Featured Ministry: Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion
The reception of Holy Eucharist is the most intimate act a faithful Catholic can enter into with Our Lord. Truly it is Christ Himself who is received when one receives Holy Communion. Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion are graced with the privilege of sharing Christ’s Body and Blood with others. This ministry must, therefore, be regarded with the utmost dignity and reverence. Ministers should possess sufficient maturity and make sure to not call attention to themselves or to distract from the flow of the celebration. All ministers of Holy Communion should show the greatest reverence for the Most Holy Eucharist by their demeanor, their attire, and the manner in which they handle the consecrated bread or wine.
Extraordinary ministers connect the Church to the home or hospital, when needed. When we return to our pews after receiving Communion, we see those that gather at the altar to be handed the Eucharist by the priest for distribution to those that are unable to attend Mass because of health issues or other circumstances. After Mass, when we leave the church and begin our Sunday activities, these individuals carry the most Holy Eucharist out into the community – to homes, nursing homes and hospitals.
They are indeed extraordinary – both in terms of their roles in the distribution of the Eucharist at Mass, as well as outside of the Church – however, that is not why they are called as such. The Extraordinary Minister is called extraordinary in order to distinguish him or her from the ordinary minister of Holy Communion, who is a bishop, priest, or deacon (Code of Canon Law, c. 910)
Many have witnessed the blessing of their services to the Church. For those who are sick or home bound, it is heartwarming and comforting to see a familiar face walk into the room. The visit, the prayers and the Eucharist are truly gifts for them.
Will you answer God’s call to be Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (EMHCs)? Please prayerfully consider a call to become a Minister of Holy Communion for our Parish Community. Several of our parishioners who have served us over many years have retired in one way or another. The time commitment is what you can offer and the value is priceless. Here’s a brief testimony for one of our EMHC’s, “My heart feels a sense of grace and peace when I am sharing Christ with another person.” All confirmed Catholics are eligible. Act now if you are feeling our Lord calling you! Please contact Lou Monticchio (strawbed@mac.com) to find out more!
>To join Extraordinary Ministry click here for more information.
Click here to view the entire 5 Things PDF.
Click here to hear form Bishop O’Connell
The Health Ministry will host a Blood Donation through American Red Cross
on Friday, April 14th in the Parish Center. Donations take about an hour.
Times are available every 15 minutes from 2:00pm to 7:00pm.
Pre-registration is preferred. Schedule your appointment ahead of time click here.
Join us on Zoom, click here.
^ Click here for more information on the
Pilgrimage to Israel Discovery above.
Altar Rosary Society
The Rosary Altar Society will resume meeting on Sunday, March 12th following the 9:30 am Mass in the Parish Center.
Center. We will celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with our annual sing along with Frank Bresnan. Reach out to
an Officer if you need a ride. We look forward to seeing everyone.
Click below to view videos from our Mission 2022 with Fr. Cedric.
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Click here to view entire Compendium
Summary Report
Building On Our Past Securing Our Future
Our results from the Building on Our Past, Securing Our Future Program were encouraging. Almost 28% of the parishioners who gave to the Sunday offertory in the last year made a commitment for the next year.
Good and faithful stewards of God’s creation, thank you! God bless you and your family! In the service of the Lord, Fr. Gene P Daguplo
>Click here to view report.
Know someone needing assistance with food, housing, drug addiction, mental health, domestic violence or immigration? Contact Catholic Charities, Diocese of Trenton CatholicCharitiesTrenton.
St. Raphael-Holy Angels bingo’s, held on Monday and Friday, have postponed reopening until further notice. Thank you for your support of our Church and School with this great fundraising event.
Please take a few minutes to enjoy the three videos below.
From left to right: Fr. Gene’s 60TH Birthday and Installation, Pilgrimage to the Shrines of Ireland 2018 and Did you know, about St. Raphael – Holy Angels.
Saintly Stories
“But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” 2 Timothy 3:14-15
St. Raphael School Open Registration
Daily exposure to Catholic faith and values reinforcement system
