Transitional Diaconate Ordination:  Friday, May 1, 2020
St. Peter's Church, Parsippany

Priesthood Ordination: Saturday, May 23, 2020
St. John the Baptist Cathedral, Paterson

Quo Vadis Retreat: Wed. - Fri. June 24-26, 2020
St. Mary's Abbey Retreat Center, Morristown

Domus Bartimaeus: House of Discernment
913 Birch Street
Boonton, NJ 07013

Date: September 7, 2019
Time: 9:00 am - 12:00 Noon
 

Come and join us on the First Saturday of the Month for a Day of Discernment.  Our morning will begin at 9:00 am. There will be time to relax and socialize.  Mass will be celebrated at 9:30 am.  After Mass there will be a Holy Hour with Benediction from 10:00 am to 11:00 am.  A short talk/ presentation will be given after the Holy Hour followed by Lunch.

Domus Bartimaeus: House of Discernment
913 Birch Street
Boonton, NJ 07013

Date: Call to Setup a Retreat
Weekend: Friday - Sunday
Weekday: Monday - Friday
 

Come and join us for a Weekend Retreat at the Domus Bartimaeus, House of Discernment.  The Retreats are offered to men 18 years and older who are discerning the call to the Priesthood.  The Weekend Retreat begins on Friday afternoon and concludes with Mass on Sunday followed by Breakfast.  The 5-Day Retreat begins on Monday afternoon and ends on Friday after Mass and Breakfast.  

Mass will be celebrated each day in our private Chapel.  Talks / Reflections will be provided by the Priests of our diocese.  Eucharistic Adoration and Liturgy of the Hours will take place during the Retreat.  The Sacrament of Recnciliation will be available.  Meals and housing will be provided.   

The eucharistic form of the Christian life is seen in a very special way in the priesthood.  Priestly spirituality is intrinsically eucharistic.  The seeds of this spirituality are already found in the words spoken by the Bishop during the ordination liturgy: “Receive the oblation of the holy people to be offered to God.  Understand what you do, imitate what you celebrate, and conform your life to the mystery of the Lord’s Cross.”  In order to give an ever greater eucharistic form to his existence, the priest, beginning with his years in the seminary, should make his spiritual life his highest priority.  He is called to seek God tirelessly, while remaining attuned to the concerns of his brothers and sisters.  An intense spiritual life will enable him to enter more deeply into communion with the Lord and to let himself be possessed by God’ love, bearing witness to that love at all times, even the darkest and most difficult.  To this end I join the Synod Fathers in recommending “the daily celebration of Mass, even when the faithful are not present.”  This recommendation is consistent with the objectively infinite value of every celebration of the Eucharist, and is motivated by the Mass’ unique spiritual fruitfulness.  If celebrated in a faith-filled and attentive way, Mass is formative in the deepest sense of the word, since it fosters the priest’s configuration to Christ and strengthens him in his vocation. 

• Post-Synodical Apostolic Exhortation Sacramentum Caritatis, 80, February 22, 2007  (Pope Benedict XVI)

One of my uncles is a very talented musician who plays several instruments.  His favorite is the harmonica or as he calls it the Blues Harp.  He played in several bands when he was younger but as he got older, he left behind his band playing.  Shortly before he was to get married his friends wanted to have a bachelor party for him, but he didn’t want that kind of a party.  He asked them to take him to see a Blues Band that was playing at a night club.  His friends agreed and without his knowing they asked the Blues Band if he could join them for one song and they agreed.  The Blues Band invited him up to play his Blues Harp and the people loved him; they were all dancing and cheering.  When he finished and sat down the band leader went over to the place on stage where my uncle was playing, and he looked down at the floor and said, “that guy was on fire! And look he even burned a hole in the rug.”   In our Gospel this weekend we hear Jesus say, “I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing!”  Jesus has come to set us on fire, not with the things of the world but with the power of the Holy Spirit.  He wants us to be on fire, that is, on fire with His love...

(Click Here to Read the Entire Sunday Reflection) 

I first starting wearing the cassock one year after I was ordained a Priest and I have been wearing it ever since.  Some of my brother Priests joke with me that I sleep in my cassock.  I often remind them that I don’t wear the cassock when I am skiing or playing golf. 
One Sunday while I was walking across the parking lot of my first assignment and making my way to the church I heard one of the parishioners call my name.  After he greeted me another parishioner who was assisting him direct cars in the parking lot shouted from the other end of the lot, “Father, why do you always wear a cassock?”  Before I could respond, the other parishioner yelled back, “I know why Father wears the cassock, because he loves being a Priest!” 

(Click Here to Read the Full Reflection)  

Note: Pictured in the Photo above with Father Ed is Diana Rimshnick, CRE (left), and Jenn Durso, Office Manager of Our Lady Queen of Peace, Branchville.

It Does Make Sense to Become a Priest (Pope Benedict XVI)
16th Sunday in Ordinary Time 7-21-19
17th Sunday in Ordinary Time 7-28-19
18th Sunday in Ordianry Time 8-4-19 
19th Sunday in Ordinary Time 8-11-19

Prayer Intentions for Vocations 
Vocations Poster 11" x 17"
Bulletin Ad for Vocations (Pub. File)
Bulletin Ad for Vocations (Pdf File)
Vocations Prayer Card 
Dioceson Priest Website

Vocations Day: 9:30 am Mass, Talks: 1:30 pm,  January 29, 2020
Morris Catholic High School, Denville

Pizza Night for Vocations:  7:00 pm  February 3, 2020
DePaul High School, Wayne, NJ

Pizza Night for Vocations: 7:00 pm  February 13, 2020
Pope John XXIII High School, Sparta, NJ