Immaculate Heart of Mary Church
Immaculate Heart of Mary Church
1571 S. Martine Ave. Scotch Plains, NJ 07076
Phone: 908-889-2100 | Email: office@ihmparish.net
Saturday (Anticipated) 5:00 PM
Sundays - 8:00 AM, 10:00 AM, 12:00 noon
Weekdays & Saturdays - 7:00 AM and 8:30AM
National Holidays - 9:00 AM
Holy Days - 7:00 AM, 12:00 noon, 7:00 PM
Morning Prayer - Monday - Saturday at 8:15 AM
Rosary: Monday - Saturday after 8:30 AM Mass
Novena to the Miraculous Medal & St. Jude: Saturdays after 8:30 AM Mass Reconciliation: Saturdays from 4:15 - 4:45 AM
Mission Statement
“We reach out to all through prayer and service, as we live our Catholic faith in Christ with Mary.”
Download Bulletin
32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time:
November 12, 2023
Mass Livestream
Sunday Mass
32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time: November 12, 2023
Please “Like” and “Subscribe” our YouTube Channel so we may provide more live-streaming content from our church directly to your home.
Daily Mass
Daily Mass and Holy Day Masses that were live-streamed at our church can be seen on our Facebook Video Channel. Click the Facebook Watch banner below to view all of our videos.
Pastor’s Corner
A Note from Fr. Mike
November 12, 2023
The reading from the book of Wisdom reminds us peacefully and beautifully to watch for God at sunrise; to keep vigil because Wisdom (the Holy Spirit of God) actually is searching for those who are waiting. God's wisdom “meets them with all solicitude.” The Psalm boldly names our craving for God. “My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God,” And, stay awake, the Gospel adds, wisely make preparations. Actively seeking out Christ in our lives as he too seeks and invites us helps us to better recognize not only His loving presence but his gifts as well, that we may better engage ourselves as disciples and bring His love onto our world today. As we approach the end of our liturgical year, may we wisely seek the wisdom and will of God at all times so that we may ready for his coming.
Peace, Fr. Mike
The Annunciation to Mary: A Story of Faith
The prologue of Luke’s Gospel is both simple and profound. As we prepare for Christmas let us take a close look at Mary of the scriptures. At the heart of the book, each chapter examines a particular phase of the Annunciation story through a biblical perspective. The deep mystery of the Incarnation is revealed in this passage of Luke’s Gospel. We shall meet on Zoom on Tuesdays from 7:15pm until 8:15pm beginning November 7th, 2023. Please register at FrRob@ihmparish.net and contact him if you have any questions or would like to obtain a copy of the book.
Events @ IHM Parish
Online Giving Options
“Your continued support during these difficult times is important for the Church to continue to do its work. Thank you!”
Youth & Family
A Message from Our Faith Formation Pastoral Associate: John McGuire
November 12, 2023
How many of us think that our sin angers God? When we sin we have to go to confession because God the creator of the universe is angry with us, and if we don’t make reparations, this all-mighty being will smite us? Whether we will admit it or not, I think many of us got this impression when we were children in CCD or faith formation. Our sin hurts and angers God, so we have to make things right! What is amazing to me, is how easy it is to believe in this way, and the audacity we have to believe it.
God’s love is infinite, to degrees well beyond earthly mother and father. God is not angry or distancing from us, but we put up our own barriers as a response to sin as the result of shame, pride, or embarrassment. Recently I looked back at the story of the Garden of Eden. Specifically at when God banished Adam and Eve, and I had noticed something that had seemed inconsequential in the past. Before banishing Adam and Eve, God remarks: “Then the LORD God said: See! The man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil! Now, what if he also reaches out his hand to take fruit from the tree of life, and eats of it and lives forever?” Genesis 3:22
For context, Adam and Eve begin to know shame, are cursed to toil, and suffer in childbirth as a result of taking the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. If they were to remain in Eden, and eat of the fruit of the tree of life, they would be subject to debasement for eternity, not just until death, and salvation would be out of reach. This upcoming week the young people of our parish preparing for First Reconciliation will take part in the Potter’s retreat where they will get to reflect on the power of Confession. This week let’s pray for those children and their families, and begin to reflect on how Confession can better and further our life of prayer and communion. God Bless and have a great week!
IHM Youth Ministry powered by BOLD
YOUTH GROUP 2022-2023
A year & review of activities from IHM Youth Ministry powered by BOLD. Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Scotch Plains, NJ. Music video edited by Rachael Flanagan. Any questions about the IHM Youth Group can be directed to Rachael at ihmsp@boldym.com
Song credit by Cindy Robinson (The Climb). None of the content broadcasted on this channel is monetized. All rights reserved.
SAVE THE DATE FOR OUR OTHER 7th & 8th GRADE NIGHTS in 2023:
November 17-19, 2023: Embolden Retreat at Pittstown, NJ
Sunday November 19, 2023 @ 12PM: Community Friendsgiving
Sunday December 3, 2023 @ 7PM: Youth Leadership Meeting
Friday December 8, 2023 @ 7PM: Date Night for Parents
Sunday December 10, 2023 @ 1PM: Living Nativity & Holiday Market
get Involved!
Women’s Prayer Group
The Women's Prayer Group will gather again on Thursday November 30 at 7:30 PM LIVE at the Nazareth Center. Email Tracey at tefoleyihm@gmail.com for more details. Prayer connects us all!
Lectio Divina/
Prayer Group
Join us for some Lectio Divina, reflection, discussion and quiet time as we deepen our personal relationship with God. We meet 3 times a month at the Nazareth Center. Thursday mornings from 9:30 AM until 10:45 AM. Contact Phyllis at tman18912@comcast.net or call 908-889-2100 to sign-up.
Men’s Scripture Group
The Men’s Scripture & Discussion Group will gather for a VIRTUAL session on Thursday night November 30 at 7:30 PM on ZOOM. Contact David at dndiken@aol.com for more information.
Alpha
Alpha is a series of sessions exploring the Christian faith. Each talk looks at a different question around faith and is designed to create conversation. Alpha is run all around the globe and everyone is welcome. It runs online, in cafés, churches, universities, homes—you name it! No two Alphas look the same, but they generally have three key things in common: hospitality, a talk and good conversation.
BETA
Beta picks up where Alpha left off. Great conversations & a safe space to reflect. Explore your faith. Dive deeper! Discuss how faith affects your life. Open to all. You don’t have to be an Alpha graduate to join Beta. Everyone is welcome. Meetings twice a month on Zoom. Short films with small group discussions. At Beta, you can seek more answers to life’s big questions with others. Tell us what you think. We would love to know!
PRAYER SHAWL
Knitters and crocheters as well as those who want to learn are welcome to join the Prayer Shawl Ministry. The completed prayer shawls will be distributed to the sick of our parish. Meetings are on the 3rd Sunday of every month, after the 10:00 AM Mass. Starting on Sunday November 19 at 11:00 AM in the Nazareth Center. All are welcome! Contact Marion if you have any questions.
Choir/Music
IHM Church Choir has practice every Wednesday night at 7:00 PM. All skill levels are welcome. If you can sing in the shower or in your car, you can definitely sing with us! Flex those vocal chords for the holy spirit and meet new friends from the parish. If you would like to share your gift of music with our church, or if you would just like to listen. Please contact Katie if you are interested.
Video Team
We need volunteers to help livestream daily Mass at 8:30 AM. Typically Mass lasts between 25-35 minutes. No technical background required. We will teach you everything we know. Role requires operating the camera while attending Mass. There is no long-term commitment. This will be great experience for film students or seniors wishing to expand their technical knowledge. Please contact Rick if you’d like to help.
Hospitality
We live to serve our parish and our community as a whole. The Hospitality Ministry is a collective of talented individuals that will gather for our parish events to help prepare food, serve our guests and clean up afterwards. It’s a great way to give back to our parish community and build healthy friendships along the way. Please contact Tracey if you would like to assist the Hospitality Ministry.
Food Pantry
“When is Food Pantry open?”
Every Wednesday from 10:00 AM until 11:30 AM
Every 2nd Sunday from 10:00 AM until 11:30 AM
Next Sunday Food Pantry: December 10, 2023 >
Next Sunday Food Pantry: December 10, 2023 >
We are located behind the church at 1571 South Martine Avenue. Scotch Plains, New Jersey 07076. Please bring your donations to the back of the church. Place the items in the wooden crate near the backdoors. You may also drop donations off at the Nazareth Center. Thank you for your generosity!
List of acceptable items:
• Cake Mix
• Shelf Stable Milk
• Cooking Oils
• Canned Veggies
• Tomato Sauce
• Canned Fruit
• Canned Soup
• Coffee
• Canned Beans
• Canned Tuna
• Canned Chicken
• Canned Salmon
• Toothpaste
• Canned Fruit Juice
• Soap
• Pancake Mix & Syrup
• Pasta
• Peanut Butter & Jelly
• Feminine Products
• Hot & Cold Cereals
• Baby Products
• Boxed Potatoes
• Diapers
• Snacks
• Deodorant
• Rice
• Mac & Cheese
Archdiocese Update
November 3, 2023
My dear sisters and brothers in Christ,
During my time of service to my religious order, the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (Redemptorists), I had the privilege of traveling to more than 70 different countries in very diverse parts of the world. In spite of the many differences that I observed in places where there were distinct cultures, languages, political structures and religions, I discovered that one thing everyone has in common is the desire for peace.
Peace has once again been shattered in the land that is considered to be holy ground by Judaism, Christianity and Islam. God’s children are once again at war with one another, making their common hope for peace seem unattainable. As Pope Francis has said, “The plea for peace cannot be suppressed: it rises from the hearts of mothers; it is deeply etched on the faces of refugees, displaced families, the wounded and the dying.”
Peace is such a simple, universal concept. Why is it so hard to achieve—in our personal lives, our families, our neighborhoods and our world?
Synod on Synodality Update from Cardinal Tobin
October 21, 2023
Cardinal Tobin offers reflections from Rome, Italy after the opening weeks of the Synod of Bishops.
Synod: Week I
Synod: Week II
Synod: Week III
Good news
Blessing of the Animals
October 7, 2023
Check out Fr. Rob as he offers a holy anointing to all the animal friends of the parish. Cats and dogs from around the area put their differences aside and gathered around our priest on a rainy day for blessings and treats.
JUST MARRIED!
September 1, 2023
Congratulations to Liz Schiller and Kyle Anderson on their wedding celebration on Friday September 1st! Please offer your prayers and blessings for this beautiful new family. Welcome to Immaculate Heart of Mary parish!
Resources
Formed.org is "Catholic Faith On Demand". Similar to Netflix, Formed.org gives you access to Catholic faith inspired movies, cartoons, audio books, comic books, radio talks, podcasts and a whole lot more. The parish council at Immaculate Heart of Mary has purchased a FORMED.org subscription so that all our parishioners will have access to great Catholic content at no additional charge to you. It’s our gift, so your family can have access to wholesome entertainment that is both engaging and informative.
Signing up on FORMED has become a lot easier and parish codes and custom registration URLs are no longer needed. Go to formed.org/signup. Enter zip code 07076 and select Immaculate Heart of Mary as your parish to activate your FREE subscription.
Need help setting up the Hallow app on your phone? No problem!
Click on the Hallow logo to access our easy-to-follow guide. If you already have an account, scroll to the bottom and click “Log In Here” No payment info is needed to complete Hallow Plus account creation. Parishioners will have full access to the app through the start of Easter with no credit card required. We’re so grateful to pray with you this season! If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the Hallow team at info@hallow.app
SCAM DISCLOSURE
As a periodic reminder, there has been an increase in the number of fraudulent emails across the country. Financial losses can exceed hundreds of thousands of dollars and are often uninsured. Recently we have received notification of email and text scams that will use the name of one of our pastors to solicit funds in the form of gift cards or cash donations. You might notice Fr. Mike’s or Fr. Rob’s name concluding the request? Our pastors have already heard from parishioners who have received emails or text messages, seemingly from the priest asking for donations, account numbers or gift card requests. Please note that our parishes and schools do not raise money in this manner and to exercise the utmost caution when receiving this type of communication.
I: Always check the e-mail address and subject line from the recipient: Our communications always come from @ihmparish.net. If there is an unfamiliar e-mail address being used from a person you know, or if you notice spelling errors in their name, it's most likely a scam. DO NOT REPLY OR CLICK ON LINKS FROM THOSE MESSAGES! They are designed to "phish" important information from your computer.
II: Report Spam/Report Phishing/Flag E-Mail: Most e-mail platforms have the option to “Report Spam” or "Report Phishing" or "Flag" to properly discard suspicious e-mails. Be sure to take advantage of these security features if you suspect a fraudulent message. Law enforcement agencies urge parishioners to question any email or text that doesn’t come from a person they know from their contacts. If our pastor’s name is used, parishioners should contact the parish to verify the legitimacy of the appeal.
III: Anyone who feels that they have been the victim of this type of scam is urged to contact the local authorities:
Scotch Plains Police Department: https://police.scotchplainsnj.gov
Fanwood Police Department: https://www.fanwoodnj.org/departments/police
In addition, it's highly recommended to file a report with the Federal Trade Commission: http://www.reportfraud.ftc.gov
Contact our office if you need assistance navigating through any potential problems. Call 908-889-2100 or email office@ihmparish.net
