Bishop of the Diocese of Trenton: Most Reverend David M. O’Connell, C.M.
Bishop of the Diocese of Trenton: Most Reverend David M. O’Connell, C. M.
Pastor: Reverend Fr. Jeffrey E. Lee
Pastor: Reverend Fr. Jeffrey E. Lee
Pastor Emeritus: Reverend Fr. William J. Bausch
Pastor Emeritus: Reverend Fr. William J. Bausch
Parish Trustees: Annette Raynor & Roger Zurro
Parish Trustees: Annette Raynor & Roger Zurro
SEPTEMBER 21, 2025
The Parable of the Shrewd Manager ~ Luke 16:1-13
TWENTY-FIFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
PARISH OFFICE HOURS
Mondays: 9 AM to 2 PM
Tuesdays: 2:30 PM to 7: 30 PM
Wednesdays: 9 AM to 2 PM
Thursdays: 9 AM to 2 PM
Fridays: Closed
Saturdays: Closed
Sundays: Open once monthly
WEEKEND MASS SCHEDULE
Saturday, September 20 4 PM Sunday, September 21 8 AM 10 AM & 12 Noon
MASS SCHEDULE & INTENTIONS
Saturday, September 20, 2025 - Sunday, September 28, 2025
Saturday, September 20
4 PM
Maria Pellicone * The Grabowski Family
Robert P. Ward * Carol Ward
Mary Michele Egan * Ward Family
Sunday, September 21
8 AM
Pro Populo
Bill Endlicher * Bob Endlicher
DeStefano/Albruno Families * Franceschetti Family
10 AM
Michelle Vlahos * Vlahos and Coleman Family
Lee von Doehren * The Collins-Sackstein Family
Philomena Iacono * Sarapochillo Family
12 Noon
Loving Family Members * Janet Munger
Rose Lunz * Maureen Beyer
Evelyn Rechtenbaugh * The Elingers
Monday, September 22
9 AM Chapel
Frank Pompilii * Sessa Family
Intentions of Matthew Bernardini * Katherine Bernardini
Tuesday, September 23
9 AM Chapel
Carl Simone * Susan & James Gobat
Intentions of Matthew Bernardini * Katherine Bernardini
Wednesday, September 24
9 AM Chapel
Maria Pellicone * Mom & Dad
Robert Soltys * The Collins-Sackstein Family
2026 MASS INTENTION BOOK OPENS OCT. 5
Consider requesting a Mass Intentions or Sanctuary Lamp for all occasions (birthdays, anniversaries, sickness, etc.) for a loved one, deceased or living.
Click below to submit request online now for 2025 dates:
Request a Sanctuary Lamp ($25 stipend)
Request a Mass Intention ($10 stipend)
Requests may also be submitted in person at the Parish Office during operating hours.
Thursday, September 25
9 AM Chapel
Nerio Dapul * Drs. Gener & Elvira Dapul
Maria Pellicone * Mom & Dad
Friday, September 26
9 AM Chapel
Mary Coppola * Jack & Rorie Coppola
Carl Simone * Diane Carnevale
Saturday, September 27
4 PM
Diane Aromando * Jeanne & Matt Cerbone
Fay Lentine * Fredda Family
Anna Pancila * Jack & Rorie Coppola
Sunday, September 28
8 AM
Carol Craine * Joan & Bill Hack
Nancy Brady * Phyllis & Hugh Murphy
Lillian Burry * Patricia, J.D & Graham Mitchell
10 AM
Pro Populo
Nicholas Francis Lettieri * Herold Garcia family
Accurisa (Judy) Cianci * Victoria & Tm Foley
12 Noon
Susan Duffy Schatzle * Jim Schatzle & Family
Tome Mestric * Angela Tarabocchia
John W. Bettigole * Marta & Ralph Favilla
Please pray for the following members of
Edward Habrack Father William Bausch
To add or remove a family member from the sick list, please e-mail ONLY to: parishbulletin@stmaryscoltsneck.org. Names will be removed from the list after 3 months.
Be sure to keep us updated on your loved one’s health. Thank you for keeping our Parish informed.
LIFELONG CATECHESIS: Week of September 21 to 27
READINGS FOR THE WEEK
Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Sunday, September 21
Amos 8:4-7 / 1 Timothy 2:1-8 / Luke 16:1-13
Monday, September 22
Ezra 1:1-6 / Luke 8:16-18
Tuesday, September 23
Ezra 6:7-8, 12b, 14-20 / Luke 8:19-21
Wednesday, September 24
Ezra 9:5-9 / Luke 9:1-6
Thursday, September 25
Haggai 1:1-8 / Luke 9:7-9
Friday, September 26
Haggai 2:1-9 / Luke 9:18-22
Saturday, September 27
Zechariah 2:5-9, 14-15a / Luke 9:43b-45
Please pray for our Military & First Responders
Almighty and eternal God, those who take refuge in you will be glad and forever will shout for joy. Protect these soldiers as they discharge their duties. Protect them with the shield of your strength and keep them safe from all evil and harm. May the power of your love enable them to return home in safety, that with all who love them, they may ever praise you for your loving care. We ask this through Christ our Lord.
AMT Colton Boag, USCG
Col. John Anthony Coppola, US Army
TSgt Stephen Witherow, USAF
LCpl Edward Zarzecki, USMC
Lt. Col. Douglas Coppola, US Army
Lt. Mary Herman, USN
SN Christian Houlihan, USN
LT. Jason Joseph Howe, USN
SPC Michael John Mento, US Army
LTJG Matthew Motola, USN
LCpl Bradley O’Ree, USMC
SPC Nicholas Poskonka, US Army
Captain Richard Savo, US Army
1st Lt. Adam Sjoholm, US Army
Captain Ryan Tanguay, US Army
FOR DEEPER REFLECTION
How do we use what God has given us?
Question for Children:
Clothes, food, toys all cost money. How do you keep your faith more important than money?
Question for Youth:
The Gospel tells us that money can get in the way of serving God. How can you use all that you have (possessions, money, time, talent) to serve God?
Question for Adults:
Money is an important part of modern life. Suggest one or two ways you can keep the need for money in balance with your faith.
Liturgy of the Word Dismissal for Children Ages 4 to 12
This is the practice of having children, ages 4Sunday assembly during the Liturgy of the Word (readings) and gather in the chapel to engage in the Liturgy of the Word at a level more appropriate to the children’s understanding.
WORSHIP & MUSIC
Andrew J. Macirowski - Pastoral
Coordinator for Worship & Music / Principal Organist Worship@StMarysColtsNeck.org • Music@StMarysColtsNeck.org
Saint Vincent de Paul was a French Roman Catholic priest whose life and vocation were profoundly marked by his commitment to the service of the poor and marginalized. Born in 1581 into a family of modest means, he was one of six children raised by peasant farmers in the rural region of Pouy, in southwestern France. Despite the material limitations of his upbringing, Vincent exhibited remarkable intellectual ability and a strong religious inclination from an early age. At just fifteen years old, he entered the seminary to pursue ecclesiastical studies, and by the age of nineteen he was ordained to the priesthood significantly earlier than the customary minimum age of twenty-four, even by the standards of the early seventeenth century. His unusually early ordination led to a canonical challenge when he was appointed as a parish priest, prompting legal appeal to the Roman courts. In order to avoid protracted dispute, Vincent resigned his appointment and instead pursued further study, ultimately obtaining degrees in both Theology and Canon Law.
Beyond his academic and clerical formation, Vincent de Paul became a pivotal figure in the renewal of Catholic spirituality and pastoral practice in post-Reformation France. He was a strong advocate of Apostolic Life, particularly in fostering opportunities for women to participate in religious and missionary work, which at the time represented a significant expansion of ecclesial roles beyond traditional cloistered life. He also pioneered new approaches to the education and formation of clergy, insisting that priests should receive rigorous theological training as well as moral and spiritual preparation for the pastoral care of souls. His vision combined intellectual discipline with a profound sense of charity, rooted in the conviction that authentic service to God was inseparable from service to the poor.
St Vincent’s influence extended well beyond his lifetime. His tireless ministry to the poor, the sick, and the marginalized established him as one of the great champions of Christian charity in the early modern era. His canonization in 1737 by Pope Clement XII formalized his legacy within the universal Church. Nearly a century later, in 1833, the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul was founded in his honor; their mission reflected Vincent’s own dedication to the poor and rapidly expanded across the globe; today it operates in more than 150 countries, continuing to provide aid and advocacy for those in need. He is the patron saint of charitable works and all causes related to the service of the poor. His memorial is celebrated annually on September 27, offering the faithful an enduring reminder of his witness to the inseparable bond between faith and charity.
SAINT OF THE WEEK
Gianna Beretta Molla, Wife and Mother, 1922-1962
One of thirteen children, Gianna Beretta was born in the small Italian town of Magenta on October 4, 1922. Raised by devout Catholic parents, Gianna was taught that life is a gift from God and should be used for the good of mankind. As a result, Gianna, and her siblings who survived into adulthood, chose professions in which they could serve God and provide benefit to the world, such as the priesthood, religious life, engineering, and medicine. Medicine was Gianna’s chosen field.
After graduation from the University of Pavia in 1949 with degrees in medicine and surgery, Gianna opened a clinic near her hometown where she specialized in care for mothers, babies, elderly people, and the poor. Her love of children led her to the University of Milan for a specialization in pediatrics in 1952. Read more
Saturday, 9/27
4 PM
MINISTRY SCHEDULE
Saturday, September 27 & Sunday, September 28 Altar Server Cantor Reader 1 Reader 2
Alex Gruenling
Anthony Gruenling Bridget Farrow Michele Gruenling Mary Ellen Griffin
Sunday, 9/28 NOT FILLED
Sunday, 9/28
Jack Main Carly York Kevin Swan Joe Ventura
10 AM Reagan Royal RJ Vaina Carly York Barbara Schaflin Rita Duenas
Sunday, 9/28 12 Noon
Jack Schatzle
Jacob Barasky
Carly York NOT FILLED Charles Young
NEW BIBLE STUDY PROGRAM
Wednesdays 10 to 11:30 AM in Room 17
October 1 through November 19
Friendship of Women: The Hidden Tradition of the Bible
Thanks to our Confirmation families who attended a fruitful orientation, as well as our Confirmandi who attended their Confirmation Retreat! It was a jam-packed weekend of faith and community with Confirmation parents and sponsors joining!
‘HALLOW’EEN HALLS
October 25
TABLE PARTICIPANTS WANTED
We would love to have you participate in this great event! You would be responsible for:
decorating your assigned space or table providing treats for the trick or treaters attending the area for the entire duration of the trick or treating portion
cleaning your space and leaving it the way you found it
Sign up to decorate a table! Clickhere
21 September 2025
Fall Orientation for Elementary Religious Ed (FHC 1 & 2; CF A, B, C & D) Starts at Noon Mass in Church
23 September 2025
Fall R.E. Classes begin (FHC & CF)
28 September 2025
Rehearsal 10/5 First Holy Communion (’25) Noon Mass in Church
5 October 2025
First Holy Communion 10 AM Mass in Church
5 October 2025
Rehearsal— 10/12 First Holy Communion Noon Mass in Church
12 October 2025
First Holy Communion 10 AM Mass in Church
Rehearsal 10/19 First Holy Communion Noon Mass in Church
17 October 2025
Confirmation 4 PM in Church
19 October 2025
First Holy Communion Starts at Noon Mass in Church
LINKS & RESOURCES
RE Calendar RE Handbook
Intergenerational List/Descriptions
Intergenerational Recording Sheet
Confirmation Prep Schedule
Fall RE Schedule
Confirmation Retreat
The Parish of Saint Mary PARISH PHOTO DIRECTORY
Our Parish Photo Directory won’t be complete without YOU! Schedule your appointment now for your FREE photo session! All participating families will receive a free 8x10 portrait.
Photo session schedule:
October 3: 2PM-8:30PM
October 4: 10AM-4PM
My Dear Parishioners:
Quo vadis...
Today we celebrate the Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Although we tend to be a throw-away society that squanders freely our resources, we also are squanderers in another sense that has far more serious consequences. When it comes to paschal mystery living, we often squander opportunities to gain “true wealth.” The thrust of the gospel is that we act prudently in this life in order to be “welcomed into eternal dwellings.”
Prudence demands that we not squander opportunities to be charitable and just toward others. Prudence demands that we not squander opportunities to die to self. Prudence demands that we not squander opportunities to be trustworthy with the ministry of discipleship which we take on each time we say yes to our baptismal commitment. Most of us are serious about our paschal mystery living. We honestly try to live good lives. When opportunities present themselves to act in a Christian way, most of us respond appropriately most of the time.
This gospel challenges us to take this one step further. Paschal mystery living isn’t simply a matter of surrenderingto the selfsacrificing possibilities that come our way usually in the normal course of daily living. With an eye to the future, we must also surrender ourselves to actually searching out opportunities to live the paschal mystery. There is such an urgency about discipleship and proclaiming the good news of salvation that we cannot be passive in any way. Just as Jesus did all he needed to do to make his message known, even when that led to Jerusalem and the cross, so must we be as proactive in our own Discipleship.
Many thanks for the positive feedback regarding the installation if the new Baptismal Font and the upgraded new floor. It was a dusty time completing these projects. I am grateful to the contractors, our parish staff and all of you for your cooperation and patience. More to come in the weeks ahead.
There continues to be a weekly increase in our support of the poor and needy through non-perishable food donations as well as financial contributions using the drop box online. Please note the large grey bin in our church gathering space. There is always a need for cereal, peanut butter and jelly as well as personal hygiene products and diapers. As you shop this week, please pick up an item or two to share with those most in need. Also, we will once again ask your generous support for the Thanksgiving Food Drive as well as the various Christmas gift-giving programs sponsored by our parish. With the increased cost of most items, this year will be especially challenging. Thank you for your kind and generous sharing.
As I mentioned last week, this is a busy time here in our parish, with lots of people at different masses. Try to arrive a few minutes before we begin to locate a seat without interrupting others.
This weekend, Father Pat McPartland, Pastor of Saint Catharine in Holmdel, will be with us for two masses at Saint Mary, and I will be at Saint Catharine for two masses. Have a great week. Let us remember one another in prayer. Happy Sunday. Peace. Father Jeff Peace.
CAR RAFFLE!
Tickets $10
First Prize: 2025 Volvo XC40
Second Prize: $1000 Shoprite gift card
Third Prize: $750 Shoprite gift card
Fourth Prize: $500 Shoprite gift card
Winning ticket to be drawn Nov. 21.
Edwin A. Sevillano— Pastoral Associate for Temporal Administration & Stewardship
TemporalAdmin@StMarysColtsNeck.org
Grant us, Lord, not to be anxious about earthly things, but to love things heavenly; and even now, while we are placed among things that are passing away, to hold fast to those that shall endure; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
OCTOBER 19, 2025
All couples celebrating their 1st, 25th or 50th (or more) anniversary of Catholic marriage
For more information, visit https://dioceseoftrenton.org/bishops-anniversary-blessing
Francis House of Prayer
FHOP@verizon.net
Trenton Diocesan Spiritual Center and Retreat House 84 Walnford Road, Allentown, NJ 08501 ~ 609-877-0509
OFFERINGS:
Please check www.FHOP.org for dates, registration, directions and for our other offerings! All programs will be offered online and in-person unless otherwise indicated.
CARING FOR NEGATIVE FEELINGS:
September 19 – 21, 6:30 PM Friday – 10:00 AM Sunday (IN-PERSON ONLY) Focusing teaches us to carry negative emotions in such a way that they are healed from within and no longer weigh us down. Pack up your negative feelings and bring them along! Donation: $225/$100 non-refundable deposit with registration. Residents and commuters are welcome. All meals and materials provided. Balance is required 2 weeks in advance of the start date.
DISCERNMENT MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE IN YOUR WORLD!
Friday, September 19, 9:30 AM – 2:00 PM
This retreat includes the full teaching of Ignatian Discernment of Spirits! If you find yourself sliding down “the greasy pole” of desolation or negative thinking, this day will help you immensely. The Ignatian teaching on discernment is life changing as we practice awareness, understanding and right action regarding the various spirits that present themselves to us day by day and moment by moment. Donation: $35, includes lunch and materials. Zoom: $30
IN-PERSON ONLY
SILENT DIRECTED RETREAT WEEKEND:
October 17 – 19, 6:30 PM Friday to 1:00 PM Sunday (IN-PERSON ONLY) This weekend includes: Sunday Liturgy, spiritual direction and optional Centering Prayer periods and delicious meals of course. Donation: $200/$100 non-refundable deposit with registration. Balance is required 2 weeks in advance of the start date.
