To see the April 5, 2020, Palm Sunday Mass, please click HERE

To see the April 4, 2020, Mass on video, please click HERE
To see the April 3, 2020, Mass on video, please click HERE
To see the April 2, 2020, Mass on video, please click HERE
To see the April 1, 2020, Mass on video, please click HERE
To see the March 31, 2020, Mass on video, please click HERE
To see the March 30, 2020, Mass on video, please click HERE
To see the March 29, 2020, Sunday Mass on video, please click HERE
To see the March 28, 2020, Mass on video, please click HERE
To see the March 27, 2020, Mass on video, please click HERE
To see the March 26, 2020, Mass on video, please click HERE
To see the March 25, 2020, Mass on video, please click HERE
and for Bishop Barron on the Coronavirus Quarantine, which is referenced by Father Dan in his homily today, please click HERE
To see the March 24, 2020, Mass on video, please click HERE
To see the March 23, 2020, Mass on video, please click HERE

The Coronavirus and Act of Spiritual Communion prayers are below so you can pray them with the priest at the appropriate time          

Coronavirus Prayer after Prayer of the Faithful

Jesus Christ, You traveled through towns and villages “curing every disease and illness.”

At Your command, the sick were made well.

Come to our aid now, in the midst of the global spread of the coronavirus, that we may experience Your healing love.

Be with doctors, nurses, researchers and all medical professionals who seek to heal and help those affected and who put themselves at risk in the process.

May they know Your protection and peace.

May victims regain their strength and health through quality medical care.

Heal us from our fear.

Stay by our side in this time of uncertainty and sorrow.

Be with those who have died from the virus.

May they be at rest with You in Your Eternal Peace.

Hear our prayer, O Divine Physician. Hear our prayer.

Amen.

Act of Spiritual Communion Prayer

My Jesus,

I believe that You are present in the Most Holy Sacrament.

I love You above all things,

And I desire to receive You into my soul.

Since I cannot at this moment receive You sacramentally,

Come at least spiritually into my heart.

I embrace You as if You were already there and unite myself wholly to You.

Never permit me to be separated from You.

Amen.

Holy Week and Easter Schedule

Palm Sunday, April 5 ^th
  Commemoration of the Lord’s Entrance into Jerusalem
was live-streamed on the SML YouTube channel: www.youtube.com  (search SML Parish)
To see a video of the 9:00 a.m. Mass, click HERE

Palms will not be distributed Sunday.
 
 Daily Mass
Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday
April 6 ^th , April 7 ^th and April 8 ^th
Daily Mass will be taped and available at
smlparish.org
 
Holy Thursday, April 9 ^th
  The Mass of the Lord’s Supper
 will be simulcasted at 7:00 p.m. on the SML YouTube channel: www.youtube.com (search SML Parish)
and available at smlparish.org
 
Good Friday, April 10 ^th
  The Commemoration of the Lord’s Passion
will be simulcasted at 3:00 p.m. on the SML YouTube channel: www.youtube.com (search SML Parish)
and available at smlparish.org
 
Holy Saturday, April 11 ^th
 The Easter Vigil
will be simulcasted at 7:00 p.m. on the SML YouTube channel: www.youtube.com (search SML Parish) and available at smlparish.org

Call to Action

This is “a call to action” to show our trust is in the Lord during this pandemic by taping the image of the Divine Mercy on your front door or window of your house. Below is a short video HERE explaining why we would do this as well as the link to the image itself HERE. Feel free to share with family and friends. God bless and keep you.

Order of the Mass and Daily Readings
Click HERE  for the Order of the Mass

Click HERE for the USCCB’s daily readings

Stations of the Cross

For the Stations of the Cross 2020, click HERE

Live Adoration 

 For Live Adoration on EWTN GB, click HERE

The Veil Removed

 The Veil Removed is a short film that reveals the coming together of heaven and earth at Mass, as seen by saints and mystics, revealed by Scripture and in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

Click HERE to see the seven-minute film that will change the way you see the Holy Mass.

The Diocese of Trenton is here to support you and your family.  Resources for families can be found on our webpage: dioceseoftrenton.org/catechesis or by clicking HERE

OFFICE OF THE BISHOP

DIOCESE OF TRENTON
 
March 25, 2020
Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord
 
The Holy Father has invited all clergy, religious and lay faithful of the world to take part in a special televised prayer service this Friday, March 27, at 1 p.m. EST.  It will be broadcast on EWTN and livestreamed on www.vaticannews.va.  A plenary indulgence is attached to participation, under the usual conditions to be fulfilled “as soon as possible afterwards.”

Abortion and COVID -19: A Permissible Elective Surgery?

Office of the Bishop
Diocese of Trenton

Crises bring out the best and worst in people and in their decisions. We have seen so much of “the best” in the courageous sacrifice of our health care workers, first responders and other essential personnel who are keeping us supplied with medicine, food and so many other needs.

Sadly, however, In the midst of good efforts to address the COVID 19 pandemic, a glaring example of “the worst” judgment was demonstrated in the text of New Jersey Executive Order 109, where abortion was identified as a permissible elective surgery in the New Jersey.  The order states

4. Nothing in this Order shall be construed to limit access to the full range of family planning services and procedures, including terminations of pregnancies, whether in a hospital, ambulatory surgery center, physician office, or other location.

At a time when we are doing everything possible in New Jersey to protect people from COVID-19 and to preserve the health, wellbeing and lives of people who have been exposed to coronavirus, to permit the simultaneous, continued destruction of life in the womb just doesn’t make any sense.  It has never made sense even in good, pandemic free times.

Why are “the full range of family planning services and procedure including terminations of pregnancies” placed in the protected category of permissible elective services available in our state?  The pro-choice lobby and its politics are too hard to resist, I guess, even for some leaders and politicians who identify themselves as “Catholic.“  For the Catholic, regardless of occupation or political party, abortion and the Catholic faith are irreconcilable. That has been the clear teaching of the Catholic Church for centuries and Roe v. Wade (1973) has not altered that teaching, even slightly.  Every Catholic knows that, including elected officials. The elective “termination of pregnancies” is a death sentence —- the death penalty —- for children in the womb, pandemic or not.

New Jersey Executive Order 109 is another —- and I emphasize, another —- of the ongoing efforts in our state at the highest levels to ignore or dismiss the sound moral reasoning that is the foundation of our support for human life, from conception to natural death.  In addition to the knowledge that children will be sacrificed in the womb in this time of COVID-19, the fact that Executive Order 109 bears Catholic fingerprints deeply saddens me as Bishop. I would not want that on my conscience when I face the Creator.

United States Congress Contacts for School in the Diocese of Trenton 

As a non-profit, our Diocese and many others do not participate in state unemployment insurance programs.  Therefore, our employees cannot apply for these benefits through the State because we are privately funded.  Unfortunately, during this unusual time, many of our locations may not be able to afford to pay unemployment.  So, at this time, we are asking for your help in reaching out to  Congress and asking them to provide emergency disaster unemployment assistance to workers that are not covered by state unemployment insurance.

The USCCB is recommending that we contact our federal reps (Senators and Members of Congress) by both e-mail and phone with a message about the needs for coverage for church workers. The legislation is moving quickly.  Below is a list of  our local members of Congress with their contact information: 

• Senator Cory A. Booker - (D - NJ)  o Washington Office (202) 224-3224 o Camden Office (856) 338-8922 o Newark Office (973) 639-8700 o Contact through web page  https://www.booker.senate.gov/?p=contact 
• Senator Robert Menendez - (D - NJ) o Washington Office (202) 224-4744 o Newark Office  (973) 645-3030 o Barrington Office (856) 757-5353 o Contact through web page https://www.menendez.senate.gov/contact 
• Representative Donald Norcross (1st Congressional District) o Washington Office (202) 225-6501 o Cherry Hill Office (856) 427-7000 o Contact through web page https://norcross.house.gov/contact/email-me
• Representative Andy Kim (3rd Congressional District) o Washington Office (202) 225-4765 o Toms River Office (732) 504-0490 o Willingboro Office (856) 703-2700 o Contact through web page https://kim.house.gov/contact
• Representative Chris Smith (4th Congressional District) o Washington Office (202) 225-3765 o Freehold Office (732) 780-3035 o Plumsted Office (609) 585-7878 o Hamilton Office (609) 585-7878 o Contact through web page https://chrissmith.house.gov/contact/zipauth.htm
• Representative Frank Pallone, Jr. (6th Congressional District) o Washington Office (202) 225-4671 o Long Branch Office (732) 571-1140 o New Brunswick Office (732) 249-8892 o Contact through web page https://palloneforms.house.gov/contact/
• Representative Tom Malinowski (7th Congressional District) o Washington Office (202) 225-5361 o Somerville Office (908) 547-330708) 547-3307 o Contact through  web page https://malinowski.house.gov/contact/send-me-email
  • Representative Bonnie Watson Coleman (12th Congressional District) o Washington Office (202) 225-5801 o Ewing Office (609) 883-0026) 547-3307 o Contact through web page https://watsoncoleman.house.gov/contact/

A Message from Bishop O'Connell on Palm Sunday and Holy Week/Easter 

In video message, Bishop O’Connell urges Diocese
to have faith, patience...
to see click HERE

Office of the Bishop
Diocese of Trenton
 
March 20, 2020
 
To All the Faithful of the Diocese of Trenton,
 
The Holy See has issued a decree regarding the celebrations of the upcoming Palm Sunday and Holy Week/Easter for implementation by Diocesan Bishops throughout the world.  I have issued a decree for the Diocese of Trenton, implementing the directives of the Holy See.
 
These unprecedented measures have been deemed necessary, given the best information we have received from federal, state and local public health authorities.
 
Although COVID-19 has dramatically affected all of us in so many ways, I want to reach out to you with pastoral care and affection.  Our public Holy Week and Easter celebrations will be quite different this year but the underlying mysteries of our faith in the Lord’s passion, death and resurrection have not changed.  They continue to be the source and support of our faith and we should celebrate them this year, even though in a different way.
 
Permit me please, as your Bishop, to encourage you to use all the means available, to sustain and nurture your faith.  Follow Masses and other liturgical celebrations reverently on-line or via televised broadcast.  Read the liturgical readings in your missals, other publications or on the internet.  Pray your devotions privately or as families, especially the rosary, Stations of the Cross, and other beloved traditional devotions. 

Make a spiritual communion at home or wherever you may be.  The great saints in our Church’s history followed that practice.  Keep your faith and prayer life alive until things in our public practice of the faith is restored.
 
Please stay as calm as possible.  Faith and patience are good companions in the spiritual life.  They become the source of charity in our genuine witness to the Lord Jesus and his Good News.  Be kind and attentive to others —- your own families, neighbors, friends and those who are elderly and alone.  Reach out in the best ways possible.  Be grateful to/for those who are working to address COVID-19 in so many different venues.  Be generous.  The pandemic is and will continue take its toll on families and on our parishes.  Keep the needs of others in mind.
 
Above all, please remember that the Lord Jesus is in our midst, now and always.  As he touched lives, healed the sick and ministered with love and merciful compassion throughout the Gospels, know that he will continue to do so for us.  Have no doubt about that.  “Be joyful in hope, persevere in hardship, keep praying regularly (Romans 12:12).”
God bless us all and protect us.  O Mary, Mother of Divine Love, protect and lead us to the heart of your Son.
 
Sincerely yours in the Lord,
Bishop O’Connell

STAY CONNECTED WITH THE DIOCESE ONLINE! 

Bishop O’Connell’s livestreamed Masses for Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday can be accessed on the homepages of DioceseofTrenton.org and TrentonMonitor.com. 

Check TrentonMonitor.com/coronavirus for the Bishop’s livestream schedule and for ongoing coverage of the ways that the Church and the faithful are responding to the COVID-19 crisis here in the Diocese and around the world. 

Connect with these developing resources, which will be updated as new information becomes available:

Local parishes televise, livestream, broadcast Masses

Events, gatherings canceled around the Diocese 

You can sign up for free email alerts from TrentonMonitor.com

A Message from Bishop O'Connell On Measures to Mitigate the
Spread of COVID-19

God has not abandoned us and is present among us. As we learn each day of the growing concern surrounding the spread of the coronavirus in our communities, we need to have faith and confidence in God, especially in times like these, praying that He will see us through the present adversity safely.

Mindful of the Lord Jesus’ own words in St. Luke’s Gospel, “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself, take up his Cross daily, and follow me (Luke 9: 23),” the coronavirus pandemic has placed such a Cross before us.

In response to the latest guidelines from national and state health authorities aimed at stopping the spread of the disease, I have directed the following:

MASSES, SACRAMENTS AND OTHER CHURCH SERVICES
• All public Masses throughout the Diocese of Trenton will be temporarily suspended through April 3, 2020. That date is subject to change as the coronavirus pandemic evolves.
• Baptism, funerals and weddings may continue based on the judgement of pastors, with the caution that crowds should not exceed 50 persons as mandated by the State of a New Jersey.
• Social distancing practices (3-6 feet of space between participants) should be observed for any event inside church spaces.
• Attention should be paid to the cleanliness of our church facilities.
• Televised or online celebrations of the Mass and other religious programming are available for use of the faithful during this time.
• All scheduled Confirmations in the Diocese will be temporarily postponed until after Easter and will be re-scheduled after that time.
• The Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick should also remain available for true emergencies. Hospitals and nursing homes may be on lock-down and priests are advised to check on their status beforehand.

SCHOOLS, RELIGIOUS EDUCATION AND OTHER CLOSURES
• All Catholic schools in the Diocese will remain closed as mandated by the State of New Jersey. Directions for academic work have been provided by the Superintendent of Catholic Schools in coordination with Catholic school administrations.
• All religious education programs are suspended with at-home work provided by the local parish leaders where possible.
• The Chancery offices will be closed March 16 through March 23 and staff will work remotely during that time. A limited number of staff will be present in the office on an as-needed basis to provide essential services.
• Pastors should make appropriate judgments regarding parish offices. Other regular parish activities and previously scheduled events should be postponed or canceled.
• Catholic social and charitable outreach programs and services in the Diocese should be adjusted to meet directions mandated by the State of New Jersey.

The Catholic faithful of the Diocese — priests, religious and lay faithful — are advised to keep informed and updated regarding the progress of the coronavirus pandemic during this national and state emergency.

You will find links to national, state and local agencies on our webpage: dioceseoftrenton.org/coronavirus.

We will continue to evaluate new information that could impact these directives and will post regular updates to dioceseoftrenton.org/coronavirus; TrentonMonitor.com/coronavirus and on the Diocese’s social media pages.

FINALLY, avoid crowded areas, observe careful hygiene, keep appropriate distances outside the home and if feeling sick, stay at home.

I ask that all of the faithful remember the elderly and other persons at risk in their families and communities, and reach out to them by phone to see if help is needed.

A CALL TO PRAYER
An Act of Spiritual Communion is proposed for the faithful who are temporarily unable to receive the Eucharist: “My Jesus, I believe that You are present in the Most Holy Sacrament. I love You above all things, and I desire to receive You into my soul. Since I cannot at this moment receive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already there and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You. Amen.”

For a list of streamed or recorded Masses available online, or television stations airing the Sunday Mass, go to dioceseoftrenton.org/coronavirus

As we all face what has become a grave and growing health risk, it is important for all the Catholic faithful to “persevere in hardship and keep praying regularly (Romans 12:12).” As Bishop of the Diocese of Trenton, I invite all the Catholic faithful to join with me in prayer:

O Mary, loving Mother, you always shine on our path as a sign of salvation and of hope. We entrust ourselves to you, who at the Cross took part in Jesus’ pain, keeping your faith firm. You, Salvation of Your People, know what we need, and we are sure you will provide so that, as in Cana of Galilee, we may return to joy and to feasting after this time of trial. Help us, Mother of Divine Love, to conform to the will of the Father and to do as we are told by Jesus, who has taken upon himself our sufferings and carried our sorrows to lead us, through the Cross, to the joy of the Resurrection. Be present to all those suffering from coronavirus and to those who care for them: families, friends, neighbors, doctors, nurses, staff, government officials, pastors, priests and all who seek to do God’s will. Bring comfort and calm to the elderly, to those at risk and to all who are afraid. Be for us all a beacon of hope, lighting our path once more to the heart of your beloved Son, the Divine Healer and Health of the Sick. Under your protection, we seek refuge, Holy Mother of God. Deliver us from every danger, O glorious and blessed Virgin. Amen.

Fasting . . . Praying ... Almsgiving 

 
Word on Fire:   www.lentreflections.com
 
Best Lent Ever:  https://dynamiccatholic.com/best-lent-ever/rsvp
 
Augustine Institute: www.formed.org/lent
 
Blessed is She:
https://blessedisshe.net/product/here-too-lent-devotional-digital-download/
 
For Our Catholic Family: http://www.catholicfamilyfaith.org/lent.html
 
Relevant Radio: Sign up for Father Rocky’s 40 Lessons on the Mass at www.RelevantRadio.com

Examinations of Conscience:

Examination of Conscience based on the Ten Commandments
Examination of Conscience in Light of Catholic Social Teaching
Examination of Conscience for Children
Examination of Conscience for Young Adults
Examination of Conscience for Single People
Examination of Conscience for Married Persons

Resources During Coronavirus
 
Strong Catholic Families Website 
http://www.catholicfamilyfaith.org/
 
Project YM
https://projectym.com/live/

CatholicMom.com 
http://catholicmom.com/
 

"It's beautiful when mothers teach their children to send a kiss to Jesus or to the Virgin Mary. At that very moment, the kid's heart transforms into a site of prayer. It's a gift from the Holy Spirit.” 

“Ask yourselves, 'Do you have a Gospel at home? Do we read it together as a family? Do we meditate while praying the rosary?' A Gospel that is read within the family is like good bread that nurtures the hearts of everyone.” 

"There are children who have not learned how to make the sign of the Cross. Mothers and fathers, teach your children this. It's a good assignment for parents to have.” 
 
USSCB Statement on Family Catechesis
http://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/who-we-teach/children/
 

FORMED

www.formed.org
Click on “Sign Up” button
Click “I belong to a Parish or Organization”
Enter code in all capitals :  ZZFDVV 
Choose “St Mary of the Lakes”, click NEXT
Enter your name and e-mail address, click “Sign Up”
 
Catholic Icing – Great ideas for celebrating the various feasts with food and crafts
https://www.catholicicing.com/
 
For Moms:
https://blessedisshe.net/
 
For Dads:
https://www.catholicgentleman.net/

From the Pastor’s Desk
           The Annual Catholic Appeal (ACA) is ongoing throughout the Diocese of Trenton. 
           Each year, the Bishop seeks the support of our parishes, our clergy, Catholic education and social services.
           Each of us has a vital part in all we do in Christ’s name, and each of us can share in all we do with a gift to the ACA. The ACA gives us the opportunity to support the Church beyond our parish. 
          To date, SML has pledged $107,913. Our parish goal is $140,000. We need $32,087 to reach our goal. By reaching our goal, the rebate will be $21,000  (15 percent of goal). By continuing to exceed our goal, the rebate will be $21,000 + 50 percent of difference above $140,000.
           Last year’s generous response allowed our parish to exceed our goal by 10.9 percent with total received pledges of $154,782 for a total parish rebate of $28,545.
          We hope your generosity will allow for the same results this year and we thank you in advance for making a gift to this year’s ACA!
Father Dan

Click HERE to watch the ACA 2020 video

To donate online, click HERE

St. Mary of the Lakes Catholic Church and School embraces the teaching of the Catholic Church that all human life is sacred and must be protected.
 
God loves each human life from the instant of his or her conception and entrusts this gift to the protection of a mother and father. Abortion ends the life of a child and offends God. It also deeply wounds the women and men involved. Our Church provides healing for those who have had an abortion and prays to end abortion.
 
During these days when abortion is made to seem like merely a political issue, we are reminded that abortion is a moral issue and encourage all to pray for pro-life efforts on behalf of those who cannot help themselves.
 
We fully endorse the most recent statement from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops about its unequivocal mission to support mothers and children, and to end the tragedy of abortion:
 
Every single human life has value. The trend of states passing pro-life legislation is a very encouraging move toward ensuring that our society cherishes unborn children and their most basic right to life.  The pro-life movement has always had two critical goals: increasing support for mothers and children and eliminating the tragedy of abortion. Our march for justice and human rights for unborn children will not be complete until they are recognized and protected as persons by the law. Our ultimate objective, however, is for abortion to be unthinkable. As we celebrate these pro-life legislative victories, we reiterate our commitment to supporting all mothers with the care and resources they need. The Church stands ready to help and welcome them.

- Archbishop Joseph Naumann of Kansas City, Kansas

For information on Mass, Confession times, or other information at any of the Burlington County Cohort 3 parishes, Disciples in Action, click on the following:

 Holy Eucharist Parish, Tabernacle
 St. Isaac Jogues Parish, Marlton
​​​​​​ St. John Neumann Parish, Mt. Laurel
 St. Joan of Arc Parish, Marlton

Father Dan compiled the following bibliography in answer to the question, “Father, can you recommend a good book for spiritual reading?” Click HERE

To make an online pledge or donation to Our Faith. Our Family. Our Future. capital campaign, click on:  Faith To Move Mountains.  Go to the top of the page and click on Donate Now. Select your amount. Then scroll down to select a parish. Select St. Mary of the Lakes Medford to donate or make a pledge to Our Faith. Our Family. Our Future. God bless you for your most generous support!

Please click HERE for Parish Registration Form.