Our Lady of Grace R.C. Church: About Us

About Us

Rev. Alexander M. Santora
Rev. Ordanico De La Pena
Rev. John A. Mullin, S.J.
Megan Moffit
Andrew F. Cyr
Sr. M. Reginald Zajac, 0.S.F.
Ann Fabbricatore
Veronica Rosso
Vincent Rossi
Gustavo Barrera
Catherine Hoppmann
Leo Parry
Iris Diaz
Rev. Martin Okoro, C.M.F.
April Harris
Ignatius DePalma
Helen A. Cunning
Raymond A. McAleer Pastor
Parochial Vicar
Assisting Priest
Pastoral Associate
Music Director & Organist
Pastoral Assistant
Business Manager
Office Manager
Facilities Manager
Facilties Assistant
Office Assistant at St. Joseph
Bingo Coordinator
Rectory Housekeeper
In Residence
In Jesus' Name Charities
Trustee
Trustee
Finance Council Chairman

HOBOKEN CATHOLIC ACADEMY Rose Perry, Principal (201) 963-9535

Mass Schedule

You Are Invited To Celebrate…

THE EUCHARIST
Saturday Vigil Mass (OLG) - 5:00 PM
Sunday (OLG) - 9:00 AM, 10:30, 12:30 PM (Spanish), 7:30 PM
Sunday (St. Joseph)10:00 AM (Spanish), 12:00 PM

DAILY MASS IN CHAPEL
Monday — Friday - 12:30 PM
Monday —Thursday: 7:00 PM

HOLY DAYS
Chapel Vigil Mass: 7:00 PM
OLG: 12:30 PM, 7:30 PM
St. Joseph: 7:00 PM (Bilingual)

BAPTISM: For registered parishioners: First Sunday of month 2 PM in English; Third Sunday of month 2 PM in Spanish or at Mass in either church. Register in advance for preparation session on the last Wednesday of the month at 7:30 PM.

MATRIMONY: Registered parishioners contact the rectory one year before the wedding.

RECONCILIATION: Confessions are heard Saturday 4 to 4:50 PM and by appointment.

ANOINTING OF THE SICK: Please notify the rectory for homebound, hospital and nursing home visits.

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION: Sacramental preparation and religious education takes place Sunday morning at each church, Adults prepare at OLG on Tuesday at 7:30 PM.

Sunday Bulletin

Parish Calendar

Parish History

1851 Our Lady of Grace is founded. It is one of the oldest Catholic parishes in the United States. Although Hoboken had its first pastor in 1844, a small frame church, Our Lady of Mercy, in West Hoboken (later Union City) wasn’t built until 1851. When it was completed, Fr. Cauvin moved to Hoboken to begin building a brick church and rectory on Willow Avenue.

1855 Our Lady of Grace is dedicated on June 24, 1855.

1856 The Society of the Living Rosary is established in December. One of the first Rosary Societies in the country, it is still active.

1859 A small, select school opens and operates with one teacher from 1859 until 1964.

1864 Our Lady of Grace is incorporated and the first Catholic Public School in Hoboken opens under the Sisters of Charity of Madison.

1866 In August 1865, the Sisters of Charity start to build a hospital and asylum. St. Mary Hospital was blessed on May 6, 1866.

1873 The parish owns the entire block along Church Square Park.

1915 After completion of the church and chapel came a new convent for 30 Sisters of Charity running the school.

1941 The interior of the church is renovated.

1958 The school experiences a complete interior renovation.

1968 The church interior is repainted.

1994 The church in its present form begins to take shape.

1996 After restoration, the church is placed on the New Jersey List of Historic Places.

1998 The church is rededicated on December 7, 1998 following the interior and exterior renovation.

1999 The parish school merges with other Catholic schools in Hoboken to form Hoboken Catholic Academy.

2001 Our Lady of Grace marches into the new millennium at its 150^th Anniversary Mass on October 7, 2001.

2008 Our Lady of Grace with St. Joseph merge, cementing the longtime link between the two churches. It was recommended by the New Energies Initiatives of the Archdiocese of Newark and approved by Archbishop John Myers.

Pastor's Page

July 25, 2010

PASTOR’S MESSAGE

More Tips for Child Safety

Last week, I shared with you five of ten tips for child safety. This has been a key effort of the church since the 2002, when the US bishops adopted the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, in response to clergy sexual abuse of children. Teresa Kettelkamp, executive director of the USCCB Secretariat for Children and Young People, developed the list after reviewing what the Catholic Church has learned in facing clergy sexual abuse problem. Here are the remaining five:

Feeling heard leads toward healing. Relief from hurt and anger often comes when one feels heard, when one’s pain and concerns are taken seriously, and a victim/survivor’s appropriate sense of rage and indignation are acknowledged. Not being acknowledged contributes to a victim’s sense of being invisible, unimportant and unworthy, they are in some way “revictimized.”

You cannot always predict who will be an abuser. Experience shows that most abuse is at the hands of someone who has gained the trust of a victim/survivor and his/her family. Most abuse also occurs in the family setting. Sometimes the “nicest person in the world” is an abuser, and this “niceness” enables a false sense of trust to be created between abuser and abused

There are behavioral warning signs of child abusers. Training and education help adults recognize fellow grooming techniques that are precursors to abuse. Some abusers isolate a potential victim by giving him or her undue attention or lavish gifts. Another common grooming technique is to allow young people to participate in activities which their parents or guardians would not approve, such as watching pornography, drinking alcohol, using drugs, and excessive touching, which includes wrestling and tickling. It is also critical to be wary of age-inappropriate relationships, seen, for example, in the adult who is more comfortable with children than adults. Parishes can set up rules to guide interaction between adults and children.

People can be taught to identify grooming behavior. – which are the actions which abusers take to project the image that they are kind, generous, caring people, while their intent is to lure a minor into an inappropriate relationship. An abuser may develop a relationship with the family to increase his credibility. Abusers might show attention to the child by talking to him/her, being friendly, sharing alcohol with a minor and giving the child “status” by insinuating that the child is their favorite or “special person.” Offenders can be patient and may “groom” their victim, his or her family, or community for years.

Background checks work. Background checks in churches, schools and other organization keep predators away from children both because they scare off some predators and because they uncover past actions which should ban an adult from working or volunteering with children. If an adult has had difficulty with some boundaries that society sets, such as not driving while intoxicated or not disturbing the public peace, he or she may have difficulties with other boundaries, such as not hurting a child. Never forget that offenders lie.

Peace,

Fr. Alex Santora

	DAILY MASS We celebrate daily Mass in the chapel on Clinton Street at 12:30 PM Monday through Friday and at 7 PM Monday through Thursday. The chapel is air-conditioned and you may park in either the Willow Avenue or Clinton Street lots.
				The Newark Arch Diocese	The Holy See

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