Father Abraham Orapankal, who has served as interim Pastor at St. Matthias Church since 2018, has been named permanent Pastor. The announcement was made March 13 by Bishop James F. Checchio of the Diocese of Metuchen. Orapankal was named to the interim position following the resignation of Fr. Douglas Haefner, after financial irregularities were found in the church’s accounts. The …
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Masjid-e-Ali co-founder Alex Kharazi, center, is flanked by the Franklin Food Bank’s Kevin McGuinness, left, and Mike Rossi. A $7,000 donation to the Franklin Food bank highlighted the celebration of Eid-al-Fitr June 5 at the Masjid-e-Ali mosque on Cedar Grove Lane. Eid-al-Fitr is the celebration marking the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. During Ramadan, Muslims must fast …
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Members of the Masjid-e-Ali mosque sit down for their Iftar on May 20. Members of the Masjid-e-Ali Mosque on Davidson Avenue are in the middle of celebrating their holy month of Ramadan and, as they do each year, they have issued an open invitation to the community to share their nightly meal, or Iftar.The Ramadan celebration this year began on …
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It was delayed three days by constant rain, but the 2019 edition of the St. Matthias Carnival opened May 17 in almost perfect weather. There was a little sprinkle at about 7 p.m., an hour into opening day, but that did not chase anyone away. In fact, the crowd grew as the evening wore on. The incessant rain made it …
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Life lessons told through a series of skits were presented May 5 at the Srivari Sri Balaji Temple on Elizabeth Avenue. The five skits – four performed by children and the finale by adults – were based on stories taken from the Mahabaratham, one of the two religious books followed by the Hindu sect, said Vijay Poondi, the temple chairman. …
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Nearly 200 people gathered at the Masjid-e-Ali mosque on Cedar Grove Lane April 22 for a vigil to remember the victims of the Easter Sunday bombings in Sri Lanka. The wave of suicide bombings, in churches and hotels, left about 290 people dead and hundreds more wounded. Multiple suspects were arrested, and the attacks were blamed on a little-known Islamist …
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About 200 parishioners participated in the annual Stations of the Cross walk held by St. Matthias Catholic Church on April 19. The church holds the event every Good Friday. The 14 stations commemorate Jesus Christ’s last day on Earth, and focus on his suffering as he carried his cross to Cavalry, where he was crucified. The St. Matthias walk started …
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People of all faiths packed Temple Beth El March 16 for a vigil in honor of the victims of the mosque shootings in Christchurch, New Zealand The roughly hour-long commemoration featured comments by political and faith leaders from the township and the region. The vigil was sponsored by the Franklin Township Interfaith Council, whose vice-president is Temple Beth El’s Rabbi …
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More than 100 mourners gathered at St. Matthias Catholic Church Jan. 29 to say goodbye to former township Mayor John Clyde. Clyde, 63, died Jan. 24 at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia. A two-time heart transplant survivor, Clyde battled a variety of health issues. Eulogists celebrated what they called his fearlessness in dealing with those issues. In addition …
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By PJ Parker. Temple Beth El on Amwell Road was the site Dec. 4 of the traditional lighting of the Menorah candles to commemorate the eight-day celebration of Hanukkah. In addition to congregation members, also in attendance were Mayor Phil Kramer; Alex Kharazi, president of the Franklin Township Interfaith Council, and Township Councilman Rajiv Prasad (D-At Large). Hanukkah commemorates the …
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The Franklin Reporter & Advocate Eight Villages, One Community
