Monitor Magazine October 2020: Lives of Faith - Religious Women and Men by Diocese of Trenton

In Focus

Lives of

Faith

Celebrating our religious women and men

Blessed With Mission

Drawn by faith and community, religious celebrating milestone anniversaries reflect on their witness to the Gospel BY LOIS ROGERS  Correspondent

iving and serving among Catholic faithful has brought joy and fulfillment to religious sisters who are marking special anniversaries of their ministry this year – Marianite Sister of Holy Cross Margaret Conley and St. Joseph Sister of Philadelphia Pat McGinley among them. Taken together, they have devoted 135 years to their vocations. “I think of two quotes,” Sister Pat said. “One from St. Catharine of Siena: ‘Be who God meant you to be, and you will set the world on fire,’ and another from St. Francis de Sales, ‘Be who you

are, and be that well.’ When you are in ministry,” following those examples “highlights the fullness in life,” she said. ‘ALL ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS’ Sister Margaret and St. Pat have served for decades in the Trenton Diocese – their ministries impacting lives in parishes, schools and hospitals. Sister Margaret is celebrating her 75th anniversary this year; it’s the 60th anniversary for Sister Pat. Sister Margaret retired from active ministry after decades as a teacher, principal and provincial superior, as well as working in Continued on 10

October 2020  THE MONITOR MAGAZINE 9

In Focus Marianite Sister of Holy Cross Margaret Conley, 94, smiles as she stands with her friend Msgr. Vincent Gartland in St. Ann Church, Lawrenceville.

Filled with joy

Encouraging vocations “means reaching out to young women and saying, ‘This life could be for you,’” says St. Joseph Sister of Philadelphia Pat McGinley, seen here with Lauren Borowick from Lawrenceville’s Center for FaithJustice.

Continued from 9

the diocesan Office of Vocations and as a sacramental secretary in St. Ann Parish, Lawrenceville. Both sisters said they were attracted to their religious orders by personal witness as young women. Moved by their “example and authenticity” in serving others, Sister Margaret entered the Marianites in New Orleans after observing them working in a hospital in her native Manhattan in 1945 – during World War II. Words are not adequate, she said, to “express what it means to be a Marianite of Holy Cross. I loved my life. It was unpredictable, ever-changing, constantly challenging.” Sister Pat, who has devoted the past six years of her ministry to serving as pastoral associate of the Lawrenceville parish, sees the highlights of religious life as being “all about relationships with God and others as you share the journey of faith along the way.”

 “It takes courage to step into new places every time we are called.”  She has served in a variety of ministries, including teaching, administration and pastoral leadership, and remembers her time in each as an opportunity to “share the faith the way it is meant to be shared.” It’s an overall vision, she said, inspired by “the beautiful document ‘Lumen Gentium,’” the central document of the Second Vatican Council that teaches how the call to holiness is not limited to any one state in life but is universal, embracing all baptized Christians. And religious life is the holy ground “where we meet each other and help each other in our relationship with God,” Sister Pat said. Sister Pat entered the Sisters of St. Joseph right out of high school at the end of senior year. “They were women generously serving others. They knew Jesus, they were full of joy. I could tell it was

Courtesy photos

very real.” In answering the call to vocation, she said, “It’s all about people and the variety of ministries. It’s always new. It’s always a challenge.” She and Sister Margaret expect that will be especially true for religious today, as the Church continues to meet the needs stemming from the coronavirus. “It takes courage to step into new places every time we are called, to be creative, to focus on how we respond in the way God wants us to respond,” Sister Pat said. Sister Margaret looks to modern technology to help with keeping communities connected during COVID-19. Every Thursday, sisters in New Orleans and New Jersey get together online “and talk,” she said. “We reflect and say what we find challenging and sit and listen. It’s a way of communicating. It keeps us in touch.” “Did I ever imagine such a thing? No,” she said. ABUNDANT HOPE When the National Religious Vocation Conference published its 2020 Study on Recent Vocations to Religious Life earlier this year, it did so with conviction that the “endless call” to serve God will be answered, even during today’s unsettled times. It found that women and men continue to respond to the call to religious life and that they are drawn by prayer, spirituality, charism, community life and

10 THE MONITOR MAGAZINE  October 2020

mission. Culturally diverse, they embrace intercultural, intergenerational living, are committed to living simply and in solidarity with the poor and perhaps, most importantly, that they are filled with abundant hope for religious life amid changing demographics. Both sisters are hopeful that the “endless call to serve God” will indeed be answered, and they encourage faithful to lend their prayers and their support to make this happen. Sister Margaret advises Holy Hours for vocations and support for vocations in the home. “Vocations come from prayer, family life,” she said, as well as the example and authenticity of the religious in the diocese. Pondering the coronavirus, Sister Pat said she is unsure whether the pandemic will bring about a surge of vocations as disasters have in the past. However, she touted the importance of vocation directors in all communities. “As difficult as life is, we need to see beyond the present. It means reaching out to young women and saying, ‘This life could be for you.’ When we come back [from the coronavirus] we need new ideas.”

In Focus

Lives of

Faith

Religious orders bring variety of gifts, experiences to Diocese of Trenton

SOCIETY OF THE DIVINE WORD

www.fscdena.org photo

St. John Baptist de La Salle founded the Brothers of the Christian Schools in the late 17th century. Since his death in 1719, Lasallian schools have been founded in more than 80 countries worldwide, educating more than one million students.

With a focus on the Trinity and the Incarnation, the Lasallian charism embodies both a spirit of faith and a spirit of zeal which desires to make the presence of Jesus Christ a reality, both personally and in the worldwide community. In the Rule of the Brothers of the Christian Schools, the Institute states its ultimate mission: “The purpose of this Institute is to give a human and Christian education to the young, especially the poor, according to the ministry which the Church has entrusted to it.” The Brothers have served the Diocese of Trenton since Bishop George W. Ahr approved the founding of Christian Brothers Academy, Lincroft, in 1959. In 1980, Bishop John C. Reiss also dedicated De La Salle Hall, Lincroft, built for the care of retired, elderly and infirm

Founded in 1875 in Steyl, Holland, by St. Arnold Janssen, the Society of the Divine Word focuses on missionary work, serving worldwide wherever people are in need, and becoming part of their communities. The Society, also referred to as Divine Word Missionaries, arrived in the U.S. in 1895, with this year marking their 125th anniversary. In 1941, Bishop William A. Griffin invited Divine Word Provincial Francis Humel to send priests and brothers to minister to the Poor Clares in Bordentown, and to serve African-American Catholics, particularly in Our Lady of the Divine Shepherd Parish, Trenton, followed by ministry in a smaller parish, St. Peter Claver, to be founded in Asbury Park.

www.divineword.org photo

ince its founding in 1881, the Diocese of Trenton has been blessed with the presence of faith-filled, courageous and inspired religious men and women whose unique ministries bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the lives of the faithful during rapidly changing times. “Each of these religious orders, congregations and societies are blessed with a sacred charism, a gift of the Holy Spirit given over to their founders to share and enrich the Church and continue its ministry through services of prayer, missionary activity, education, health care or social service,” said Sister of St. Joseph Rose McDermott, who serves as diocesan delegate for religious. “The witness of the members of these institutes coupled with their devoted service assures the Church that, indeed, our Lord has fulfilled his promise, ‘I will not leave you orphans.’ Truly, the work of the Holy Spirit continues in the Church through the lives of these priests, sisters and brothers in these institutes,” she said. Bishop David M. O’Connell, C. M., is among those religious serving the Church today, having been ordained as a priest of the Congregation of the Mission, also known as Vincentians, in Mary Immaculate Seminary, Northampton, Pa., on May 29, 1982. The Vincentian spirit and those of numerous orders are alive and well in the Diocese. Here are some of the many communities whose religious currently serve in the Church of Trenton.

BROTHERS OF THE CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS

Christian Brothers. The offices for the Brothers of the Christian Schools District of Eastern North America are located in Eatontown. Today there are 10 brothers in ministry for the Diocese, eight in CBA, one in religious education in Holy Spirit Parish, Asbury Park, and one with the Missionaries of Charity, Asbury Park, serving in the soup kitchen. For more information, visit fscdena.org.

Bishop Griffin also gave permission for a Divine Word seminary to be built. This became a reality when, in 1941, the Society purchased the former Joseph Bonaparte estate in Bordentown. When a disastrous fire destroyed the estate in 1983, the seminary was closed. Bordentown has become home to both retired members of the Society and those involved in apostolates, including parish pastoral service, retreat and prison ministries and a continued presence for the Poor Clares. Though the current residence will close at the end of 2020, a Continued on 12

October 2020  THE MONITOR MAGAZINE 11

In Focus

Continued from 11

number of priests will continue to serve the Diocese. Currently, Divine Word priests serve the parishes of Mother of Mercy, Asbury Park; St. Ann, Browns Mills, and Our Lady of Guadalupe, Lakewood. For more information on the order, visit divineword.org.

SISTERS OF ST. FRANCIS OF PHILADELPHIA

daily encounters.” The ministry of the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia in the Diocese of Trenton has been extensive, with sisters staffing multiple schools and serving in a wide variety of apostolates, including pastoral roles in numerous parishes. Today, the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia minister in St. Francis of Assisi Parish, Brant Beach; Corpus Christi Parish, Willingboro, and Georgian Court University, Lakewood. For more information visit osfphila.org.

The Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia were founded in 1855 by Bishop John N. Neumann, C.Ss.R., Bishop of Philadelphia, after following the advice of Pope Pius IX to establish a congregation of Franciscan sisters in his own diocese. Bishop Neumann began the order with three women, one of whom, Anna Maria Boll Bachmann, was a German immigrant who became a widow with three children while expecting a fourth when her husband was killed as the result of antiimmigrant bias. Anna Maria became Sister Mary Francis, leader of the new congregation. By 1869, the sisters were serving in the Diocese of Trenton, teaching in St. Francis of Assisium Catholic School. That same year, with the consent of Bishop James Wood, Philadelphia, and Bishop James Bayley, Newark, Franciscan Sister Hyacintha and two companions founded St. Francis Hospital in Trenton. The sisters describe themselves as “Catholic women who commit their lives to God as followers of Sts. Francis and Clare. We strive to live in loving relationship and service with all people and creation. We are dedicated to bringing hope and joy to those in need by promoting justice and peace with emphasis on human rights and environmental concerns in our

With the approval of Pope Innocent III, the Conventual Franciscans were founded by St. Francis of Assisi in 1209 as a community of friars who lived the Gospel of Jesus Christ through obedience, poverty and chastity. Francis named his community of brothers Friars Minor, which meant “lesser brothers,” inspiring them to model the humility of Christ, to serve one another, to be in solidarity with the most marginalized of society, and to foster peace. According to their history, the earliest friars rebuilt chapels, ministered to the lepers and preached penance.

www.franciscans.org photo

www.osfphila.org photo

CONVENTUAL FRANCISCANS

The ministry of these Franciscans quickly spread outside Italy and by the 15th century, they had moved west, as well. The breadth of their ministry expanded according to the needs of society at the time, and has continued to do so in new times and places. In 1852, the Conventual Franciscan Friars arrived in the United States, and spent time working among the immigrant communities. In 1883, Bishop James Roosevelt Bayley, the first bishop of Newark, asked the Franciscans to care for German immigrants living in the Trenton area. Over the course of the next 100 years,

12 THE MONITOR MAGAZINE  October 2020

at the invitation of and with the support of Diocese of Trenton bishops, the Conventual Franciscans would minister in numerous parishes, establish a friary, and serve in Trenton Catholic Boys High School, which was staffed almost entirely by friars before its close in 1962. Friars also served St. Francis Medical Center, Trenton. Today, the Conventual Franciscans, both priests and brothers, serve in St. Junipero Serra Parish, Seaside Park, and St. Peter Parish, Point Pleasant Beach. To learn more about the Conventual Franciscans, visit franciscans.org.

FRANCISCAN FRIARS HOLY NAME PROVINCE

www.hnp.org photo

Faithful service

Soon after St. Francis of Assisi received papal approval in 1209 to form the community he called Friars Minor in Italy, their rapid growth led them to form provinces, a network of brothers grouped into friaries, providing friars with a home for common prayer and belonging, and opportunities to engage in ministries allowing them to bring the Gospel to the world. Holy Name Province, which was established in 1901, traces its roots to Franciscan missionaries who arrived in the Eastern United States in the mid-1800s to minister to an influx of immigrants, and is characterized by a diversity of ministries born of the charism of St. Francis. Its mission statement describes Holy Name Province as “an evangelical and missionary fraternity called to minister in the Eastern United States and abroad. Rooted in the Catholic and Franciscan tradition, we are disciples of Christ who seek to bring the Gospel into the everyday experience of all people through Franciscan witness, popular preaching, teaching, and pastoral leadership. We foster Christian discipleship by collaborating with those whom we serve and by standing in solidarity with all people, especially the alienated, the immigrant,

www.motherteresa.org photo

The Missionaries of Charity were founded by Mother Teresa in 1950, in India, four years after she received the inspiration to create the order in response to Christ’s call that she make him known to the poorest of the poor through humble, loving service. She said that the congregation would care for “the hungry, the naked, the homeless, the crippled, the blind, the lepers, all those people who feel unwanted, unloved, uncared for throughout society, people that have become a burden to the society and are shunned by everyone.” As a religious family sharing the charism of Mother Teresa, The Missionaries of Charity include active and contemplative sisters in one congregation, with religious brothers and priests in three separate congregations. The Missionaries of Charity have served in the Diocese of Trenton since 1999 when they responded to an invitation from Bishop John C. Reiss to begin their ministry working among the poor in Asbury Park. Four years earlier, in 1995, then Mother Teresa visited the Diocese and attended Mass celebrated by Bishop Reiss in St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton. It was there that Bishop Reiss presented a formal letter to Mother Teresa inviting the Missionaries of Charity to establish a residence in the Diocese. Mother Teresa was canonized a saint Sept. 4, 2016 by Pope Francis. Today, the Missionaries of Charity reside in the Asbury Park convent and their work has included visiting shut-ins and area nursing homes, teaching religious

ORDER OF ST. CLARE Inspired by St. Francis of Assisi, the Order of St. Clare, also called the Poor Clares, was founded in 1212 by St. Clare in Assisi, Italy, as a cloistered, contemplative order which follows a Gospel way of life, centered on intercessory prayer for the world because of a great love of God and others. In 1875, two Poor Clare nuns came from Italy to establish a Poor Clare monastery in the United States, successfully founding a monastery in Nebraska in 1878. In 1909, Bishop James A. McFaul invited the Poor Clare nuns to come to the Diocese of Trenton, explaining the Sisters of Mercy had vacated their motherhouse in Bordentown, which the Poor Clares could obtain. A pioneer group of Poor Clares arrived in Bordentown in the summer of 1909. The monastery was dedicated on Thanksgiving of the same year. By the late 1980s, the Bordentown community began to see a decline in the number of sisters and their convent facilities became too large for their needs. Though it took considerable time, their search led them to find new, smaller and more manageable quarters in Chesterfield. The sisters moved to their new home Nov. 12, 2001. As the Poor Clares of New Jersey mark 111 years since their arrival to the Trenton Diocese, they proudly share how they are a diverse group of women from all over the United States, and note that their monastery “is not ‘apart’ from the Church; rather, it is our part in the Church. It places us in the heart of the world. It is within the proper distance and the proper closeness of the cloister that we can find God for others that will become a reality for the good of the Church and the world of today.” The nuns support themselves mainly through the distribution of altar bread to

the parishes of the Diocese. They bring one of the charisms of St. Clare to their manual labor – a deep trust in Divine providence when concerned about one’s livelihood. For more information visit poorclaresnewjersey.com.

ORDER OF THE MOST HOLY TRINITY The Trinitarian Order was founded in 1198 by John de Matha and Philip of Valois in France with the intention of ransoming ph rg Christians held caps .o i an r a t i w w w.trin tive during the time of the Crusades. Soon after the order’s establishment their mission was incorporated into the order’s title: Order of the Most Holy Trinity and of Captives. Since then, Trinitarian priests, brothers, sisters and laity have dedicated themselves to works of mercy and redemption with a special concern for those who suffer persecution for the faith. They may be recognized by the distinctive red and blue cross worn on their habit. When United States bishops appealed to Europe for missionary priests, Trinitarians responded to the need. Trinitarians from Italy arrived in the United States in 1906. In 1911, at the invitation of Bishop James A. McFaul, the Order was entrusted with the care of Italian immigrants at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish, Asbury Park. Parishes in Long Branch and Trenton were to follow. Trinitarians describe themselves as “committed to works of mercy and redemption around the world. Our priests and brothers serve the poor in remote areas and in cities,

MISSIONARIES OF CHARITY

education in Mother of Mercy Parish, distributing food at the train station, assisting the poor as needed, serving in the convent soup kitchen, and simply being a presence on the streets of Asbury Park. For more information on St. Teresa of Kolkata and the Missionaries of Charity visit https://issuu.com/dioceseoftrenton/docs/ saint_teresa_monitor_special_issue or motherteresa.org/missionaries-of-charity.html.

and the poor.” Today, Franciscans of Holy Name Province serve in St. Francis of Assisi Parish, Brant Beach, providing a ministry of Franciscan hospitality and reconciliation extended through four churches and a regional community center. For more information visit hnp.org.

www.poorclaresnewjersey.org photo

In Focus

Continued on 14

October 2020  THE MONITOR MAGAZINE 13

In Focus

Continued from 13

we educate those whose faith is in peril, and when necessary we minister undercover in places where it is illegal to practice the faith. Whether we are serving in parish ministry, schools, prisons, or the missions, we strive to imitate the unity and love of the Most Holy Trinity.” Today, Trinitarians staff the parish of Incarnation-St. James, Ewing. For more information visit Trinitarians.org.

RELIGIOUS TEACHERS FILIPPINI

duty. With the mandate to “go and teach the Word of God” their mission statement calls them to make “the life and teachings of Jesus and his Church relevant in the lives of our students, so that they come to know and experience their true identity as sons and daughters of God, and be empowered to be Jesus for others, nurturing them to life in the Lord, enabling them to help build a world where justice and peace prevail.” Currently, Religious Teachers Filippini serve in Villa Victoria Academy, West Trenton; St. Jerome School, West Long Branch; St. Gregory the Great Parish, Hamilton Square, St. Joseph by the Sea Retreat House, Mantoloking, Morning Star House of Prayer, West Trenton and Seabrook Retirement Community, Tinton Falls. For more information visit filippiniusa.org.

The Institute of the Religious Teachers Filippini was founded by Lucy Filippini in 1692 in Italy, with the support and encouragement of Cardinal Mark Anthony Barbarigo, who asked Lucy to direct the schools he had established for the education of young girls. Both founders believed that Catholic education, undertaken with faith and charity, could be a transformative agent for many of the cultural and socio-economic problems that existed at the time. The community grew and spread beyond Italy, into other parts of the world, including the United States. In 1910 the Religious Teachers arrived from Italy to St. Joachim Parish, Trenton, to serve the Italian immigrant population. The sisters stayed on to eventually staff schools for children of all races, nationalities and creeds, beginning more than 100 years of educational ministry in the Diocese of Trenton. Today’s Religious Teachers Filippini remain faithful to the original inspiration of their founders regarding the ministry of the Christian education of youth and of adults, especially women, as their principal

Inspired by the life of Jesus and by their founder Catherine McAuley, an Irish Catholic laywoman, the Sisters of Mercy are women of faith, committing their lives to God and their resources to serve, advocate and pray for those in need around the world. The Mercy charism flows from Catherine’s personal spirituality which embraced God’s love and mercy for all people, leading Mercy Sisters to live the values of contemplation and action, service and prayer. www.sistersofmercy.org photo

www.filippiniusa.org photo

SISTERS OF MERCY

Sister Catherine opened the first House of Mercy in Dublin in 1827. Encouraged by the Archbishop of Dublin, she founded religious congregation in 1831. By 1843, the first Sisters of Mercy arrived in the United States, with the sisters’ work spreading quickly across the country, founding schools and hospitals and branching into health care, pastoral and social services. Mercy Sisters were already serving in St. Mary Parish, Bordentown, and St. Paul Parish, Princeton, before the Diocese of Trenton was formed in 1881. The first Bishop of the Diocese, Bishop Michael J. O’Farrell, suggested the Sisters open

14 THE MONITOR MAGAZINE  October 2020

a motherhouse in Bordentown, which they later expanded on acreage in the Watchung Mountains. The Mercy Sisters have ministered in more than 25 parishes in the Diocese, as well as in numerous schools and social services. Currently, Mercy Sisters serve in St. Catharine-St. Margaret Parish and St. Catharine School, Spring Lake; Red Bank Catholic/St. James Parish, Red Bank; Mercy Center, Asbury Park; Upper Room Spiritual Center, Neptune; Georgian Court University, Lakewood, which was founded by the Sisters of Mercy, and St. Ann Parish, Keansburg, including Bayshore Senior Center and Project Paul. For more information visit sistersofmercy.org.

SISTERS OF ST. JOSEPH OF PHILADELPHIA www.ssjphila.org photo

Unmatched ministry

When a devout group of six women living in 17th century France sought to live holy lives in service to others, Jesuit Father Jean-Pierre Médaille founded the Sisters of St. Joseph in 1650 in LePuy, France. Referred to as the “Congregation of the great love of God,” their ministry and mission spread across France. Under the patronage of St. Joseph, whom they recognize as having an inconspicuous holiness and “hidden virtue,” they dedicated themselves to “the practice of all spiritual and corporal works of mercy of which woman is capable and which will most benefit the dear neighbor.” During the French Revolution, their communities were dispersed. A number of sisters were imprisoned, others were guillotined. But heroic women of the communities continued their work, continued to press forward and eventually travelled to the United States, arriving in Philadelphia in 1847. By 1924, the Sisters of St. Joseph had traveled to the Atlantic Highlands to serve in St. Agnes School, the first Catholic school in that part of New Jersey. From Continued on 29

In Focus

75 years

Marianite Sister of Holy Cross Margaret Cronley Marianite Sister of Holy Cross Margaret Cronley, who marks her diamond jubilee as a Marianite of Holy Cross, was born in Manhattan and was the youngest of four siblings. She journeyed south to New Orleans, La., to enter the Marianites of Holy Cross in 1945, a decision made as the country was still feeling the impact of the conclusion of World War II. Eventually earning both bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Fordham University, New York City, Sister Margaret lived, taught and served as principal in numerous states along the East Coast. She was a teacher in Louisiana and Connecticut, as well as a principal in schools in New York and Massachusetts. In the Diocese of Trenton, she served as provincial superior of the Marianites of Holy Cross in Our Lady of Princeton (now the Princeton Academy of the Sacred Heart,) and worked many years in the diocesan Office of Vocations. Upon her retirement from the Chancery office, she spent more than 10 years as sacramental secretary in St. Ann Parish, Lawrenceville, before moving to her current residence in St. Mary’s Assisted Living on the campus of Morris Hall and St. Lawrence Rehabilitation Center, Lawrenceville.

Redemptorist Father Eugene Grohe Redemptorist Father Eugene Grohe was born in Fairview Park, Ohio, where priests at the local parish saw the love of Christ in him from a young age. He left for the minor seminary upon his eighth-grade graduation, professed his vows in

1945, and was ordained a priest at Mount St. Alphonsus, Esopus, N.Y., in 1950. Father Grohe’s first assignment was as a missionary in the central part of Brazil, where he rode horseback to visit some outposts. In an interview for Liguori Magazine, the 95-year-old priest recalled, “I loved going out into the country. You’d do 15 or 20 baptisms, and 10 or 12 marriages on a Sunday. It was very apostolic.” At the end of his second year in Brazil, he contracted tuberculosis and was sent back to the United States to recuperate. He had surgery to remove part of his right lung. After about a dozen years serving a parish outside Erie, Pa., Father Grohe arrived at Sacred Heart Parish, Esopus, where he remained for 50 years. He retired to the Redemptorists’ San Alphonso Retreat House, Long Branch, in 2019.

70 years

Dominican Sister Patricia Flynn Dominican Sister Patricia Flynn is a native of Paterson who earned a bachelor’s degree from Villanova University, Villanova, Pa. Over the course of her career as both an elementary and secondary teacher, she served in the (arch)dioceses of Trenton, Camden, Paterson, Newark and New York. While in the Diocese of Trenton, Sister Patricia worked as a history teacher in St. Joseph High School, Toms River (now Donovan Catholic High School) from 1964 to 1965, and later as the elementary school principal of St. Mary School, Deal

a r i es rs

ollowing are the religious men and women who have made it their mission to teach what it means to love and serve like the Creator. These religious who serve or have served in the Diocese of Trenton are marking anniversaries of special note in 2020, and are featured here as a tribute to their valuable ministry to the Church.

Religio

Lives of Dedication

(now closed), from 1975 to 1984. In 1972, she earned a master’s degree in American history from The Catholic Annive University, Washington, and s u continued her teaching career. Over the years, she served as administrator of the Mount Saint Mary Convent in Newburgh, N.Y., and was coordinator of volunteers for the Literacy Volunteers of America organization in Elizabeth. She retired in 2010.

2020

Resurrection Sister Antoinette Nowosielski Sister Antoinette Nowosielski was born in Albany, N.Y. She received her bachelor’s degree in education from Fordham University, N.Y. She completed advanced studies in speech education at The Catholic University of America, Washington. She holds teaching certification both in New York and the Trenton Diocese. Sister Antoinette entered the Congregation of the Sisters of the Resurrection in 1946 in Castleton, N.Y. – the Provincial Home and House of Formation for the Province of St. Joseph. She made her final profession on Aug. 15, 1955, at the Congregation’s Generalate Home in Rome, Italy, after which she returned to her home Province in New York. Sister Antoinette began teaching in 1954, and tutored students in St. Veronica School, Howell, through 2020. Much of her 60-year teaching career was spent with first-grade students in New York. From 1982 to 1997, she was principal of St. Veronica School as well as superior of the local community. Sister retired to the Resurrection Sisters’ Provincial Home at the end of September.

Mercy Sister Maria Cordis Richey The daughter of Joseph and Florence Richey, Mercy Sister Maria Cordis Richey was born and raised in Princeton. She attended Continued on 16

October 2020  THE MONITOR MAGAZINE 15

In Focus

Religious share many gifts the town’s St. Paul School and Mount Saint Mary Academy, Watchung, both staffed by the Sisters of Mercy. She earned an associate’s degree from Georgian Court College, now University, Lakewood, and entered the religious order in 1950. Sister Maria continued her education at Fordham University, Bronx, N.Y., earning master’s and doctoral degrees in medieval and Renaissance literature. Meanwhile, she Anniv taught for five years in St. e us Mary High School, Perth Amboy. Her assignment to Georgian Court College in 1957 began her collegial teaching ministry, which lasted more than five decades. As a teacher, she became a professor and chairwoman of the English department, a position she held for 33 years; in 1974, she was appointed president of the Mercy-run university. Following her term as president, Sister Maria continued to teach courses in the English department until her 2011 retirement to Mount Saint Mary. She received an honorary Doctor of Letters degree from Georgian Court University in 2016.

2020

a ri e s

Religio

Continued from 15

65 years

Conventual Franciscan Father Richard Rossell Father Richard Rossell, 85, grew up in Trenton, the son of Marcella and Ralph Rossell and one of five brothers. He graduated from Trenton Catholic High School, going on to enter the Franciscan order in 1952 at the St. Francis Friary, Staten Island, N.Y. He completed his novitiate in Middleburg, N.Y., in 1955, and professed his first vows as a friar the same year. Father Rossell’s solemn procession followed in 1958. After completion of studies at the friars’ seminary, St. Anthony-on-Hudson, Rensselaer, N.Y., he was ordained on May 27, 1961, at the Cathedral in Albany, N.Y. Father Rossell’s first assignment as friar-priest

was in his alma mater, (now Trenton Catholic Academy, Hamilton) as high school teacher. He also taught in Canevin High School, Pittsburgh, Pa. “My favorite assignment was and is right here at St. Peter Parish and Friary in Point Pleasant – a wonderful town and such good people,” Father Rossell reflected of his current assignment in retirement as Guardian of the friary.

60 Years

Sister of St. Joseph Pat McGinley Sister Pat McGinley was born and raised in Philadelphia, and has ministered in schools and parishes throughout the country as well as the Diocese of Trenton. Her areas of ministry have included teaching first grade; director of religious education in Marlton; director of the Department of Small Christian Communities, Newark; International office of Renew, Newark; pastoral associate in Wayside, Princeton Junction and Hainesport parishes; vicar for Ministry and 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, Lawrenceville. In addition to ministerial duties, Sister Pat served as consultant for Sadlier Book Company and National Propagation of the Faith, both Washington, D.C. She was a Mount Carmel Guild honoree in 2016.

Conventual Franciscan Brother Stephen Merrigann Conventual Franciscan Brother Stephen Merrigan made his first profession Sept. 24, 1960. For 18 years, he was in the Provincial Satellite Offices in Rensselaer, N.Y., where he worked with the lay staff members. He is currently retired to St. Junipero Serra Parish, Seaside Park, where, he says, “I now have started

16 THE MONITOR MAGAZINE  October 2020

my new ‘career.’” “As I look at 60 years as a professed Conventual Franciscan friar, I realize that time sure flies,” he said. “I look at every day as a 78-year-old and think of my many brother friars I have met and with whom I have lived. “I have served in many different jobs, in several friaries and cities. When I think of what I have done, I know that I could not have done any of it without the support and good examples of all of the friars who have helped me when I needed them,” he said.

55 Years

Sisters of Charity Margaret Conlon Sister Margaret Conlon entered the Sisters of Charity on Sept. 6, 1965. She is presently the program director at Emmaus House, Ocean Grove. She also ministered at the Academy of St. Aloysius High School and St. Aloysius School, both in Jersey City, and the College of Saint Elizabeth (presently Saint Elizabeth University), Convent Station.

Franciscan Father Andrew Reitz Father Andrew Reitz was born in Olean, N.Y., later moving to Allegany, where his family worshipped at St. Bonaventure Church. During his sophomore year in the city’s St. Bonaventure University, he began considering religious life, joining the Order of Friars Minor soon after. He attended St. Joseph Seraphic Seminary in Callicoon, N.Y., and was received into the Franciscan Order in 1964. He professed his first vows as a Franciscan friar July 15, 1965, the Feast of St. Bonaventure. Father Andrew, a member of Holy Name Province, received a bachelor’s degree in philosophy in 1967 from St. Bonaventure University before he professed final vows in 1969. He earned a master’s in theology in 1972 from Augustinian College. Following his ordination in 1971, he was

assigned to St. Francis of Assisi Parish, Brant Beach, and stayed 13 years. After several years of formation work, he returned to the parish as pastor in 1996 for another nine-year assignment. In 2005, he was assigned to Sacred Heart Church in Tampa, Fla.; he was the first Franciscan pastor of this parish. Six years later, Father Reitz became pastor in St. Francis of Assisi in New York City. He returned to the Jersey Shore’s St. Francis of Assisi Parish as a parochial vicar in September.

50 Years

Mercy Sister Catherine C. Darcy Mercy Sister Catherine C. Darcy grew up in Red Bank, where she attended the town’s St. James School and Red Bank Catholic High School. She earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Georgian Court College, now University, Lakewood, and a master’s degree in pastoral studies from Loyola University of Chicago. Sister Catherine, a canon lawyer, earned her doctor of cannon law (JCD) degree from St. Paul University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; a doctoral degree (PhD) in canon law from the University of Ottawa, Canada, and a licentiate in canon law (JCL) from The Catholic University of America, Washington. Sister Catherine entered the convent as a 20-year-old in 1970, professing perpetual vows as a Sister of Mercy in 1978. In the Diocese of Trenton, Sister Catherine served for five years as a judge of the diocesan Tribunal and was a canon law instructor in a training program for permanent deacons from 1994 to 1995. She served in various parishes of the Diocese, including some as a pastoral associate, and as a consultant to the diocesan synod implementation committee from 1992 to 1996. She also taught religion and mathematics in Notre Dame High School, Lawrenceville. Over the course of her ministry, she has served as chancellor, judge and administrative director of the tribunal in the Diocese of Las Cruces, N.M., for eight years, and as an adjunct professor of canon law in Georgian Court University, Lakewood, where she was also the director of the Office of Service Learning. She was named as vice chancellor of the

Diocese of Camden and a tribunal judge in 2009. In 2017, she was named director of mission integration at Mercy Hospital Ada, part of the Mercy network of hospitals and clinics. Sister Catherine has also served on several social justice committees in both her religious congregation and diocesan assignments, including working on migration concerns at the U.S./Mexico border.

Conventional Franciscan Brother Jim Moore Brother Jim Moore grew up in an Irish-Italian family in Syracuse, N.Y., with four siblings. He credited the influence of elementary and secondary school teachers – the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet – for inspiring his own call to the Franciscan community. Brother Jim entered the Conventual Franciscan Friars on Sept. 5, 1968, as a religious brother, accepting the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. He made his first profession of vows in 1970. He currently serves in St. Junipero Serra Parish, Seaside Park, and is friary guardian. He has served as a high school teacher, vocation director, formation director, university campus minister and spiritual director. Brother Jim also served on his Franciscan community’s leadership team. “I was also fortunate to be the founder of a yearlong, nonprofit volunteer service program for young adults (FrancisCorps),” he noted. “God has certainly been good,” he continued.

40 Years

Christian Brother Frank Byrne Christian Brother Frank Byrne grew up in Shrewsbury, the son of Richard and Clair Byrne, and one of five children. He graduated from Christian Brothers Academy in 1975 and went on to receive a bachelor’s of business administration in accounting from Notre Dame University, South Bend, Ind., in 1979. After graduation,

Brother Frank began working with the Brothers of the Christian Schools in St. Raymond High School, Bronx, N.Y., and later in La Salle Academy, New York City. From 1989 to 1992, he worked as the vocation director for the New York Province, and then returned to St. Raymond’s as principal from 1993 to 2002. Brother Frank was elected as the head of the New York Province of Brothers in 2002, and served in this position for seven years. In September 2009, Brother Frank began his term as president of Christian Brothers Academy, Lincroft. Brother Frank received a master of science degree in religious education from Fordham University, New York City, and a professional diploma from Manhattan College for school administration. He serves on the Board of Trustees at Calvert Hall, Manhattan College, Christian Brothers Academy, and the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick of the Jersey Shore. He is a member of the Manhattan College Pipes & Drums and the Christian Brothers Academy Pipes & Drums.

25 Years

Franciscan Father Scott Brookbank Father Scott Brookbank, who is celebrating the 25th anniversary since his first profession as a Franciscan friar, grew up in Rochester, N.Y., as part of a devout Catholic family active in their parish. The youngest of three sons, Father Brookbank graduated with a bachelor’s degree in religious studies and a master’s degree in special education, both from Nazareth College, Rochester. He served as a public school special education teacher in upstate New York for five years, leaving the field in 1993 to enter the Holy Name Province’s postulant program at St. Francis Friary in Rye Beach, N.H. In formation with the order from 1995 to 1998 at Holy Name College in Silver Spring, Maryland, he decided not to seek ordination and instead obtained a degree in pastoral counseling at nearby Loyola University. He completed a one-year internship as director of guidance at Paterson Catholic High School, N.J., Continued on 45

October 2020  THE MONITOR MAGAZINE 17

Ministry legacy continues

Come to us for Come to from 14 the carethe you Continued us for there, their presence grew as they were called upon to staff new Come to usT for need. Stay inE care you L IA Iresidence IO C C Cconvent. PG PC P PT A PN PA TLP T T Athe A A IIO Inew IA schools and take inL aA G G G N N N N N N I I IPP IL S S S T T T •O •IO •EH •UH SN SDC SLC P P P C C E E E H C C C C E E C C C C D D A A A A U U L L W W W W EH O O O O YE N N N N OD • • • • E E E E E E E E F F F F need. Stay the care you Y Y Y Y Today, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Philadelphia serve in St. home you love. R R R R T T T N N N E E ONO in the IAL need. Stay in the Joan of Arc Parish and School, Marlton; St. Leo the Great Parish, C E home 9 1 L home you love.you Lincroft; Trenton Catholic Academy, Hamilton; St. Denis Parish, SP C 0IA 2 R Manasquan; St. Peter Convent, Point Pleasant Beach; St. Ann , love. TE arySP1Efr2e0e1!9 N Parish, Lawrenceville; Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish, Maple I nuER th1, e! W T y a n e J Shade; Francis House of Prayer, Allentown, and the Upper Room S r r N o ua nth f Y’ foW reI dam n R Spiritual Center, Neptune. For more information visit ssjphila.org. J S A bYe’ 2rne mo M o e n R . For more information f i d h e ST o. vMe A eint tb e 2n about LIFE St. Francis, M ST nodveg et th st aM d g call 609-599-LIFE (5433) or visit n a

L IA IP C CLN CN PG PC PT A A PN PA TLP T T AG A A IIO IIO IA G G N IN ICN IPP IL S S S S T T T T •O •IO •EH •UH SN SLC P P C C C EA EP E E HN CC C C E E C C C D D D A A A U W W W W EH O O O O N N N N • • • • E E E E E E E E F F F F Y Y Y Y R R R T T T N N NEO E

Senior ST. MARY’S WINTER SPECIAL ST. MARY’S WINTER SPECIAL Move in before January 1, 2019 Living Move in before January 1, 2019 and get the 2nd month free! and get the 2nd month free!