February 14, 2022
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
February 5, 2022: Girls Scouts visit IHM Food Pantry
Big thanks to our local Girl Scout Troop for visiting the IHM Food Pantry to lend a helping hand! They brought a huge donation of food to share with our families in need. The girls also learned about organizing and sorting different varieties of food and preparing packages for our guests on Wednesdays. We had a lot of fun and learned a bunch of handy new skills. Thank you to the Daisies, the parents and volunteers for making this Food Pantry trip really special!
December 23, 2021: Fanwood Community Foundation Makes a Generous Donation
Thank you to the Fanwood Community Foundation for their generous support of The IHM Food Pantry today and throughout the years. Pictured (L-R) Sara Johnston and Nancy Magelinski, Fr. Mike, Peter Chemidlin, Rich Wagner
November 22, 2021: Thank you Edward Jones
Wow! That's a lot of food! A generous gift from Edward Jones Huge thanks to Jennifer Mongold and her team for organizing these items for our Food Pantry. On behalf of our parish and those families in need. Thank you!!!
May 20, 2021
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.
With our capital campaign well underway, work completed on several projects, and the groundwork in place to start our major building project, I thought it appropriate to update you on where we currently stand, and as to how you might be able to offer assistance to push us forward.
Let me say that I am humbled by and thankful for your generous response to our appeal. Pledge goals were met and funding associated with pledges is coming in as scheduled. We have every expectation that this will continue. This has allowed us to address some immediate concerns. Of particular note, flat roofing on the Nazareth Center and the Church proper has been repaired, and work will be proceeding on renovation of the bathrooms in the Church. We have identified certain other desirable – but ultimately deferrable – renovation projects in the Church itself, but more on this in a moment.
Preliminary work associated with the replacement of IHM’s Rectory and building of a Chapel has been completed including oil tank and asbestos remediation, architectural planning, township permitting, engineering and other legal processes. As we await a final go-ahead from the Archdiocese, I am reminded of my constant duty of stewardship – this duty includes one of fiscal responsibility toward your funds. I want to emphasize that work WILL begin on the Rectory / Chapel in due course as pledge funds continue to accumulate. In consultation with the Archdiocese we find that we are approximately $200,000 short on funds currently available (including non-campaign savings) at the moment for the whole project. This has prevented us from moving forward up to this point. After some additional redemption of pledges and revision of the project schedule (breaking it into 2 phases) we are hopeful that we will receive approval from the Archdiocese soon so we may begin after the holidays.
This is where I ask for your prayerful consideration.
To those who have already pledged I would ask if it might be possible to accelerate your commitment in fulfilling your pledges. I understand that for many of you this might not be possible – we are all being squeezed by continuing expenses. Again, I emphasize that the question is not one of funding – all of the work initially planned will be started and completed – but rather one as to how quickly it will be done, while maintaining a sense of sound financial stewardship.
To those of you who have not yet pledged I would like to invite you to consider a pledge. Additional pledge funds would not only help us to cover certain cost increases that are inevitable with any extended construction project, but they might also allow us to take on those other “deferrable” renovations to which I referred earlier. If you are considering pledging, please take a pledge card found at the doors of the church or call the office to receive more information on how you might assist.
Let me conclude by saying that Immaculate Heart Mary recently celebrated its Golden Anniversary. We as a Parish family have been entrusted with a legacy to preserve and extend to those who follow us. In faith and with your help we will be able to continue to offer current and future parishioners a facility truly worthy of Mary, our protector and patroness.
Peace
Father Mike