St. Elizabeth & St. Brigid Parish

Neither Monsignor Puleo nor the parish will ever request assistance in the form of gift cards or other charitable requests via e-mail. There are a number of fraudulent emails being sent requesting such assistance with the name “Puleo” in the gmail address. Should you receive such emails or have any questions about this, please contact the parish office at 908-2341265. Do not respond to such emails.

June 2022

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

As we celebrate the central truths of our faith during these Sundays of June [the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, the Real Body and Blood of Christ in the Eucharist, the Holy Trinity - the mystery of three persons in One God], we Catholics need to take time to pause and realize the incredible opportunities these truths provide.

Primarily, these truths give us a context for our prayer. We depend upon the Holy Spirit to abide with us and comfort us. We take literally the words of Jesus from the Synoptic Gospels and Saint Paul: “This is my body … this is my blood” (Matthew 26:26-28; I Corinthians 11:23-25) and in the Gospel of Saint John 6:53: “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you.” Finally, we have complete confidence in knowing and loving the One true God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit!

All of these precious truths give me full confidence that God listens and hears our prayers. Whatever your needs might be; whatever mine, Christ who loves so deeply that He died for our salvation, is constantly available (with the Father and the Holy Spirit) to provide comfort, healing, and when necessary a miracle, to show His tremendous love for us.

These past 7 months have been a unique time in my life to reconsider the power of prayer and the intense love that Jesus provides through the people who hold me up in prayer. My circumstance is different, yet similar, to many of you or your loved ones. I am most grateful, as is Father Hillier, for your love and your continued prayers (privately and during the Novenas and Masses at our parish each week).

I am equally grateful to you for respecting my privacy but I wish to give you an update on my condition. As you all know, pancreatic cancer is not an easy diagnosis. Presently, after numerous treatments, the tumor within my body has not progressed or in any way become larger. That in itself is a minor miracle. Unfortunately, the tumor has not become smaller either. That is what I hope we can bring to prayer during the next several weeks and months.

These past months would have been near impossible without your loving prayers. In fact, especially during the more difficult days, I have always felt your prayers lifting me up and giving me renewed confidence to keep moving forward.

Please continue to pray for me, even as you celebrate the brightness, joy and distractions of summer. Know that your parish priests are also praying for you and your many intentions.

In Christ Jesus Our Lord,

Reverend Monsignor Edward C. Puleo
 

Pregnant and parenting moms in need are in our parishes and our neighborhoods. As Pope Francis reminds us, our parishes need to be “islands of mercy in the midst of a sea of indifference.” Everyone in the parish community should know where to refer a pregnant woman in need.

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The 25th anniversary of Evangelium vitae gave us a wonderful opportunity to begin to assess, expand, and communicate resources to pregnant moms and families in need. Parishes are invited, through the support of their bishop and pastor, to join this nationwide effort entitled, Walking with Moms in Need.

For More Information click below:

Walking With Moms In Need

Dearest Lord Jesus, our Divine Physician,
fill your servant(s) _____________with your healing presence
as they do their part to fight this horrifying disease within them.
Shine your healing power into their bodies, hearts and souls.
 
With humility, as they seek your comfort and mercy,
allow the best of who they are as your followers,
to remain steadfast for the sake of their families, friends
and others they have yet to meet.
 
With the help of your Holy Spirit,
remove all cancerous invaders
that have overrun their bodies; your temple.
Replace all deadly, cancer cells with good, wholesome cells.
 
Aided by the powerful intercession of your heavenly helpers,
Our Lady, Queen of Peace, Saint John Paul II and Blessed Michael McGivney, keep them faithful in the hope —
that “whatever you ask from the Father He will give it to you”
(John 15:23).
 
In Jesus Name,
Amen.
 
© Reverend John G. Hillier
    November 4, 2021
 
 

Lord God of peace, hear our prayer!
We have tried so many times and over so many years 
   to resolve our conflicts by our own powers
   and by the force of our arms.
How many moments of hostility and darkness have we                 experienced?
How much blood has been shed?
How many lives have been shattered?
How many hopes have been buried?
But our efforts have been in vain.

Now, Lord, come to our aid! 
Grant us peace, teach us peace; 
    guide our steps in the way of peace. 
Open our eyes and our hearts, 
    and give us the courage to say: "Never again war!"; 
"With war everything is lost". 
Instill in our hearts the courage to take concrete steps to
  achieve peace.

Lord, God of Abraham, God of the Prophets, God of Love, 
   you created us and you call us to live as brothers and sisters. 
Give us the strength daily to be instruments of peace; 
   enable us to see everyone who crosses our path as our
   brother or sister.
Make us sensitive to the plea of our citizens 
   who entreat us to turn our weapons of war into implements of     peace, 
  our trepidation into confident trust, 
  and our quarreling into forgiveness.
Keep alive within us the flame of hope, 
  so that with patience and perseverance 
  we may opt for dialogue and reconciliation. 
In this way may peace triumph at last, 
  and may the words "division", "hatred" and "war" 
  be banished from the heart of every man and woman. 

Lord, defuse the violence of our tongues and our hands. 
Renew our hearts and minds, 
  so that the word which always brings us together will be 
  "brother", 
   and our way of life will always be that of: Shalom, Peace,   
   Salaam!
 Amen.

O Lord our God, look down with mercy on the Ukrainian people. Protect and save them from the unjust aggressors who seek to subdue them. Grant them steadfast trust in your mercy and protection. 

O Mother of God, who gave us your miraculous icon at Zarvanytsia, intercede for the Ukrainian people, who run to the shelter of your mercy in their times of need. 

O Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Grant peace and protection to the people of Ukraine. Give them strength and courage to defend what is good, right, and holy. Keep them safe from harm and provide for all their needs, both temporal and spiritual. 

Hear our prayers, O Lord, and deliver us from distress, for You are merciful and compassionate and love mankind. To You we give glory: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and ever. Amen.
 

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At this time, due to the observance of public safety protocols and the increase in the availability of vaccines, we have begun a return to some sense of normalcy in various sectors of our society.

Therefore, we the Catholic Bishops of New Jersey, are lifting the dispensation of the Sunday and Holy Days Mass obligation beginning on Saturday, June 5, 2021, and Sunday, June 6, 2021, Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ.

We welcome the Christian faithful to return to the regular participation in the Sunday Eucharist, the source and summit of our Catholic faith (cf. Code of Canon Law canon 1247 and Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 2180).

This obligation does not apply to those who are ill; those who have reason to believe that they were recently exposed to the coronavirus or another serious or contagious illness; those who are confined to their home, a hospital, or nursing facility; or those with serious underlying health conditions. One should consult the local pastor if questions arise about the obligation to attend Mass (canon 87).

Finally, safety protocols (such as wearing masks, social distancing, etc.) and liturgical directives (communion in the hand, communion under one species, etc.) in each New Jersey Diocese remains in place until modified or revoked by the respective Diocesan Bishop.

Given on May 20, 2021, the memorial of St. Bernardine of Siena.

Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R. Archbishop, Archdiocese of Newark
Most Reverend David M. O’Connell, C.M. Bishop, Diocese of Trenton
Most Reverend Dennis J. Sullivan Bishop, Diocese of Camden Most Reverend Kevin J. Sweeney Bishop, Diocese of Paterson Most Reverend James F. Checchio Bishop, Diocese of Metuchen Most Reverend Kurt Burnette Bishop, Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Passaic Most Reverend Yousif B. Habash Bishop, Our Lady of Deliverance Syriac

Food Drive April 30- May 1 2022
Benefiting the Somerset County Food Network Food Pantry
Canned and Non Perishable items needed.  Monetary donations accepted.
 

Jesus reminds us that there is no greater live than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends; if we do so our joy will be complete. Have you ever considered giving yourself to the service of your sisters and brothers as a priest or religious? If so, call the Vocations Office @ (732) 562-2453 or e-mail us at vocations@diometuchen.org. Or you can visit our website at www.diometuchen.org/vocations. Turn your life over to the Lord today.