PARISH OFFICE:
187 Bellevue Avenue
Upper Montclair, NJ 07043
parishoffice@stcassianchurch.org
P: (973) 744 – 2850
F: (973) 744 – 6187
Mondays through Fridays
9:00am – 3:30pm
SCHEDULE:
The Lord’s Day Mass:
Saturday – 5:30pm
Sunday – 7:30am, 9:00am, 10:30am, 12:00pm
Daily Mass:
Monday through Saturday 8:15am
Reconcilliation:
Saturdays 4:15pm-5:00pm
QUICK LINKS:
Welcome to St. Cassian Church
During Phase One, and effective May 19, 2020, St. Cassian Church will be open for private prayer on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10:00am until 2:00pm, and on Saturday from 12:00pm until 4:00pm. Confessions will be heard on Saturday from 2:00pm until 4:00pm. Face coverings are required to enter the church and social distancing is a must. The pews have been marked for your convenience. Thank you.
Join us for events from the Office of Evangelization:
- Wednesday evenings at 7:30pm for Eucharistic Adoration
- Thursday evenings at 7:30pm for Bible Study beginning with The Book of Isaiah.
May 22, 2020
Dear Parishioners:
I pray this finds everyone healthy and well. No doubt, the nice weather has lifted the spirits of many.
As many of you know, this week we begin opening the church for quiet individual prayer. We are open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 am to 2 pm and Saturdays from 12 noon to 4:00 pm (with Confessions from 2:00 to 4:00). The Blessed Sacrament is being exposed on the altar for quiet prayerful devotion. Hopefully you will all have an opportunity to come to the church and pray in person, along with your family.
As I mentioned last week we are just beginning Phase One of the church reopening. I’m not sure how long it will take until we get to Phase Two, but hopefully it will be soon and I am optimistic about this. Please see the details in this bulletin of the proposed reopening, the 3 Phases and what to expect.
There are a few things I’d like you to be aware of, so I used this bulletin message for that purpose. If you come to church, you will notice that there is a small area of the front of the building being worked on by contractors. We are having niches created in the front of the church near the altar, so that statues can be placed there. On the left will be the statue of Mary that we usually put out for the month of May near the altar. She will be in that niche. On the right will be the statue of St. Cassian that is in its final stages of creation. I think you will all be very, very pleased with how beautiful this statue of our patron saint is. I wanted to take advantage of this time where there is not much activity in the church to have this work done, but unfortunately, it has to be done while the church is in its soft reopening.
At the same time, realize in about three or four weeks, the interior of the whole church as well as its exterior will be painted. Recall, this is one of the major jobs that we outlined in the We Are Living Stones (WALS) campaign from four years ago. Again, unfortunately, the timing isn’t the greatest with our reopening, but last year when we were scheduling the contractors, we planned on June as being the best time to do this work because it would be the beginning of the slow summer months. And please realize that all this work is completely funded already. It is being funded by our WALS as well as some private donations. Essentially, you all have funded this with your generosity!
I wanted to have this work done, firstly, because after 25 years the church needs to be repaired and repainted which is what we are doing. Secondly, we want to make sure that our beautiful Church looks great for the beginning of our 125th anniversary which we will begin celebrating in September. I am hoping that we will be able to have our planned celebrations, but obviously, those are still up in the air.
Speaking of the summer, too, we usually go to our summer Mass schedule at the very end of June where we go from four to three Sunday Masses. I am still deliberating what to do about this and I am planning on using Phase One information to determine if there will be less of a need or more of a need for the fourth Sunday Mass. I will keep you all abreast as soon as I know.
Lastly, if you have watched the live stream of Mass the last couple of Sundays, you probably noticed that the quality of the video and the sound have been greatly improved. Thanks to Walter Springer, we were able to get the live stream even going on both Facebook and YouTube. I would not have known where to even begin without him and he got the immediate need taken care of, thankfully! In an attempt to get the quality even better, I spoke with Lou Picciano who has set us up with top notch sound and a new camera so our live stream is high quality, as many of you have commented. I am looking to make a few more upgrades so that we can maintain this level of quality moving forward at least until we are back to normal.
Again, I thank you all for your support: financial, spiritual and friendly support. It has all been very helpful and fruitful. Know that I pray for you all each day and often that you will be well and that we can return to church soon and together thank God for His blessings, especially in helping us all get through this difficult time.
Last week I asked you all to please continue to be patient in the reopening process. I ask you, even more so, now, as we still try to figure out the best way to do it and have necessary contracted work going on at the same time. Like you all, I look forward to all of this being over!
Many blessings,
Rev. Marc A. Vicari,
Pastor
Important Notice: May 15, 2020
What to Expect When Public Mass Resumes
As painful as the decision was to suspend all public Masses in the Archdiocese of Newark, during the Covid 19 pandemic, the process was straight-forward and necessary for the common good.
As we see numbers flatten and decrease, we are beginning to sense the situation improving. In the interest of the common good, we do not want to contribute to a second wave that could disrupt our liturgical life.
As health restrictions are eased and we are able to start gathering together again, it is important for everyone to accept that things will not immediately go back to life before the Corona virus.
Health experts and civic leaders are currently determining new guidelines and restrictions for the next weeks and months, and at the same time the Archdiocese of Newark is planning for how public worship will be celebrated with respect to any new regulations.
We know the desire to return to your parishes, participate in the liturgy, and receive the Eucharist is incredibly strong, but we ask that everyone approach this reopening with a patient, loving and charitable mindset.
The specific details of when public Mass will resume and how it will be celebrated are still being determined, but the return will occur through a three-phase gradual process. Each phase will be rolled out with specific dates and directives to follow determined by Archdiocesan leaders.
Phase 1. Churches will first be opened for personal prayer only. Individuals and families can come to church for quiet prayer, and the Sacrament of Reconciliation may be celebrated if social distancing can be maintained and masks are worn.
Phase 2. Following on Phase 1, churches will be permitted to celebrate public weekday Masses and funerals with very specific restrictions, such as the strict practice of social distancing, use of masks and limited number of people present.
Phase 3. Following Phase 1 and 2, churches will be permitted to celebrate Sunday Mass publicly with the obligatory practice of social distancing, use of masks and limited number of people present. All other sacraments will resume according to the directives during Phase 3.
Five Things to Be Mindful of During the Return Process
1. A general dispensation from the Sunday obligation will remain until further notice. The dispensation for the obligation to attend Mass will remain in effect. No one will be required to attend Mass when public celebrations resume. Hence, live stream Masses for parishioners at home will continue.
2. Attendance will be limited. We know restrictions will remain on holding large gatherings, so we are working with parishes to determine the best way to ensure safety. Communications will come from the parish so parishioners will know how many people can attend any given Mass.
It is likely that all parishioners may not be able to attend Mass regularly at first.
3. Social Distancing will be practiced. Expect that your parish will have pews/rows that are taped off, and that households, even of one individual, will be asked to keep six feet of separation from each other. No one will be admitted without a mask. Parishioners should take their temperature before coming to Mass. Anyone with any symptoms of sickness must stay home.
4. Liturgical changes will be in place. Similar to protocols established when churches were closing, extra precautions will be taken. Temporary adjustments will be made to how we celebrate Mass and receive Communion.
5. There still will be a risk for anyone who attends a public Mass. Even with best health practices and strict social distancing, anyone who enters a public space should recognize there is a risk of contracting the coronavirus. Improved cleaning will occur at our churches, but no one should expect that they will be any safer from germs than in other public spaces.
Finally, we should recognize that this is a unique time and we need to continue to work together to make progress. There will be challenges and frustration. You may not be able to attend Mass at your parish the first few weeks it resumes. However, we believe these guidelines are a call to love our neighbors.
If we all work together, we can incrementally expand our options and increase our participation in the liturgy. However, if we look for ways to get around the regulations, we will likely contribute to the sickness and death of others, creating situations that force us to take steps back. Each of us is called to be faithful members of the Body of Christ as we implement the reopening of our churches. Thank you for all you have done and continue to do in our parish communities.
Saint Cassian is a community alive in the love of the Lord and each other. We have a responsibility to be a sign of this love in the world around us, to express this love through our teaching, worshipping, and service to others.
Click here to register for Saint Cassian parish
We urge all parishioners to make regular use of the envelopes, or sign up for Faith Direct. Faith Direct is an easy, convenient and secure way to do online giving. Click here to learn more. If you are moving from the Parish, please notify the Parish Office.
Religious Education Online Registration
Click here for important information from Mrs. Sammon.
We are introducing online registration for the 2019-2020 CCD year. For more information or to register for CCD, click here.
Youth Group Registration
The St. Cassian Youth Ministry is an active ministry offering social, spiritual, educational, and service opportunities to youths in Grades 7 through 12. To receive updates via text and email, fill out the registration form (found in the parish bulletin) or register online by clicking below.
Celebrating Fr. Marc’s 20th Anniversary in the Priesthood!
St. Cassian School and Church celebrate Father Marc Vicari’s 20th anniversary as a priest with this video tribute. Fr. Marc Vicari has been the Pastor of St. Cassian Church in Upper Montclair since February 2011.
