Please bookmark and check this web page regularly for updates.
June 3, 2020
To view a video outlining the new procedures at Mass and to reserve your seat at weekend Masses beginning on June 13th and 14th, visit https://christtheredeemer.us/reopening
May 29, 2020
An Update from Fr. Mann
It is good to write you to present the great news that public, Sunday Masses have been approved to resume for the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Jesus (Corpus Christi) on June 13th/14th. Attendance at any given Mass will be limited to 184 congregants (not counting clergy and volunteers). This is in keeping with social distancing constraints. We expect that we should easily handle our maximum occupancy since our busiest Masses each week normally host as many.
I would remind you that Bishop Sullivan is still dispensing from the Sunday obligation since it is imprudent for more vulnerable parishioners to risk becoming sick. Please use good judgement.
Note well that we will continue streaming two Masses each weekend. Beginning on June 13th, the Saturday evening live-stream will begin thirty minutes earlier at 4 pm (vs. 4:30). On the 14th, the Sunday morning Mass will commence one hour later at 10 am (vs. 9 am). This is to allow for our provisional schedule.
Daily Masses will resume June 9th at 8 am and 7 pm. Between the celebration of these two Masses, we expect that the number of congregants will not be an issue. There will be ample enough space.
+ + + + + + +
On a different but related matter, I am most grateful to all for your feedback on the protocols we have published. I have the impression that most everyone feels we are well-prepared to re-open.
One concern that has emerged as a common theme is the offering of Holy Communion on the tongue. Having given equal consideration to the sensibilities of those who raised the issue and those preferring to receive on the tongue, I have issued a NEW version of the protocol—which I am hoping will be amicable to all.
We now have three stations for Holy Communion instead of two. The third one will be in the front and center and exclusively designated for Communion on the tongue and is accessible from all pew sections. The other two will only offer Communion in the hand. The choice of how to receive is the exclusive right of each parishioner.
Although I understand the concerns raised, it is currently not possible for any clergy of any rank less than the pope to prohibit offering Holy Communion on the tongue, which remains the universal law for the entire Church. Communion in the hand is allowed only because of a special permission granted in some regions.
Update for May 27, 2020
While the date for reopening for public Masses has NOT yet been determined, the Diocese of Camden has instructed parishes to create a plan for reopening. During the initial phase, there will be new protocols and procedures implemented for everyone’s safety. Please take some time to review our parish plan here: https://christtheredeemer.us/preparing-to-reopen
Update for May 15, 2020
To receive important parish updates via text, sign up for Remind by texting @ctrparish to the number 81010.
Update for May 6, 2020
Bishop Sullivan has extended the closure of all Catholic Schools for the remainder of the year. You can read the full memorandum here: https://www.camdendiocese.org/closure-of-catholic-schools-for-remainder-of-the-academic-year
Update for May 4, 2020
The parish Novena to St. Rita of Cascia will be May 13 -21. Novena prayers will be offered during the daily live streamed Holy Hour at 3pm and following the 4:30pm Mass on Saturday, May 16 and the 9am Mass on Sunday, May 17. Mass for the Feast of St. Rita on May 22 will be celebrated at 3pm. Join us via livestream at ChristtheRedeemer.us, Facebook or YouTube.
Update for May 3,2020
Show Us Your Mary Shrine
Create a shrine to Mary – inside or out – and pray this family prayer service honoring Our Blessed Mother. Your shrine can include a statue or image of Mary, a rosary, a candle and even some flowers. Then, take a photo and post it on social media to demonstrate your devotion to Our Lady. You can also share it with us by emailing laurie.power@christtheredeemer.us
Updates for April 30, 2020
On Friday, May 1st, Archbishop Gomez, on behalf of the entire country, will renew the consecration of the USA to the Blessed Virgin Mary. The prayer service will be livestreamed at 3pm at Facebook.com/usccb. It will also be re streamed on our parish sites immediately following our 3pm Holy Hour.
On Friday, May 1st at 7:30pm, we will join Bishop Sullivan via live stream to pray the Rosary asking for our Lady’s protection.
Our parish was featured in this week’s Catholic Star Herald. You can read the article online here:
https://catholicstarherald.org/love-and-mission-in-the-time-of-quarantine
Update for April 24, 2020
A parishioner who works in the ICU at Virtua Hospital recently shared with us how much the patients and staff love receiving homemade drawings, cards and words of encouragement. She said it makes the staff smile through their shifts and means so much to them, especially on the hard days. We invite you to continue reaching out with the love of Christ to those in our local hospitals! Simply make a card with an encouraging message and mail it to a local hospital. Hospital addresses and some printable, ready to color cards and messages are available at Christtheredeemer.us/cards.
Update for April 23, 2020
Catholic Charities is offering twice monthly food distributions in all six counties in our diocese. Click here for dates and times. Please call in advance to reserve a pick up time.
Update for April 18, 2020
Given the current situation and Governor Murphy’s extension of the schools’ closure, Bishop Sullivan is extending the closure of all Catholic Schools in the Diocese of Camden until at least May 15, 2020. You can read the full memorandum here: Continued Closure of Diocese of Camden Catholic Schools due to COVID-19
Update for April 15, 2020
Celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday by watching The Face of Mercy and joining us for an online discussion of the film! Visit Christtheredeemer.us/the-face-of-mercy for details.
Update for April 12, 2020
Join us via livestream next Sunday for Divine Mercy Sunday devotions on April 19th at 3pm. We will have a Holy Hour and pray the Chaplet and Litany to the Divine Mercy.
Update for April 9, 2020
Holy Thursday Mass of the Lord’s Supper will be live streamed at 7pm tonight!
The Augustine Institute is currently streaming Triduum: A Spiritual Pilgrimage, a beautiful, prayerful documentary filmed on location in the Holy Land. View it at https://watch.formed.org/triduum-a-spiritual-pilgrimage
Sight and Sound Theater is streaming for FREE their live, state-of-the-art stage production of JESUS on Easter weekend from April 10-12. Watch the trailer here. To watch the show, visit https://watch.tbn.org/sight-sound-theatres-presents-jesus.
Updates for April 8, 2020
We now have a Parish YouTube channel and will be live streaming Mass. Please visit https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDqYJmgljAGH8OpN4S1SfTQ? and SUBSCRIBE
Updates for April 6, 2020
National Prayer on Good Friday
Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles, the President of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, has invited the faithful to join him in a moment of prayer on Good Friday, April 10 at 12pm to pray the Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. A livestream of the Litany of the Sacred Heart will be available on the Archdiocese of Los Angeles’ website: www.lacatholics.org and on the USCCB Facebook page: www.facebook.com/usccb.
By a special grant from the Apostolic Penitentiary of the Holy See for those who pray for the end of the pandemic, a plenary indulgence is available for those who join in this prayer. A plenary indulgence removes all of the temporal punishment due to sins and may be applied to oneself or to the souls of the deceased (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1471).
To receive this indulgence, a member of the faithful would need to:
-pray the Litany of the Sacred Heart on Good Friday
-be truly repentant of any sins they have committed and receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation (at the earliest opportunity)
-pray for the Holy Father’s intentions.
Updates for April 3, 2020
All parish events scheduled in the month of April are cancelled.
The Vatican has approved a special “Mass in the Time of Pandemic” which Fr. Mass will celebrate on April 3 at 3pm. Join us via livestream on Christtheredeemer.us or Facebook.com/christtheredeemeratco
Updates for April 1, 2020
- Due to the bishop’s order to stay at home and maintain social distance, the traditional Blessing of Easter baskets WILL NOT be done in church. In this situation, any baptized person can bless the Easter basket with the following prayer at home: Blessing of Easter Food
- Bishop Sullivan encourages all Catholics in the Diocese of Camden to complete this project and the prayers that accompany it: Easter Project
Updates for March 29, 2020
Click here for the text of the Litany of Supplication prayed by the Holy Father on March 27th on the threshold of St Peter’s Basilica.
Updates for March 28, 2020
Join us at Christtheredeemer.us or Facebook.com/christtheredeemeratco for livestreamed Mass for the Fifth Sunday of Lent on Saturday at 4:30pm or Sunday at 9:00am.
Updates for March 27, 2020
There will be NO weekday 3pm Holy Hour on Holy Thursday, April 9 or Good Friday, April 10.
Updates for March 26, 2020
- All members of the faithful and other Christians are invited to participate in the special prayer of the Holy Father taking place in Saint Peter’s Square this Friday, March 27, 2020 at 1pm. The Holy Father will grant to all participants the Plenary Indulgence before imparting the Urbi et Orbi Blessing. The broadcast will be carried by EWTN and streamed on the Vatican News website.
- Bishop Sullivan is extending the closure of all Catholic Schools in the Diocese of Camden until at least April 20, 2020.
Updates for March 25, 2020
Bishop Dennis Sullivan invites the faithful to join with him in following the Holy Father’s request to pray the Lord’s Prayer at Noon Rome time (7 AM ETD) on Wednesday, March 25. In addition, Bishop Sullivan is reaching out to local Christian leaders in South Jersey to pray with him a second time the Lord’s Prayer, from their homes, at Noon local time. This is another opportunity to pray together as a community, even as most of us are separated in our own homes.
Updates for March 23, 2020
- Fr. Mann and Fr. Pham would like to thank everyone for their continued support. They very much appreciated the positive feedback for the live broadcast of the Masses this weekend.
- A Holy Hour with our priests will be live streamed on the parish website every weekday from 3-4pm and will include the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. Please tune in and join us in prayer.
Updates for March 22, 2020
The diocese has issued a memo in response to Governor Murphy’s Executive Order 108. It impacts our parish as follows:
- The parish office will close at 12pm on Monday, March 23 until further notice. Our clergy can still be reached at our main number: 856-767-0719.
- Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament in Assumption Church is canceled. Our priests will offer a Holy Hour on Monday through Friday from 3-4pm. This will be livestreamed on our website.
- Stations of the Cross will be livestreamed on Fridays at 7pm on our website.
- All Weddings and Baptisms are postponed, except for emergency Baptisms. Call the office for information about funerals.
- For Last Rites, call the parish emergency line: 856-753-4161
- Your support is essential for the continued well being of the parish. Please continue to mail in your weekly donation or give online via ParishGiving.
- Charities and nonprofits are on the frontline responding to our neighbors and communities in need during the COVID-19 pandemic, but risk catastrophic damage from evaporating revenue, new and rising demands for assistance, and major disruptions in charitable giving. Please tell Congress to act now and provide emergency aid to nonprofit organizations by expanding charitable giving and providing organizations with grants, loans, and tax credits. Click the link below to send your message:
https://www.votervoice.net/BroadcastLinks/6Z0LX7RIHyeV1XVb4dS2_g
Updates for March 21, 2020
- Assumption Church will be open for private prayer on Saturday, March 21st from 9am – 3pm.
- The 4:30pm Mass on Saturday and the 9:00am Mass on Sunday will be live streamed on our website.
- Confession will be available daily by appointment.
- The Bishop has advised that Holy Communion should not be distributed, except as part of Last Rites for the dying. Therefore, EMs will not be bringing Communion to the sick and home bound until further notice. The emergency line for those in need of Last Rites is 753-4161.
- On Friday, March 20th, we will have Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament from 9am to 7pm in Assumption Church. As a reminder, please keep a distance of 6 to 8 feet from other adorers.
- Thank you to all who have mailed in your weekly donation or given online via ParishGiving. Your support is essential for the continued well being of the parish.
March 17, 2020
A Message from Fr. Mann:
As you know, the situation concerning the Coronavirus (COVID-19) remains fluid. Directives continue to be issued from both government and Church officials. The most updated decisions for Christ the Redeemer Parish are as follows:
As pastor, I hereby direct that all parish Masses and events, for the remainder of March, including Stations of the Cross be cancelled or rescheduled. This includes evening meetings that cannot be finished in enough time to allow for the observance of the state-imposed curfew.
Cancellations may extend into April, but for the time being we will monitor the situation. We will keep you informed.
TO BE CRYSTAL CLEAR:
PUBLIC celebration of the Mass, including Sunday, is cancelled until further notice as directed by Bishop Sullivan. PRIVATE Masses will be celebrated by Fr. Pham and me in order to fulfill the Mass intentions of the faithful and for their spiritual benefit.
AN ACT OF SPIRITUAL COMMUNION may be made each day in lieu of Holy Communion. See the Pastor’s Page of the March 22nd bulletin for more details.
My Jesus, I believe that You are present in the Most Holy Sacrament.
I love You above all things, and I desire to receive You into my soul.
Since I cannot at this moment receive You sacramentally,
come at least spiritually into my heart.
I embrace You as if You were already there and unite myself wholly to You.
Never permit me to be separated from You. Amen.
CHURCH BUILDINGS will remain open for prayer outside of Mass times.
ANOINTING OF THE SICK will be provided on request and in collaboration with local facilities.
DO NOT HESITATE TO CONTACT ME IN THE PARISH OFFICE AS NEEDED.
What is Coronavirus?
Please read the CDC’s official definition.
Bishop Sullivan’s Response
Continued closure of Diocese of Camden Catholic schools due to COVID-19
Covid-19 and the Celebration of Holy Week & Triduum
Covid-19 Update related to Governor Murphy’s Executive Order 108
Statement of Bishop Dennis Sullivan regarding dispensation from the obligation to attend Sunday Mass
A pastoral message from Bishop Dennis Sullivan during the coronavirus pandemic
Events either Canceled or Postponed
Religious Education – Closed until further notice.
St. Joseph Feast Day Dinner – POSTPONED (originally scheduled for March 19, 2020)
FaithFull Food Drive – CANCELED (originally scheduled for March 22, 2020)
Soup and Scripture – CANCELED (originally scheduled for March 17, 24 and 31, 2020)
Friday Evening Stations of the Cross – CANCELED
Sharing Christ – POSTPONED (originally scheduled for Thursday evenings)
Palm Weaving and Palm Sale – CANCELED
Palm Sunday Breakfast with the Easter Bunny – CANCELED (originally scheduled for April 5, 2020)
Outdoor Stations of the Cross – CANCELED (originally scheduled for Good Friday, April 10, 2020)
Holy Week and Sacred Triduum
Per diocesan guidelines, Masses and Services for Holy Week will be celebrated by our priests without a congregation. They will be livestreamed on our parish website.
Palm Sunday Mass– April 5, 2020 – 9:00am
Holy Thursday Mass of the Lord’s Supper – April 9, 2020 – 7:00pm
Good Friday Commemoration of the Lord’s Passion – April 10, 2020 – 3:00pm
Easter Vigil Mass – April 11, 2020 – 7:00pm
Easter Sunday Mass – April 12, 2020 – 9:00am
Resources
Daily Mass Live-Streamed from the EWTN Chapel
https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/daily-readings
Daily Mass Readings
http://usccb.org/bible/
Free Online MAGNIFICAT
During this challenging time, MAGNIFICAT offers free complimentary access to their online version to help people pray from home. It contains Mass readings for each day and other prayers and reflections to enrich your spiritual life Click here to access
The following websites offer online faith formation videos, audio recordings and eBooks to help deepen your knowledge of our Catholic Faith:
Pope Francis’ Coronavirus Prayer
O Mary, you shine continuously on our journey as a sign of salvation and hope. We entrust ourselves to you, Health of the Sick. At the foot of the Cross you participated in Jesus’ pain, with steadfast faith. You, Salvation of the Roman People, know what we need. We are certain that you will provide, so that, as you did at Cana of Galilee, joy and feasting might return after this moment of trial. Help us, Mother of Divine Love, to conform ourselves to the Father’s will and to do what Jesus tells us:
He who took our sufferings upon Himself, and bore our sorrows to bring us, through the Cross, to the joy of the Resurrection. Amen.
We seek refuge under your protection, O Holy Mother of God. Do not despise our pleas – we who are put to the test – and deliver us from every danger, O glorious and blessed Virgin.