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200 MONMOUTH ROAD, ELIZABETH, NJ 07208 + 908-351-4444
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HELPING HANDS
Food Collection to Help Local Families
St. Genevieve’s Helping Hands Group is seeking food and paper product donations to support local families in need. Note: If you are a person or family in need, we can help you. Donations of checks/ food gift cards also accepted. Checks payable to: St. Genevieve Helping Hands and sent to the Rectory.
Dear Parishioners,
Welcome to the sacred holy season of Lent. This is the time of year when each of us is called to do a better job being the person God knows we can be. It is a time of repentance, prayer and sacrifice which can transform us into new creations.
Since the earliest days of the Church, this has also been a special time in the lives of those men and women who are answering God’s call to be with Him as members of the Church. This season marks the beginning of the final stage of preparation for all those who will be fully initiated (Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist) at the upcoming Easter Vigil and for those who are already baptized and completing their initiation via Confirmation and/or Eucharis during a Sunday of the Easter Season.
This weekend, at the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark, as well as in cathedrals throughout the world, two very beautiful rituals are being celebrated: The Call to Continuing Conversion on Saturday and the Rite of Election on Sunday.
The Call is for those over 18, who are already baptized, but for some reason did not finish the journey to full initiation. This year in our Archdiocese 1,021 people from our four counties will be recognized for their desire and encouraged by Cardinal Tobin to continue on the journey. This number includes 123 people joining the Catholic Church from other Christian denominations.
The Rite of Election is for all those over age 7 who have never been baptized and who will celebrate full initiation at the Easter Vigil. This year we have 642 people throughout the Archdiocese who will be joining us at Easter. This represents the largest number of people in both categories in over 10 years! At a time when it is so easy to be negative about faith and the Church, these men and women are proving that the Holy Spirit is alive and active in the Archdiocese of Newark. Something wonderful is truly happening here.
Here at St. Gens, we have much to celebrate as well. We have 4 young people who will be fully initiated at the upcoming Easter Vigil. We congratulate all of them, and promise them our prayers and support.
Fr. Armand
KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS
The Knights of Columbus is a fraternal organization for Catholic men. All men of the parish are invited to join. For information please contact : Council 253 at (908) 355-2253 or Chris at (908) 351-4444.
CAFÉ GENS IS BACK!
Join us after the 9:00 and 10:30 Masses to enjoy coffee, tea or juice and a bagel, roll or pastry with your family, friends, and future friends. Children of all ages are invited to enjoy games, puzzles, crafts and other activities during Café Gens in Karen’s Corner. These supervised activities are provided after the 10:30 Mass until noon each week. Please join us and bring a friend!
KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS
LENTEN DINNERS
The Elizabeth Knights of Columbus Council 253 will host three fish fry’s during lent on Friday, February 20, Friday, March 6 and Friday, March 20. All will run from 5:30pm to 8pm. The cost is $15 per dinner—fish or ziti—and will be available for eat in or take out. The Council is located at 328 Union Ave in Elizabeth. Please call the Council at 908-355-2253 to place take-out orders. .
NORWAY TRIP
Tired of Winter already? Need something to look forward to? Ready to do something extra special for yourself? If the answer to any of these is YES, I have very good news for you: There’s a fjord in your future!
Following up on last years wonderful trip to Alaska, this year we are very pleased to present a beautiful voyage to the magical fjords of Norway. Join us from July 2-10, 2026 as we cruise through the magnificently beautiful Norwegian countryside being cared for by the crew of a Holland-America Line Cruise Ship.
Our journey begins in Rotterdam, the Netherlands and goes to Bergen, Alesund, Olden and Eidfjord Norway. Our very reasonable fares include round trip airfare, 2 nights hotel in Rotterdam a 7 day cruise on Holland-America Line, in your chosen cabin grade, with all meals and entertainments and some surprise extras. Space is limited, and already filling quickly, so please contact the rectory, or speak to Fr. Armand, for a full color brochure and further information. I hope you are able to join us!
CHILDREN INVITED TO MAKE AND RACE CARS
Cub Scout Pack 23 would like to invite boys and girls in K—5th grade to take part in the Pinewood Derby. Cub Scouts are given a kit that includes a block of wood, plastic wheels and axles. With a parent’s help they can transform the block into a race car and race it against their friends’ cars, down a 30 foot track. Trophies are presented to the winners.
We would like to invite all boys & girls to join the fun even if they are not in Cub Scouts! The Pinewood Derby race will be held on Sunday, March 8, in St. Genevieve’s Church hall from 2—4pm. Derby kits will be distributed during a Pinewood Derby Workshop on Wednesday, Feb 25 from 7:15 to 8:30pm.
At the Workshop the rules will be handed out followed by a workshop. We’ll have tools and materials on hand to build the car, up to the point of painting it. Pinewood Derby car kits are free to Cub Scouts, and $5 for all others. Questions can be directed to Cubmaster Dan Bernier (908) 451-1948.
BEREAVEMENT MINISTRY
The Bereavement Ministry of Holy Spirit Church will again offer our Christ centered support group sessions, for those in need of help coping with the loss of a loved one.
The next session will begin on Thursday, March 5, 2026 for 8 weeks ending on Thursday April 30, 2026.
Times are from 7 to 8pm
Meetings will be held in the Parish Hall
The Parish Hall is also called the Cafeteria
Participation is free, However registration is required.
Please email us at holyspiritreo@gmail.com
Or call the office at (908)964-7533
God Bless You.
Let us be your companions for the journey
ARCHDIOCESE OF NEWARK
2026 LENTEN REGULATIONS
1. The days of both Fast and Abstinence during Lent are Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. If possible, the fast on Good Friday is continued until the Easter Vigil (on Holy Saturday night) as the “paschal fast” to honor the suffering and death of the Lord Jesus, and to prepare ourselves to share more fully and to celebrate more readily His Resurrection. The other Fridays of Lent are days of Abstinence.
On a day of Fast, only one (1) full meal is permitted, and two (2) smaller meals, which, if added together, would not exceed the main meal in quantity.
On a day of Abstinence, no meat may be eaten. Those who have reached the age of 14 are obliged by the law of abstinence.
2. The obligation to observe the laws of Fast and Abstinence “substantially”, or as a whole, is a serious obligation.
3. The Fridays of the year, outside of Lent, are designated as days of penance, but each individual may substitute for the traditional abstinence from meat some other practice of voluntary self-denial as penance.
4. The time for fulfilling the Paschal Precept (Easter Duty*) extends from the First Sunday of Lent, February 22 to the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, May 31, 2026.
* Canon 920, §1. All the faithful, after they have been initiated into the Most Holy Eucharist, are bound by the obligation of receiving Communion at least once a year.
