Virtus and Fingerprinting Sessions
If you work with children in any capacity at all in the parish, you must complete
a Virtus workshop and have your fingerprints taken. Virtus is mandated by the Diocese of Trenton
for all volunteers working with children in our parishes. The well-being of the children placed
in our care is a top priority to all who minister to them. These workshops are run at no
cost to you and St. Paul's provides all materials as well as refreshments. Please call
Anne-Marie Calderone, Virtus facilitator, at 609-924-1743 x148
or email her at Annemarie@stpaulsofprinceton.org, to register
for a session, to receive information or ask questions pertinent to Virtus. You may also register for an upcoming session
online at www.virtusonline.org, go to "Registration."
PLEASE NOTE: If you were previously certified, you do not need to repeat this program. This is a one-time
certification program and your certification remains in effect for this diocese until further notice.
Pregnancy Counseling & Resources
Pregnant and need help? If you or someone you know is faced with an unplanned pregnancy and
is worried that your whole world is changing and you don't know how to face it or what to do,
there are caring and understanding people ready to help. Please call 888-743-4752 and ask to speak
to a counselor. All calls are confidential and services are available to all regardless of age,
marital status, race, religion, legal residence or economic status.
Life Choices is an organization dedicated to assisting women with crisis pregnancies.
In cooperation with St. Paul’s prolife group and other Mercer County parish prolife groups,
it brings its mobile women's health center to the Mercer
County area on a regular basis.
The mobile unit is equipped with ultrasound equipment and trained medical personnel. If you
would like to become familiar with the extraordinary work being done by Life Choices,
you can visit their website at www.lifechoicesonline.org or call Life Choices
at 1-877-839-2339. If you or someone you know is in a crisis pregnancy situation, please
call Life Choices and speak with one of their trained counselors. Brochures are also available in the church vestibule on the brochure rack.
Rachel's Vinyard is a Ministry dedicated to healing after an abortion. Their website,
www.RachelsVineyard.org has a variety of information including retreat schedules.
Their 24-hour telephone helpline is 1-877-HOPE-4-Me.
LIFE is an all-inclusive care program for the elderly which can permit them to remain safely
in their own homes while being helped by a team of healthcare experts. LIFE provides medical and nursing care,
physical & occupational therapy, nutritional services and social work support. Call 609-599-5433
to find out more.
The Mount Carmel Guild Home Health Nursing Program
provides in-home nursing and home health services to seniors whose Medicare
insurance has been exhausted and have no alternative means of care. The
nursing care allows patients to stay in the comfort of their own homes. Services
can include: pre-filling insulin syringes, pre-pouring medications, monitoring vital
signs, blood sugars and cardiopulmonary status, administering injections, and
assisting with pacemakers. Mount Carmel Guild’s nursing care is offered FREE
to eligible seniors in Mercer County. Patient referrals are always welcome. If you
know someone in need of our services, please contact the Guild at 609.392.5159. Ext. 111 or mtcarmelguild@aol.com
NJ Family Care Program
Bishop Smith has asked that we support an important initiative being coordinated by a coalition of New
Jersey Catholic organizations: the Catholic Conference, the fifteen Catholic hospitals, the five
Catholic Charities agencies, the diocesan offices of parish ministries of social concerns. The initiative is
an awareness campaign encouraging eligible individuals to enroll in the reconstituted New Jersey
Family Care Program. As a result of the 2005 Family Health Care Coverage Act, enrollment in NJ Family Care
has been simplified and eligibility has been expanded. In regard to children in NJ, it is estimated that of the
1.2 million uninsured individuals of the state, over 220,000 are children. Many of these children are
eligible for New Jersey Family Care: but families, especially those whose parents work, are simply
unaware that their children may be eligible. NJ Family Care can help meet the healthcare needs of uninsured
children by covering doctor visits, x-rays, emergency room care, hospitalizations, eyeglasses, prescriptions;
and even dental care in most cases. To learn more about the NJ Family Care Program, you
can visit the NJ Family Care Website at www.njfamilycare.org or call 1-800-701-0710 to
request an application, fact sheets and brochures.
Interfaith Hospitality Network
Saint Paul’s is now a support parish for Interfaith Hospitality Network (IHN) of Mercer County. IHN is a
national program that seeks to form local, interfaith networks to help homeless families. Consisting of up to 13
hosting congregations, a local network provides housing and food for a few homeless families at a time, while a
local IHN office works to find these families a more permanent housing solution, as well as assist parents with
career advice and help find daytime care for children. IHN serves families, often with working parents, who
have no history of substance abuse, crime, etc. The families spend a week at a participating congregation where
they eat dinner with volunteers and stay overnight. In the morning transportation arrives to take them to the
IHN center where the parents then proceed to jobs, the children to school, etc. At the end of a week they
move on to the next hosting parish. A few times a year Saint Paul’s will be providing volunteers to assist
Nassau Presbyterian Church in Princeton when it is their turn to host for a week; in the future we may have
even greater involvement with this program.
This is a wonderful opportunity to be Christ’s hands and feet on earth by helping others.
If you are able to help or would like more information about this program or Saint Paul’s involvement, please
email Sarah Bermeo at sbermeo@princeton.edu.
Real Faith TV for teens: Teens discuss issues that affect them and how their
faith helps them deal with such issues: Every Saturday at 11am on CN8. See
www.realfaithtv.com for other times and channels.
A video produced by the New Jersey Catholic Conference
discusses the implications of same-sex marriage from the Church's point of view.
The Diocese of Trenton recently launched a video-sharing Web site, www.dottube.org to post video and
audio produced by the Diocese’s TV and Radio offices and to allow parishes, schools and church members
to post their videos in the same fashion as Dottube’s secular relative, YouTube. Dottube’s top-viewed
video is the half hour long “Miraculous Feeding Stories in Mark’s Gospel” which was an episode of
“Catholic Corner” hosted by Msgr. Nolan. It had 1,289 views after it was posted for 87 days. The site was
launched on April 8th. The Dottube videos are mostly posted by Diocesan office such as the Office for
Vocations and the Respect Life Office. Stop by and visit!
The Marianist Family Retreat Center, in Cape May Point, NJ invites you and your family
to enhance your spiritual growth by joining in a variety of weekend and week-long retreats
in a unique seashore setting. Retreats include family and peer-group activities,
Eucharist and other family and community prayer, scheduled recreation and free time
daily with ocean swimming. Week-long retreats are held in July and August. Weekend
retreats are held in the spring, autumn and during Advent. Families with young
children are accommodated in the spring. In addition, the Center hosts retreats
for married couples, men's and women's groups, young adults, teens and private retreats.
A Holy Week Triduum is also offered. For more information, you may write to PO Box 488,
Cape May Point, NJ 08212, or phone 609 884-3829, or email mfrc@capemaymarianists.org.
Their web site is www.capemaymarianists.org.
The Holy Cross Center of Learning at the Capital Preparatory Charter High School (formerly Holy Cross School)
develops an awareness of Christ's life in
each person with intellectual, cognitive and developmental disabilities. It is staffed entirely by volunteers
and supported by donations. The Center is dedicated to bringing to even the most severely handicapped an
awareness of God's love and an opportunity for spiritual growth so that he may fully participate as a
member of God's family. Persons who are autistic, blind, hearing impaired, mentally retarded, emotionally or physically
handicapped, neurologically impaired or learning disabled and are at lest 7 years of age, are accepted into
the program if they are not able to function in a regular Religious Education Program. The Center provides religion classes, Mass, music, prayer services,
Rosary recitation, workshops, parties and recreational activities for its students on Saturday mornings from 10:30am to 12:30pm,
September through the middle of May. Religion classes consist of preparation for the Sacraments as well as courses in Continuing Religious
Education including Mass, Bible and Gospel study. Altar Server instruction is also given.
Any parents interested in enrolling a child or adult in the Program should contact the Coordinator of the
Holy Cross Center of Learning, Mrs. Rose Anna L. Romanello, at 609-882-4567. There is no charge for
this Program. Volunteers are needed to assist the students in the classroom and
during all activities. Any persons 13 years of age or older desiring to volunteer their services in this special ministry
as well as those who need community service for the Sacrament of Confirmation should contact Mrs. Romanello.
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Board of Princeton Community Housing (PCH)
St. Paul's Parish is among the faith congregations that belong to the Board of Princeton Community Housing (PCH).
PCH has built four affordable housing developments in Princeton:
- Princeton Community Village(PCH) is located on Bunn Drive and it has 168 townhouses and 71 one-bedroom apartments that are low and moderate income rentals.
- Elm Court, on Elm Road, has 88 rental apartments for seniors and for disabled persons of any age.
- Griggs Farm, on Route 206, has 70 low income rental apartments that stand among market rate rentals and condos.
- Harriet Bryan House(HBH), 310 Elm Road, has 68 new rental apartments for low income seniors.
There are waiting lists for apartments. Parisioners who would like to be on a waiting list may email
Carole Krauthamer, carolekrauthamer@yahoo.com, for more information.
PREP Collecting Personal Products
The children in religious education collect
travel-sized toiletries for distribution to the homeless
at the Trenton Soup Kitchen all year round. They need soaps, shampoos, razors, powder, toothpaste,
toothbrushes and small sealable sandwich bags. For their brown-bag lunch program,
they are also collecting juice boxes, wrapped snacks and brown and
plastic sandwich bags. Drop off donations in the Office of Rel. Ed.
in the convent.
Catholic Underground in Mercer County
The Catholic Underground is a Christian coffeehouse, that resides in the
St. Vincent de Paul Church basement/auditorium,
555 Allentown-Yardville Road, Yardville, NJ.
Catholic Underground offers
popular Christian bands, great music, fellowship, good coffee and refreshments
in a traditional coffeehouse with a difference. Each evening will begin with a
holy hour of adoration and evening prayer, live music at 7:30pm, followed by
music from a featured band around 8:45pm. Catholic Underground will be open every
second Friday of the month excepting June, July and August. All ages are welcome.
For more information, visit their website at: www.catholicunderground.org.
The Princeton Hub is a safe and welcoming gathering place for adults with emotional
or developmental challenges. The Hub meets every Saturday from 6:30 - 9:30pm
at the Princeton United Methodist Church for conversation, activities and social time.
All progams are overseen by two trained staff members plus volunteers. The Hub
also provides an opportunity for personal time for parents and guardians. We invite new
participants to drop in. For more information, call 924-0781 or visit www.princetonhub.org.
Be a pen pal for someone in prison. The group offers participants a foolproof system for providing
complete anonymity. Remember: I was in prison and you visited me....as often as you did
it for one of my least brothers, you did it for Me. Matt. 25:36
Visit www.MaryMothofCaptivesSupportGroup.org or email
mmocsprtgp@aol.com for more information.
The Adoptive Parents Organization of Central NJ is looking for families who are
considering adoption, are in the waiting process, and families created through adoption.
They meet on the 3rd Wednesday of the month at 7 pm to 9 pm from September thru May
at the St. Gregory the Great Parish Center, 4680 Nottingham Way, Hamilton Square.
They are a non-profit, tax exempt, 501c3 organization. For more information on the
organization, email SJTran@aol.com or visit http://apocnj.tripod.com
where you will find currently planned events, directions to their meetings,
adoption resources, and more.
Volunteer Opportunities with Mercy Corps
Mercy Corps, a lay volunteer program for women and men, sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy,
provides opportunities for people over the age of 21 to give a year of service
to those in need. The emphasis of the program is service, community and prayer.
Volunteer opportunities include teaching or nursing on an Indian reservation
or inner city, working in homeless shelters, and social service agencies. Current
placements also include Guyana in South America. This is a unique opportunity for
those who wish to have an experience ministering to the needy. Room, board and medical
insurance and a small stipend are provided. For more information, email
Dot McAvay at dmcavay@aol.com.
Can you donate a formal gown, evening bag, shawl or other accessories? The St. Paul Youth Group collects
evening wear all year long, making it available to young girls who could not otherwise afford prom outfits.
To donate, email mramirez@stpaulsofprinceton.org.
St. Gregory the Great Networking Group
The SGG Networking Group facilitates networking and education for the
employed and unemployed who are willing and committed to providing help and support to one
another in the job search process. The group welcomes people of all faiths in the greater Princeton and Trenton
areas and surrounding regions in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The group is primarily geared toward
professionals but is open to all
who are interested in job search networking.
Meetings are held in the SGG Parish Center, O'Connor Hall, 4620 Nottingham Way, Hamilton Square.
Upcoming meetings:
• Wed., Aug 4th, 7:00pm-9:00pm, Small Group Discussion, Topic - "Using Twitter in your job search."
• Sat., Aug 21st, 8:15am-10:30am, Speaker: Abby Kohut, Topic "Social Networking."
• Wed., Sept 1st, 7:00pm-9:00pm, Small Group Discussion, Topic "Social Networking."
Volunteer Opportunities
St. Lawrence Rehab Center in Lawrenceville
needs Eucharistic Ministers to volunteer on either a regular basis (approximately 1 hour a week) or as a substitute.
If you are a Eucharistic Minister and interested in volunteering, call Marlene at 896-9500 ext. 2260.
Morris Hall needs volunteers to work in their gift shop as well as people interested in
entertaining, teaching and visiting the elderly at St. Mary's Residence and St. Joseph's Skilled Nursing Center.
If you can help, please call Elle Wilson at 609-896-0006 x2610.
Readers are needed by Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic.
Volunteers should be people with expertise in school subjects like accounting, mathematics,
computers, medicine and Spanish. To learn more visit www.rfbd.org or email them at volunteer@rfbd.org
The Crisis Ministry needs weekday morning volunteers one morning a week (8:50am - noon) in their Trenton
location to do intake into the food store. Email Elizabeth Ferguson (cmvolunteer@gmail.com) if interested.
The Crisis Ministry also needs volunteer tax preparers for their free Tax Prep/Earned Income Tax Credit (EITCO)
program. Volunteers work with clients to fill out and electronically file tax returns starting in Feb. 2010.
Email Yak-Fa Cheung at afkayafkay@gmail.com if you can help.
Martin House Learning Center needs volunteers and the store needs donations.
The Learning Center needs volunteers to teach or assist adult immigrants
to learn to speak and read English. Classes meet Mon - Fri, 9-10:30 am. They also
need clerical assistance during these same hours. If you can help, please call
Mrs. Catherine Weldon at 584-7829.
The Martin House Store provides good quality used furniture and household goods to people of the inner
city of Trenton as part of the family of programs in the diocese. They need donations of bedroom, dining and
kitchen furniture in good, usable condition. Living room furniture cannot be more than 5 years old. Housewares
like dishes, bedding, pots and pans, functional appliances, etc., are badly needed.
Donations of cars which can pass inspection are also of benefit.
Please call (609) 989-1040 or (609) 989-8143 to make arrangements
for a pick-up or see their website: http://www.martinhouse.org/
Natural Family Planning
Recent trends in the medical community indicate that more and more couples are
seeking hormone-free, non-steroidal methods of family planning. NFP describes the host of eco-friendly scientific methods of family
planning which rely on the natural and observable signs and symptoms of a woman’s cycle to determine phases of fertility. NFP is
100% natural and very reliable if the couple uses it unfailingly. In addition to being morally acceptable as a means of spacing children,
numerous studies have shown that couples who use NFP have stronger marriages and more satisfying sexual relationships than other
married couples. NFP can also be instrumental in assisting infertile couples to achieve a pregnancy. Since decisions concerning the family involve
both husband and wife, we invite couples to take joint responsibility in child planning. Successful use of the method contributes to
growth in communication, understanding, and respect in the marriage relationship. Couples learn the method by attending classes, through
home study, or by taking an online course (www.nwfs.org/classes.htm). To learn more about the various methods of natural family
planning or to register for classes, contact the Office of Family Life/Respect Life, (609) 406-7400, ext. 5556; e-mail
phensl@dioceseoftrenton.org, or visit www.njnfp.org.
Sympto-Thermal Method Classes are taught by married couples
who are trained and certified by the Couple to Couple League (CCL). To learn more about
the Couple to Couple League's approach to NFP, visit their website at www.ccli.org. To register for Couple to Couple League classes
for the Sympto-Thermal Method of NFP, please contact the Office of Family Life/Respect Life at 609-406-7400, ext. 5592.
Creighton Model Method Classes in the Creighton model of NFP are offered on a regular basis in the Trenton
Diocese by certified Fertility Care System practitioners. These practitioners are also versed in NaproTechnology (Natural
Procreative Technology) to provide married couples with Church approved alternatives for common fertility problems. To learn more
about the Creighton method and Napro Technology, go to www.creightonmodel.com, or to register for NFP classes, contact Mary
McMenaman at 732-449-9177, or Josi Shimkus at 732-361-7345.
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