“Welcome Home” is the initiative of the Diocese of Paterson to encourage every Catholic to go to confession during Lent in preparation for the Solemnity of Easter. Every Monday evening, from February 22 to March 22, churches in the diocese will be open from 7 to 8:30 for the sacrament of penance. All of us, old and young, should approach the sacrament of penance during this holy time.

ASH WEDNESDAY IS A DAY OF STRICT FAST AND ABSTINENCE. NO MEAT IS PERMITTED ON THIS DAY. ONE FULL MEAL AND TWO SMALLER MEALS ARE PERMITTED. THIS IS A DAY OF PRAYER AND RESPONDING TO THE CALL TO REPENTANCE AND CONVERSION!

Every Friday during the holy season of Lent the Stations of the Cross will be prayed following the 8 o’clock morning Mass and in the evening at 7 o’clock. Join us in meditating upon the sorrowful and painful journey the Lord Jesus took for our sins.

Our annual parish Lenten retreat sponsored by the Rosary Society will take place on March 20. The Saturday morning event will begin with the celebration of the Holy Mass at 8 o’clock. The presenter will be Father Cesar Jaramillo, parochial vicar at Saint Peter the Apostle Church in Parsippany. As with the Advent retreat, this year’s Lenten retreat will also be virtual with a limited audience in Hayes Hall. The retreat is free of charge. Additional information will be printed in next Sunday’s bulletin.

The Vatican Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments has directed priests to take special anti-COVID 19 precautions this year when distributing ashes on Ash Wednesday, February 17, including sprinkling of ashes on the top of the head rather than making a cross on the person’s forehead. The Vatican document further says that the priest sprinkles the ashes with holy water without saying anything, says only once to the entire congregation – “Remember that you are dust and unto dust shall you return,” cleanses his hands, puts on a face mask and sprinkles the ashes on the top of the head of those who come before him without saying anything. Sprinkling ashes on the top of people’s heads, rather than marking the foreheads with ashes, is the customary practice at the Vatican and in Italy. Given the spread of the coronavirus, the practice has the advantage of not requiring the priest to touch multiple people.

A holy card commemorating the YEAR OF SAINT JOSEPH is available for your devotional use and can be found on the table located in the church vestibule. The prayer located on the card will be recited at the conclusion of the daily Masses, Monday thru Saturday. Daily Mass communicants should bring their card to Mass for the prayer.

The Thursday evening faith formation class will resume on February 18th and will meet every Thursday evening during Lent in Hayes Hall from 7 to 8:30. Father Zig will announce the topic for the program within the next week.

Saint Cecilia’s continues to support the ROCKAWAY FOOD CLOSET which is an ecumenical food pantry serving our community located at the First Presbyterian Church, our neighbors across the street. Your donation of food may be brought to Hayes Hall when you come to church. Your generosity is a blessing to those who are unable to adequately feed their families. May God bless you.

The annual blessing of the throat in commemoration of the Feast of Saint Blasé, Bishop and Martyr, will take place at the Masses on February 6 and 7. Due to the pandemic the faithful will not receive an individual blessing but rather a “community blessing” this year.

A Holy Hour for Life will take place on January 22nd at St. Mary's in Denville from 12:30 - 1:30, following the noon Mass.

The 11 o’clock Mass on Friday morning, January 1st will be live-streamed and can be viewed by going to our parish website. On New Year’s Day we celebrate the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. HAPPY NEW YEAR!

The 12:15 p.m. Sunday Mass at our parish cemetery has been very popular with an average attendance at 150 people. The weather has gotten colder but parishioners are still attending. One parishioner told me, “Father, if we can sit outside in a stadium to watch a football game- we can sit at the cemetery for the Holy Mass which lasts 3o minutes!” THEREFORE, I will try to continue the 12:15 Sunday Mass at the cemetery IF …there is no snow on the ground AND IF the temperature is not below freezing! I know that many parishioners appreciate being outdoors and I will try to do all that I can to make this happen, God willing! FLOCKNOTE is the communication I will use to inform you of the Sunday Mass at the cemetery! SIGN UP FOR FLOCKNOTE by going to the parish website for a text or email, it’s easy! Of course, the 12:15 Mass will be celebrated in the church when not at the cemetery. - Father Zig

Holy Mass on Christmas Eve at 7:00 pm will be lived streamed as well as the 10:45 a.m. Mass on Christmas Day. Please go to the Saint Cecilia website for access.

Bishop Sweeney is inviting you to attend this year’s diocesan Christmas concert on Friday, December 18th at 7 p.m. This year’s concert will be live-streamed by visiting: www.patersondiocese.org.

Due to Covid 19 restrictions this year’s Advent Tree project will take on a different format. You are asked to participate and help those who come to the Father English Community Center, run by Catholic Charities, for assistance. Please check the needed items and bring them UNWRAPPED to the designated areas in the church (or bring them to the parish office) prior to December 20th. May the Lord bless your generous Christmas spirit!

“Advent with Mary: Virgin and Mother” is the title of this year’s Advent retreat which will take place on Saturday, December 5th. The morning retreat will be presented by Sister Diane, Sister John Paul and Sister Paulina. This year’s retreat will be virtual with participants viewing the retreat on our parish website from 9 to 11 a.m. Retreatants are invited to attend the 8 o’clock morning Mass in church and then return home for the retreat program on line. The Sisters have prepared a wonderful morning of prayer, presentations, videos and in-house discussions which will ready you for the holy season of Advent and beyond.

The Knights of Columbus, Council 3359, will conduct a food drive to benefit Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Paterson on Sundays, December 6th and 13th, from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm. The Knights will accept the donations at the table located outside of the church. The food pantries of Catholic Charities are in desperate need of our help. May God bless you for your generosity and kindness.

Join us for the 6:30 morning Mass, Monday through Friday, for the “Rorate” Mass in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This traditional Mass during the Advent season is celebrated in the early morning before the sun rises recalling the Blessed Virgin Mary’s role in our salvation.

Oplatek, Christmas wafers used for the traditional Christmas Eve Supper, are available at the altar of Saint Joseph. Your offering will be appreciated and can be placed in the basket located near the oplatek.

The sacrament of penance will be celebrated in the church on Saturday morning, December 12 and 19, from 8:30 to 10 a.m. Our priests will be available for confessions at this time in addition to the afternoon schedule beginning at 3:30. Let us prepare our souls for the coming of Our Lord at the Christmas celebration.