Monitor Mag July 2024 Lives of Faith

LIVES of F aith

Congratulations! to Reverend Monsignor Sam Sirianni 0n your 40 th Anniversary of Ordination

On this very special anniversary, the Knights of Columbus Council 1672 of Freehold extends our best wishes to you for everything you do here at Saint Robert Bellarmine Co-Cathedral.

May our Heavenly Father shower an abundance of His special graces upon you and may He continue to watch over you, guide you and keep you well as you serve Him and His People.

From your Knights of Columbus Council 1672 • Freehold, NJ Vivat Jesus!!!

Contents

Religious Milestone

Anniversaries 4-6

Religious Retirements 7-9

Religious 50TH & 25TH

Anniversaries 10 -17

Priest Retirements 20 -27

Priest 50TH

Anniversaries 28-37

Priest 25TH

Anniversaries 38-41

Priest Milestone

Anniversaries 42-55

Deacon Milestone

Anniversaries 58- 63

An illustration of Jesus tending sheep evokes his role as ‘the Good Shepherd’ –a role echoed by the clergy who lead their congregational flocks in the journey of faith. The Monitor is privileged to recognize the anniversaries of the priests, deacons and religious who serve in the Diocese in this keepsake issue. Stock illustration

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We in the Diocese of Trenton are blessed with the vocations of religious men and women from various orders, who have carried out years of selfless service in our parishes, schools, healthcare institutions and charitable programs, as well as their steadfast lives of prayer. This listing joyfully recognizes our gratitude to them for their gift and presence in our lives.

Religious MILESTONES

St. Francis Sister Isabel Marie Haughey

St. Francis Sister Isabel Marie Haughey called Philadelphia her hometown and was a member of the city’s St. Rose Parish. She entered the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia on Jan. 6, 1952, and made her final profession of vows Aug. 11, 1954.

Sister Isabel Marie earned a bachelor of science in nursing from Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, and a master of arts degree in health administration from St. Louis University, St. Louis, Mo. She served in dioceses across the United States, including Trenton, Paterson, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and Diocese of Allentown, Pa.; Wilmington, Del.; Baker, Ore.; Seattle, Wa., and Charleston, S.C.

In the Diocese of Trenton, Sister Isabel Marie was nursing supervisor from 1962-1969. She retired in 2021, and currently is in Prayer and Hospitality Ministry at Assisi House, the St. Francis Sisters’ retirement community in Aston, Pa.

St. Francis Sister Damian Marie Jackson

St. Francis Sister Damian Marie Jackson called Baltimore home, attending the city’s St. Paul Parish. She entered the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia on Jan. 6, 1952, and made her final profession of vows Aug. 11, 1954.

Sister Damian Marie earned a bachelor of science degree in secondary education from Villanova University, Pa., and a master of arts degree in religious studies from St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, Wynnewood, Pa. She received the Outstanding Woman of Achievement Award from the Vicar for Religious, Diocese of Raleigh, N.C. Sister Damian Marie served in various dioceses of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, North Carolina and Maryland. These included the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, and Dioceses of Allentown, Pa., Trenton, Raleigh and Baltimore.

In the Diocese of Trenton, Sister Damian Marie taught in St. Anthony High School, Trenton, from 1965-66. She retired in 2020, and currently is in Prayer and Hospitality Ministry at Assisi House.

St. Francis Sister Regina McCloskey

St. Francis Sister Regina McCloskey, formerly Sister Norbert, attended Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish, Philadelphia. She entered the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia Aug. 19, 1951, and made her final profession of vows Aug. 11, 1954.

Sister Regina earned a bachelor of science degree in education from Villanova University, Pa., and a master of arts in theology from St. Bonaventure University, N.Y. She served in both the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and the Diocese of Trenton. Sister Regina taught in Holy Angels School, Trenton, from 1954-1960, then became teacher in St. Leo the Great School, Lincroft, from 1960-1964. She served as teacher in St. Anthony High School, Trenton, from 1964-1975. Sister Regina retired in 2021, and currently is in Prayer and Hospitality Ministry at Assisi House.

Filippini Sister Lillian Harrington

Filippini Sister Lillian Harrington was born in 1934 in Bloomfield. She entered the postulancy of the Religious Teachers Filippini on Sept. 14, 1958, was invested as a novice Aug. 30, 1959, and made her final profession of vows Aug. 26, 1962.

Sister Lillian earned her bachelor of science degree from The College of New Jersey, Ewing, and a master of science degree from the University of Notre Dame, Ind. She began teaching at St. Joachim School, Trenton, from 1960-1960, then transferred to Villa Victoria Academy, Ewing, where she taught from 1961-1976 and served as principal from 1976-1984. Sister Lillian served as principal of St. Joseph High School, Hammonton, from 1984-1991, before she returned to Villa Victoria Academy as director from 1991 to the present.

Filippini Sister Florence Landwehrle

Born in 1941 in West New York,

Filippini Sister Florence Landwehrle grew up in North Bergen. She entered the postulancy of the Religious Teachers Filippini on July 16, 1958, was invested as a novice on Aug. 30, 1959, and professed final vows Aug. 26, 1962.

Sister Florence earned a bachelor of arts degree from Felician College, Lodi. She taught in multiple Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Newark and the Dioceses of Brooklyn, Metuchen, and Scranton, Pa. In the Diocese of Trenton, Sister Florence has served in Villa Victoria Academy, Ewing, in a variety of support roles.

Christian Brother Joseph Brienza

Christian Brother Joseph Brienza was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., and entered the Christian Brothers on Sept. 1, 1964. He earned a bachelor’s degree from The Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C., and a master’s degree in education and counseling from Providence College, R.I.

Brother Joseph began teaching at La Salle Academy in Providence, R.I., in 1969. From 1973-2008 he taught at La Salle Military Academy, St. Raphael Academy, Pawtucket, R.I., and St. Mary’s College. Brother Joseph became the vocation director at the Christian Brothers Center in Narraganset, R.I., from 1988-1990. In 2008, Brother Joseph moved to Christian Brothers Academy, Lincroft, and has spent the rest of his career counseling Christian Brothers Academy’s students via the school’s guidance department.

Christian Brother Alfred Lee Ganz

Born in Canton, Ohio, Christian Brother Alfred “Allen” Lee Ganz joined the Christian Brothers on Sept. 1, 1964. He earned a bachelor’s degree from La Salle University and master’s degrees in religious education from La Salle University, Philadelphia, and in spirituality from San Francisco University, Calif.

Brother Allen began teaching at Trinity High School in Shiremanstown, Pa., in 1969. From 1973-2017 he taught in Calvert Hall High School, West Philadelphia Catholic High School, St. John’s College High School, Seton La Salle Catholic High School, Central Catholic High School and La Salle Academy. From 1983-1992 he helped at the Christian Brothers Spiritual Center. Brother Allen worked at St. Gabriel’s System’s after care program as a social worker from 1992-1994.

In the Diocese of Trenton, he moved in 2017 to Christian Brothers Academy, Lincroft, and has spent the rest of his career at De La Salle Hall nursing home for retired Brothers as the center’s Pastoral Care Provider.

Filippini Sister Carolyn Houck

Born in 1943 in Yonkers, N.Y., Filippini Sister Carolyn Houck lived in Tuckahoe when she was called to religious life. She entered the postulancy of the Religious Teachers Filippini on Sept. 8, 1963, was invested as a novice Aug. 22, 1964, and made her final profession of vows Aug. 16, 1970.

Sister Carolyn earned a bachelor of science degree from Seton Hall University, South Orange, and a master of science degree from St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, Wynnewood, Pa. She also holds a religious studies certificate from the Sacred Heart Congregation of Clergy, Rome. Sister Carolyn served as teacher or principal in many Catholic schools in the Archdioceses of Newark and Philadelphia, and the Dioceses of Metuchen, Paterson, Pittsburgh, Pa., and Trenton. She also served as director of religious education in parishes of both the Metuchen and Trenton Dioceses.

In the Diocese of Trenton, Sister Carolyn taught high school religion in Villa Victoria Academy, Ewing, and served as principal of Holy Family School, Lakewood. She has ministered as director of religious education in the parishes of Our Lady of the Angels, Trenton, and St. Gregory the Great, Hamilton. She also assisted with retreat work in St. Joseph by the Sea Retreat House, South Mantoloking. Since 2021, Sister Carolyn has served the Religious Teachers Filippini community as the local convent superior at Villa Victoria Academy.

Mercy Sister Diane Matera

Mercy Sister Diane Matera joined the Sisters of Mercy in 1964. She earned a bachelor of arts degree in music from Georgian Court University, Lakewood, and a master of arts degree in reading from Seton Hall University, South Orange.

She taught in Catholic elementary schools in Metuchen and Trenton Dioceses for 13 years, serving in Mount St. Mary Academy, Watchung; St. Mary Academy, Lakewood, and St. Matthew School, Edison. In the 1980s she helped to implement the Mercy Center’s work and mission in Asbury Park. Sister Diane has also served in social services and pastoral care in the Monmouth County Hispanic Affairs Resource center, Asbury Park. Since 1989, she has worked in ministry to the sick as hospital chaplain in Monmouth Medical Center, Long Branch, for Our Lady Star of the Sea Parish (now part of Christ the King Parish, Long Branch), and is a certified member of the National Association of Catholic Chaplains. She has also taught at the Mercy Center’s Sisters Academy, assisting teachers and helping in the library and cafeteria as a volunteer.

St. Joseph Sister Pat McGinley smiles during the June 16 Mass celebrating her retirement with the faith community of St. Ann Parish, Lawrenceville. Mary

Serving the Lord with Gladness

‘Education can save a life,’ says retiring Sister Pat McGinley

BY EMMALEE ITALIA  Contributing Editor

Since 1960, St. Joseph Sister Pat McGinley’s heart has been deeply imbedded in education, following an example set by fellow Sisters.

“Education has always been an important value to women religious,” Sister Pat reflected as she neared retirement as pastoral associate in St. Ann Parish, Lawrenceville. “I believe education can save a life, can save the world.”

Whether in Catholic schools or parish religious education programs, Sister Pat has spent a lifetime imparting scholastic knowledge and knowledge of the faith.

“The most important aspect of [my] working anywhere in the Catholic Church has been connecting people,” she emphasized. “My life is all about relationship with God and others. It is these connections that have nourished my soul and given me the energy and joy to continue to serve the Lord with gladness all these years.”

RELIGIOUS EXAMPLES

Sister Pat’s formation began in St. Bernard School and St. Hubert High School, Philadelphia, where she encountered and came to admire the Sisters of St. Joseph of Chestnut Hill.

“What caught my attention and nudged at my heart was the passion and dedication I experienced from the Sisters who taught me,” she remembered. “I was inspired by their joy and caring spirit, and how much the Sisters enjoyed each other’s presence.”

She entered the community’s motherhouse at the end of her

senior year and completed her novitiate with her final profession of vows in 1968.

Religiou s Retired 2024

“Catholic Sisters established 150 religious colleges for women in the United States, Chestnut Hill being one of them,” she said. “It is there that I received my bachelor of arts degree in education and then went on to receive a master of arts degree in theology from Villanova University,” Villanova, Pa.

FOLLOWING THE NEEDS

“From the beginning days of the community, the Sisters are missioned according to the needs of the day,” Sister Pat explained. “Bishop Kendrick of Philadelphia once wrote of the Sisters of St. Joseph, ‘They stand ready for any good work.’”

Her ministry followed that script, including as first grade teacher; director of religious education in Marlton; director of the North American Forum for Small Christian Communities, Newark; and work at Renew International, Newark. She served as a pastoral associate at St. Anselm, Wayside; St. David the King, Princeton Junction; and Our Lady Queen of Peace, Hainesport. She also served as vicar of faith formation, Diocese of Las Vegas; special executive assistant to the president of Iona College, New Rochelle, N.Y.; and pastoral associate for St. Ann Parish since 2014.

Sister Pat served was a consultant for Sadlier Book

Stadnyk photo

Experiencing God’s call

‘Every person is God’s gift to us,’ says Marianite Sister Barbara Schreier

BY ROSE O’CONNOR  Digital and Social Media Manager

For Sister Barbara Schreier, a Marianite Sister of Holy Cross, the desire to enter the convent came after she felt “something was missing,” as a young teacher at Our Lady of Sorrows School, Mercerville.

“There was nothing to make me unhappy. I had a job I enjoyed, I had good friends and family, occasionally I was dating,” she said. “But I felt that something was missing. There had to be more to life.”

It was then the thought “Become a nun” came to her and, after wrestling with the idea for a couple of years, she entered the convent in 1974.

‘LORD

... HERE I AM’

After her family dropped her off, she entered the chapel and said, “Lord, I don’t know why you want me, and I don’t know why you want me to become a nun, but here I am.”

After that, she noted a great sense of peace and immediately knew “this was right for me.”

She points to that moment as a defining one for her vocation. She took her first vows in 1976 and her final vows in 1979.

Religiou s Retired 2024

“I have taught many subjects and many grades, served as campus minister, taught religious education and acted as chaplain for parish faith groups, but the constant factor underlying all forms of ministry is the truth that God loves each of us,” said Sister Barbara. “God has a plan for us. God is always there for us, loving us, forgiving us, giving us the strength to get through each day. Every person, not just nuns and priests, has a vocation, a call from God to love Him and to love others. When we respond to his call, then we are happy.”

Born in Trenton to Nicholas and Barbara Schreier, Sister Barbara, the oldest of six children, attended her parish elementary school, Our Lady of Sorrows School, Hamilton. Upon graduation from Steinert High School, also in Hamilton, she received her undergraduate degree from Rutgers University’s Douglass campus in New Brunswick. She received her master’s degree in education from Trenton State College, now The College of New Jersey, Ewing, and a master’s of theology from Notre Dame University, South Bend, Ind. Later, she received a supervision of instruction certificate from Georgian Court College, now University, in Lakewood.

Since 1984, Sister Barbara’s ministry has been spent in Catholic education in her hometown at McCorristin Catholic High School, now Trenton Catholic Preparatory Academy. The school will reopen as a public charter school in September, and Sister Barbara will remain on staff to teach mathematics to middle- and high-school students.

Sister Barbara was recently honored for her 50th anniversary at Trenton Catholic Preparatory Academy’s graduation ceremony May 2024.

Hal Brown photo

Sister Pat feted

Company and the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, both in New York. She was a member of the board of trustees for Mount Carmel Guild, Trenton, from 2021-2024, and was a Mount Carmel Guild honoree in 2016 with its Community Service Award.

“Of all the things I have done, my work with the Guild holds a special place in my heart,” she said.

SERVICE IS ITS OWN REWARD

“I have enjoyed each place where I have ministered and the variety of age groups over the years,” Sister Pat reflected. “I have come full circle here in the Diocese, beginning my pastoral life in 1968 at St. Joan of Arc in Marlton and staying for nine years, and now after nine years at St. Ann in Lawrenceville, saying good-bye to the Diocese of Trenton.’”

Sister Pat firmly believes that the

people are the Church, and that has informed her ministerial goals.

“We are all called to holiness … and we need to support each other along the journey,” she noted. “It is with the strength of community that we leave the Eucharist each Sunday to go out and serve the Lord , especially those less fortunate.”

Going forward, Sister Pat intends to embrace her same mission – a life of prayer and presence.

“The question changes from ‘what will I do?’ to ‘who will I be?’” she ex-

plained. “As C.S. Lewis reminds us, ‘You are never too old to set a new goal or dream a new dream.’”

That, Sister Pat pointed out, is an important part of her transition to retirement.

“My hope is to fill the days with deep meaning, joy, gratitude and compassion, daily asking myself how I can make the world a better place to live,” she said.

Sister Barbara: Greatest joy is ‘union with God and others’

Continued from 8

JOY, STRUGGLES AND CHALLENGES

While she has served joyfully as a Marianite for 50 years now, she acknowl-

edged the struggles and challenges she encountered over the years.

“The biggest challenge of being a Sister is to be faithful to this call of God,” Sister Barbara said. “Our society is so goal-oriented, it is difficult to remember

that what is important is the person. Every person is God’s gift to us. To treat a person with love and respect can at times be difficult, but it leads to our greatest joy – union with God and with others.”

While she has spent many years developing the faith lives of those students in her care, she also has grown in her own faith.

“As a Marianite of Holy Cross, I learned to appreciate every Sister. Each one of them, without exception, had a personal experience of God’s call and willingly shared her joys and difficulties as she lived out that call. The Sisters’ love and concern for one another was real and practical. Sisters came from different countries, spoke different languages, worked in different ministries, but no matter what, each was a valued part of community. Where there is a Marianite, there is the congregation.”

Sisters of St. Joseph who attended the celebratory Mass gather for a photo with Sister Pat, center front. Mary Stadnyk photo

In 1986, Sister Barbara was teaching Religion at McCorristin Catholic High School. Here she explains Vatican II to students. Facebook photo

Mercy Sister Marge Scarpone, teacher in Red Bank Catholic, Red Bank, gives a presentation to students on retreat.

‘The Lord Filled My Heart’

Sister Marge looks on 50-year anniversary with gratitude

BY EMMALEE ITALIA  Contributing Editor

Mercy Sister Marge Scarpone says that, in 50 years of religious life, “What I have found most rewarding is the blessing I experience of the faith of the people I encounter,” which includes “my Sisters in community, the people with whom and to whom I minister, and the people I meet along the way each day.”

Currently a religion teacher at Red Bank Catholic High School, Red Bank, Sister Marge described her calling to religious life.

“I chose to serve the Lord in this way because the Lord filled my heart,” she explained, “and I have to share the blessing I have received.”

SERVING THE LORD

Born Margaret Ann to Gilda (Jill) Aquilini Scarpone and James Joseph Scarpone Sr., she grew up with two brothers in Point Pleasant, attending Memorial School and Point Pleasant High School.

“I received my religious education from the CCD teachers on Sunday mornings after Mass at Sacred Heart Parish, Bay Head,” she remembered. “I loved learning about God and the Church, and I was inspired by all of the laypeople giving their time to teach us.”

She also recalled being “very attracted to Our Lady, and even more so after seeing the movie ‘The Song of Bernadette.’”

Sister Marge entered the Sisters of Mercy in 1974 at Holy Cross Convent, Rumson, professing perpetual vows in 1981. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in religious studies from Georgian Court University, Lakewood, and a Master of Arts degree in biblical studies from Providence College, R.I. Her teaching career began in 1979 at Sacred Heart School, South Plainfield. From 1982 to 1984 she taught secondary school courses at Mount Saint Mary Academy, Watchung. In the Trenton Diocese, Sister Marge served as director of high school and adult religious education at Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish, Moorestown. She served from 1986 to 1992 as pastoral associate at St. Catharine Parish, Holmdel.

Then she moved to the Archdiocese of Newark to serve as pastoral associate at St. Catherine of Siena Parish, Hillside. She taught at Sisters Academy, Asbury Park, and in 2005 began teaching religion at Red Bank Catholic High School.

“My primary focus has always been on serving the Lord by sharing the faith,” she said, “whether as a pastoral associate or a classroom teacher … to help people of all ages and stages of life grow in their awareness of the presence of the Lord and deepen their relationships with [him].”

A UNIQUE LIFE

Being a Sister of Mercy has given Sister Marge a unifying relationship with those around her. “It is a most special blessing when people know that I am ‘Sister’ and there is almost an

Courtesy photos

‘Nothing but Gratitude’ Father Schlageter finds priestly vocation rewarding

BY EMMALEE ITALIA  Contributing Editor

Fifty years since he took his first vows, Conventual Franciscan Father Robert Schlageter, pastor of St. Peter Parish, Point Pleasant Beach, looks back with fondness at the life to which he has been called.

“I have nothing but gratitude; I’ve been gifted with so many opportunities,” he said. “It would take a book to describe all the graces and blessings God has given me throughout my priesthood and religious life.”

DESIRE TO HELP

Father Schlageter believes his thoughts toward the priesthood began with his solitary reflections on the banks on Lake Erie, near his family’s cottage.

“I would sit by the lake by myself and felt a call to something more,” he said. “I think in my heart as a young man, I wanted to help people, I wanted to make a difference in people’s lives. I had the idea of being a teacher like my father, or a guidance counselor or social worker.”

Born in Buffalo, N.Y., young Robert and his family were members of Infant of Prague Parish in nearby Cheektowaga; he and his brother attended Bishop Turner High School, Buffa-

lo, where he encountered a Franciscan priest who visited the school as a vocations outreach.

“He invited me to come see their seminary in Massachusetts … there were 60 seminarians there at the time,” he said. “When I went, it was such a beautiful, fraternal, fun experience that I fell in love with that community. It was wonderful, life-changing.”

Father Schlageter attended St. Hyacinth College and Seminary in Granby, Mass. He entered the seminary in 1973 and professed his first vows as a Conventual Franciscan in 1974. He taught at Archbishop Curley High School, Baltimore, for a year, then proceeded to the Pontifical University of St. Bonaventure, Rome. He was ordained to the priesthood July 23, 1983, by Auxiliary Bishop Bernard McLaughlin of Buffalo.

MINISTERING TO YOUNG ADULTS

Most of his priesthood has been spent educating and guiding young adults, Father Schlageter said, adding it was

Franciscan Father

Robert Schlageter, pastor of St. Peter Parish, Point Pleasant Beach, distributes Holy Communion during the Oct. 2023 Mass commemorating St. Peter School’s 100th anniversary. Hal Brown photo

Sister Marge works for balance

automatic connection and trust upon meeting,” she said. “We are all on the journey to the Lord together!”

One of the greatest challenges, she acknowledged, was – and is – keeping herself balanced.

“The Lord is most important – yet if my community life, ministry and family life are not in balance, I am not my best self,” Sister Marge explained. “It has taken time to grow into understanding this … and to make the necessary changes to return to balance.”

Through the years she has encountered some surprises, including expectations she had for her vocation.

“Regardless of how fulfilling religious life is, there will still be times of loneliness, even in community,” she said. “Everyone experiences this loneliness naturally regardless of vocation, because it comes from the empty place in our hearts that only God can fill. When I feel this, I know I need to take some extra time in prayer.”

LOOKING AHEAD

Ever the educator, Sister Marge plans to continue teaching at Red Bank, with additional stints speaking in parishes and for other Catholic groups.

For those considering becoming a Sister, she has advice:

Father Schlageter: ‘I love the Church’

something he enjoyed immensely.

“I love young adults – they are beautiful and funny; college is like a microwave of life – they enter teenagers and leave confident young adults,” he said.

His ministry has included teaching at St. Francis High School, Buffalo, and John Carroll High School, Fort Pierce, Fla.; campus minister for 22 years at Western Connecticut State University, Danbury, Conn., and at The Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C., 1998-2010. He was hired by Bishop [then-Father] David M. O’Connell, C.M., who was president of CUA at the time.

“Students from CUA go all over the country and do tremendous things,” Father Schlageter said, recalling the service trips to Africa that he made with several of them. “It was such a powerful, beautiful experience. The students were normal kids, facing all the same challenges, but in their toolbox, they had the gift of faith.”

From 2010 onward, he was pastor of three parishes, all with schools: St. Paul, Kensington, Conn.; St. Ann, Columbus, Ga.; and St. Peter, where he remains today.

“In my parishes, everywhere I’ve gone, the people have been

“Spend time in prayer, connect with a spiritual director, and learn about different religious communities … Learn about their ways of life and ministries to see if God is touching [your] heart in any special way. I, personally, found myself drawn to the joy I felt when I was in the company of the Sisters of Mercy.”

Sister Marge had her profession ring engraved with the motto “With an everlasting love” – a phrase inspired by Jeremiah 31:3.

“As I have grown older … I am acutely aware that I am most blessed, especially with God’s generous gifts of love and mercy,” she said. “And, I am grateful.”

very different; I have fallen in love with them and cried every time I’ve left,” Father Schlageter said. “New Jersey people are great – they’re affectionate, supportive, honest … I just enjoy them.”

CHALLENGES AND TRIUMPHS

A more polarized society and a more secularized world have been trying factors in his priesthood, but not his dedication to the Church.

“No matter where the Church goes, no matter the prevailing winds, I love the Church and I will be faithful to it,” Father Schlageter said. “Christ calls us to find common ground for mutual respect for even those who disagree with us; the common good should be our priority – that’s the challenge.”

He has watched schools under his pastorship struggle and then begin to rebuild financially, including St. Peter’s, where this year “our kindergarten will have the highest enrollment in a decade. We give them the quality, faith-filled education that families want.” He also hopes to start a youth ministry in the parish based on LIFE Teen.

“Every human being needs to find something that makes their heart beat fast,” he said of contemplating a vocation. “If you feel that God is calling you, say ‘yes.’ … I invite people who have left the Church to come back. Don’t expect to find perfection –all we are is a bunch of sinners trying to find our way home.”

Posing with RBC students, Sister Marge joins in the school’s blue-andpink dress down day fundraiser on behalf of Caseys4Life. Courtesy photo

‘It’s

Not About Me’

Sister Monica embraces 25 years of ‘being’ with Sisters, God

BY EMMALEE ITALIA  Contributing Editor

From the Philippines to Florida to the Monastery of St. Clare in Chesterfield, Poor Clare Sister Monica Dy Muncada has traveled thousands of miles in her 25 years of religious life. But her journey has always kept her close to the Lord.

“Having been guided by God to the path he intends for me, now it’s my turn to show and lead others to theirs by faithfully living out my vocation,” she said.

SIMPLE BEGINNINGS

Born in Laoang, Philippines, as the third of four children, with one sister and two brothers, Sister Monica said she grew up always wanting “to become a religious sister.”

After graduating from an Augustinian high school, Monica asked her parents if she could join the Augustinian community.

“The Sisters would let me finish my studies and obtain a college diploma from their school as part of their postulancy program,” she said.

Her parents, however, did not immediately support her desire, as they believed she was too young to enter religious life.

“Education was their priority, and they wanted me to experience a ‘normal college life,’” Sister Monica explained. “My Dad told me that I could pursue whatever I wanted after college.”

a traditional Poor Clare habit, and I felt called to that kind of life,” Sister Monica reflected. “My desire to become an Augustinian Sister faded, and I began to inquire about the Poor Clares. Two years after that experience, I joined the Poor Clare community.”

Subsequently, she enrolled in the University of Eastern Philippines, Catarman, Northern Samar, and studied political science. It was during her second year on a trip to visit her aunt’s cousin that she found a new calling.

“It was there that I saw a picture of her cousin’s daughter in

CONTEMPLATING CHRIST

She entered the community Sept. 8, 1999, at St. Clare Monastery of the Assumption, Calbayog City, Samar, Philippines. On June 12, 2011, she transferred to the United States, settling at Christ the King Monastery, Delray Beach, Fla., in the Diocese of Palm Beach. Sister Monica came to the Diocese of Trenton Sept. 1, 2022, to the Monastery of St. Clare; in January 2023 she became a U.S. citizen.

A cloistered order, the Poor Clares live their lives devoted to prayer and work within their communities – something quite different from the life Sister Monica had experienced up to that point.

“Upon joining the monastery, I faced many challenges. Fresh from university and the comfort of my home, I saw how different enclosed life is from the life I used to live,” she said. “However, as I live out my calling daily, I have come to understand that religious life is not about me; it’s all about him who has called me and faithfully journeyed with me.

“Every day, we gaze upon him, contemplate him, and desire to imitate him,” Sister Monica continued. “We are called each day to love him wholly, as he gave his life entirely for our sake.”

Perseverance and faithfulness in the Poor Clare life is not about the number of years she has lived in the monastery, she noted.

“It’s about ‘being’ with my sisters every moment, living in obedience, and living in gratitude.”

Poor Clare Sister Monica Dy Muncada

Monastery of St. Clare in Chesterfield. Courtesy photos

Monastery of St. Clare prayer garden.

‘A Tug in my Heart’ Mercy Sister Barbara McDermott spent years discerning her vocation

BY EMMALEE ITALIA  Contributing Editor

Although the vocational call comes early for many, for some it comes later in life, as was the case for Mercy Sister Barbara Ann McDermott.

“My discernment process was ongoing for many years, and I felt a tug in my heart for religious life,” said Sister Barbara, who joined the Sisters of Mercy at age 47 and is celebrating her 25th anniversary.

That process began in a faith-filled home in Brooklyn, N.Y., where Barbara attended her parish school, St. Jerome School, and Catherine McAuley High School. There, her thoughts turned toward her vocation while surrounded by her teachers, who were Sisters of Mercy.

“My grandmother also had two cousins who were Sisters,” she said. “I had an inside view of Sisters not in a role, but as relatives.”

FINDING HER WAY

That experience was furthered in her college years. She commuted to St. Joseph’s College (now University), Brooklyn, for freshman year, then transferred to Georgian Court College (now University), Lakewood, when her family moved to New Jersey. It was there she was surrounded by the Sisters of Mercy – both as instructors and as dormmates.

“The coincidence of it all is significant; I was very happy there,” Sister Barbara recalled. “I think it facilitated my understanding of the vocation in that I was living among them … I saw them in a real-life setting, and I think that was a factor in my following a vocation. I got to know them as people.”

Sister Barbara earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree in education from GCU, and later a master’s degree in theology. Although she wanted to teach in a Catholic school, “there were no openings.”

Beginning as a substitute, Sister Barbara went on to teach first and second grades for 25 years in Whiting Elementary School, Whiting. She also taught second-grade religious education classes at St. Luke Parish, Toms River, for more than a decade. But the religious life was never far from her thoughts.

PASSING ON THE FAITH

At the gentle prodding of a Sister of Mercy friend, she became a lay associate of the Sisters of Mercy in 1992, thinking that would satisfy the yearning for a more religious experience.

“As a lay associate you are walking the path with the Sisters, but not taking vows,” she said. “But I still had that tug at my heart. Basically, the call to be a Sister did not fade away.”

Calling the timing “pretty perfect,” after 25 years she retired from public school teaching and joined the Sisters of Mercy in 1999. She brought her teaching talents to third graders at St. Joseph School, Keyport, for one year, then for four years to second graders at Our Lady of Victories School, Sayreville. One of her fond memories there is teaching the first Communion class.

“I loved teaching, and in the Catholic schools it was very meaningful for me to be a part of the children’s faith formation,” Sister Barbara said. “You can bring God to them in many ways … and you can go more deeply [with stories and morals] … and I hope that came across to them.”

Both schools have since closed, and Sister Barbara was the last religious Sister to teach in either school.

“That hit me. I felt that loss,” she said. “The lay teachers were very dedicated, bringing mercy to the children just as much as I was … I was no better than them, we were working together in a Catholic school to bring them the faith.”

MINISTRY OF LISTENING

Sister Barbara retired from teaching in 2010 and returned home to care for her aging parents. After they died, she returned to the Sisters of Mercy convent in Keansburg, where she remains an active member of St. Ann Parish, and serves as Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion to the homebound – something she also did for years at St. Luke’s.

“It’s a very sacred experience ... I’m witnessing their faith,” she said. “Receiving Communion is so important to them.”

She also emphasized the importance of spending time with them. “Bringing the Eucharist is the most important part, but the ministry of listening is important as well,” Sister Barbara noted. “I know it’s what they need … I’m being present to them.”

Sisters, she said, are “just human beings,” and for those considering a religious vocation, it’s important to “seek someone who can direct you spiritually and help you see what’s in your heart.”

Sister Barbara Ann McDermott

Christian Brother

Joseph W. Juliano

Christian Brother Joseph William Juliano was born in Philadelphia, Pa., and received The Habit on Sept. 24, 1994. Brother Joseph earned an associate degree in culinary arts and a bachelor’s degree in education, both from Johnson and Wales University, Providence, R.I. He holds several graduate degrees from La Salle University, Philadelphia; Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, and the University of Notre Dame, Ind.

Brother Joseph began teaching at Central Catholic High School in Pittsburgh, serving also as the campus minister. In 2008, Brother Joseph was the president of The San Miguel School of Camden. After finishing his term as president, he returned to teaching at Calvert Hall College High School in Baltimore, Md. In 2015, Brother

moved to Lincroft and took a position with The Brothers of the Christian Schools, District of Eastern North America, as the director of administration in Eatontown.

George S. Hassler Funeral Home

Brian

Joseph

Christian Brother Joseph William Juliano

In Mother’s Footsteps

Missionaries of Charity give 25 years of selfless service in Diocese

BY MARY STADNYK  Associate Editor

For 25 years the Missionaries of Charity have carried on the legacy of their founder, St. Teresa of Kolkata, by being of service to the poor, the sick and the downtrodden right here in the Diocese of Trenton.

The silver jubilee milestone of the sisters establishing a convent in Asbury Park was quietly commemorated June 6 during a Mass of Thanksgiving celebrated by Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., in Holy Innocents Church, Neptune.

“For 25 years, the Missionaries of Charity have been a great blessing to our Diocese,” said Bishop O’Connell. “Their prayers and the incredible witness of their lives have kept the spirit of Mother Teresa alive in our Diocese. Congratulations, Sisters, and thank you!”

HUMBLE BEGINNINGS

colors of the sisters’ habits. A life-size statue of Mother Teresa sits on the front lawn.

ALWAYS PRESENT

Each day, the Sisters’ ministry takes them to visit shutins and provide comfort and consolation to those in need. They operate a soup kitchen three days a week; they work with the homebound senior citizens, visiting them and praying with them; on Sundays, they visit nursing homes; they serve hot food at the nearby train stations on Saturdays; they visit families and teach religious education classes in Mother of Mercy Parish. They host a cooking club for boys and girls, and they lead a summer Bible camp.

“We are very grateful to God for the opportunity given to us to serve the poor,” said Sister Perrine, superior of the four sisters currently residing in the convent. The others are Sister M. Ann Cyril, Sister M. Christea, and Sister M. Tonia. “They [the poor] are our treasure; they are very happy to receive us.”

In June 1995, Mother Teresa visited the Diocese and attended Mass at St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton. During the Mass, Bishop John C. Reiss, who was then the Diocese’s sitting Bishop, presented a letter to Mother Teresa “formally and canonically” inviting the Missionaries of Charity to establish a residence in the Diocese.

“The presence of your sisters in our Diocese would be a tremendous blessing in our mission to serve the poor and needy in our midst,” Bishop Reiss wrote in the letter. “I hope and pray, Mother Teresa, that we can welcome you and the Missionary Sisters here in the Church of the Diocese of Trenton.”

It took three-and-a-half years before permission was granted and Bishop Reiss’ invitation came to fruition. In November 1998, the Diocese received a letter from the order’s motherhouse in Kolkata, India, seeking approval for a residence within a city where their service would meet the greatest needs. After visiting a number of sites throughout the Diocese, the sisters asked to be established in a house on the western side of Asbury Park, an area that had preponderance of poor.

The Sisters’ official arrival in the Diocese was June 6, 1999, the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Jesus. They live on Ridge Avenue in a house that’s distinguished by its colors of white with blue trim awnings, similar to the

Sister Perrine smiled when she spoke of how pleased they are to be able to carry out the work of Mother Teresa, who was canonized Sept. 4, 2016, by Pope Francis.

“God has blessed us with thousands of opportunities to feed the poor, teach his children, visit the sick and imprisoned and bring many souls to know and love him,” she said.

At the Jubilee Mass of Thanksgiving –celebrated 25 years to the day from when the sisters began their work in Asbury Park – Sister Perrine extended appreciation to Bishop O’Connell and the priests for their presence at the Mass.

“We give thanks to God for the many people who have helped us – some from the very beginning until now,” she said. “Our dearest Mother Teresa never claimed the work as her own but with deep conviction would say, ‘It’s all God’s work!

“Well, God went to work,” Sister Perrine said. “God has continued his work and blessed us with thousands of opportunities to feed the poor, teach the children, visit the sick and imprisoned and bring many souls to know and love him.”

One of the MIssionaries of Charity sisters participates in an intergenerational activity with students of Mother of Mercy Parish, Asbury Park, and their families.

Courtesy photo

Bishop O’Connell poses for a photo with Missionaries of Charity and priests of the Diocese after the June 6 Mass of Thanksgiving in Holy Innocents Church, Neptune. Staff photo

The four Missionaries of Charity sisters currently residing in Asbury Park attend the July 7 Mass celebrating the canonical establishment of the Red Bank Oratory of St. Philip Neri. The Mass was celebrated by Bishop David M. O’Connell C.M. Mike Ehrmann photo

Dearest Sr. Pat Dearest Sr. Pat

WE ARE SAD TO SEE YOU GO...

... but we are thankful for the time we spent together.

May your future be filled with blessings and happiness.

God bless you always, Fr. Dela Cruz, Clergy, and Staff at the Church of St. Ann

OUR LA DY OF HOPE PROVINCE CELEBRATES

Jubilarians

75 YEARS

S ister Irene M Sarnecki

70 YEARS

S ister Lucille M Bruno

G od bless our jubilarian s for transforming th e world through their lives dedicat e d to service.

Congratulations to all the Priests, Deacons and Religious Celebrating a Milestone Anniversary. From... FelicianSistersNA.org/ Jubilarians

Sr.Pat McGinley

Congratulations Rev. Msgr. Kenard J. Tuzeneu!

Congratulations Rev. Msgr. Kenard J. Tuzeneu!

Happy 45th Anniversary of Ordination Msgr. Ken!

Happy 45th Anniversary of Ordination Msgr. Ken!

St. Mary’s Parish is so blessed, honored and fortunate to have you as our Beloved Pastor We thank you for all your service, wisdom, compassion, strength, leadership and dedication to our Church and our parishioners. May God’s Blessings continue to shine down upon you and guide you as you continue your priestly journey.

St. Mary’s Parish is so blessed, honored and fortunate to have you as our Beloved Pastor. We thank you for all your service, wisdom, compassion, strength, leadership and dedication to our Church and our parishioners. May God’s Blessings continue to shine down upon you and guide you as you continue your priestly journey.

Congratulations to our Deacons!

Congratulations to our Deacons!

Congratulations to Deacon James Petrauskas on his 30th anniversary and Deacon Steven Wagner on his 10th anniversary!

Congratulations to Deacon James Petrauskas on his 30th anniversary and Deacon Steven Wagner on his 10th anniversary!

On behalf of St. Mary’s Church, we offer our sincerest congratulations on these very blessed occasions. We thank you for all your hard work, generous service and dedication to our Parish family.

On behalf of St. Mary’s Church, we offer our sincerest congratulations on these very blessed occasions. We thank you for all your hard work, generous service and dedication to our Parish family.

Lives of Faith Priest

MILESTONES

Faith Builder

For 50 years, Father Bou’s passion has been focusing on others’ needs

BY ANGELICA CHICAIZA  Correspondent

Becoming a priest in the Society of the Divine Word community has been a good fit for Father Pedro L. Bou, parochial vicar of Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish, Lakewood.

He’s found it to be a community that has fulfilled his lifelong desire to serve as a missionary and to help people in need by making their lives easier.

What Father Bou didn’t expect is that he would not have to travel far to be a missionary. In his 50 years of priesthood, he found that there was work to be done right where he was.

“When I looked around, I thought we have a mission right here in the U.S., and I can help our Latino community,” he said. And that’s been the focal point of many of his 50 years of priesthood – 48 in the Diocese of Trenton, where he has established parish communities and helped people grow closer to their faith.

ADDRESSING CHALLENGES

Father Bou was born in Puerto Rico in 1945 to Fransisco Bou and Nicomedes Cosme. He was nine years old when his family relocated to Chicago. It was there that he gained great

Divine Word

Father Pedro Bou leads a Eucharistic procession with the Blessed Sacrament for the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Jesus June 2.

Vic Mistretta photos

of Providence Parish, Neptune, in 1981, to minister to the area’s growing Hispanic community, and after that he was transferred to St. Anthony Claret, a Hispanic parish in Lakewood. After serving several assignments in other parts of the Diocese, Father Bou returned to St. Anthony Claret Parish in 2005 as pastor and remained there until he stepped down as pastor but continued as parochial vicar, his current assignment.

awareness and empathy for the immigrant population and the challenges and difficulties they faced in assimilating to a new culture.

Father Bou attended public schools, graduating in 1965. He recalled that the course he took in Latin sparked curiosity among his friends. When asked why he took Latin, Pedro, who was young and embarrassed, told his friends that he wanted to be a doctor. Little did they know that Pedro was actually discerning a call to priesthood.

“Until I got enough courage to publish in the yearbook that I wanted to be a priest,” he kept saying he wanted to be a doctor, Father Bou said.

Father Bou’s taste for ministry started at age 14, when he began volunteering in his parish and developed a deeper connection and growing love for his Catholic faith. He recalled the youth minister, Diane Thyer, who “always noticed that I was a little different … that I was more spiritual than the other guys. ... She suggested that I should look into priesthood, and I really liked the idea.”

The Society of the Divine Word and its work with humble and poor people appealed to Father Bou. “So, I reached out to them,” he said, noting that, at the time, it was the beginning of spring and by September, he was in the seminary.

His schooling included Divine Word Seminary, Miramar, Mass.; Divine Word College, Epworth, Iowa, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology, and Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. He was ordained in 1974 at the community’s Chicago province in Techny, Ill.

Father Bou arrived in New Jersey in 1976 and was assigned to St. Peter Claver Parish, Asbury Park, a culturally diverse community, where he set out to learn new ways to engage with the parishioners and be of service to them.

His next assignment was as the founding pastor of Our Lady

MEETING THE NEEDS

“There are many people out here that are hurting, and I like to bring people to their faith,”

Father Bou said, noting that he believes there are many people who experience sadness, estrangement or seem lost simply because they lack sufficient knowledge about their faith.

“God is inviting us to be one with him to have a relationship with him,” he said, and one way for people to grow in their faith is through formation programs.

Father Bou said he has been most fulfilled as a priest when he has been able help to “resolve difficulties that people are facing,” whether it’s helping to establish a parish community, participating in something fun such as a “dunk tank” to raise funds for a special need, or fostering a deeper love for faith among the community.

Father Bou plans to retire to his community’s motherhouse in Techny but emphasizes that his heart remains dedicated to serving others.

“I still have so much energy to give,” he said.

Divine Word Father Pedro Bou celebrates Mass June 2 in Holy Family Church, Lakewood.

Father Hesko preaches his homily during a Mass he celebrated June 23 as he prepared to retire as pastor of St. Catherine Laboure Parish, Middletown. Mike Ehrmann photo

‘A

Quieter Life’

Father Hesko looks forward to

prayer,

charity after 40-year ministry

BY EMMALEE ITALIA  Contributing Editor

As Father Daniel Hesko considered his 40 years of priesthood and looked forward to retirement, he also considered his challenges, including “a few big health issues.”

“These have taught me that I need to rely on help, and also a movement toward letting go,” said Father Hesko, who has spent the past 30 years as administrator, then pastor of St. Catherine Laboure Parish, Middletown.

Battling mobility constraints, his retirement plans include relocating to Virginia to be near family.

“I have contacted the local clergy and hope to be of some use,” he noted. “I hope to spend a deeper time in living a quieter life of prayer, penance and charity.”

priesthood, Father Hesko said: “Keep your eyes on Christ. Learn to laugh and strive to be available with the people you are privileged to serve.”

Born in 1954 in Philadelphia, young Daniel began to consider the priesthood in his teenage years.

Father Hesko, who has served in the Trenton Diocese since 1989, also recalled his initial vocational goal: “To grow closer in my relationship with Christ.”

To young priests and those considering a vocation to the

“I was greatly influenced by the Redemptorist Fathers at the St. John Neumann Shrine in Philadelphia,” he said.

As a young man he attended Philadelphia College of the Bible and St. Alphonsus College, Suffield, Conn., graduating with a bachelor of science degree. He then entered the Baltimore Province of the Redemptorists, spending a philosophical year at St. Alphonsus and his novitiate in Oconomowoc, Wis.

He enrolled in Mount St. Alphonsus Seminary in Esopus, N.Y., where he earned master’s degrees in religious education and divinity. He was ordained May 26, 1984, in the Esopus chapel, the first priest to be ordained by New York’s new archbishop, John O’Connor, who became a cardinal the following year.

Father Hesko began his priestly ministry in Maryland,

appointed first to St. Wenceslaus Parish, Baltimore, 1984-85, before moving to St. Gerard Parish in Lima, Ohio, 1985-88, followed by an assignment at St. Paul Parish, Norwalk, Ohio.

“We all learn from one another as we mature in life,” he said of the wisdom imparted from the parishioners to whom he ministered. “Entering into good friendships with so many people has been life-giving.”

He began his ministry in the Diocese of Trenton at St. Joseph Parish, now part of Our Lady of Fatima Parish, Keyport, serving there 1989-91. He served at St. Ann Parish, Lawrenceville, 1991-92, and St. Martha Parish, Point Pleasant. He was incardinated into the Diocese of Trenton May 18, 1993.

In his time at St. Catherine Laboure, Fa-

ther Hesko served parishioners of the Jersey Shore faith community and those who visited for the summer. In 1999 he was appointed spiritual director of the Blue Army of Our Lady of Fatima chapter in Monmouth County.

trentonmonitor.smugmug.com

Rev.
Daniel
C.
Hesko,
“Fr.
Dan”

Congratulations
on
your
Retirement,
on
the
40th
anniversary
 of
your
ordination,
and
30
years
as
pastor
of
St.
Catherine’s!

We
are
forever
grateful
for
the
spiritual
guidance
and
 leadership
you
have
provided.
May
your
retirement
years
be
 filled
with
joy,
good
health,
and
the
continued
blessings
of
God.

St.
Catherine
Labouré
Church
Parishioners

Rev.
Richard
Osborn,
Administrator

“You
are
a
priest
 forever
according
 to
the
order
 of
Melchizedek.” -
Hebrews
7:17

Father Hesko receives well-wishes from parishioners following Mass.

A long line of parishioners wait to greet Father Manning and wish him well on his retirement.

‘Everything for Jesus’

Bringing about healing is focal point of Father Manning’s priesthood

BY MARY STADNYK  Associate Editor

After 27 years of service, Father Michael Manning is settling into retirement with a grateful heart for the experiences he’s had and the people he’s encountered serving as a priest of the Diocese of Trenton.

“I am most impressed by the many yet varied ways Jesus has been present in my priesthood,” said Father Manning, who retired July 1 as pastor of Holy Cross Parish, Rumson.

“I am also grateful for both the joyful and sorrowful ways ministry is conforming my priesthood to Christ,” he said, then noted that, over the years, he has tried to model his priesthood after some very good advice he received years ago: “Do everything for Jesus.”

That is what Mother Teresa of Calcutta told him June 18, 1995, the day she attended Mass at St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton. Father Manning, at the time, was among the diocesan seminarians seated in the front pew, and he had an opportunity to chat briefly with her.

CHRIST’S CONSTANT PRESENCE

Christ has guided Father Manning throughout his life, but most especially in the ways he helped others.

He recalls his desire to help was something instilled in him when he was young, but, at the time, he was trying to decide between medical school and the seminary. Ultimately, he

responded to both calls. He first became a physician, graduating from The State University of New York Downstate Medical Center in 1975, then for 17 years worked as a gastroenterologist on Staten Island until 1992. He realized that, while his life was good and he enjoyed his work, he had become restless, and the thoughts he had about priesthood decades ago were resurfacing.

Father Manning took a leap of faith and put aside his career and home and began his preparation for priesthood at St. Mary’s Seminary and University, Baltimore.

DEEPEST YEARNINGS

Ever since his May 17, 2017, ordination by Bishop John C. Reiss in St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Father Manning said all he ever sought to do was “be a good priest and serve wherever I was sent.” His assignments included serving as parochial vicar in St. Gregory the Great Parish, Hamilton Square, and St. Martha Parish, Point Pleasant. In 2002, he was appointed temporary administrator of St. William the Abbot Parish, Howell, and was named pastor the following year. In 2004, he was named pastor of Holy Cross Parish.

On a diocesan level, he was part-time coordinator of Respect Life Ministries, 2000-2006. With his medical expertise and vocation experience going hand-in-hand, Father Manning authored a book, “Euthanasia and Physician Assisted Suicide: Killing or Caring?” At the time of its publication by Paulist Press, reviews for his book noted his ability to frame the ongoing

debate over euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide. He also served as a member of the Ethics Committee for the former St. Francis Medical Center, Trenton; as an instructor at Georgian Court University, Lakewood; and lectured on ethics at Staten Island University Hospital and Gwynedd Mercy College School of Nursing, Gwynedd Valley, Pa.

Father Manning has experienced many joys as a priest; he said the highlights were administering the Sacraments and preaching. He finds it a “real blessing” to pray at funeral Masses, especially when he knew the deceased or their family.

“Being with the family in their grief can be a powerful source of consolation for them, and [it also] helps strengthen my own faith in the power of Christ’s Cross and Resurrection,” he said. Baptisms are “filled with life and hope,” he said, adding that weddings are always joyful, and it is a privilege to celebrate the Sacrament of the Sick. He enjoyed Confirmations and said that the Easter Vigil and Holy Week liturgies “helped me grow as the spiritual leader of the parish.”

A big challenge for him has been serving parish families who were hurting and wounded. One situation was the result of an allegation of abuse, and another was because of financial improprieties.

“Dealing with anger, disappointment, loss of faith, hurt and division was challenging. The road ahead was not always clear,” he said, but the experiences “helped my own faith and deepened my reliance on Jesus.” He added that the tragedy of 9/11 and the fears during COVID-19 were things “we all struggled through.”

In retirement, Father Manning plans to spend more time in prayer, take a restful vacation, and he looks forward to helping in local parishes “as the Holy Spirit guides me.” If invited, he’ll pursue his longtime favorite hobby of judging local dog shows.

“My two vizslas will be good companions,” he said. “There are several hiking trails near my new home which we will explore.”

Standing at the ambo, Father Manning looks out at the congregation during one of the last Masses he celebrated as pastor of Holy Cross Parish, Rumson. John Batkowski photos

Having Total Trust

Father Schuler ‘can’t say enough about the people of God’

BY MARY STADNYK  Associate Editor

As Divine Word Father Stephen Schuler prepares for his mid-July move from Hamilton to Techny, Ill., where he will live in retirement, he takes with him a treasure trove of happy memories of his 45 years of priesthood.

Most especially he treasures celebrating the Sacraments and being among the people he has served as an associate pastor, school chaplain and pastor in Louisiana as well as the years he spent assisting in parishes in the Trenton Diocese.

“If there’s anything that I have learned it is to trust in the people you serve,” said the 72-year-old Father Schuler, who was born in 1952 in Ness City, Kansas. “The people do want to take ownership of their parish, and they will. Just give them a chance. And the people respond generously.”

INSPIRED BY EXAMPLE

Father Schuler recalled being very young – second grade –when the seed for a priestly vocation was planted. Along with attending a Catholic grammar school, he was largely influenced by his uncle, who was a priest and someone he greatly admired. He also had an aunt who was a Sister of St. Joseph and a grandmother who constantly prayed her grandson would be a priest.

“The seed continued to grow,” he said. “I couldn’t get the idea out of my head.”

He was in sixth grade when he first learned about the Society of the Divine Word community through a class assignment

in which the students had to research a religious community. Stephen’s initial resource was his grandparents’ subscription to a magazine on the Capuchin Franciscans. While reading it, he was intrigued by a small ad on the Divine Word community and their work as missionaries throughout the world. He considered entering a high school seminary, but instead he attended his local city high school.

After graduation, he worked as a cook in a restaurant, but thoughts of being a priest persisted to the point he was losing sleep. He prayed and decided the only way he would know if he had a vocation was to visit Divine World College in Epworth, Iowa.

“I went and I stayed,” said Father Schuler. That was 48 years ago, and on Dec. 15 he will celebrate his 45th anniversary as a priest. In addition to attending Divine Word College, he studied at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago.

VARIED WORK

Father Schuler smiled when he said how pleased he was for the opportunity to serve as a missionary in the United States. During his early years, he was part of the community’s Southern Province based in Bay St. Louis, Missouri, and had assignments in Louisiana. He was associate pastor of Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish, Lafayette; chaplain and religion teacher at Holy Rosary Institute in Lafayette; pastor of St. Benedict the Moor Parish in Duson, and pastor of Our Lady of the Lake and St. Martin de Porres parishes, Delcambre. While at St. Benedict the Moor, he oversaw a capital campaign and the building of a

Divine Word Father Stephen Schuler celebrates Mass in St. Mary Church, Bordentown, one of two parishes where he served as a weekend assistant prior to his retirement.

Joe Moore photo

new parish center, an endeavor he found to be both a blessing and a challenge.

An opportunity for Father Schuler to transfer to Divine Word’s Chicago province led to his arrival in the Diocese of Trenton, where he lived in the Divine Word Missionaries residence in Bordentown and was a weekend assistant in numerous parishes, including St. George, Titusville, and Corpus Christi, Willingboro. When the residence closed in 2021, he went to live at St. Raphael-Holy Angels Parish, Hamilton, where he has assisted with Masses. He also has helped at Mary, Mother of the Church Parish, Bordentown.

SERVING WITH HUMILITY

Father Schuler has celebrated Mass for the Poor Clare Sisters in Chesterfield; provided pastoral care to the Catholic patients in Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in Hamilton; offered pastoral care for Catholic residents in two nursing homes; and regularly visited about 40 homebound parishioners.

The home visits, he said, are humbling: “[I] have people sharing their lives with me.” He also enjoys the school year, and from his office window watching and hearing the energetic students of St. Raphael School at play during their recess.

“It’s the people who keep me going,” Father Schuler said. “I

Father Gene Daguplo and the parishioners of St. Raphael-Holy Angels Parish hosted a farewell Mass and celebration for Father Schuler on July 7. Father Schuler lived in residence in the Hamilton parish.

can’t say enough about the people of God.”

Father Schuler has a list of favorite hobbies he looks forward to pursuing in retirement: gardening, cooking, playing computer games, and doing word searches. He also plans to spend more time with his three brothers, two of whom live in Kansas and one in Florida, and, if his schedule permits, he’ll return to the Trenton Diocese to visit.

“I never say ‘Goodbye,’” Father Schuler said. “I’d much rather say ‘Farewell.’”

Family Owned and Operated for Two Generations

Family Owned and Operated for Two Generations

Family Owned and Operated for Two Generations

Family Owned and Operated for Two Generations

Family Owned and Operated for Two Generations

Family Owned and Operated for Two Generations

ST. MARY, BARNEGAT: Msgr. Kenard Tezeneu~45 years | Father Nestor Chavenia~30 years | Deacon James Petrauskas~30 years | Steven Wagner~10 years

The Intelisano Family offers our congratulations and best wishes to old and new friends on your Ordination Anniversaries!

The Intelisano Family offers our congratulations and best wishes to old and new friends on your Ordination Anniversaries!

ST. MONICA, JACKSON: Deacon Christian Knoebel~10 years

Silverton Memorial Funeral Home

ST. DOMINIC, BRICK: Father Carlo Calisin~10 years

The Intelisano Family offers our congratulations and best wishes to old and new friends on your Ordination Anniversaries! 732-255-6363 • www.silvertonmemorial.com

ST. JUNIPERO SERRA, SEASIDE PARK: Father Michael Lorentsen~30 years

Silverton Memorial Funeral Home

ST. PIUS X, FORKED RIVER: Father Richard Basznianin~40 years | Deacon James Heller~40 years | Deacon Earl Lombardo~35 years | Deacon Philip Craft~10 years

2482 Church Road, Toms River, NJ (732) 255-6363

Silverton Memorial Funeral Home

2482 Church Road, Toms River, NJ (732) 255-6363

ST. JOSEPH, TOMS RIVER: Deacon Thomas Genovese~15 years

Silverton Memorial Funeral Home

2482 Church Road, Toms River, NJ (732) 255-6363

2482 Church Road, Toms River, NJ (732) 255-6363

Silverton Memorial Funeral Home 2482 Church Road, Toms River, NJ (732) 255-6363

2482 Church Road, Toms River, NJ (732) 255-6363

ST. ELIZABETH ANN SETON, WHITING: Deacon Peter Downing~10 years

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Gregory De John, Director, N.J. Lic. No. 4261

Photo from St. Raphael-Holy Angels Facebook page

Father William Dunlap, retired priest of the Diocese, celebrates Mass July 7 in Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish, Hainesport. At left is Deacon Leo Zito, parish pastoral associate.

Growing with the Church

Father Dunlap inspired to teach, lead others to understanding

BY EMMALEE ITALIA  Contributing Editor

While 50 years of priesthood is certainly an occasion to celebrate for Father William Dunlap, retired priest of the Diocese, a poignant moment many years prior stands out for him.

“I made the choice at three years old, 72 years ago, that I wanted to be a priest,” he recalled. “We were longtime residents of Trenton and went to Sacred Heart Parish; the priests there impressed me so much, the way they preached, and they were so nice… that just stayed in my mind all those years.”

SOLID FOUNDATION

Father Dunlap was born in the Diocese in 1947 and attended Sacred Heart School, which reinforced the Catholic values his family espoused.

“I guess I wanted to grow with the Church – in depth of personality, intelligence, spirituality,” he said of his early calling to the priesthood. “That growth encompassed teaching. When I was little, I wanted to be a priest-teacher. The sermons [from my childhood] taught things, encompassing funny stories … that ‘AhHA’ moment – that’s what I wanted to do, to teach the Gospel of Christ to those with open ears.”

After a recommendation to the bishop from his parish priest, young William went to the School of St. Philip Neri in Boston

to complete high school Latin and prepare for the seminary. He then attended Trinitarian College, Baltimore, and St. Bonaventure University and Christ the King Seminary in New York. Bishop George W. Ahr ordained him to the priesthood May 18, 1974, in St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton.

FULFILLING MINISTRY

His first assignment – for 10 years – was at St. Mary of the Lake (now part of Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish), Lakewood; it was a testing ground for his teaching desire.

“I would use object lessons as part of the homily,” he explained. “A stalk of wheat, a sword, a plank – something attached to the object that would relate to the Readings.”

Although not a teacher by profession, Father Dunlap enjoyed any opportunity to impart the love of God to parishioners and students in at Holy Family School, Lakewood. One setting he particularly enjoyed was working with engaged couples.

“Part of the teaching aspect was teaching [them] how to write a marital mission statement, which included lessons on communication, how to read body language, how to share a vision of what is most important,” he recalled.

His ministry continued in Ocean County as temporary administrator in Epiphany Parish, Brick, and later in St. Justin the Martyr Parish, Toms River. After serving briefly as temporary administrator of St. Jerome Parish (now part of Our Lady of Hope Parish), West Long Branch, Father Dunlap returned to Mercer County as parochial vicar in St. Anthony Parish (now part of Our Lady of Sorrows-St. Anthony Parish), Hamilton,

Joe Moore photos

from 1989-1990. He became pastor of Visitation Parish, Brick, serving there for 19 years before being named pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help-St. Agnes Parish, Atlantic Highlands. In 2013 he became parochial vicar of St. Catharine-St. Margaret Parish, Spring Lake.

Figuring out how each parish functioned was “all part of the experience – the faith expression of the parish … seeing different traditions born … I’m so impressed with the musical variety at each. And good pastors encourage the laity to participate.”

Father Dunlap also served three-year terms on the diocesan Priest Personnel Committee, in 1991 and 1995, and served a decade as spiritual director of the diocesan Cursillo Movement. Through it all, the genuineness of parishioners encouraged his ministry. “How sincere they are about their faith,” he noted, “and how important it is to them to have good music, a good homily, and that they’re serious about their prayer life – that was really bolstering. To encounter all these people who wanted to be there – that sincerity gives you wings.”

COMING FULL CIRCLE

Life has taken a simpler course in retirement for Father Dunlap, who enjoys growing a variety of tomatoes in the courtyard of his home in Villa Vianney, Lawrenceville. But he travels the Diocese to celebrate Masses for different parish communities, revisiting parishes in which he served and getting to know new ones.

He advises anyone considering a vocation to ask the Lord what to do.

“Someone who’s considering the sisterhood or priesthood should have the uppermost goal of doing the will of God,” he said. “That has to be part of the goal – ‘Is this what God wants?’

“As mysterious as that is, it gets answered mysteriously, too,” he added. “You grow into that, and that becomes another motivating factor.”

#For more photos, visit trentonmonitor.smugmug.com

The Parish Family of Sacred Heart, Trenton Prayerful Congratulations

Father William Dunlap

On his 50th Anniversary of Ordination

Retired, Villa Vianney

Monsignor Edward Arnister

On his 45th Anniversary of Ordination

Pastor, St. Rose, Belmar

Father Stanley Lukaszewski

On his 45th Anniversary of Ordination

Retired, Villa Vianney

10 Year Priestly Anniversary

Sons of the Parish

Father Carlo Calisin

Parochial Vicar, St. Dominic, Brick

Father Rafael Esquen

Military Chaplain

Father Jean Felicien

Episcopal Secretary to Bishop O’Connell

Father Mark Nillo

Parochial Vicar, St. Mary, Middletown

“The priesthood is the Love of the Heart of Jesus.”

-Saint John Vianney

Monsignor Dennis Apoldite,

Father Charles Mu o rah, and the People of Sacred Heart Parish, Trenton

Father William Dunlap greets parishioners following Mass.

Answering the Call

Father John T. Folchetti found many ways to be of help to people

BY EMMALEE ITALIA  Contributing Editor

Answering the call to the priesthood for Father John T. Folchetti, pastor of St. Leo the Great Parish, Lincroft, meant putting aside other interests – including the possibility of a medical profession. But it’s been 50 years, and he hasn’t looked back.

“There was a point in my young life when I wanted to be a priest and a medical doctor,” he recalled. “I even contemplated becoming a medical missionary in Africa. I felt called by Christ through the example and life of a priest I knew as well as the religious brothers.”

Father Folchetti has spent his half-century of priesthood by “assisting people in their moments of joy (Baptism, Marriage, First Holy Communion) and in moments of sorrow (the loss of a loved one, divorce, separation.)”

“I learned that people have a great hunger for God,” he said. “The hunger of some is obvious, and for others, not so obvious. But people have many questions about God and their faith, and they want to ask and have an answer for their questions.”

INSPIRED AND CALLED

Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., in 1946, John Folchetti was influenced in his vocation by nuns and priests in his family, his schoolteachers and the parish he attended.

“I was blessed with good and holy priests in my family’s parish,” he noted. “I was blessed to be taught by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Brentwood. My favorite subject was religion. Sister St. Bernard, my sixth-grade teacher, encouraged my vocation to the priesthood, as did my aunt, Sister Mary Beatrice. My high school teachers strongly supported my interest in the priesthood.”

He attended Cathedral College of the Immaculate Conception, Douglaston, N.Y., and was sent to the Pontifical North American College, Rome, where he pursued graduate studies in dogmatic theology and pastoral theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University. Then Bishop James A. Hickey, rector of the North American College, ordained Father Folchetti to the priesthood June 27, 1974, in St. Peter’s Basilica.

As a priest, Father Folchetti hoped “to deepen faith in Jesus Christ through the celebration of the Sacraments and priestly service,” he said. “I also wanted to facilitate community.”

He served at Immaculate Conception Parish, Astoria, N.Y., then Star of the Sea Parish, Brooklyn.

In 1982, Father Folchetti joined the faculty of Cathedral Prep Seminary, Elmhurst, N.Y., where he taught psychology and biology for three years. In 1985, he was assigned to Cathedral College, his alma mater, as the dean of students and professor of psychology. During this period, Father Folchetti

 Father John T. Folchetti smiles during the June 30 Mass he celebrated for his golden jubilee of priesthood. Hal Brown photos

An niversar

y

50 YEARS

obtained a master’s degree in counseling psychology from Iona College.

From 1982 to 2009 he served as a weekend assistant at St. Rose of Lima Parish, Freehold. In 1988, he became chaplain of Christian Brothers Academy, Lincroft, and in 1993, Father Folchetti earned a doctorate in counseling psychology from the Graduate Theological Foundation and continued to work on his second doctorate in psychology from the same institute. He taught counseling psychology at Georgian Court College (now University), Lakewood, for 15 years. He was formally incardinated into the Diocese of Trenton in 2009 and was named pastor of St. Leo the Great Parish, Lincroft, by Bishop John M. Smith.

In 2013, New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan invested him as a Knight of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem; in 2016, the order’s grand master, Cardinal Edwin O’Brien, elevated Father Folchetti to Knight Commander of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre.

MINISTRY CONTINUES

Father Folchetti looks forward to continuing sacramental ministry and using his psychological counseling skills, providing retreats and classes in the Catholic faith and writing.

“I am very fond of Pope Benedict XVI,” he said, “and I have an extensive collection of his writings and would like to lecture on his life and his works.”

For those who feel called to serve the Lord as priest or religious, Father Folchetti advises: “Embrace the call with all your heart. Never look back. Always look for the guidance of the Holy Spirit, especially through the wisdom of other priests and those in religious life, and the laity, who have so much to offer.”

Father John T. Folchetti pauses for a photo with well-wishers.

Being of Service

Father Ignacio: 50 years of praying each day for the people of God

BY DOROTHY K. LAMANTIA  Correspondent

When Father Roberto “Tito” Ignacio was a boy in the Philippines, he noticed a very old priest in his school and thought, “There must be something beautiful about being a priest, because this man stayed in the priesthood so long.”

Fifty years later, he expressed gratitude for the daily Breviary, the Liturgy of the Hours, which he described as an anchor of his priesthood.

An niversar y 50 YEARS

“I began praying the Breviary each day as a postulant in 1966. Up to now, I have never missed the Prayer of the Hours unless I was sick,” he said.

“What I tell every new priest, ‘Don’t leave your Breviary. Always pray the official Prayer of the Church each day.’ I pray it for the people of God, which I promised to do as a priest. All we try to do is to get people to God and for forgiveness of their sins.”

He spoke about his role and goals as a confessor. “Confession is like taking a shower. It’s not about how dirty you are

but about how clean you want to be. I never get angry in the confessional. I need to encourage my people. I tell them, ‘It’s not about how sinful you are, but how you want to be a new person of God.’”

ANSWERING THE CALL

Since grade school, he loved learning about God and religion, but for a time as a teenager, he dreamed of a future accumulating wealth in a handsomely paid job. Reading the Scripture, “What does it profit a man if he gains the world and loses his soul?” reawakened his spiritual senses and set him on his true path.

When he attended the University of the Philippines, he studied for a bachelor of science degree in hygiene for 18 months and learned Latin to prepare for his time at the Central Seminary, Manila, where classes were taught in Latin.

Ordained a priest Dec. 2, 1974, for the Diocese of Malolos, Bulacan, Philippines, he served as associate pastor in several parishes within his home diocese, then as a pastor of a parish and as a hospital and prison chaplain.

In 1984 Father Ignacio came to the U.S. as a visiting priest in St. Ignatius Parish, Long Beach, N.Y. The next year, he attended a spirituality school of the Focolare Movement in Florence, Italy, after which he served as a visiting priest at St.

Father Roberto Ignacio preaches during Mass in St. Veronica Church, Howell, where he lives in residence.

Vic Mistretta photos

Joseph Church, Spring Valley, N.Y. The next six years he served as associate pastor #For more photos, visit

Father Jerome Nolan celebrates Mass June 23 in commemoration of his 50th anniversary of priesthood. John Batkowski photos

‘Thank you, Lord’

Father Nolan’s 50 years of blessings

BY DOROTHY K. LAMANTIA  Correspondent

As he looks back on his 50 years as a priest, Father Jerome Nolan feels nothing but gratitude for what he called “a beautiful, fortunate and happy life,” and one that’s been full of many blessings.

“‘Thank you, Lord,’” is Father Nolan’s continuous prayer.

“I have had such a rich life and career. I loved every minute. My family was so supportive, so close,” he said. “I look back and say, ‘I didn’t deserve how good God was to me.’”

Whether sharing in his parishioners’ joys at a wedding or comforting them at funerals, Father Nolan always found fulfillment serving the people.

An example he shared was Sept. 11, 2001, while he was pastor at Nativity Parish. “We lost parishioners who worked at the World Trade Center. It was a challenging, difficult time for me as a former New Yorker,” he said. “It was hard, but I was glad to be with the grieving families to bring God’s consolation.”

HUMBLE BEGINNINGS

Born to James and Mary Nolan in 1945, young Jerome and his three brothers and sister were raised in a strong Catholic neighborhood in Brooklyn, N.Y., near St. Mark Parish. His family’s devotion and his pastor’s influence provided a solid foundation for his faith life. He served as an altar boy and was enrolled in the parish school.

In high school, he developed a love of literature and considered becoming an English teacher. Instead, he trained as a claims examiner for an insurance company.

At a friend’s suggestion, he visited St. Mary’s College, St. Mary, Ky., where its “beautiful atmosphere” set him on a new course.

He was accepted at St. Mary’s to pursue the priesthood. After two years, he moved to Christ the King Seminary, St. Bonaventure, N.Y., to complete his studies.

In May 1974, Bishop George W. Ahr ordained him in St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton. He served as parochial vicar of Sacred Heart Parish, South Plainfield; St. Paul Parish (now part of St. Katharine Drexel Parish), Burlington; St. Dorothea Parish, Eatontown, and St. Dominic Parish, Brick.

In 1986, he became pastor of Holy Spirit Parish, Asbury Park, followed by Nativity Parish, Fair Haven. In 2004, he was assigned as pastor of Ascension Parish, Bradley Beach, then spent time in 2006 as temporary administrator of St. Elizabeth of Hungary Parish, Avon. Those two parishes became St. Teresa of Calcutta Parish, Bradley Beach.

MINISTRY DRIVEN

Father Nolan said the most important aspects of his vocation are proclaiming the Word and “making it relevant to my parishioners’ daily lives.”

“I love the liturgy,” he said.

He acknowledges that his ministries have brought out the teacher he once thought he would become and enriched his priesthood. Whenever his parish had a grammar school or a religious education program, he would teach a lesson in religion classes and be present to the children.

“I enjoyed the spirit of the teachers and their students and loved bringing faith into their lives,” he said.

Father Nolan especially enjoyed religious education programs and youth groups.

“I brought my experiences growing up to them and teen groups in many parishes. I got to know them, and they got to know me.

SUPPORTING ADULTS AND FAMILIES

“One of my greatest goals as a priest was to support adults in their faith journeys, so I became a kind of teacher to them. I wanted them to understand their faith, be comfortable with its teachings, and become a strong community of faith,” he said.

Parish families impress him. “In them I see the challenges of living the vocation of family life. I am impressed how husbands and wives work hard to keep the faith, handle their challenges, and work to hold a family together,” he said.

“All people were such a gift to me. As a pastor, I wanted to build a strong community of faith, and the people were always

so supportive. but the greatest challenge is that parishioners employed by corporations were always moving on. It seemed like we were always starting over.”

Father Nolan retired in 2018 but continues to assist at Our Lady of Hope Parish, West Long Branch. He also enjoys traveling, visiting family members and reading at the Jersey Shore.

Father Nolan greets parishioners following Mass in in St. Mary of the Assumption Church, Deal, part of Our Lady of Hope Parish, West Long Branch.

‘A

Happy Priest’

Fifty years ago, Father Papalia was told priests need backbone, funny bone

BY JOHN SPINELLI  Correspondent

Father Pasquale Papalia, retired priest of the Diocese, clearly recalls being told as a young man what it takes to be a successful priest. “You need a backbone and you need a funny bone,” he said with a smile. But ultimately, his goal as a priest is to do the will of God.

Now, at the 50th anniversary of his ordination, Father Papalia is able to celebrate his life as a priest in which he aspired to that ultimate goal, while staying strong and maintaining a sense of humor.

SOURCES OF INSPIRATION

Father Papalia was ordained May 25, 1974, for the Archdiocese of Newark by Bishop John Dougherty. Although he attended public school while growing up, Father Papalia’s faith was influenced by his hometown in Fairview that had a “Catholic ethos,” with many Polish, Irish, Italian and German neighborhoods. His family’s example also had an impact, as well as the priests in his parish “when I was a young person.

“I was attracted by their happiness, the devotion to the things which they did; but also, how human and funny they were,” he said. “They inspired me as a kid; you don’t realize it

until you get much older.”

Before entering the seminary, he studied at Seton Hall University, South Orange, then continued his vocation journey at the university’s Immaculate Conception Seminary, which in those days was in the Ramapo Mountains in Mahwah.

He transferred to the Trenton Diocese in 2003 to be closer to his parents, who had moved to the area. Before leaving the Archdiocese of Newark, he also served as a priest in the Ruthenian Catholic Church.

Although he retired from St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, Whiting, in 2022, his tenure in the Diocese of Trenton also included serving in St. James Parish, Red Bank; St. Benedict Parish, Holmdel; St. Mary Parish, Middletown; and Holy Name Parish, Delran (now part of Resurrection Parish, Delran).

In retirement, Father Papalia said, “it’s still a great pleasure to help out in nearby churches with Mass and continuing to practice the Holy Office.

“It’s nice to not worry about administration,” he added. “Now I focus on my prayer life, reasonable activity, helping

Father Papalia stands by the entrance to St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church, Whiting, at the start of his 50th anniversary Mass of Thanksgiving. Hal Brown photos

by whatever good I could do, and simply friendship with God in a state of grace.”

SHARING GOD’S GRACE

Father Papalia said that, as a priest, he wanted to bring God into people’s daily lives and help “people to be profoundly affected by the life of Christ by preaching.”

“I tried to have a good sense of liturgical worship and set an example by being approachable,” he said.

He admitted there were challenges to being a priest, including dealing with people in time of great grief.

“It’s one thing to learn it from the book, but it’s another thing looking at it in the face. You must be truly very kind and human and understanding to people in every situation,” he said.

“When people are suffering a lot, they are really stressed; as a priest, it’s our job to point them in the right direction and let God take it from there. What you learn from the people is that

A lighthearted photo of Father Papalia made the front cover of the worship aid for his 50th anniversary Mass. #For more photos, visit trentonmonitor.smugmug.com

they want God.

“The priest has to be a man of intense and regular prayer, devotion to the Holy Eucharist, and especially to the Mother of Our Lord with a love of Scripture and its regular study, who strives to be a conduit of God’s grace in every situation,” he continued.

As for his brother priests, Father Papalia spoke of how important it is for them to get together and share camaraderie and be supportive of one another.

“You must be a means in which God can come through, especially with the people,” he said, then added, “I am always happy as a priest.”

Congratulations to all the priests and deacons celebrating a milestone year

John F. Pfleger (Founder)

Gregory W. Pfleger (Owner)

Evan F. Pfleger (Manager) (N.J. Lic. No. 4714)

115 Tindall Road, Middletown, NJ 07748 • 732-671-1326

www.pflegerfuneralhome.com info@pflegerfuneralhome.com

Monmouth County with compassion and integrity for three generations at the same location.

‘Working Together’

Father Lago, St. Denis pastor, thrives on role of priest as teacher

BY CAROL OLIVIERI  Correspondent

Father William J. Lago, pastor of St. Denis Parish, Manasquan, finds that “the providence of God is always amazing.”

As Father Lago marks his silver jubilee of priesthood, he recalls being 3 years old when his family moved from the Bronx, where he was born, to Ocean Township. His family joined Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish, Asbury Park, where he attended elementary school. Throughout his life, he said, the parish was the center of his and his family’s life.

“I still carry those memories with me,” he said.

Father Lago went on to attend a public high school and, having an interest in science, he volunteered at a hospital. Father Lago attended Rutgers University and ventured “out of the Catholic bubble” into the secular world. However, he was involved in campus ministry, an experience he called his “home away from home.” His volunteer work continued in St. Peter Hospital, New Brunswick, as well as soup kitchens and nursing homes.

Each year on the Feast of Our Lady of the Assumption, Aug. 15, Father Lago and parishioners gather at the beachfront in Manasquan for the blessing of the ocean. The parishioners are then invited to wade into the ocean and collect their own jugs of newly blessed water.

ANSWERING THE CALL

At the end of his time at Rutgers, he “felt God inviting me, asking ‘Will you do this for me?’” Young William questioned his worthiness to be a priest and put this idea aside. Purdue University, where he went to graduate school, has a strong Catholic campus ministry. It was there that he started to attend retreats and Bible study. He heard the question again and came to the realization that “I am not worthy. God knows that, and that’s where God comes in.” It was with that realization that freed him to pursue the priesthood, he said, then added, that he takes great inspiration in the Scripture verse Psalm 18: 29, “With God, I can scale any wall.”

Initially he entered the Norbertines; he was more familiar with order priests than diocesan priests because his home parish was served by Trinitarians. As he learned more about diocesan priesthood, he felt “God calling me to parish life” and entered St. Charles Borromeo Seminary outside of Philadelphia for the Diocese of Trenton. Bishop John M. Smith ordained him May 15, 1999, in St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton.

SHARING THE FAITH

The role of priest as teacher has been ever-present in his ministry. In his first assignment, as parochial vicar of St. Raphael Parish (now part of St. Raphael-Holy Angels Parish), Hamilton, he was involved in the parish grammar school. He

Father William Lago, stands in the sanctuary of St. Denis Parish, Manasquan, with Deacon Gary Pstrak, left, and Deacon George Kelder. Courtesy photos

#For more photos, visit trentonmonitor.smugmug.com

had just completed his seminary training, including complex courses in theology, and found he needed to translate that into something that could be understood by first graders. At his next assignment at St. Rose Parish in Belmar, he had opportunities to work with grade school and high school students. He said he had great faith conversations with high school students.

YEARS

Father Lago reflects on God’s providence when he tells of having the opportunity to substitute for the chaplain at Monmouth University and interact with college students. He then had the opportunity to be the chaplain at The College of New Jersey, Ewing, where he spent four-anda-half years. He described it as a very rewarding, role, with daily programs and Mass every day and numerous chances for sharing conversations about the faith with the students.

Throughout his vocation, he loved teaching and sharing the faith. Now as pastor of St. Denis Parish, Father Lago uses his teaching skills every time he prepares a homily: “How do you make a homily fit every single person, age 7 to 97?”

SERVING WITH OTHERS

He also has a deep commitment to “working together for the good of the community and the good of the Body of Christ.”

In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, when he was at parochial vicar in St. Jerome Parish, West Long Branch, and St. Mary of the Assumption Parish, Deal, and campus minister at Monmouth University, he saw the strong effort of all groups coming together to help those in need. While pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help-St. Agnes Parish, Atlantic Highlands, Father Lago was a part of “a great ecumenical group that supported each other and worked together.”

As pastor of St. Denis, Father Lago offered space to a Boy Scout whose Eagle project was a community garden, but the Scout’s Presbyterian Church had no space. The garden is flourishing, with vegetables being given to the St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry, the Ecumenical Food Pantry in Manasquan and the Baptist Church Food Pantry.

In addition to his responsibilities as pastor at St. Denis, Father Lago is Vicar Forane for Coastal Monmouth County, an administrative position to assist the Bishop in the supervision of that region. Additionally, Father Lago has served as temporary administrator in St. Elizabeth Parish (now part of St. Teresa of Calcutta Parish), Avon, and temporary administrator in St. Alphonsus Parish, Hopewell.

The Parish Community of the Church of St. Denis, Manasquan celebrates the Silver Jubilee of REV. WILLIAM J.P. LAGO as a priest of the Diocese of Trenton. May God continue to bless him in his ministry.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 15,13

The Parishioners, Clergy and Staff of St. Raphael-Holy Angels Parish Hamilton Congratulate

Rev. Genaro Daguplo, Pastor – 40 years

Rev. Stephen Schuler, S.V.D. – 45 years and retirement

Deacon Gregory Costa – 10 years

On the Anniversary of

their

Ordination

May God Continue to Bless You in your Continued Service to the Church

Father Schwartz accepts the gifts of bread and wine during the Mass he celebrated June 9 for the Feast of the Sacred Heart, the parish feast day.

‘Take a

Second Look’

Father Schwartz’s 25 fulfilling years as a priest

BY CAROL OLIVIERI  Correspondent

Parishioners may be used to priests who have worked in a career before entering the seminary, but not many priests are converts to Catholicism. Father Charles Schwartz, pastor of Sacred Heart Parish, Riverton, fits both bills.

As a child, Father Schwartz was not even baptized. He was born in 1956 in Trenton and grew up in Hamilton Township. His mother was a Southern Baptist and his father was Catholic, but neither parent was very religious. Growing up, most religious influence came from his mother, but his nonreligious father said, “If I ever had to choose, I would choose Roman Catholic.” As a young teen, Father Schwartz thought “maybe I need to take a second look at this.”

That second look would not alter his life until much later. He attended Mercer County Community College and Birmingham-Southern College. After graduation, he taught part-time and went on to receive a master’s degree in library science from Rutgers University, New Brunswick. He worked for the State Superior Court of New Jersey and the Supreme Court of New Jersey in the Clerk’s office before joining the library staff at The College of New Jersey (then Trenton State College), Ewing. He was the supervisor of circulation there when he became Catholic.

PATH TO PRIESTHOOD

While working at TCNJ, Father Schwartz was attending Mass at St. Anthony Parish (now Our Lady of Sorrows-St. An-

thony Parish), Hamilton. One Sunday, he was working around his house, but decided he better get to Mass, despite being a little “grungy.” He thought he would just sit in the back. During Mass, an announcement was made that the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults process would be starting. He joined and received the Sacraments of Initiation – Baptism, Confirmation and First Eucharist – at age 31.

He almost did not attend that Mass, and that makes him think about the hand of God in people’s lives.

Father Schwartz attended St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and was ordained a priest for the Trenton Diocese in 1999.

In addition to Sacred Heart Parish, his assignments have included serving as parochial vicar at St. Mary of the Lake Parish (now part of Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish), Lakewood, and at St. Joan of Arc Parish, Marlton, as administrator of Nativity Parish, Fair Haven, and pastor of St. Dorothea Parish, Eatontown.

“Every parish is different. Every parish is the same,” he said, noting that often there are different twists on the same themes. When he came to his current assignment in Sacred Heart, there was robust attendance at Confession. Not wanting to lose this momentum, he has tried to continue that trend, especially by tying Confession into his homilies. He noted that in the confes-

Mike Ehrmann photos

#For more photos, visit trentonmonitor.smugmug.com

sional, people say, “I’m here because of what you said on Sunday.”

A SATISFYING VOCATION

One of the greatest rewards of his ministry has been the ability to relieve the stress of others, whether through counseling, Confession or casual conversation. The problems may not be solved, but people are calmer, he said.

There are pluses and minuses to being a convert to the faith, Father Schwartz said, noting that while there are so many things that Catholics just know, converts don’t.

“Converts come into things without preconceived convictions,” he said. “While Catholics may tend to see things as black and white, converts see more shades of gray.”

He said he has “gotten over the rigidity of youth and is more flexible.” He valued the summer programs during seminary that gave him experiences in parishes and a “dose of reality.”

“It is inspiring to interact with the people of God,” he said. “There is so much support and prayer you get from them, especially if they accept that they have a quirky priest.”

Reflecting on the past 25 years, Father Schwartz says that everything in his life has dovetailed with the priesthood, whether in his role as a caring son and brother, to his library work that makes it a lot easier for him to do research, using technology, or

As part of its Feast of the Sacred Heart observance, a

followed the 11:30 a.m. Mass June 9. Here, Father Schwartz carries the monstrance with the Blessed Sacrament.

the time he spent teaching.

“I’ve never said, ‘What was I thinking?’ This has been a good, fulfilling life.”

ST. MARY, BARNEGAT

Msgr. Kenard Tezeneu~45 years

Fr. Nestor Chavenia~30 years

Deacon James Petrauskas~30 years

Deacon Steven Wagner~10 years

ST. DOMINIC, BRICK

Fr. Carlo Calisin~10 years

VISITATION, BRICK

Fr. Edward Blanchett~20 years

ST. PIUS X, FORKED RIVER

Fr. Richard Basznianin~40 years

Deacon James Heller~40 years

Deacon Earl Lombardo~35 years

Deacon Philip Craft~10 years

ST. MONICA, JACKSON

Deacon Christian Knoebel~10 years

ST. JUNIPERO SERRA, SEASIDE PARK

Fr. Michael Lorentsen~30 years

ST. JOSEPH, TOMS RIVER

Fr. Scott Shaffer~35 years

Deacon Thomas Genovese~15 years

ST. ELIZABETH ANN SETON, WHITING

Deacon Peter Downing~10 years

Eucharistic procession

Father John G. DeSandre

 Retired in 2010

 Born 1935 in Passaic

 Attended Seton Hall University, South Orange, and Immaculate Conception Seminary, Darlington

 Ordained May 23, 1964, in St. Brendan Parish, Clifton, by Bishop James Navagh of Paterson

 In the Paterson Diocese, he served as parochial vicar in several parishes as well as in a Catholic high school where he was principal, athletic director of the baseball and basketball programs and as moderator of the cheerleaders and he also ministered to the inmates of the Passaic County Jail

 Incardinated into the Diocese of Trenton in 1985

 Parochial vicar in the parishes of St. Theresa, Little Egg Harbor; Epiphany, Brick, and St. Maximilian Kolbe, Toms River

 Served as temporary administrator and then pastor of St. Mary Parish, Deal, (now part of Our Lady of Hope Parish, West Long Branch)

Father Patrick Castles

 Retired in 2013

 Born 1943 in New Brunswick

 Attended St. Charles College Seminary, Catonsville, Md., and St. Mary Seminary and University, Baltimore

 Ordained May 31, 1969, in St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton, by Bishop George W. Ahr

 Served as parochial vicar in St. Anthony Parish, Hamilton; Sacred Heart Parish, South Plainfield; St. Dominic, Brick; St. Joseph, Beverly, and St. Paul, Princeton

 Served as pastor in St. Anthony of Padua Parish, Hightstown, and St. John the Baptist Parish, Allentown

 Other assignments included serving in the Catholic Center at the University of California at Davis, and in the Diocese, assignments included the diocesan Liturgical Commission, the Council of Priests and the diocesan social concerns committee

Father Ronald Cioffi

 Retired in 2016

 Born in 1941 in Long Branch

 Attended St. Charles College Seminary, Catonsville, Md., and St. Mary Seminary and University, Baltimore. He also holds master’s degrees in pastoral counseling from Iona College, New Rochelle, N.Y, and in ecumenics from Princeton Theological Seminary

 Ordained May 31, 1969, in St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton, by Bishop George W. Ahr

 Served as parochial vicar in St. Joachim Parish, Trenton; St. Leo the Great Parish, Lincroft, and St. Mary Parish, South Amboy

 Served as pastor of St. Joseph Parish, Keyport

 Other assignments: faculty of St. Mary Seminary, Roland Park, for several years; director of the diocesan Office of Social Concerns

Msgr. Walter Nolan

 Retired in 2011

 Born in 1933 in Jersey City

 Attended Pope St. John XXIII National Seminary, Weston, Mass. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy from the College of Pharmacy at Fordham University, New York, and a master’s degree in pastoral counseling from Iona College, New Rochelle, N.Y.

 Ordained May 31, 1969, in St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton, by Bishop George W. Ahr

 Served as parochial vicar in St. Gregory the Great Parish, Hamilton Square; St. Ann Parish, Lawrenceville

 Served as pastor of St. Paul Parish, Princeton

 Other assignments include serving as moderator of the Mercer County Catholic Youth Athletic Center and Mercer County vocational director; chaplain and athletic director in Notre Dame High School, Lawrenceville; chaplain of Rider University, Lawrenceville; the Council of Priests and Priests Senate; a pro-synodal judge and defender of the bond in the Tribunal; board of seminarian recruitment for vocations; chairman of the continuing education committee; director of priest personnel; diocesan College of Consultors; host of The Catholic Corner, a television program produced by the diocesan Office of Radio and Television

 Named a Chaplain to His Holiness with the title of monsignor by Pope John Paul II in September 1993

Continued on 44

The Clergy, Staff and Parishioners of St. Veronica Parish extend our warmest wishes, many blessings and much peace on the Anniversary of your Ordination!

The Clergy, Staff and Parishioners of St. Veronica Parish extend our warmest wishes, many blessings and much peace on the Anniversary of your Ordination!

The Clergy, Staff and Parishioners of St. Veronica Parish extend our warmest wishes, many blessings and much peace on the Anniversary of your Ordination!

50 years Rev. Roberto Ignacio

50 years Rev. Roberto Ignacio

50 years Rev. Roberto Ignacio

45 years Msgr. Leonard Troiano

45 years Msgr. Leonard Troiano

45 years Msgr. Leonard Troiano

40 years Msgr. Sam Sirianni

40 years Msgr. Sam Sirianni

40 years Msgr. Sam Sirianni

30 years Rev. Tom Maher

30 years Rev. Tom Maher

30 years Rev. Tom Maher

20 years Deacon Charles Daye, Jr.

20 years Deacon Charles Daye, Jr.

20 years Deacon Charles Daye, Jr. St Veronica Parish, Howell www.StVeronica.com

St Veronica Parish, Howell www.StVeronica.com Thank

Msgr. Edward J. Arnister

 Currently, pastor of St. Rose Parish, Belmar

 Born in 1953 in Trenton

 Attended St. Mary College, Orchard Lake, Mich., and later entered Ss. Cyril and Methodius Seminary, also in Orchard Lake, where he received a master of divinity degree. He also holds a master of theology degree from the University of Detroit and a license in canon law from The Catholic University of America, Washington

 Ordained May 19, 1979, in St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton, by Bishop George W. Ahr

 Served as parochial vicar in Corpus Christi Parish, Willingboro, and Holy Cross Parish, Trenton

 Served as temporary administrator and pastor of Holy Cross Parish; pastor of St. Stanislaus Parish, Trenton; administrator of Sts. Peter and Paul Parish, Trenton, and was founding pastor of Divine Mercy Parish, Trenton

 Other positions include serving as assistant chancellor, vice chancellor, secretary and master of ceremonies to Bishop John C. Reiss; advocate and defender of the bond; prosynodal judge and notary; judge, defender of the bond and advocate for the Interdiocesan Tribunal; episcopal vicar for Monmouth County; College of Consultors and Presbyteral Council

 Named a Chaplain to His Holiness with the title of monsignor by Pope John Paul II in September 1993

Father Mark T. Devlin

 Retired in 2018

 Born in 1949, in Newark

 Attended Don Bosco College, Newton, The Pontifical College Josephinum, Worthington, Ohio

 Ordained May 26, 1979, by Bishop Edward Herrmann in Columbus, Ohio. Worked 18 years of provincial assignments as a priest and teacher of theology, English and history in Archbishop Shaw High School, Marrero, La.; Don Bosco Prep, Ramsey, and Don Bosco Tech, Boston, Mass.

 Arrived to the Diocese of Trenton in 1997 and served in St. Barnabas Parish, Bayville, St. Mary of the Lakes Parish, Medford, and St. Theresa Parish, Little Egg Harbor

 Incardinated into the Diocese of Trenton in 2003 while serving as parochial vicar in St. Theresa Parish. Also served as parochial vicar in St. Leo the Great Parish, Lincroft; St. Benedict Parish, Holmdel; St. Mary of the Lake Parish, Lakewood, and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, Whiting

 Served as temporary administrator in Sacred Heart Parish, Bay Head; St. Alphonsus Parish, Hopewell, and pastor of Holy Family Parish, Union Beach

 Other positions include serving as chaplain of Trenton Catholic Academy, Hamilton

 Currently serves as a weekend assistant in Corpus Christi Parish, Willingboro, and St. Katharine Drexel Parish, Burlington

Father Stanley P. Lukaszewsk i

 Retired in 2020

 Born in 1950 in Trenton

 Attended St. Mary College, St. Mary, Kentucky, and Immaculate Conception Seminary, Darlington.

 Ordained May 19, 1979, in St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton by Bishop George W. Ahr

 Served as parochial vicar in St. Mary Parish, New Monmouth; St. Veronica Parish, Howell, and Corpus Christi Parish, Willingboro

 Served as pastor of Corpus Christi Parish; St. Denis Parish, Manasquan, and St. Barnabas Parish, Bayville

 Other assignments include: serving as associate moderator, and later moderator, of the Diocesan Council of Catholic Women; assistant director of the Priests’ Personnel Office for several terms; friar of the Knights of Columbus John Tatham Assembly; Fourth Degree Knight member, Burlington County; chaplain of the Sacred Heart Council, Knights of Columbus, Willingboro; the Diocesan Building Commission; dean of the Coastal Monmouth Deanery, and appointments on the Educational Advisory Council Finance and Planning Committee and episcopal vicar of Ocean County

 Currently serves as weekend assistant in St. Gregory the Great Parish, Hamilton Square, and Corpus Christi Parish, Willingboro

Father Phillip C. Pfleger

 Retired in 2023

 Born in 1953 in Jersey City

 Attended Immaculate Conception Seminary, Darlington. Also holds a bachelor’s degree in communications

 Ordained May 19, 1979, in St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton, by Bishop George W. Ahr

 Served as parochial vicar in St. Rose Parish, Belmar; St. Barnabas Parish, Bayville, and St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton

 Served as temporary administrator of St. Gabriel Parish, Marlboro; was pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish, Seaside Heights; was founding pastor of St. Isaac Jogues Parish, Marlton; served as pastor of St. John Neumann Parish, Mount Laurel, while serving as pastor of St. Isaac Jogues Parish; was episcopal vicar of

Father John and the parishioners of Corpus Christi Parish, Willingboro, ask God’s blessings upon Father Stanley

“Stas” Lukaszewski and Father Mark Devlin as they 45

“Stas” Lukaszewski and Father Mark Devlin as they celebrate 45 years of priesthood.

Burlington County

 Other assignments include Catholic chaplain at Rider University, Lawrenceville; Mercer County Community College, West Windsor, and Aquinas Institute, Princeton; diocesan director of vocations; canon law studies at The Catholic University of America, Washington; chaplain for Monmouth County Boy Scouts; doctor of ministry program in St. Mary Seminary, Baltimore; continuing education committee; chair of Priests for Life Committee; Pastor’s Advisory Board for the Annual Catholic Appeal; alternate dean for the Presbyteral Council; school sustainability commission; teaching homiletics to deacons; episcopal council of the college of consultors, and the committee on expansion and restructuring

 He served as master of ceremonies to Auxiliary Bishop Edward U. Kmiec

 Currently serves as weekend assistant in St. Luke Parish, Toms River, and St. Theresa Parish, Little Egg Harbor

Father Stephen Schuler, S.V.D.

See retirement story on page 26

Msgr. Leonard F. Troiano

 Retired in 2016

 Born in 1945 in Newark

 Attended Immaculate Conception Seminary, Darlington

 Ordained May 19, 1979, in St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton, by Bishop George W. Ahr

 Served as parochial vicar in St. Thomas the Apostle Parish, Old Bridge; St. Rose Parish, Belmar

 Served as temporary administrator in St. David the King Parish, Princeton

Junction, and as pastor of Sacred Heart Parish, Trenton; St. Bonaventure Parish, Lavallette, which merged with Our Lady of Peace Parish, Normandy Beach, to form St. Pio of Pietrelcina Parish, Lavallette

 Other appointments include executive director of The Monitor; master of ceremonies to Auxiliary Bishop Edward U. Kmiec; coordinator of the Fourth Diocesan Synod; director of the Office of Planning; and member of the diocesan Building Committee, the Expansion and Development Commission, and the Budget Committee; episcopal vicar for planning.

 Named a Prelate of Honor with the title of monsignor by Pope John Paul II in September 1997

 Currently serves as a weekend assistant in St. Mary Parish, Colts Neck, and St. Catharine Parish, Holmdel

Msgr. Kenard Tuzeneu

 Currently pastor of St. Mary Parish, Barnegat

 Born in 1953 in West Long Branch

 Attended St. Mary Seminary and University, Baltimore

 Ordained Dec. 1, 1979, in St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton, by Bishop George W. Ahr

 Served as parochial vicar in Our Lady Star of the Sea Parish, Long Branch, and St. Mary of the Lake Parish, Lakewood

 Served as pastor of St. Mary Parish, Barnegat since 1992. During his tenure he has overseen the establishment of a second parish worship site – St. Mary of the Pines, Manahawkin

 Other assignments include serving as diocesan Secretary for Personnel in Ministry; the recruitment board for vocations; diocesan Council of Priests; chairman of the Pastor’s Planning Committee for All Saints Regional School (now St. Mary Academy), Manahawkin

 Named a Chaplain to His Holiness with the title of monsignor by Pope Benedict XVI in 2008

Father Richard Basznianin

 Currently pastor of St. Pius X Parish, Forked River

 Born in 1958 in Lubaczow, Poland, and grew up in Brusno, Poland

 Attended Liceum Ogolmoksztalcace in Lubaczow and the Diocesan Seminary in Przemysl, Poland; earned a master’s degree in pastoral theology from the Catholic University in Lublin and was assigned to the Diocese of Lwow from 1984 to 1990.

 Ordained June 24, 1984 in St. John the Baptist Cathedral, Przemysl, Poland, by Bishop Ognagy Tokarczuk

 Arrived to the Trenton Diocese in 1988 and was assigned as an adjunct priest to All Saints Parish, Burlington, and St. Dominic Parish, Brick

 Incardinated into the Diocese of Trenton in 1997

 Served as temporary administrator of St. Pius X Parish then was named pastor in 2001

Father Genaro Daguplo

 Currently pastor of St. Raphael-Holy Angels Parish, Hamilton

 Originally from Labason in the Philippines

 Attended Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary, Tagbilaran City, and the University of Santo Thomas Central

ST. G REGORY THE G REAT C HURCH

WWW.S T G REGORYTHE G REAT ORG

We would like to recognize the milestone anniversaries of all that are celebrating in 2024!

We would like to recognize the milestone anniversaries of all that are celebrating in 2024!

Especially Deacon Ed Jennings, Saint CatharineSaint Margaret, Spring Lake –45 years and Rev. Scott Schaffer, St. Joseph, Toms River, –35 years

We wish you all continued health, strength & bllessings!

Fr. Stephen M. Piga

Saint Maximilian Kolbe Church & Christ the King Mausoleum www.stmaximiliankolbechurch.com

We wish you all continued health, strength & blessings!

Fr. Stephen M. Piga

Saint Maximilian Kolbe Church & Christ the King Mausoleum www.stmaximiliankolbechurch.com

T HE P ARISH OF S AINT R OSE OF L IMA , B ELMAR , NJ

C ONGRATULATIONS

R EVEREND M ONSIGNOR E DWARD J. A RNISTER ON THE 45 TH A NNIVERSARY OF YOUR O RDINATION TO THE P RIESTHOOD AND YOUR 13 TH A NNIVERSARY AS P ASTOR OF S AINT R OSE OF L IMA P ARISH .

May God continue to Bless you — Ad Multos Annos. F ROM THE P ARISHIONERS AND THE P ARISH S TAFF .

ment Parish, Trenton

Seminary, Manila

 Ordained Dec. 28, 1984, in St. Vincent Ferrer Church, Labason, Zamboanga del Norte, by Bishop Felix Zafra

 Assignments in the Philippines included pastor of St. Augustine Parish, Jose Dalman; rector of Cor Jesu Seminary, Dopolog

 Arrived in the Diocese of Trenton in 1997 and was assigned as an adjunct priest in St. Dominic Parish, Brick. In 2000, he returned to serve in the Philippines for four years but was permitted to come back to the Trenton Diocese in 2004 and was assigned to Holy Family Parish, Hazlet, followed by his appointment to St. Raphael-Holy Angels Parish, where he served for seven years before he was named the pastor in 2016

 Incardinated into the Diocese of Trenton in 2009 and became an American citizen in 2013

 Other assignments include serving as spiritual moderator of St. Raphael-Holy Angels Filipino Community

Father Daniel Hesko

See retirement story on page 22

Father Albert Ricciardelli

 Retired in 2015

 Born in 1951

 Attended Immaculate Conception Seminary, Darlington

 Ordained Nov. 10, 1984, in St. Gregory the Great Church, Hamilton Square, by Bishop John C. Reiss

 Served as parochial vicar in St. Ann Parish, Keansburg; St. Theresa Parish, Little Egg Harbor; St. Justin the Martyr Parish, Toms River; St. Raphael Parish, Hamilton, and Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish, Moorestown; Holy Angels Parish, Hamilton

 Served as administrator of Blessed Sacra-

 Served as pastor of Holy Trinity Parish, Long Branch; Holy Assumption Parish, Roebling, and as administrator and pastor of Visitation Parish, Brick

 Other appointments he has served include chaplain of Morris Hall Home for the Aged, Lawrenceville

Msgr. Sam A. Sirianni

 Currently rector of St. Robert Bellarmine Co-Cathedral, Freehold

 Born in 1954 in Long Branch

 Attended Immaculate Conception Seminary, Darlington. Also holds a bachelor’s degree in history from Juniata College, Huntingdon, Pa., and a master’s degree in student personnel services from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania

 Ordained Nov. 10, 1984, in Holy Trinity Church, Long Branch, by Bishop Edward U. Kmiec

 Served as parochial vicar in Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish, Moorestown; as parochial vicar and administrator of Our Lady of Sorrows Parish, Hamilton; as temporary administrator of St. Catherine Laboure Parish, Middletown

 Served as pastor of Holy Angels Parish, Hamilton; St. George Parish, Titusville; vice rector of St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton; pastor of Holy Trinity Parish, St. John the Baptist Parish and Our Lady Star of the Sea, all Long Branch, and pastor of St. Robert Bellarmine Parish before being named rector of the newly established Co-Cathedral in 2017

 Additional assignments have included serving as dean of the Southern Mercer Deanery; a member of the Steering Committee of the Millennium; the diocesan council of priests; director of the diocesan Office of Liturgy (renamed Worship for 23 years); co-chaplain of the Trenton Serra Club; three terms as director of the Trenton Chapter of the National Association of Pastoral Musicians, and completed three terms as convener of the Freehold Clergy Associ-

ation; dean of Western Monmouth County and the Core Leadership Team of Garden State MOSAIC, an interfaith youth program in Monmouth County; Faithful Frier for District 2 of the 4th Degree of the Knights of Columbus, and Chaplain of the Freehold Council of the Knights of Columbus

 Appointed a Chaplain of His Holiness with the title of monsignor by Pope Benedict XVI in 2010; invested a Knight in the Equestrian of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem in 2013

35 YEARS

Father G. Scott Shaffer

 Currently pastor of St. Joseph Parish, Toms River

 Born in 1957 in Mount Holly and received all his Sacraments there at Sacred Heart

 Received BS degree in Music Education from West Chester University in Pennsylvania 1979

 Attended Mount St. Mary Seminary, Emmitsburg, Md., 1984-89, with master of divinity degree

 Ordained Dec. 2, 1989, in St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton, by Bishop John C. Reiss

 Served as parochial vicar in St. Joseph Parish, Toms River, and St. Ann Parish, Lawrenceville

 Served as pastor in Holy Innocents Parish, Neptune; St. Aloysius Parish and St. Monica Parish, both Jackson

 Other assignments include serving as chaplain of Notre Dame High School, Lawrenceville; chaplain to the Mercer County Holy Name Federation; a member of the diocesan Priest Personnel Board, and dean of the Northern Ocean County Deanery and currently Dean of Southern

Congratulations to Rev. Daison Areepparampil on the 25th Anniversary of his Ordination to the Priesthood.

May he be filled with joy as he continues to serve God and His people. St. James Church Rev. Msgr. Joseph N. Rosie, Pastor Red Bank, New Jersey

Priest An niversar y 35

Ocean County Deanery

Father Daniel F. Swift

 Currently pastor of St. Mary of the Lakes Parish, Medford, and associate director of vocations

 Born in 1961 in Camden

 Attended Mount St. Mary Seminary, Emmitsburg, Maryland. Also attended Rutgers University, Camden

 Ordained May 20, 1989, by Bishop John C. Reiss in St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton

 Served as parochial vicar in St. Rose of Lima Parish, Freehold, and St. Joseph Parish, Toms River

 Served as temporary administrator and then pastor of Holy Trinity Parish, Long Branch; pastor of St. Benedict Parish, Holmdel

 Other assignments include serving as director of recruitment for the Office of Vocations; the Pastor’s Advisory Committee for the Bishop’s Annual Appeal (now known as the Annual Catholic Appeal); a Project Rachel chaplain; an Education Advisory Committee member for the Office of Catholic Schools, and vicar forane for the Bayshore Deanery, and vicar forane for the Southern Burlington Deanery, associate director of vocations, the Expansion and Restructuring Council, Presbyteral Council and Episcopal Council and chaplain for the Medford Police Department

Priest An niversar y 30 YEARS

Father Nestor Chavenia

 Currently parochial vicar in St. Mary Parish, Barnegat

 Born in 1957 in Malinao in the province of Albay, Philippines

 Attended St. Gregory the Great Minor Seminary, Albay, Philippines, and the Catholic Central School; Divine Word College, Legazpi; Holy Rosary Major Seminary, Naga City, and Divine Word Mission Seminary, Tagaytay City. Also studied mechanical engineering in Manuel L. Quezon University, Manila

 Ordained Jan. 22, 1994, in St. Gregory the Great Cathedral, Legazpi City, by Bishop Jose C. Sorra of the Diocese of Legazpi

 Served as formator and procurator of Mater Salutis College Seminary in the Albay province

 Served as administrator of St. Dominic of Guzman Parish, Matacon, and in the diocese’s Social Action Center

 Arrived in Trenton Diocese in 2003 and was assigned to Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish, Maple Shade

 In 2005 was assigned parochial vicar of St. Joseph Parish, Keyport, and in 2012 became parochial vicar of St. Mary Parish

Father Cyril Johnson

 Currently parochial vicar of St. Gregory the Great Parish, Hamilton Square

 Born in 1967 in Kulamanickam, Tamil Nadu, India

 Earned a master of arts degree from Madurai Kamaraj University

 Attended Sacred Heart Minor Seminary, 1980-1986

 Attended Good Shepherd Seminary, Coimbatore, India, for studies in philosophy from 1986-1988 and theology from 1990-1994

 Ordained Nov. 4, 1994 in St. Mary Cathedral, Kumbakonam, South India in the Diocese of Kumbakonam by Bishop Peter Remigius

 Served in home diocese from 1994 to 2010 including as an associate pastor in three different parishes and as pastor in two parishes

 Arrived in Diocese of Trenton in 2010 with assignments including St. Joseph Parish (now part of Our Lady of Fatima Parish), Keyport, 2010-2016. From 2016-2022, returned to serve in home diocese

 Returned to the Trenton Diocese in 2022 and was assigned to serve in St. Michael Parish, Long Branch, from July 2022-June 2023; appointed to current assignment in St. Gregory the Great Parish in July 2023

Father Michael Lorentsen, OFM. Conv.

 Currently pastor of St. Junipero Serra Parish, Seaside Park

 Born in 1963 in Brooklyn, N.Y.

 Attended Cathedral College of the Immaculate Conception, Douglaston, N.Y.; Washington Theological Union, Washington, D.C., where he received a master of divinity degree in 1994, and a doctor of ministry degree in Christian Spirituality in 2013

 Entered the Friars Minor Conventual Franciscans in August, 1987. He professed first vows Aug. 4, 1990, and solemn vows Aug. 8, 1993 in Immaculate Conception Church, Trenton

 Ordained May 22, 1994, and held many administrative roles in the Conventual Franciscan community including as vocation director; formation director and

Congratulations to Fr. Martin P. O’Reilly on the 30th Anniversary of Ordination to the Priesthood

Thank you for your dedication and generous service to the people of God and especially to our parish community.

Congratulations to Deacon Tom Shea Celebrating 25 Years as a Deacon

Mary, Mother of the Church Parish 45 Crosswicks Street, Bordentown, NJ 08505

With grateful hearts, e Parish Sta & Family of Church of the Visitation, Brick

Extend prayerful

Congratulations & Blessings to Reverend Edward H. Blanchett on the occasion of his

20th Anniversary to the Priesthood

ank you for your dedicated service to God’s people and our parish. May God bless you as you have blessed others.

Well done, good and faithful servant

Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish is delighted to congratulate Father Jack Bogacz on the Fifteenth Anniversary of his Priesthood Ordination.

Father Jack serves each parishioner with such love and care, offering his tender spirit to all he meets. His special love for those in our nursing homes, and our children in our parish school will always be hallmarks of his service as a priest.

Thank you for all you do, and count on our continued prayers!

St. Mary Church Holy Assumption Church

provincial secretary of the former Immaculate Conception Province. In his role as provincial secretary, he was a member of the Conference of Major Superiors of Men for four years and served as a delegate to CMSM’s executive board for one year

 As a friar-priest, served in parishes and campus ministry in Blessed Sacrament Parish, Burlington, N.C., where he was parochial vicar, and the Catholic campus minister in Elon University and pastor of St. Julia Parish, Siler City, N.C.

 In the Trenton Diocese he served as parochial vicar in St. Peter Parish, Point Pleasant Beach, when he was appointed administrator of the new St. Junipero Serra Parish before becoming pastor

Father Thomas Maher

 Currently pastor of St. William the Abbot Parish, Howell

 Born in Teaneck, a lifelong parishioner at St. Joseph in Bogota, N.J., where he received all his Sacraments

 Attended Legionaries Seminary, Cheshire Conn; the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (the Angelicum) and the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum, both Rome

 Ordained Nov. 25, 1994, in Mexico City

 During early years of priesthood, he served as a priest with the Legionaries of Christ. Most of his priestly duties were focused on youth work, vocation recruitment and preaching retreats and the spiritual exercises on the West Coast

 Arrived in the Diocese of Trenton on Oct. 9, 2009; served as an adjunct priest then as parochial vicar in St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, Whiting

 Named pastor of St. William the Abbot

Parish in July 2013

 Incardinated as a priest of the Diocese in 2013

Father Martin O’Reilly

 Currently pastor of Mary, Mother of the Church Parish, Bordentown; Episcopal Vicar of Burlington County, and Co-Chair of the Diocesan Committee for the Eucharistic Revival

 Born in County Monaghan, Ireland. He began his education at St Mary’s Primary School, Threemilehouse, and attended St. Macartan’s College for his high school education.

 Following high school, he lived in New York from 1984-1988 and worked in the construction trade. It was while there that he realized God’s call to the priesthood

 For seminary training, he attended St. Patrick’s College, Thurles, County Tipperary; also holds a master’s degree in youth ministry from All Hallows College, Dublin

 Ordained in 1994

 Assignments in Ireland include teaching at high school as a religious education and social studies teacher for eight years. Following that, he was appointed youth director, and established youth ministry in the Diocese of Clogher

 Arrived to the Trenton Diocese in 2016 and was named temporary administrator of St. Elizabeth of Hungary Parish, Avon, (now part of Mother Teresa of Calcutta Parish, Bradley Beach) in July 2016, followed by an appointment in October 2016 as parochial vicar of St. Catharine-St. Margaret Parish, Spring Lake, and diocesan youth ministry chaplain

 Appointed temporary administrator of Mary, Mother of the Church Parish, Bordentown in June 2018, and became pastor in December 2018

 Appointed diocesan co-chair of the Eucharistic Revival in 2022

 Incardinated into the Diocese of Trenton July 4, 2018

The Parish Family of St. William the Abbot Howell Congratulates

Fr. Thomas Maher on his 30th anniversary of priestly service And Deacon Michael Abatemarco on his 15th anniversary to the Diaconate

May the Lord bless you both and keep you, Fill your life with His joy and sustain you by His grace.

Thank you.

The Parishioners of St. William the Abbot

The Parish Family of St. William the Abbot Howell, NJ

Congratulates Deacon George A. Prevosti and Deacon Kevin Smith on their 15th Anniversary of their Deaconate.

Thank you both for your service to our Parish! Be assured of our love and prayers!

Father Edward Blanchett pastor of Visitation Parish, Brick, and episcopal vicar of Ocean County

Father John C. Garrett retired

An niversar y 20 YEARS 10 YEARS

Father Juan Daniel Peirano pastor of St. Thomas More Parish, Manalapan

Father Rene Pulgarin pastor, Our Lady of Fatima Parish, Keyport

Father Michael Wallack pastor of St. John the Baptist Parish, Allentown 15 YEARS

An niversary

Father Jack Bogacz parochial vicar of Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish, Moorestown

Father Joel Wilson pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish, Maple Shade

Father John Butler pastor of St. Michael Parish, West End

An niversary

Father Rafael Esquen U.S. Army Chaplain and Captain

Father Jean Felicien episcopal secretary and master of ceremonies to Bishop David M.

O’Connell, C.M.

Father Jerome Guld pastor of St. Katharine Drexel Parish, Burlington

Father Mark Nillo parochial vicar of St. Mary Parish, Middletown

Father Carlo Calisin parochial vicar of St. Dominic Parish, Brick

Father Thomas Vala pastor of St. Clement Parish, Matawan

The Parishioners of the Parish of St. Thomas More in Manalapan, offer Prayers and Congratulations to our Pastor, Rev. Juan Daniel Peirano, on the 20th Anniversary of his Priestly Ordination.

The Parish Community of Saint Dominic Congratulates Father Carlo Calisin on the 10th Anniversary of his Ordination to the Priesthood

May God continue to guide you and strengthen you more and more each day. You are a blessing to us and to all who know you. We thank you for all you have done and continue to do each day.

We are incredibly grateful for your service in our parish family!

Thank you for your dedicated service to our parish!

Father Brian Patrick Woodrow, Priests, Staff & Parish Family

250 Old Squan Road, Brick, New Jersey www.stdominicsparish.com

The parish family of ST. CLEMENT Matawan Congratulates

May the Lord bless you and keep you, Fill your life with His joy and sustain you by His grace. Rev. Thomas Vala PASTOR

Father Jean Felicien marks 10 years of priesthood with Mass

BY MARY STADNYK  Associate Editor

Ten years ago, Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., ordained Father Jean Felicien, “and we haven’t been the same since,” said Msgr. Thomas N. Gervasio, diocesan vicar general.

“It is true that we haven’t been the same – because we are indeed changed, made new, and sanctified through the ministry of the priest,” Msgr. Gervasio said in his homily at a May 25 Mass of Thanksgiving for the anniversary of his Father Felicien’s ordination.

“How grateful we are today that Jean was receptive to the Lord’s call. How grateful we are for his ‘Yes’ to serve the Lord as his priest,” Msgr. Gervasio said.

Father Felicien, now secretary and master of ceremonies to Bishop O’Connell, was principal celebrant at his anniversary Mass. He was joined by Bishop O’Connell, who presided from the sanctuary, and at the altar by more than a dozen priest concelebrants, including Msgr. Gervasio, who also serves as pastor of Our Lady of Sorrows-St. Anthony Parish, Hamilton.

‘THIS

IS MY BELOVED SON’

Msgr. Gervasio reflected on the Solemnity of the Most Blessed Trinity, which the Church commemorated May 25-26, saying that it was at the Baptism of Jesus when the Blessed Trinity was made manifest – the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus in the form of a dove, and the voice of the Father was heard: “This is my beloved son.”

“It is also what the Lord says to us at our Baptism, and it is also what he says to a man at his ordination to the priesthood,” Msgr. Gervasio said. “There was that moment 10 years ago when Jean Renald Felicien knelt before Bishop O’Connell and arose, a priest forever, God’s beloved.”

Msgr. Gervasio said that while the Holy Trinity is the birthplace and beginning of a priestly vocation, “God can only plant its seed in fertile ground, in soil that is receptive. The Lord found such ground in Father Jean’s family home, in his parish church and in the priests, religious, and others who helped cultivate that ground.”

Father Felicien, a native of Haiti, studied for the priesthood at the Archdiocese of Port-au-Prince’s major seminary. His family moved to the United States in 2008 and settled in Georgia. While visiting a friend in New Jersey, Father Felicien was introduced to the Diocese of Trenton.

SERVICE TO THE DIOCESE

Father Felicien continued his studies in St. Mary’s Seminary and University, Baltimore. As a seminarian he served at Corpus Christi Parish, Willingboro, and Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish, Hainesport.

Bishop O’Connell ordained him a priest May 31, 2014, in St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton. His parish assignments have included serving as parochial vicar in Our Lady

After Mass, Father Felicien poses for a photo with Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., and Father Christopher Dayton, administrator of St. Paul Parish, Princeton. Trey Taylor-Norwood photos

Father Jean Felicien, second from right, celebrates his 10th anniversary as a priest during a May 25 Mass in Sacred Heart Church, Trenton. Also pictured are, from left, Deacon Michael Riley, Msgr. Dennis Apoldite, pastor of Sacred Heart Parish and episcopal vicar of Mercer County, and Msgr. Thomas Gervasio, diocesan vicar general and pastor of Our Lady of Sorrows-St. Anthony Parish, Hamilton, who was homilist.

of Sorrows-St. Anthony Parish, Hamilton, which has a large Haitian population, and the parishes that make up the Catholic Community of Hopewell Valley — St. James, Pennington; St. George, Titusville; and St. Alphonsus, Hopewell.

After receiving a degree in canon law from The Catholic University of America, Washington, in 2021, Father Felicien was appointed to serve as an adjutant judicial vicar and judge of the diocesan Tribunal. In January 2023, he was appointed Bishop O’Connell’s full-time secretary and master of ceremonies, while continuing to work part-time at the Tribunal and assist in parishes.

At the end of the Mass, Bishop O’Connell extended his congratulations to Father Felicien, wishing him “many more happy years of priesthood in our Diocese.”

Lives of Faith Deacon MILESTONES

YEARS

Deacon Alfred Pennise (Retired)

 St. Katharine Drexel Parish, Burlington

 Born in Riverside, N.J. in 1943

 Wife: Clare; four children – Theresa, Paula, Michelle and Anthony; eight grandchildren and five great grandchildren

 Attended Samuel Smith Elementary School; Burlington Junior High School and Burlington City High School

 Served for four years in U.S. Navy

 Employed as a life insurance sales agent for various companies

 Ordained May 8, 1999, by Bishop John M. Smith

 Assisting at Mass, preaching and sacramental duties, assisted at funerals and presided over wake services. Currently involved in bereavement ministry

When reflecting on what has been most meaningful about serving as a deacon, Deacon Pennise said it’s been his involvement in bereavement ministry because “you see people dealing with very heavy emotions and stress and they are open to sharing” about their experiences, he said. As for challenges, Deacon Pennise said, “You can’t control the curves. Often you don’t know if you are being helpful to people or not. We do our best and put it out there and see what comes in return.”

Deacon Thomas F. Shea

 Mary, Mother of the Church Parish, Bordentown

 Born in Trenton in 1943

 Wife: Helene Dolores Sullivan; 3 children – William Joseph, 55; Kathleen Elizabeth, 49; Michael Patrick, 42; six grandchildren

 Attended St. Mary School and Clara Barton Elementary School, Bordentown, 1949-1957; and William

MacFarland High School, Bordentown, graduating in 1961

 Attended Trenton State College (now The College of New Jersey), Ewing, earning a bachelor of arts degree in English with physical sciences minor in 1974; holds a General Radiotelephone Operator’s License from Mobile Radio Institute

 Worked as a supervisory equipment specialist for Naval Inventory Control Point, Philadelphia, retiring in 2006

 Ordained May 8, 1999, by Bishop John M. Smith

 As lay minister, served as lector and Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion; as deacon, coordinated RCIA for 17 years, worked in bereavement ministry, marriage ministry, annulment advocacy, and extensively in funeral ministry as a planner and minister of vigils and committals

“M y faith has grown deeper through my feeling of God’s presence in my ministry to those who are grieving and in pain,” said Deacon Shea. “It is manifested particularly in my ever-growing love of Our Lord in the Holy Eucharist.” Both the greatest challenge and joy in his ministry, he said, has been “teaching and preaching. The study and preparation have brought me ever closer to Our Lord and to Our Blessed and Stainless Mother Mary. … My love of the Lord, his Immaculate Mother and our Holy Church swells my heart.”

The Parish of

Katharine Drexel Burlington, New Jersey, wishes Fr. Jerome

Congratulations on his 10th anniversary in the priesthood. And

Alfred Pennise on his 25th anniversary as Deacon.

St. Alphonsus Hopewell, NJ

St. George Titusville, NJ

St. James Pennington, NJ

Deacon Edward Jennings, St. Catharine-St. Margaret, Spring Lake

Deacon Emiliano Vazquez, St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton

Deacon John Hoefling, Sacred Heart, Mount Holly

Deacon Earl Lombardo, St. Pius X, Forked River

Deacon C. Louis Cartnick, St. Luke, Toms River (Retired)

Frank Crivello St. Paul Parish, Princeton

Eugene

James

Deacon James Heller, St. Pius X, Forked River

Deacon Michael Abatemarco, St. William the Abbot, Howell

Deacon John Bonner, Our Lady of Good Counsel, West Trenton (Retired)

Deacon Thomas Baker, St. David the King, Princeton Junction

Deacon

Petrauskas, St. Mary, Barnegat

Deacon

Malhame, St. Rose, Belmar

Deacon Lester Owens, St. Gabriel, Marlboro (Retired)

Deacon

Deacon James Challender, Our Lady of SorrowsSt. Anthony, Hamilton (Retired)

Deacon Charles R. Daye Jr., St. Veronica, Howell

Deacon Rolf Friedmann, St. Robert Bellarmine Co-Cathedral, Freehold

Deacon Joseph Jaruszewksi, Our Lady of SorrowsSt. Anthony, Hamilton

Deacon Salvatore Lancieri, Jesus the Good Shepherd, Beverly (Retired)

Deacon Martin McMahon, St. Mary, Middletown

Deacon Daniel Meehan, Resurrection, Delran (Retired)

Deacon John Notaro, St. Dorothea, Eatontown

Deacon Alfonso Ramos, St. Joseph Parish and St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton

Deacon Richard Scotti, St. Gabriel, Marlboro

Deacon Michael Stinsman, Sacred Heart, Riverton

Deacon Robert Vignolini, Christ the King, Long Branch

Deacon Ronald Zalegowski, Mary, Mother of the Church, Bordentown (Retired)

A n niversar y 15 YEARS

Deacon John DiLissio, St. Gregory the Great, Hamilton Square

Deacon Robert Folinus, St. Rose, Belmar

Deacon Robert Johnson, Our Lady of Perpetual HelpSt. Agnes, Atlantic Highlands

Deacon Michael Lonie, St. Catharine, Holmdel

Deacon Gary Pstrak, St. Denis, Manasquan

Deacon Richard Weber, St. Rose, Belmar

Deacon Chris Chandonnet, St. Joseph, Millstone

Deacon Richard Coscarelli, St. Teresa of Calcutta, Bradley Beach

Gregory Costa, St. Raphael-Holy Angels, Hamilton

Deacon Philip Craft, St. Pius X, Forked River

Peter Downing,

Deacon Richard Hobson, St. James, Pennington/St. Alphonsus, Hopewell/St. George, Titusville

Deacon John Isaac, St. Gregory the Great, Hamilton Square

Deacon Joseph Richichi, Christ the King, Long Branch

Deacon

Deacon

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Whiting

Deacon Christian Knoebel, St. Monica, Jackson

Deacon Daniel Sakowski, St. Catherine of Siena, Farmingdale

Deacon Steven Wagner, St. Mary, Barnegat

The Parish Community of the Church of St. Denis, Manasquan, congratulates DEACON GARY PSTRAK as he celebrates 15 years of service to God’s people. May God continue to bless him in his ministry.

“As each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God’s varied grace. 1 Peter 4,10

OF DEDICATED & FAITHFUL SERVICE WITH P RAYERS & L OVING G RATITUDE FROM THE P RIESTS , D EACONS , R ELIGIOUS , STAFF & PARISHIONERS OF ST. G REGORY THE G REAT C HURCH

WWW.S T G REGORYTHE G REAT ORG

701 Lawrenceville Rd. • P.O. Box 5147 Trenton, NJ 08638-0147 www.TrentonMonitor.com The Monitor Magazine and TrentonMonitor.com Information and inspiration for your faith journey!

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 By phone: 609-403-7131 Congratulations to all priests and deacons celebrating an anniversary in 2024 especially Deacon Richard Scotti, 20 years, St. Gabriel, Marlboro.

Retiring

Rev. Michael Manning, Holy Cross, Rumson

50 years

Rev. John Folchetti, Pastor St. Leo the Great, Lincroft

45 years

Msgr. Edward Arnister, St. Rose, Belmar

Deacon Edward Jennings, St. CatharineSt. Margaret, Spring Lake

40 years

Msgr. Sam Sirianni, St. Robert Bellarmine, Freehold

Rev Daniel Hesko, St. Catherine Laboure, Middletown – retiring 2024

30 years

Rev. Thomas Maher, St. William the Abbot, Howell

Deacon Eugene Malhame, St. Rose, Belmar

25 years

Rev. William Lago, St. Denis, Manasquan

20 years

Rev. Rene Pulgarin, Our Lady of Fatima, Keyport

Rev. Michael Wallack, St. John the Baptist, Allentown

Deacon Michal Abatemarco, St. William the Abbot, Howell

Deacon Charles Daye Jr., St. Veronica, Howell

Deacon Rolf Friedmann, St. Robert Bellarmine Co-Cathedral, Freehold

Deacon Martin McMahon, St. Mary, Middletown

Deacon John Notaro, St. Dorothea, Eatontown

Deacon Richard Scotti, St. Gabriel, Marlboro

Deacon Robert Vignolini, Christ the King, Long Branch

15 years

Rev. Thomas Vala, St. Clement, Matawan

Deacon Robert Folinus, St. Rose, Belmar

Deacon Robert Johnson, OLPH/St. Agnes, Atlantic Highlands

Deacon Michael Lonie, St. Catharine, Holmdel

Deacon Gary Pstrak, St. Denis, Manasquan

Deacon Joseph Richichi, Christ the King, Long Branch

Deacon Richard Weber, St. Rose, Belmar

10 years

Rev. John Butler, St. Michael, West End Rev. Mark Nillo, St. Mary, Middletown

Deacon Chris Chandonnet, St. Joseph Millstone

Deacon Richard Coscarelli, St. Teresa of Calcutta, Bradley Beach

Deacon Daniel Sakowski, St. Catherine of Siena, Farmingdale