Dear OLP Family,

So wonderful to see the big crowds in our church on Ash Wednesday – as in all the Catholic Churches all over the world - to mark entry into the penitential season of Lent. The traditional practices (fasting, meatless Fridays, saying extra prayers, giving up some favorite food or drink, refraining from certain habits, etc.) are all focused on personal or spiritual improvement of oneself.

Dear OLP Family,

Thank you to those of you who signed up: Last Sunday we had the lowest freezing temperature of the year, making it difficult for people to come to church - with only about half the usual numbers for each Mass. And yet the response of those who signed up to join the “LIVE LENT! Small groups for Bible sharing” was encouraging. Thank you.

Dear OLP Family,

MASS IN SIGNED LANGUAGE IN OUR PARISH: Our Diocese of Metuchen has a vibrant ministry for the deaf and hearing-impaired communities. I was asked if I would be open to hosting an interpreter at our 10:00 am Mass on the second and fourth Sundays of the month. I agreed and so the first signed language or interpreted Mass in our parish begins today.

Dear OLP Family,

I’m happy to be back after my three-weeks of vacation in India. Glad to reach back just in time to join you all to face the big winter storm of last Sunday. It was a good feeling to spend some quality time with my mother and siblings. Enjoyed a wide variety of the local food and delicacies. As a priest, it was expected of me to visit the many relatives who were sick or homebound, and I was happy to do so. To some I brought Holy Communion too.