An announcement of the New Jersey Bishops reinstating the general obligation to attend Mass.

At this time, due to the observance of public safety protocols and the increase in the availability of vaccines, we have begun a return to some sense of normalcy in various sectors of our society.

Therefore, we the Catholic Bishops of New Jersey, are lifting the dispensation of the Sunday and Holy Days Mass obligation beginning on Saturday, June 5, 2021, and Sunday, June 6, 2021, Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. We welcome the Christian faithful to return to the regular participation in the Sunday Eucharist, the source and summit of our Catholic faith (cf. Code of Canon Law canon 1247 and Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 2180).

This obligation does not apply to those who are ill; those who have reason to believe that they were recently exposed to the coronavirus or another serious or contagious illness; those who are confined to their home, a hospital, or nursing facility; or those with serious underlying health conditions.  One should consult the local pastor if questions arise about the obligation to attend Mass (canon 87).

Finally, safety protocols (such as wearing masks, social distancing, etc.) and liturgical directives in each New Jersey Diocese remain in place until modified or revoked by the respective Diocesan Bishop. 

Given on May 20, 2021, the memorial of St. Bernardine of Siena.

Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R.

Please Support our Major Parish Fundraiser

In this time of COVID, the needs of many have significantly increased in our community. Our Food Pantry benefits over fifty families monthly. More than seventy families were supported during this past Christmas. Beyond our Outreach, we are committed to the Faith Formation of our young people and adults, vibrant liturgy, and spreading the Good News of the Gospel.

While we feel blessed to have been able to answer the call for so many, we need your help to continue to serve those who will need it most in the future.

With your support, we can live out our call to serve the least of our brothers and sisters. Would you consider participating in our Parish Jumbo Jackpot Raffle to help us work toward our mission? Together, we can reach our parish goals.

On behalf of your church community at St. Peter the Apostle, I thank you in advance for your support. Your participation will go toward the great work our parish does each and every day. Click here for a Jumbo Jackpot form to purchase tickets.

Thanks again for your support of St. Peter the Apostle Church

Guidelines for Mass in
St. Peter the Apostle Church

 

Thank you for understanding and observing the following instructions and guidelines to ensure the health and well-being of all the faithful who participate in the celebration of Mass during this pandemic.

• People experiencing any symptoms of Covid-19 should stay home since the obligation to attend Mass remains suspended. We will not take temperatures at the doors of the church.
• Masks must be worn by all people over the age of two who want to enter the church. Please bring your own masks.
• Entrance/Exit is through the center doors of the church which will remain open, weather permitting.
• No congregating by the doors of the church before or after Mass. Observe social distancing on the plaza in front of the church.
• Seating is limited with some pews taped off for proper social distancing. Our seating capacity is 150. If the pews are filled, people may stand along the walls of the church until we reach our overall capacity of 300. If we reach overall capacity, people may be asked to attend a later Mass.
• Ushers will greet you at the door to make sure that masks are worn. Masks are to be worn except when receiving Holy Communion.
• Sanitize hands using the two sanitizing stations by the interior doors when entering leaving the church.
• Please enter only when all members of your party are present to assist with seating. The pews are marked for social distancing. Family members may sit together.
• The Children’s Room is closed until further notice.
• The Children’s Gospel Program is suspended until further notice.
• Please try to limit the use of the public restrooms before and during Mass.
• We ask that you do not sing, to prevent the spread of the virus through droplets.
• We will not have a choir until further notice. The Masses with music will have a musician and cantor.
• Hymnals and Bibles are removed until further notice.
• QR cards will be on the back of the pews so that you can follow the readings on your smartphones.
• Two large collection baskets will be by the last row of pews for your offerings. The small baskets will not be passed around and there will not be an offertory procession. The QR cards will also connect to our online giving page for electronic offerings.
• Please pray the Our Father without holding hands and merely nod or wave at the Sign of Peace.
• Priests and Deacons will sanitize their hands before offering Holy Communion and wear masks during the distribution of Holy Communion.
• Eucharistic Ministers bringing Holy Communion to the homebound may wait by the tabernacle after Holy Communion as usual.
• Please depart after Mass quickly so we have time to sanitize the church between Masses.
• Printed bulletins will not be available until further notice.
• The Eucharistic Adoration Chapel will remain closed until further notice. 
• All Daily Masses will take place in the church, not Our Lady’s Chapel.
• On weekdays, the church will remain open after the Daily Masses until 5:00 p.m. for Eucharistic adoration and private prayer. On Saturdays and Sundays, the church will remain open after the morning Masses until after the last evening Mass. However, the church will be closed to the public during funerals, baptisms, weddings, or any other liturgical services.

 

• Our new permanent weekend Mass schedule is as follows: 

Saturday at 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. (Spanish).
Sunday at 7:30 a.m., 10:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m., and 7:00 p.m.
Confessions on Saturdays from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. by the Baptismal font

Invitation to join WeShare 

at St. Peter the Apostle Parish
 Make a Donation via
Online Giving 

Though we cannot be together in person, we are united with Christ in prayer. In your absence, know I am praying for you and your families. In the meantime, now more than ever as we face this health crisis together, I need to ask you for your continued, generous financial support for our parish. Will you make the commitment to support our community during this unprecedented time through online giving today? 

Father David, Pastor __________________________________________________________________

Saint Peter’s has a  NEW Online Giving platform (“ WeShare”) that is now available for the weekly offerings as well as our other parish collections. We strongly encourage  all parishioners to sign-up for WeShare during these unprecedented times.
 
We also ask all FaithDirect participants to quickly transition to WeShare. Our new online giving platform has the same functionality albeit at a lower cost to the Parish, and therefore we will phase out FaithDirect shortly. Once on WeShare, please be sure to turn-off your FaithDirect donations and delete your Faith Direct account.
 
WeShare, is simple, safe, and secure and takes less than five minutes to set-up.

Please click on the Online Giving link below and follow these six easy steps:
 

https://stpetertheapostle.weshareonline.org 

1. Select the collection you wish to donate to (“Sunday Offertory” or “Second Collections”). 
2. Select recurring or one-time donation as applicable. 
3. Enter your preferred payment information (1st time). 
4. Enter your contact information – very important in order to get a temporary password via email. 
5. Access the email, log-in and create your personal password, then click "My Payment Sources"
6. In this screen, enter your preferred payment information (2nd time) and save this as a “saved payment source”.

That’s it. You can return at any time via the log-in function to edit your donations.
 
Frequently Asked Questions: 
Q: Do I need to re-enter my payment information if I wish to make a future donation? A: No – if you followed all of the above steps, just “click” on the “Saved Payment Source” button and WeShare will use this payment option to fund your donation.

Q: Which payment methods are accepted? A: Checking/savings accounts, debit and credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, Discover, AMEX) are accepted. 

Q: Do parishioners receive receipts for their donations? A: Yes, all contributors enrolled for online giving will receive receipts via e-mail. 

Q: Is WeShare safe? A: Yes. WeShare implements the safest security standards for online transactions; they are certified with the Payment Card Industry (PCI) Data Security Standards (DSS) as a Level 1 Service Provider. 

Q: As a FaithDirect participant, must I re-enter my payment and donation information again? A: Yes. Although Saint Peter’s designed the WeShare giving templates to mirror FaithDirect where possible, WeShare is an entirely different platform that does not permit the carryover of this data.