By Mandate of the Apostolic Administrator

Public Celebration of the Liturgy Resumes

On the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ

Our Mass schedule for this weekend will be Saturday at 5:00 pm, Sunday at 9:00 am and 11:00 am (English) and 1:00 pm (Spanish). 

If you are attending mass this weekend, please read the following guidelines.

1. Mass attendance will be limited to 25% of seating capacity. Entrance will be first come, first serve basis.
2. All of those attending Mass over the age of 2 must wear a face mask. You will only be admitted inside the church if you are wearing a face mask.
3. Hand Sanitizer will be provided in the entrance of the Church. You are welcome to bring your own.
4. The dispensation from the obligation to participate in Sunday and Holy Day Masses remains in effect until further notice. For this reason, those who wish to attend Sunday Eucharist and are unable to do so because of the limited access to the church may choose to attend Mass on another day.
5. Those who are particularly vulnerable to the coronavirus, i.e. those sixty (60) years of age and over, and especially those with one or several underlying medical conditions, should follow Mass at home via live stream or television until all restrictions are removed.
6. A person with a cough or fever of any kind should stay home to protect the health of others.
7. Regularly cleaning and disinfecting commonly-touched surfaces in the church will be done after every service in the church.
8. All hymnals and missalettes have been removed from the church pews.
9. The restroom will be closed. In case of an emergency, please see the ushers.
10. Only one entrance/door will be open. However, all doors will allow for egress in case of emergency.
11. Altar Servers will not assist at the altar until a later date when the risk of contagion is further ameliorated.
12. There will be no choir. Singing should be discouraged in general. Singing, especially in close proximity to others, may increase the risk of viral spread.

The parts of the Mass, e.g., Gloria, Gospel Acclamation, etc. will be recited.

13. There will be no offertory procession. Collection baskets will be placed in appropriate places to receive the offering of the faithful. Online Giving is available on our website.
14. The Exchange of Peace is to be shared without human contact.
15. Social distancing should be maintained by the faithful when they approach to receive the Eucharist at Communion time. Please allow six feet between each person in the line going to receive the Eucharist. The faithful should be encouraged to bring hand sanitizer to use before the reception of Holy Communion.
16. The Body of Christ should be received in the hands of the communicant.
17. The distribution of the Precious Blood from the chalice is discontinued for the foreseeable future.
18. To avoid crowding at the end of Mass, people will be dismissed by the ushers one pew at a time to avoid crowding.
19. For now, when a priest is approached for celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, the confessional is not used. There should be a safe social distance between the priest and penitent in a public and yet appropriate space. Please contact the Rectory if you wish to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

Dear parishioners,
I hope and pray you all are safe and sound! Going through a difficult time in our lives as this pandemic continues! You are all in my prayers. Tomorrow we celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday and it's a great time to get closer to Jesus for His mercy upon all of us, our family and friends. In 1930 Santa Faustina received a message of mercy from Jesus that she was told to spread all over the world. Through Sister Faustina, Jesus, our Merciful Savior, gave a suffering world new channels for the outpouring of his merciful love to his beloved children. Says Jesus; " My heart overflows with great Mercy for souls and especially for poor sinners... It is for them that blood and water flowed from My Heart as from an overflowing source of Mercy. For them I dwell in the Tabernacles as King of Mercy. " In this difficult time we approach the Mercy of Jesus through the crown of Divine Mercy given to us by Santa Faustina. Mercy time is 3:00 pm. So I recommend you all pray to the crown of Divine Mercy with your family at 3 pm at home seen. May God continue to bless you and strengthen you in your faith in these difficult times! God bless you!
Fr. Leo

It is EASTER more than ever because he brought humanity to its knees in prayer to GOD and his SON, Jesus Christ, and that's all for Easter.
HIS life, death and resurrection.. all for us.
Happy Easter.
"Jesus has risen"

Fr. Leo

Dear Parishioners

It’s Holy Saturday and all is silent. Jesus lays silent in the tomb. A day that commemorates the time of darkness and the waiting when Jesus was in the tomb. Today as you keep vigil await wholeheartedly the glorios Resurrection of our Savior Jesus Christ who brings us light light to the darkness and new life. Jesus is the light of the world and our hope. These past weeks we have suffered great trials but united to Christ may we find a supernatural healing in His glorious Resurrection. 

Yours in Christ
Fr. Leo

Dear Parishioners 

I hope and pray this finds you and your family safe and healthy, and adjusting to the new realities imposed by the Coronavirus pandemic.

So much has changed in the world in recent weeks, and also here at St. Gerard. We are trying our best to stream the Daily Mass from several Catholic sites. Fr. Sabinus and I offer daily our private Masses for you, your families and all your personal intentions. If you have any prayer request or special intentions you can place them privately in messenger, leave a voicemail at (973) 595-8446 or text message to (973) 767-9682. 

This Holy Week will be different from all the Holy Week experiences we’ve had. The opportunity to receive Jesus in the Sacrament of the Eucharist will not be available to you but please know that Fr. Sabinus and I will have all of you in our thoughts and in our heart as we celebrate the private liturgies of this Easter Triduum. You can view the liturgies we post and make act of spiritual communion as noted below. Please know that it will be effective in receiving God’s grace and blessings as indicated by Pope Francis during this extraordinary time in the world and our Church’s history. 

Let us remember to pray for each other, unite our pains, sufferings and our self quarantine to the pains and suffering of our Savior during his Passion, Death, and triumphant Resurrection. I encourage you to turn your eyes towards Jesus for strength and increased faith. I leave with these words from Isaiah 53:4-5

Yet it was our pain that he bore,
our sufferings he endured.
We thought of him as stricken,
struck down by God* and afflicted,
But he was pierced for our sins,
crushed for our iniquity.
He bore the punishment that makes us whole,
by his wounds we were healed.

Act of Spiritual Communion

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.

Yours in Christ 
Father Leo