MIDDLETOWN – The Parish of St. Mary will offer a family Lenten mission called “Hope and Transformation for Families.”
The mission will begin at 7 p.m. Sunday, March 17, at Mary, Mother of God Church, 19 Cherry Tree Farm Road, and continue at 7:30 p.m. Monday, March 18, through Wednesday, March 20.
The Rev. William Gaffney, a Redemptorist priest, will lead the mission, assisted by Gloria Anson, a lay Redemptorist missionary. Both are members of the Sacred Heart Apostolate, whose goal is to renew and revitalize families through the Sacred Heart of Jesus. They have conducted family missions in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean since 1996 and were part of the Global Sacred Heart Congress in France in 2011.
Gaffney will preach at each of the Masses that weekend as a prelude to beginning the mission. The topics of the mission are different each evening, and all will include prayer, song, scripture, preaching by Gaffney and presentations by Anson.
There will also be Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and Benediction on Sunday and Tuesday evenings, Veneration of the Cross and the Sacrament of Reconciliation on Monday night and consecration to Our Lady on Wednesday evening. All those attending will have the opportunity to participate in the Enthronement of the Sacred Heart. Children and youth will have an active role each night of the mission.
For those unable to attend the evening mission on Monday through Wednesday, Gaffney will say weekday Mass followed by a teaching by Anson.
Refreshments and fellowship will conclude each evening. Books, tapes and icons will be available for purchase each evening as well.
The mission is open to all who want to experience the transforming love of Jesus Christ, including young and old, parents and their children, teens and adults.
Registration is not necessary. For further information, please call the St. Mary Parish Office at 732-671-0071.
