Daily Rosary
We welcome all to join us after each 9:00 AM Daily Mass to pray the rosary. We especially need prayer during these troubling times!
Pray the Miraculous Medal Novena with us following the 9:00 AM Mass in the Main Church from Friday, November 29th through Sunday, December 8th (Excluding Sunday, December 1st).
We will continue this devotion every Monday throughout the year following Morning Mass. Please join us in praying this powerful Novena. You may find the Novena prayer as well as further information about the Miraculous Medal by visiting the Miraculous Medal Shrine website: click here for the website.
The joy and “Alleluias!” of Easter seemed to dim all too quickly, with the news this past Easter Monday that Pope Francis had died early that morning.
I think that Francis would want us to remain joyful, however. As people of faith, we believe that Jesus’ Resurrection on that very first Easter opened the gates of Heaven for all; God wanted every person who ever had or ever would live to at least have the invitation to enter into Heaven. The measure of our readiness for the perfection of Heaven is of course left to Jesus, the Good Shepherd, the Merciful Judge. Trusting in that same merciful and loving God, I believe that Pope Francis I has been welcomed into Eternal Life.
In my lifetime, my years – so far – have overlapped seven different popes, although I only remember with any detail five: Pope St. Paul VI, Pope John Paul I, Pope St. John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI, and Pope Francis I. Since the time of Saint Peter, the average reign of his successors has been 7.5 years; Francis’ 12 years reflects almost twice that duration.
Francis was a prolific writer during his pontificate, as was Benedict before him. In Francis’ writings, two themes seem most prominent to me: mercy and hope. “The Name of God is Mercy” was published in 2016, barely three years into his pontificate. In that book, Francis shines a focus on the need for reconciliation, the mercy of God, and the gift that it is from God. He writes, reminiscent of St. Catharine of Siena: “There are no situations we cannot get out of, we are not condemned to sink into quicksand, in which the more we move the deeper we sink. Jesus is there, his hand extended, ready to reach out to us and pull us out of the mud, out of sin, out of the abyss of evil into which we have fallen.”
I am sure that the impact of Francis’ papacy on our Church globally, and our lives locally as Roman Catholics will become better understood only through the lens of time. We live today during a historic period in our Church, just as every transition among the Successors of Saint Peter. Who might be chosen? Will he be like Francis? Will he come from Italy, or elsewhere in the world? Will he be young or old? None of these questions have answers until the Holy Spirit directs the conclave which will commence in early May. Until then, we continue to pray for the Church, for the Cardinals and bishops throughout the world whose commentary on this time may lift up our own faith.
Prayer remains a constant in our faith journey, and I encourage all our parishioners to pray with thanksgiving for the leadership that Francis has offered back to God with these past twelve years; to pray with hope for the new pope who will be selected along with any new leaders of our Church they may install; and we pray for God’s mercy on Pope Francis and all the faithful departed, whose lives of faith model examples to us of our pilgrimage toward holiness.
We will celebrate this prayerful hope on Wednesday, May 21st, between 6:30-8 PM with Eucharistic Adoration and a Memorial Mass, 30 days following Francis’ passing.
- Father Jim
To learn more about the 2025 Annual Catholic Appeal and to donate online, please click here.
Hospice Care Information
Faith at Home
These links provides you with the latest one-page resource for families, Faith At Home; it connects to the theme of the upcoming Sunday Liturgy. This resource is updated each week and can be found on the diocesan webpage at www.dioceseoftrenton.org/faith-at-home and en Español at www.dioceseoftrenton.org/fe-en-casa.
May God continue to bless us and keep us close to Him.
Please support the Society of St. Vincent de Paul so that together we can help local families in need. Those needing help should call the SVDP helpline at 856-291-7313.
Local food pantries include:
St. Matthew's Church, 318 Chester Ave.
First Baptist Church, 19 West Main St., Moorestown
Bethel AME, 512 N. Church St., Moorestown
Prince of Peace 61 E Rte 70, Marlton, NJ 08053
SVDP also has Thinking of You cards available. A gift can be given to the poor in the name of someone special at your
request. You will be remembered in the prayers and works of the Moorestown Vincentians. We are so very grateful for your
generous ongoing donations.
Our Promise to Protect
The Diocese of Trenton is committed to the initiatives outlined in the U.S. Bishops’ Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People in regard to the reporting and investigation of sexual abuse allegations involving minors. The Diocese has in place a Victim’s Assistance Coordinator, who is available to obtain support for your needs and help you make a formal complaint of abuse.
If you have been sexually abused as a minor by a member of the clergy or anyone representing the Catholic Church, or if you know someone who was, you can report that abuse through the diocesan Abuse Hotline: 1-888-296-2965 or via email at abuseline@dioceseoftrenton.org.
The Diocese encourages anyone with an allegation to also report that abuse to their local law enforcement agency. The Diocese reports all allegations received to the appropriate county prosecutor’s office.
ONLINE GIVING OPTIONS
please click on the corresponding hyperlinks below
