Holy Name Medical Center’s MS (multiple sclerosis) Center will hold its 16th Annual Spring Fashion Fling Fundraiser on Sunday, April 28, from 11:30 am to 3:30 pm at the Marriott Glenpointe Hotel, Teaneck. Chris Cimino, WNBC-TV meteorologist, will serve as the event’s honorary chairperson and TV news commentator Meredith Vieira will serve as the honorary MS ambassador.

NEWARK—Five Catholic organizations and schools received $65,000 in grants from The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey as part of the foundation’s fourth and final round of 2012 grants.

The NJ Coalition Against Human Trafficking, a coalition of faith-based and civic groups, is sponsoring a “Human Trafficking Awareness Day” rally on Friday, Jan. 11, 11 a.m., on the steps of the State House, 125 West State St.

In coming weeks, the issue of the Health and Human Services mandates requiring religiously affiliated institutions to offer and pay for medical services that violate the religious beliefs and teaching of that religion, such as abortions, abortifacient drugs, and sterilization procedures will be resurfacing.  A recent column by The Most Rev. Joseph F. Naumann, Archbishop of Kansas City, addresses some of the myths on these mandates.

Saint Michael Church/Parish of the Resurrection, 252 Ninth St., Jersey City, will present a concert of sacred music (“Come Follow Me”) on Sunday, June 24 at 4 p.m. The musical program will feature the Saint Michael Singers accompanied by the church’s newly restored and recently designated historic landmark—a circa-1925 E. M. Skinner organ.

At Holy Name Medical Center in Teaneck, the Pastoral Care Department’s clergy, chaplains and volunteers minister to the spiritual needs of patients, visitors, physicians and staff at all hours of the day and night.

Archbishop John J. Myers and his auxiliary bishops have released their Holy Week schedules. Information available at press time follows.

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Project Manager: Emet Huelgas Telephone: 973-497-4082 Fax: 973-497-4362 Email: huelgaem@rcan.org Address: The Office of Property Management Administration The Archdiocese of Newark 171 Clifton Avenue Post Office Box 9500 Newark, NJ 07104-0500

It seems to get earlier and earlier each year. I am talking about preparing for the Christmas holiday, not the Christmas holy day. First there was Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving Day, when shopping malls did all in their power to lure customers into their stores with enormous discounts on some high-priced gifts. They began opening earlier every year until this year when some stores opened late Thursday night on Thanksgiving Day. This move put a whole new dimension on Christmas shopping.

NEWARK—The 41st annual Candlelight Carol Sing will take place at the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart, 89 Ridge St., on Wednesday, Dec. 14 and Thursday, Dec. 15. Doors open at 7 p.m. for both performances. There are no reservations and no tickets required. Seating is first come, first serve. Admission is free and the public is cordially invited to attend. A free-will offering will be accepted at the end of each performance.

Click link above for Details

Project Manager: Emet Huelgas Telephone: 973-497-4082 Fax: 973-497-4362 Email: huelgaem@rcan.org Address: The Office of Property Management Administration The Archdiocese of Newark 171 Clifton Avenue Post Office Box 9500 Newark, NJ 07104-0500

Click link above for Details

Project Manager: Emet Huelgas Telephone: 973-497-4082 Fax: 973-497-4362 Email: huelgaem@rcan.org Address: The Office of Property Management Administration The Archdiocese of Newark 171 Clifton Avenue Post Office Box 9500 Newark, NJ 07104-0500

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Readings: Zep 3:14-18; Isaiah 12:2-6; Phil 4:4-7; Lk 3:10-18.

The greeting extended within a culture as people come and go provide an indication of the values shared by members of the group. The biblical greetings "The Lord be with you" (Ruth 2:4) or "Peace be with you" (Jn 20:21) have profound resonances in the liturgy; in Catholic cultures these wishes or similar phrases were repeated throughout the day.

Unfortunately much of this echo of worship has been lost. How many of the ordinary people who say "Good-bye" to a friend realize that it means "God be with you?" Upon reflection, we find shallow modern attempts at variety to indicate sincerity and thoughtfulness. "Have a nice day!" or "Enjoy!" are expressions that show a belief in the goodness of life that should be shared. However, God-centered greetings are much richer.

For many people, December is a month of great challenge. The minutes of daylight continue to decrease as we approach the first day of winter. The pressures of sending Christmas cards, buying Christmas gifts, decorating Christmas trees and preparing for Christmas gettogethers can all converge to make people feel overwhelmed and even depressed.

Whether we place unreasonable expectations on ourselves or allow others to make us feel guilty, this is hardly the spiritual journey that the season of Advent envisions.

People will wait on long lines at toy or electronics stores for the latest gadget or gizmo to please their children, spouse, relative, or friend, often only to learn that the item is sold out by the time they get to the front. Fights frequently ensue. The joy of the season evaporates in an instant. By contrast, the lines tend to be much shorter at parish penance services and reconciliation rooms, although people always find themselves renewed and refreshed after such a sacramental encounter.

AREA-The Archdiocese of Newark will host its annual Heritage Tour Saturday, Oct. 17, an all-day bus excursion that will explore the architectural and artistic treasures of The Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart, Saint Patrick Pro-Cathedral, Saint Dominic Monastery of Most Blessed Sacrament Friary (all in Newark), and Queen of Peace Parish, North Arlington.

Troy J. Simmons, archdiocesan historian and associate director of capital campaigns for the Archdiocese of Newark's Office of Development, will lead the expedition. The Office of Development is the sponsor for the tour.

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SOUTH ORANGE - For Holocaust survivor Luna Kaufman, her life has come full circle as one of only two Jewish children in a Catholic elementary school in her native Poland to recipient of an honorary degree last month from Seton Hall University (SHU).

MORRISTOWN-For the many Catholics living in New Jersey, ethical, morally sound, end-of-life care for loved ones is a difficult issue. Not only do theological principles of innate human dignity arise, but there are practical matters of cost to weigh.

Bus caravan Visits Parishes in Orange Area


AREA-Against the inspirational backdrop of a beautiful autumn day, over 100 participants enjoyed the Oct. 20 archdiocesan Heritage Tour, sponsored and organized by the archdiocesan Office of Property Management.

The daylong excursion-three buses led by a special police escort-included stops at four treasured churches located in the towns of East Orange, South Orange, and Orange (see The Catholic Advocate, Oct. 10 and Aug. 8).

Mentors Offer Healthcare Career Advice

MONTCLAIR-Fifteen Immaculate Conception High School seniors recently participated in the Senior Hospital and Research Experience (SHARE) program at nearby Mountainside Hospital.

Archbishop Emeritus Peter L. Gerety, who turns 95 next month, believes everything in life, including longevity, is a gift from God. Ordained on June 29, 1939 at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, the oldest of nine boys who grew up in Shelton, CT, has been a bishop for 41 years.

Archbishop Gerety recalls fondly that he became a bishop right after the sweeping changes enacted by the Second Vatican Council. It was a time he described as "a new era in the history of the Church" at both the "divine and human" levels.

AREA-The Archdiocese of Newark will host its semiannual Heritage Tour on Saturday, April 14, an all-day bus excursion that will visit four treasured churches in Hoboken, Jersey City and Bayonne.