Advent Preparations

Our Parish Advent Tree: This year during the season of Advent, the Advent tee will be set in the narthex as we prepare for the season of sharing and giving. Through the Advent Tree, each of us will have the opportunity to share with others in our community who have basic needs to address. The object of our donating will be the Bayonne Economic Opportunity Foundation which distributes needed items to the people they serve in Bayonne.

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.

Our Parish Advent Tree

Our Advent tree is set in the narthex from today to help us prepare for the season of sharing and giving. Through the Advent Tree, each of us will have the opportunity to share with others in our community who have basic needs to address.

Each ornament on the Tree lists a separate need. As Advent unfolds, we’ll remove one or a few ornaments which will be our reminder to go out to fill the need written on it / them. Then we’ll bring back those items to church for collection in the gold box in front of the Advent Wreathe in church and distribution in the week of Christmas.

The focus of our efforts is the Bayonne Economic Opportunity Foundation which distributes needed items to the people they serve in Bayonne.

Please bring your items to the gold box by and even on Sunday, December 20th.

Funds Raised for National Church Center

July 18th was indeed a happy day for our Parish as we held our annual Christmas in July dinner. The dinner was a huge success and members of the parish were gratified to know that their hard work paid off. The joy was particularly sweet because, recognizing that the needs of the church are not only confined to their own parish walls, the parish had voted to donate the entire profit from the dinner to the National Church Center Fund Raising Campaign; they were hoping to make a large donation. After all expenses were calculated, we were thrilled to be able to send a check for $2,250 to the fund!

To put on a dinner is a large undertaking for any small parish, yet, our congregation of dedicated parishioners pulls together bi-monthly to put on a dinner and raise funds for parish operations and other church obligations. Knowing that we had come together to work for a cause beyond ourselves felt like an added blessing. According to Ed Busch who headed up the kitchen, “I hope that this effort inspires other small parishes to have events like this to benefit the National Church Center. They need the money.”

A debt of gratitude is owed to the following people who helped make this event possible: Fr. Bernard Nowicki, pastor; Ed Busch, master chef; Barbara Busch, assistant chef, prize table chair, raffle assistant and set-up; Mary Elliott, kitchen server and kitchen clean-up; Tom Grodkiewicz, kitchen manager, cook, chief dish washer, hall decorations and set-up; Cindy Grodkiewicz, cook’s assistant and kitchen clean-up; Dr. Jeffrey Grodkiewicz, server and hall clean-up; Devon Grodkiewicz, server and hall clean-up; Jeremy Grodkiewicz, kitchen server and hall clean-up; Travis Grodkiewicz, server and hall clean-up; Diane Kaminski, prize table tickets, raffle assistant and Set-up; Stanley Kaminski, set-up; Barbara Nowicki, music program, server, kitchen clean-up and set-up; Helen Rooth, prize table tickets and set-up; Christina Grodkiewicz Smith, 50-50 ticket sales and hall clean-up; Steve Smith, 50-50 ticket sales and hall clean-up; Samantha Serrano, kitchen server and prize runner; Dorothy Solecki, ticket sales and set-up; Beverly Wunderlich, cook’s assistant and kitchen clean-up; Danielle Wunderlich, kitchen server and prize runner; Sub-Deacon Donald Wunderlich, prize table announcer.

Special thanks to all our parishioners and friends for the many food and prize donations, to Jean Kopcza for the Christmas tree, and all of those who came out to enjoy the aftemoon and support the Church.