St. Patrick Parish

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Monday- Friday 8 am

Except First Fridays, No 8 am Mass
Mass is at 12:30 pm every First Friday

* * *

Saturday 5 p.m.

Sunday 7:30 am, 9:30 am, 11:30 am & 5 pm
 

                   ✞    CONFESSIONS    ✞ 

offered on Saturday afternoons

from 4:00-4:30 pm in the church
or
by Appointment: 973-635-0625 
phone extensions:

152 Fr. Bob                     156 Fr. Artur
fr.bob@st-pats.org        fr.artur@st-pats.org

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     The Saint Patrick Parish office is open for walk-ins Monday through Thursday, 9 am- 3 pm and 
Fridays 9 am - 12 pm or by appointment.
Please contact the Parish Office to make an appointment after walk-in hours.

Have you RSVP'd to one of our Campaign Receptions?

There are only 3 receptions left! Monday, May 16 at 7 pm, Wednesday, May 18 at 12 pm or Wednesday May 18 at 7 pm. All are invited! At each reception, there will be a presentation of our parish campus needs . Come and learn about about our urgent needs including our aging heating systems, roof and more! "Come and See" what it's all about!

Click here to RSVP to one of our last 3 receptions!

                                              Click here to view the latest Campaign Newsletter-Week 4!

Blessings of the Holy Spirit

There is a story about a high school student who has just been confirmed in the Catholic Church. He and his family are going out to celebrate the occasion. At the Confirmation mass the Bishop spoke quite eloquent about the way the young man is fully initiated into the Catholic faith, and will be raised by good, wholesome Christian parents. On the way to the reception the parents noticed their son appeared very sad and asked him if he was OK. The adolescent looked at his parents and said so sadly, “I don’t want to be raised by good, wholesome Catholic parents, I want to stay with you.”

Last Tuesday evening, May 17, Bishop Kevin Sweeney, Bishop of Paterson conferred the Sacrament of Confirmation upon 81 high school students at St. Patrick Church. Bishop celebrated two liturgies, one at 6:00 p.m. and another at 8:00 p.m. These 81 young people will continue to be raised by good, Christian families. In the Sacrament of Confirmation candidates are sealed with the Gifts of the Holy Spirit as they are anointed with Sacred Chrism Oil, and are recipients of the Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands. Although the Sacrament of Confirmation is received only once in a lifetime, Confirmation is not “graduation” from the Church, but a fresh start of opportunities guided by the Holy Spirit; therefore, it renders the invitation to bring joy, hope and new life into the activities of a newly confirmed person.

The common thread that surfaced at both Confirmation liturgies was the enthusiasm of the young people, parents, sponsors, and guests aware that Confirmation is a stepping stone in the life of a Catholic. It affirms the faith initiated at Baptism to renounce sin and follow the light of Christ. Now it becomes the choice of those confirmed to live the faith that knits them to this community of believers. Confirmation is the last of the Sacraments of Initiation as it enacts the gifts of the Holy Spirit (wisdom, understanding, right judgment, courage, knowledge, reverence, and wonder of God). This engenders endurance and backbone to enhance growth as a Catholic which calls an individual to respond through active participation in a faith community, and share personal blessings for the benefit of the common good. It also musters spiritual strength so that the work of the Holy Spirit is never blocked through stagnation, stubbornness, or fear of the unknown.  

There is an honesty and sensitivity in most young people about their beliefs of church, God, and self. This gets expressed through Antioch weekends, which are a major step in the process that leads to Confirmation. I believe our youth minister, Maggie Grady, brings this out of the young people through the reflections given over the retreat weekends. Although memorization over significant truths about the faith renders a foundation of knowledge to an adolescent, the ability to articulate textbook answers in non-theological language, and live the message of the answers is the goal of Confirmation preparation. Sometimes adults may discount some of the social, family, academic, and spiritual pressures that are faced by adolescents, as well as the pressure placed on teenagers to succeed in academics, sports, or the arts, the goodness within the hearts of our teens is so well articulated during Antioch Retreats. This injects the candidates with a personal desire to live the message of Christ.

This Sunday at liturgy we hear in the Acts of the Apostles the way the early church made a difficult choice through honest deliberation that pertained to disputes which arose among early believers. Like this group of people, there are areas in church life today that are in need of compromise and peace in that it is evident that there is much division and disagreement in the universal church. The Holy Spirit reminds us that “church” is people and not a building, structure, ritual, or code of laws. Like the young people who were confirmed may you be invigorated to reactivate your personal blessings that steer you to discover the beauty of your life under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

 In Christ's Love,
Fr. Bob