The 2024 Mass Book is now open at the rectory.
I am more than pleased to advise that Cardinal Tobin has appointed Rev. Sean Manson as our new pastor, effective July 1st, 2023. A priest for 24 years, he completed his second term as pastor of Our Lady Mother of the Church Parish in Woodcliff Lake. We are working together to assure as smooth a transition as possible, both before and after July 1st.
Join us for Eucharistic Adoration in the main church, weekly on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 12 noon to 6:30pm, (sometimes ends earlier due to other events), as well as our monthly Holy Hour on the first Fridays, at 8pm, followed by adoration until 11pm. Holy Hour in Spanish is held on the last Monday of the month at 8pm in the lower church. Our Lady of Perpetual Help Novena has also resumed on Wednesdays at 7pm.
We continue to maintain a virtual presence on Facebook (sjrcbergenfield) and Instagram (sjrcbergenfield). We are now streaming English Mass on Sunday at 9am and Spanish Mass on Saturday at 7:00pm on Facebook. If you don’t have a Facebook account, you can use this link (on a computer or laptop but not on a cell phone): https://www.facebook.com/sjrcbergenfield/videos and watch the live stream or click on “videos” to see past Masses, or use the link at the bottom of our home page for both Facebook and Instagram. Permission to stream the music in the Sunday Masses or other special Services has been obtained from One License with license #A-733513.
Please see “An Act of Spiritual Communion” prayer in the Documents & Forms section. This may be prayed personally or at the time of communion on the streamed Mass. Of course, it is preferable to attend Mass in the church and receive Holy Communion unless a health issue prevents you from doing so.
Please monitor this page for updates as they are available. Additionally, you can sign up for our Constant Contact messaging system by using the “Join our Email LIst” link at the bottom of the home page. You will then receive regular updates automatically.
Of course, the parish continues to depend on the generosity of its people for financial support, and I am grateful for those who are sustaining us. Consider online giving (go to Parish Giving on this website’s home page) or mailing your weekly collection envelopes to the rectory. The Archdiocese has worked with Go Fund Me to set up donation pages for each parish. Our parish link is https://charity.gofundme.com/o/en/campaign/st-john-the-evangelist-ch-bergenfield. Please see the “Parish Giving & Go Fund Me letter” in the Documents & Forms section of our parish website for more information. Offering envelopes may also be dropped off in the rectory vestibule daily between 9am and 8pm, Sundays 9am until 5pm.
St. John the Evangelist Church has entered into a partnership with the Borough of Bergenfield for use of Conlon Hall as a borough sports and recreation center for youth and seniors, while still supporting major parish functions. This cooperative effort was coordinated by the Archdiocese Of Newark’s Office of Property Management. We look forward to mutual collaboration for the benefit of both parishioners and residents.
Our Parish Financial Report for the Fiscal year 2022 is available for your review.
I thank all those parishioners who responded directly by mail to Cardinal Tobin with their pledge for the 2023 Annual Appeal. Please return your pledge form to the archdiocese or follow the information or QR Code in any recent bulletin. Your gifts help many ministries in the Archdiocese which also assist our parish. We are at 108% of our goal in pledges. Any amount of money we actually receive over our $104,591 goal will be shared between the archdiocese and the parish.
Adults seeking entrance into the Catholic Church from other denominations or no denomination, as well as adult Catholics who have not received First Penance, First Communion, or Confirmation, are invited to contact Deacon Jim or Fr. Cesar about the process known as the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. The formation program is held on Sunday mornings throughout the year in English and in Spanish. Inquiries are always welcome. The unbaptized may enter the two-year cycle at any time. The already baptized must begin between October and November for sacraments the following Spring.
The rectory office is open Monday through Friday 10am-10pm; Saturdays 10am to 8pm; Sundays 9am to 5pm. Lunch hour is 12noon to 1pm weekdays. If you have a need, please call for an appointment.
For a thoughtful article, read “A Faith Response to the Coronavirus,”, also available in the Documents & Forms page.
As information continues to be revealed about clergy members credibly accused of sexual misconduct with youth, in our archdiocese and our state, please consult the website https://healing.rcan.org for the latest official information and a list of resources in response to this issue.
Our parish provides support groups for moms and for dads of children with disabilities and celebrates an Inclusive Family Mass on the first Sunday of each month at 3pm – November through June. Our Religious Education program also provides religious instruction and sacramental preparation for children with disabilities on Tuesday afternoons. The Moms meet bi-monthly on the 2nd Wednesday of the month and the Dads monthly on the 3rd Wednesday of the month, both at 7:30pm in the Parish Life Center, between September and June. Contact Deacon Jim at the rectory or Rosemarie Flood at the Religious Education Office for more information.
Would you like to assist as a catechist or as an aide for our Religious Education Program? Call 201-384-3601….As a leader or aide for Children’s Liturgy of the Word? Call 201-338-8026…As a choir member? Call 201-261-8430.
To leave a parish message, please fill in the form in our Contact page. I will reply as soon as my schedule allows.
Pastor Emeritus of St. John the Evangelist R.C. Church
Our Memorial Brick Campaign for the Grotto behind the Parish Life Center continues. Come and see it. Forms for reserving a Memorial Brick may be found in the rectory.
Designated members of our parish are bringing the Good News of God’s Love to our community by visiting homes in various sections of our parish from time to time. They are registered with the Bergenfield Police. Please welcome them when they come to your door.