SOUPER BOWL SUNDAY - February 1 in all Masses

SOUPER BOWL SUNDAY
Confirmation Candidates to Collect Dollars for our Parish Food Pantry

The Pittsburgh Steelers know all about the Super Bowl, having made six previous appearances and won five titles. The Arizona Cardinals are new to the big stage, but they've won three playoff games in decisive fashion to reach Tampa.

As these football teams play each other in Tampa Bay, Florida, our candidates for Confirmation will try to score a touchdown for our Parish Food Pantry on Super Bowl XLIII, February 1, 2009.

"The Souper Bowl of Caring" is an annual parish event and is a great opportunity to help the needy. Our young parishioners will use that weekend, transforming the days of parties and celebrations into a day of caring for the hungry and hurting.

Armed with soup pots, they will be at the doors of the church, collecting $1 from each person walking by in all Masses next Sunday.

Candidates will be credited an hour per Mass that they volunteer to collect the Souper Bowl donation from the parishioners.

Please call the parish office to sign-up for the Mass Time you would like to volunteer. The earlier you call, it is most likely that you will get your desired Mass Time to volunteer.

Saturday, January 31, 5:30 PM - 4 volunteers needed.
Sunday, February 1, 9:00 AM - 8 volunteers needed.
Sunday, February 1, 11:30 AM - 8 volunteers needed.

NB. The Youth Group will cover the 7:30 AM Mass.

FEBRUARY 8 SESSION

FEBRUARY 8 SESSION

GOAL:
The candidates deepen their understanding of their fundamental relationship with Christ begun in Baptism and what it means to be anointed in His image.

ACTIONS:
11:30 AM - Mass with active participation in the Liturgy
12:30-1:00 PM - light lunch
1:00 - 2:30 PM : Sixth Session: More Like Christ

Service Requirements:
At this point, the candidate is expected to have completed a total of 10 hours of the Christian Service Project. Forms will be collected during the session.

PROJECT - SELECTING A CONFIRMATION NAME -

PROJECT III - Selecting a Confirmation Name
-to be submitted on February 8

Candidates must create and submit a Confirmation project that shows a knowledge and understanding of the saint whose name they are choosing as their own Confirmation name. Candidates may also choose to just retain their Baptismal name.

Projects do not necessarily have to be written reports. Indeed, candidates are encouraged to be creative and original. Projects could posters, models, dioramas, screenplays, mobiles, first-person narratives written from the point of view of the saint, sculptures, woodcarvings – the possibilities are limited only by your imagination!

Projects will be presented at the February 8 session and then displayed for the entire parish community during Confirmation week!

Candidates may work together with family, friends, and/or fellow candidates to complete this project.

The Program Coordinator reserves the right to return projects to candidates for further work if the submitted work does not reflect the individual’s attention, care, effort, and/or reverence required for participation in this program.

A good place to start researching saints is the Catholic Online website, www.catholic.org/saints/. There you will find an alphabetical index of saints, an index of patron saints, and a calendar with saints’ feast days, among other useful tools.

In starting to research saints and complete their projects, candidates may want to consider the following questions:

· How and why did your parents choose your baptismal name?
· What activities, places, people, etc. interest you? Is there a patron saint associated with any of these ?
· Which saints have their feast day on your birthday?
· Which saints inspire you? Why?
· When and where did the saint you are interested in live?
· When was he/she canonized? By which pope?
· How did this saint die? Was he/she persecuted and/or martyred for his/her beliefs?
· What was this saint’s occupation?
· What did this saint’s mission look like?
· What virtues did this saint practice in his/her life? Did this saint always practice these virtues

Did this saint experience a conversion?
· How would you describe this saint’s personality?
· What miracles did this saint perform?
· Are there any symbols associated with this saint?
· What are their meanings?
· In what ways is this saint a model for Christians today?
· How would this saint act/react if he/she were living in today’s world?
· If this saint were to complete a Confirmation project on his/her own life, what kind of project would he/she create?

From PALMS to ASHES - Sunday, February 22 at 7PM

From Palms to Ashes
-the Rite of Burning of Palms for Ash Wednesday

To reinforce the origin and symbolism of the ashes used on Ash Wednesday we would like to invite all of our parishioners to bring their palm fronds from Palm Sunday on February 22, 2009 at 7:00 PM, the Sunday before Lent starts so we can burn them prior to Ash Wednesday.

Palms from the previous year's Palm Sunday are burned and the resulting ashes imposed on the foreheads of worshippers on Ash Wednesday, February 25, on which Lent begins.

We encourage all of you to gather the old palm from pictures and crucifixes. Carefully — because it is a sacramental — we burn it as a lesson on the "dust" we are and to which we must return. It means so much to all of us Christians if we can burn our own piece of palm as an expression and confirmation of a Lenten resolution we made. However let us take care that these resolutions are not just negative "give-ups," and "do-aways," but positive "build-ups," overflowing from a new abundant charity and love requiring outward expression. So is fasting only one factor of Lent, needing the compensation of prayer and good deeds.

CONFIRMATION RETREAT
Saturday, February 28, 2009
10am-4pm

LOCATION
ARCHDIOCESE OF NEWARK YOUTH CENTER
499 Belgrove Drive, Kearny, NJ 07032
Phone: (201)998-0088/ Fax: (201)299-0801

PROGRAM
This is a mega– style Confirmation retreat with candidates for the reception of the Sacrament of confirmation for the other parishes of the Archdiocese of Newark. Participants in this retreat get to experience the larger Church community by meeting youth from other parishes who are on the same journey.

We will be engaging in …discussions, prayer, activities, Reconciliation experience, Mass, community building and fun. Everyone’s participation is important to the group, so we look forward to perfect attendance. If you have any question or concern, please call Fr. Manolo right away.

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

Chris Padgett
Chris has utilized music and stories to convey the love of Christ to a generation in need of Good News for close to a decade. Chris is a popular Keynote Speaker and Performer at National and local Youth Rallies, Conferences and Retreats including the Steubenville East Conferences, and National Catholic Youth Conferences. Chris will definitely entertain and enrich the young people present!


Fr. John Gordon
Currently parochial vicar at Holy Family Church in Nutley, has been very involved in the Catholic Charismatic movement and has been a prominent presence at the Franciscan University of Steubenville’s Youth Conferences.
Fr. John has a great love for young people and a zeal for Christ! He will celebrate the Liturgy of the Eucharist to close out our retreat day.

FEE: $20.00 per person (includes hot lunch)

TRANSPORTATION
We request parents to bring their kids to the Retreat Center. Parents can arrange and agree among themselves when they decide to car pool. We will leave St. Joseph Church together that day. Details of our assembly time at the Church parking lot will be announced.

REQUIRED FORMS
1. Permission and Release
2. Code of Behavior
3. Health Form

Please complete all the needed documents and bring to the Confirmation Session on February 8

FIFTH SESSION - JANUARY 11

JANUARY 11
ACTIONS:11:30 AM - Mass with active participation in the Liturgy

12:30-1:00 PM - light lunch

Family Volunteers
Mary Beth Walsh
Carl & Kathy Kling
John & Ingrid Accardi
Jose Agila/Martina Chavez

1:00 - 2:30 PM : Fifth Session: In the Strength of his love and The Oil of Salvation

GOAL:
The candidates focus on the strength given in Confirmation that comes from the increased measure of the treasures of God’s life in the sacrament - the gift of the Spirit.

The candidates explore the symbol of anointing with oil and its profound significance in Confirmation.

PROJECT III - Selecting a Confirmation Name
- to be presented on February 6 Session

Candidates must create and submit a Confirmation project that shows a knowledge and understanding of the saint whose name they are choosing as their own Confirmation name. Candidates may also choose to just retain their Baptismal name.
Projects do not necessarily have to be written reports. Indeed, candidates are encouraged to be creative and original. Projects could posters, models, dioramas, screenplays, mobiles, first-person narratives written from the point of view of the saint, sculptures, woodcarvings – the possibilities are limited only by your imagination!
Projects will be presented at the February 8 session and then displayed for the entire parish community during Confirmation week!
Candidates may work together with family, friends, and/or fellow candidates to complete this project.
The Program Coordinator reserves the right to return projects to candidates for further work if the submitted work does not reflect the individual’s attention, care, effort, and/or reverence required for participation in this program.

A good place to start researching saints is the Catholic Online website, www.catholic.org/saints/. There you will find an alphabetical index of saints, an index of patron saints, and a calendar with saints’ feast days, among other useful tools.

In starting to research saints and complete their projects, candidates may want to consider the following questions:

· How and why did your parents choose your baptismal name?· What activities, places, people, etc. interest you? Is there a patron saint associated with any of these ?· Which saints have their feast day on your birthday?· Which saints inspire you? Why?· When and where did the saint you are interested in live?· When was he/she canonized? By which pope?· How did this saint die? Was he/she persecuted and/or martyred for his/her beliefs?· What was this saint’s occupation?· What did this saint’s mission look like?· What virtues did this saint practice in his/her life? Did this saint always practice these virtues? Did this saint experience a conversion?· How would you describe this saint’s personality?· What miracles did this saint perform?· Are there any symbols associated with this saint?· What are their meanings?· In what ways is this saint a model for Christians today?· How would this saint act/react if he/she were living in today’s world?· If this saint were to complete a Confirmation project on his/her own life, what kind of project would he/she create?

Service Requirements:
At this point, the candidate is expected to have completed a total of 8 hours of the Christian Service Project. Forms will be collected during the session.