St. Margaret of Cortona Parish
Serving the Catholic Communities of Little Ferry and Moonachie
in Ministry, Education and Service Since August 24, 1912
31 Chamberlain Ave Little Ferry, NJ 07643
Phone: (201) 641-2988 Fax: (201) 322-0172
Welcome to the Parish Family of
St. Margaret of Cortona
in Little Ferry
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Fish or Chicken and Chips
Saturday October 25
6:00 to 8:00 PM
Call or text Sophie for any questions 201-230-2091
We Are His Witnesses: A Pastoral Letter from Cardinal Tobin
As we welcome the New Year, Cardinal Tobin invites all Catholics in the Archdiocese of Newark to read We Are His Witnesses, his pastoral letter outlining new pathways for the future of the Archdiocese. Rooted in Pope Francis’ call for pastoral conversion, missionary discipleship, and synodality, the letter reflects on our shared journey of faith and calls us to embrace renewal, collaboration and missionary outreach. This multi-year initiative will guide us in shaping a vibrant, hopeful future for our Church community.
Click to read We Are His Witnesses and join this journey of faith as we respond to Christ’s call to be His witnesses in the world.
Official Hymn for the 2025 Jubilee Year
Lyrics by Msgr. Pierangelo Sequeri
Music by Maestro Francesco Meneghello
Recording performed by the Choir of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Washington, DC - Peter Latona, Director
Catholic Charities
Catholic Charities USA supports a national network of agencies committed to encountering those along the margins, regardless of their faith.
Want to help victims of recent hurricanes? Click on this link: https://www.catholiccharitiesusa.org/
Welcome New Parishioners
Register with us by filling up this form and dropping it in the collection basket or at the Parish Office. Click on the form below to download.
Music is an extremely important part of liturgy at the Parish of St. Margaret of Cortona and we are looking for enthusiastic music lovers and musicians to join our music ministry.
ALL ARE WELCOME!
St. Margaret of Cortona’s choir sings at the 11:30 Mass every Sunday and at other liturgies throughout the year. Rehearsals are held every Thursday at 7:30 pm beginning in September and through the month of June. No experience is necessary. Let us make a joyful noise to the Lord! Call Eileen - 201-843-1097 or see her after Mass!
2025 Archdiocese of Newark Annual Appeal
Jersey Catholic
Jersey Catholic is the news site of the Archdiocese of Newark and brings you top news from around the Archdiocese, our Catholic schools throughout the U.S., and the Vatican.
Visit https://jerseycatholic.org/ for the latest local and global Church news.
Saint of the Day Podcast ~ A brief story about a Saint each day.
Donate to St. Margaret's
Here are some ways that you can help our Parish during these trying times:
ParishSoft - Click here to go to the giving site.
You can also give via text to (201) 689-5641, just enter the amount you want to donate in the message. You will need to create an account if you haven't done so yet. Click here if you need help creating an account.
Step-By-Step Walk Through the Mass
Click on this link to go the website: https://www.eucharisticrevival.org/blog-categories/series-on-the-mass
SCHEDULES
Mass Schedule
Saturday ~ 5:30 pm
Sunday ~ 9:00 am and 11:30 am
Weekdays:
Monday through Friday:
12:00 PM
First Saturday Mass
12:05 PM in the Church
Holy Days
(Except Christmas and Easter): 8:00 AM, 12:05 PM, 7:00 PM
Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession)
Saturdays 1:00 - 2:00 PM
Experience God’s Mercy. Celebrate the Grace-Filled Sacrament of Reconciliation
Contact Us
Parish Center (Monday through Thursday 10 am till 4pm. Closed on Fridays)
Tel: 201-641-2988
Fax: 201-322-0172
Rectory (By appointment only):
201-641-2988
Religious Education (Sunday to Thursday):
201-641-3937
New in the Area?
If you are new in the area, why not join our ever-growing Parish family. Stop by the Parish Center any weekday and register. Click on this link to download the form or call us at 201-641-2988
Pope Leo's Prayer Intention for October
For Collaboration Between Different Religious Traditions
Let us pray that believers in different religious traditions might work together to defend and promote peace, justice, and human fraternity.
POSTER BOARD
Can Catholics celebrate Halloween?
Though it is often hijacked by the pagan, demonic, and secular, All Hallows' Eve has a treasured place in Catholic tradition...…but you’d never know it when walking down the street in October, seeing houses gaudily strewn with fake spiderwebs, skeletons, and repulsive cadavers. Some Christians have considered withdrawing totally from this “holiday,” since it seems like the domain of the devil.
But the proper celebration of Halloween is very much a part of Catholic tradition.
Halloween is another word for “All Hallows’ Eve”—the eve of All Saints’ Day. In the old Church calendar, the Vigil of All Saints was a liturgical event. It had its own Mass, where the priest would vest in penitential purple, the usual color for vigils. He would don white in the evening for the First Vespers of All Saints, which marked the beginning of the Church’s celebration of this great holy day.
Together, the Vigil (October 31st), the Feast of All Saints (November 1st), and the Commemoration of All Souls (November 2nd) formed a comprehensive picture of the Catholic view of the afterlife.
Then, there are the Vespers of the Dead—sometimes called “Black Vespers,” since the priest would vest in black, the color of death and mourning. These Vespers were not officially said on Halloween, but rather after Second Vespers on All Saints’ Day, looking toward All Souls’ Day. In the Catholic region of Brittany, a devotion developed of saying these Vespers on Halloween itself. It seems these Breton folk were quite solemn on Halloween and kept the importance of praying for the dead at the forefront of their Vigil doings.
In the British Isles, festive All Hallows’ Eve traditions arose that will sound familiar to you. Children would go door-to-door begging for a “soul cake” and promising in return to pray for the deceased of the giver’s family. The Halloween tradition of dressing up is also potentially connected with this custom (pictured below: an excellent Halloween/All Saints costume—St. Michael!).
Because of her Protestant leanings, Queen Elizabeth I forbade the traditions associated with All Souls’ Day. But these customs escaped her anti-Catholic, anti-fun edicts and have made their way down the centuries to us today.
Our Lady of Victory and why October is the month of the Rosary
October is designated by the Catholic Church as the "Month of the Rosary" because in this month the Church celebrates the Marian advocation of "Our Lady of the Rosary" on Oct. 7.
The Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, also celebrated as or Victories, was established by Pope St. Pius V in 1571 to celebrate the miraculous victory of the Christian forces in the Battle of Lepanto on Oct. 7 of that year. Previous to the decisive battle, St. Pius V had requested all Western Christians to pray the rosary; thus he attributed the victory to the power of the Marian prayer rather than the power of ships and cannons.
Two years before establishing the feast, in 1569, Pope St. Pius V officially approved the rosary in its present form with the papal bull Consueverunt Romani Pontifices ("The Roman Pontiffs are accustomed," the first words of the document). In a development from earlier methods of praying the rosary, the new version included the second half of the Hail Mary, as well as the “Glory Be” prayer at the end of each mystery.
In Consueverunt Romani Pontifices, St. Pius V established the two essential elements of the rosary: vocal prayer and mental prayer. This fact has been highlighted by all Marian saints, especially Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort (1673 – 1716), author of popular Marian books such as "The Admirable secret of the Rosary," "True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin," and "Methods for Saying the Rosary."
The dedication of the month of October to the Holy Rosary became common in the Church thanks to Pope Leo XIII, an enthusiastic promoter of the rosary. In the span of only five years, Pope Leo wrote eleven encyclicals on the rosary.
St. John Paul II called the rosary his favorite prayer, "in which we meditate with Mary upon the mysteries which she as a Mother meditated on in her heart (Lk. 2:19.)."
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5 Ways the Rosary Has Changed Over the Centuries
Like many devotions, it has evolved over time. The Rosary we pray today is similar to, but not exactly the same as the Rosary Catholics prayed centuries ago.
1) The “Hail Mary” prayer has changed
The “Hail Mary” prayer today is not the same “Hail Mary” that Catholics have always prayed. Originally, it was only the verses from Scripture, “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.” (Luke 1.28, 42)
Over time, people added the words “Mary” and “Jesus” to make it clear who they were talking about. And finally, in the 15th and 16th centuries, the final petition was added: “Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.”
2) The Luminous Mysteries
For centuries, the Rosary officially had only three sets of mysteries: the Joyful, Sorrowful, and Glorious. Then in 2002, Pope Saint John Paul II added the Luminous Mysteries, which focus on the ministry of Christ.
3) The Fatima Prayer
At the request of Our Lady at Fatima in 1917, many Catholics added the “Fatima prayer” at the end of each decade: “Oh my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to heaven, especially those in my need of thy mercy.”
4) The Scriptural Rosary
Going back at least to the 15th century, some Catholics have added an extra line to each "Hail Mary" from Scripture related to the mystery on which they are meditating.
5) Genuflection
Early versions of what would become the Rosary in the 11th and 12th centuries practiced by religious communities included genuflecting and prostrating oneself at various points.
What happened on November 1st, 1950?
The day a beloved doctrine was made official…
On a bright, crisp morning in Rome, Italy, St. Peter’s Square was filled to overflowing with 700,000 Catholics who came to witness a long-awaited, solemn event.
They came to hear the solemn declaration of a doctrine—something that does not happen very often! The last time it happened was 1854, when Pope Pius IX declared the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception.
Now, Pope Pius XII, resplendent in white and gold regalia, read the words of the doctrine from the steps of the Basilica, formally announcing the Assumption of the Blessed Mother to be part of the deposit of faith.
Although every person created by God is subject to physical corruption, explained the Holy Father, the Blessed Virgin Mary is an exception. Her body, after her earthly sojourn had drawn to a close, was taken up by her Son into heaven together with her soul.
This the Church had held to be necessary, through many centuries, for several reasons:
1) It was not possible that Our Lord should allow the body from which He had drawn His own flesh to suffer corruption.
2) Being immaculately conceived, the Blessed Mother “completely overcame sin,” and so was not subject to the punishment which the rest of mankind must undergo.
3) God had filled the Blessed Mother with such an outpouring of graces and perfections that she was able to receive Him perfectly and become entirely a tabernacle of God.
4) Our Lord, as the perfect Son Who honors His parents, would certainly honor His pure mother by raising her from the dead and bringing her to paradise with Him.
