Diary of a Parish Priest

Mass on Saturday Survey Tabulations

The up to date tabulations on the survey are available on this link:

Current Results of Survey

 

 

The survey will be open until next Monday, giving parishioners an opportunity to hear about it at Sunday mass and in the bulletin. 

Should Holy Cross Add a 5:00 PM Saturday Evening Mass?

Please help us plan our worship schedule in this challenging time by taking the brief survey on Saturday evening Mass at Holy Cross.

 

Saturday Evening Mass Survey

June 28 Mini Bulletin

Download 28June Bulletin 

First Communion Viewers

Proud grandparents and family members from these places watched our First Communions:

Asbury Park	New Jersey
Atlantic Highlands	New Jersey
Budd Lake	New Jersey
Edison	New Jersey
Fairfax	Virginia
Green Knoll	New Jersey
Highland Park	Illinois
Jersey City	New Jersey
Jupiter	Florida
Lancaster	Pennsylvania
Leisure Village	New Jersey
Leonardo	New Jersey
Livingston	New Jersey
Long Branch	New Jersey
Los Angeles	California
Lyndhurst	New Jersey
Margate	Florida
Middlebush	New Jersey
New York City	New York
North Wales	Pennsylvania
Palm Valley	Florida
Paramus	New Jersey
Queens Village	New York
Red Bank	New Jersey
Rumson	New Jersey
Savannah	Georgia
Springfield	Virginia
Summit	New Jersey
Toms River	New Jersey
Tyler	Texas
Virginia Beach	Virginia
Wayne	New Jersey
West Belmar	New Jersey
West Orange	New Jersey
Woodbury Heights	New Jersey

First Communions Joyful

It was so wonderful to be able to let the children receive their First Holy Communions today after they have been waiting for such a long time. The weather cooperated and we had no rain, although we were surely glad for the air conditioning in the church.

The children were reverent and quite excited to receive our Lord for the first time. Thank you to their parents for having brought them to the altar and preparing them for this day, their teachers and catechists and all the family that are praying for them in the Christian journey. 

Confirmation

You can't tell in the pictures from their backs that everyone is wearing masks.

Thank you To Church Volunteer Cleaning Crew

Thanks to the help of our volunteer cleaning crew of parishioners, the church was sanitized in record time and was available not only for the second of our two Confirmation ceremonies, but also made ready for a funeral mass tomorrow morning. 

 

Recorded Morning Mass of June 21 Is Available in Archive

Still no internet connection in the church and no one to check on it until Monday morning. Meantime, view this morning's recorded mass. 

In our SteamSpot archives by clicking on the Streamspot Player or on YouTube YouTube Link to June 21 Mass

Blessed Father's Day

Sacrament of Confirmation

At long last, Holy Cross confirmandi will receive the Sacrament of Confirmation on Monday, June 22. There will be two groups: the first at 2:00 PM and the second at 4:00 PM. Both ceremonies will be live streamed. Please pray for our young people taking this important step forward in faith. 

 

Mini Bulletin June 21

Download 21June Mini Bulletin

No 9:00 AM Mass on Tuesday or Wednesday

Tuesday morning we have a Mass of Christian Burial and Wednesday morning our First Holy Communions. In church daily 9:00 AM mass is cancelled on these days. First Communion masses will be live streamed. 

Climbing Rose Gets Longer and Longer Each Year

This climbing rose is a real climber! It's already reached the top of the holly tree to the right and is now streaming downward. It's cane on the left is being trained along the fence. 

Entry to Sunday Mass Through Main Door Only

It has been suggested by the ushers and staff that using our main entry door instead of the South transept may allow more efficient seating of those waiting for a seat. It brings the trade-off of having people walk through the church to reach the front rows, but it will allow us to help curb people from standing in the transept and nave along the walls. 

We'll try it and see. We are fortunate to have many ushers willing and able to help us welcome people efficiently and we thank them. Thank you for your patience and understanding. (It will also help us if you arrive a minute or two early for mass.)

Gathered Together, Separately

Far and Wide

An interesting group of viewers have been logging onto the online masses. Some stay a little while, others click away having probably been looking for something else. Here were some of the cities today:

Alexandria	Virginia
Atlantic Highlands	New Jersey
Fair Haven	New Jersey
Farmingdale	New Jersey
Fort Lee	New Jersey
Greenville	Ohio
Herndon	Virginia
Iona	Florida
Leonardo	New Jersey
Lincroft	New Jersey
Little Silver	New Jersey
Long Branch	New Jersey
Montgomeryville	Pennsylvania
New City	New York
New York City	New York
Paramus	New Jersey
Red Bank	New Jersey
Rumson	New Jersey
Santa Clara	California
Scotch Plains	New Jersey
Sea Girt	New Jersey
Toms River	New Jersey
Virginia Beach	Virginia
West Belmar	New Jersey

Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ

Thanks everyone to came to pray at our first indoor mass since the lockdown! It was terrific to see so many people and hear loud responses to invitation to prayer again. 

Our ushers, sacristan and staff did a great job of seating people (and looking for spots) and everyone was so patient and cooperative. Thank you.

We did not exceed our allowed capacity, but ran out of seats due to the mix of single, couples and families who came to mass. Seating individuals and couples takes up more space than a family or a group when social distancing is factored in.

Communion flowed smoothly and it was a sunny and cool day for anyone waiting outside.

Let us pray for the Lord's protection on our parish, our nation and our world in the coming months.

 

June 14, 2020

Corpus Christi Procession

After this morning's mass, we prayed a procession today in honor of the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ and in anticipation of opening the church for Sunday mass on that day.

 

Bulletin for June 13 - 14 Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ

Download 14June Mini Bulletin