for Our Lady and the celebration of our faith through the sacraments. This is a sign of hope in a society divided by racism that is also grappling with Covid. We find strength within our families and I think that’s one of the greatest gifts – and that openness to talk to one another, to listen to one another and to be able to encounter one another.”
Such values are extremely important for us all. We join our Hispanic/Latino parishioners to welcome everyone for this Mass and celebrate our diversity. We are happy and proud that our tradition of welcoming and celebrating cultural diversity is one of the significant and meaningful ways to bring about the Kingdom of God more fully here at St. Matthias.
Sr. Marie Therese is the coordinator of our St. Matthias Cultural Diversity Council that has been organizing diversity events, especially during the feast of the Epiphany. She feels that this important Council can be strengthened further by having new members. If any of you feel called to this colorful ministry, kindly contact Sr. Marie Therese at msherwood@stmatthias.net
Your brother in Christ,
Fr. Abraham Orapankal
Dear Friends,
A couple of Sundays ago, our sanctuary was decorated with some exquisite flower arrangements. People loved to see such beautiful flowers and commented on them. Those were more than the usual for a Sunday. That was thanks to the good will of Ed and Marcia Santucci who had a Sunday Mass offered in memory of Marlene and Anthony Volpe who were long-time parishioners of St. Matthias until their passing away last year. Mr. Volpe was a committed Catholic who used his career as a dentist and his compassionate heart to do so much good together with his wife Marlene. A few years ago he was honored by the Oral Health Alliance of USA for his many achievements in international research in science and his involvement with “Bridges to Peace” in the middle east, particularly in Israel and Palestine.
Ed and Marcia Santucci’s gesture of bringing those lovely flower arrangements on the Sunday for the Mass for the Volpe’s was their way of honoring the memories of this wonderful couple who made a difference in the lives of many people. It made me realize that it would be something that many of our parishioners may want to emulate. Every Sunday Mass is usually offered in memory of a beloved departed family member. Will the family like to honor that person by coming to attend that particular Mass? Yes many do that. Will the family like to honor that person by getting two flower arrangements in the sanctuary as the Santucci’s did? Maybe. In any case, I wanted to share this idea with you. If anyone wishes to do that, kindly contact the Parish Office and you will be directed on how to go about it. If more than one family likes to do it, the expenses can be shared. The names of those who sponsor such flower arrangements can be announced in the bulletin.
Quite a few of you have told me that you are happy to hear the intention for each Mass (weekdays and Sundays) announced and prayed for. I am happy to do so, as it brings a special focus on that family member whose memory is important for the family who asked for that prayer intention. I am told that this practice was discontinued a few years ago due to complaints about mispronouncing some of the names when announced during Mass. I’m sure all of us will agree that certain names are difficult to pronounce in the way it should be pronounced. I was happy that I myself was corrected a couple of times when I pronounced the intention names wrongly. Therefore I request you to let me and Msgr. Brennan know the specific pronunciation of a difficult or uncommon name so that any unpleasant feeling, though unintended, can be avoided. And if it does happen, I am taking an anticipatory bail through this column.
Your brother in Christ,
Fr. Abraham Orapankal
Watch four videos of parishioners speaking about vocation in their lives here at St. Matthias.
Listen to Pope Francis and bishops from around the America’s as they speak about the Covid vaccine. This short video released by the Vatican is in Spanish with English subtitles.
Dear Friends,
The 20th anniversary of 9/11 is upon us. Last year when our parishioners joined hands with the Firefighters and the local law enforcement agencies and organized our annual 9/11 memorial day ceremony here in our church, only a few people showed up. That was disappointing to me and to others. The experience of 9/11 is fresh in the minds of those in their 30’s and above. They can never forget the trauma we underwent as a nation, and so we cannot allow the anniversary to be erased from our memories as the years pass by. We need to be more enthusiastic about it and make every effort to keep those memories alive in gratitude to those fallen heroes, including our fellow parishioner John Collins, and family members and friends of many in our community.
But the younger generation, especially those in their teens and early twenties, will have no idea of 9/11 except as a history lesson that could become folklore with the passage of time. That is all the more reason for us to keep this anniversary as an opportunity to enlighten our younger generation about this historic tragedy that struck our nation. They need to be present at the anniversary ceremonies so that they can understand the pain and agony – physical and emotional – of those who suffered and continue to suffer.
I am asking our parents to bring their children who are in the higher grades here at St. Matthias School to this year’s 9/11 Memorial Service in our church this coming Saturday at 2 pm. I am grateful to Bill Cullen, a former fire Chief and John Hauss, Director of the Fire Prevention Office of Franklin Township and others who are taking the lead in organizing this important event.
Desmond Tutu, the famous Anglican theologian from South Africa, said: “As human beings we have the most extraordinary capacity for evil. We can perpetrate some of the most horrendous atrocities.” 9/11 anniversary is a somber time to remind ourselves not only the truth of that statement but also that we are capable of the opposite: that we have infinite capacity to do good. We can build up instead of tear down, because we are created in God’s own image and likeness (Genesis 1:27). Hence we are capable of bringing about conditions for living in harmony and peace with all as St. Paul reminds us:
Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone…, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary, if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink…. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:16-21)
God bless America!
Your brother in Christ,
Fr. Abraham Orapankal
Dear Friends,
The summer season is coming to an end. Most people, especially young families, have been busy with preparations for back to school and work. Here at St. Matthias, our students return to school this Thursday, starting with higher grades. It will be a joy for us all to see our campus more alive with the presence of our students and faculty. We are excited to welcome everyone back to school, but in a special way we welcome the new members in the faculty and staff as well as over fifty new students who have enrolled this year.
There are feelings of stress and anxiety among parents and kids about being back to school. On the one hand, there is excitement about the benefits of in-person learning which we, here at St. Matthias, have been having practically for the whole of the pandemic times. On the other hand families have concerns about potential disruption of studies in the event their child or a classmate tests Covid positive.
Such mixed feelings are very normal and so we have been planning to have measures in place to make the parents and students feel comfortable and confident. Mrs. Mary Lynch, our new Principal, has prepared a comprehensive “Return to School Plan” for reopening the school, putting in place all the health guidelines and safety measures, taking into consideration all possible scenarios. Certainly, such detailed planning gives us, especially all the parents, a sense of confidence that our students are welcomed into a safe learning environment.
It is important for us to spread this confidence in safety measures and speak positively about the care and love with which we, the teachers, aides, faculty, office staff, administration, and maintenance staff, welcome each child to our campus. We take it as a sacred responsibility that the parents have entrusted to us to become co-parents for their children for a good chunk of the school days. Parents are also partners in this. Students will experience fear and anxiety OR safety and confidence depending on what they hear the parents discuss about politics and policies about the pandemic response to face masks, social distancing, stay-at-home orders, etc.
It is here the importance of trusting in God must be underlined. I always have this line to sign off my email correspondence: “Let us keep taking all precautions and keep praying, because though we do not know what the future holds for us, the good news is that we know who holds our future!”
These uncertain times are the best chance that God has provided us to instill into our children the sense of dependence on a loving God who will protect us always if we turn to Him and make Him part of our daily life. After all, His promise is true: I will be with you always, even to the end of times.” (Matthew 28:20).
Your brother in Christ,
Fr. Abraham Orapankal
Join us for our SMYLE Kickoff event on Sunday evening August 29th from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm behind St. Matthias School.
It will be a time for us to gather outside as we prepare for our new year.
There will be *ICE*CREAM* – *FUN* – *GAMES* – *REFLECTION*!
***The event will be held rain or shine.***
Bring a beach chair or a blanket to sit on outside and a mask in case we have to go inside.
RSVP if you plan to attend by August 25th to SMYLE@stmatthias.net so we can plan for an ice cream treat.
Blessings,
Mrs. Lenczewski & Deacon John