Immaculate Heart of Mary Church
Divine Mercy Sunday
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Mission Statement:
"We reach out to all through prayer and service, as we live our Catholic faith in Christ with Mary."
Announcements
Anniversary
Liturgies 2022
We are excited to announce we are once again preparing the annual tradition of honoring those couples in our Archdiocese who will be celebrating five, twenty-five and fifty years of valid marriage for the Catholic faithful in the year 2022!
These anniversary liturgies will be celebrated by Cardinal Joseph Tobin in the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark as follows:
April 24, 2022 3:00 PM 5 years & 25 years (All counties)
May 15, 2022 3:00 PM 50 years (All counties)
It is our desire that every couple in the Archdiocese deserving of such recognition be present at the appropriate liturgy. The presence of a large number of couples will be a tender witness to the strength and stability of Christian marriage in today’s society. Please send your information back to office@ihmparish.net or call 908-889-2100. Once received, we will acknowledge the reservation directly to the celebrating couple and provide them with directions to the Cathedral Basilica.
Since we were unable to host these celebrations in 2020 and 2021, any couple who would have celebrated their Silver or Gold Anniversary in those years can also join us. Please note and share with your couples, whether the milestone anniversary took place in 2020, 2021 or 2022, the certificates will still say Silver or Gold, not 26, 51 etc.
Contact Information
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 8:30 am
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 pm
Schedule for Mass & Worship (schedules are subject to change)
Online Giving Options
Your continued support during these difficult times is important for the Church to continue to do its work.
Please make sure you list Immaculate Heart of Mary, Scotch Plains as your parish.
Food Pantry
Food donations open every Wednesday 10:00 am - 12:00 noon
Food donations open every 2nd Sunday 10:00 am - 12:00 noon
Please bring your donations to the back of the church. Place the items in the red bins near the backdoors. You may also drop donations off at the Nazareth Center. Thank you for your generosity!
List of acceptable items:
• 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 • Cake Mix • Shelf Stable Milk • Cooking Oils • Canned Veggies • Tomato Sauce • Canned Fruit • Canned Soup • Coffee • Canned Beans
May 14, 2022 - ATTENTION SCOTCH PLAINS RESIDENTS!
The Scotch Plains letter carriers will be conducting a food drive on Saturday, May 14, and the IHM Food Pantry will be a recipient of their collection. Please help if you can! Thank you!
get Involved!
Women’s Prayer Group
The Women's Prayer Group will meet on Thursday May 5th at 7:30PM via Zoom. The topic will be Our Lady of Guadalupe. Please email Tracey Foley at tefoleyihm@gmail.com if you would like to participate. Prayer connects us all!
Lectio Divina/
Prayer Group
As an FYI and to avoid confusion about when we will be meeting for Centering Prayer below are the dates we will be gathering in April: Thursday April 21 and Thursday April 28 both at 9:30am. Please call Phyllis at 908-264-7456 for information and the Zoom link.
Men’s Scripture Group
The next upcoming meeting for the IHM Men's Scripture & Discussion Group is Thursday April 28th at 7:30PM virtual meeting on Zoom. Contact David Diken at dndiken@aol.com for more information.
Youth & Family
Sunday 4/24 | 10:00 am - 8th Grade Confirmation Rite of Service
Friday 4/29 | 7:00 pm - First Communion Practice via Zoom
Saturday 4/30 | 10:00 am - Reception of First Communion
Saturday 4/30 | 4:30 pm - 9th Grade Confirmation Easter Gathering
Registration for 2022-2023 Programs: Deadline 6/1
Summer Families of Faith Program 2022: Monday 6/27 - Friday 7/8
April 7th, 2022: It is with great sadness that we announce that Mary Clinton, our beloved pastoral associate for Faith Formation will be leaving IHM at the conclusion of the Summer Families of Faith program in July. Mary has served our parish and your children with great love and integrity for the past 6 years, she will be missed by so many. We were blessed to have her lead so many of our children through sacramental preparation, the summer academy and the Families of Faith initiative. We wish Mary only the best as she moves on to the next chapter in her life, she is looking forward to taking on new projects and spending more time with her family and friends. If you know of anyone that might be suitable for this role, is a practicing caholic and has 5+ years experience in leading faith formation programs, please encourange them to send their resume to frmike@ihmparish.net Peace, Fr. Mike
IHM Youth Ministry powered by BOLD
Sunday May 1 - BOLD College Care Package Night - 7:00 pm
Sunday May 15 - BOLD Trip to Six Flags - Bus Leaves @ 10:00am
Sunday May 22 - BOLD Leadership Night/Senior Celebration - 7:00 pm
Sunday June 5 - BOLD Closing BBQ - 7:00 pm
Sunday, June 26 - July 1 - Catholic Heart Work Camp Mission Trip @ Bridgeport, CT
QUESTIONS? Reach out to our Youth Ministry Coordinator Rachael Flanagan with any questions! ihmsp@boldym.com
Pastor’s Corner
April 24th, 2022
A Note from Fr. Mike
Peace be with you is Jesus greeting to the disciples gathered in the upper room.
Truly it is only in Christ that we can find peace.
He has destroyed death, the only thing that can truly harm us, and restored life.
As we celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday we realize that the peace that Christ offers is reflected in his mercy.
It helps us to integrate His peace more fully into our lives as we grow in faith and discover the ways in which we encounter the Risen Christ in our lives.
Peace,
Fr. Mike
Media
Easter Sunday Mass Livestream
Easter Sunday - April 17, 2022
Sunday Mass Livestream
Palm Sunday - April 10, 2022
Sunday Mass will be livestreamed on Facebook at 10:00 am and will be available for viewing later.
Daily Mass Livestream
Daily Mass will be livestreamed on Facebook at 8:30 am and will be available for viewing later.
Do you have interest In Video Production?
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. Documents with details on the steps and hands-on training will be provided. Role requires operating the camera while attending Mass. There is no long term commitment. If you cannot come to the same Mass each week we can still benefit from your assistance. This will be great experience for up and coming film students or seniors wishing to expand their technical knowledge. Please contact the parish office at 908-889-2100 or email office@ihmparish.net.
Music Ministry
Watch performances by Scot Crandal and Katie Wills in this episode of Music and Mission. Scot leads with "Let My Prayer Rise Up," his song based on Psalm 141. When writing this song, Scot was struck by the fact that the most powerful thing we can offer to God is our love for him through prayer. Katie then joins with a moving performance of "Behold the Lamb of God."
IHM Church Choir has practice every Wednesday night at 8:00pm. 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 Wills at office@ihmparish.net
Congratulations to Katie Wills, our director of music. Her original composition, Behold the Lamb of God, was recently accepted and published by Oregon Catholic Press, one of the premier Catholic music publishers in the country, who also publishes our missal-Breaking Bread. I think you will agree that we are blessed to have Katie as part of our community. Thank you Katie, for sharing your tremendous gift with us each week.
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Good news
IHM 2021
Year In Review
Click the image above to download the IHM 2021 Year in Review. A collection of highlights from around our community throughout 2021, and some hopes moving forward. Feel free to contact our office if you have any questions or thoughts you would like to share. May God continue to bless the Immaculate Heart of Mary parish this year and many years beyond.
Peace Fr. Mike
Chrism Mass
April 11, 2022
Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R., the Archbishop of Newark, will be joined by his auxiliary bishops and dozens of priests from throughout the Archdiocese of Newark on Monday April 11th to celebrate the Chrism Mass, the second observance of Holy Week.
Standing before clergy and parishioners, who fill the Sacred Heart Cathedral Basilica’s pews, Cardinal Tobin will consecrate the Oil of the Sick, Oil of Catechumens and the Sacred Chrism for the year ahead.
These holy oils were then distributed to the priests, who will use them for Baptism, the anointing of the sick and other sacraments at their parishes.
Also during the Mass, the participating priests and bishops reaffirmed their commitment to Christ by renewing their priestly promises.
This year, Fr. Mike has been invited to concelebrate this special Mass in honor of his 25th anniversary of becoming a priest.
Archdiocean Award Winners
April 6, 2022
This past Sunday Thomas Riley and Graydon Trujillo, IHM parishioners and CYO Basketball players, were awarded the Archdiocesan Sportsmanship award for their service and activity on and off the court. Joe Riley, IHM Parishioner and Basketball Coach, was awarded the Archdiocesan Adult Discipleship Award for his commitment to our basketball program and our parish. Congratulations Thomas, Graydon and Joe, and thank you for your leadership and commitment to our parish family.
Consecration of Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Our Holy Father Pope Francis has asked the global church to join him on March 25th, the Solemnity of the Annunciation, in making an Act of Consecration of Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary in response to the violence, destruction and death that this war has caused.
Our parish community will gather tomorrow March 25th at 12 noon to pray together the Act of Consecration followed by the Stations of the Cross.
I invite you to join us and the universal church who will be making this Act throughout the day. Our communal gathering will be live streamed from our Facebook page as well. If you are unable to join us at noon you can also do this on your own using the below text, which will also be posted on our website. Let us continue to pray and act for peace in Ukraine, Russia and throughout the world.
Fr. Mike
2021-2022 IHM Basketball Season Finale
March 14, 2022:
The 2021-22 Union County CYO Basketball season is officially over and in the books. IHM had 3 teams out of 6 make it to the final game of the playoffs for Union County and had over 70 players between the 4th and 8th grade Boys and Girls teams.
We still faced some bumps in the road with Covid but it was nice to see the kids running up and down the court with some sense of normalcy. The list of coaches & volunteers to thank is way too long but without parishioners volunteering their time the season would never have been able to happen so thank you!
February 16, 2022: Updated COVID Directives
STILL IN EFFECT: Masks will no longer be required for fully vaccinated persons. If not fully vaccinated, persons are strongly encouraged to follow CDC guidance and wear a face mask in public settings. People will no longer be required to socially distance indoors or outdoors, although unvaccinated persons should continue to maintain a safe distance from others. These directives apply to Masses and activities in Church. Archdiocesan protocols for Religious Education and Basketball programs remain in effect.
LITURGICAL MINISTERS: All ministries may return to full service – altar servers, lectors, ushers, greeters and extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion. Ministers of Holy Communion must still sanitize their hands and wear a mask when distributing Communion.
COMMUNION: While Communion on the tongue is now permitted, for the safety of the priests, ministers and other communicants, we encourage continued reception of communion in the hand. At this time, Communion from the cup should not be distributed to the assembly.
SANITIZING: The cleaning and sanitizing of churches and common spaces should be done regularly. It is not required after every liturgy.
PARISH MEETINGS: Parish meetings in person may resume. Those vaccinated are not required to wear masks for indoor meetings nor are they required to maintain social distancing. The same recommendations for Mass apply to those not vaccinated.
For a Synodal Church: Communication, Participation and Mission
Letter from Fr. Mike regarding Obligation to Attend Mass and Other Updates
Dear Parishioners and Friends,
Please find below some information and thoughts concerning our reopening of the parish and our Engaging Disciples Initiative as well as our recent celebrations of 1st Communion and Confirmation. Lifting the Dispensation of participating in the Sunday Eucharist As you can see by the letter attached (http://tinyurl.com/ye42psq9), the Bishops of New Jersey have discerned that it is appropriate that we as a church take the next step in returning to normalcy and reopening our parishes. The extenuating circumstances of the COVID pandemic have decreased sufficiently for us that the dispensation from participation in the Sunday Eucharist is no longer necessary as a general exception. As the letter mentions and as is the general norm, there may be personal or individual situations in which the obligation to participate in the Sunday Eucharist may not apply such as illness or close contact with someone who has tested positive for the COVID virus and other circumstance.
When in doubt please err on the side of caution. It is important to recognize the great benefit of gathering together as a community of faith to celebrate the Eucharist. While the ability to participate on some level from home was a great asset during the pandemic, it was not the same, on many levels, of being at mass in person. Many of our parishioners have expressed great joy at being able to come back and participate in person. Some are not ready quite yet. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the office or one of our priests to discuss your particular situation.
At this time please be aware that the sign up for masses is still in place as is the requirement to wear a mask over your mouth and nose, as well as the need for social distancing. There are still many steps to take before we can return to “normal” so I ask for and encourage you to be patient, charitable and understanding as we journey towards fully reopening our church and our community. We will continue to livestream our masses and other special events for the time being. Engaging Disciples: Update on Parish Pastoral Council A few weeks ago I announced the continuing progress of the Engaging Disciples Initiative and the planning for a Parish Pastoral Council. It was my hope to announce the Pastoral Council this weekend as part of our celebration of Pentecost. Unfortunately, it has taken a little longer than expected for me to have the necessary discussions with our potential members. These discussions have been very fruitful in discerning the potential of a pastoral council, as well as generating great enthusiasm and great ideas for our parish community. It is my hope to have this completed this week so that we can introduce our new pastoral council in the next few weeks. Peace, Fr. Mike 1st Communion and Confirmation This weekend we will celebrate the last of our Confirmations. I ask that you congratulate the young people of our parish whose faith has been confirmed through this sacrament. I would also ask that you congratulate those who have celebrated their 1st Communion. These are great celebrations in the life of the young parishioners and their families as well as our parish community. Please keep them in your prayers. Thank you to all: families, volunteers, staff and our entire parish community, for your help and prayers for these young parishioners of Immaculate Heart of Mary.
Archdiocese Update
April 15, 2022:
In his latest newsletter, Cardinal Tobin reflects on the experience of the Paschal Triduum, from 'profound sorrow to intense joy'. Each year, the Church gives us the opportunity to share in the passion, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ through our celebration of the liturgies for Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter. As Pope Francis reminds us, this is “a time of grace” for us, a time to grow closer to God and to one other by experiencing prayerfully the powerful moments of Christ’s last days on Earth. How can we be indifferent to Jesus’ suffering and death if we participate in his Last Supper; if we share his agony in the garden; if we see him scourged, mocked and crowned with thorns; if we witness his condemnation by religious and political authority; if we walk with him on the Way of the Cross; if we stand before the Crucified One as he utters his last words; and if we help his mother and a few faithful friends lay him in the tomb? How can we abandon him—as Peter and most of the others did—when we know that he will rise again on the third day?
Click here to continue reading Cardinal Tobin's letter to the faithful as well as A Way of the Cross inspired by St. Alphonsus Liguori and more.
Resources
Need help setting up the Hallow app on your phone? No problem!
Click on the PDF Button below 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
