SYNOD UPDATE
In May 2021, Pope Francis surprised the Church by announcing that the next Synod of Bishops, postponed until 2023 due to the pandemic, would be preceded by a worldwide synodal process in which the Church would listen “to all of the baptized” in every local diocese to better understand their concerns and perspectives as the Church charts its future course. This worldwide process was launched in our own Archdiocese of Newark and in our parish last fall. Our local effort was led by parishioners Noreen Collins and Gary Stavella, with parish support from Andy Fellows, Christina Mueller and Frs. Alex and Phil.
From December 2021 to March 2022, we conducted a series of 10 listening sessions, both in-person at Our Lady of Grace and St. Joseph and virtually. Some were open to general audiences; other were more specifically targeted at audiences including the young adult, LGBTQ+ and ally, Hispanic and disaffected Catholic communities. In total, approximately 130 individuals participated in these sessions.
We express profound thanks to each and every individual who took the time, and, in some cases, summoned the courage, to participate in these sessions and provide unfiltered feedback about their experiences in the Church and their perspectives on what the Church is getting right and doing wrong.
From the copious notes that were gathered at these 10 sessions, our parish Synod team drafted four reports to highlight with specificity the feedback received from the following communities: general parish, young adult, LGBTQ+ and disaffected Catholics. Please click on the links to read these reports in their entirety. These reports were submitted to the Archdiocese in mid-April. You can also read this summary of our parish's feedback.
The Archdiocese has reviewed the many reports received from parishes, schools and other Catholic communities within the diocese and produced an Archdiocesan synthesis report. At the national level, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has issued a national synthesis report with feedback from all the dioceses. Worldwide local findings will be consolidated into reports for discussion among the world’s bishops and the Vatican at the 2023 Synod of Bishops to guide Pope Francis on decisions about how the Church should proceed in the future. You can read the latest about the Vatican's synodal efforts here.
Thank you for your participation!
Latest News
We invite you to attend our Lenten Speaker Series -- "From Hate to Hope: How Do We Belong?" -- on six successive Wednesdays at the end (7:30 PM) of the 7 PM Mass in the Parish Center at 411 Clinton Street. Each speaker will describe the concerning situation, any experience of prejudice and how we can turn the corner to a positive situation. Admission is free; all are welcome. Here's the schedule. Please join us!
The OLG & St. Joseph Young Adult Group has a ton of great events scheduled for this winter -- check out the lineup here! If you are between the ages of 20 to 40, we encourage you to come out, make new friends and deepen your faith!
Andy Fellows, our Pastoral Associate, hosts spiritual, service and social events for our young adults. Please spread the word. For more info, contact him at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.! You can also check out our social media pages - links on our website homepage!
The 2023 Archbishop's Annual Appeal is now underway, and we need your support! The Annual Appeal will fund essential programs and ministries at the heart of our Catholic mission in our four counties – namely to proclaim the Gospel, to pass on the faith to future generations, particularly through the celebration of the sacraments, and to care for the poor and those on the margins. Among the many important programs that receive funding are the operating costs for the new homeless shelter that is being built at St. Lucy's near the Holland Tunnel, right in our backyard!
Please help our parish meet our goal of $31,000 and hopefully our stretch goal of $32,000. If every person, couple or family pledges and pays $100, we will go over our goal. If we collect more than our stretch goal and it is paid in by June 30, 2023, we get a two percent reduction in our annual parish assessment, which is a considerable financial break for us.
Over the Feb. 4 weekend, we will do an in-pew appeal at all the Masses and ask you to make a pledge that can be paid over a period of time. Afterward, pledge envelopes can be found on the tables at the back of the churches. Or if you prefer, you can donate online and learn more about how the funds are used by clicking this link.
Our Religious Gift Shop in OLG Church is open after select Sunday Masses. We welcome volunteers. If you are interested, contact Janet Shearer at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call the Parish Center at 201-659-0369.
The St. Joseph's Flea Market is open every FRIDAY from 10 am to 12 noon and SUNDAY after the 10 am Mass. Come to 61 Monroe Street in Hoboken and enter through the alley between the rectory and the church. If you need parking, please use the lot next to the rectory.
Get great buys on clothing, accessories, household goods, decor, seasonal items and more. We also accept donations of clean, gently-used items during office hours and flea market hours only.
Please stop by to check it out!
Tickets for the parish's bimonthly raffle are available after Mass. The next winner will be drawn on April 24. You may take some tickets home to sell to family, neighbors and co-workers. Or contact Socorro Martinez at the Parish Center (201-659-0369), and she will mail them to you. Thank you for your support!
The 2023 Mass books are open for in-person reservations at each church during office hours. You may also complete and mail in or drop off the reservation sheet on the church tables.
It is customary to reserve Mass intentions, which are printed in the bulletin and announced at Mass. You may reserve Masses for the deceased and also for living intentions like a birthday or wedding anniversary. If you plan to notify someone about the intention, we have Mass cards for living and deceased.
We can accept donations and other payments to the parish from Venmo and Zelle! It's fast and easy. For more information and instructions, please click here.
Have you connected with the parish yet on social media? Don't miss out -- follow the parish's Facebook and Instagram pages to catch the latest news and events, and don't forget to tag us in any parish-related photos that you post on Facebook or Instagram. Links to all the parish's social media accounts can be found on the left side of our webpage. Check us out today!
CELEBRATE WITH US...
WEEKEND LITURGIES
Saturday Vigil at OLG - 5 PM
Sunday at OLG - 9 AM, 10:30 AM, 1:30 PM (Spanish), 7:30 PM
Sunday at St. Joseph - 10 AM (Spanish), 12 PM (English)
DAILY MASS IN OLG CHAPEL
Monday to Friday - 12:30 PM
Monday to Thursday - 7 PM
