Please Note: No Mass on Wednesdays

Monday January 26^th Timothy & Titus, Bishops

7:00 PM Bernice Bell

r/o Our Lady of Mercy Altar Rosary Society

Tuesday January 27^thAngela Merici

8:00 AM Jennie Leary in Remembrance of Her Birthday

r/o Family

Wednesday January 28^th Thomas Aquianas, Priest

No Mass on Wednesday

Thursday January 29^th

8:00 AM Aldo Sternadore r/o His Daughter

Friday January 30^th

8:00 AM David Conner r/o The Pelech Family

Saturday January 31^st John Bosco, Priest

8:00 AM Intentions of the Parishioners

5:30 PM David Conner, Sr. r/o His Girls

Sunday February 1^st

8:00 AM Tom Cicalese r/o Karen Mathews & Family

10:00 AM Helen Golaszewski r/o Family

12 NOON Georgia Tsairis r/o Lisa, Paul, Nick & Jessica

THIRD SUNDAY IN

ORDINARY TIME

HOURS Pss III Seasonal Prop

MASS Prop Gl Cr Sun Pf I-VIII

RDGS 68: Jon 3:1-5, 10 Ps 25:4-9

1 Cor 7:29-31 Mk 1:14-20

The Ninevites heard the preaching of Jonah and repented of their evil ways, thus experiencing the Lord’s compassion. Do we repent when we hear the preaching of Jesus? Do we invest our lives in the world rather than in God’s kingdom?

Stewardship

There is a certain urgency in today’s Gospel as Jesus calls His first disciples — Andrew and Simon, James and John. Each one follows Jesus immediately, unhesitatingly abandoning nets and boats and father and fellow-workers. To what is Jesus calling me — at this moment, in these circumstances? What will I need to abandon in order to follow Him?

PLEASE PRAY FOR ALL OF OUR PARISHIONERS

For those who are ill, especially: Josephine Sarnoski, Elizabeth Connelly, Genevieve Casey, Peter Yazgier, Chester Scaletti, Sr. and Keith Bloomer.

Collections

January 11^th & 18^th will be announced next week.

Counters

Jan. 25^th Team #4 Jim Scaletti

Feb. 1^st Team #1 Joe Graber & Gerry Fasanella

Feb. 8^th Team #2 Ken Giacomini

Feb. 15^th Team #3 Louie Auerbach & David Boyle

MOUNT ST. MARY

HOUSE OF PRAYER

1651 U.S. Highway 22, Watchung, NJ 07069-6587

(908) 753-2091 msmhope@msmhope.org

Please register for all events

WOMEN’S GATHERING

Fri-Jan 30, 9:30-11:30 a.m. ($15) Come together, be energized and support one another on the spiritual journey.

WEEKEND RETREAT

Feb. 6-8 Begins 7 p.m. on opening day; concludes at 2 p.m. ($110/weekend; non-refundable deposit $25) An experience of personal prayer based on Scripture. Daily spiritual direction. Atmosphere of prayerful quiet. Adaptable to the needs of each individual.

Holy Family Academy

Open House

“Learning to Love, Loving to Learn”

Holy Family Academy, 120 E. Second St., Bound Brook, NJ will have an Open House on Wednesday, January 28^th starting at 9:00 AM thru 2:00 PM. Come visit the school; see our classes in session; talk with our principal & parents of enrolled children and enjoy light refreshments in a welcoming environment. Additionally, there is an Open House on Sunday, January 18^th from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM.

Holy Family Academy has:

· Half-day & full-day preschool

· Full week and half-week Kindergarten

· Grades 1-8

· 7:30 AM Early drop off

· After school care until 6:00 PM

We look forward to you being a part of our family!

For more info on HFA or the Open Houses, please call (732) 356-1151.

Thank you Diane!!

Thank you, Thank you to Diane Mosko for all the work she did for this year’s Christmas Candy fund raiser. It was a great success raising over $600 for the church.

Diocesan News

www.diometuchen.org

FOUNDATION FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATION

January 24 & 25 The second collection this weekend is for the Foundation for Catholic Education, a Diocesan endowment fund which was established in 1991. Your generosity to the Foundation collection provides tuition assistance grants to students in financial need in the Catholic elementary and high schools of the Diocese of Metuchen. Without financial assistance, these students might not receive the gift of a Catholic education. Catholic Education today needs the support of everyone if we are to continue to inspire the future with faith, hope, love and knowledge. Please be as generous as your means allow.

WORLD MARRIAGE DAY CELEBRATION

SUNDAY, FEB. 8, 2009

Bring the whole family and join us for a”special” celebration beginning with the 12:00 Noon Mass at St. Francis Cathedral, Metuchen. Bishop Paul Bootkoski will be the celebrant. Rev. Timothy Christy, Pastor, St. Magdalen Church, Flemington is guest homilist.

A festive brunch will follow immediately in the Cathedral Community Room. Dr. Philip Mango, the featured nationally renowned guest speaker, will address the topic of “The Real Deal About Men & Women”. Dr. Mango is a licensed psychotherapist & co-founder of St. Michael’s Institute for Psychological Sciences. Pre-registration necessary. $50 per family, $35.00 per couple, $20 per person. For more info contact the Family Life Office (732) 562-1990 x. 1624 or e-mail: family.life@diometuchen.org.

Catholic School Tuition Assistance Applications

Applications for financial aid through the Diocese of Metuchen Tuition Assistance Program for the 2009-2010 school year are now available at all diocesan elementary and secondary schools. Completed applications must be received by Private School Aid Service by no later than March 31, 2009.

To obtain an application form, please contact the Principal or main office of the school where the student is registering. A printable version of the form, both English & Spanish, is available on the diocesan website at www.diometuchen.org/schools/tuition-assistance.

Yes, it’s that time of year…

**End of Year Financial Report for Taxes**

Anyone wishing to obtain a statement of contributions for the past year – 2008, should drop a note in the collection basket or call the rectory during business hours. We will need to have your name (and your spouse’s name, if applicable), street address and phone number. Your parishioner number would also help us speed up the process.

Our Lady of Mercy News

www.olmsbb.org

Holy Family Academy Bake Sale

Holy Family Academy will be holding a Bake Sale after all Masses Sunday, January 25^th in celebration of Catholic Schools Week. Please stop by for lots of home-made goodies! Thank you for your support.

Youth Group News

The next meeting of the Youth Group will be on Sunday January 25th at 6 p.m. All teen youths of the parish are invited and welcome.

· Bagel Sunday was so successful, we will have one the first Sunday of the month starting with Sunday, February 1^st after the 10 a.m. Mass. Please help support us by purchasing a yummy breakfast and join us for a little fellowship.

· We will also be going back to the Ronald MacDonald House on February 15^th. All donations you have left in the vestibule along with the flip tops will be delivered at that time. Thank you to everyone who donated.

Community News

Warm Up Winter the

Irish Way

The Willie Lynch Band

Open to the Public

Somerville Elks

375 Union Ave. Bridgewater

January 30^th at 7PM

$30 per person includes food & entertainment
$5 more - you your first 2 draft beers
Prepay by January 25^th and get $5 worth of 50/50 tickets FREE!
100% of the proceeds supports the Somerset County St. Patrick’s Day Parade

WE NEED YOUR HELP!

Make payments payable to:

St. Patrick’s Parade, Inc.

Mail to:

Brendan Nally

11 East Summit Street

Somerville, NJ 08876

For more information: bnally@somervillenj.org.