T P G C C C

S . M C Putting God first through the stewardship of time, talent & treasure

SERVED BY: Rev. Msgr. Timothy J. Shugrue, Pastor Rev. Thomas P. Quinn, Parochial Vicar

Rev. Sebastian Valencia Obando,Parochial Vicar Rev. Daniel W. Murphy, Sunday Asst.

Rev. Mr. Moris E. Montoya, Deacon

Margaret Silva, Director of Religious Education Jacqueline Karmol, Pastoral Assoc. for Rel. Ed.

David Bower, Director of Music Rich Donovan, Coord. of Youth Ministry

Valeria Downey, Assoc. Coord. of Youth Ministry

Barbara A. Bilger, Trustee Richard C. Gallagher, Trustee

Kenneth Hickey, Pastoral Council Chair

Sandy Miragliotta, St. Michael School Principal

EUCHARIST: Saturday Evenings: 5:30 pm Sundays: 7:30 am, 9:00 am,10:30 am, 12 Noon Weekdays: 7:00 am, 12 Noon Saturdays: 8:00 am, 12 Noon Holy Days: Check Bulletin for Mass times RECONCILIATION: Monday through Saturday after the 12:00 Noon Mass and Monday evenings at 7:30 p.m. BAPTISMS: Contact the Parish Center for date and Prep Class. MARRIAGE: MINISTRY TO THE SICK: Homebound: Please let us know of any parishioners, unable to attend church, wishing to receive the Sacraments - Anointing of the Sick and Communion. Hospital Visitation: Present privacy regulations require the family to notify the parish of hospitalized parishioners. Please call the Parish Center to arrange a visit. PARISH MEMBERSHIP: We welcome new members to our parish. Registering helps us know you are one of us. Please visit the Parish Center. R.C.I.A. (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults): We welcome inquiries into our Faith. Please contact the Parish Center. YOUTH MINISTRY: Weekly in the Youth Room - High School 7:00 p.m. Sunday - at St. Michael’s

PARISH CENTER OFFICE HOURS RELIGIOUS EDUCATION ST. MICHAEL SCHOOL 40 ALDEN STREET Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-8 p.m. (908) 276-2050 100 ALDEN STREET CRANFORD, NJ 07016 Saturday 9 a.m.-5 p.m. www.stmichaelcranfordre.org CRANFORD, NJ 07016

(908) 276-0360 Sunday 9 a.m.-1 p.m. (908) 276-9425 Emergency only Cell: 908-477-3093 YOUTH MINISTRY saint.michael@verizon.net parishcenter@stmichaelscranford.org rich@saintmichaelsym.com www.smscranford.com www.stmichaelcranford.org www.saintmichaelsym.com

www.facebook.com/stmichaelcranford

Assistive Listening System Available

Page Two August 16, 2020

Saturday August 15, 2020 5:30 Charles M. Cook Sunday August 16 7:30 People of the Parish 9:00 John P. Ryan 10:30 Mauro LaPorta 12:00 Joan Sullivan Monday August 17 7:00 Robert Wagenti 12:00 Salvatore Silvestri Tuesday August 18 7:00 Joseph C. Pijanowski 12:00 Sr. Pat Wednesday August 19 7:00 Shirley Sumner 12:00 Richard Dixon - 1st Anniversary Thursday August 20 7:00 Leon T. Paster 12:00 John P. Ryan Friday August 21 7:00 Mary McGlynn 12:00 Assunta Cicchitto Saturday August 22 8:00 Demetrio Marrero 12:00 Judy Savolskis 5:30 Eleanor Baumann Sunday August 23 7:30 Assunta & Emilio DiFabio 9:00 People of the Parish 10:30 Joseph Bardwil 12:00 Eleanor Baumann Novena: Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal Mondays after 12 Noon Mass

Rosary: Weekdays 6:30 am

Social Services Helpline: (Cath. Comm. Services) 1-800-CCS-7413

Crisis Pregnancy Center: 1-201-991-2850

To Report Abuse: Victim Assistance Coordinator, Archdiocese of Newark 973-497-4254 Union County Prosecutor 908-527-4500

Pilgrim Statue: God Bless Those Who Welcome Our Lady! Aug.16-22: Mrs. Jeannette Smith, 710 Lincoln Aug.23-30: S.& B. Rivera, 116 Besler Ave.

Readings for the Week:

Monday: Ez 24:15-24; Dt 32:18-21; Mt 19:16-22 Tuesday: Ez 28:1-10; Dt 32:26-28, 30, 35cd-36ab; Mt 19:23-30 Wednesday: Ez 34:1-11; Ps 23:1-6; Mt 20:1-16 Thursday: Ez 36:23-28; Ps 51:12-15, 18-19; Mt 22:1-14 Friday: Ez 37:1-14; Ps 107:2-9; Mt 22:34-40 Saturday: Ez 43:1-7ab; Ps 85:9ab, 10-14; Mt 23:1-12 Sunday: Is 22:19-23; Ps 138:1-3, 6, 8; Rom 11:33-36; Mt 16:13-20

Three Qualities of Prayer

A constant theme I’ve addressed over the past five years in the guest columns I’ve written at times when Fr. Tim has been away have addressed the topic of prayer and discernment. As the importance and necessity of prayer cannot be overstated, this column will follow suit as previous ones. There are many things we can say about prayer, but this present column will address three, namely, that prayer must be daily, sustained, and Other-directed.

First, prayer must be a daily occurrence. This is where we might liken prayer to athletic training. Any baseball pitcher knows that to hone the skills needed to be a formidable opponent to a batter requires consistent practice. In the same way, learning the art of prayer and the language of God therein, one needs to make prayer a daily habit. Prayer must be done whether it’s easy or not, whether one feels like it or not, and even whether one knows what to say or not. When one first begins a real life of prayer, it can be easy and sweet; it can feel good and consoling. As one progresses in the practice, however, there can be “dryness” and prayer might not “feel good” or God might seem distant. These are the times, especially, to remain faithful.

Prayer must also be sustained. This means that prayer must be given a portion of time that is meaningful. To be sure, we can pray short prayers and “pious aspirations” such as “Lord, I trust in You”, but prayer must last for more than a few seconds or even minutes. This is because prayer is more than just about our rambling on to God and more about making ourselves available to God and disposing ourselves to listen.

Finally, prayer must be “Other-directed”. What does this mean? In our age of “self-help”, the widespread popularization of yoga, and “I’m spiritual but not religious” mentality, true prayer is not about “self-actualization” or of connecting to some ambiguous “spiritual force” but of communing with the One True God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Prayer is not about navel-gazing but about looking upon the Face of Christ and the Father through Him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit. Prayer is about self-gift: we give ourselves to God and He gives Himself to us. This is why the great masters of our spiritual tradition have emphasized the importance of what is called “mental prayer”. The “vocal prayers” such as Hail Mary and other prewritten prayers are good and necessary, but there must also be prayer that is from the heart wherein we speak to God as “one friend to Another” as St. Ignatius of Loyola says. Let us pray for each other, so that the Holy Spirit, Who is the master teacher of prayer, may form us into great pray-ers and set our hearts on fire with His love.

Peace,

Fr. Tom

20th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

STEWARDSHIP THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK In today’s second reading, St. Paul tells the Romans, “God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable.” To what is God calling me today? What gifts are mine to share? God has a special mission in mind for each of us.

He has given us the gifts we need to accomplish that mission. We are called to be good stewards by using those gifts to do the work that He has planned for each of us. If we deny our gifts or fail to use them as God calls us to use them, then some part of His work will be left undone. MEMORIAL DONATIONS

We are accepting Memorial Donations for flowers for the Altar area, the Candles, Bread & Wine used

for the Liturgies, and the weekly Sanctuary Candle. These items may be donated in memory

of someone or to mark a special occasion. A dona- tion of $10 is suggested for the candles, bread & wine and sanctuary candle, and a donation of $40 is suggested for the weekly flowers. (MEMORIAL CARDS ARE AVAILABLE FOR THESE DONATIONS.) ALSO, as we face the need to replace various items for liturgical use, we are happy to arrange for memorials of deceased loved ones. Contact the Parish Office.

SAINT MICHAEL COLLECTIONS Week of 8/09 Mo.to Date 8/09 FiscalYr.to date Sun.Coll.Actual $ 16,064.43 33,317.15 105,070.39 Sun.Coll.Budget $ 18,000.00 36,000.00 108,000.00 Collections (under) $ (1,935.57) (2,682.85) (2,929.61) In the present health emergency, with public celebrations of Mass suspended, our weekly revenue, of course, has been greatly reduced. We are grateful to all who have been sending in offerings by mail, or who contribute by e-debit or credit card, or have signed up for our new e-giving option, Parish Giving. Envelopes can be mailed to the Parish Office (St. Michael Church, 40 Alden Street, Cranford, NJ 07016) or you may consider the Parish Giving option. On the parish website (stmichaelcranford.org) there is a logo button for Parish Giving that will take you to the easy online sign-up form. Thank you! The Archdiocese of Newark has also established a GoFundMe site for contributions to the parishes of the Archdiocese, and to help support parishes with meager sources of revenue. St. Michael Parish is among the parishes accepting donations via the GoFundMe initiative: go to www.rcan.org/parishsupport, click ‘Contribute’ and scroll through the options for ‘Select a Team’ to ‘St. Michael Church-Cranford’ to make a donation, either one-time or recurring monthly. WHO’S TAKING CARE OF YOU? Scheduled to meet weekly on Thursdays, through Thursday October 1 (2-3:30 p.m.) Catholic Charities is offering a virtual session of “Stress Busting for Caregivers”. This special free program is a help for YOU as you care for a loved one over 60 with dementia or chronic illness. Due to the ongoing COVD-19 crisis, it’s especially important for you as a caregiver to make sure you don’t forget to take care of yourself. For details, call 908-578-4959 or 201-259-9139 or email mmcgroary@ccannj.org DISCIPLES OF PRAYER…(formerly Saint Michael’s Prayer Chain) If you or a loved one, friend or neighbor, has a need of prayer or, if you have a generous spirit and can spend 5 or 10 minutes a day praying for special intentions, please contact: Loretta Roettker at: roettker@comcast.net (908-272-3492) or the Parish Center parishcenter@stmichaelscranford.org (908-276-0360) to place someone on the prayer list, or if you are called by the Holy Spirit to pray. REPORTING OF ABUSE The Archdiocese takes seriously any and all allegations of sex-ual misconduct by members of the clergy, religious and lay staff of the Archdiocese. We encourage anyone with knowl-edge of an act of sexual misconduct to inform us immediately so that we may take appropriate action to protect others and provide support to victims. Individuals who wish to report an allegation of sexual misconduct may call the Office of Child & Youth Protection Victim Assistance (201) 407-3256.

Memorial Gifts for the Week of August 16, 2020

Flowers: in memory of Charles M. Cook Bread & Wine and Altar Candles: in memory of Sr. Pat

LET US PRAY… …for all our deceased relatives and friends who have gone home to the Lord, especially

John Hudak Joan Louise Dalton

We also pray for those who are homebound, in nursing homes, or who have no one to pray for them. “A Week to Honor Mary”… …is being observed Saturday, August 15, through Saturday, August 22. Rosary Prayer Services will be conducted each evening at 7:00 p.m. and will be livestreamed via www.facebook.com/stmichaelcranford or on the internet www.stmichaelcranford.org.

You are invited to help us decorate the Marian shrine by bringing fresh flowers, garden grown or store bought, in disposable containers and placing them within the shrine.

A THOUGHT: Don’t let worry get the best of you; remember, Moses started out as a basket case.

Page Four

WHY DO WE DO THAT? Catholic Life Explained The Giving of Treasure Question: Why are Catholics required to give money to the Church?

Offering money and other goods to God and the Church is, before all else, a statement of gratitude. We see this when we look at how our spiritual ancestors showed their gratitude to God for the gifts they had received (e.g. Genesis 14: 18-20 and Genesis 28: 16-22). One of the ways they offered thanks to God was through a practice called “tithing”, in which 10 per- cent of a person’s goods (crops, livestock, money, etc.) were given back to God.

Today, the practice of tithing — giving 10 percent — is still common in many Protestant communities, but it is not required for Catholics. Instead, the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches us that, “The faithful also have the duty of providing for the material needs of the Church, each according to [their] own abilities” (no. 2043). This means that, although we are not bound to practice “tithing” in the traditional sense, we do share a responsibility to share our money or other resources with our parish communities. Like our spiritual ancestors, we give as a sign of our gratitude for the many gifts that God has given to us. Beyond this, we also share our resources with other Catholic organizations to help them finance their ministries, to continue and grow their outreach to the poor and the needy, and to provide just wages for their employees.

How much we give depends on our individual circumstances, but since we share a responsibility for the programs, outreach, and health of our parish communities and Catholic organiza- tions, this question gives us a wonderful opportunity to ask some important questions about the quality of our giving and what our priorities are. Remember, we are only stewards of our time, talents, and treasures and as the First Letter of Peter reminds us, “As each one of you has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God’s varied graces” (4:10) EVERYBODY COUNTS! - The U.S. Census 2020 is underway, mandated by the U.S. Constitution to provide vital information that governs Congressional apportionment and aids in the distribution of Federal funding for a wide array of public services. “Everybody” counts in this every-ten-years effort to determine as accurately as possible the number of persons residing in the United States. 95% of households should have received Census 2020 forms in the mail on or about April 1. Have you filled out and returned your Census information yet? Returns can be made by mail, by phone, or online. Don’t put off returning your Census 2020 form: be sure you and your family ‘count’, as you fulfill this important civic responsibility.

SAMARITAN MINISTRY Jane Hannon 908-276-0863-H 908-591-3202-C

Sandwich Program: Drop-off sites this Sunday are: Jane & Joe Hannon, 111 Elm Street, and Chrissa Stulpin, 356 Retford Avenue. Although many of us vacation during the summer months, hunger does not take a vacation. Please help the hungry people of St. Joseph’s in Elizabeth by making a loaf or two of sandwiches. Sandwiches will be delivered early Monday morning. Food Collection for Cranford Family Care: Please bring donations directly to CFC, 61 Myrtle Street, between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 12 Noon (908-276-3530). Needs for the month include: crackers, cookies, other snacks, canned pasta and canned meals, drink mixes such as iced tea and lemonade, school snacks, and all paper products. Fresh foods are also always welcome. Your help and support are always appreciated. KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS… ...is an international Order of Catholic men who are called to lead with faith, protect our families, serve others and defend values in a busy changing world. Our local council Cranford #6226 is working daily to “Leave No Neighbor Behind” during COVID-19. We are seeking the support of the men of St. Michael Parish by becoming a member of our council. You will find that Knights of Columbus membership brings Catholic men together in a powerful way. If you would like to join today, simply go to KofC.org/join us and enter our Council #6226 for local information. INTERESTED IN BECOMING A CATHOLIC? Anyone interested in learning about being a baptized member of the Catholic Church (or who has been baptized and wants to receive First Holy Communion and/or Confirmation) is invit-ed to call the Parish Office (908-276-0360). Please pass this information along to anyone you think might be interested. GOOD NEWS! McAuley Hall Health Care Center will be resuming admissions in the near future and will continue to follow the recommenda-tions given by the CDC. The Center asks for your patience and understanding as they move through the phases of reopening.

McCauley Hall is a 5-Star rated skilled nursing facility conveniently located off Highway #22 West in New Jersey’s picturesque Watchung Mountains. It is on the same grounds as Mount Saint Mary High School. For more information on this Sub-Acute Rehabilitation or Long-Term Care facility, please call the Admissions Department at 908-754-3663 X13. A THOUGHT: Can’t sleep? Try counting your blessings.

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