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December 28th, 2003

Feast of the Holy Family

Schedule of Masses Week of December 29th, 2003 - January 4th, 2004
Day	Time	Requested for	Requested by
Mon 12/29	7 A.M.	For the People of the Parish
Mon 12/29	9A.M.	Rose Nadolny	John Nadolny
Tues12/30	7 A.M.	Eugenio & Mildred Salati	Salati Family
	9 A.M.	Carmine Creazzo	Frances & Angela
Wed 12/31	9A.M.	Dec. Members Ruddy Family	Henry
	6 P.M.	Carmine Creazzo	Mother Lina
Thurs 1/1	7:30 AM.	Albert Miglarelli	Jessie Tremblay
	9A.M.	Bernadette M. Berger	Frances Spazian
	10:30A.M.	Robert Edelmann	Family
	12 Noon	For the People of the Parish
Fri. 1/2	7 AM	Frances Muzikar	Family
	9A.M.	Liv Frances Spazian	Theresa
Sat. 1/3	9 A.M.	Our Lady of Fatima
	6P.M.	Bernadette M. Berger	Friend
	7:30 PM	Daniel B. Lavecchia Sr.	Loving Family
Sun. 1/4	7:30AM	Frances Muzikar	Friend
	9 AM	Rosemary Loeffler	Joyce Tuzzo
	10:30AM	Salvatore Lattanzi	Theresa
	12 PM	Tim Guy	Family

Sanctuary Gifts December 28th 2003 - January 3rd, 2004
Gift	In Memory Of	Requested By
Altar Wine	Charles Gerrity	Madeline
Altar Bread	Anthony Ippolito	Yvonne & Annmarie
Sanctuary Lamp	Anna & Bernard Gerrity	Madeline
Altar Candles	Blance Lewandowski	Quinn Family

Let Us Pray For Those Seriously Ill
People will remain on the sick list for 2 weeks unless otherwise notified:

Anthony Tuzzo, Margaret Ng, Angelo Polcari, and Richard Carlson.

Vocation reflections

Jesus, Mary and Joseph all answered God’s call in their life, they said yes to God despite any anxiety they felt and despite knowing that their life would be filled with many changes. Will you say yes to God by serving as a priest or religious? Will you do this despite your own anxiety and fears? Will you do this knowing that the life will be challenging?

If so, please contact the Vocations Office at 973-497-4365 or by e-mail at platebri@rcan.org or visit our website at www.rcan.org.

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SCRIPTURE REFLECTION

Hannah and Elkanah offer their son, Samuel, to God in the Lord’s temple. Mary and Joseph find Jesus in the temple. He returns to Nazareth, obedient to them.

Our Weekly Offering
December 2003
December 20/21	$ 5,628.
Month’s Total	$ 15,014.
Month’s Average	$ 5,004.
Mailed in, thank you	$ 356.

MONTHLY AVERAGE COMPARISONS:
Month	‘02 Monthly Avg.	‘03 Monthly Avg.
November	$5,281.	$5,314.
December	$5,330.	$5,004.

HOLY HOUR

Every Tuesday, the Blessed Sacrament is exposed in the church from 3 to 4 p.m. It is an hour of prayer for the priests, DIVINE MERCY and religious men and women of the church. Prayers are also said for an increase of vocations to the priesthood and religious life.

We invite you to come and spend time with the Lord for these intentions and for your personal requests. The Holy Hour closes with Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. If you cannot join us in church, we ask you to join us from a quiet spot in your home and pray with us, asking the Lord to guide and protect our priests.

Church Website

A reminder that St. Anne’s Church website is: HTTP://STANNESJC.COM . Log on to view our current parish activities.

New Year’s Mass Schedule

New Year’s Eve

6:00 p.m. Anticipated Mass

New Year’s Day

7:30 a.m., 9 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 12 noon

Happy New Year!

BINGO CANCELLATION

Due to the New Year Holiday, there will be NO Bingo on Friday, January 2nd!

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Recently Passed Stem Cell Research Legislation

STATEMENT OF THE CATHOLIC BISHOPS OF NEW JERSEY ON HUMAN STEM CELL RESEARCH (S1909/A2840)

In light of the passage of these bills by the Legislature, we take this opportunity to again state our opposition to this legislation on deep moral grounds. We have consistently voiced this position, initially on February 3, 2003 and most recently on November 12, 2003.

We, the Catholic Bishops of New Jersey, oppose S1909/A2840 insofar as it permits research involving the derivation and use of human embryonic stem cells derived from “excess” human embryos stored at in vitro fertilization clinics or from cloning, i.e. somatic cell nuclear transplantation. We have great compassion for those who suffer from illnesses and look to such research to cure or otherwise treat their disease, and that is why we support research on adult stem cells. Adult stem cells come from adult tissue, placentas, or umbilical cord blood and can be retrieved without harming the donor. The only way to obtain embryonic stem cells, however, is to kill the living human embryo. Adult stem cells have helped hundreds of thousands of patients, and new clinical uses expand almost weekly. By contrast, embryonic stem cells have not helped a single human patient or demonstrated any therapeutic benefit.

The sanctity and dignity of human life, a cornerstone of Catholic moral and social teaching, demands respect for all human life, especially in its most vulnerable stages and conditions. Not only do the creation and destruction of human embryonic stem cells violate the sanctity of human life, but they also violate a central tenet of all civilized codes on human experimentation beginning with the Nuremberg Code. In effect, these acts approve doing deadly harm to a member of the human species solely for the sake of potential benefit to others. We believe it is more important than ever to stand for the principle that government must not treat any living human being as research material, as a mere means for benefit to others. Research that relies on the destruction of some defenseless human being for the possible benefit to others is morally unacceptable. We do not want a world where life is a commodity, manufactured and destroyed at will to serve others. It is for these reasons that research on discarded or excess embryos stored at in vitro fertilization clinics should not be permitted. Embryology textbooks tell us that in biological terms the embryo is a human being. Testimony of modern science is clear on this point: at the moment the sperm cell of the human male meets the ovum of the female and a union results in the fertilized ovum (zygote), a new life has begun.

Equally offensive and morally intolerable is that this legislation also includes somatic cell nuclear transplantation in the definition of research that would be permitted in New Jersey.

Padre Pio

St. Anne’s Padre Pio Prayer Group has cancelled their meeting for January! Their next gathering will take place on Saturday, February 14th at 2 p.m. in the church for prayers followed by their meeting in the auditorium. All are welcome.

Yule Log

Don’t forget to pick up your Yule Log. On Christmas Day, the Yule Logs were blessed.

If you donated $6 for an Advent Calendar, you need to bring the Calendar with you to Mass in order to pick up your Yule Log.

CCD News

NO CLASSES FOR CHRISTMAS/NEW YEAR HOLIDAY - DECEMBER 28TH AND JANUARY 4TH!! CLASSES WILL RESUME ON SUNDAY, JAN. 11TH!

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‘CATHOLIC’ NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS

Time is a most precious gift. As we see time through the eyes of faith, it becomes an opportunity to grow in grace. May the year 2003 be a true year of grace for each of us at Saint Anne’s. To aid us in holding the gift of Christmas throughout the year, may I suggest the following ideas for New Year’s Resolutions:

1. Attend daily Mass once or twice a month;

2. Participate in one of our novenas;

3. Set aside some time each day to read the Scriptures;

4. Do not leave Mass right after Communion – Pray the final song. Spend some time in meditation. Don’t rush your prayer.

5. Join one of our Societies (Holy Name, Rosarians, Legion of Mary, Padre Pio, St. Joseph’s Morning Prayer Group, etc) and share your faith in community;

6. Pick a ministry the parish needs and develop it with friends and family;

7. Pray for vocations in this time of need;

8. Evaluate your involvement in the parish and pledge a Gift of Time;

9. Say the Rosary;

10. Pick a corporal work of mercy and make our faith incarnate;

11. Become a coach and help our youth have real adult role models;

12. Share a “cost of living” donation in your envelope;

13. Use of parish envelope system;

14. Set time aside at night to pray over your day and seek the Lord’s presence;

15. Celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation by developing a confessor. Take time to grow with this very unique and very Catholic Sacrament. One of the seven precious Sacramental ways the Lord reminds us of His tender love.

16. Become a bingo worker and help keep tuition low;

17. Become a coach and help our youth have real adult role models;

18. Share a “cost of living” donation in your envelopes;

19. Use our parish envelope system;

20. Set time aside at night to pray over your day and seek the Lord’s presence;

21. Celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation by developing a confessor. Take time to grow with this very unique and very Catholic Sacrament. One of the seven precious Sacramental ways the Lord reminds us of His tender love.

Pick one, two, or three resolutions and each month renew your pledge so that it becomes a habit or second nature to your person. This will let Christmas lead to Easter.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

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READINGS FOR THE WEEK

MONDAY 1Jn 2:3-11 Ps 96:1-3,5b-6 Lk 2:22-35

TUES. 1Jn 2:12-17 Ps 96:7-10 Lk 2:36-40

WED 1Jn2:18-21 Ps 96:1-2,11-13 Jn 1:1-18

THURS. Nm 6:22-27 Ps 67:2-3,5-6,8 Gal 4:4-7 Lk 2:16-21

FRIDAY 1Jn 2:22-28 Ps 98:1-4 Jn 1:19-28

SATURDAY 1Jn 2:29-3:6 Ps 98:1,3-6 Jn 1:29-34

NEXT SUNDAY - THE EPIPHANY OF THE LORD Is 60:1-6 Ps 72:2,7-8,10-13 Eph 3:2-3a,5-6 Mt 2:1-12

Finance Committee Meeting

There will be a Finance Committee Meeting held on Monday, January 12th at 7:30 p.m. in the rectory. Please pick up your financial packet next weekend. Thank you.

Parish Auction

St. Anne’s annual Parish Auction is just around the corner. It will be on Sunday, March 7th at 1 p.m. in the church auditorium fro 1-6 p.m. Doors will open at 12 noon.

Open House

Academy of Saint Aloysius in Jersey City is having Open House on Wednesday, January 28th at 7 p.m. for all interested grammar school students and parents.

Vocation Announcements

The Benedictine Center for Spirituality invites you to a New Year’s Eve Retreat for women from 4 p.m. Wednesday to 1 p.m. Thursday. Cost $40 - for information call 908-353-3028.

Benedictine Sisters, Elizabeth, NJ, offer a Monastic Live-in, January 16-23. This is an opportunity to live, work and pray with a Benedictine community for a week. It is open to young adult Catholic women in their 20’s/30’s. Cost $150 - for information call 908-353-3028.

A Vocation Discernment Weekend is scheduled for January 16-18. If you are a single Catholic woman over 18 and think you may be called to the Benedictine way of life, this weekend retreat is for you. Call 908-353-3028.

Centennial Grand 50/50 Raffle

Could make a great Christmas Gift!!?

To Celebrate the 100th Anniversary of St. Anne Church, the Centennial Committee is having a Grand 50/50 Raffle with the opportunity to win up to $50,000 (based on the sale of 1,000 tickets). They are now available for purchase at the rectory or from Committee Members and will be available up to the day of the raffle.

· Only 1,000 Tickets Will Be Sold

· One Winner Only!

· Win Up To $50,000!

· Raffle Date: January 11, 2004 at 5 p.m.

Place: St. Anne’s Auditorium

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Spiritual Bouquet

As we get ready to celebrate our Centennial year, our Centennial Committee is inviting all parishioners to set aside the year 2004 as a Jubilee year of prayer. The tradition of a jubilee year comes from OLD TESTAMENT ORIGINS. The ultimate derivation of the word jubilee is disputed, but it is most probable that the Hebrew word jobel, to which it is traced, meant "a ram's horn", and that from this instrument, used in proclaiming the celebration, a certain idea of rejoicing was derived. Further, passing through the Greek iobelaios, or iobelos, the word became confused with the Latin jubilo, which means "to shout", and has given us the forms jubilatio and jubilaeum, now adopted in most European languages.

For the Israelites, the year of Jubilee was, in any case, preeminently a time of joy, the year of remission or universal pardon. "Thou shalt sanctify the fiftieth year," we read in Leviticus 25:10, "and shalt proclaim remission to all the inhabitants of thy land: for it is the year of jubilee."

With this in mind, as pastor and Spiritual Shepherd of St. Anne’s, I am calling for a year of prayers during our Centennial. I ask that we pray for the continuing conversion of our parish and the world around us, to a life open to Christ. I ask that this take the form of a spiritual bouquet to be offered during our Centennial Year. Let it be a time of forgiveness and healing; a time filled with rejoicing and shouting for joy, the great love God has for his people and the desire he has for us to be healed. Let us pray, that at the conclusion of jubilee year, the words of Micha the prophet. “You have been told, O man, what is good, and what the LORD requires of you: Only to do right and to love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God.” Mi 6:8, will be witnessed in our parish.

The spiritual Bouquet is found in pews of the church. Please fill out and place in the collection basket or drop at the rectory. these will be brought up in the Offertory Procession of the January 11th opening Mass, and kept before the Blessed Sacrament during the Centennial Year.

Monthly Memorial Mass

At the request of many parishioners, we will begin a monthly memorial mass on the first Saturday of each month. Those who are enrolled, will have their names recorded in our Parish Prayer Request Book located near the Blessed Sacrament.

Each month, this book will be brought up in the Offertory Procession and all will be invited to pray for these special intentions. These intentions can be for the living or for the deceased. Our Parish Family of St. Anne's wishes to share in your sorrow and in your prayer. We are calling this “Our Lady of Fatima Society”. Each person enrolled on a yearly basis, will share in the spiritual benefits and good works of the St. Joseph’s Morning Prayer Group, and in a monthly Mass and Rosary shared on the First Saturday of each month in honor of the Blessed Mother.

These Memorial Mass cards will be available at the rectory. You may see an example already set up in the Parish Prayer Request Book.

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Annulment Information

An Annulment Information Evening is scheduled for Wednesday, January 14th. A canon lawyer from the Archdiocese of Newark will discuss the most recent theology, guidelines and requirements for obtaining a Church annulment. The information will be presented in terms that all can understand. A question and answer period will conclude the session. Pre-registration is not necessary. This evening of information will be held at St. Thomas the Apostle RC Church (Parish Center), 60 Byrd Avenue, Bloomfield at 7:30 p.m. For additional information, please call the Office of Family Life Ministries at 973-497-4327.

Marriage Encounter Weekend

New Year’s Resolution: Enrich the most important human relationship of your life. Don’t let the winter blahs get you down. Don’t settle for the same old, same old. Reinvigorate your spouse away from the kids (and before the Super Bowl) in a comfortable hotel can be just the thing to start the New Year and an even better marriage. This invitation is brought to you by Marriage Encounter, making good marriages better. For more information and to register, call Sal and Sylvia Vassallo at 973-857-8184.

Day of Reflection

Our Lady of Victories Parish located at 2217 Kennedy Boulevard in Jersey City invites everyone to a New Year’s Day Day of Reflection on Saturday, January 3rd from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Father Benedict Groeschel, CFR, a renowned preacher and writer will be the presenter for the day and his topic will be on “Conversion, Reformation and Renewal”. Bring your family and friends. For more details, you can call the OLV rectory at 201-433-4152. Free lunch will be served.

Flower Decorations

Thanks to all who helped decorate our Church for the Holidays through your “Flower” donation.

We wish to express our appreciation to all who did the actual decorating by putting up the trees and poinsettias, hanging the wreaths on the pillars, and all the other decorations on the altar. Nice job well done!!

2004 Anniversary Masses

The Archdiocese of Newark is once again preparing the annual tradition of honoring those couples in our Archdiocese who will be celebrating five, twenty-five or fifty years of Christian marriage in the year 2004. These liturgies will be celebrated by Archbishop John J. Myers and will be held at the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark at 3 p.m.:

Sunday, March 14, 2004 - 25 & 5 years

Sunday, May 2, 2004 - 50 years

All Are Invited!!

All are invited to make a joyful noise unto the Lord! The adult choir will be having a rehearsal on January 4th at 1 p.m. in the church in preparation for our Centennial Mass on January 11th. They would like the community of St. Anne’s to join them in this special rehearsal.

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