The Knights of Columbus councils 514 and 3359 wish to thank the generous parishioners of St Cecilia’s and Sacred Heart whose Rose for Life donations of $1300 helped cover a significant portion the $4,000.00 cost to send 2 busloads of pro-life marchers to Washington, D.C. It was one of the most energizing marches in memory and you can read comments from our riders in the Jan. 24 issue of the Beacon. Please keep the cause of life in your prayers and may God continue to richly bless you all.   

PIZZA NIGHT WITH BISHOP: For young men in high school or college, or even older come join Bishop Serratelli and priests from the Diocese of Paterson for adoration, reflection, fellowship and of course, pizza!!! Tuesday, February 5th at Pope John, XXIII in Sparta from 7:00 to 9:00 pm. For more information, please contact the Vocation Office at 973-777-8818, ext: 711.

LUNAR NEW YEAR – His Excellency, Bishop Arthur Serratelli will come to Saint Cecilia Church on Sunday, February 3rd to join in the celebration of Vietnamese New Year. The Bishop will preside at the 3:30 p.m. Mass. The celebration will continue in Hayes Hall following the Holy Mass. To all those celebrating , HAPPY NEW YEAR!

LISTEN TO POPE FRANCIS… “Why it is so important to go to Mass on Sundays and why it is not enough to just live a moral life, loving others: We don’t go to Mass to give something to God, but to receive from Him that which we truly need. Sunday Mass is the time and place Christians receive grace and strength to remain faithful to His work, follow His commandment to love others and be credible witnesses in the world. Just like a plant needs the sun and nourishment to live, every Christian needs the Sunday Eucharist to truly live. Without Christ, we are condemned to be dominated by the fatigue of daily life with all its worries and the fear of tomorrow. The Sunday encounter with the Lord gives us the strength to live today with confidence and courage and to move forward with hope.”

Please be advised that we are still having our baptismal class on Monday, January 21st, at 7:00 pm in the parish office.

BLESSING OF THE THROAT – The traditional blessing of the throat in commemoration of the feast of Saint Blasé, Bishop and Martyr, will take place at the conclusion of Masses the weekend of February 2-3.

CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK will be commemorated at next Sunday’s 9:15 a.m. Mass, January 27th, with students from Divine Mercy Academy participating. Next Sunday’s second collection will be used to support our children. Please be generous!

The Women’s Cornerstone is hosted and facilitated by a team of women who have previously experienced Cornerstone. The team has been meeting, praying and preparing for many months to bring you this special event. It involves their sharing of personal stories and experiences of finding God amidst the challenges of the modern world. This event is Friday-Saturday, March 22-23 at Saint Joseph Parish in West Milford (Father Zig’s former parish). The offering is $75 per candidate. For more info, please contact: Pauline Anderson @ 973-728-2290 or Email: [email protected] or Mary Lucas @ 973-697-1158 or Email: mamajo[email protected]. Ladies, treat yourself to a wonderful spiritual experience—you won’t regret it!!

You are invited to join Catholics from Rockaway and around the country to participate in the NATIONAL RIGHT TO LIFE MARCH in Washington, DC on Friday, January 18th. Bus transportation is free with departure from Gardener Field in Denville at 6 a.m. For info and reservation, please call Jim Rizos @ 973-627-2596. The bus is financed by the Knights of Columbus.

On Saturday January 19th St. Cecilia’s Church will be hosting a special pro-life event. All those that support the culture of life are welcome to join us for a morning of prayer, public witness, and education of the dignity and beauty of all human life. If you are interested in joining us, we will begin at 8:00am for Mass followed by coffee, juice and other light refreshments in Hayes Hall. By 9:00 am all participants will make the short walk to the Rockaway Park Lake walking path. We will march, pray and witness for a culture of life in our community and country. By 10:00 we will return to St. Cecilia’s for our closing prayer. No registration is required. For more information please contact Jim Clancy at [email protected] or at 973-627-0313.

Holy Masses in our parish for Holy Days of Obligation will be celebrated at the following times: Vigil (Day before the feast) Holy Mass at 4:30 pm. Holy Mass (the day of the feast) at 6:30 am, 8:00 am and 7:00 pm. This schedule is effective immediately!