Parishes, retreat centers, ministries offer Lent programs
July 29, 2019 at 12:37 p.m.
The following parishes have announced programs and/or retreats for Lent:
Holy Innocents Parish, Neptune, will sponsor a series of spiritual talks on Thursday evenings during Lent in the church at the corner of Rt. 33 and West Bangs Avenue at 7 p.m. The following are the dates, presenters and topics to be discussed; March 13, “Jesus – Suffering Servant of God,” presented by Father Garry Koch, parochial vicar of St. Joseph Parish, Toms River and Scripture columnist for The Monitor; March 20, “The Life and Death of Yeshua ben Joseph: A Meditation,” presented by Father William Bausch, former pastor of St. Mary Parish, Colts Neck, and noted author; and March 27, “The Evangelical Virtues: Spreading the Gospel by the Way You Live,” presented by Father Bryan Page, parochial vicar of St. Barnabas Parish, Bayville. All are welcome. For information, call 732-922-4242.
Sacred Heart Parish, Bay Head, will offer Lenten programs to lead us into a deeper intimacy with Jesus and our faith. Stations of the Cross will be held in the church every Friday after the 9 a.m. Mass followed by a six-week Lenten Soup and Scripture Study at 10 a.m. beginning March 7 in the parish hall. The series will study texts of Jesus’ Bread of Life discourse, the Last Supper, Crucifixion, the breaking of the bread with two disciples in Emmaus and the treasure of the Eucharist. A Lenten retreat will be held April 5 at 9:30 a.m. in the parish hall. St. Joseph Sister Pat McClure will lead a Lenten journey with Christ on his way to Calvary. She will discuss how to learn from Jesus’ suffering, benefit from forgiveness and reach victory with his Resurrection in people’s daily lives. Refreshments will be served. All are welcome. The parish is located at 751 Main Avenue. To register, contact the parish office at 732-899-1398 or email Dawn Rusinko [email protected].
St. Ann Parish, Browns Mills, will hold a Lenten Mission “Come, Follow Me! The Call to Discipleship” March 16, 17 and 18 at 7:30 p.m. in the church at 22 Trenton Road. Deacon Alex Jones will share his journey of faith from the Pentecostal church into the Catholic Church, and Christ’s call to the “person in the pew” to follow him in the joys and sacrifices of Christian discipleship. Deacon Jones is a graduate of Wayne State University with a bachelor’s degree in art education, and masters in pastoral studies from Sacred Heart Major Seminary, Detroit, and taught in the Detroit school system for twenty-eight years. He was a Pentecostal minister in Detroit before beginning a two year journey into the Catholic Church as a permanent deacon and evangelization coordinator for the Archdiocese of Detroit which he retired from as of July 1, 2013. Jones is also the author of a book chronicling his journey into the Church, “No Price too High!” The goals of the mission are to “fan into flame” the gift of life given to us at our Baptism, and to lay the groundwork for becoming intentional disciples of Jesus Christ. A promotional homily will be preached at all weekend Masses March 15 and 16. For information, contact the parish at 609-893-3246.
St. Leo the Great Parish, Lincroft, will hold a Lenten Renewal “Living the Gospel Today” March 10, 11 and 12 in the church at 50 Hurley’s Lane, Lincroft. Each of the three days will include Mass at 9 a.m. with a short presentation, followed by quiet reflection and ending with coffee. The three evenings will include prayer at 7:30 p.m. followed by a presentation and quiet reflection. Babysitting and light refreshments will be provided. Presenter will be Jesuit Father Walter Modrys, director of Ministries at Loyola House of Retreats, Morristown, who will speak on the topics: “Encountering Jesus Anew,” “Three Levels of Morality” and “Who is Pope Francis?” Father Modrys will speak after Masses March 8 and 9 and will be available throughout each day for private meeting and Reconciliation March 10, 11 and 12. For information, contact Janice Campbell at [email protected].
St. Joan of Arc Parish, Marlton, will host a Lenten Mission “A Time of Grace” four consecutive evenings beginning March 16 at 7:30 p.m. in the church at 100 Willow Bend Road. The presenter will be Augustinian Father Michael P. Sullivan, who has served as pastor of two parishes in New York and as a member of Worldwide Marriage Encounter, and currently serves full time in retreat work and parish renewal preaching. The dates and topics to be covered are as follows; March 16, “To Be Born Again;” March 17, “The Healing Love of Jesus;” March 18, “The Call to Be Church;” and March 19, “Our Response to the Call.” A goodwill offering will be accepted. Refreshments will be served on the final evening. For information, call 856-983-0077.
St. Rose Parish, Belmar, will celebrate Stations of the Cross March 14 at 7 p.m. in the church at 603 Seventh Avenue. For information, call 732-681-0512.
St. Thomas More Parish, Manalapan, in partnership with Oregon Catholic Press, will present a free Lenten Mission March 23, 24 and 25 at 7:30 p.m. at 186 Gordon’s Corner Road. Presenter will be Grayson Warren Brown, an internationally known liturgical composer, author and recording artist. His many years of working in a multicultural parish have given him a unique insight into the power that good liturgy can instill in people of all backgrounds. Brown now divides his time between writing, composing and traveling the country giving workshops, speaking and conducting parish missions. For more information, call the parish office at 732-446-6661, ext. 3.
Visitation Parish, Brick Town, will hold a free Soup and Scripture for adults March 4, 11, 18, 25 and April 1 and 8 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. n the church auditorium at 730 Lynnwood Avenue. The evening will include soup and bread for sustenance, with Scripture reading for reflection. The presenter will be Dee Bringhurst from the Adult Faith Formation Office. For information, contact Dale Zanetti in the Adult Faith Formation Office at 732-477-7059, ext. 214 or email [email protected].
The following parishes have announced additional Confession times during Lent:
St. Catharine Parish, Middletown, will offer Confessions during Lent every Monday from 6 to 6:50 p.m., Mass and Novena at 7 p.m.; Fridays from 6 to 6:50 p.m., Mass and Stations, 7 p.m. and Saturdays from 3 to 4 p.m. in the church at 130 Bray Avenue. For information, call the parish at 732-787-1318.
St. Benedict Parish, Holmdel, will offer Confessions in the chapel 8 p.m. during Lent after Stations of the Cross and Benediction at 7 p.m. every Friday during Lent, March 15, and April 16; April 17, 7:30 p.m.; April 18, following Mass of the Lord’s Supper and procession at 3 p.m.; April 19 at 4 p.m. For information, call the parish at 732-264-4712.
The following retreat centers have announced Lenten programs and/or retreats to be held in their centers unless otherwise noted;
Francis House Diocesan Spiritual Center, Rancocas, will begin its Lenten journey with an Ash Wednesday retreat of some silence and prayer to help us listen to God’s direction for our Lenten prayer, fasting and almsgiving March 5 from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Donation is $20. Bring a bag lunch.
A Lenten Retreat for Men using Scripture in Today’s World will be held April 6 from 1 to 4 p.m. Explore using the Scriptures through a process called Lectio Divina to meet the demands of today’s world. See what God has in store for us through his Word as it relates to being a husband, father, leader at work and in our finances. Presenter will be Rich Vosler, a widowed father of nine whose areas of expertise are grief and single parent coaching and coaching from a Catholic perspective. Donation is $20.
The Francis House Diocesan Spiritual Center is located at 30 Springside Road. To register, call 609-877-0509 or email [email protected].
Maris Stella Retreat and Conference Center, Harvey Cedars, will hold a Lenten Weekly Holy Hour: “An Hour with God” March 5, 12, 19, and 26; April 2, 9 and 16 from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. in the chapel at 7201 Long Beach Boulevard. The hour includes Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, prayer for peace and silent prayer. For information, call Sister Pat at 609-494-2917.
The Upper Room Diocesan Spiritual Center will offer several Lenten programs throughout the coming month beginning with an Ash Wednesday Day of Reflection March 5 from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the Upper Room Spiritual Center, 3455 West Bangs Ave., Neptune. The presenter will be Father Richard Rento, chaplain at Seabrook Village, Tinton Falls and a regular broadcaster on Station WPAT. Rento will discuss what the Spirit has in store for us as we continue walking, listening and looking ahead. The cost is $50-$60 and includes Mass and a light lunch.
A Lenten concert will be held March 7 at 7:30 p.m. and a workshop for pastoral musicians featuring David Haas, co-sponsored by the Trenton Chapter of the NPM March 8 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. both in St. Anselm Church, 1028 Wayside Rd., Wayside. Haas is highly regarded as one of the outstanding liturgical music composers in the world. He has produced over 40 original recordings of liturgical music including: “Gather Us In,” “You Are Mine,” “Blessed are They,” “Table Songs” and “We Have Been Told.” His music appears in many hymnals of various denominations and languages throughout the world. The cost for the concert is $15-$25; workshop is $30-$40; both programs are $45.
A Quiet Time to Heal – A Lenten Evening of Reflection so that we can be still in order to hear and to heal will be held March 18 from 7 to 9 p.m. The presenter will be Father Richard Rento, chaplain at Seabrook Village, Tinton Falls and a regular broadcaster on Station WPAT. The cost is $25-$35.
Sanctity and Soup to nourish the body and soul will be held March 20 from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. This mini Lenten retreat offers spiritual reflection on a Lenten topic, quiet time, Eucharistic Liturgy, and a light lunch. The presenter will be Mercy Sister Maureen Christensen, co-director of the Upper Room. The cost is $35-$45.
A Lenten Directed Prayer Weekend will held March 21 at 7:30 p.m. to March 23 at 3 p.m. This is an opportunity for individuals to spend time with God in a personal way and to enjoy an atmosphere of prayerful silence. Each person meets with a spiritual director daily. The cost is $160.
A Lenten Taize Prayer, an evening of communal contemplative prayer will be held March 31 from 7:30 to 9 p.m. The evening will use the format of the Taize community in France, psalm singing, Scripture reading, silence and prayer around the cross. Free will offering accepted.
The Upper Room Spiritual Center is located at 3455 W. Bangs Avenue, Bldg. 2, Neptune. To register, call 732-922-0550 or email [email protected].
Stella Maris Retreat Center, Elberon, will hold a Lenten Soup for the Soul series four Monday evenings to nourish our soul and enrich our faith with food for thought for our Lenten journey. Simple Soup and Bread Supper will be served at 6 p.m. followed by the program from 7 to 8 p.m. each evening. The program topics are as follows; March 10, “Change Our Hearts, Lord,” presenter will be Redemptorist Father Kevin O’Neil; March 24, “People of the Passion (Part 1),” presenter will be Sister of Charity Anita Constance; March 31, “People of the Passion (Part 2), “ presenter to be Sister of Charity Anita Constance; and April 7, “No Greater Love: Taize Prayer Service.”
A Lenten Day of Reflection “We Are Eucharist: Taken, Blessed, Broken, Given,” will be held March 29 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. with registration and coffee at 9:30 a.m. This retreat is for extraordinary ministers, readers, music ministers, ushers, greeters and parishioners looking to deepen their understanding of the Eucharist. Presenter will be Sister of Charity Anita Constance. The cost is $50.
Stella Maris Retreat Center is located at 981 Ocean Ave., Elberon. To register, call 732-229-0602, email [email protected] or visit www.stellamarisretreatcenter.com.
The following ministry has announced a Lenten event:
Outside Our Diocese
Christ Our Light Young Adult Ministry, Cherry Hill, will hold a Lent series March 12, 19 and 27 at 7 p.m. in the meeting room on Kings Highway for young adults 20 – 39. Immediately following the presentation the group continues the night at a local restaurant or bar. For information, contact Kathryn Wallace at [email protected] or visit facebook.com/groups/colyoungadults.
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Events
The following parishes have announced programs and/or retreats for Lent:
Holy Innocents Parish, Neptune, will sponsor a series of spiritual talks on Thursday evenings during Lent in the church at the corner of Rt. 33 and West Bangs Avenue at 7 p.m. The following are the dates, presenters and topics to be discussed; March 13, “Jesus – Suffering Servant of God,” presented by Father Garry Koch, parochial vicar of St. Joseph Parish, Toms River and Scripture columnist for The Monitor; March 20, “The Life and Death of Yeshua ben Joseph: A Meditation,” presented by Father William Bausch, former pastor of St. Mary Parish, Colts Neck, and noted author; and March 27, “The Evangelical Virtues: Spreading the Gospel by the Way You Live,” presented by Father Bryan Page, parochial vicar of St. Barnabas Parish, Bayville. All are welcome. For information, call 732-922-4242.
Sacred Heart Parish, Bay Head, will offer Lenten programs to lead us into a deeper intimacy with Jesus and our faith. Stations of the Cross will be held in the church every Friday after the 9 a.m. Mass followed by a six-week Lenten Soup and Scripture Study at 10 a.m. beginning March 7 in the parish hall. The series will study texts of Jesus’ Bread of Life discourse, the Last Supper, Crucifixion, the breaking of the bread with two disciples in Emmaus and the treasure of the Eucharist. A Lenten retreat will be held April 5 at 9:30 a.m. in the parish hall. St. Joseph Sister Pat McClure will lead a Lenten journey with Christ on his way to Calvary. She will discuss how to learn from Jesus’ suffering, benefit from forgiveness and reach victory with his Resurrection in people’s daily lives. Refreshments will be served. All are welcome. The parish is located at 751 Main Avenue. To register, contact the parish office at 732-899-1398 or email Dawn Rusinko [email protected].
St. Ann Parish, Browns Mills, will hold a Lenten Mission “Come, Follow Me! The Call to Discipleship” March 16, 17 and 18 at 7:30 p.m. in the church at 22 Trenton Road. Deacon Alex Jones will share his journey of faith from the Pentecostal church into the Catholic Church, and Christ’s call to the “person in the pew” to follow him in the joys and sacrifices of Christian discipleship. Deacon Jones is a graduate of Wayne State University with a bachelor’s degree in art education, and masters in pastoral studies from Sacred Heart Major Seminary, Detroit, and taught in the Detroit school system for twenty-eight years. He was a Pentecostal minister in Detroit before beginning a two year journey into the Catholic Church as a permanent deacon and evangelization coordinator for the Archdiocese of Detroit which he retired from as of July 1, 2013. Jones is also the author of a book chronicling his journey into the Church, “No Price too High!” The goals of the mission are to “fan into flame” the gift of life given to us at our Baptism, and to lay the groundwork for becoming intentional disciples of Jesus Christ. A promotional homily will be preached at all weekend Masses March 15 and 16. For information, contact the parish at 609-893-3246.
St. Leo the Great Parish, Lincroft, will hold a Lenten Renewal “Living the Gospel Today” March 10, 11 and 12 in the church at 50 Hurley’s Lane, Lincroft. Each of the three days will include Mass at 9 a.m. with a short presentation, followed by quiet reflection and ending with coffee. The three evenings will include prayer at 7:30 p.m. followed by a presentation and quiet reflection. Babysitting and light refreshments will be provided. Presenter will be Jesuit Father Walter Modrys, director of Ministries at Loyola House of Retreats, Morristown, who will speak on the topics: “Encountering Jesus Anew,” “Three Levels of Morality” and “Who is Pope Francis?” Father Modrys will speak after Masses March 8 and 9 and will be available throughout each day for private meeting and Reconciliation March 10, 11 and 12. For information, contact Janice Campbell at [email protected].
St. Joan of Arc Parish, Marlton, will host a Lenten Mission “A Time of Grace” four consecutive evenings beginning March 16 at 7:30 p.m. in the church at 100 Willow Bend Road. The presenter will be Augustinian Father Michael P. Sullivan, who has served as pastor of two parishes in New York and as a member of Worldwide Marriage Encounter, and currently serves full time in retreat work and parish renewal preaching. The dates and topics to be covered are as follows; March 16, “To Be Born Again;” March 17, “The Healing Love of Jesus;” March 18, “The Call to Be Church;” and March 19, “Our Response to the Call.” A goodwill offering will be accepted. Refreshments will be served on the final evening. For information, call 856-983-0077.
St. Rose Parish, Belmar, will celebrate Stations of the Cross March 14 at 7 p.m. in the church at 603 Seventh Avenue. For information, call 732-681-0512.
St. Thomas More Parish, Manalapan, in partnership with Oregon Catholic Press, will present a free Lenten Mission March 23, 24 and 25 at 7:30 p.m. at 186 Gordon’s Corner Road. Presenter will be Grayson Warren Brown, an internationally known liturgical composer, author and recording artist. His many years of working in a multicultural parish have given him a unique insight into the power that good liturgy can instill in people of all backgrounds. Brown now divides his time between writing, composing and traveling the country giving workshops, speaking and conducting parish missions. For more information, call the parish office at 732-446-6661, ext. 3.
Visitation Parish, Brick Town, will hold a free Soup and Scripture for adults March 4, 11, 18, 25 and April 1 and 8 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. n the church auditorium at 730 Lynnwood Avenue. The evening will include soup and bread for sustenance, with Scripture reading for reflection. The presenter will be Dee Bringhurst from the Adult Faith Formation Office. For information, contact Dale Zanetti in the Adult Faith Formation Office at 732-477-7059, ext. 214 or email [email protected].
The following parishes have announced additional Confession times during Lent:
St. Catharine Parish, Middletown, will offer Confessions during Lent every Monday from 6 to 6:50 p.m., Mass and Novena at 7 p.m.; Fridays from 6 to 6:50 p.m., Mass and Stations, 7 p.m. and Saturdays from 3 to 4 p.m. in the church at 130 Bray Avenue. For information, call the parish at 732-787-1318.
St. Benedict Parish, Holmdel, will offer Confessions in the chapel 8 p.m. during Lent after Stations of the Cross and Benediction at 7 p.m. every Friday during Lent, March 15, and April 16; April 17, 7:30 p.m.; April 18, following Mass of the Lord’s Supper and procession at 3 p.m.; April 19 at 4 p.m. For information, call the parish at 732-264-4712.
The following retreat centers have announced Lenten programs and/or retreats to be held in their centers unless otherwise noted;
Francis House Diocesan Spiritual Center, Rancocas, will begin its Lenten journey with an Ash Wednesday retreat of some silence and prayer to help us listen to God’s direction for our Lenten prayer, fasting and almsgiving March 5 from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Donation is $20. Bring a bag lunch.
A Lenten Retreat for Men using Scripture in Today’s World will be held April 6 from 1 to 4 p.m. Explore using the Scriptures through a process called Lectio Divina to meet the demands of today’s world. See what God has in store for us through his Word as it relates to being a husband, father, leader at work and in our finances. Presenter will be Rich Vosler, a widowed father of nine whose areas of expertise are grief and single parent coaching and coaching from a Catholic perspective. Donation is $20.
The Francis House Diocesan Spiritual Center is located at 30 Springside Road. To register, call 609-877-0509 or email [email protected].
Maris Stella Retreat and Conference Center, Harvey Cedars, will hold a Lenten Weekly Holy Hour: “An Hour with God” March 5, 12, 19, and 26; April 2, 9 and 16 from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. in the chapel at 7201 Long Beach Boulevard. The hour includes Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, prayer for peace and silent prayer. For information, call Sister Pat at 609-494-2917.
The Upper Room Diocesan Spiritual Center will offer several Lenten programs throughout the coming month beginning with an Ash Wednesday Day of Reflection March 5 from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the Upper Room Spiritual Center, 3455 West Bangs Ave., Neptune. The presenter will be Father Richard Rento, chaplain at Seabrook Village, Tinton Falls and a regular broadcaster on Station WPAT. Rento will discuss what the Spirit has in store for us as we continue walking, listening and looking ahead. The cost is $50-$60 and includes Mass and a light lunch.
A Lenten concert will be held March 7 at 7:30 p.m. and a workshop for pastoral musicians featuring David Haas, co-sponsored by the Trenton Chapter of the NPM March 8 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. both in St. Anselm Church, 1028 Wayside Rd., Wayside. Haas is highly regarded as one of the outstanding liturgical music composers in the world. He has produced over 40 original recordings of liturgical music including: “Gather Us In,” “You Are Mine,” “Blessed are They,” “Table Songs” and “We Have Been Told.” His music appears in many hymnals of various denominations and languages throughout the world. The cost for the concert is $15-$25; workshop is $30-$40; both programs are $45.
A Quiet Time to Heal – A Lenten Evening of Reflection so that we can be still in order to hear and to heal will be held March 18 from 7 to 9 p.m. The presenter will be Father Richard Rento, chaplain at Seabrook Village, Tinton Falls and a regular broadcaster on Station WPAT. The cost is $25-$35.
Sanctity and Soup to nourish the body and soul will be held March 20 from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. This mini Lenten retreat offers spiritual reflection on a Lenten topic, quiet time, Eucharistic Liturgy, and a light lunch. The presenter will be Mercy Sister Maureen Christensen, co-director of the Upper Room. The cost is $35-$45.
A Lenten Directed Prayer Weekend will held March 21 at 7:30 p.m. to March 23 at 3 p.m. This is an opportunity for individuals to spend time with God in a personal way and to enjoy an atmosphere of prayerful silence. Each person meets with a spiritual director daily. The cost is $160.
A Lenten Taize Prayer, an evening of communal contemplative prayer will be held March 31 from 7:30 to 9 p.m. The evening will use the format of the Taize community in France, psalm singing, Scripture reading, silence and prayer around the cross. Free will offering accepted.
The Upper Room Spiritual Center is located at 3455 W. Bangs Avenue, Bldg. 2, Neptune. To register, call 732-922-0550 or email [email protected].
Stella Maris Retreat Center, Elberon, will hold a Lenten Soup for the Soul series four Monday evenings to nourish our soul and enrich our faith with food for thought for our Lenten journey. Simple Soup and Bread Supper will be served at 6 p.m. followed by the program from 7 to 8 p.m. each evening. The program topics are as follows; March 10, “Change Our Hearts, Lord,” presenter will be Redemptorist Father Kevin O’Neil; March 24, “People of the Passion (Part 1),” presenter will be Sister of Charity Anita Constance; March 31, “People of the Passion (Part 2), “ presenter to be Sister of Charity Anita Constance; and April 7, “No Greater Love: Taize Prayer Service.”
A Lenten Day of Reflection “We Are Eucharist: Taken, Blessed, Broken, Given,” will be held March 29 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. with registration and coffee at 9:30 a.m. This retreat is for extraordinary ministers, readers, music ministers, ushers, greeters and parishioners looking to deepen their understanding of the Eucharist. Presenter will be Sister of Charity Anita Constance. The cost is $50.
Stella Maris Retreat Center is located at 981 Ocean Ave., Elberon. To register, call 732-229-0602, email [email protected] or visit www.stellamarisretreatcenter.com.
The following ministry has announced a Lenten event:
Outside Our Diocese
Christ Our Light Young Adult Ministry, Cherry Hill, will hold a Lent series March 12, 19 and 27 at 7 p.m. in the meeting room on Kings Highway for young adults 20 – 39. Immediately following the presentation the group continues the night at a local restaurant or bar. For information, contact Kathryn Wallace at [email protected] or visit facebook.com/groups/colyoungadults.
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