The Pastor’s Column Dear Parishioners of Our Lady of Mercy, I hope this finds you well. Greetings in the name of Our Lord Jesus Christ! Happy 60th Anniversary to Our Lady of Mercy! We rejoice and thank God for every blessing we have received as faithful members of our relatively young parish dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary under her title as Our Lady of Mercy. Paraphrasing the words of Mary’s Maginificat, we might say, “God’s mercy is on us and on all those who fear him in every generation. And through the years, He has done great things for our parish and holy is His name. Hallelujah!” The whole community also rejoices in welcoming Lucas Lionel Tao Barrera, the baby who was baptized last Sunday. Congratulations to Boris and Paula on the baptism of their son, and congratulations to his godparents! May Lucas grow in wisdom and in love of God through their example and guidance. Our community commits itself to pray for all of you. This past Sunday, September 17, was a busy day for us because several events took place. It was the first day of our faith formation program. We welcomed more than one hundred twenty children to our school of religion together with their catechists. As I visited each classroom, I saw their happy faces. Some of the first timers were still shy as they met their classmates for the first time. After bringing their children to class, some of the parents went to the Maria Room for Coffee Chat. This is a good place to be. Coffee Chat provides parents with coffee and donuts and offers them an opportunity to listen to some speakers talking about life as a parent and other life issues. Kudos to our facilitators, presenters and speakers. Our parish community is also grateful to those who contribute their time and also coffee, pastries and other goodies. Later in the afternoon, our Confirmation candidates who will receive the Sacrament of Confirmation next month had a gathering in the Maria Room to resume their preparation. The program was headed by our catechist Jayvee Dacasin, and our Faith Formation Director Jeng Villa. Later, we are going to Hudson House to celebrate our parish’s 6pth Anniversary with a Gala Dinner. Stay tuned to next Sunday’s column to find out about this joyous event. God bless us all and God bless OLM! Love, Father Marty September 24, 2023 Men’s Breakfast at Our Lady of Mercy, Jersey City We are inviting all the men parishioners to come join us for OLM Men’s Breakfast on Saturday, October 14, 2023 from 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM at the Maria Room. Theme: Answering the Call in All Seasons of Life Speaker: Deacon Michael Giuliano, MD Deacon Michael Giuliano, MD is a husband, father, grandfather. He has worked as a clinical neonatologist for 35 years now. Most recently, he has been the director of the NICU at Hackensack from 2005 to 2019. His other professional passion is teaching. He has worked as a medical educator in parallel with his clinical practice. His journey to the Deaconate has been a bit long starting with an initial invitation from his Pastor back in 2003. After a Cursillo weekend in 2007 and a pilgrim trip to the Holy Land in 2011, he finally said yes to the invitation. Deacon Michael studied at Seton Hall from 2012 to 2016 and was ordained on June 4, 2016. He has been blessed to serve his home parish, Our Lady of Mount Carmel since that time. His other primary mission is working with the Sisters of Life. Please RSVP by Sunday, October 8, to reserve your spot. Breakfast will be served. Register here. Sharing The Good News of The Gospel Last Sunday, September 17, was Catechetical Sunday. We are grateful to our Faith Formation teachers who plant and nurture the seeds of the Catholic faith in the children of our parish. Our catechists pictured here are : Jayvee Dacasin, Mike & Marj Catuncan, Annjo Balbutin, Geny & Dario Montecastro, Vena Cheng, Alyssa Bacay, Jackie Deleon, and Sandra Valanzola. Included in the photo are Fr. Marty, our Pastor, and Jeng Villa, our Faith Formation Director. Flu Shots at OLM, October 8, 2023 Our Lady of Mercy Parish Wellness Ministry is hosting a Flu Shot Clinic on Sunday, October 8, from 9 am to 2 pm in the Maria Room presented by Walgreens. While walk-ins are welcome, we encourage you to register in advance using the sign-up form available in the back of the church to help us provide an estimate number of vaccines needed. These are on a first-come basis. Those 65+ are recommended for the high-dose flu vaccine so please note if you are over the age of 65. Encourage your friends and family to get their flu shot to protect them during the coming months. Click here for the Online Sign-Up Form. (Previous Week)