The Mary TheParish parish of of Saint saint Mary A Catholic Community Proclaiming the Greatness of God in Our Time A Catholic Community Proclaiming the Greatness of God in our Time OnePhalanx Phalanx Road • Colts Neck, NJ 07722 One Road, Colts Neck, NJ 07722 Phone: 780-2666 • Fax: (732)732-780-0394 780-0394 Phone:(732) 732-780-2666 Fax:
Email: ParishOffice@StMarysColtsNeck.org • Website: StMarysColtsNeck.org
Bishopofofthe theDiocese DioceseofofTrenton: Trenton:Most MostReverend Reverend David Bishop David M. M. O’Connell, O’Connell, C.M. C. M. Pastor:Reverend ReverendFr. Fr.Jeffrey Jeffrey E. Lee Pastor: E. Lee PastorEmeritus: Emeritus:Reverend Reverend Fr. Fr. William William J. J. Bausch Pastor Bausch Parish Raynor& & Roger RogerZurro Zurro ParishTrustees: Trustees: Annette Raynor
JANUARY 4, 2026
SOLEMNITY OF THE EPIPHANY OF THE LORD ABBREVIATED MASS SCHEDULE Saturday, January 3 4 PM Sunday, January 4 10 AM
PARISH OFFICE HOURS Mondays: Tuesdays: Wednesdays: Thursdays: Fridays: Saturdays: Sundays:
9 AM to 2 PM 2:30 PM to 7: 30 PM 9 AM to 2 PM 9 AM to 2 PM Closed Closed First Sunday each month Open Sunday, January 4
9 AM to 1 PM
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MASS SCHEDULE & INTENTIONS Saturday, January 3, 2026 - Sunday, January 11, 2026 Saturday, January 3 4 PM
Intentions of Loving Family Members * Janet Munger Jeremi Teixeira * Angela & Tom Kinlin Sunday, January 4 10 AM Pro Populo
Loving Family Members * Janet Munger Alexander R Zilinski * Alex Zilinski Monday, January 5 9 AM
Pvt. Charles Haber Jr. * Carol Ann Donahue Intentions of Paula Natale * Anthony & Mary Natale Tuesday, January 6 9 AM
Intentions of Victor & Beth Pene * Richard & Maria Gerbino Paulette Buda * Sessa Family Wednesday, January 7 4 PM
Rev. Fr. Raymond Griffin * Rev. Fr. Jeffrey E. Lee, Staff & Parishioners Rose Aiello * The Aiello Family Saturday, January 10 4 PM
Mary Resko * Mary Kopko Marge Eastman * Barbara & Joe Verga Eleanor Wilson * Jane Slattery Sunday, January 11 8 AM
Pro Populo Carl Johnson * Alice Ganley Louis Geneve * Karen & Joseph Mascaro 10 AM
Carl Simone * Ken and Muriel Rogers Pamela Dewberry * Margaret Zipp Wilfreda Poscablo * Drs. Gener & Elvira Dapul 12 Noon
Intentions of Loving Family Members * Janet Munger Domenica Musicaro * Richard & Maria Gerbino Charlotte Clime Schatzle * Jim Schatzle & Family
Church Sanctuary Lamp Carmel Vickers Requested by Peter Vickers & Family
MASS INTENTIONS & SANCTUARY LAMPS Click below to submit request online Request a Sanctuary Lamp ($25 stipend) Request a Mass Intention ($10 stipend)
Please pray for the following members of our parish community who are ill: Joe Brando Lori Lettieri Edward Habrack Father William Bausch To add or remove a family member from the sick list, please e-mail parishbulletin@stmaryscoltsneck.org. Names will be removed from the list after 3 months. Be sure to keep us updated on your loved one’s health. Thank you for keeping our Parish informed.
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LIFELONG CATECHESIS: Week of January 4 to 10 READINGS FOR THE WEEK Sunday, January 4 Isaiah 60:1-6 / Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6 / Matthew 2:1-12
Monday, January 5 1 John 3:22-4:6 / Matthew 4:12-17, 23-25
Tuesday, January 6 1 John 4:7-10 / Mark 6:34-44
Wednesday, January 7 1 John 4:11-18 / Mark 6:45-52
Thursday, January 8 1 John 4:19—5:4 / Luke 4:14-22
Friday, January 9 1 John 5:5-13 / Luke 5:12-16
Saturday, January 10 1 John 5:14-21 / John 3:22-30
Please pray for our Military & First Responders Almighty and eternal God, those who take refuge in you will be glad and forever will shout for joy. Protect these soldiers as they discharge their duties. Protect them with the shield of your strength and keep them safe from all evil and harm. May the power of your love enable them to return home in safety, that with all who love them, they may ever praise you for your loving care. We ask this through Christ our Lord.
AMT Colton Boag, USCG Col. John Anthony Coppola, US Army TSgt Stephen Witherow, USAF LCpl Edward Zarzecki, USMC Lt. Col. Douglas Coppola, US Army Lt. Mary Herman, USN SN Christian Houlihan, USN LT. Jason Joseph Howe, USN SPC Michael John Mento, US Army
LTJG Matthew Motola, USN LCpl Bradley O’Ree, USMC SPC Nicholas Poskonka, US Army Captain Richard Savo, US Army 1st Lt. Adam Sjoholm, US Army Captain Ryan Tanguay, US Army
FOR DEEPER REFLECTION The mystery of the incarnation: Jesus is a gift to all humanity. the relationships of parents and children Question for Children: In your life, who helps you to see Jesus in other people such as a classmate or a friend?
Question for Youth: Life can sometimes be rough: losing your home, moving, feeling fear or danger. How do you experience God being and staying with you in such times?
Question for Adults: How this past week did you demonstrate God’s love at home and at work? .
SAINT OF THE WEEK Agnes, Virgin and Martyr, c. 291-304
As is the case with many of the early saints, much of what we know about Agnes is based on legend. What is generally agreed upon is that Agnes was a young girl when she died (thirteen years of age according to St. Ambrose and St. Augustine). She was a very beautiful girl and of a wealthy Roman family. Agnes was sought after by many young men in Rome, but she resolved at an early age to consecrate her virginity to God. One of Agnes’ spurned suitors denounced her to the governor as a Christian during the persecution by Emperor Diocletian. The governor, first by gentle persuasion and then by a display of instruments of torture, tried to induce Agnes to give up her faith. When that failed, he condemned her to a house of prostitution. Her saintly bearing deterred all of the men who approached her except one. Legend tells us that he was struck blind. His friends, terrified, carried him to Agnes who, by prayer, restored his sight and health. The governor then sentenced Agnes to death. The stories vary on whether she was beheaded, burned, or stabbed, but all agree that Agnes was martyred. Her body was buried a short distance from Rome on the Nomentan Road. Read more...
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WORSHIP & MUSIC Andrew J. Macirowski - Pastoral Coordinator for Worship & Music / Principal Organist
Worship@StMarysColtsNeck.org • Music@StMarysColtsNeck.org The Solemnity of the Epiphany of The Lord Although this holy day technically falls on January 6, (the 12th day of Christmas), the date on which the Epiphany is celebrated changes annually, as it is always transferred in the Catholic liturgical calendar to a Sunday celebration. The purpose of the day is to commemorate the theophany of the Christ, the revelation of his coming in holiness to all the peoples of the world, as represented by the magi, who travelled far to meet the infant Jesus. In some Eastern European countries, clergy would travel throughout the villages blessing homes on this day, commemorating the visit of the magi to the temporary home of the Holy Family. This tradition has carried over to some parts of the world, with the blessing of homes taking place between the Epiphany and Candlemas (February 2nd). The custom of Little Christmas is observed in some parts of the world as well. Families who would need to travel considerable distances to be with loved ones would place the focus of the Christmas holiday on attending Mass (usually on Christmas Eve, particularly the Midnight Mass, spend Christmas Day as a family, and then spend time in travel after the holiday, coming together on the 12th day to exchange gifts. Today, some churches hold “Little Christmas” events, more likely those with an associated grammar school community. You’re Invited!
Blessing of the New Organ
Saturday, January 3
4 PM Mass Welcome Rev. Fr. Michael Hall Director of the Diocesan Office of Worship
Click here to learn more!
Click for details!
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MINISTRY SCHEDULE Saturday, January 10 & Sunday, January 11 Altar Server Saturday, Jan. 10 4 PM Sunday, Jan. 11 8 AM Sunday, Jan. 11 10 AM
Sunday, Jan. 11 12 Noon
Jonathan Stubbs Grace Collins Jack Main NOT FILLED Joseph Brando Olivia Linquito
Jacob Barasky NOT FILLED
Cantor
Bridget Farrow
Reader 1 Jennifer Stubbs
Reader 2
EMHC
Mary Ellen Griffin
Emily Santangelo, Organ Host Susan Murphy, Tabernacle Host Lousie Habrack, Tabernacle Host Martha Cowles, Alternate
Carly York
Joe Ventura
Rita Duenas
Jane Slattery, Organ Host Joseph Flanagan, Tabernacle Host Justine Buzzetta, Tabernacle Host Mary Aiello, Alternate
Carly York
Kevin Swan
Richard Gerbino
Maureen Geiger, Organ Host Sue Fitzpatrick, Tabernacle Host Steve Stanley, Tabernacle Host Linda Dickinson-Pancila, Alternate
Jennifer Stubbs
Patricia Gesner, Organ Host Ron Gabbard, Tabernacle Host Dolores Lembo, Tabernacle Host Lee Gesner, Alternate
Choir with Cantor
Charles Young
JOIN THE COMMITTEE! Help plan the upcoming Parish of Saint Mary Pancake Breakfast scheduled for February 2026! Email temporaladmin@stmaryscoltsneck.org
NEW TO COLTS NECK?
Join The Parish of Saint Mary Click here for details
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FAITH FORMATION Julia Cullen — Pastoral Coordinator of Faith Formation / Religious Education
ReligiousEd@StMarysColtsNeck.org • (732) 780-2666 x. 309
A Message to Our Families Religious Education sessions resume this coming weekend for CP and on Tuesday for FHC and CF. Please see session calendars for details (attached in link box below).
6 January 2026 Fall RE Classes resume
25 January 2026
Mark your calendars for Family Catechesis Day on Sunday, 25 January 2026 entitled “Let’s Pray as a Family.” Come for a small presentation, craft, food and fun!
Family Catechesis Day At 10 AM Mass in the Church Click to register
Summer RE Intensive 2026 Registration/ReRegistration opens on Sunday, 1 February 2026 at 9:30am.
Registration begins: Summer Intensive 2026 Begins 9:30 AM
1 February 2026
CONFIRMATION PREP January 4: Virtual session RELIGIOUS ED LINKS & RESOURCES
January 6: On-Campus session
RE Calendar
January 20: On-Campus session
January 18: Virtual session
RE Handbook Intergenerational List/Descriptions Intergenerational Recording Sheet Confirmation Prep Schedule
Fall RE Schedule 2025-2026
RE SUMMER INTENSIVE 2026 DATES ANNOUNCED! Virtual: July 13 through 24 On-Campus August 3 through14 Registration to begin February 1 at 9:30 a.m.
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January 4, 2026
‘Tis the Season! Nativity Play Christmas Party Blessing of the Infant Jesus
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PASTORAL CARE & OUTREACH Rosemarie Farrow — Pastoral Coordinator of Pastoral Care & Outreach
R.Farrow@StMarysColtsNeck.org • (732) 780-2666 x. 310
The Martha Mary Guild Join Us on Wednesday, Jan. 14! Begins at 11:30 AM in Madonna Hall
Join us on Wed., January 14, 2026 for a very interesting meeting! We begin with the Rosary followed by BYOL (Bring Your Own Lunch), with refreshments supplied by the Guild. After lunch at approximately 12:30 p.m., we will be joined via Zoom meeting with Todd Fry, Executive Director of Rwanda Youth Partnership (RYP) and a friend of Rungano-Ndota Initiative (RNI). RNI is a youth empowerment organization created in 2017 by young Rwandans who survived genocide. RYP is a network of volunteers who believe RNI's model is uniquely effective and duly deserves to grow. Todd will share the story of the team in Rwanda and the remarkable success they are catalyzing. We have heard about genocide in the news, and now we will experience first hand information of how they (RNI) are overcoming such a tragedy! This month we are collecting warm hats, gloves, scarves and mittens for the St Vincent DePaul Society in Asbury Park. Thank you for your continued generosity!
Thinking of Becoming Catholic?
OCIA The Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA) is the Church's process of welcoming newcomers into full communion with the Catholic Church. As you enter the Church, the parish community and the OCIA Program will walk with you on your journey of faith.
Click here for more information
Click to donate online.
Email PastoralCareOCIA@stmaryscoltsne ck.org
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Quo vadis... My Dear Parishioners: Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Epiphany of our Lord. Christianity is a “show thee state” because we are to demonstrate to others our faith in action. Believing always plays itself out in living. Believing is expressed in the “showing” of our everyday living. The pattern of our own lives is that of the Magi: seek, encounter, homage, self -giving. An important lesson here for living is that authentic homage (i.e., worship) naturally leads to living in the Light. Worship, then, is more than what happens in church on Sunday. It is the light of our own selves that shines throughout our weekdays, witnessing to our own encounters with the Light. Our very living must proclaim “the praises of the Lord.” The Lord continues to be revealed even in our own time. Sometimes we are keenly aware of the Lord’s presence; sometimes we miss it altogether. We are called to reflect on this reality in our lives and how we make the Lord more present through our daily choices. This weekend, we observe the abbreviated schedule. During the Saturday afternoon mass, Rev. Fr. Michael Hall, Director of the Trenton Diocesan Office of Worship and a member of the National Association of Pastoral Musicians, will Concelebrate the Mass, offer the homily and bless the organ in our parish church. Welcome Fr. Mike! I am so very grateful to all who helped prepare our parish for the Christmas Season—those who cleaned, decorated, changed light bulbs, placed figurines in the crèche, shined brass
appointments, practiced music, photocopied, folded and mailed letters, dropped off baked goods to the parish house, shared Christmas cheer and generously supported our parish community with your Christmas Stewardship Offering. I learned of those things that worked so very well in service to our parishioners and those areas that need some improvement. All things in time as I continue to listen, observe, learn, consult and act. I am grateful for all that you do and for the way in which our parish community prays together. Let’s keep the Christmas Spirit alive in our homes and in our hearts as we continue to make our journey through this great season. Next weekend, 10/11 January, is the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, which marks the conclusion of the Christmas Season liturgically. We will resume the regular weekend schedule. May the infant child Jesus continue to inspire us and all people to become the very best we can become. If you have not made your 2025 Christmas Gift to our parish, please do so as soon as possible so that we can render an accounting to you. On Friday, Jan. 2, our new Mayor and Township Committee members take their respective oaths of office. Let us keep our public servants in our prayers. Have a great week. Let us remember one another in prayer. In the name of our Parish Staff, I wish each and every one of you a very Happy, Healthy and Holy New Year 2026. Peace. Father Jeff
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TEMPORAL ADMINISTRATION & STEWARDSHIP Edwin A. Sevillano— Pastoral Associate for Temporal Administration & Stewardship
TemporalAdmin@StMarysColtsNeck.org
SHARING OUR TREASURE:
DEC. 28
Weekly Sacrificial Stewardship
$ 23,412
Envelope Contributions
$ 14,485
Electronic/Online Contributions
$ 8,599
Loose Contributions
$ 328
Average Contribution per household
$ 89.47
Number of Contributing Households
258
Total Number of Registered Parishioner Households
922
(this week)
(this weekend)
If you haven’t already submitted your Christmas offering to the Parish of Saint Mary, it’s not to late to do so. Feel free to submit your envelope or make your gift online by clicking here or scanning the QR code below.
2025 End-of-Year Contribution Statements Statements of charitable contributions for calendar year 2025 will be available on or about January 16, 2026. Your personal statement can be retrieved online once available. Click here to sign in. If you wish to receive a paper statement, please provide a self-addressed stamped envelope to the Parish Office or drop it in the collection basket no later than January 25, 2026. Requests will be processed and mailed at the end of January. Please do not make requests by phone. Thank you!
Leave a Lasting Legacy A simple gift in your will or by naming our parish as a beneficiary of a retirement plan or life insurance policy can strengthen our faith community for generations. We invite you to think about the legacy of faith you want to leave. Learn how you can include The Parish in Saint Mary in your estate plans is an easy and meaningful way to ensure our worship, ministries, and outreach continue. Please consider a lasting gift to our parish. A bequest or beneficiary designation costs you nothing today but, helps preserve our parish mission for tomorrow. To learn more, contact Edwin.Sevillano@stmaryscoltsneck.org
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Offerings at Francis House of Prayer
Trenton Diocesan Spiritual Center and Retreat House—84 Walnford Road • Allentown, NJ 08501 www.FHOP.org * 609-877-0509 * FHOP@verizon.net OFF TO A PRAYERFUL START - FOCUSING THE NEW YEAR Monday, January 5 7:00 – 8:00 PM EVENING ZOOM ONLY Start out 2026 with an evening zoom retreat to set the direction for the year. “Well begun is half done,” they say, and establishing a direction is essential for the journey. Where am I going in 2026? What is the desire of my heart, and God’s as we begin this year together? Donation: $15, includes materials. GOD CANNOT FILL AN OCCUPIED SPACE! CLEANING UP & CLEANING OUT Tuesday, January 6 9:30 AM – 1:00 PM Is it time to make a little more room for God in your life? Do you find yourself complaining, “I have too much stuff!” Is decluttering one of your desires for 2026? We are each going to make a plan to clean up and clean out, to simplify and enjoy life more, to have a lighter grasp and a freer heart for the more important things of life. Step by step, with the support of a partner and prayer, we will be clutter-free by Easter! With God’s help, we can do it! Donation: $25, includes lunch. Zoom: $20. PAINT YOUR SACRED ART ICON Wednesday, January 21 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM IN PERSON ONLY Have you ever dreamed of painting an icon? We will follow the lead of iconographer, Nancy Berchtold, in the meaning of what is painted as well as the icon colors, shapes and lines chosen. By the end of the experience, you will have painted an icon of the Blessed Mother holding baby Jesus. Donation: $50, includes lunch and materials.
Click for details
732-223-4673 grace@njsamaritan.org