Tag Archives: Diocese of Metuchen

Bishop Checchio will ordain Ketan Christian, the first Gujarati as a Deacon along with 15 candidates and one other as a transitional Deacon.

Bishop Checchio will ordain Ketan Christian, the first Gujarati as a Deacon along with 15 candidates and one other as a transitional Deacon. The ordination will take place on Friday, May 03, 2024, at 4:00 PM at The Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi, 32 Elm Avenue, Metuchen, NJ 08840.

Bishop Checchio will ordain Ketan Christian, the first Gujarati as a Deacon along with 15 candidates and one other as a transitional Deacon. May 03, 2024

The permanent Deacon is an ordained member of the Church who has received the sacrament of Holy Orders (as does a Bishop and Priest) and is deemed a cleric. Permanent Deacons make promises of obedience to the Bishop. They also promise to pray the Liturgy of the hours each day for all the people of God. Deacons can perform Baptisms, Weddings and Funerals. A Deacon also assists Priest or Bishop at Mass and may give the Homily.

From Left Max, Stephanie, Ketan Cristian, Bishop James Checchio, Ila Christian and Christine.

My younger brother and son of Late Mr. Joseph Beda Parmar and Late Sushila, Ketan Christian is married to Ila Christian and they are proud parents of three beautiful daughters, Christine, Stephanie and Sydney living in South Plainfield for the last twenty plus years. He and his family are the members of the Church of the Sacred Heart in South Plainfield, NJ 07080. Coincidently Bishop Checchio was ordained and installed as a fifth Bishop of the Diocese of Metuchen in the same very Church of the Sacred Heart in South Plainfield on May 03, 2016. On the 8th anniversary of his ordination to bishop on May 03, 2024, Bishop Checchio will ordain Ketan as a Deacon. May 3rd is the Feast of Saints Philip and James.

Ketan and Family Invite to attend the ordination to the Sacred Order of Deacon – May 03, 2024

Link of Live streaming – https://www.youtube.com/@CathedralofStFrancisofAssisi/stream

Pease note Ketan and family is pleased to invite you for dinner after the ordination on May 03, 2024 at 6:30 PM at Royal Albert’s Palace, 1050 King Georges Post Rd, Fords 08863. Please RSVP by April 26, 2024 Call/Text (732)331-5192

Ketan and Family invite for dinner after the ordination on May 03, 2024

Traditionally, the beginning of the order of deacons is traced back to the story in Acts of the Apostles, Acts 6: 1-6. The time finally came during deliberations of the Second Vatican Council in 1963, calling for restoration of the diaconate as a permanent level of Holy Orders. In June 1967 Pope Paul VI implemented this decree of the Council when he published the apostolic letter “Sacrum Diaconatus Ordinem” (“The Sacred Order of the Diaconate”) in which he re-established the permanent diaconate in the Latin Church.

Please click here to read: THE PERMANENT DIACONATE: A HISTORY.

Please click here to read: Diaconate A Short History of the Permanent Diaconate.

The very first time in US history five men from the Archdiocese of Baltimore were ordained as a Deacon On June 12, 1971 at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen in Homeland.

Members of the first class of permanent deacons and their wives stand outside the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen in 1971. The deacons and their wives, from left to right: Charles and Janet Kruger, Hubert and Dolores Derouaux, George and Joyce Evans, Bernard and Antoinette Bak, Doris and Americus Roy, and Angelina and Richard Johe. (CR file)

Please click here to read more about the first class of permanent deacons from the Archdiocese of Baltimore.

Although a resolution was already passed by the CBCI for accepting the permanent Diaconate in India as a proper and permanent state of the hierarchy in 1966, it was only in 1982 that the CBCI finally petitioned the Holy See. A year later, the CBCI received permission from the Holy See to restore and promote the permanent Diaconate in India, with a proviso that before it could be introduced in any diocese, the bishop would consult the bishops of the region. On January 22, 2006, Bombay was the first and only diocese in India to introduce the permanent Diaconate when, the then Archbishop of Bombay, Cardinal Ivan Dias, ordained two permanent Deacons, Mr Lloyd Dias from Sacred Heart Church, Vashi and Mr Elwyn De Souza from St Joseph Church, Juhu.

Archbishop of Bombay, Cardinal Ivan Dias, ordained two permanent Deacons, Mr. Lloyd Dias from Sacred Heart Church, Vashi and Mr Elwyn De Souza from St Joseph Church, Juhu.

Please click here to read more about the above.

One more Link to read more about the above.

Please click here to read about The Diaconate within the Diocese of Metuchen.

Please save the date and join: Ketan will serve as Deacon of the Mass and preach is first homily.

Church of The Sacred Heart, South Plainfield Bulletin April 14, 2024

HOLY MASS OF THANKGIVING
Sunday, May 05, 2024 @ 11:30 AM
Church of the Sacred Heart
South Plainfield, NJ 07080

Fr. Paresh Parmar from The Diocese of Ahmedabad, Gujarat will be attending all above events and will offer a Mass in Gujarati as per details below:

Gujarati Mass celebrated by Fr. Paresh Parmar and Homily by Deacon Ketan Christian on May 05, 2024

Holy Week with Bishop Checchio of Metuchen Diocese – Live streaming.

This year Holy Week will be unlike any we’ve experienced before. To help you decide how you would like to keep this holiest week of the year, here are some suggestions. Attached here is a PDF of suggested activities as well as Stations of the Cross for COVID-19. Please click to read.

Unfortunately, no gatherings are permitted at the church during Holy Week. There will be no confessions.

The diocese will be live streaming Bishop Checchio’s Holy Week services on the Cathedral website: https://www.stfranciscathedral.org/

We will be carrying it live here on our website too. Please scroll below:

Here is the schedule for the live stream Holy Week schedule:

Palm Sunday, April 5, 2020 10:30am (blessed Palms are not to be distributed under any circumstance at this time by order of our Bishop, but may be made available for distribution at a later date!)

Monday, Evening Prayer and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, April 06, 2020 4:00pm

Holy Thursday, Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper, April 9, 2020 – 7:30pm

Good Friday, Celebration of the Lord’s Passion, April 10, 2020 – 3:00pm

Easter Vigil, April 11, 2020 – 8:00pm – Holy water fonts are to remain empty. RCIA sacraments will be re-scheduled.

Easter Sunday, Holy Mass, 10:00am

Available services from The Church of The Sacred Heart, South Plinfield.

Traditional devotions during this week include the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary and the Stations of the Cross. These can be viewed online at churchofthesacredheart.net at your convenience. See also the attached PDF for details on praying the Stations of the Cross at home.

Monday, April 6 – Daily Mass can be viewed online at our website, churchofthesacredheart.net

Tuesday, April 7 – Daily Mass can be viewed online at our website, churchofthesacredheart.net

Wednesday, April 8 – Daily Mass can be viewed online at our website, churchofthesacredheart.net

Holy Thursday, April 9 – Daily Prayer of the Church (Morning, Evening and Night Prayer) is available at our website, churchofthesacredheart.net

Good Friday, April 10 – Morning Prayer of the Church is available at our website, churchofthesacredheart.net

Holy Saturday, April 11 – Morning Prayer of the Church is available at our website, churchofthesacredheart.net

Easter baskets will NOT be blessed this year.

Easter Sunday, April 12 – The Mass of the Resurrection will be live streamed from our church and can be viewed online at churchofthesacredheart.net at 10:00 AM.

The Ecumenical Sunrise Service that normally takes place at Spring Lake Park will move to our own front doors. The brief prayer and more details will be available at the parish website, and in the Observer.

The church doors will actually be locked for the Triduum (Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday) and Easter Sunday to keep people from gathering. Stay home, Stay safe. The Easter Season is fifty days and please God before Pentecost we will be back to celebrate joyfully and properly decorate the church at that time as well.  

Fr. John Alvarado

Bishop Checchio has designated the week of October 6-13 as our Diocesan “Week of the Rosary.”

Bishop Checchio has designated the week of October 6-13 as our Diocesan “Week of the Rosary.” During this week, all people of the diocese, young and old alike, are encouraged to pray the Rosary daily, confident that her intercession directs us to her Son, Jesus, and our call to discipleship.  What better way to show our love for the Blessed Mother?

We begin our Week of the Rosary on October 6th which is Respect Life Sunday. This is a day when people from across the Diocese will join others from across the nation to take part in Life Chain, a peaceful, prayerful, public witness in support of the sanctity of all human life.  This is an opportunity for us to pray to the Queen of Mercy, rosary in hand, for all those babies lost to abortion and for all those in our society who are vulnerable.
October 7th marks the Feast of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary. Here at Church of the Sacred Heart, the Rosary will be prayed at the Marian shrine after the 7 pm. On this day and the days that follow, let us meditate on the mysteries of our salvation as we ask her to set our hearts on fire as we prepare to be consecrated to her maternal care.
On Saturday October 12th, after the 9 am Mass, please join us outside to pray the International Rosary – the Rosary prayed in different languages – highlighting our unity in turning to our Blessed Mother.
Our Week of the Rosary will culminate on Sunday, October 13th, which is the 102nd anniversary of the Fatima Miracle of the Sun.  Let us pray in solidarity with people across the country who will gather for Rosary rallies coast to coast (https://rosarycoasttocoast.com/) begging for the return of our nation to God and to holiness.
Together, let us pray that an ever increasing number of faithful turn to Mary as a means of growing closer to our Lord.  Mother of the Americas and Star of the New Evangelization, pray for us!

Cultural Diversity Ministries – Diocese of Metuchen and Friends of NJ Catholics from Asian Sub-Continent on August 18th will be celebrating The Assumption of The Blessed Virgin Mary and Independence Day of India & Pakistan.

Dear Friends,
Greetings in the name of our kind Lord. The members of the New Jersey Knight of Columbus having their roots in the Asian Sub-Continent (Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan & Sri Lanka) in association with the Cultural Diversity Ministries – Diocese of Metuchen and Friends of NJ Catholics from Asian Sub-Continent on August 18th will be celebrating The Assumption of The Blessed Virgin Mary and Independence Day of India & Pakistan. The objective for this gathering is to pray together with our families as a One Universal Church followed by a cultural evening cum dinner.
Bishop James E. Checchio, JCD, MBA the Bishop of Diocese of Metuchen will be the main celebrant at the Holy Mass and deliver the homily and afterwards join us in breaking bread together.
Venue:  Our Lady of Peace,
1740 US Highway Route 130, North Brunswick, NJ 08902
Date:    August 18, 2018
Mass:   5:30 P.M.
Cultural Program: 7:00PM
Dinner by reservation only : 7:30PM – Tickets must be purchased prior to registration deadline of July 20, 2018.  Please click on the below image to register and get your tickets. $10.00 per head for 5 years and older individual.

Fraternally, Norbert Mendes, Coordinator

Cultural Diversity Ministries – Diocese of Metuchen and Friends of NJ Catholics from Asian Sub-Continent on August 18th will be celebrating The Assumption of The Blessed Virgin Mary and Independence Day of India & Pakistan.

Dear Friends,
Greetings in the name of our kind Lord. The members of the New Jersey Knight of Columbus having their roots in the Asian Sub-Continent (Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan & Sri Lanka) in association with the Cultural Diversity Ministries – Diocese of Metuchen and Friends of NJ Catholics from Asian Sub-Continent on August 18th will be celebrating The Assumption of The Blessed Virgin Mary and Independence Day of India & Pakistan. The objective for this gathering is to pray together with our families as a One Universal Church followed by a cultural evening cum dinner.
Bishop James E. Checchio, JCD, MBA the Bishop of Diocese of Metuchen will be the main celebrant at the Holy Mass and deliver the homily and afterwards join us in breaking bread together.
Venue:  Our Lady of Peace,
1740 US Highway Route 130, North Brunswick, NJ 08902
Date:    August 18, 2018
Mass:   5:30 P.M.
Cultural Program: 7:00PM
Dinner by reservation only : 7:30PM – Tickets must be purchased prior to registration deadline of July 20, 2018.  Please click on the below image to register and get your tickets. $10.00 per head for 5 years and older individual.

Fraternally, Norbert Mendes, Coordinator