We speak today with Fr. Abraham at St. Matthias Catholic Church about the newly selected Pope Leo XIV…the first USA-born Pope in papal history, whose message of humility, acceptance, and peace extends beyond Catholicism.
Category: Latest News
Car Wash Fundraiser
Cub Scout Pack 195 / Boy Scout Troop 154
CAR WASH FUNDRAISER
All proceeds from the event will help fund Pack 195 and Troop 154 Scout Activity Program
SATURDAY, May 24th, 2025
10 AM – 3 PM
(rain date: May 31st)
St. Matthias Church
Suggested Donation (cash or check): Car – $10, Minivan/SUV – $15
More information: www.scoutpack195nj.com
HABEMUS PAPAM!
We thank God for our new Pope Leo XIV, who is of American origin with experience in the Vatican Office as well as being a missionary in Peru.
FR. TOM LANZA IS APPOINTED AS OUR NEW PASTOR
My Dear Parishioners,
Bishop Checchio has asked me to announce that, after taking into account the information he received from your participation in the Parish Listening Sessions here in early March, and having consulted with the Priest Personnel Board, he has appointed the Reverend Thomas Lanza to succeed me as your Pastor here at Saint Matthias beginning on August 1, 2025.
Father Lanza currently serves as the Vocation Recruiter for the Diocese and as a Chaplain at the Catholic Center at Rutgers and at Saint Joseph’s High School in Metuchen. Father has been a priest since 2020. He has a strong reputation as an energetic and affable priestly leader.
Bishop asks that you keep Father Lanza, your parish, and all our priests in your prayers. Bishop would also be grateful for your prayers for him and wants you to know that you are remembered in his prayers every day.
Naturally that brings up the next question: what about me? Bishop has asked me to be the pastor at Our Lady of Peace in Fords, beginning on August 1, 2025.
Continued Easter Blessings!
Fr. Abraham Orapankal
Join Our Diocesan Jubilee Pilgrimage
The Diocese of Metuchen Jubilee Pilgrimage to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington D.C., with our Bishop James Checchio, will be on September 20, 2025. Parishes will be organizing their own charter buses. St. Matthias is considering the possibility of chartering a bus if there is sufficient interest. If you are interested, please sign up so that we can plan the trip, cost per person, etc., accordingly.
To add your name on the list of those interested in joining the pilgrimage, please click here.
Novendiales at St. Matthias
We join the rest of the world in keeping the Novendiales – the official mourning period in memory of Pope Francis from April 26 to May 4, 2025. The USCCB has prepared a Novena to pray for the Pope during this time. It consists of a short reading from Scripture or some other ecclesiastical text and some brief prayers, including orations drawn from the Roman Missal and the Order of Christian Funerals. We will use it at the end of the Mass for nine days, beginning this weekend. Here’s the link that you can access for your personal or family prayer: www.usccb.org/novena-memory-pope-francis
Rosary at St. Francis Cathedral in Honor of the Death of Pope Francis
The Cathedral of St Francis of Assisi will be open until 8 pm today in respect and honor of the death of His Holiness Pope Francis.
A communal Rosary will be prayed at 12 noon and 5 pm for the repose of his soul. May his soul and all souls of the faithful departed rest in peace.
The public are certainly welcome. Those who wish to pray the Rosary from home may watch via Livestream at https://www.youtube.com/@
We Mourn the Passing of Pope Francis, 1936 ~ 2025
Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, December 17, 1936
Elected Pope Francis, Bishop of Rome, March 13, 2013
Returned to the House of the Father, April 21, 2025
Statement of Most Rev. James F. Checchio, JCD, MBA, Bishop of Metuchen, on the passing of Pope Francis:
With heavy hearts, the Diocese of Metuchen mourns the passing of His Holiness, Pope Francis. From the moment of his election as Supreme Pontiff when he took the name Francis, our Holy Father has emphasized the mercy of God, embracing in his Petrine ministry the poor, the migrant, the marginalized, and all those broken by this world’s problems and concerns. We entrust his noble soul to the hands of our Blessed Mother to accompany him to our Father’s house. In this Jubilee year in which Pope Francis called us to be Pilgrims of Hope, he has now made the ultimate pilgrimage to the embrace of our loving God.
Statement from Fr. Abraham Orapankal, our Pastor:
We, the Catholic Community of St. Matthias, are truly saddened at the loss of Pope Francis. Coming on the heels of his surprise appearance at St. Peter’s Square on Easter Sunday yesterday, the announcement from the Vatican this morning that “the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father” is indeed shocking. We thank God for the amazing way God used Pope Francis to shepherd the church to be a more welcoming community and be a voice of conscience for the whole world, especially on behalf of the poor and the marginalized. May our loving and merciful God welcome him into the portals of heaven with these welcoming words: “Well done, good and faithful servant….come into the kingdom prepared for you …..” (Matthew 25:34).
A Letter Regarding an Action Alert From Bishop Checchio
Dear Pastors and Principals,
As you may know, the Catholic Church in New Jersey runs nearly 200 Catholic schools, which educate more than 60,000 students. To operate safely and efficiently, we rely in part on state aid, same as public schools. While we are grateful for any funding we receive as part of the state’s annual budget, there is one area in particular – nursing services – where funding has not kept pace with soaring costs, creating concern for our children to Catholic schools.
The New Jersey Catholic Conference (NJCC), which is the public policy arm of the Catholic Church, along with me and my brother Bishops, has been advocating to our Legislature for an increase in the appropriation for nonpublic school nursing services. To further enhance these efforts, I am writing to you with a special request.
NJCC recently published an Action Alert urging the Legislator to increase funding in this especially important area. You can view the alert by visiting www.njcatholic.org and clicking on the “Faith in Action” box.
I am asking for your assistance in asking our people to reach out to their state representatives. The process of doing so is simple. NJCC has prepared a flyer that includes a QR that directly access the alert. Once at the NJCC website, the individual can complete the process with a few clicks of a button. The entire process takes less than a few minutes. Feel free to share the NJCC Flyer with your community.
With your help, our voices become even stronger and together we can help increase critical funding for our schools so families who wish can continue giving their children the kind of religious education that only a Catholic school can provide.
Thank you in advance for your help, and please be assured of my prayers for you and your families.
With renewed best wishes, I remain
Yours in Christ,
Most Reverend James F. Checchio, JCD, MBA
Bishop of Metuchen
Nursing Services Funding
Young Catholics are a valued treasure and the future leaders of our Church. It is the responsibility of the entire Catholic community to help make our Catholic
elementary and secondary schools available, accessible, and affordable to all Catholics of every socioeconomic status.
When it comes to state funding for Catholic schools, an especially important area for these schools is school health services in the form of a state-funded nurse when students are in the building.
NJCC recently issued an Action Alert asking you to put your faith into action by contacting your representatives in the New Jersey Legislature to express your support for increased funding in this especially important area.
The process for doing so is simple and can be accomplished with a few clicks. Start by clicking HERE or by scanning the barcode below. You will then be guided through the process, which takes less than a few minutes. Feel free to use the message NJCC has crafted(which is pre-populated on the electronic form used to contact your legislators) or customize a message to express any thoughts you wish to share. With your help, our voices become even stronger, and together we can help increase critical funding for our schools so families who wish can continue giving their children the kind of value-based education that only a Catholic school can provide.
For a printable copy of this information, please Click Here.