Rev. Bernard Nowicki, pastor of the Heart of Jesus Polish National Catholic Church in Bayonne, will lead the contingent for the 2012 tri-state Pulaski Day parade in Manhattan and for the activities in celebration of the 75th anniversary year.

His selection was announced by Richard Romelczyk, chairman of the Bayonne Pulaski Memorial Parade Committee.

Nowicki will be honored at a Sashing Brunch on April 14 at the Chandelier Restaurant in Bayonne.

For information and tickets, contact Ann Dworzanski at (201) 436-2244 or Cindy Macon at (201) 437-1315.

Nowicki is a native of western New York where he participated in the Polish dancing troupe founded by his mother, participated in a seven-week church youth excursion to Poland, was a presenter of Polish language declamations and poetry at celebratory occasions, and appeared in various stage presentations.

Nowicki served as the pastor of two parishes in the Pittsburgh area where he met and married Barbara Ann Liberasky. They have a daughter, Berit Elizabeth, who resides in Massachusetts.

Nowick is chaplain of the NY-NJ Seniorate United Choirs, a chapter of the PNC National United Choirs (NUC) that was organized to advance and preserve Polish musical culture.

Resolve this Lent to pray more. Avoid telling yourself there is no time for prayer. Be inventive. As you get ready for the day, in the shower, on your way to work, during lunch on your way home, while preparing dinner – there are always a few moments for prayer. Lenten devotions every Wednesday evening are meditations extended over 14 reflections on Lenten themes set against the back drop of moments in Jesus’ suffering and death. Your daily meditation booklet will assist in your prayer with brief Lenten meditations for each day in the coming seven weeks.

Fasting

Resolve this Lent to fast. Start your fasting with small things:

• no meat eaten on Wednesdays and Fridays,
• no jam on your toast,
• no soft drink for lunch,
• no afternoon snack,
• no dessert with dinner on selected days of your choosing or on everyday of the season of Lent.

Fasting has been called “the prayer of the body.” When we consciously deny ourselves some small pleasure, we almost automatically become more attentive to things that really matter – like our relationship with God.

Almsgiving

Resolve this Lent to remember the needy. We think of fasting as giving something up. Think of almsgiving (or charity toward the poor) as giving something back. Designate your snack money for a charity that mails a solicitation to your home. Giving of our time is equally valuable. Volunteering at a soup kitchen or a homeless shelter will make us more aware of the needs of the poor and build solidarity with them.

There will be days when our best intentions fall short. But acknowledging our failures and moving on is also a part of this holy season. With God’s help, our Lenten resolutions could become life long habits.

God doesn’t merely say, “Return to me.” He says, “Even now, return to me.”

“Even now, after being away for years.
Even now, after everything you’ve said and done.
Even now, though you have given up hope.”

This is truly an invitation without any conditions, provisos, riders, corollaries, stipulations or hesitations.

This is an invitation to you as in,

“Even now, after the horrible way you treated your spouse.
Even now, after all the drinking and deceit.
Even now, despite the slander and anger and lies and gossip.”
Even now, after [fill in your own story here].

There is no point in waiting to reply to God’s invitation. If not now, then when?

God wants you back especially if you are among those who are convinced that no one, especially God, could love such a person as you. God wants you back, even now.

In this very moment as you read these words, God is extending a tender invitation.

Answer him.

Pause…..

…….and gather together all those secret sins that can weigh so heavily on your shoulders.

Bundle then all…

…into you own “even now” like this:

Lord, I do want to return to you, even now.

O come home this year to Heart of Jesus for Christmas…

Coming home to church for Christmas is a precious Christmas gift to God…
along with worshipping together with some regularity in the coming year.

Your presence is your gift offering for God’s great gift to you of his only Son, his Christ made flesh in the Babe of Bethlehem, Jesus, our Lord.

So – COME HOME THIS SEASON… home where…

• you have fellowship with the crucified and risen Christ
• you are forgiven
• you hear the voice of God
• you grow in the knowledge of the Bible, God’s Word
• you feed your soul
• you are fed and sustained by the Eucharist
• you are loved and encouraged
• you are prayed for
• you love and encourage your fellow Christians
• you help other people
• you worship
• you promote the gospel
• you find the fullness of truth and grace
• you and your children have a faith foundation

Come home to the small parish with a big heart…
Come home to the little church others could be looking for if you show them the way…
Come home to the intimate congregation you won’t feel lost in.

Blessings on you, your family and loved ones this Christmas season and throughout the New Year.

– Fr. Bernie

The beautiful 3 by 5 foot vinyl banner proclaims Isaiah’s prophecy of the coming Messiah and lists the times of the Pasterka – Shepherd’s Mass – for Christmas Eve and the Mass for Christmas Day. From our banner Isaiah proclaims:

…. unto us a Child is born; unto us a Son is given ….

CHRISTMAS DAY, Sunday, December 25
Nativity of our Lord
10:00 AM Holy Mass of the Nativity of our Lord and Saviour

Solemnity of the Circumcision of our Lord, Sunday, January 1
9:30 AM Holy Mass

Solemnity of the Epiphany (Three Kings observed), Sunday, January 8
9:30 AM Holy Mass
The blessing and distribution of charcoal and incense will be done for the Feast of Three Kings – Epiphany

Lamplighter Christmas Greetings: Please begin submitting your holiday greetings to parishioners and readers of our Lamplighter Newsletter. As before, the page size per greeting is quarter-page – $5, half-page – $10, and full page – $20. As before, you can submit a greeting text and illustration if you like.

Christmas Floral Memorials: Poinsettias can be donated for this Christmas season as memorial offerings. Please contact any Parish Committee member with your memorial floral designation; or contact the rectory by mail, telephone at 201-858-4320, or by E-mail; or leave your memorial designation request in the offering plate. The poinsettias are $20 per pot.

For worship that day, our celebration of Mass included opening and closing hymns which were written especially for the first anniversary and this the tenth anniversary of that fateful day. Prayers were offered for the various realties of that day and for this anniversary, and graphics of the twin towers were placed in the sanctuary and in church; and two special photographic renderings of them were displayed in the narthex for our recollection.

Thanks to Tom Grodkiewicz for his contribution to the graphic remembrances which was displayed all day and all night under the spotlight in the narthex before the glass wall to the entrance of our church. Our thanks also to Dr. Justine Pawlukiewicz for loaning the artistic rendering in her possession which was placed along side the Sacred Heart of Jesus statue on her table with candles flickering before it.

As it turned out, the lectionary readings for that particular Sunday, the 11th of September focused on the spiritual work of forgiveness. The sermon preached in church for that day and the texts of the special hymns sung before and after Holy Mass along with the special prayers for the day will be placed on the parish website for everyone’s perusal.