Virtual Retreat for Those Grieving the Loss of a Child: The Cross of Motherhood
Father Jim will be presenting a virtual retreat on Thursday evening, February 27th, at 7:30 PM, in conjunction with Red Bird Ministries, to assist families who may have lost a child in the womb, or early in life. Preregistration for this Virtual Retreat can be done by going to www.RedBird.love if this may be of help to you. The program is expected to last approximately 60-90 minutes.
Daily Rosary
We welcome all to join us after each 9:00 AM Daily Mass to pray the rosary. We especially need prayer during these troubling times!
Pray the Miraculous Medal Novena with us following the 9:00 AM Mass in the Main Church from Friday, November 29th through Sunday, December 8th (Excluding Sunday, December 1st).
We will continue this devotion every Monday throughout the year following Morning Mass. Please join us in praying this powerful Novena. You may find the Novena prayer as well as further information about the Miraculous Medal by visiting the Miraculous Medal Shrine website: click here for the website.
I write to you this week from Italy. On this Holy Year Pilgrimage, with 30 other parishioners from OLGC and the Church of the Nativity, we are experiencing the holy year. In our visit to Assisi, I encountered an interesting fresco. The ancient painting dating from the 12th or 13th century shows Jesus carrying the cross, and looking back behind him, where Saint Francis of Assisi is also carrying a cross, looking forward, following Jesus.
During this Latin season, it seems appropriate to comment on this photo both from the perspective of the pilgrimage, and from the perspective of what that means to carry our crosses. Many of you participate in this liturgy of the Stations of the Cross during this Latin season. that exercise reflects on how Jesus carried his cross, but the fresco at the Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi, depicts Jesus constantly showing us the way, and looking back to see if we’ve caught up to see if we are still following him.
Over the course of this pilgrimage, we found ourselves often looking back to see where were the other members of our group. Some might have made the cross street on the light, or others missed that and had to wait for the next traffic light cycle. Sometimes, we were looking back to see if I have some of our pilgrims who might have been struggling with cobblestone roads, or with the Riggers of the pilgrimage, to see if they was keeping up, or more importantly, to see if they needed help.
Perhaps we don’t recall on a daily basis that Jesus is always looking out to see if we need help, to see if we are struggling to carry our cross following his example. In fact, however, that is exactly what Jesus does.
Jesus is looking to see how he can assist us in the carrying of our cross.
Are we willing, to carry the cross with Simon? Or, are we willing to carry the cross for Simon or others who we encounter on our journey?
What we know is simply this: Jesus set an example, and taught us that example through the Gospel. With our knowledge of His teaching, we are able to carry our cross. We should understand that He continues to carry His in front of us; out of love for us, Jesus carried His Cross while He carries his ours, our burden.
When we recognize that Jesus is carrying our cross, then perhaps the cross we shoulder might help someone else in need. Since Jesus is assisting with ours, perhaps we are asked to take the cross of our neighbor. Or our friends. Or our enemies.
It will never be easy to be a disciple. We will always have to carry crosses. But we will never carry the cross alone. At each moment of our lives, Jesus has been waiting for you and for me to appear and when we do, we do His will, by loving our neighbor, caring for them, and most importantly we do His will when we help our brothers and sisters because we love you and through practicing our love of them, it is God we love.
- Father Jim
To learn more about the 2025 Annual Catholic Appeal and to donate online, please click here.
Hospice Care Information
Faith at Home
These links provides you with the latest one-page resource for families, Faith At Home; it connects to the theme of the upcoming Sunday Liturgy. This resource is updated each week and can be found on the diocesan webpage at www.dioceseoftrenton.org/faith-at-home and en Español at www.dioceseoftrenton.org/fe-en-casa.
May God continue to bless us and keep us close to Him.
Please support the Society of St. Vincent de Paul so that together we can help local families in need. Those needing help should call the SVDP helpline at 856-291-7313.
Local food pantries include:
St. Matthew's Church, 318 Chester Ave.
First Baptist Church, 19 West Main St., Moorestown
Bethel AME, 512 N. Church St., Moorestown
Prince of Peace 61 E Rte 70, Marlton, NJ 08053
SVDP also has Thinking of You cards available. A gift can be given to the poor in the name of someone special at your
request. You will be remembered in the prayers and works of the Moorestown Vincentians. We are so very grateful for your
generous ongoing donations.
Our Promise to Protect
The Diocese of Trenton is committed to the initiatives outlined in the U.S. Bishops’ Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People in regard to the reporting and investigation of sexual abuse allegations involving minors. The Diocese has in place a Victim’s Assistance Coordinator, who is available to obtain support for your needs and help you make a formal complaint of abuse.
If you have been sexually abused as a minor by a member of the clergy or anyone representing the Catholic Church, or if you know someone who was, you can report that abuse through the diocesan Abuse Hotline: 1-888-296-2965 or via email at abuseline@dioceseoftrenton.org.
The Diocese encourages anyone with an allegation to also report that abuse to their local law enforcement agency. The Diocese reports all allegations received to the appropriate county prosecutor’s office.
ONLINE GIVING OPTIONS
please click on the corresponding hyperlinks below
