St. Patrick Parish

Registration No Longer Needed

to Attend Weekend Liturgies

Tuesday  9 am
Wednesday 9 am
Thursday 9 am
Friday 12 PM

* * *

Saturday 5 Pm 

Sunday: 7:30 a.m. (no livestream)

Sunday 10 am 

                      CONFESSIONS 

         by Appointment: 973-635-0625 

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

To make a one time offertory donation, click here to access our GIVING page on our website.

The Saint Patrick Parish office is temporarily closed; however, our pastoral staff is available through email. Please visit our staff directory page for email addresses.
Thank you for your understanding during this challenging time.

 Weekday Mass starting Monday, August 10, 2020 will start at 8 am.
Mass will be celebrated Monday through Friday in the Church. 

Advance Registration No Longer Needed to Attend Weekend Liturgies

Saturday at 5 pm
Sunday at 7:30 am and 10 am

Mass Celebrants this Weekend
Saturday, August 8 at 5 pm with Fr. Artur (live stream)
Sunday, August 9 at 7:30 am with Fr. Artur
Sunday, August 9 at 10 am with Fr. Bob (live stream)

Click on the hymn titles for words and music!

August 8 & 9, 2020

Cantor: Kimmi Neuschulz

Information and guidelines for the reopening of the Church can be found under the NEWS/BULLETIN tab, Reopening Church webpage. We will post information as we receive it in accordance to the Diocese of Paterson and mandates from the governor of New Jersey. The health and safety of our parishioners and visitors are paramount.  St. Patrick Parish is working closely together, clergy, staff, and volunteers in order to implement these guidelines and to proide as much as it is humanly possible, a safe environment proper for Liturgy during this pandemic.  These guidelines are not suggestions. They are, for the meantime, particular law of the Diocese of Paterson. Therefore, these matters require adherence by all parishes and religius communities where the sacred liturgy is celebrated. Click here to be directed to the Reopening Church webpage.

August 9, 2020

Common Sense

           Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson go on a camping trip together. After setting up their tent, the two men enjoy dinner and share a bottle of wine prior to retiring for the night. Some hours later, Sherlock Holmes wakes up and nudges his faithful friend, Dr. Watson, “Watson, look up at the sky and tell me what you see.”  “I see millions and millions of stars” replies Watson. “And what do you deduce from that?”  Watson ponders for a minute and says, “Well, astronomically, it tells me that there are millions of galaxies and potentially billions of planets. Astrologically, I observe that Saturn is in Leo. Meteorologically, I suspect that we will have a beautiful day tomorrow. Theologically, I can see that God is all-powerful and that we are a small insignificant part of the universe.” Holmes responds, “But Watson, you idiot, don’t you realize that it tells us that someone has stolen our tent!”
 
            Sometimes it is easy to lack common sense during situations that are faced in life in that we do not notice the obvious. This may occur in family life, employment, or even in our spiritual lives. Common sense is the ability to think reasonably and make good decisions. Most of us could review circumstances whereby common sense was shattered through the belief that we were more intelligent than anyone else only to come to terms that like Watson, common sense was absent. Like Dr. Watson we seek to make evident our knowledge rather than notice the unmistakable picture. Jesus used common sense in his responses to many of the directives that the Scribes and Pharisees imposed on people that were over demanding since the conformity to countless rules could not be carried out in a reasonable manner. Most important were the regulations of the Sabbath. As with the camping trip between Holmes and Watson, Dr. Watson could not identify the fact that a tent was stolen since he was so caught up with the use of his intellect whereas Holmes could reason that something needed immediate attention. During these days of our tussles with Covid-19, there are many proposed guidelines that call us to use common sense, which pertain to relationships, worship, and everyday activities that are essential to follow if we wish to lower the amount of people infected by the virus. Unfortunately, common sense is not always utilized since some believe they know more than those in medical and scientific professions. 
 
            In a July 7 interview with Hannah Yasharoff, USA Today, the actor Tom Hanks who suffered with coronavirus stated how people must use common sense in responding to the virus, “The idea of doing one’s part should be so simple. Wear a mask, social distance, wash your hands. This alone means you are contributing to the betterment of your house, your work, your town, your society as a whole. It’s such a small thing and it’s a mystery to me how somehow that has wiped out what should be engrained in the behavior of all.”  This weekend’s Gospel reading from Matthew thrusts fear into the disciples as their boat is tossed about by waves. The virus continues to toss us about with particular alarms of its reoccurrence due to an omission of common sense in the manner that standards of life were not accepted by those who believed they knew better. Our own state which continues to hold down restrictions that pertain to social distancing recently experienced consequences of people who sought to party, drink and celebrate without good use of common sense. This increased the number of those touched with the coronavirus. The consequences of these actions fall short of common sense, which demonstrates minimal consideration toward others.      
 
            Common sense exists in the ability to see things as they are and do things as they should be done. Even in parish life common sense may be discarded with faithful people who insist on coming to mass whenever they are sick without the notion that they may infect others with their illness. During this pandemic ponder the way you use common sense to protect yourself and loved ones. Let your actions illustrate the severity of the outbreak; and, be mindful of those who are most vulnerable.                   



In Christ's Love,
Fr. Bob

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