Dear parishioners and friends,

As your pastor, I am committed to keeping my parishioners, staff, clergy, and visitors safe and protected from this global coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. I am also committed to keeping them informed about the pertinent things that affect our Parish Sacramental, Liturgical, and Spiritual Life.

Here is the official statement from the Diocese of Camden regarding the Celebration of Holy Week and Triduum this year 2020.

As Bishop of the Diocese of Camden, in light of further restrictions by Governor Murphy and the Decree of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Disciple of the Sacraments, Bishop Sullivan promulgates the following regarding the liturgies of Palm Sunday and Holy Week throughout the Diocese of Camden to assist the clergy and the faithful in the spiritual celebration of the Paschal Mysteries.

PALM SUNDAY – APRIL 5, 2020

On Palm Sunday there is to be NO PUBLIC GATHERING (inside or outside Churches, in cars, etc.).

The Mass for Palm Sunday will be celebrated by the Bishop without a congregation, with palms blessed, and broadcast via the live-stream internet on the Diocesan website/YouTube/Facebook at 10:30 am on Sunday, April 5, 2020.

In parish churches, the Mass for Palm Sunday may be celebrated without a congregation (you may have one deacon; one person to operate the live streaming equipment if the liturgy is being live streamed; one lector; one cantor and one musician in addition to resident clergy) by the pastor/parish priest.

Here at Saint Simon Stock Parish, we will live-stream our Mass on Facebook and YouTube.

Saturday, April 4, at 4:00 PM
Sunday, April 5, at 10:00 AM

Blessed palms can be made available for distribution at a later date – they are NOT TO BE DISTRIBUTED UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE at this time.

CHRISM MASS

The Chrism Mass will be postponed and re-scheduled for another date/time with the renewal of priestly commitment and the blessing/consecration of oils occurring at that time.  Oils/chrism from the current supplies (currently in use) may continue to be used until a new supply is blessed/consecrated and made available.

PASCHAL TRIDUUM

The following liturgical directives are to be observed in accordance with the “Decree in Time of COVID-19” issued on March 19, 2020 by the Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments by mandate of the Supreme Pontiff for the year 2020 only. The Paschal Triduum cannot be transferred to another time.

HOLY THURSDAY – APRIL 9, 2020

No public gatherings (inside or outside Churches, in cars, etc.). Televised or live-stream broadcasts should be live (not recorded).

The Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper will be celebrated by the Bishop without a congregation and broadcast via the live-stream internet on the Diocesan website/YouTube/Facebook at 7 pm on Thursday, April 9, 2020.

In parish churches, the Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper may be celebrated without a congregation (you may have one deacon; one person to operate the live streaming equipment if the liturgy is being live streamed; one lector; one cantor and one musician in addition to resident clergy) by the pastor/parish priest.

Here at Saint Simon Stock Parish, we will live-stream (broadcast live) our Mass on April 9 on Facebook and YouTube.

Thursday, April 9, at 6:30 PM

During the Evening Mass for the Lord’s Supper:

1. The Washing of the Feet, which is already optional, is to be omitted;
2. The usual procession with the Blessed Sacrament to a place of repose is to be omitted and the Blessed Sacrament should be kept in the tabernacle, as usual; please understand that NO PROCESSIONS WITH THE BLESSED SACRAMENT are to take place and ALTARS OF REPOSE are not to be created;
3. The faithful are to be informed that parish churches will NOT BE OPEN for the usual visitation of churches on Holy Thursday evening.  Pastors are NOT PERMITTED to leave their churches open at this time.

Here at Saint Simon Stock Parish, the church is open from 8 AM until 3 PM only on Holy Thursday, April 9.

GOOD FRIDAY – APRIL 10, 2020

No public gatherings (inside or outside Churches, in cars, etc.).

The Commemoration/Celebration of the Lord’s Passion will be celebrated by the Bishop without a congregation and broadcast via the live-stream internet on the Diocesan website/YouTube/Facebook at 3 pm on Friday, April 10, 2020.

In parish churches, the Commemoration/Celebration of the Lord’s Passion may be celebrated without a congregation (you may have one deacon; one person to operate the live streaming equipment if the liturgy is being live streamed; one lector; one cantor and one musician in addition to resident clergy) by the pastor/parish priest.

Here at Saint Simon Stock Parish, we will live-stream (broadcast live) our Commemoration of the Lord’s Passion on April 10, at 3:00 PM on Facebook and YouTube.

During the Good Friday Service

1. Veneration of the Holy Cross takes place by those present with a simple genuflection; the Cross is not to be reverenced with a kiss;
2. A special commemoration in the General Intercessions for the sick, the dead and for those who feel lost or dismayed will be developed by the Office of Worship and sent to the parishes for mandated use.

HOLY SATURDAY – APRIL 11, 2020

No public gatherings (inside or outside Churches, in cars, etc.).

The Easter Vigil will be celebrated by the Bishop without a congregation and broadcast via the live-stream internet on the Diocesan website/YouTube/Facebook at 7 pm on Saturday, April 11, 2020.

In parish churches, the Easter Vigil may be celebrated without a congregation (you may have one deacon; one person to operate the live streaming equipment if the liturgy is being live streamed; one lector; one cantor and one musician in addition to resident clergy) by the pastor/parish priest.

We will live-stream (broadcast live) our Easter Vigil Mass on April 11, at 7:00 PM on Facebook and YouTube.

During the Easter Vigil:

1. The preparation and lighting of the fire is omitted;
2. The paschal candle is lit without procession followed by the recited Easter Proclamation;
3. The Liturgy of the Word takes place;
4. The Baptismal Liturgy is only the renewal of Baptismal Promises; a symbolic (small) amount of Holy Water may be blessed but holy water fonts are to remain empty;
5. The Rite of Christian Initiation and/or Reception into Full Communion will be postponed and re-scheduled once restrictions are lifted – more details will be provided at that time.

EASTER SUNDAY – APRIL 12, 2020

No public gatherings (inside or outside Churches, in cars, etc.).

Mass for Easter Sunday will be celebrated by the Bishop without a congregation and broadcast via the live-stream internet on the Diocesan website/YouTube/Facebook at 10:30 am on Sunday, April 12, 2020.

In parish churches, Mass for Easter Sunday may be celebrated without a congregation (you may have one deacon; one person to operate the live streaming equipment if the liturgy is being live streamed; one lector; one cantor and one musician in addition to resident clergy) by the pastor/parish priest.

We will live-stream (broadcast live) our Easter Sunday Mass on April 12, at 10:00 AM on Facebook and YouTube.

This decree is given by mandate of the Bishop, Most Reverend Dennis J. Sullivan, D.D., March 23, 2020, for the Diocese of Camden.

SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION

Sacrament of Penance: There is no obligation to provide regular times for confession during this pandemic.

Confessionals are not appropriate for use at this time due to the proximity of the priest to the penitent. 

It goes without saying that confessions CANNOT be heard via the telephone or through the internet.  In addition, “drive-thru” confessions are not permitted. 

Please remember that the faithful can complete their Easter Duty anytime up to and including Trinity Sunday, which is on June 7, 2020.

Regarding Plenary Indulgence: The Apostolic Penitentiary has decreed:  a Plenary Indulgence is granted to the faithful suffering from Coronavirus, who are subject to quarantine by order of the health authority in hospitals or in their own homes if, with a spirit detached from any sin, they unite spiritually through the media to the celebration of Holy Mass, the recitation of the Holy Rosary, to the pious practice of the Way of the Cross or other forms of devotion, or if at least they will recite the Creed, the Lord's Prayer and a pious invocation to the Blessed Virgin Mary, offering this trial in a spirit of faith in God and charity towards their brothers and sisters, with the will* to fulfill the usual conditions (sacramental confession, Eucharistic communion and prayer according to the Holy Father's intentions), as soon as possible.

Health care workers, family members and all those who, following the example of the Good Samaritan, exposing themselves to the risk of contagion, care for the sick of Coronavirus according to the words of the divine Redeemer: “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (Jn 15: 13), will obtain the same gift of the Plenary Indulgence under the same conditions.

This Apostolic Penitentiary also willingly grants a Plenary Indulgence under the same conditions on the occasion of the current world epidemic, also to those faithful who offer a visit to the Blessed Sacrament, or Eucharistic adoration, or reading the Holy Scriptures for at least half an hour, or the recitation of the Holy Rosary, or the pious exercise of the Way of the Cross, or the recitation of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, to implore from Almighty God the end of the epidemic, relief for those who are afflicted and eternal salvation for those whom the Lord has called to Himself.

The Church prays for those who find themselves unable to receive the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick and of the Viaticum, entrusting each and every one to divine Mercy by virtue of the communion of saints and granting the faithful a Plenary Indulgence on the point of death, provided that they are duly disposed and have recited a few prayers during their lifetime (in this case the Church makes up for the three usual conditions required). For the attainment of this indulgence the use of the crucifix or the cross is recommended (cf. Enchiridion indulgentiarum, no.12).

[*fulfillment of the usual conditions may not be immediately possible; therefore, the will to fulfill them suffices with the intention to fulfill the usual conditions “as soon as possible.”]

Here at Saint Simon Stock Parish, we will continue to live stream our Mass so that our parishioners and friends can join us spiritually.

You can participate “virtually” and “spiritually” in all our live-stream Celebration of Holy Week and Triduum on Facebook and YouTube.

Let us continue to pray and trust God. Let us continue to nurture our spiritual life through prayer, recitation of the Holy Rosary, quiet meditation, and other personal devotions.

Let us pray the Prayer for Healing, Peace, and an End to the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Pandemic:

Loving and gracious God,
We ask for your special grace, especially this challenging and
trying times of coronavirus pandemic.
We recognize the unpredictability and severity
of this health crisis.
We pray for those who are sick and
those affected by the disease.
We also remember the medical people
– doctors, nurses, caregivers, scientists and
all those who are working hard to combat the disease.
We pray for our older people, in nursing homes,
assisted living, memory care, rehabilitation centers, homebound, and hospitals, which are significantly impacted
by this health care crisis.
We also pray for those whose lives have been disrupted,
especially anyone who has lost income from a loss of work
during this difficult time.
We lift up to you those who have died
because of this pandemic.
We also recognize your wisdom and power, O Lord.
Without You, we can do nothing.
Help us to deepen our faith in you
and to trust in You and
work together so that we can surpass all these challenges
and would come out stronger and resilient.
By Your grace,
help us to realize the importance of prayer and faith.

Finally, we pray for healing, peace, and an end to this global Coronavirus Pandemic.
We ask all these in your name Lord Jesus Christ,
with the Father and in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
One God, forever and ever.

Amen!

Peace and grace,
Fr. Michael

Dear parishioners and visitors who might be looking for their new parish home,

You are all welcome! I pray that you and your loved ones will (and will continue) to feel welcome, respected, and loved by your priests, staff, ministry leaders, and the people of God.

I wish you God’s peace, comfort, healing, forgiveness, and love!

Some people call this parish their “summer parish.” Others, their “other parish.” But I hope you will join many who call this parish – their “home parish.” Saint Simon Stock Parish is a special parish. It was established on November 4, 2009 when two parishes – Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Berlin, and Saint Edward the Confessor merged into one.

Who is Saint Simon Stock? Let us examine briefly the life of our parish patron saint – Saint Simon Stock. He was prayerful man and a man of action. When he was twelve years of age, he decided to live as a hermit in a hollow tree trunk of an oak tree. Legend has it that the name Stock, meaning "tree trunk," derives from that fact.

It is also believed that, as a young man, Simon went on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land where he joined a group of Carmelites with whom he later returned to Europe. Simon Stock founded many Carmelite Communities, especially in University towns such as Cambridge, Oxford, Paris, and Bologna, and he helped to change the Carmelites from a hermit Order into one of the mendicant friars. Who are the Mendicant orders? What do they do? They are, primarily, specific Christian religious orders that have adopted a lifestyle of poverty, traveling, and living in urban areas for purposes of preaching, evangelization, and ministry, especially to the poor. The mendicant orders surviving today are the four recognized by the Second Council of Lyon (1274): Dominicans, Franciscans, Augustinians (Augustinian Hermits), and Carmelites, as well as Trinitarians, Mercedarians, Servites, Minims, Hospitallers of St. John of God, and the Teutonic Order. (https://www.britannica.com › topic › mendicant-Roman-Catholicism)

In 1254 Simon Stock was elected Superior-General of his Order in London. His lasting fame came from an apparition he had in Cambridge, England, on July 16, 1251, at a time when the Carmelite Order was being oppressed. In it, the Virgin Mary appeared to him holding the brown scapular in one hand. Her words were: “Receive, my beloved son, this scapular of thy Order; it is the special sign of my favor, which I have obtained for thee and thy children of Mount Carmel. He(she) who dies clothed with this habit shall be preserved from eternal fire. It is the badge of salvation, a shield in time of danger, and a pledge of special peace and protection.”

The scapular (from the Latin, scapula, meaning "shoulder blade") consists of two pieces of cloth, one worn on the chest, and the other on the back, which were connected by straps or strings passing over the shoulders. In certain Orders, monks and nuns wear scapulars that reach from the shoulders almost to the ground as outer garments. You would notice that the priests (Father Philip, Father Raymond, Father Dexter and I) are all wearing a white cloth scapular over our shoulders. It is part of our religious habit. Laypersons usually wear scapulars underneath their clothing; these consist of two pieces of material only a few inches square. There are elaborate rules governing the wearing of the scapular: although any Catholic may wear it, even an infant, the investiture must be done by a priest. And the scapular must be worn properly; if an individual neglected to wear it for a time, the benefits are forfeited. The Catholic Church has approved eighteen different kinds of scapulars of which the best known is the woolen brown scapular, or the Scapular of Mount Carmel, that the Virgin Mary bestowed on Simon Stock. His feast day is on May 16th. As a pastor, I am happy to tell you that we will have an annual investiture of the brown scapular in our parish church.

Like Saint Simon Stock, there are many men and women who strive hard to be good, prudent, and faithful stewards, we are also invited to examine our lives and waste no time to set things right with God and with our family, friends, and others.

Peace and love,
Fr. Michael