2023 Parish Picnic in Photos: Thank You and See You Next Year!

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To get involved with the 2024 Picnic, please email parishpicnic@stachurchbloomfield.org.

From the Wellness Ministry: Annual Blood Drive Sunday, Oct. 29th

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The Wellness Ministry will be holding their Annual Blood Drive on Sunday, October 29th from 9a.m. to 2p.m. in front of St. Thomas the Apostle School.

Location: Blood mobile in front of STA school; registration in Herron Hall.

Walk-ins are acceptable. Appointments can be made by phoning Brenda at (862) 250-0544.

Feel good about yourself, knowing you are helping others!

To learn more about the Wellness Ministry, please click here to visit their ministry page.

Deacon Tom's Homily for Sept. 17th, the 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time

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“I’LL TAKE ‘2-LETTER WORDS’ FOR 800, Alex. What is the scariest word in the English language? We’ll reveal the answer after this brief message.”

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE READINGS don’t really need a homily. It’s all spelled out right there in front of us. But, we do have just one question: aside from the obvious people, are there any others we could be forgiving?

WE ALL HAVE PEOPLE WHO HAVE hurt us recently or in our past: the bully in school or at work; the teacher or the boss who humiliated us in front of everybody. Let’s take a moment now and forgive them all. And how about the driver who refuses to wait in a line of traffic, but instead goes around in the other lane, then tries to cut back in right in front of us? And what about that person on the express line at the Shop-Rite who has twenty groceries when the sign clearly says ten items or less, and you’re standing behind him with only a quart of milk! Let’s forgive now all those people who have ever annoyed us.

JESUS COMMANDS US TO BE HOLY as Our Father in Heaven is holy. Jesus is calling each one of us to be magnanimous, which means generously overlooking faults, not subject to resentment. Magnanimous means, literally, to have a large soul, to be big-hearted.

JOHN DONNE, THE 17TH CENTURY English poet, tells us that no one of us is an island sufficient onto ourselves; we are all a part of the continent. Everything that affects one of us affects all the rest of us as well. When a baby is baptized, Donne says, it concerns all of us since the Body of Christ is thereby increased. And when someone dies, it diminishes us all because we are all involved in humankind. Donne concludes his meditation by telling us that, when the bell rings from the Church tower announcing someone’s death, it is not necessary to send to find out for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee.

SO, LET US PRAY THE NEWS EVERY time we watch it. When a vehicle in Barcelona, Spain is deliberately driven into a crowd, killing thirteen people and injuring a hundred twenty more, pray, of course, for the victims, for their families and friends, but, let us pray also for the driver and forgive him because he has injured us too.

IF WE CAN BRING OURSELVES TO do it, let us even ask God to bless the leader of North Korea, Kim Jong-Un, and let us forgive him for the upset and the anxiety he has caused us over the past several weeks and months.

AS WE DO ALL OF THESE THINGS, our hearts will begin to grow larger and that scariest two-letter word won’t seem quite as frightening. That word is, of course, the word “as” a, s, in the prayer we say so often – “And forgive us our trespasses AS we forgive those who trespass against us.”

WE PRAY “AS” MEANING “IN THE same way” “to the same degree” as I forgive others – just so forgive, please forgive me!

St. Jude Parish Mission: September 9th-12th

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St. Jude Parish Mission Next Week September 9th-12th

We will be hosting the Dominican Shrine of St. Jude Thaddeus Mission at our church.

  • Saturday September 9th & Sunday September 10th - Fr. Ford, O.P. to Preach at all the masses.

  • Sunday September 10th & Monday September 11th - Mission Preaching at 7pm

  • Tuesday September 12th - St. Jude Mass at 7pm

  • St. Jude Oil Blessings and Veneration of the Arm Relic of St. Jude will be present each evening. Presented by Fr. Mike Ford, O.P - Director of The Dominican Shrine of St. Jude, Chicago, IL.

Information has been posted on the notice boards at each entrance of the church.

To learn more, please visit The-Shrine.org.

St. Jude the oft forgotten, you shall remembered be. We hail you now in glory and have recourse to you for help for the despairing, when hopeless seems the task, and from the Heart of Jesus through you we favors ask.

From the Music Ministry: Adult and Youth Choirs are Back!

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A Message from Dr. Patricio Molina, Music Director and the Music Ministry:

Adult and Youth Choir are Back! We welcome new and returning members!

CALLING ALL CHILDREN OF THE PARISH!

The Youth Choir is restarting beginning in September! We perform at the 10am mass once per month, during select holiday masses, and at biannual concerts. We rehearse each Sunday immediately following the 10am mass for thirty minutes. Consider this spiritually and emotionally enriching activity for your child!

ARE YOU AN ADULT CATHOLIC WHO LOVES MUSIC?

Join the Adult Choir! All voice parts and ability levels are welcome. We have a special need for Sopranos and Altos. We rehearse Tuesday evenings at 7:00pm, and perform at the 10am mass, select holiday masses, and biannual concerts.

If you would like to sign up, or have questions, please email Dr. Molina at patricio.molina@stachurchbloomfield.org.

Whether you sing or play, you're needed at STA!

Click here to visit the Music Ministry page.