To the Editor:
The parish family of Saint John the Baptist Byzantine Catholic Church would like to thank His Grace, Bishop Kurt Burnette, and all the clergy and faithful, who participated in the Jubilee of Mercy Open Door Ceremonies at our church on Sunday, December 13. Sr. Mary Canavan, S.C., Vice Postulator of the Miriam Teresa League of Prayer also attended the ceremony.
Buses from the Hillsborough, Perth Amboy, Carteret, and Rahway, NJ, Byzantine Catholic Churches arrived at 2 p.m., to help us celebrate this spiritual event along with parishioners from Bayonne local churches, and our sister parishes of St. Mary’s Church, in Jersey City, and St. George’s Church, in Newark.
A procession from our Parish Hall was led by the clergy and His Grace, Bishop Kurt, followed by all the faithful to the closed Door of Mercy. After the opening prayers were sung, the ribbon over the door was cut by Bishop Kurt and all the faithful entered through the Open Door of Mercy to participate in a special Moleben (Prayer) for the intercession of Blessed Miriam Teresa.
The Moleben was followed by a Papal blessing with Indulgence. This is a special blessing that the Bishops can give only on certain occasions with authorization from the Holy Father, Pope Francis.
To conclude this spiritual event all of the faithful were invited to venerate and kiss the First Class Relics of Blessed Miriam Teresa.
CAROL A. CHAMBERS