PLEASE NOTE—THERE WILL BE COMMUNION SERVICE ONLY ON WEDNESDAY. STATIONS OF THE CROSS AND MASS ON FRIDAY EVENINGS DURING LENT.

Monday March 7^th Perpetua & Felicity

7:00 PM Grace McArdle r/o Bob & Joan McArdle

Tuesday March 8^th John of God

8:00 AM Mary Auerbach r/o Family

Wednesday March 9^th Frances of Rome

8:00 AM COMMUNION SERVICE ONLY

Thursday March 10^th

8:00 AM David & Violet Alliprandine

Friday March 11^th

7:00 PM Margaret Bednarski r/o Irene Corrigan & Elizabeth Connelly

Saturday March 12^th

8:00 AM Ray Wawrzyniak r/o His Family

Saturday March 12^th Vigil: 5^th Sunday of Lent

5:30 PM Louis Bocchino r/o OLM Youth Group

SUNDAY MASSES

Sunday March 13^th 5^th Sunday of Lent

8:00 AM Louis Bocchino r/o Holy Name Society

10:00 AM Claire M. Markey r/o M/M Mario Meola

12 NOON Vera Franzyshen r/o M/M/Clem Ianiero

The next day of fast & abstinence is Good Friday. All other Fridays of Lent are days of abstinence.

The Ladies Auxiliary of the SBB Fire Co. #1 will hold their 13^th Annual Fish Dinner Buffet on Friday, March 11, 2005. Lunch 11:30 AM – 2:00 PM, Dinner 4:30 PM – 7:30 PM. Adults: Lunch $8.50/Dinner $9.50, Senior Citizens: $8.50, Children (12 & under) $6.00, under 3 free. Take out available-call ahead. 732-627-9577 or fax 732-627-0697

March 6 Fourth Sunday of Lent

Pss IV Seasonal prop

Cr Pf of the Fourth Sun of Lent Sol Bl

31:1 Sm 16:1b,6-7,10-13a Ps 23:1-6

Eph 5:8-14 Jn 9:1-41 or 9:1,6-9;1,6-9,13-17,34-38

Samuel does not see as God sees in the choice of David, who is anointed with oil. As Jesus cures the blind man, so too are we brought from darkness into light through the grace of baptism.

Let Us Pray…That all people may come to view unborn children with the loving eyes of God.

PLEASE PRAY FOR ALL OF OUR PARISHIONERS who are sick at home, in the hospital or in nursing homes, especially for Teresa Salas, Bill Fioravant, John Pongratz, Mary Pokotello, Jeanette Felix, Roberta (Bobbi) Zabita, John Foxwell, Sr. Elinor Foxwell, F.M.M., Haley Weber, Cole Nesmith, James Murray (uncle of Karen Mathews), Warren King (father of Karen Mathews), Vincent Anatele, Rose Stevenson, Blanche Ferarro, Teresa Kunz, Carol Talnagi, Gladys Quinlin, Adam Platukis, Elizabeth Connelly, Vi Konz, Ruth Schraeder, Jill Miner, Rose Campanero and Josephine Sarnoski.

SUNDAY COLLECTION

February 27th $3,649.05

Sunday March 6, 2005

Counters Team # 1 Graber/Fasanella

Bingo Team #4

Our Lady of Mercy’s Stewardship Renewal Initiative is very important to our financial stability and our budget requirements. If you have not yet returned your response envelope, please do so at the first opportunity.

The Somerset County Commission on the Status of Women has awarded Patricia Repetz-Quinn, The Outstanding Woman Award for her personal and professional work in Medicine/Health Services.

How are we blind? Whom don’t we see or what don’t we notice happening around us? As we continue our journey with Operation Rice Bowl this week, we pray for sight to see the needs of our brothers and sisters around the world. We fast so that our hunger heightens our awareness of those in need of better health facilities and healthier living conditions. Our almsgiving is a way for us to show those looking for hope that there are others who care about their plight.

The Annual Easter Program will be held on Sat. March 12, 2005 at 10:30 AM in the Robert Morris School on Madison St. Sponsored by the SBB Recreation Committee and is free to boro youths.

Rosary Altar Society

The Rosary Altar Society meeting will be held this coming Monday, March 7, 2005 at 7:30 PM.

It's that time of the year once again. The Annual Bake & Craft Sale to be held on the weekend of Saturday, March 19 & Sunday, March 20, 2005 after all the Masses. Mouth- watering cakes, tasty cookies, and maybe some jelly beans. Some cute little " nick knacks " maybe an " Easter Basket " or two. You'll never know what these talented ladies will come up with. Hey Tom, I think Rose is baking that chocolate cake you like so much. All are invited to this special event. Come on down.

The Annual Father and Son Communion Breakfast will be held on Sunday, March 13, 2005. Father Dean Gaudio is guest speaker. Tickets are on sale after all masses, Adults $ 6.00 and Children $5.00. Tickets sold at the door will be $ 1.00 extra for all tickets. Please purchase your tickets early and avoid the surcharge.

Blessed Be HIS Holy Name

The glasses and eye care that many of us take for granted is a luxury, which the underprivileged both home and abroad often go without. The Somerset County Office for the Disabled is collecting used or/and outgrown glasses especially children's for distribution to these people who

desperately need them. Please leave your used/outgrown glasses in the baskets at the entrances of the church.

If you have any questions, please contact Mark Malone, the coordinator for the Office of the Disabled at: 908- 704-6334.

GERTRUDE HAWK EASTER CAN SALE

Brochures are available at all exits for Gertrude Hawk Easter candy. Please support our church fundraiser! Orders are due back no later than Sunday, February 27 at 1:00 pm. Please pay by cash or check. Checks can be made payable to Diane Mosko. Return completed orders with payment in an envelope marked “Candy Order” via the collection basket or in the rectory mail slot. Questions can be addressed to Diane at 908-369-3398.

Youth Group Notices:

Bagel Sunday, March 6th after the 10:00am Mass. Join us for a delicious egg, cheese and pork roll bagel, or just a muffin. Easter Egg Hunt: The Youth Group is sponsoring their Annual Easter Egg Hunt on March 20th after the 12:00 Mass. Forms may be obtained at all entrances or from their Religious Ed. teacher. Please place forms in the collection baskets by March 13. Easter Flower Sale: The Youth Group will sell flower after all the Masses on March 19th and 20.

The Youth Group will meet on Sunday, March 6th at 7:00 pm.

The Ancient Order of Hibernians Saint Patrick, Division 1, Somerset County, NJ will hold its annual Irish Mass on April 10, 2005, at 9:30 A.M., at the Shrine Chapel of The Blessed Sacrament, 150 W. Somerset Street, Raritan, New Jersey. The Mass is for deceased members, peace with justice in Ireland, the 1916 uprising and for the victims of The Great Hunger. A hearty buffet luncheon will follow at

Mannion’s Restaurant, 150 W. Main St., Somerville, NJ. The price for the luncheon: Adults $15.00, children 5-12 yrs. $7.00 Children under 5 yrs. eat Free. For tickets send a check, in the correct amount, and a self addressed stamped envelope to either: Bob Canavan, 418 Clinton Ave., Middlesex, NJ 08846,732-469-1098 or

Rich Evans P.O. Box 6417, Hillsborough, NJ 08844, 908-874-6127

Grandma's Aprons

The principle use of Grandma's apron was to protect the dress underneath, but along with that, it served as a holder for removing hot pans from the oven; It was wonderful for drying children's tears, and on occasion was even used for cleaning out dirty ears. From the chicken-coop the apron was used for carrying eggs, fussy chicks, and sometimes half-hatched eggs to be finished in the warming oven. When company came those aprons were ideal hiding places for shy kids; and when the weather was cold, grandma wrapped it around her arms. Those big old aprons wiped many a perspiring brow, bent over the hot wood stove. Chips and kindling wood were brought into the kitchen in that apron. From the garden, it carried all sorts of vegetables. After the peas had been shelled it carried out the hulls. In the fall the apron was used to bring in apples that had fallen from the trees. When unexpected company drove up the road, it was surprising how much furniture that old apron could dust in a matter of seconds. When dinner was ready, Grandma walked out onto the porch, waved her apron, and the men knew it was time to come in from the fields to dinner. It will be a long time before someone invents something that will replace that old-time apron that served so many purposes. Send this to those who would know, and love the story about Grandma's aprons. REMEMBER THIS! "Grandma used to set her hot baked apple pies on the window sill to cool. Her granddaughters set theirs on the window sill to thaw."