Updated as of 11:30 p.m. on Thursday, February 2, 2023
Remembering Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI
Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI died earlier today (December 31, 2022). Please remember His Holiness in your prayers. Our Bishop, David M. O'Connell, C.M., has issued the following statement which includes information about a Memorial Mass for Pope Emeritus Benedict this coming Thursday, January 5 at 12:00 Noon at the Co-Cathedral of St. Robert Bellarmine in Freehold.
It is with great personal sadness that I ask the clergy, religious, and faithful of the Diocese of Trenton to join me in prayer for the repose of the soul of his Holiness Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI who passed away on Dec. 31. He was 95 years old, the longest living person to have ever served as Pope.
There will be a Memorial Mass for the late pope this Thursday, Jan. 5, at 12:00 noon in St. Robert Bellarmine Co-Cathedral in Freehold. This will allow an opportunity for the clergy, consecrated religious, and faithful in attendance to pray together as a diocesan family and still return home to watch the televised funeral Mass from St. Peter’s Basilica. For those who cannot attend the diocesan Mass, it will also be livestreamed at youtube.com/trentondiocese.
Bishop O'Connell's reflection remembering Pope Benedict may be accessed at The Trenton Monitor at https://trentonmonitor.com/Content/News/Latest-News/Article/Bishop-O-Connell-Remembering-Pope-Emeritus-Benedict-XVI-/4/38/32862.
Novena in Memory of Pope Benedict XVI
Pastor’s Note. The following Introduction and Novena Prayers and readings have been prepared by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) to aid us in our prayers for Emeritus Holy Father, Benedict XVI. The USCCB document may be accessed at https://www.usccb.org/resources/novena-memory-pope-benedict-xvi-prayer-card-english-and-spanish. We will pray the Novena Prayer daily at St. Michael’s beginning on Thursday, January 5 through and including Friday, January 13.
Introduction
The entire Church mourns the death of our Emeritus Holy Father, Benedict XVI. In cathedrals, basilicas, parish churches, shrines, and chapels the Holy Eucharist will be offered for the repose of his soul. Communities and individuals will ask God to bestow his infinite mercy on the man who served the Church as Bishop of Rome.
This novena has been prepared to help pray for the Pope Emeritus during this time. The daily novena – lasting from his funeral on Thursday, January 5 through Friday, January 13 – 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.
Saturday Vigil Masses:
4:00 p.m., 5:30 p.m., 7:00 p.m.
Sunday Masses:
7:00 a.m., 8:30 a.m., 10:00 a.m.,
12:00 Noon, 4:00 p.m., 7:00 p.m.
Schedule of Weekday Masses
Monday through Saturday:
8:00 a.m.
Monday:
7:00 p.m.
First Fridays:
At 12:15 p.m. (in Latin using the 1970 Roman Missal) on the First Friday in the months of Feb, Apr, June, Aug, Oct, and Dec; and at 12:15 p.m. (in English using the 1970 Roman Missal) in the months of Jan, Mar, May, July, and Sept. At 5:30 p.m. (in English using the 1970 Roman Missal) on the First Friday in each month.
Schedule of Confessions
Monday through Saturday:
After the 8:00 a.m. Mass until 9:00 a.m.
Monday:
After the 7:00 p.m. Mass until 8:00 p.m.
First Fridays:
After the 12:15 p.m. Mass until 1:15 p.m. After the 5:30 Mass until 6:30 p.m.
Sunday:
After the 7:00 a.m. Mass until 8:00 a.m. Before the 7:00 p.m. Mass
from 6:15 p.m. to 6:45 p.m.
A Message from Bishop O'Connell
As the attention of the entire world is riveted on the unfolding military crisis in Ukraine, I ask all the faithful of the Diocese of Trenton to pray fervently for peace in that region of the world and the protection of our Ukrainian sisters and brothers there. In his General Audience in Rome on Wednesday, our Holy Father spoke of “the great pain in my heart because of the worsening situation in Ukraine.” He appealed “to all sides to abstain from any actions that could provoke more suffering to the populations, de-establishing coexistence among nations.”
The Pope has asked everyone to “dedicate themselves intensely to prayer and fasting” for peace on Ash Wednesday, March 2, at the beginning of the holy season of Lent. He concluded his remarks, seeking the intercession of the Blessed Mother, “May the Queen of Peace preserve the world from the madness of war.”
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The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) issued last week (Nov. 17) its anticipated teaching document on the Eucharist. It is highly recommended reading for all Catholics and it may be accessed at the Bishops' website by CLICKING HERE.
A similar teaching document on the Eucharist was also issued by the USCCB in 2006. An excerpt from that document was published in the parish bulletin on Sunday, November 21, 2021. The entire text of the 2006 USCCB document on the Eucharist is also highly recommended reading and it may be accessed at the Bishops’ website by CLICKING HERE.
The Eucharist is the source and summit of our Catholic faith. All are urged to be knowledgeable on what the Eucharist is (the True, Real Presence of Jesus) and on what the Eucharist is not ("a mere symbol") and everyone is urged to do a personal examination of his/her knowledgeable and well-formed conscience to assess one's own worthiness to receive the Blessed Sacrament each time one approaches the altar to say "Amen" to the Body of Christ and to all that it is and to all that it embodies.
PARISH LIVE STREAM
ON SATURDAY, February 4, St. Michael's Church will be broadcasting a live stream of the 5:30 P.M. MASS beginning at 4:00 P.M (an indoor Mass celebrated in the parish’s Upper Church). Click the link below to view. That live-streaming of that 5:30 Mass will be available for viewing at all times throughout the current weekend and will later be transferred to the Mass Archive on this website. Live-streaming (and subsequent archive accessibility) of our Saturday Vigil Mass will continue indefinitely until further notice (with the help of God and with the help of our dedicated volunteers and staff).
ON SUNDAY, February 5, St. Michael's Church will be broadcasting a live stream of the 10:00 A.M. MASS beginning at 10:00 A.M (an indoor Mass celebrated in the parish’s Upper Church). Click the link below to view. The live-streaming of that 10:00 Mass will be available for viewing at all times throughout the current weekend and will later be transferred to the Mass Archive on this website. Live-streaming (and subsequent archive accessibility) of our Sunday 10:00 A.M. Mass will continue indefinitely until further notice.
The next weekend live stream Masses after the February 4-5 weekend will be on Saturday, February 11 at 4:00 P.M. (an indoor Mass celebrated in our Upper Church) and Sunday, February 12 at 10:00 A.M. (an indoor Mass celebrated in our Upper Church). Our outdoor Parking Lot Masses here at St. Michael's were temporarily resumed as of Saturday, September 11, 2021 and were discountinued as planned after the Parking Lot Mass on November 13, 2021. Please visit this parish website for updated information on the dates and times of live-stream Masses and for other news and information.
Saturday 4:00 P.M. Mass, February 4, 2023
Sunday 10:00 A.M. Mass, February 5, 2023
(Content will appear in the above links simultaneously with the specified start time of the particular Mass.)
Click Here to View Our Previous Mass Live Streams
Welcome to St. Michael's Parish
St. Michael's exists to be a beautiful place of worship in which we consistently encourage, uplift, and challenge you. These are words we strive to live out daily.
We seek to have a relevant and vibrant church where our members thrive, and passionately pursue the Catholic faith. Our desire is to create a place of fellowship and encourage our members to go deeper in their daily walk with Christ.
We are committed to creating a unique church where members are excited about the atmosphere and ministry that takes place here. Our hope is that you will be able to connect and grow at St. Michael's and soon call us your home.
As Bishop of the Diocese of Trenton, I encourage all our Catholic clergy, religious and lay faithful to sign a petition to protect congressional legislative provisions in support of life: Click Here. Please access the New Jersey Catholic Conference website and also read the Action Alerts posted on the NJCC website: https://njcatholic.org.
Please consider writing letters in strong support of pro-life protections to our New Jersey senators and congressmen and congresswomen. Thank you and may God bless and protect you all, born and unborn.
Healing After Abortion:
Do you know someone who is carrying the grief of a past abortion? There is always hope. The pain and sorrow of abortion does not need to endure for a lifetime. A “Day of Prayer and Healing” offers the opportunity to experience the love and mercy of God and to respond to His invitation to begin the journey of healing the wound of abortion. For upcoming dates, locations, and confidential registration, or just to talk to a Sister, please call the Sisters of Life at (866)-575-0075 (toll free) orThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Know someone needing assistance with food, housing, drug addiction, mental health, domestic violence or immigration? Contact Catholic Charities, Diocese of Trenton.
Instruction Regarding the Burial of the Deceased
and the Conservation of the Ashes in the Case of Cremation
("Ad Resurgendum cum Christo"...."To Rise with Christ")
Helpful and instructive information on the proper care for and treatment of cremated remains consistent with the teachings of the Catholic Church has been provided in an informative and reliable document issued by the Holy See's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and approved by Pope Francis in 2016. This Instruction document ("Ad Resurgendum cum Christo"...."To Rise with Christ") is recommended reading for all the Catholic faithful and for funeral directors who assist their clients with Catholic funerals. The Instruction's information and guidance are recommended to be part of the planning for funeral arrangements and cemetery arrangements.
Please pray for the souls of all the faithful departed. May they rest in peace.
For Information About the Parish's and Parishioners' Efforts to Provide Aid to our Brothers and Sisters in Ukraine
Using the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 Vaccine
The U.S. Conference of Catholice Bishops (USCCB) issued a Statement on Tuesday, March 2, 2021 regarding moral concerns with using the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine. The Statement may be accessed by clicking below. The Statement says in part, "if one has the ability to choose a vaccine, Pfizer or Moderna’s vaccines should be chosen over Johnson & Johnson’s." The moral concern arises because the Johnson & Johnson vaccine was developed and tested and is produced with abortion-derived cell lines. The USCCB Statement also quotes the judgment of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith at the Vatican that "when ethically irreproachable Covid-19 vaccines are not available... it is morally acceptable to receive Covid19 vaccines that have used cell lines from aborted fetuses in their research and production process."
CLICK HERE
Christmas 2021 - A Musical Christmas Card From St. Michael's Church