St. Christopher Parish Parsippany

Mass Schedule

We Invite You to Celebrate the Holy Eucharist as a Family

Weekend Masses

Vigil Saturday - 5:00 P.M.

Sunday - 7:00 A.M. 8:00 A.M. 9:15 A.M. 10:45 A.M. 12:15 P.M.

Weekday Masses

Monday - Friday: 7:00 A.M. & 8:15 A.M

Saturday: 8:30 A.M

During The School Term Only: Monday - Friday 7:00 A.M. In the Convent

back to top

Mass Cards

Mass cards are available during office hours at the rectory only.

Monday – Friday 9:30am – 4:30pm

Religious Education

Welcome to our Religious Education Program

Here at St. Christopher Parish Family you will find a well-planned, Christ–centered program. The Religious Education office is open Monday thru Thursday 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM and during class hours on Sunday. Please feel free to call the office at (973) 539 6208 with any questions or concerns about the program that you may have during the course of the year.

The family “is our first community and the most basic way in which the Lord gathers us, forms us and acts in the world” (Follow the Way of Love: A Pastoral Message of the U. S. Catholic Bishops to Families, USCCB, 1994). The Religious Education Program can only enhance and encourage what is presented in our homes. Only parents can create a God-centered home where behavior is guided by godly living, where there is continuity between faith at home, faith at church, and faith in everyday life. It is our duty as parents to try our best to represent the Christian ideal to our children. In the short number of class meetings each year, we try to teach the message of Jesus, the Good News, and present the basic teachings of our Catholic faith. We need to support each other in this very important effort.

The Lord has blessed us with committed parishioners that are willing to give of their time, talent and faith to the children of our parish. Please remember our teachers and staff in your prayers and ask that they be truly led by the Holy Spirit.

Please contact the Religious Education Office if you would be willing to volunteer your time and talent.

RCIA - Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults

The RCIA invites non-baptized persons (catechumens), and those baptized in another tradition (candidates), to participate in a faith journey in preparation for the Sacraments of Initiation. St. Christopher faith community supports them through prayer and presence on their journey of faith. Adults interested in inquiring about membership in the Catholic Church are always welcome.

Contact: CCD Office at 973 539 6208

Seek and you will find...

Are you searching for a church to call your own?

Do you struggle with questions about
life - death - suffering - hope - forgiveness - love - God?

Sessions explaining these and other faith issues in relation to our Catholic belief are held throughout the year.

Come and See... or bring someone you know who might be searching.

RCIC - Rite of Christian Initiation for Children

This new program invites Children who have reached catechetical age to participate in a journey of faith for the Sacraments of Initiation. Children are our seeds of faith and here at St. Christopher, we take great care to nurture each child in the journey of faith and life.

“Let the Children come to me”, says the Lord. We follow in his footsteps.

Contact CCD Office at 973 539 6208

Sacraments

Baptism

“Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me” Mark 9:37

First time Parents should attend a Baptism Orientation which is offered on the 2 nd Monday of each month at 7:30 pm .

The preparation helps the parents reflect on the spiritual dimension of their role. Through prayer, sharing, and discussion on each part of the Rite of Baptism, parents are helped to participate more fully in the celebration of their child's Baptism. We ask that you notify the parish office if you will be attending the orientation session.

Infants are Baptized each Sundays at 1:30 pm. (Except Holiday Sundays)

Please arrange in advance by calling the Parish Office.

First Reconciliation/Confession

Program overview:

Readiness and Registration:
Before beginning the preparation for the Sacrament of Reconciliation, the child needs an understanding of some basic concepts of Church teaching as well as some familiarity with prayer and Catholic practices. The child is required to be enrolled in the religious education program for two years.

The child should know the Church's common prayers:

The Sign of the Cross
The Our Father
The Hail Mary
The Glory Be
The Act of Contrition

Family Involvement:
The lessons being taught in the religious education classes need to be reinforced at home during the week. This will enable families to participate in the child's preparation for the Sacrament of Penance.

Celebration:
The children celebrate the Sacrament of Penance with their families within a Communal Penance Service.

First Eucharist

Program Overview

Readiness:

Remote preparation for celebrating the Sacrament of Eucharist begins as soon as a child enters into the religious education program. Sacramental Penance should precede the reception of First Eucharist. Parents should be involved in the preparation of their child for this sacrament and participate, together with the entire family, in its celebration.

The child should know the Church's common prayers:

The Body of Christ

The mystery of the Eucharist is where our entire life finds its purpose, meaning, and unity. The child is led to experience this truth in the program of preparation so as to understand the mystery of Christ according to his/her capacity and can receive the Body of Christ with faith and devotion.

The immediate preparation period will help the child experience the mystery of the Eucharist in his/her daily life! This means helping the child discover the loving presence of God and the value of his/her life, when it is lived in communion with Jesus. The child's life is a gift of love and he/she is invited to live in a loving way. The mystery of the Eucharist is where the whole of our lives finds meaning and purpose. We invite the children to come to the life-giving gathering of the parish community where people come to give thanks for all of God's gifts and to learn how to share them in love.

Confirmation Program

Program:
The sacrament of Confirmation at St. Christopher is celebrated in the beginning of the junior year of high school. Confirmation leads to a fuller, more conscientious and willing participation in the Eucharist. Immediate preparation for Confirmation requires a minimum of two years. This preparation is meant to help the candidate better understand his/her relationship to God and to the Church Community. Parental support of the parish program is vital.

Candidates:
The candidate commits himself or herself to participate in the St. Christopher Confirmation program by:

Attending classes and activities.
Attending Sunday Mass.
Sharing their talents and gifts in service to others
Commitment Service.

Religious Education:
Candidates are expected to attend religious education classes at St. Christopher or to attend a Catholic High School .

Service:
During each of the two years of preparation the candidates are asked to give hours of service to the community.

Retreats:
Candidates participate in a retreat in both the first and second year of preparation.

Sponsors:
In 10 th Grade the candidates are asked to choose a sponsor. The person must be a confirmed, active member of the Church. Parents have a unique role as parents in the faith development of their child. Therefore they do not act as a sponsor.

Confirmation Name:
Candidates are encouraged to keep their baptismal name for Confirmation.

Marriage Preparation

Congratulations on your engagement!

Your decision to marry is one of the most important decisions in your life.

We are so happy that you have chosen to get married in the Catholic Church. May you always know that the Church supports and cares about you and your marriage!

Please Contact one of the Priests for an appointment before you take another step on the road to your marriage and life.

There are two programs that can help you prepare for your marriage within the Catholic Church. Click the links below to determine which is best for you!

St. Christopher Pre-Cana

We offer a Pre-Cana program for engaged couples. This program is provided to help couples prepare for their lives together. It involves a team of married couples that are trained in this program.

Pre-Cana in the Eastern Morris Deanery

Parish	Contact Person
St. Peter the Apostle Parsippany	Rev. Wayne Varga 973-334-2090 or Carol and Lou Chiocco 973-335-6625
St Virgil Morris Plains	973-538-1418
St. Ann Parsippany	Rev. Martin Mc Donnell 973-884-1986 or Lynn and John Duff 973-884-2120
Our Lady of Mercy Whippany	Rev. John Pilipie 973-887-0050
St. Catherine Mountain Lakes	Rev. Patrick Rice 973-334-7131
Notre Dame Cedar Knolls	Jenny Martin 973-386-0947
Please Note:	In the event of not being able to arrange a date with the above parishes, please call the diocesan office at 973-777-8818

Engaged Encounter

Sponsored by the Diocese of Paterson, Engaged Encounter is an investment in your future a weekend in which an atmosphere is created for the two of you to concentrate exclusively on each other, free of the tensions, pressures, and interruptions of daily living. A team of two married couples and a priest facilitates and guides the weekend.

http://www.patersondiocese.org

Anointing of the Sick

The care of the sick and elderly is always a loving concern to the Christian community. The Sacrament of the Sick proclaims and makes real the healing and gentle love of Christ. It is available for those who are seriously ill, aged, infirm, or facing major surgery either in the hospital, at home or in a nursing facility.

As a parish community, we want to reach out to and include the sick, the elderly and the homebound in the life and prayers of our parish.

Please contact the Parish Office regarding any member of the household who is ill, in the hospital or confined at home.

The elderly and those among us, who, through sickness or disability are not able to worship with us on Sundays, are visited weekly by an Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharistic after the 10:45am Mass each Sunday. Please call the CCD Office if we can help you. 973 539 6208

During your hospitalization, if you notify the floor nurse, a chaplain from the hospital will visit and arrange for or bring the Eucharist to you each day.

If a parishioner is in the hospital, we would like to know. Hospitals are required to observe confidentiality and privacy laws and no longer inform parishes of admissions of parishioners. We visit Morristown Memorial Hospital and St. Clare’s Hospital each week, but if your loved one is not listed, then we don’t know. Therefore, we depend on the families of our sick parishioners to inform us. Please call the Parish Office if you would like one of the priests to visit a family member in the hospital.

*In serous and advanced illness, a priest should be called to administer the Sacrament of Anointing as soon as possible. Please do not wait until the person to be anointed is unaware of what is happening.

They should have the opportunity to go to confession and to receive Communion with the Sacrament of Anointing as a final preparation for meeting the Lord. – In an EMERGENCY please call the Rectory for one of the priests at 973 539 7050.

Vocations

Is God calling you?

The Office of Vocations exists to promote, discern and direct priestly and religious vocations among men and women of the Diocese.

Although a vocation begins with a personal call from God, rooted in Baptism, to serve God's people, it also involves a call from the Church, which discerns in an individual the necessary gifts for a life in Holy Orders or Religious Life.

The Office of Vocations, therefore, is the vehicle by which the local Church of Paterson , through Bishop Serratelli, invites qualified men and women to consider committed ministry in the Church, and evaluates and forms potential candidates for priesthood and Religious Life.

The Office of Vocations is part of the Division of Clergy and Personnel, and shares a work site with the Ministry for Priestly Formation and Education.

The Director of Vocations is Rev. Hernan Arias; he is assisted by Rev. T. Kevin Corcoran.

Are you interested in a life of service as a priest or religious?

For information, visit the Paterson Diocese Web Page:

http://www.patersondiocese.org

St. Christopher Parish Life:

Music

St. Christopher Music Ministry exists to provide musical leadership at parish liturgies. Singers and instrumentalists are encouraged to participate in the sung prayer of our parish family.

Choirs and instrumental ensembles provide many opportunities for parishioners to join the ministry of music – all are welcome.

Adult Choir : sings traditional hymns/canticles/motets. We sing at the 10:45 am Mass each Sunday. Rehearsal on Tuesdays from 7:30pm – 9:30pm under the direction of: Mr. Bill Kelly and Organist Mr. Bill Van Hall - 973 428 8734

Folk Group : Folk and contemporary music with Guitar/Piano/and other instruments. We sing at the Vigil Mass each Saturday at 5:00 pm . Rehearsal on Thursdays at 8:00pm under the direction of: Natalie Seone – 973 326 8810

Compassionate Friends

The Compassionate Friends is a self-help group for bereaved parents and siblings. We meet on the 2 nd Thursday of each month at 7:30pm in St. Christopher School , Room 101. We reach out to each other with love, understanding and hope.

Our children have died at all ages and from many different circumstances. We are a unique family, because, we represent and are made up of many races and creeds. We are young and we are old.

We are seeking and struggling to build a future for ourselves, but we are committed to building that future together, as we reach out to each other in love. We share the pain as well as the joy, the anger as well as the peace, the faith as well as the doubts and help each other to grieve as well as to grow.

We need not walk alone, we are the Compassionate Friends.

For more information, please contact: Mrs. Lynn Bain 973 334 5532

Prayer Groups

The first meeting of the Pilgrim Prayer Group was held on Wednesday evening October 10 th 1973 . After a ‘Life in the Spirit Seminar’ in April 1976 the Madonna Prayer Group was formed.

Our Purpose:

We assemble to praise God, to listen to Him and to grow in love of the Lord and one another. We worship God the Father and Jesus, His Son, through the Holy Spirit. As the Body of Christ, we share our common faith in Jesus as our Lord and Savior and offer prayers of petition. Col 4:2-6

Persevere in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving; at the same time pray for us too, that God may open the door to us for the Word, to speak of the mystery of Christ. Eph 6:18

With all prayer and supplication, pray at every opportunity in the Spirit.

Our Aim

We come together to pray for guidance and direction from the Holy Spirit centering our minds and hearts on Jesus. We give to Him the concerns and problems we have brought with us so that we might free of distractions and give Him an hour of prayers and praise.

Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles and sing His glory all you people. Rom 15:11

We pray for the Holy Spirit to inspire scripture readings, songs, create times of silence, times of praise, gifts of tongues and prophecy.

Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In all things give thanks for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the spirit. Do not despise prophetic utterances. Test everything; retain what is good. Refrain from every kind of evil. May the God of peace Himself make you perfectly holy and may you entirely, spirit, soul, and body, be preserved blameless for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The One who calls you is faithful, He will accomplish it. Let us pray for one another. 1 Thes 5:17-24

Our Participation

It is important to be aware that the Lord is with us as we pray. Where two or more are gathered in my name, there am I in their midst. Matt 18:20

We invite you to come regularly and relax in the Holy Spirit. Help us to build up the Body of Christ by praying daily for each other and our intentions. Use the gifts the Spirit has given you openly and with confidence, pray for direction before offering a reading, suggesting a song, giving a prophecy or making a comment.

Let the peace of Christ control your hearts, the peace into which your were also called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual song, with gratitude in your hearts to God. Whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. Col 3:15-17

Our Mission

After our hour of prayer and praise, we lift up all the petitions. We pray for our parish, priests and anyone who asks us to pray for their intentions. We pray for ourselves, our families and friends. We pray the Rosary, if someone asks to be prayed with, we have individual intercessory prayers by the group.

Is anyone among you suffering? Then you should pray. Is anyone among you in good spirits? Then you should sing praise. Is anyone among you sick? Then summon the others of the church to pray over you and anoint you with oil in the name of the Lord, and the prayer of faith will raise you up. James 5:13-15

May the Lord give strength to His People; and bless His people with peace! Ps 29:11

The Pilgrim Prayer Group meets on Wednesdays at 7:30 pm

The Madonna Prayer Group meets on Tuesday at 10:30 am

Both groups meet in the First Small Building at the front of the parking lot on the church grounds.

Respect Life

The mission of the Family Life Committee of St. Christopher Church is to inform and guide the people of the parish community of the concerns and directives of the Respect Life area of the Diocese of Paterson in accordance with the Council of Bishops. Its purpose is to urge parishioners to be active in expressing and defending the truths of the Church and proven scientific facts in defending life from conception to natural death.

This involves contacting elected representatives by mail, phone, e-mail, fax or personal dialogue to let them know of one’s concerns, especially with impending votes on issues which will legally and ethically impact lives.

For more information please contact: Judith Martino 973 540 0479

Women’s Society

The women’s Society of St. Christopher Parish carries out the mission of Jesus Christ by providing a religious and secular forum for women.

Outside speakers are chosen to enlighten the lives of our members spiritually and intellectually.

Our dedication to children’s medical and religious needs is of paramount concern to all of us.

Our meetings provide us with the opportunity to meet each other in a convivial atmosphere where we can foster close relationships. When we gather, we pay homage to Christ and his mother, Mary. This is comforting for all of us in good times and supporting in times of need.

The Women’s Society meets each month except for January, July and August. In the month of June and December we meet at a restaurant for special occasions.

Please consider joining us; we need you and each other.

For more information please contact: Josie Mendez 973 887 7835

Girl Scouts

Mission statement:

To inspire girls with the highest ideals of character, conduct, patriotism, and service that they may become happy and resourceful citizens.

Girl Scouts is an organization dedicated solely to girls – all girls. In an accepting and nurturing environment, girls build character and skills for success in the real world. With the dedication and help of adult volunteers, girls develop qualities that will serve them all their lives.

Contact: Donna Rozansky – rozansky5@optonline.net

Cub Scouts

Mission Statement:

It is the mission of learning for life to serve others by helping to instill core values in young people and in other ways prepare them to make ethical choices throughout their lives so they can achieve their full potential.

Cub Scouting is a year-round program which emphasizes involvement between boys and their parents, adult leaders and friends. Michelle De Venezia 973 334 6123

Bible Study Group

This group pf Parishioners is trying to broaden its knowledge and understanding of the Holy Bible. They meet bi-weekly to discuss a single chapter from one book of the Bible.

Their text is ‘Ignatius Catholic Study Bible.’ It’s pages lead the reader through a penetrating study of the Bible, book by book. Is uses biblical text and the Church’s guidelines for understanding the Bible.

Each page is accompanied by notes to assist the reader in understanding the words of Jesus. The commentaries are written by Scott Hahn and Curtis Mitch, renowned Bible teacher and scholars. There are also topical essays, word studies, charts and stud questions.

Come join us as we read, share and break the Word.

For further information call John or Helen – 973 887 8861 or E-Mail: us@jcannaveno.com

CYO Basketball & Cheerleading

CYO Basketball & Cheerleading is a component of our Parish’s Youth Ministry Program which enables parents, coaches, and Religious to support a program that allows youth to grow in their relationship with God. It teaches them how to live and play as good Christians. Such a program employs healthy and enjoyable competition while promoting Christian values among the athletes, parents, and coaches. This also encourages young people to appreciate the gifts they possess and challenges them to share them with their community. We are currently looking for volunteers, please contact us for more information.