March 2010

Pastor's Update /

The members of the Parish Life Committee organized St. Patrick’s Dinner. Deacon David and Laurie Gaydos prepared and donated all the food and some new decorations for the dinner; Merry and Bob Sleece donated $100; Dominick and Angela Bucci donated a Basket of Cheer, soda, and bread; Edward and Beverly Obssuth donated gifts for the “green gifts” raffle.

We thank other members of the Parish Life Committee who decorated the hall – Renata Cymana and Penni Lazor; Michael Merson helped in the kitchen, our youth helped to serve and did clean up after the event. In addition to tasty food, there was an interesting presentation about pre-paid legal services provided by Julie Shepherd and Lynn Imperiale. We not only enjoyed the food and Irish music, but our parish received a net profit of $1,516. St. Patrick’s Dinner was an Irish luck for our parish!!!

On Saturday, March 20, 2010 District #2 of the Polish National Union of America, our fraternal organization had a quarterly meeting at Holy Cross Church. The discussion concerned support of the youth of our Seniorate for their participation at CONVO 2010, PNU national convention in September 2011.

My Dear Parishioners and Friends during the celebration of the Holy Week particularly on Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday April 1 – 3, 2010, I invite everyone to participate in these liturgies as final preparations for the celebration of the Resurrection of our Lord on Sunday April 4, 2010. The schedule of services for Holy Week and Easter Sunday is enclosed. If you search for a spiritual renewal, the Holy Week – is the place to be, pray and reflect on the redemptive sufferings of Jesus that brought us salvation.

THE LITURGY OF THE HOLY WEEK

The services of the Holy Week are very significant and important for each parishioner to participate.

ON WEDNESDAY OF HOLY WEEK – March 31, 2010. The decoration of the church will take place at 12 P.M. Especially ANS members are asked to help. The celebration of the Sacrament of Penance – General Confession will take place at 7:00 P.M. The youth who have received First Holy Communion and are under 16 years are strongly encouraged to attend the private forms of confession at 7:30 PM. Adults also if they wish can attend private form of confession.

ON HOLY THURSDAY – April 1, 2010 at 7:30 P.M. we will commemorate the Last Supper of Jesus in the Upper Room and the institution of the Sacraments of Holy Orders, Holy Eucharist and Penance. On that day we will celebrate the Holy Mass in white vestments. On Holy Thursday we will ring bells during the Gloria. The bells will not be used until the liturgy of Resurrection. At the end of Holy Thursday Mass, the Holy Eucharist will be taken to the side altar to signify that Jesus was taken at night from the Garden of Olives and imprisoned by Sanhedrin. The exposition of the Most Blessed Sacrament will be until 9:00 P.M. Please sign up for the adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament on the list located in the parish hall.

ON GOOD FRIDAY – April 2, 2010 at 3:00 P.M. the liturgy of the Stations of the Cross with children and youth participation will take place. We will meditate for the last time during this Lent, about the passion and suffering of our Lord. The opening of the Lord’s tomb will take place. A simple reception will take place consisting of coffee and juice with crackers.

The Liturgy of Good Friday this year will take place at 4:15 P.M. In the previous years the liturgy of Good Friday was not well attended. That is why I change the time of service hoping that more people will attend. The Liturgy of Good Friday consists of the Passion of Jesus according to the Gospel of St. John. The main purpose of the liturgy will be veneration of the Cross, the symbol of victory over death and sin. On that day the Holy Communion will be distributed (consecrated on Holy Thursday) and the adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament will take place until 6:30 p.m. Please sign up for the adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament on the list located in the Parish hall.

ON HOLY SATURDAY – April 3, 2010

On Holy Saturday you can bring the Easter baskets with festive food to be blessed at 4:00 p.m. Easter baskets will be blessed also after the Liturgy of Holy Saturday. Since the ancient times the Holy Saturday was a day for the new catechumens to be baptized. Our Liturgy will begin at 6:00 P.M. with the blessing of fire and the Pascal candle. The Liturgy of the Word with the history of salvation will take place. The Holy Water will be blessed which we use during the upcoming weeks to bless ourselves in the church, to baptize children and for the Asperses on Sundays. The Easter Vigil will take place at the end of the celebration.

EASTER – SUNDAY APRIL 4, 2010

THE LITURGY OF EASTER – RESURRECTION OF THE LORD will be celebrated on Easter Sunday at 8:00 a.m. preceded with the procession around the church. The solemn Mass will follow. The second Mass will be celebrated at 11:00 a.m.

My Dear Parishioners and Friends, each and everyone is welcomed to attend these beautiful celebrations in order to more completely understand the meaning and important events of the life of Jesus especially His passion and glorious resurrection.

THANK YOU – I would like to thank the St. Nicholas Ministry who donated Easter flowers for the sick and homebound of our parish. All home bound greatly appreciated the fact that they are remembered by the Holy Cross Church family. Special thanks are extended to Lucy and Richard Daum, who made arrangements to purchase flowers and delivered them to the church. I thank also Alfreda Bazanowski for sending cards to home bound, and for special occasions to our parishioners on behalf of Holy Cross Church.- Fr. Joseph.

EASTER EGG HUNT – will take place on Sunday April 11, 2010 at 10:10 a.m. All children from our parish are invited to enjoy this event. The party in the parish hall will follow. Please invite your friends.

Wishing you a Happy and blessed Easter,
Christ has risen! Indeed He is risen!

Father Joseph R. Cyman, Pastor

March 2010 Read More »

Prayers Of Sympathy

Parish Life /

On Saturday, February 20, Rose Vickerilla (85), the mother of our parishioner, Hughie Vickerilla, a member of our Parish Committee and his wife Beverly, and grandmother of Jamie Santos, and her family, passed away. Jamie is a teacher in our School of Christian Living.

Rose was the co-founder of Hughie’s Red Kettle, Totowa, parishioner of St. James RC Church, Totowa and a member of the Passaic Valley Elks Lodge #2111, Ladies Auxiliary. Rose and her husband Hubert (Hughie) occasionally came to our church for social events, baptisms of their grandchildren and for Holy Mass on Thursday. Our deepest sympathy to her husband, Hubert (Hughie), son – Hughie, other children, grandchildren, relatives and friends.

Eternal rest grant unto her O Lord. And let perpetual light shine upon her. May she rest in peace. Amen

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Holy Cross Parish Elections

Announcements, Parish Life, PNCC /

We congratulate the following parishioners who were elected as members of the Parish Committee and members of other services elected at the Annual Parish meeting held last Sunday, February 14, 2010

  • PARISH COMMITTEE: Dominick Bucci (Chairperson), Bob Sleece (Vice Chairperson), Karen Hitchcock (Secretary), Richard Daum (Treasurer & Financial Secretary); Trustees: Edward Obssuth, Leonard Hrinuk, Alice Kriskewic, Adele Merson, Hughie Vickerilla, Claire Centrella, Penni Lazor.
  • PARISH TRIBUNAL: Penni Lazor and John Surak
  • AUDITORS: Lucia Blaschak, Karen Peano, Judy Lamping
  • ENVELOPE RECORDER: Karen Hitchcock
  • SENIORATE COUNCIL: Judy Lamping and Alice Kriskewic
  • GENERAL SYNOD DELEGATES – Richard & Lucy Daum and Judy Lamping
In the picture – members of the Parish Committee during the Annual Parish Meeting. From left (sitting) Adele Merson, Alice Kriskewic, Edward Obssuth, Dominick Bucci, Karen Hitchcock, Richard Daum, Hughie Vickerilla, Lenny Hrinuk and Penni Lazor Standing – Bob Sleece, Al Katinsky (Chairman of Stewardship Committee) and Father Joseph R. Cyman

Special Recognition Awards Were Given To:

  • Edward Obssuth for his dedication and service during past four years as the Chairpaeron of the parish Committee.
  • Mary Margo for many years of service as Parish Secretary and members of Adoration Society
  • Alice Kriskewic for dedication and service toward Holy Cross Church
  • Michele Lazor for decication and service as teacher of School of Christian Living, Chairperson of Parish Life Committee.
Edward Obssuth receiveing Special Recogniion Award presented By Al Katinsky and Fr. Joseph
Alice Kriskewic received Special Recognition Award presented by Edward Obssuth, Al Katicnky and Fr. Joseph

We wish all elected members successes in their service for our Parish.

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2010 US Census Job Opportunities

Announcements, Parish Life /

Preparation Meetings are held in our Parish hall. The next meeting will be held on Wednesday February 24, 2009 from 2 P.M. to 5 P.M.

The U.S. Census Bureau is recruiting temporary, part-time census takers for the 2010 Census. These short-term jobs offer good pay, flexible hours, paid training, and reimbursement for authorized work-related expenses, such as mileage incurred while conducting census work. Best of all – census takers work right in their own communities.

Census taker jobs are excellent for people who want to work part-time, those who are between jobs, or just about anyone who wants to earn extra money while performing an important service for their community. Census takers usually work in their own communities, going door-to-door, conducting brief personal interviews with neighbors, helping them to complete their census questionnaire.

What will I do? As a census taker, you will: Locate households / Explain the purpose of the census / Conduct brief personal interviews with residents / Record responses on paper forms . For more information please call: 1-866-861-2010.

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Shopping Certificates

Announcements /

The easiest way to support our Building Fund is by purchasing weekly shopping certificates. The shopping certificates you can use also as gift cards for any occasion. The Building Fund is needed to finance any future repairs and maintenance of our facility.

Certificates are available for STOP & SHOP, A&P, PATHMARK, FOODTOWN and SHOPRITE. Every time you use one of these cards to purchase your groceries you are helping your church at no cost to you. For example, if you purchase $100 in certificates each week, The Parish receives $5 each time and in one year you will be contributing about $250 to the building fund. Please encourage other members of the Parish and friends to join in this wonderful project. If you have any questions, call Lucy Daum 973-694-9457, or Merry Sleece 973-731-3611.

Thank you for your support.

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Annual NY/NJ ANS Agape – Sunday March 29, 2009

Announcements, Events, PNCC /

This year the annual Adoration Society of New York / New Jersey Seniorate Agape celebration will take place on Sunday, March 21, 2010 at 4:00 P.M. at Heart of Jesus Parish, 290 Avenue E. Bayonne, NJ 07002. Parishioners from NY/NJ Seniorate are invited to attend annual ANS Agape. Please sign your name on the sign-up list located in the parish hall by Sunday, March 14th, 2010. This Agape celebration will commemorate the feast of Passover in the Jewish faith as well as the last feast of Passover celebrated by our Lord with His disciples. Refreshment will be provided.

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The Season Of Lent

Parish Life, PNCC /

During the Lenten time all of us should remember personal prayers, read the Holy Scripture and attend the liturgy of Sunday Mass.

Fasting – we are called to abstain from meat on Fridays by those who are 14 years old and older. On Good Friday additionally we should fast which means intake of one full meal by those who are 18 to 60 years of age.

Devotions – Also, we are invited to attend Lenten Devotions to reflect on the redemptive sufferings and death of our Lord on Fridays at 7:30 P.M.

February 26, 2010 – Bitter Lamentations #1
March 5, 2010 – Stations of the Cross
March 12, 2009 – Bitter Lamentations #2
March 19,2010– Stations of the Cross
March 26, 2010 – Bitter Lamentations #3
Good Friday at 3:00 P.M. – Stations of the Cross with children

Lenten Giving – Our parish traditionally uses the Alms Box in the vestibule of the church for the benefit of the poor. Please continue to support this great cause to help the less fortunate of our society. “When you give alms, your left hand must not know what your right is doing – your almsgiving must be secret, and your father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you.” (Matthew 6:3-4)

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Ash Wednesday – The Beginning Of Lent

Announcements, Parish Life, PNCC /

On Wednesday, February 17, 2010 the Church begins the season of Lent. On that day two Masses will be celebrated: at 12:00 P.M. with the Blessing and distribution of Ashes and at 7:00 p.m. with the Blessing and distribution of Ashes.

Spiritual reflection for Ash Wednesday: Beginning on Ash Wednesday we are called to repent, to change our minds about the way we live our lives in the sight of God. In the reading from the Book of the Prophet Joel we will hear that he summoned infants, children, the newly married and the elderly to an assembly of prayer indicating that they were repenting. Ash Wednesday summons everyone to enter into a forty-day fast. All are called to pray. All are invited to give alms. We will all gather on Ash Wednesday because we know that we need to “to return to the Lord.” Joel tells us that we can do that only by returning with our whole hearts, that is, with a motivation that is deep inside us. The ashes marking a cross on our foreheads will indicate that we are entering in the Lenten period of change that will leave us never to be the same again.

During the season of Lent all parishioners are welcome to attend Lenten Devotions.

On Friday you are invited to attend Stations of the Cross with the reading on the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ at 7:30 PM. This will give us the opportunity to reflect upon the redemptive sufferings of our Lord.

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