The Westfield Leader Newspaper
The Times of Scotch Plains-Fanwood

CYAN YELLOW MAGENTA BLACK

PRAYER TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN: (Never known to fail). Oh most beautiful flower of Mt. Carmel, fruitful vine splendor of heaven. Blessed Mother of the Son of God, Immaculate Virgin, assist me in my necessity. Oh, Star of the Sea, help me show me herein, you are my Mother. Oh Holy Mary, Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and Earth! I humbly beseech you from the bottom of my heart to succor me in this necessity. There are none that can withstand your power. Oh, show me herein you are my mother. Oh Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee. Holy Mother, I place this cause in your hands (3X). Holy Spirit, you who solve all problems, light all roads so that I can attain my goal. You who gave me the divine gift to forgive and forget all evil against me and that in all instances in my life you are with me. I want in this short prayer to thank you for things as you confirm once again that I never want to be separated from you in eternal glory. Thank you for your mercy towards me and mine. The person must say this prayer 3 consecutive days. After 3 days, the request will be granted. This prayer must be published after the favor is granted. – K.K.

Catholic Golden Age To Meet on Sunday For Talk on Patriotism

SCOTCH PLAINS – The Scotch Plains Chapter of Catholic Golden Age will meet this Sunday, November 21, at 1:30 p.m. at St. Bartholomew the Apostle Roman Catholic Church’s Nelligan Hall, 2032 Westfield Avenue in Scotch Plains.

The program, entitled “Patriotism,” will be presented by Post Commander Patrick Gargano of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Guests are welcome.

The group’s annual Christmas Party will be held on Sunday, December 12, at Pantagis Renaissance in Scotch Plains. Members are also reminded to bring donations for the Food Bank.

For more information, please call John at (908) 322-1804 or Charlie at (908) 889-2152.

Church Sets Seminar On Estate Planning

WESTFIELD – The Stewardship Committee of the First United Methodist Church, 1 East Broad Street in Westfield, has announced a free seminar on estate planning and annuities to be held on Friday, December 3, at 8 p.m. in the Fellowship Room. Members of the community are invited to attend.

Richard Bier, an attorney with the firm of St. John and Wayne in Newark, will make a presentation on estate planning. Richard Griggs, of Benefit Services Company, will discuss annuities and answer questions concerning insurance.

To register for the seminar, please call the church office at (908) 2334211.

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church Reveals Choir Openings SWEET HARMONY…The Junior Choir of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in

Westfield is pictured singing at the parish’s All Saints Service on October 31. While there is a waiting list for the Junior Choir, openings presently exist in the church’s Primary Choir (grades 1 and 2) and the Parish Choir, made up of high school students and adults.

WESTFIELD – St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Westfield is seeking singers to join a multi-generational music program at the parish.

More than 100 singers from St. Paul’s and the community participate in the church’s music program.

Presently, there is a waiting list for the Junior Choir (grades 3 through 6) but a few vacancies exist in the Primary Choir (grades 1 and 2). St. Paul’s children’s choirs rehearse on Tuesdays after school and are beginning rehearsals for St. Paul’s Christmas Eve Family Service.

The Parish Choir (high school students and adults augmented with professional section leaders) rehearses on Thursday evenings and

Interfaith Singles Set Sunday Meetings During November

WESTFIELD – Interfaith Singles, a support group for single adults over 45, has announced its program schedule for the month of November.

Weekly discussions on successful single living are held at the First Baptist Church, 170 Elm Street in Westfield. Continental breakfast is offered for a $2 donation.

The group will meet on Sundays, November 21 and 28, from 9 to 10:30 a.m.

For further information, please call (908) 889-5269 or (908) 889-4751.

A Weekly Column From Members of the

Scotch PlainsFanwood Ministerial Association

Thanksgiving Day Holiday Is a Time to Give Thanks

REVEREND KELMO C. PORTER, JR.

Thanksgiving is perhaps one of the family’s most festive days throughout all of America. Roast turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, our favorite vegetables, pumpkin pie, apple cider and cranberry sauce. All of this is great, but surely Thanksgiving, in the true sense of the word, should mean a whole lot more than this.

Every Sunday morning when I stand before the congregation to declare the unsearchable riches of God’s Divine Word, one of the very first things I proclaim in a very firm, audible and assuring way is “God is good!” The entire congregation invariably responds “All the time!” Volumes are said in these small, yet potent, expressions of joy and thanksgiving.

In Psalm 116:12 King David inquires, “What shall I render unto the Lord for all of his benefits towards me?” Then in Psalm 50:14, he responds to his own inquiry; “I will offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay my vows unto the most High.”

How do you say thank you when someone shows you a kindness? Do you buy them a present? Do you send them a card? Do you make that special telephone call? Do you just ignore it completely? In each instance you usually attempt to express your feelings of gratitude in some noticeable way.

Our customs usually dictate that those of us who are recipients of acts of kindness should respond at least by saying, “thank you.” This is an expected cordiality, whether it is heartfelt or otherwise. Saying thank you is easy for some, but there are others who find it to be considerably

more difficult, simply because they find gratitude to be a humbling experience.

We, as a God fearing people, should always relish, yearn for and then seek after a genuine spirit of gratitude. God never promised that ours would be a utopian type society, and yet we need to learn how to thank Him for all of the circumstances of our lives. We need to thank Him for the sunshine and the rain; for our ups and our downs.

We can learn to thank Him for our joys and our pains; for our losses and our gains; with this assurance that God is good, and that He will never leave us to fend alone for ourselves. Knowing we have a God on whom we can always depend, that’s enough for which we should pause and say “Thank you.”

But when we chose to give thanks to our God for His goodness, the emphasis should always be on the spirit demonstrated in our offering rather than on the offering itself. So as we approach the last Thanksgiving Day in the old millennium of the 19th century, we are all obliged to give God thanks out of our gratitude for His goodness towards us.

A genuine spirit of humility is far more important than a multitude of outward empty expressions. When the Almighty God has been so good to us, it really should not be too difficult for us to give Him all of the thanks, the honor and the praise. That thanks should always come from our hearts and not from our heads.

* * * * *

Reverend Porter serves as Senior Pastor of St. John’s Baptist Church in Scotch Plains.

has openings for altos, tenors and basses.

The Parish Choir performs annually in concert with members of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra and is now preparing for St. Paul’s Christmas Eve Service, as well as its annual Advent Lessons and Carols Service with chamber orchestra on Sunday, December 19.

For more information, please call Charles Banks at (908) 232-8506, Extension No. 17. St. Paul’s Church is located at 414 East Broad Street in Westfield.

Westfield Firefighters Conduct Fourth Annual Food Drive

WESTFIELD – The Westfield Firemen’s Mutual Benevolent Association (F.M.B.A.) Local No. 30 is currently conducting its fourth annual holiday food drive for needy Westfield residents and has extended appreciation to all who participated in last year’s program.

Non-perishable food items will be accepted at fire headquarters at 405 North Avenue, West, until 9 p.m. on

Saturday, December 18. Donations will be distributed to individuals in need through local churches and civic organizations in time for the Christmas holiday.

During its first food drive in 1996, Local No. 30 distributed holiday meals to approximately 75 families in Westfield. Local No. 30 donated one turkey to each meal distributed and will do so again this year.

Hadassah to Hold Program On Women’s Mental Health

WESTFIELD – The next general meeting of Westfield Hadassah will be held on Monday, November 22, at Temple Emanu-El, 756 East Broad Street in Westfield.

The program will be presented by Nicole Dickinson and Shannon Horvath from the Women Helping Women Group in Metuchen. Both women are completing their practicum

training with that organization. Their program will be entitled “Women Hold Up Half the Sky — How Mental Health Issues Affect Women.”

Ms. Dickinson and Ms. Horvath will give a brief overview of the history of women’s mental health and the signs and symptoms of anxiety and depression. They will also tell how both impact an individual’s life and what can be done about them. A question-andanswer period will follow their presentation.

Women Helping Women is a nonprofit organization which provides services such as individual counseling, therapy groups and support groups that focus on and encourage the empowerment of women.

Ms. Dickinson has been working in the area of women’s mental health, with a focus on domestic violence and crisis intervention, for seven years.

Besides women’s mental health, Ms. Horvath has a special interest in working with developmentally disabled children and young adults.

CYCLING SCOUTS…Members of Boy Scout Troop No. 79, based at St. Helen’s Roman Catholic Church in Westfield, recently earned the Cycling Merit Badge by completing the final requirement, a 50-mile bicycle ride. For safety reasons, the boys did a 10-mile loop five times in the Sandy Hook National Recreational Area in late September. The badge also entailed two rides each of 10, 15 and 25 miles. The scouts also learned how to change flats and do other minor repairs to their bicycles. Pictured, left to right, are: Merit Badge Counselor Bob Eckman, Jon Russell, Keith McCloskey, Robbie Eckman, Joseph Pregenzer and Scoutmaster Jim McCloskey.

Children of Interfaith Council Enjoy DECA Halloween Bash

SCOTCH PLAINS – The Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School DECA Chapter, an association of marketing students, recently sponsored its eighth annual Halloween Party for the children of the Interfaith Council of Union County.

DECA students provided over 60 children with costumes, helped them paint their pumpkins, played games,

HAPPY HALLOWEEN…Children of the Interfaith Council of Union County are pictured during the Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School DECA Chapter’s eighth annual Halloween party, which was held recently at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Plainfield.

and went trick or treating. The party was held at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Plainfield.

“These children are really special; we all had a great time and it was a great experience for us,” said DECA Chairwoman Jackie Sanders. The students are planning another holiday party for the children in December.

Mayor Thomas Jardim Issues Proclamation for French Week

BON JOUR…Mayor Thomas C. Jardim, center, presents a proclamation designating November 4 through 10 as National French Week to teachers and students of French at Westfield High School (WHS). Joining the Mayor, pictured left to right, are: Melissa Tirone, French Club Treasurer; Kate Trimble, French Club Vice-President; Viviane Levy, President of the New Jersey Chapter of the American Association of Teachers of French (AATF); Marie-Laure Hollander, Vice-President of the AATF New Jersey Chapter and a WHS French teacher, and fellow WHS French teachers Nancy Didier and David Davis, holding his son.

WESTFIELD – Mayor Thomas C. Jardim of Westfield signed a proclamation November 9 declaring November 4 to 10 as National French Week, or “La Semaine du Francais.”

A few days earlier, Governor Christine Todd Whitman signed a similar proclamation.

National French Week is sponsored by the American Association of Teachers of French (AATF), which has 76 chapters and 11,000 members nationwide.

During that week, teachers of French and their students celebrate

the contributions of the French people and French-speaking countries to American history, literature, art, music, film, sciences and technology, fashion, sports and cuisine among other fields.

Westfield High School students have celebrated and publicized French language and culture during that week and have also been visited by Eric Sacher, Cultural Attache to the French Embassy in New York City.

First Baptist Church Offers Pastor’s Class

WESTFIELD – Dr. Robert L. Harvey, Senior Minister of the First Baptist Church in Westfield, is holding a free Pastor’s Class from 9:15 to 10 a.m. on Sundays through December.

The Pastor’s Class is an exploration class about the nature of God. It references the Bible, historical understandings of the faith and the experiences of participants to probe who and what God is.

Like all educational opportunities at First Baptist, the class is open to the public. The church is located at 170 Elm Street. For more information, please call (908) 233-2278.

Division of Aging Reveals Services Available to Seniors

ELIZABETH – Union County’s Division on Aging in the Department of Human Services has announced its Outreach Services Program schedule for November. The program is open to all senior citizens living in Union County.

“The Union County Freeholders provide a variety of vital services to senior citizens through our outreach program,” said Freeholder Lewis Mingo, Jr., Liaison to the Union County Advisory Council on Aging.

Applications for various services will be available at the following dates, times and locations:

• Monday, November 22, at the O’Donnell-Dempsey Center, 632 Salem Avenue in Elizabeth, from 10:30 a.m. until noon.

• Monday, November 29, at the Calvary Baptist Church, 324 Monroe Avenue in Plainfield, from 10:30 a.m. until noon.

County representatives will be on hand to provide assistance in completing the necessary applications for Gas and Electric Support (LIFE LINE), Pharmaceutical Assistance (PAAD), Home Energy Assistance (HEAP), Supplementary Security Income (SSI), Counseling on Health Insurance for Medicare Enrollees (CHIME) and the SHARE Food Program.

For further information on the Outreach Services Program and other programs offered by the Union County Division on Aging, please call the division’s toll-free number, (888) 2808226.