Reflections for the Second Sunday of Advent (By Elizabeth Wang, Women’s Group) This reflection on the Liturgical Readings for the Second Sunday of Advent invites you to explore the relevance of the Old Testament in our lives today, showing how its prophecies and promises are fulfilled in Jesus Christ. It encourages a deeper engagement with Scripture through quiet reflection and context, helping bring the story of salvation to life. As you read, you’ll be reminded of the enduring hope found in God’s Word and challenged to prepare your heart during Advent for the joyous anticipation of Christ’s return.

Reflections for the First Sunday of Advent (By Kevin Gaffney RCIA Instructor)

Diocesan Ministries Appeal “United In Faith, Hope, Love” ( Weekend of September 28-29,2024) With the 2024 Diocesan Ministries Appeal, we continue our special support for the complete renovation of the Father English Food Pantry in Paterson and the approximately 18,000 people it serves monthly. We are in the second year of a three-year commitment to allocate $200,000 annually to the Food Pantry campaign. These funds will be used to expand the Food Pantry’s ability to serve people in need by offering a wide array of services in one convenient location. In addition to improving the floor plan of the food pantry, the facility will also expand its offerings with a clothing closet, emergency services, social workers, case managers, ESL and computer classes, and nutrition courses.

BackPack Program Collection October 12-13, 2024 The Catholic Charities BackPack Program offers students in Paterson’s Catholic Charities facilities the chance for weekend nourishment. Many children receive breakfast and lunch at no cost during school hours; for some, these are the only meals of the week. Through the BackPack Program, a zip-lock bag of food is placed in the backpack of each preschooler every Friday afternoon, providing several weekend meals and snacks for each child and family. SPARK Teen Ministry has committed to providing 200+ food packs this year for our adopted preschool, El Mundo de Colores. Monetary donations will be collected after all Masses October 12-12, 2024. A contribution of just $5.00 will cover one whole pack! All proceeds will be used to purchase nutritious foods, such as shelf-stable milk, beans, rice, and oatmeal. Thank you for your support and generosity!

Your help is needed Ministers of Hospitality/Ushers The Ministers of Hospitality are responsible for ensuring a welcoming and comfortable environment for the Celebration of the Eucharist and other ceremonies. Assignments are once or twice a month (depending on staffing). Duties include greeting worshippers, taking collections, seeing to an orderly Eucharist reception, dispersing weekly bulletins, etc. Ministers of Hospitality are required for all Masses. Please email: [email protected] if interested.

Pumpkin Painting, October 12, 2024 @3:30pm Calling Children of the parish! Join SPARK Teen Ministry for fall fun as we paint pumpkins in the Community Room on October 12, 2024 at 3:30pm. We are inviting the young children of the parish to this event and SPARK Teens will assist them with their spooky creations. Then stay to worship with us at the Teen Mass, 5pm! To join us please sign up on Flock Note or email [email protected] See you there!

We have scheduled our bus to Trenton for the first ever March for Life on Trenton on September 26th, 2024. We will be departing from Notre Dame of Mount Carmel Church, 75 Ridgedale Avenue, Cedar Knolls, 07927 at 8:30 am. Please arrive by 8:15 am to board so that we can leave on time. We will arrive in Trenton in time for the 11am rally followed by the 12pm March. We will not arrive in time for the 9:30 mass at the Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption. We plan to return by approximately 3:30pm.

St. Elizabeth’s would say a very special thank you to Kelley Anthes-Smith for organizing the 2024 Vacation Bible School. Kelley and the volunteers did a fantastic job creating, organizing and running St. Elizabeth’s Vacation Bible School this summer. It was a huge success & one of the best offered. The children had a fun & wonderful time. The decorations were beautiful and inviting, and the volunteers were engaging and enthusiastic. In addition to Kelley, we would like to thank all the volunteers that made VBS come together. Your dedication and love for sharing the Lord made a difference in many little lives:

Couples, were you married in 1999 or 1974? The Diocese of Paterson invites you to celebrate your 50th or 25th wedding anniversary during a special Mass to be offered at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson, NJ. Bishop Sweeney will serve as main celebrant on this joyful occasion to be held: Sunday, November 17, 2024 at 3:00pm. Arrangements can be made by contacting your parish office. The deadline to register is Wednesday, October 16, 2024. You will receive additional information from the Office of Family Life once your registration has been processed. Congratulations on this joyous occasion!

classes is open. Please register on the parish website https://stelizabethschurch.org/registration. Classes begin on Sept. 8 & 9 and meet every other week. Contact Colleen Huber at [email protected] if you have any questions. We need several teachers for Monday classes. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Colleen Huber at [email protected]

Our parish picnic will be on Sept. 15 following the 11am mass. Please join us for fellowship, fun, and food. Bring your own or purchase from Taxicab Burger food truck. There will be music, crafts, and games for kids of all ages. Sign up sheets are in the back of the church

STAY IN TOUCH CARE PACAKGES! Attention parents, grandparents, Godparents...want to help your child stay in touch with St. Elizabeth's while away at school? Read on to see how!! St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish is so proud of the young adults in our parish family and wishes them ALL the best on the journeys that await them. As they embark on new adventures, we want them to know that we are praying for them and that there will always be a special place for them at St. E’s. As in the past, we’re continuing our "Stay in Touch” ministry and would love to send a care package to your son or daughter, whether away at college or working from home base. To add your son or daughter to our mailing list, please email the following details to me at [email protected]:

The Franciscan Sisters of St.Bernadette will be at our parish on Mission Appeal Days August 10-11, 2024 to speak about the Mission Appeal for Orphans Educational Fund in Tanzania, East Africa

RESPECT LIFE RAFFLE – Aug 17-18 and Aug 24-25 Sold prior to and after all masses. Raffles $10.00 each. 1st Prize 2025 Volvo XC40 AWD SUV value $44,595.00 2nd Prize Shoprite gift card value $1,000.00 3rd Prize Shoprite gift card value $750.00 4th Prize Shoprite gift card value $500.00 Drawing at Maggiano’s Little Italy in Bridgewater on November 22, 2024. Winner need not be present. Proceeds will benefit New Jersey Right to Life, the state’s oldest and largest pro-life organization, dedicated to protecting all human life from conception to natural death.

Making plans for the summer? Make sure to plan for your offertory as well! When your summer travels take you away from Sunday services, eGiving lets you continue to support our church and the ministries you cherish. You can sign up from your computer, smartphone or tablet, and set up a recurring donation or make a one-time gift.
 
Recurring gifts sustain our parish through the busy summer months. You'll provide us with consistent support, even if you're away on a Sunday, so the programs, services, and ministries that mean so much to our community will never miss a beat.
You can sign up online at Home - St. Elizabeth Ann Seton - Faith Direct or call Faith Direct customer service at 866-507-8757. 
There are also pamphlets available on the table in the church lobby.
 

If you have been watching The Chosen, you know the streaming release of Season 4 has been delayed. It is only available to churches for viewing right now. Please join us to watch a new episode each Tuesday at 7 pm in the RE classrooms beginning May 21 through June 11. Please let Colleen Huber know if you would like to join us so we can plan [email protected]
 

Acts of the Apostles 2:1-11.

This Sunday we reflect on the readings for Pentecost. Pentecost Sunday celebrates the Holy Spirit coming to the apostles. With Jesus now being ascended to the father, the apostles (disciples) find themselves alone yet again in a dangerous world. Jesus told them that they would receive a helper, which will be the holy spirit.
Pentecost has its roots in a Jewish holiday tradition. Shavuot was celebrated fifty days after Passover. It was an offering during the Festival of Weeks.  They celebrated their “first fruits” of the new harvest to God. The people do so in remembrance of the Mt. Sinai event

Good morning. Today is the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord! Today is celebrated as a feast of Jesus’s ascending to heaven and concludes the Easter season. The past 80 days of Lent and Easter seem to have gone by so fast. As I look back on these days there has been so much that has changed. I am excited to continue throughout the year with a renewed faith!

Our first reading reminds us of being baptized with the Holy Spirit. We also are told to wait for the guidance from the Holy Spirit; admittedly that waiting part is difficult for me. Another part of this reading I enjoy is the Apostles are asked why they are looking for Jesus in the sky and are reminded He is now in Heaven.  This Lent and Easter I made an effort to focus on the Holy Spirit and to become closer to God through asking for the Holy Spirit to enter me and guide my heart closer to Jesus. I was not certain what to expect, but in reflection I am pleasantly surprised at the transformation in my life. One part I am happy to share is the ability to “let go” of more things. I do not focus on controlling things based on my expectations, but I look for the joyous gifts and signs God has for me in the daily ongoings of life. It is quite far from where I had been not so long ago. Have you felt the Holy Spirit grow in you? Take a moment to reflect, were there blessings you received that you may not have immediately realized?

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton “Right to Life” serves the Parish Community by providing pamphlets in the Lobby.  
Parishioners join our Right To Life e-mail/phone tree for Action Alerts on pro-life issues as directed by the Diocesan Respect Life Office.
Annually for one weekend, we conduct the New Jersey Right To Life Respect Life Raffle.  

Locally, members often join with Morris County Right To Life at weekly prayer vigils events Including 40 Days For Life during Lent and in the Fall, as well as the annual March For Life in Washington, DC, and the New Jersey March For Life on Thursday September 26, 2024 in Trenton, NJ  Events are posted on at: http://morriscountyrighttolife.org/