Saturday March 28 5:00 pm Deceased Members of the DeSouza and

Estrada Families, Albina Spicacci and

Louise Surmay

Sunday March 29

7:30 am Grace Schultz and John Hanley

9:00 am John Gilligan and John Hanley

11:00 am Fr. Ed Dillon and Joseph Incitti

5:00 pm John Malone

Monday March 30

8:00 am Michael J. Flynn

Tuesday March 31

8:00 am Bernadette Curley

Wednesday April 1

8:00 am William Downey and Mark Ilkow

Thursday April 2

8:00 am Cyril DeSouza

Friday April 3

8:00 am For the People of the Parish

Saturday April 4

8:00 am Edward Morrison

5:00 pm Dick and Betty Lou Johnson and

Maryann Cullen

Sunday April 5

7:30 am For the People of the Parish

9:00 am Nick Marconi and Patricia Fergus

11:00 am John Gilligan and John Hanley

5:00 pm John Malone and Robert Gage

Weekly Memorials Hear our Prayers for those who are ill especially Anthony

LaFerrara, Neiko Pagaling, Carmela Cecere, Mike Mulane, Evey

Staromano, Caroline Palluzzi, Mary Cecere, Josh Crucilla,

Patrick Duffy, Jane Cunningham, Erlinda Ruzol, Jack Meeks,

Dinah Villanueva, Theresa Padula, Joseph Crucilla, Roe Pucci,

Jim Kazenmayer, Jerry Fontes, John Hefferon, George Morgan,

Nicholas Baldwin, Joanne Huertas, Ethel Ulrich, Dave Melroy,

Aggie Ryan, Sarah Sterns, Richard Terranova, Patrick O’Con-

nor, Antoinette Cecere, Peter Paul Perla, Jr., Daniel Deicas and

for all our deceased.

Fifth Sunday of Lent March 29, 2020

Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord April 5, 2020

First Reading: Isaiah 50:4-7

In a tone of quiet sadness Isaiah describes the buffets and in-

sults given to the Suffering Servant. The passage ends on a

note of hope.

Second Reading: Philippians 2:6-11

In exultant tones, Paul tells the Philippians to rejoice because

Christ became man, died on the cross, rose from the dead, and

sits triumphantly at the right hand of the Father.

Gospel: Matthew 26:14-27:66

This is the solemn narrative of the passion and death of our

Lord Jesus Christ. Matthew recounts the treachery and betrayal

of Judas and then describes the events of the Last Supper, cul-

minating in the institution of the Eucharist. Jesus endures the

Agony in the Garden; he is then brought before Caiaphas and

Pilate and condemned to death. After His resurrection, the cen-

turions shouted, “Clearly this was the Son of God!”

Mass will be live streamed every Sunday

morning at 10 am and

then uploaded to YouTube each week.

Join us!

Visit the parish website to connect to our YouTube channel

or search YouTube St. Patrick Parish Chatham

BAPTISM: Arrangements should be made one month in advance by calling Diane Wallace at 973-635-0625. Parents are expected

to attend an instructional session with the Baptism Team. Baptisms are celebrated at 12:30 pm Sundays.

RCIA-RITE OF CHRISTIAN INITIATION OF ADULTS: The R.C.I.A. invites non-baptized persons and those baptized into another

faith to participate in a faith journey in preparation for becoming a Catholic. If you are interested in any aspect of R.C.I.A., please

email Deb at Dkuzma@st-pats.org or call her at the parish office at ext. 153.

SACRAMENT OF MATRIMONY: Congratulations! In order that we can together plan for your big day, couples should notify the

Church and begin to prepare at least one year in advance of the date. Please email Fr. Bob at Fr.Bob@st-pats.org or call Fr. Bob at

the parish office ext. 152.

MINISTRY TO THE SICK AND HOME BOUND: If a family member or someone you know is recuperating from a hospital stay or is

homebound for any length of time and would like to receive Holy Communion, please let us know. It is a priority for the parish com-

munity to support and be present to those who cannot be with us for the celebration of the Eucharist. If you would like a priest or

deacon to visit a family member who is hospitalized, contact the parish office at 973-635-0625.

SACRAMENT OF ANOINTING OF THE SICK: Please call the parish office at 973-635-0625 to arrange for a priest.

FIRST RECONCILIATION AND FIRST EUCHARIST: Children preparing to receive the sacraments of First Reconciliation and First

Eucharist begin preparation in first grade. To register, visit our website at www.st-pats.org.

From the Desk of our Pastor

Lent: Respect through Reverence and Love for Life (Part 5 of 5) Last weekend became a first in my life; celebrating a Sunday mass without an assembly. Although I was not completely alone since I had Fr. Artur using his technical skills to livestream the mass into your homes; as well as Deacon Joe and Karen Koronkiewicz assisting me with service at the altar and the reading of scriptures. I have often commented at the end of particular liturgies that those in the assembly are so valuable to the priest who celebrates mass in that liturgy invites people into a communal experience as Jesus did not celebrate the Last Supper alone, but with twelve other people. However I thank so many who tuned in to celebrate the liturgy through our website, Facebook or YouTube as I received emails and texts commenting on your experience. Presently we are working on our technology with hope that this week’s liturgy shows a vast improvement with the audio portion of the transmission.

Today I conclude the last part of a five part series for Lent with focus on “community” as an important component of gener-ating reverence and love for life in that the coronavirus has brought to light the importance of people whom make life specia l in the workplace, school, neighborhood, family, and church. I could not imagine having a parish picnic, graduation or first communion cele-bration with nobody in attendance. The desire to maintain communication with those who are part of our community opens a new path to discover means of communication with others during this frightening time in our lives as we are called to physically distant ourselves from other people.

The coronavirus has left many isolated from loved ones and even quite helpless. It has taken me away from visits to my mother as well as friends whom I often share meals with throughout the course of each week. I see few people throughout each day and frequently find myself in the office with no conversation other than telephone calls. Like you, there is also fear of contracting the virus, which holds me back from normal trips to the grocery store. I also realize the way it has broken the spirits of many people, who appear saddened, disheartened, or alone. This weekend the church celebrates the 5 th Week of Lent, and the scriptures for Sunday liturgy help us to understand fearful situations that are out of our control. The prophet Ezekiel (Ezekiel 37:12-14) speaks to people who have been sent into exile in Babylon, people experiencing involuntary lockdown and isolation. Their hopes of freeing themselves and going home are shattered when they receive the news that Jerusalem, their home, has been destroyed. Their spirits are broken. Ezekiel tells them to have faith that God’s spirit is in them to strengthen them and see them through the tragedy. Indeed, they found that inner strength and their lives were renewed.

In John’s Gospel, (John 11:1-45) Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha, has died. Jesus’ tears were for his friend Laza-rus as well as for Lazarus’s sisters Martha and Mary whose spirits are broken. Beneath the tears of Jesus is the spirit of compassion as he comes to these two women and encourages them not to lose faith. He raises up Lazarus, restoring his spirit, but also the bro-ken spirits of Martha and Mary. As we struggle during this tragic time and feel isolated by it, our spirits might be battered and broken. God invites us to find hope through the prophet Ezekiel and the people in exile in that their spirits were broken, but their faith that God is with them, even in the worst of times, renewed their spirits. So too, with Martha, Mary and Lazarus.

Paul’s Letter to the Romans (Romans 8:8-11) brings to light that familiar phrase, “The Spirit of God dwells in you” and it is the Spirit that gives you life. This week seek to discover the inner strength and renewed spirit that comes from God with hope and prayers that as a community of believers we will be back together in the near future. Meanwhile, please take note of the opportunities to stay connected with the church through all that is shared on the parish website. It keeps you in touch with your community without losing sight of those whom you are accustomed to see in church each week and whom share your beliefs in Christ.

In Christ’s Love, Fr. Bob

AROUND THE PARISH

Fifth Sunday of Lent March 29, 2020

Music ministry Our psalm for the fifth Sunday of Lent is Ps. 130: Out of the Depths. How appropriate this prayer is for us now. In addition, these psalm verses bring comfort. Ps. 91: 1-6, 15-16.

1 You who dwell in the shelter of the Most High, who abide in the shade of the Almighty, 2 Say to the Lord, “My refuge and fortress, my God in whom I trust.” 3 He will rescue you from the fowler’s snare, from the destroying plague, 4 He will shelter you with his pinions, and under his wings you may take refuge; his faithfulness is a protecting shield. 5 You shall not fear the terror of the night nor the arrow that flies by day, 6 Nor the pestilence that roams in darkness, nor the plague that ravages at noon. 15 He will call upon me and I will answer; I will be with him in distress; I will deliver him and give him honor. 16 With length of days I will satisfy him, and fill him with my saving power. Maggie Hanson, Music Minister

Please email any pastoral staff member

with questions or concerns. The staff will

continue to post updates, videos and pic-

tures on our social media and website. We

will communicate with the parish through

regular emails.

Saint Patrick School News

St. Patrick School Conducting eLearning With Great Success! Like other schools in the area, St. Patrick School transitioned to an eLearning platform beginning Monday, March 16 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While there are always a few bumps in the road when you try something new, our students, parents and faculty have done a great job in taking on this challenge and making the best out of a unique situation. Our faculty have worked and are working hard to facilitate meaningful and creative learning for our students. Since Google Classroom was already St. Patrick School’s primary form of organizing assignments for our students and communicating with our parents on homework and assignments, our faculty and students were well prepared for the full transition to eLearning. In addition to Google Classroom, our teachers are using other online resources such as Flipgrid, Zoom, YouTube, Google Hangout Meets, and more to be as interactive as possible with their students in all classes and all grades. Likewise, our students are sending photos of their classwork to their teachers and taking vide-os of themselves singing for Music Class, answering questions for English/Language Arts, and even exercising for PE. As a commu-nity, we can do anything together and we can do this!

St. Patrick School Still Accepting Applications For The 2020-2021 School Year! Applications for all grades – Pre-K3 through Grade 8 – at St. Patrick School are still being accepted, with some grades nearly full. Join the National Blue Ribbon and AdvancED Stem Certified school where your child can #BeTheFuture! For more information, log on to www.st-pats-school.org/applications or contact the Admissions Office at admissions@st-pats.org.

First Group of Winners Announced for Lucky 7 Shamrock Raffle! Congratulations to last week's Lucky 7 Shamrock Raffle winners! Yanping Hu of Port Washington, New York was the St. Patrick's Day winner of $1,500! The Swift Family of Chatham was the March 20 winner of $500! Congrats to the two winners! The next Lucky 7 Shamrock Raffle pull will occur Friday, March 27. Stay Informed: Visit St. Patrick School Website and Dr. Ross' Blog Want to know what is happening at St. Patrick School during this unique time? Check out Dr. Ross' blog, which is helping keep par-ents informed and providing much needed resources. Connect with Dr. Ross' blog at https://sites.google.com/st-pats.org/drrossblog/home. In addition, the St. Patrick School website is updated regularly with information relating to the school's closure and important announcements and resources for our school community. Visit www.st-pats-school.org/nurse to learn more.

Thinking Ahead: St. Patrick School Summer Camp Accepting Registrations For July Children are invited to join St. Patrick School during July as we explore the world around us through projects, play, and experiments.

St. Patrick School Summer Camp will run from June 29 through July 24 and is open to rising Pre-K4 (must be 4 to attend) to rising

Grade 3 students. Students do not have to be registered with St. Patrick School to attend. In 2020, the St. Patrick Summer Camp will

offer a Half-Day Option from 9AM-12:00PM or a Full-Day Option With Lunch from 9AM-3PM (Campers bring their own lunch). Every

Friday is "Beach Day" with sprinklers and fun in the sun! Register now! Limited spots available. Register at: https://tinyurl.com/

s9mjjev