We welcome you to our parishes in the
northwest corner of Sussex County, New Jersey.
St. James the Greater
75 River Road, Montague, NJ 07827
Map and Directions |
St. Thomas the Apostle
210 Route 206 N, Sandyston, NJ 07826
Map and Directions |
Our church welcomes those visiting our area
to come join with us at Mass.
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We are already in the 4th week of Lent leading us into Holy Week!
Please check the Church Bulletin [at the top & the Right side above] for all we seek
parishioner participation in.
There will be collection taken towards the Easter Flowers.
See insert in Church Bulletin next weekend.
All Confirmation Candidates are asked to participate in presenting the Living Stations. The first rehearsal is scheduled for Sat. 23rd [10am- noon], along with the mandatory Final Interview for those receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation in April.
Mar. 29 ~ Living Stations of the Cross will be presented by the Confirmation Candidates at 7:30pm at STC. All Candidates should arrive at 4:00pm for the set-up, rehearsal and dinner.
KOC Seder Supper on Tues. March 26th - see Info & cost for the dinner that will be held in the Father Lewis Center at St. Thomas. Please register asap.
We will need vols for the Foot Washing that is a part of our
Mar. 28 ~ Holy Thursday Mass of the Lord’s Supper at St. Thomas the Apostle Church.
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See our special $1 subscription for HALLOW's Lent 40 offering
at PRAY LENT WITH HALLOW under Faith Formation above. Onecan access it on a smartphone or a desktop/PC/computer or laptop!
It allows one full access to Hallow Premium level through Pentecost.
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Offered during Tuesday's Bible Study time - THE CHOSEN
During the time reserved for a weekly Bible Study, starting 3/5,
episodes of Season One of THE CHOSEN will be viewed. It will be shown in the Father Lewis Center at St. Thomas on Tuesday afternoons at 1:00pm.
Each of the eight episodes runs 45 minutes to an hour long.
We view one episode per week & plan time if anyone wishes to have some discussion.
Please come and make The Chosen a part of your Lenten journey.
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Stations of the Cross
Held at St. James and prayed every Friday afternoon in Lent at 3 p.m. through 3/22.
Make praying the Stations a part of your Lenten offerings to the Lord.
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Once again we are gathering with our Christian neighbors to share our prayers and prayer styles on these Fridays of Lent, beginning at 7 p.m. each time.
We join with Pastor Jo-Anne and the Del. Valley United Methodist Church, and Pastor Mike and the Minisink Reformed Church on these nights and locations:
Fri. Feb. 16 at St. Thomas Fri. Feb. 23 at Delaware Valley Methodist
Fri. March 1 at Minisink Reformed Fri. March 8 at St. Thomas
Fri. March 15 at Delaware Valley Methodist
Fri. March 22 at Minisink Reformed
Let us join together, in union with fellow believers in Jesus, to ask the Lord
for the guidance and help our nation needs.
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Nine Month Novena to Our Lady of Guadalupe
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MUSIC MINISTRY ANNOUNCEMENT "He who sings prays twice."
“ As we begin Lent, we prepare ourselves for the Easter season by doing works of charity, deepening our self-examination and repenting our sins!
We also prepare to celebrate sacred Liturgies in different ways through the church seasons.
Lent is characterized by many songs in plain chant, Taizé chant and many other songs in a minor key with less instrumentation.
The Easter Season is characterized by joyful songs celebrated with vigor! As such, we will be introducing a new Mass setting for use during Easter & Ordinary Season 2.
We will be introducing “Mass of Compassionate Christ” by Bob Hurd and Ken Canedo.
We sing many songs by these two modern, Catholic composers!
You can listen to the Mass Settings on Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube and is downloadable on the Oregon Catholic Press website, our music publisher. Www.OCP.ORG.
As always, feel free to join the choir and musicians anytime!
Any questions, please contact or speak directly with Lou Casper, Musician Director.
The congregation should unite with the choir in singing along with the chosen hymns,
unless otherwise directed, or if it is a Meditative piece that is sung right after Communion.
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WINTER WEATHER POLICY UPDATE
As per our policy, if the Sandyston-Walpack or Montague schools are in session and announce a snow/ ice-related delay or closure - our 9am Daily Mass is cancelled. Please check our Church Bulletin [link is above - top right] for timely info about upcoming parish or area events
&
also our Upcoming Events sub-page for Parish events.
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2023 - 2024 Religious Education program classes
The Sacraments of Christian Initiation -
for students who will receive First Holy Eucharist and Confirmation,
build on the grace each child first received at Baptism. Reception of those two sacraments requires two specific years of preparation for these Sacraments, usually in 1st & 2nd grade, and again in 7th & 8th grade.
Children entering school & 1st grade in September should be enrolled.
The grades in between are necessary stepping stones, to help assure that each child will more fully grasp and understand their faith, and cannot be skipped.
Children's Liturgy of the Word
C.L.O.W. is held on certain Sundays at St. Thomas the Apostle
& during the Gospel/Homily portion of the Sunday 9:30 AM Mass .
Check Church Bulletin [top R corner] for those specific dates.
All students should attend either St. Thomas' 4:30 PM Sat. Vigil,
or a Sunday Mass at St. James or St. Thomas,
or another Catholic church whenever away, each weekend year-round.
Mrs. Flexer welcomes Confirmation Candidates (from grades 7 & 8) and Confirmed teens to consider assisting as Lector, and/or as Hospitality Minister for C.L.O.W.
or in any other Liturgical Ministry.
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Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults
If anyone is already baptized, there is no reason to delay being fully initiated.
If you are over 18 and for any reason did not receive any of these
Sacraments of the Catholic Church: Baptism, Eucharist, Confirmation -
please contact the Parish, if you desire to now receive them.
The parishes of St. James & of St. Thomas do accept Online Giving.
Please click on the logo above to sign up to donate to either parish.
Diocesan Assessments * & Special Collection * dates are listed.
Please indicate which * collection your donation is towards - via a notation.
Thank You for your continued support!
New Parishioner Information
We welcome you and ask that you fill out a registration form.
One can be obtained at church, via our Parish Office, or download:
St. Thomas or St. James
Whenever a Catholic is asked to be Godparent or Sponsor,
a letter from their pastor of their home parish is requested.
That letter can only be legitimately provided to a registered member of a parish.
Please do call the Parish Office 973-948-2296 [Ext. 11]
to schedule receiving the Sacrament of Confession with our pastor
or for any other specific requests.
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Our Parish Food Pantry is currently accessible
most weekdays via the Parish Office.
Please call first to be certain someone there can assist you.
If you don't speak directly with someone, leave a message with your name and
a phone # so that you can be responded to. Someone will call back.
We offer this list of links to online Masses or ones televised, for those who cannot legitimately attend in person - if ill or homebound.
All others should now be attending a Sat. Vigil or a Sunday Mass each weekend to fulfill their Sunday Mass obligation - if there is no illness, or a genuine extenuating circumstance.
Per the Bishops of NJ -
As of the 2023 Vigil of Corpus Christi, all are again welcome to receive from the chalice. Of course, those with colds are asked to refrain.
Receiving from the chalice is always optional, but it offers the full experience of the Last Supper of Jesus. It also remains an alternate form for those who cannot receive the gluten host; should one need to take Communion via a low gluten host - that need must be made known to the pastor ahead of time, as it is then kept separate and offered by the presider. {Currently - due to winter colds, RSV, etc. this has been temporarily suspended."
{Note: No one was ever dispensed from observing their Sunday obligation. } Go to the menu above & at top right see Info & News - check "Important Info".
We continue to have hand sanitizer available.
Feel free to wear a facial mask, if you chooseor need to for any reason.
For everyone's continued safety, those wishing to receive Communion on the tongue - Paterson Diocesan protocol advises:
"Those who wish to receive Holy Communion on the tongue .. to come up to receive at the conclusion of the Communion Procession."
Options online for those ill / unable to attend in person:
St. Patrick's Cathedral
Catholic TV
EWTN
Confessions during Lent are available
in every Catholic Church of the Paterson Diocese, each Monday of Lent, from
7 p.m. till 8:30 p.m until March 25. Reconciliation is at the heart of the Lenten Season in order to prepare well for Easter.
At our parishes, the schedule will be:
Feb. 19 St. Thomas Feb. 26 St. James
March 4 St. Thomas March 11 St. James March 18 St. Thomas
March 25 St. James
NOTE: The Sacrament of Reconciliation is always available by Appt.
Click on FORMED to sign up for your direct account under our parish subscription: St. James the Greater and St. Thomas the Apostle.
It has something for all ages!
Msgr. Gacquin Youth &
Religious Education Center (REC) Religious Education Office
122 Layton-Hainesville Rd.
Sandyston,
NJ 07826
All mail is to be sent to the parish office address noted at the bottom of this page.
Map and Directions
Interested in Assisting those
Suffering from Addiction ?
www.ithirstinitiative.org
2/13/24 NCR article titled "Aiding the Addicted: Healing Hearts and Souls Through Spiritual Accompaniment " tells about the iTHIRST Initiative.
"The Road To Hope" Book Review
Call 1-800-395-HELP or
Tri-State Pregnancy 570-491-5151
Good Counsel Homes: 1 -800-723-8331
Serving pregnant mothers in need - any time & any place.
www.goodcounselhomes.org
Adoption@Catholic Charities
Walking with Moms in Need
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Project Rachel
973-777-8818, ext. 272
hopeafterabortion.com
www.rachelsvineyard.org