Founded:1843 St Bernard of Clairvaux Church
500 Route 22
Bridgewater, NJ 08807
Phone:
(908) 725-0552 Fax: (908) 725-4524
A Parish of The Roman Catholic Diocese of Metuchen NJ
We at St. Bernard of Clairvaux are happy that you are considering entering more deeply into the Church by celebrating its sacraments.There are seven sacraments in the Catholic Church and we hope that you will find the basics and the necessary contact information to find out more on the following:
Congratulations on this most Blessed Event! We are pleased and privileged to have a part in the preparation for your child`s Baptism, and welcome into the Catholic Community of St. Bernard Church in Bridgewater. It is best to call the parish office about four months before your baby`s birth or if you are adoptive parents, as soon as the adoption process is completed.
Ginny Hayden can be reached at 908-725-0552, ext. 800. She will be happy to register you for our Baptism Preparation Class, which is a very enjoyable gathering of clergy and other parents and which you will find to be most helpful as you prepare for this blessed and most happy of occassions. She will also give you materials and some other very important information regarding Baptism preparation. Ginny is prepared to answer any questions or concerns you may have and finally to schedule the date of the Baptism. In the event that you are not yet registered here at St. Bernard, she will also help you to become registered members of the St.Bernard faith community.
Choosing Godparents
There is much confusion about the role of godparents in the sacramental celebrations of Baptism and Confirmation. We hope that the following information will help to dispel some of that confusion.
It must be stressed that the role of a godparent is strictly a spiritual one, with the main responsibility being for the godparent or sponsor to be an example and role model of the Catholic faith for the person they are sponsoring, and to be a support to the parents in the spiritual development of the child in their mutual faith. Therefore, the following is required of anyone seeking sponsorship eligibility, whether for the sacrament of Baptism or Confirmation.
The person must be a baptized Catholic, committed to and actively practicing their faith, meaning that they must be attending Mass and receiving the Eucharist regularly, and the sacrament of Reconciliation when needed.If the chosen godparents reside outside of the territorial boundaries of St. Bernard Church, they must be able to obtain a sponsorship eligibility certificate from the pastor of the parish in which they reside.
The person must not be in any situation which may compromise their sacramental life. For instance, if married, their marriage must be recognized by the Church as a valid sacrament.
The person must be fully initiated into the Church, meaning that they must have received First Communion and Confirmation.
It is preferred that the person be 16 years of age or older, but this age can be changed at the discretion of the pastor, if he believes there is sufficient reason, and judges the younger person to be otherwise qualified.
Parents cannot act as sponsors, as their role is to assist the parents.
For Baptism,if you choose to have two godparents, it is necessary to have one male and one female.
The person chosen cannot be a Catholic who has elected to leave the Catholic Church and practice a different Christian faith.
In the case of the Sacrament of Baptism, only one godparent is required. If you choose to have only one godparent, he or she must be a Catholic. Most people choose to have two godparents for their child. Whether you have one or two Godparents they must both confirm to the above requirements.
In the event that you have a friend or relative who is a baptized Christian, but not Catholic, and you believe that they would be a good example of Christianity to your child, that person may act as a Christian Witness as long as the other sponsor is a Catholic godparent. The Christian witness must provide proof of their Baptism, and should get a note from their own pastor or minister, stating that they are active participants in that community. Please note that a Christian Witness may not be a non-practicing Catholic nor may they be a baptized Catholic who has chosen to practice another Christian faith.
With all of this in mind it should be made clear that in the event that a person does not qualify to act as a godparent, it is by no means a "quality judgement" against that person, nor does it mean that they are not "good enough" to be a godparent. Many good people, because of different circumstances, do not qualify for the particular role of godparent. We are hoping that a clearer understanding of the role will help you in making your choice of a godparent for your baby, or in choosing sponsors for Confirmation.
Reconciliation
The Sacrament of Reconciliation is celebrated weekly betwen 4:00 and 5:00 PM on Saturday evening. An appointment can also be made with one of our resident priests by calling the rectory.
Regular Mass Schedule (After Labor Day, Before Memorial Day): Sunday- 7:30A.M., 9:00 A.M., 10:30 A.M., 12:00 P.M. Holy Days of Obligation –7; 8:00 A.M., 12:10 P.M. and 7:30 P.M. We encourage you to call the Parish Office to make arrangements for the Eucharist to be brought to the sick, the elderly, and the homebound.
Confirmation Preparation
For information concerning formation for the Sacrament of Confirmation, please feel free to contact or our Director of Catechetical Formation, Sr. Christine Quense at 908-725-0552, extension 810or by email at stbchocf@aol.com
Wedding Preparation
This is the happiest of times for you, your families and your friends, and for your parish community as well. Marriage is a holy sacrament, and as such is a very important part of Christian life! Our efforts will center on assisting you to make this special time reverent, beautiful, and open to the movement of God’s Holy Spirit. Your celebration will be a gathering of your Christian community, and as such will be filled with prayer, music, song, and times of quiet, in which the voice of God can be heard.
Some important, practical information:
To begin your marriage preparation, we ask that you call Donna Blanton at the Parish Office (908-725-0552, ext. 818) at least a year before the planned time of your wedding. At that time, Donna will register you for the sacrament, help you to secure your date, and assist you in your choice of a celebrant, if needed. Our pastor, Fr. Joseph Celano, our Parochial Vicar, Fr. Tim Lambert, and our deacon, Gerry Sims is available to witness your vows and guide you in your preparation.
We will provide you with materials that will guide and assist you in the planning of your wedding liturgy and a copy of a booklet, compiled here at St. Bernard which will be a great source of information and assistance to you. Your celebrant not only will prepare you spiritually for the proper reception of this joyous sacrament, but he will also "walk you" through the Wedding Liturgy, explaining your options and providing suggestions.
Barbara Sanderman, Director of Music Ministry will be available to guide you in your choices of appropriate music for your liturgy. You will be given a list of suggested music (Wedding Song List, which is just a place for you to start), a CD with that music performed by members of Music Ministry, and a form (Wedding Liturgy Music Selections) to chose the music you`d like. That form, with your music requests and cantor selection should be returned to the Office of Music Ministry three months prior to your wedding.
Finally, you will be given a copy of the Pre-Cana Schedule for the parishes of the Diocese of Metuchen. This will inform you as to the Pre-Cana dates which are scheduled in all of the parishes of our diocese for the coming year, allowing you enough time to choose a convenient time and place to participate. Engaged Encounter information is also available in this schedule.
It is our privilege to serve you as you prepare for this joyous sacrament. Please feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns you may have throughout your time of wedding preparation.
Holy Orders
Considering the priesthood or religious life? Our pastor, Father Joe Celano served as the vocations director of the Diocese of Metuchen for a number of years and would be happy to spend some time discussing questions that may be in your head as you discern what God is calling you to do. Call his Assistant, Rose Vivinetti at 908-725-0552 ext. 802 to arrange an appointment to speak with Fr. Joe.The Diocese of Metuchen`s Office of Vocations website also has a wide variety of useful tools that may help in the discernment process.
Anointing of the Sick
We encourage you to call the Parish Office to make arrangements for either the Celebration of the Anointing of the Sick or for the Eucharist to be brought to the sick, the elderly, and the homebound.
