Monitor Mag OCT 2024

MONITOR

MAGAZINE

POWER of PRAYER

More than a thousand pro-life advocates took to the streets of Trenton Sept. 26 for the inaugural statewide March for Life. But first they filled St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral to capacity as bishops and priests from throughout New Jersey celebrated a Mass for Life. Respect Life efforts are IN FOCUS, beginning on page 10.

ALSO . . .

FROM THE BISHOP: Messages for Respect Life Month and Faithful Citizenship

SPECIAL SECTIONS: World Mission Sunday and High School Showcase

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MINISTRY OF CATECHESIS

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This year’s “Chick” McGinty Award for Excellence in

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ABOVE: Fr. Stephen Sansevere, pastor of the Catholic Community of Hopewell Valley parishes, Lisa Ann Limongello, PCL, Fr. Michael Kennedy, pastor of St. Luke Parish, Toms River.

RIGHT: Lisa Ann Limongello, PCL,

Faith ∙ Family

FROM THE BISHOP

Your generosity funds the Department of Catechesis’ task in leading to knowledge of the faith, liturgical instruction, moral formation, teaching to pray, and introducing learners to community life in the Church. We support parish religious education programs, Catholic schools, and the training and formation of Catechetical Leaders and catechists. Thank you for making this important work possible!

“Your support enables us to continue vital ministries and programs broadening our services and reaching out to all those seeking solace and spiritual guidance, embodying the teachings of Christ in our actions. I urge you to read more about our collaborative efforts within this wonderful diocese of ours.”

“THROUGH A NURTURED RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS AND A STRONG PRAYER LIFE, WE CAN OVERCOME OBSTACLES AND FACE CHALLENGING MOMENTS. CATECHESIS OFFERS PEOPLE THE CHANCE TO EQUIP THEMSELVES WITH THE POWER OF PRAYER, THE JOY OF FAITH AND THE WILLINGNESS TO ANSWER THE CALL TO SERVE GENERATIONS TO COME.” Lisa Ann Limongello

Most Reverend David M. O’Connell, C.M., Bishop of Trenton

Annual Catholic Appeal 2024 GOAL: $6. 5 MILLION

$2,250,000 LOVE

Clergy and Religious Life Ministries

$1,750,000 FAITH

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$2,500,000 FAMILY

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Denise Contino, director, and Michelle Angelo Santoro, associate director.

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Catechetical Ministry was presented to Lisa Ann Limongello.

ON THE COVER

This view from the choir loft shows a filled St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton, for which some 1,400 faithful attended the Sept. 26 Mass for Life. Cardinal Joseph Tobin of Newark was principal celebrant and Bishop David O’Connell, C.M., was homilist. Other New Jersey bishops also concelebrated. After the Mass, many of the congregants attended the Rally for Life at the State House. Rose O’Connor photo See IN FOCUS pages 10-17.

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Father Alberto Tamayo, C.O., pastor of the Oratory Church of St. Anthony of Padua, Red Bank, celebrates Mass Sept. 14 in the Crypt Church of the Our Lady of Czestochowa Shrine, Doylestown, Pa. John Batkowski photo

8-9  From the Bishop

Bishop O’Connell calls to mind the “preeminent priority” of defending the unborn

18-26  Special Reports

Catholics advised to form consciences before voting; Tropical Storm Helene’s record-setting damage; revisiting anniversary of Oct. 7 terrorist attack with prayer, fasting

27-31

 We Believe

World and Diocese make ready for Jubilee Year of Hope

36-41

 Diocese

Diocesan PTA conference a time to rejuvenate parent leaders; pastoral councils trained in volunteer encouragement; Limongello recognized with “Chick” McGinty award at PCL convocation; Father Frambes remembered; Catholic Charities holds 35th annual benefit

73-79  In the Parishes

Princeton pastor installed; saints’ relics make an impact in parish events; catechists commissioned on Catechetical Sunday; Bishop speaks on St. Paul in namesake parish; Hightstown parish marks milestone anniversary

Por el OBISPO DAVID M. O’CONNELL, C.M.

‘Yo vine para que tengan vida’

El clima de la sociedad actual está cargado de palabras y de realidades que estas palabras transmiten: cambio, responsabilidad, compromiso y, sobre todo, ¡esperanza!

El pueblo de la vida y para la vida (cf. Evangelium vitae, 78) es fundamentalmente un pueblo de esperanza. Somos un pueblo de vida y para la vida porque somos un pueblo de esperanza.

La esperanza de la que hablo no está arraigada ni anclada en un ideal o incluso en un sueño o visión, aunque las Escrituras hablen de ancianos que sueñan sueños y de jóvenes que ven visiones (cf. Jl 2,28). La esperanza de la que hablo es una Persona, la Persona de Jesucristo, Verdadero Dios y Verdadero Hombre, el único Salvador de la humanidad. Sólo Él es la fuente de la esperanza auténtica y duradera. ¡Él es, de hecho, la Esperanza Encarnada!

El Señor Jesús es nuestra esperanza porque es nuestro Salvador. Por su cruz y resurrección, ha puesto fin a la permanencia del mal, del pecado, del sufrimiento y de la muerte humana; ha abierto para nosotros la fuente del agua que da vida, en una palabra, ¡la salvación! Como Él mismo nos ha dicho: «Yo he venido para que tengan vida… y la tengan en abundancia» (Jn 10,10).

Esta esperanza en Él la describe tan bellamente San Pablo en su carta, inicialmente a los Cristianos de Roma y ahora a nosotros: «¿Quién nos separará del amor de Cristo? ¿La tribulación, la angustia, la persecución, el hambre, la desnudez, el peligro, la espada? […] Porque estoy seguro de que ni la muerte ni la vida, ni ángeles ni principados, ni lo presente ni lo futuro, ni las potestades, ni lo alto ni lo profundo, ni ninguna otra criatura podrá separarnos del amor de Dios que nos llega en Cristo Jesús,

nuestro Señor» (Rm 8,35.38-39). Esta palabra de esperanza nos recuerda y nos da fuerzas para ser, de palabra y de hecho, pro-vida. Precisamente porque somos un pueblo de vida y para la vida, nos oponemos necesariamente a todo aquello que priva injustamente de la vida humana desde su primer momento de concepción, a lo largo de sus diversas etapas de desarrollo, hasta su último momento de muerte natural.

Lea la historia completa en TrentonMonitor.com>peces

Nuestro llamado a una ciudadanía fiel

Se ha vuelto casi normativo en estos días que los candidatos políticos de todo tipo terminen sus discursos en apariciones de campaña, ayuntamientos o mítines con alguna forma de expresión “Dios los bendiga y/o Dios bendiga a los Estados Unidos de América”. Quizás usted también haya notado su aparición con más frecuencia que en el pasado. De hecho, lo espero ahora mientras veo las retransmisiones televisivas de estos acontecimientos, especialmente en este año electoral.

Ciertamente, es un sentimiento admirable con el que concluir sus comentarios, ya que frases como “En Dios confiamos”, “una nación bajo Dios”, “dotada por su Creador”, “que Dios me ayude” han sido durante mucho tiempo una parte importante de la lengua vernácula Americana a lo largo de la historia. ¿Es una oración, un deseo religioso o “simplemente algo que decir” al público de un país fundado sobre principios judeocristianos? Regularmente me pregunto sobre esto, especialmente cuando el discurso que lo precede contiene elementos que defienden políticas o posiciones que difícilmente parecen reflejar o ser consistentes con nuestros orígenes divinos, la bondad de Dios o la fe religiosa de todos y cada uno de los creyentes, sin mencionar siquiera la tono y tenor de algunos comentarios que carecen de civilidad básica.

Las marcas principales que vendemos son Exmark, Stihl, y RedMax. Se vende y se arregla otras marcas de equipo. Se puede financiar todo tipo de equipo. NUESTROS TRES ESTABLECIMIENTOS SE ENCUENTRAN EN Lea la historia completa en TrentonMonitor.com>peces

Joseph Steinert & Company 26 Old Olden Ave. Hamilton, NJ 08610

609-587-0246

County Line Hardware 707 Bennetts Mills Rd. Jackson, NJ 08527 732-363-6522

Lakehurst Lawn Mower 10 Union Ave. Lakehurst, NJ 08733 732-657-2401

¡Lee más en línea! Visita trentonmonitor.com>peces para ver más historias en español de toda nuestra diócesis y del mundo.

La segunda sesión del Sínodo sobre la Sinodalidad se centrará en la misión

A 10 años de la desaparición de estudiantes mexicanos, su padres siguen sin saber dónde están sus hijos

Encontrarse con un migrante es encontrarse con Cristo, dice el mensaje del Papa

Inicia millonario proyecto para organizaciones católicas hispanas

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Respecting life in all its stages

Speaking to the immense congregation in St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton, for the first statewide Mass for Life, Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., made a point that he has made many times in the past: “To be Catholic is to be pro-life.”

The Bishop emphasized the preeminent priority for Catholics to protect human life in the womb, but he did not leave his message there. As he is also known to say with regularity, “Ours is a duty to protect all human life. Every human life. From conception to natural death.”

A message from

This is a serious responsibility, but also an awesome opportunity to offer an important witness to the world – Catholics believe in the sanctity of human life in the womb; as well as the dignity of the poor, the immigrant, the prisoner, the frail elderly and countless others who are at risk or targeted for any number of reasons.

RAYANNE BENNETT Associate Publisher

to spend time with these stories both in print and on our website. And then, because to be Catholic is to be pro-life, consider what you might do to protect those in need . . . for whatever reason. It is both a privilege and responsibility to be a people of life.

This issue of The Monitor Magazine presents us with compelling examples of our brothers and sisters who need our help, support, prayer, action and most importantly, love. This includes the nearly 50,000 innocent people, many children among them, who have been killed in violence over the last year in the Holy Land, as well as the unknown number of our fellow citizens to the south whose lives have been decimated by an historic hurricane and tropical storm. Unfortunately, as we wrap this issue up, the entire state of Florida is bracing for a dangerous hurricane, hitting many areas that haven’t yet recovered from Helene.

These crises require more of us than the 3-minute spot on the nightly news or the posts that fly by in our news feeds. We need to spend time with these accounts and understand them, so that we can take steps on behalf of the human lives who are under such duress during these difficult times.

As we all observe Respect Life Month, we invite our readers

A couple celebrating a milestone anniversary renew their wedding vows during the Bishop’s Anniversary Blessing Mass Oct. 6 in St. Robert Bellarmine Co-Cathedral, Freehold. The Mass was celebrated for Monmouth and Ocean County couples marking one, 25, 50 or more years of marriage. A second Mass for couples from Burlington and Mercer Counties will be held Oct. 27 at 3 p.m. in St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton. The November issue of The Monitor Magazine will include a special section on both Masses.

Mike Ehrmann photo

Multimedia coverage of the annual Catholic Schools Mass

SPECIAL TRIBUTE to couples honored at October’s Bishop’s Anniversary Blessing Masses

Ongoing coverage of the Synod on Synodality

Diaconate Convocation

Local stories, including the annual Red Mass; Regional Altar Rosary Society gathering; 100th anniversary of St. Hedwig Church; New Jersey Teacher of the Year and much more

STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP MANAGEMENT CIRCULATION

The following statement, required by act of Congress, August 12, 1970, was filed with the U.S. Postal Service on October 1, 2024, and is printed here in accordance with the provisions of the same law.

Title of Publication: The Monitor Magazine. Frequency of issue: Monthly. Location of Headquarters: 701 Lawrenceville Rd. Trenton, NJ 08648. Publisher: Most Rev. David M. O’Connell, C.M., 701 Lawrenceville Rd., Trenton, NJ 08648. Associate Publisher: Rayanne M. Bennett, 701 Lawrenceville Rd., Trenton, NJ 08648. Owner: The Monitor, Diocese of Trenton, a nonprofit organization in the State of New Jersey. Known bondholders, mortgages, and other security holders, owning, or holding one percent or more of the total amount of bonds, mortgages, and other securities: None. The purpose of function and nonprofit status of this organization and the exempt status for federal income tax purposes has not changed during the previous 12 months.

Extent and nature of circulation: A. total number of copies printed: average number of copies of each issue during the preceding 12 months: 7754; number of copies of single issue published nearest to filing date: 7,712. B. Paid circulation: 1) Average number of copies of each issue during preceding 12 months: 7250; 2) Number of copies of single issue published nearest to filing date: 7,140. C. Total paid distribution: Average number of copies of each issue during preceding 12 months: 7,251; number of copies of single issue published nearest to filing date:7,141. D. 1) Free or nominal rate distribution: average 271, latest 241. 4) Free or Nominal Rate Distribution Outside the Mail (Carriers or other means): average 233, latest 330. E. Total free or Nominal Rate Distribution: average: 504, latest 571; F. Total Distribution: average 7,754; latest: 7,712. G. Copies not distributed: Average: 0, latest: 0; H. Total Average: 7,754, latest: 7,712. I. Percent Paid: 93.51% ; latest: 92.60%.

Bishop O’Connell enjoys a light hearted conversation with Father Michael Gentile, pastor, Resurrection Parish, Delran, and Father Daniel Peirano, pastor, St. Thomas More, Manalapan, during the Sept. 10-12 Clergy Convocation, Galloway. Mike Ehrmann photo

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‘I

came so that they might

BY BISHOP DAVID M. O’CONNELL, C.M.

The atmosphere in society today is charged with words and with the realities conveyed by these words: change, accountability, responsibility and, above all, hope! The people of life and for life (cf. Evangelium Vitae, n. 78) are fundamentally a people of hope! We are people of life and for life because we are a people of hope.

The hope of which I speak is not rooted or anchored in an ideal or even in a dream or vision, although the Scriptures speak of old men dreaming dreams and young men seeing visions (cf. Joel 2:28). The hope of which I speak is a Person, the Person of Jesus Christ, True God and True Man, the one and only Savior of humanity. He alone is the source of authentic and enduring hope! He is, in fact, Hope Incarnate!

The Lord Jesus is our hope because He is our Savior. By His Cross and Resurrection, He has put an end to the permanence of evil, sin, suffering and human death; He has opened for us the fountain of life-giving water, in a word, salvation! As He Himself has told us, “I came so that they might have life … and have it to the full” (Jn 10:10).

 There is no greater act of injustice than to take away ... life at its very beginning ...

This hope in Him is described so beautifully by St. Paul in his Letter initially to the Christians of Rome and now to us. “Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Trial, distress, or persecution, or hunger, or nakedness, or danger, or the sword? ... For I am certain that neither death nor life, neither angels nor principalities, neither the present nor the future, nor powers, neither height nor depth nor any other creature, will be able to separate us from the love of God that comes to us in Christ Jesus, our Lord” (Rom 8:35, 38-39). This word of hope both reminds us of and energizes us to be, in name and in fact, pro-life. Precisely because we are a people of life and for life, we necessarily oppose anything and everything which unjustly takes away human life from its first moment at conception all the way through its various stages of development to its last moment at natural death.

The names are varied and all too familiar, including abortion, partial-birth abortion, embryonic stem cell research, euthanasia, mercy-killing, and physician-assisted suicide, and so forth – but the reality is always the same: the unjust taking away of human life, God’s greatest gift to us on the human level. Especially heinous and heart-rending is the unjust taking away of the life of an innocent, defenseless, pre-born human being.

There is no greater act of injustice than to take away deliberately and intentionally human life at its very beginning in the womb. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops have stated, “the threat of abortion remains our preeminent priority because it directly attacks life itself, because it takes place within the sanctuary of the family, and because of the number of lives destroyed (USCCB, Faithful

have life’

Citizenship).”

Abortion for any reason throughout all nine months of pregnancy, abortion on demand, whatever form abortion takes, whatever excuse it offers, deprives an entire class of human beings – the unborn – the most fundamental right of all rights, the right to life. So, the most basic and immediate restoration of justice must be guaranteeing, upholding and protecting the right to life of every human being, beginning with the most vulnerable of all, the child in the womb.

Our faith requires us to oppose evil and to do good, to oppose abortion on demand and to provide help to mothers facing challenging pregnancies. Moreover, we are being urged by politicians to concentrate only on reducing the number of abortions, making them “legal, safe and rare.” Our response must remain unequivocal and absolutely clear: our goal is not

merely the reduction of abortions but the elimination of all abortions!

We are called to be “pro-life,” and we proclaim that boldly in the month of October. In his Letter to the Philippians, St. Paul writes, “Keep on doing what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me.” We have heard and received the Gospel of Life! Our witness to life and for life is ongoing, because the people of hope do not give up! Hope sustains us to persevere and to prevail!

Not only in this month but always, we must be relentless in our support of and witness to life

 The conversion of hearts is crucial! We must continue to storm heaven...

Our hope is not in an ideal or in a dream or a vision, but in a Person: The Lord Jesus Christ! This is why first, last and everywhere in between, we turn to the Lord in prayer: prayer at home, personal and communal; prayer in the Church, public and liturgical. To this prayer, we add penance, for we recall Jesus’ words: “This kind of evil you can drive out only by prayer and fasting” (cf. Mk 9:29).

As Christian Catholics, we are seeking a massive conversion of hearts! Although laws prohibiting abortion are vanishing – and deliberately so – throughout our country, in the end, the conversion of hearts is crucial! We must continue to storm heaven, asking for this grace above all other graces: the grace of conversion of hearts to support life in all its stages!

Our prayers will be answered. We must not relinquish that conviction of faith. Hope comes to us, beyond words: the Lord Jesus Himself, Hope Incarnate! He embraces us in Holy Communion: He sends us forth, so that by word and deed, we may live the Gospel of Life and witness to Him, Christ Our Hope. “I came so that they might have life!” We are sent forth to proclaim hope, the hope that forgives and heals, the hope that strengthens and enables all of us in our efforts to eliminate abortion and to promote life! This is the hope that, through God’s grace and only with His grace, will empower us to overturn the current culture of death and to restore and to intensify a renewed culture of life.

This is our time, this October and every day beyond, the time to become even more a people of life and for life, because we are, in Christ and with Christ, a people of hope –today, tomorrow and all days until the victory of life is won and triumphs – for the glory of God and the salvation of the world! Amen.

Pexels/Isaac Taylor photo

Catholics have ‘duty to protect’ all human life, Bishop says at Mass for Life

BY EMMALEE ITALIA  Contributing Editor, and MARY STADNYK  Associate Editor

Before the standing-room-only congregation gathered in Trenton’s St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral for the first statewide Mass for Life Sept. 26, Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., framed his homily around the words “Duty to Protect” when it comes to protecting all human life, especially “the child in their mother’s womb, the child in the mother’s arms and beyond.

“All human life, every human life, from conception to natural death, ours is a duty to protect,” Bishop O’Connell said to the congregation that numbered approximately 1,400. There were about 1,000 in the Cathedral, and another 400 who watched the livestream from the Cathedral parish hall. As of Sept. 27, the diocesan Office of Communications and Media reported that more than 1,200 people had viewed the livestream of the Mass.

“Today in Trenton, we in all the

Bishop O’Connell and Cardinal Tobin pause for a photo; in the background is Msgr. Thomas N. Gervasio, vicar general.

Mike Ehrmann photos

In his homily for the New Jersey Mass for Life, Bishop O’Connell emphasized the “preeminent priority” of protecting unborn children.

From left, Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney, Paterson Diocese; Bishop O’Connell; Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R., of Newark, and Bishop Dennis Sullivan, Camden Diocese, concelebrate the Mass for Life in St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton.

Deacon Patrick Brannigan, of the Diocese of Trenton, incenses the Book of the Gospels.

Mass for Life attendees listen to Bishop O’Connell’s homily in St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton.

RESPECT LIFE

Dioceses of New Jersey affirm that ‘duty.’ One need not be a Catholic to express and believe it. One needs only to be a rational, honest human being. But one cannot, however, be a Catholic without that conviction rooted deep in our souls as a preeminent priority of our faith.”

Referencing the U.S. Bishops’ document Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, Bishop O’Connell asserted that the threat of abortion remains “our preeminent priority because it directly attacks life itself because it takes place within the sanctuary of the family, and because the number of lives destroyed.”

“Remember these words. Preeminent priority – not the only priority but the preeminent, fundamental basis of all other priorities,” Bishop O’Connell said.

Abortion “directly attacks life itself – not some other less-significant aspect of reality, but life. [It] takes place within the sanctuary of the family – whether both parents contribute to the decision or not, they are still parents. Because of the number of lives destroyed, ultimately, death is the choice and outcome whatever the reasons given,” he said.

According to organizers, New Jersey is one of 14 states where large-scale Marches for Life have been held or are planned to be held since the Supreme Court overturn of Roe v. Wade in 2022. In previous years, the Mass for Life and Rally/March at the New Jersey State House was held near the Jan. 22 anniversary of Roe v. Wade. With a move

Overflow seating and livestreaming for the Mass for Life was provided downstairs in the Cathedral’s parish hall.

to September and a wider invitation to all New Jersey pro-life advocates as well as Catholic parishes and schools across the state, organizers expected a greater turnout.

For the Sept. 26 Mass, livestreamed in both English and Spanish on youtube. com/trentondiocese, Bishop O’Connell joined his brother New Jersey bishops, including Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R., of Newark who was principal celebrant. Other Bishops included Bishop Dennis J. Sullivan and Coadjutor Bishop Joseph A. Williams from the Camden Diocese; Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney from the Paterson Diocese, and Newark Auxiliary Bishops Manuel A. Cruz, Michael A. Saporito, Gregory J. Studerus, and Elias R. Lorenzo, O.S.B. Since Bishop James F. Checchio from the Metuchen Diocese was not able to attend, his Diocese was represented by its vicar general, Father Jonathan S. Toborowsky.

Also concelebrating the Mass were about 65 priests from the various dioceses. Representatives from the five New Jersey dioceses participated in the Mass including as readers, altar servers, gift bearers and the music ministry.

WALKING AS A SINGLE PEOPLE

In remarks at the beginning and end of Mass, Cardinal Tobin extended his thanks to all in attendance for their presence, “as witnesses to the Light that shines in darkness, a Light that the darkness can never overcome.”

At NJ Rally, March, advocates show resolve in ending abortion, supporting women

BY EMMALEE ITALIA  Contributing Editor

The first statewide New Jersey Rally and March for Life Sept. 26 saw hundreds of pro-life supporters gathering at the Trenton Statehouse annex in peaceful witness for the dignity of unborn children and their mothers.

Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney of the Diocese of Paterson opened the rally with a prayer, building on the homily of Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., delivered at the Mass for Life earlier that morning in Trenton’s St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral.

“Roe is overturned, and ‘we have a lot of work to do,’ as Bishop O’Connell reminded us,” he said. He also recalled St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta’s speech at the National Prayer Breakfast in 1994, and her focus on the unborn, when she asked, “How do we help a mother? Through love.”

“My sisters and brothers, let us never condemn, but let us love – the mom, the dad and the child in the womb,” Bishop Sweeney noted, “and as Bishop O’Connell said, ‘life at every moment from conception to natural death.’”

VOICES OF ADVOCACY

Themed “With Every Woman and For Every Child,” the Rally and March for Life saw an ecumenical gathering of pro-life advocates, including groups from every diocese in the state, as well as multiple Catholic school and parish delegations. Students of St. Ann School, Lawrenceville, led those gathered in the Pledge of Allegiance, while the one-mile march that followed the rally was led by students and staff of Notre Dame High School, Lawrenceville, carrying the event’s signature banner.

Although he was unable to attend in person, Representative Christopher Smith, (R-NJ, 4th district), parishioner of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, Whiting, provided a statement that was read during the Rally.

 “...no human rights abuse need be forever.”

“On behalf of my wife Marie and I, thanks to each of you for your extraordinary perseverance, courage, compassion, and above all, love for the weakest and most vulnerable,” Smith wrote. “As we all know far too well, the pro-abortion culture . . . continues to deny, devalue and disrespect unborn baby girls and boys, and trivialize the harm suffered by women. Many states, including our own under Gov. Murphy, have enacted extremist laws that legally sanction the killing of a baby … for any reason whatsoever, right up to the moment of birth.

“But no human rights abuse need be forever,” Smith continued. “We will never, never, never quit in our defense of the un-

Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney of the Paterson Diocese delivers the opening prayer at the Rally for Life. Rose O’Connor photo

born children and their mothers. Now more than ever, we must double down, and pray, fast and work even harder to protect women and children from the violence of abortion.”

“Your presence here is a testament to the strength of the pro-life movement. You are all bright shining lights of joy and hope here today,” said NJ Right to Life director Marie Tasy. She pointed to the work of some 50 pregnancy resource centers in New Jersey, and a recent report that revealed they served more than 23,000 men, women and youth in 2022, and provided services valued at more than $3 million.

“They did it all without receiving state or federal funding,” Tasy said. “These centers give them the true choice, and because of the services they provide, thousands of children are alive today, and thousands of women have been spared the pain and grief of abortion.”

Other speakers at the rally included state legislators,

healthcare workers, National and New Jersey March for Life representatives, abortion survivors and faith leaders – several of whom offered remarks from a Catholic perspective.

RESPONDING WITH LOVE, ACTION

“We are bringing truth with love,” said Sister Deirdre “DeDe” Byrne, a religious sister of the Little Workers of the Sacred Heart. A veteran with the retiring rank of colonel, Sister Dede works as a surgeon among the poor; her mission includes offering abortion pill reversal.

Referring to a woman who came to the convent for assistance, Sister Dede described her reversal as unsuccessful. The woman asked Sister Dede, “Will God forgive me?”

“God already forgave you; you have to forgive yourself,” the nun replied.

Faculty and students of the Celebrate Life Club of Notre Dame High School, Lawrenceville, line up to lead the state March for Life. Mike Ehrmann photo

 Rally for Life attendees gather at the Statehouse Annex in spite of the drizzle, cheering at times for their love for the unborn. Mike Ehrmann photo

Sister Dierdre “DeDe” Byrne talks about her ministry to pregnant women in crisis as a Little Worker of the Sacred Heart. Mike Ehrmann photo

Leading the Pledge of Allegiance at the Rally for Life were students from St. Ann School, Lawrenceville. Mike Ehrmann photo

Representatives of Donovan Catholic High School, Toms River, walk in the one-mile March for LIfe in Trenton.

Mike Ehrmann photo

Novena is time to pray for all respect life issues

As October is the month the Catholic Church in the United States celebrates Respect Life Month, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops will hold its annual Respect Life Novena Oct. 22 to Oct. 30.

The novena prays for the protection of human life, from conception to natural death, and includes a wide breadth of Respect Life topics including pregnancy support, the death penalty, persons with disabilities, healing after abortion and more.

The USCCB will post the novena on social media daily at 6 a.m. ED. Each day of the novena features a different prayer intention, as well as a short reflection, suggested actions, and additional information to help participants go deeper.

The social media accounts where the novena will be posted include: Facebook: facebook.com; X (formerly Twitter): x.com/usccb; Threads: www.threads.net@usccb.

‘I Came So That They Might Have Life’

RESPECT LIFE REFLECTION

FROM STAFF REPORTS

During the Easter Vigil liturgy, the single flame of the Easter candle shines through the darkness. That small flame spreads as each person’s candle is lit and the Light of Christ is shared with others. Before we know it, the entire Church is ablaze with the warm glow of candlelight and the darkness has been vanquished. We are each called by God to be that Light of Christ that breaks through the darkness. We are called to be his disciples, continually transformed by our encounter with him and sharing in his mission. Jesus came that we might have life

Part of the impetus for the Eucharistic Revival was a concern that some Catholics do not believe, or at least do not understand, that Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist. Even though our human senses perceive bread and wine, the Eucharist is Jesus – body, blood, soul and divinity. Similarly, many people do not realize or acknowledge the sanctity of human life when it is hidden in the womb. Both instances call for us to help others recognize these sacred gifts that may not be perceivable through our human senses. We need to help others understand that just because something may not be apparent to our eyes does not mean that it is not there or that it is not important.

We live in a society that rejects

those who are weak, fragile, or vulnerable. Yet, it is precisely within these conditions that a person is most in need of our care and protection. Pope Francis reminds us that “every child who, rather than being born, is condemned unjustly to being aborted, bears the face of Jesus Christ, bears the face of the Lord, who even before he was born, and then just after birth, experienced the world’s rejection.”

The U.S. bishops have affirmed that, while it is important to address all the ways in which human life is threatened, “abortion remains our pre-eminent priority as it directly attacks our most vulnerable brothers and sisters, destroying more than a million lives each year in our country alone.”

As Pope St. John Paul II wrote, “we are facing an enormous and dramatic clash between good and evil, death and life, the ‘culture of death’ and the ‘culture of life’. …we are all involved and we all share in it, with the inescapable responsibility of choosing to be unconditionally pro-life.”

In the face of challenges such as abortion and physician-assisted suicide, we may feel that we are not equal to the task of overcoming the darkness. Yet, we are not alone. Jesus tells us, “I am with you always, until the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).

The God who became man to save us still dwells among us. For Christ is “the light [that] shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:5). He is the one who overcame death and continually raises us to new life. He remains close to us always, seeking us out in each moment of our lives.

Jesus gave his very flesh to give us the gift of eternal life and invites us to the most profound experience of this gift in our celebration of the Eucharist. When we meet Jesus in the Eucharist, this encounter has the power to change us. The Eucharist has the power to transform the

depths of our hearts and the heart of our culture. United to the power of his Eucharistic Presence, may we work to ensure that each person has life—and has it in abundance.

Scripture texts in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. and are used by permission of the copyright

owner. All rights reserved. Excerpts from Evangelium vitae (The Gospel of Life), © 1995 and “Address of Holy Father Francis to Participants in the Meeting Organized by the International Federation of Catholic Medical Associations” © 2013, Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Used with permission. All rights reserved. Copyright © 2024, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, D.C. All rights reserved.

Statewide Mass for Life rallies faithful

The Cardinal said, “What we just did goes by many names, one of them being the ancient ‘O esca viatorum,’ food for the wayfarers, food for the pilgrims, food for the people like us, people who walk together as a single people, following the same Lord, coming from God and returning to God.

“The beauty of a pilgrimage is not simply getting to wherever we were going to go. It’s what happens to us on the way. We’ve been nourished by food, the

 “Thank you for saying yes to him, and to his littlest brothers and sisters.”

Body and Blood of Jesus. And we leave here as the Body of Christ, called to be light and salt and hope to this world,” the Cardinal said.

“Thank you for saying yes to him, and to his littlest brothers and sisters.”

Following the Mass, many of the congregants took part in the NJ Rally and March for Life held on the grounds

of the State House annex, where they offered peaceful witness to the sanctity of unborn life. The Mass was organized by New Jersey’s five Roman Catholic dioceses, while the rally and march were organized by March for Life, a national organization that promotes the beauty and dignity of every human life by working to end abortion – uniting, educating and mobilizing pro-life people in the public square.

MEANINGFUL EXPERIENCES

Organizers and congregants expressed gratitude for the opportunity to come together and show their support for life through prayer.

Terry Ginther, diocesan chancellor and executive director of Pastoral Life and Mission, commented on the “wonderful witness” it was to have the bishops, priests, deacons and lay faithful from the five Roman Catholic dioceses in New Jersey praying together in a Mass for Life in the capital city.

“There was a real sense of solidarity and a willingness to persevere in prayer and action,” Ginther said.

“We are in this together for as long as it takes for hearts and minds to em-

brace God’s gift of life,” Ginther said.

Colleen White, director of admissions at Villa Victoria Academy, West Trenton, said she believes it’s important for pro-lifers to “show up and show our representatives from New Jersey that this is an important issue – maybe the most important issue – and that there are people who want to preserve the sanctity of life.”

“It’s just an important visual representation of Catholics in our state, and that we have a voice – we’re voters,” she said.

Looking at the contingent of students who came to the Mass, White said the youth “are our future leaders, so we need to instill in them that this is something we need to pay attention to, and we need to make sure they realize this issue’s importance – so, to bring them to Masses like this, to bring them to the Rally, to take them to Rosaries for Life – these are all things that as parents and educators we need to be doing.”

Wearing bright yellow T-shirts and taking up several pews in the Cathedral, the students and moderators from the Celebrate Life Club of Notre Dame High School, Lawrenceville, offered a compelling witness.

“It’s a really important cause, and we wanted to help out with the March,” said Marie Conway, senior. High schoolers must speak out so “you get younger voices and younger people’s opinions.” The pro-life young voice in society right now “is quieter, especially in school, where your classmates have different opinions.”

Riley Carr, also a senior, said she wanted to attend so she could learn more about the right to life and hear more opinions.

“I think it’s cool to see what everyone else has to say about it, and not just my school’s perspective,” Carr said.

Senior Marianna Samuel said she believes the presence of young people at a respect life event “makes a statement”

Students and staff of Donovan Catholic High School, were among many Catholic schools representing the Diocese of Trenton as well as the other New Jersey dioceses. Mike Ehrmann photo

about what they believe and “especially in a state that supports pro-choice.”

Lois Currie of Sacred Heart Parish, Bay Head, said her passion for the respect life movement was fueled when her grandson was born premature at seven months. “I could hold him in my hand,” she said. “And now he’s 19 years old and he’s big and tall and healthy.

“When I look at him, I’m reminded that he wasn’t just a fetus,” Currie said. “He is a viable child of God.”

CONTINUE THE FIGHT

In his homily, Bishop O’Connell recounted that “two years ago and 65 million abortions later, the Supreme Court at long last overturned its tragic Roe v. Wade.

“Sadly, that reversal has not ended abortion in our country. It simply passed the buck to the states. Here in New Jersey, we have on the books the most permissive abortion laws in our nation, with still more anticipated. The fight is in our hands,” the Bishop said.

Bishop O’Connell offered encouragement to the congregation, saying there is no doubt that “our presence marching on the front lines, our persistence, our raised voices, our prayers have made a difference as Roe v. Wade fades into one of the saddest chapters of American history.

“Now is not the time for us to fade with it, to sit back, to diminish our presence and persistence, to lower our voices, to weaken our witness, to minimize the consistency of our prayers,” he said.

“Today, as we share the greatest of all prayers, the Eucharist, let us ask the Lord Jesus who gave his life for all of us, born and unborn, to give us the grace to fulfill our ‘duty to protect’ – protect the innocent, most vulnerable child in the womb throughout their life; to love and support and encourage their mothers and fathers to let them live; to walk with mothers and fathers, to work with renewed strength to build a culture of life and a civilization of love.”

Rally, March a time of prayer and presence

Continued from 13

She then added, “To all the priests out there, I thank you for your priesthood … without you we would not have reconciliation to be in the state of grace.”

Felicia Pricenor, from the National March for Life and former associate director for the Virginia Catholic Conference, reminded the crowd of their “critical role in protecting life.”

“It is critical that we march here at the Statehouse, letting our legislators know that we are here, and we will not stop marching until every woman and every child, born and unborn, is protected in New Jersey,” she said.

Pricenor also referenced the more than 3,000 pregnancy resource centers in operation across the country, which provide assistance to mothers and families and make choosing life easier. But a current piece of New Jersey legislation – A861 –could jeopardize those centers’ work.

“The bill uses New Jersey’s Consumer Fraud Act – which is meant to protect

you from legitimate fraud and business scams – to punish PRCs and attack them,” Pricenor said. “This proposed legislation is meant to attack their freedom of speech and discredit the work they perform, which would threaten the life-affirming work they do for women and families across the state. PRCs, as we know, provide free ultrasounds and pregnancy tests, they give families resources such as diapers and formula.”

 “These centers ... need to be able to continue to provide critical care ...”

Pricenor urged people to contact their representatives and voice their opposition to the proposed bill. “We cannot allow these centers – who are trusted community members … to be threatened by this piece of legislation. They need to be able to continue to provide the critical care to families.”

Pro-life supporters join in the Rally for Life opening prayer with Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney, Diocese of Paterson. Mike Ehrmann photo

IA

Message from BISHOP DAVID M. O’CONNELL, C.M.

t has become almost normative these days for political candidates of every stripe to end their speeches at campaign appearances, town halls or rallies with some form of the expression “God bless you and/or God bless the United States of America.” Perhaps you, too, have noticed its appearance more frequently than in the past. I actually wait for it now while watching television broadcasts of these events, especially in this election year.

Certainly, it is an admirable sentiment with which to conclude their comments, since phrases like “In God we trust,” “one nation under God,” “endowed by their Creator,” “so help me God” have long been an important part of the American vernacular throughout history.

Is it a prayer, a religious wish or

Our 2024 call to exercise ‘Faithful Citizenship’

“just something to say” to audiences in a country founded upon Judeo-Christian principles? I regularly wonder about it, especially when the speech that precedes it contains elements that advocate policies or positions that hardly seem reflective or consistent with our divine origins, the goodness of God or the religious faith of any and all believers, not even to mention the tone and tenor of some remarks that lack basic civility.

I guess it is better to acknowledge God and conclude remarks asking for his blessing on our nation than not.

We are once again in an election year anticipating the exercise of one of the most basic rights and responsibilities of an American citizen: the right and responsibility to vote. Regardless of which candidate or political party we support or endorse, the right to vote lies at the heart of our democracy. The free exercise of something so important should – by its very nature – be preceded by very careful thought and scrutiny. That goes for every citizen, whether they are believers in God or not.

Let me share a few thoughts on the exercise of voting by believers, Catholics in particular, in the enterprise of what the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops refers to as “faithful citizenship.”

 The right to vote lies at the heart of our democracy.

Our Holy Father Pope Francis has written, “Everything, including political life, belongs to Jesus Christ, and so participation in political life belongs to the mission of the Church (apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, 181, November 24, 2013).”

The Pope is not directing the Church and its pastors to tell Catholics “how” to vote but, rather, he is identifying and placing the responsibility to participate in political life into the arena of the Church’s mission.

The Church is called to proclaim the

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Gospel and to educate baptized Catholics about the truth of its social and moral teachings, especially as they impact the common good. In this way, the Church’s mission includes – through all means at its disposal – helping Catholics form their consciences in light of their faith so that they might give witness to the Gospel.

“The Church does not wish to exercise political power or eliminate the freedom of opinion of Catholics regarding contingent questions. Instead, it intends – as its proper function – to instruct and illuminate the consciences of the faithful, particularly those involved in political life, so that their actions may always serve the integral promotion of the human person and the common good (Dicastery – formerly “Congregation” –for the Doctrine of the Faith, “Doctrinal Note on Some Questions Regarding the Participation of Catholics in Political Life”, 6, May 24, 2002).”

In 2007, the USCCB issued its first teaching document on Catholics engaging in political life entitled “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship” (FCFC), updated every four years, usually before a presidential election. The most recent Introductory “Note” for the document was approved by the full body of bishops at the November 2023 Plenary Assembly.

The USCCB document is intended as a guide for American Catholics on political responsibility, and how to participate in public life in a way that is consistent with the mission of Jesus Christ and the Church. It applies Catholic social and moral principles and teachings to a range of issues and warns against using the idea of “conscience” to justify choices that advance personal, ideological, or partisan political interests contrary to those principles and the Catholic social and moral teachings they advance.

The following commentary identifies some of those social and moral issues referenced in FCFC to guide our conscience formation.

1. ISSUES THAT DIRECTLY AFFECT HUMAN LIFE

Every human life is sacred, from conception to natural death. That has

been and remains firm Catholic moral teaching based upon sound human reasoning and is, therefore, our most basic principle as Catholics. FCFC asserts that “The threat of abortion remains our preeminent priority because it directly attacks life itself, because it takes place within the sanctuary of the family, and because of the number of lives destroyed.”

At the same time, we cannot dismiss or ignore other serious threats that impact human life and dignity such as racism, the environmental crisis, poverty, the death penalty and so forth. Our efforts to protect the unborn remain as important as ever, for just as the Supreme Court has given greater latitude for state laws regarding abortion, state legislators have passed statutes not only keeping abortion legal through all nine months of pregnancy but opening the door to infanticide.

Additionally, abortion contaminates many other important life issues by being inserted into legislation regarding euthanasia and assisted suicide, embryonic stem cell research, health care for the poor and health care reform in general (“Introductory Letter,” FCFC). The Catholic Church teaches that all these practices have profound moral consequences.

2. RELIGIOUS LIBERTY

The United States Constitution protects religious liberty in its First Amendment. It includes not only our freedom to worship but also our freedom to believe in and practice our faith as Americans … or not to believe! The Church teaches that every effort should be made to preserve and support religious liberty. Individuals and communities of faith should not be subject to religious persecution, here or anywhere in the world, because of their faith.

3. TRADITIONAL MARRIAGE AND FAMILY LIFE

There has been and continues to be a growing movement in our country to

“redefine marriage.” The Church teaches that the faithful union of one man and one woman is the foundation of the family and, as an essential core element of a flourishing society and Church, traditional marriage and family life must be protected and preserved.

4. THE DISPARITY BETWEEN RICH AND POOR

Most of the world’s resources are in the hands of a small percentage of its population. In the United States, federal budgets have moral implications and should prioritize the poorest and most vulnerable among us. Unemployment, homelessness and inadequate housing are evident throughout our nation, especially in major population centers, and need to be confronted and addressed to ensure economic justice for all.

5. IMMIGRATION REFORM

Despite their legal status, undocumented persons in the United States deserve respect and human compassion. There has been and remains an ongoing immigration problem in our country that requires a humane solution by our elected government leaders.

6. RACISM AND INEQUALITY

The Declaration of Independence affirms that “all men are created equal” and “are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” The Church opposes all oppression and all injustice. The elimination of racism, bigotry, discrimination and inequality is a goal that needs to be achieved in our lifetimes.

7. VIOLENCE, HATRED AND CRIME

Society has a duty to protect and defend its members against violence, hatred and crime. “Violence cannot be overcome by violence. Violence is overcome by peace! By peace, by

CNS/OSV photo

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Voters must weigh issues against conscience

working with dignity to help your homeland move forward (Pope Francis, “Remarks” at Phoenix Center, Bethlehem, May 26, 2014).”

8. PROTECTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT

Pope Francis has declared stewardship of the earth, our “common home,” a contemporary moral imperative. “Never have we so hurt and mistreated our common home as we have in the last 200 years ... We are not God. The earth was here before us and was given to us ... The idea of unlimited growth, which proves so attractive to economists, financiers and

experts in technology … is based on the lie that there is an infinite supply of the earth’s goods, and leads to the planets being squeezed dry at every limit ... Yet all is not lost. Human beings, while capable of the worst, are also capable of rising above themselves, choosing again what is good and making a new start (Pope Francis, encyclical “Laudato Si’: Care for Our Common Home,” 53; 67; 106; 205, May 24, 2015). Progress in protecting the environment lies in our hands but especially in the hands of those who govern us.

The preceding topics do not represent an exhaustive list of the social and moral issues of major concern to the Catholic Church in our country, clergy and lay faithful alike. War and peace, international relations, human trafficking, drug abuse, educational choice, health care reform, use of print, broadcast and electronic media, AI and a host of other social and moral concerns warrant our attention as

Catholics. Careful study, civil dialogue and prayerful reflection should accompany our decision making as we consider our support for political parties, platforms and candidates for political office.

As American Catholics, we look to the Church and its official teachers for clear, careful and consistent presentation and application of principles that undergird, support and protect our Catholic social and moral teachings so that the common good, truth, justice and peace are enhanced, preserved and advanced in American society.

We should not expect bishops, ordained clergy or other Church leaders to tell us for whom or against whom to vote. In fact, they should not. As American Catholics, we should look to the Church’s teachings to help form our consciences for the exercise of faithful citizenship. I recommend the Catechism of the Catholic Church and the USCCB’s documents referenced herein as excellent resources for that purpose.

May God bless the United States of America!

Timothy E. Ryan Home for Funerals

Lavallette, Seaside Park, Toms River, Bayville & Jackson, New Jersey

October 2024

Dear Friend,

It is said that one of the greatest gifts that God has bestowed on us is the gift of memories. Recalling memories can be comforting to us at times when we feel at our lowest. Understanding these deep feelings, the Church sets aside the month of November as a time of prayer for all those who have died. In particular, we celebrate the FEAST OF ALL SOULS. Keeping in mind this tradition, I felt it would be proper for THE RYAN FAMILY to remember all the faithful departed by having a Mass celebrated in their memory. In conjunction with ST. MAXIMILIAN KOLBE PARISH, I have arranged with Father Stephen Piga to have a special MEMORIAL MASS on Wednesday, November 6, 2024, at 12 noon in ST. MAXIMILIAN KOLBE CHURCH located at the end of Mule Rd., Toms River, NJ. Father Stephen Piga and the Ryan Family hope you can join us to remember and give thanks for the lives of those who have gone before us. Light refreshments following the mass.

If you will be attending please call our office at 732-505-1900 so we will have an idea about how many will be in attendance. May the Lord bless you and keep you in His care.

Sincerely,

The Ryan Family and Staff

ALL ARE WELCOME • ALL BELONG JOIN US TO CELEBRATE THE CHRISTMAS

Families are welcome to attend this Mass adapted to accommodate individuals with autism or other sensory needs. Any questions email NORMONHIS@gmail.com

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PANEL: DIALOGUE’S KEY ROLE IN PROTECTING DEMOCRACY THIS ELECTION CYCLE

WASHINGTON • Amid an unprecedented U.S. presidential election cycle, Catholic voters should reflect on fostering key principles of Catholic social teaching — such as respect for human life, solidarity, and the common good — through dialogue and civic engagement, panelists said at a discussion event Sept. 11 hosted by the Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life at Georgetown University.

Kim Daniels, director of the initiative and an adjunct professor in the Jesuit university’s department of theology and religious studies, noted that Pope Francis has recently warned about the global “retreat from democracy” and has stated that “democracy always requires the transition from partisanship to participation, from ‘cheering’ to dialogue.” She said this “very Catholic and Jesuit idea, that dialog, engaging with others with respect, with humility across differences, can help us enrich our understanding, learn from each other, and better inform our actions.”

Panelists included Echelon Insights pollster Kristen Soltis Anderson, Washington Post columnist and Georgetown public policy professor E.J. Dionne; Nichole M. Flores, a religious studies professor at the University of Virginia; and Sohrab Ahmari, a founder and editor of Compact magazine. They explored the political and religious dynamics of a tumultuous U.S. presidential election year.

Ahmari said that despite some of the “partisan fury” on display, he is optimistic about the future. “I think for Catholics, we should seek to build the center, no matter which side of the aisle we’re on,” he said. — OSV News

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BOTH U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES ESPOUSE ANTILIFE VIEWS, POPE SAYS

ABOARD THE PAPAL FLIGHT FROM SINGAPORE • Asked what a U.S. Catholic given a choice between voting for a person who supports abortion or one who supports closing borders and deporting migrants, Pope Francis said one must choose “the lesser evil.”

“Who is the ‘lesser evil’ that woman or that man?” the Pope asked, referring to Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump. “I do not know. Each person must think and decide in his or her conscience.”

Pope Francis spent 45 minutes answering questions from 10 journalists on his flight Sept. 13 from Singapore to Rome at the end of a 12-day trip. He was asked about the four countries he visited, about sexual abuse, about his future travel plans, about the war in the Holy Land and the Vatican’s relations with China.

A U.S. television reporter asked him about the choice Catholic voters face between Harris, who supports legalized abortion, and Trump, who wants to severely restrict immigration and has said he wants to deport millions of migrants.

Both attitudes “are against life: the one

who wants to throw out the migrants and the one who kills children,” the Pope said. “Both are against life.”

In the Old Testament, he said, God’s people are repeatedly reminded to care for “‘widows, orphans and the stranger,’ that is, the migrant. They are the three that the People of Israel must protect. The one who does not care for migrants is lacking; it is a sin.”

And “to have an abortion is to kill a human being. Whether or not you like the word, it is killing,” the Pope said. “The Catholic Church does not allow abortion because it is killing. It is assassination. And we must be clear about that.”

Pope Francis was asked if there were situations when a Catholic could vote for a candidate who was in favor of abortion.

“In political morality, generally, they say not voting is wrong; one must vote, and one must choose the lesser evil” in accordance with one’s conscience, he said.

Abortion and care for migrants are both issues the U.S. bishops urge Catholics to consider when voting. In their document, “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship,” however, they say, “The threat of abortion remains our pre-eminent priority because it directly attacks our most vulnerable and voiceless brothers and sisters and destroys more than a million lives per year in our country alone.”

— By Cindy Wooden, Catholic News Service

Pope Francis answers a question from a journalist aboard his flight back to Rome Sept. 13, 2024, after visiting Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste and Singapore. CNS photo/Lola Gomez

VENERATION of PADRE PIO RELICS

The Church of Mother of Mercy

Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church 1201 Asbury Ave., Asbury Park

Personal veneration after all Masses RELICS TO BE VENERATED

One of the gloves used in his lifetime to cover and protect the stigmata. The bandage is from his side wound.

VENERATION SCHEDULE

Friday, Oct. 11, 2024 from 9 AM - Noon

Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024 from 4PM - 9PM

Sunday, OCT. 13, 2024 from 7:30 AM - 5PM.

Select religious articles will be available for purchase MASS

SCHEDULE

FRIDAY: 9AM (English) Rosary, Benediction, OLMC School

SATURDAY: 4:00 PM (English); 7:00 PM (Spanish)

SUNDAY: 7:30 AM (English); 9:00 AM (English); 10:30AM (Bilingual); 12:00 NOON (Spanish); 2:00 PM (Creole); 4:00PM (Spanish)

Relics sponsored by: The National Centre for PADRE PIO • Barto, PA.

For more information, contact: Our Lady of Mt. Carmel parish office at 732- 775-1056

For PADRE PIO information, visit or contact: The National Center for PADRE PIO, 111 Barto Road, Barto, PA. 19504; 610-845-3000; E mail - padrepio.org

Charlotte Bishop surveys Helene relief efforts in WNC

BY CHRISTINA LEE KNAUSS, AMELIA KUDELA and LIZ CHANDLER  OSV News

HENDERSONVILLE, N.C. • As soon as Bishop Michael T. Martin, O.F.M.,Conv., of Charlotte arrived, he hugged Margaret Beale, the principal of Immaculata Catholic School, and Melissa Stuart, the new principal of nearby Asheville Catholic School. Both burst into tears as soon as they saw the Bishop.

“I think broken hearts are crying out,” said Bishop Martin, pausing while handing off items that he and other diocesan staff had brought with them from Charlotte on Oct. 4. They had come to survey the damage from Tropical Storm Helene firsthand and help with aid delivery efforts.

Helene – which made landfall in Florida late in the evening of Sept. 26 as a Category 4 Hurricane and was downgraded the next day – has been reported to be one of the deadliest storms in the U.S., with more than 215 people confirmed dead. The storm has left a path of devastation across six states, with North Carolina being greatly affected. The scope of the disaster in the Diocese of Charlotte is vast, with more than half of the diocese’s counties declared federal disaster areas.

“The only thing I can do here is to be with people, pray with them, and remind them that Jesus never leaves them,” said Bishop Martin. “They’re tired, they’re worried, and they’re just overwhelmed. Jesus steps into that (situation) all the time. My goal was just to get here and be with people.”

“This has been a difficult experience, not only as a principal but as a mom,”

Charlotte Bishop Michael Martin, O.F.M., Conv., talks with a volunteer Oct. 4, 2024, at Immaculata Catholic School in Hendersonville, N.C. The school, although suffering flood damage and power loss, has become a major aid distribution site for the area in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Helene. Nearly half of the parishes in the Diocese of Charlotte are located within the federal emergency disaster zone of western North Carolina. OSV News photo/ Gabriel Swinney for the Catholic News Herald

Stuart said. “I’m from Miami, I’ve been through hurricanes. This is different. We’re facing weeks, possibly months without water. How do you prepare for that? How do you run a household for months with no water? We’re overwhelmed with the longevity of this crisis.”

“You don’t think of the mountains of North Carolina as the place where this type of misery takes place,” Bishop Martin said. But the Church is there to give people hope and “remind them that the Holy Spirit is in their midst. Jesus shows us in the midst of devastation, we can begin seeing God’s healing grace.”

A destroyed car sits amidst debris in front of a damaged home in Barnardsville, N.C, Oct. 2, 2024, that was swept several hundred feet down a creek after the remnants of Hurricane Helene hit the town. OSV News photo/Jonathan Drake, Reuters

A U.S. Coast Guard Air Station crew rescues a man and his dog during Hurricane Helene after his sailboat became disabled and started taking on water off Sanibel Island, Fla., Sept. 26, 2024. OSV News photo/US Coast Guard handout via Reuters

Since Sept. 29, when the widespread extent of the damage from Tropical Storm Helene became apparent, truckloads of emergency supplies have been running multiple times each day from Charlotte to Hendersonville and other western North Carolina communities to help residents who are desperate for water, food and other essentials. Cath-

Helene’s damage

olic Charities and the diocese have provided a majority of the relief items at Immaculata. Other churches and schools are also serving as aid centers.

At Immaculata, Beale and Father David O’Connor, parochial vicar at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, have been organizing the distribution effort since putting out the call for help Sunday morning to diocesan officials.

“Margaret Beale is our hero,” said Immaculate Conception parishioner Terry Fishleigh, who’s been volunteering all week. “She started this at Mass on Sunday. Father announced, ‘If anyone can help, this is what we’re going to do.’ And everybody showed up.

“Not only has the volunteer turnout been amazing, but so has been the answer to prayer,” Fishleigh told The Catholic News Herald, the newspaper of the Diocese of Charlotte. “We’re

HOW TO HELP TROPICAL STORM SURVIVORS IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA

Electricity, drinkable water, food, medical care and cellphone service are in critically short supply in Western North Carolina in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Helene. Monetary donations are the fastest, most flexible and most effective way to support emergency relief efforts – local responders on the ground can use the funds to help people with immediate as well as long-term needs. Give securely online: www.ccdoc. org/helenerelief.

HOW TO HELP THOSE IMPACTED THROUGHOUT THE WIDER SOUTHEAST REGION

In late September, Hurricane Helene tore through communities in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Tennessee. It left a devastating toll in its wake, with more than 200 dead and hundreds still missing. The storm washed

A section of the Kinser Bridge in Greene County, Tenn., that was washed away when the river swept over its banks because of Helene, is pictured Oct. 4, 2024. The bridge crosses the Nolichucky River. OSV News photo/courtesy The East Tennessee Catholic

just watching God’s work going on here. Every time we are running low, someone pulls up with a donation.”

Volunteers, including entire families, are coming in from all over to help in the relief effort, working from 7 in the morning to 7 each night. Immaculata students have also been getting involved, writing notes of comfort and encouragement to hand out with the bottles of water and baby formula, plus handing

away homes and highways and decimated power and water systems. Catholic Charities agencies moved into action to provide immediate disaster relief with necessities such as water, food and shelter. They will stand by their communities through the long-term recovery.

CCUSA, as the official domestic disaster relief agency of the Catholic Church in the United States, has launched a dedicated Helene disaster relief campaign. All donations received for disaster aid will be allocated to the Catholic Charities agencies providing critical relief – including shelter, food and other humanitarian aid – to those most in need.

Detailed updates on how Catholic Charities is helping each of the affected regions is available on its website.

To learn more or to make a donation to this effort, visit: catholiccharitiesusa. org/what-we-do/disaster-relief/hurricane-helene-response.

out rosaries. Many people are taking them even if they’re not Catholic.

Immaculata student Williams Schwartzman has volunteered each day this week – unloading trucks, stocking supplies, and handing items to tearful recipients. “It allows me to help people in a time of need,” said the seventh-grader. “Since I don’t need help, I think it’s best to give to others.”

Sixth-grader Samantha Montano added, “Jesus sacrificed His life; I should pay that back by helping people going through hard times.”

Two lines of cars snaked efficiently through the school’s large parking lot Oct. 4 as volunteers carted out supplies from the school to put in the trunk or the back seat. The operation was running like “a well-oiled machine,” Catholic News Herald reporter Christina Lee Knauss said from the scene.

Residents from surrounding rural areas where large aid trucks can’t reach are among those coming to Immaculata to load supplies into their cars to bring back up the smaller roads.

Brevard resident and Sacred Heart parishioner Frank Scarduzio escaped the worst damage at his house, with just power loss. He was at Immaculata Oct. 4, filling his car with food, wipes and diapers to bring back to people in the towns of Brevard, Rosman and Sapphire. His wife works at Immaculata, and they’ve been making daily supply runs to get donations to where they’re needed most.

“We have a lot of people coming

SPIRAL of VIOLENCE

Commemorating one year since Hamas attack on Israel, Pope decried ongoing war in region

BY CAROL GLATZ  Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY • On the oneyear anniversary of the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war, Pope Francis expressed his solidarity with all those suffering because of conflicts throughout the Middle East, urged Christians to be peacemakers and warned warmongers they will face God’s judgment.

“Blood is still being shed, as are tears,” the Pope said in a letter to all Catholics in the Middle East. “Anger is growing, along with the desire for revenge, while it seems that few people care about what is most needed and what is most desired: dialogue and peace.”

The letter was published Oct. 7, a day the Pope asked Catholics worldwide to dedicate to prayer, fasting and being at the service of humanity.

One year ago, militants led by the Islamist militant group, Hamas, launched a series of armed raids and rocket attacks against Israel, killing some 1,200 people and taking more than 250 others

hostage into Gaza – a territory the group has controlled for decades. Israel declared war to eliminate the group and, since then, at least 41,000 people have been killed in Gaza, more than 700 in the West Bank and more than 1,100 in Israel.

Israel then invaded southern Lebanon Oct. 1 in an escalated military campaign to eliminate Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militant group based in Lebanon and Shiite Muslim political party, and Iran, in turn, fired nearly 200 ballistic missiles onto Israeli territory.

In his letter, the Pope told Catholics in the region, “I want to reach out to you on this sad day. A year ago, the fuse of hatred was lit; it did not sputter, but exploded in a spiral of violence, in the shameful inability of the international community and the most powerful countries to silence the weapons and put an end to the tragedy of war.”

He encouraged all Christians living there not to be “engulfed by the darkness that surrounds you.” He thanked them for wanting to remain and “for being

Mourners gather by the grave of killed U.S.-Israeli hostage Hersh GoldbergPolin whose body was recovered with five other hostages in the Gaza Strip Sept. 1, 2024, during the funeral at Givat Shaul cemetery in Jerusalem Sept. 2, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas. The six were among 250 hostages seized during Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack that triggered the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. OSV News photo/Gil Cohen-Magen pool Via Reuters

able to pray and love despite everything.”

“As Christians, we must never tire of imploring peace from God,” he wrote, which is why “I have urged everyone to observe a day of prayer and fasting,” which are “weapons of love” that change history and defeat “the spirit of evil that foments war.”

 “... we must never tire of imploring peace f rom God.”

Though the letter was addressed to the region’s Catholics, the Pope also spoke to all people “of every confession and religion who in the Middle East are suffering from the insanity of war,” telling them, “I am close to you, I am with you.”

He specifically expressed his closeness to “the people of Gaza, long embattled and in dire straits,” as well as with

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CNEWA LAUNCHES EMERGENCY CAMPAIGN AS ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR EXPANDS INTO LEBANON

NEW YORK • As the Israel-Hamas war expands into Lebanon, an agency of the Holy See has launched an emergency campaign to assist thousands of displaced families in that nation’s south. The Catholic Near East Welfare Association (CNEWA)-Pontifical Mission announced the campaign Oct. 3, with CNEWA-Pontifical Mission president Msgr. Peter I. Vaccari saying the agency had immediately released $250,000 for bedding, food, drinking water, nursing formula and medicine.

For the first phase of the relief campaign, the Beirut office of the agency estimates it will need $700,000 – $560,000 for food packages and hygiene kits for 8,000 families, $90,000 for mattresses and bedding for 2,000 people, and $50,000 for counseling for 500 mothers and their children.

“Lebanon faces a humanitarian disaster,” said CNEWA-Pontifical Mission’s Michel Constantin, who directs CNEWA’s operations for Lebanon, Syria and northern Iraq from Beirut, in the Oct. 3 media release.

CNEWA said in its campaign announcement that “more than a million people in Lebanon … of an estimated total population of 5.8 million people” have been displaced since Sept. 17, and Constantin said in the news release that “many of these families are desperate, sleeping on the streets.”

Previously, Constantin told OSV News, “Before, if you were not in the south of the country, you were safe. Now, you are at risk everywhere in Lebanon.” For more information on CNEWA’s campaign for Lebanon, visit cnewa.org.

ISRAELI AMBASSADOR SAYS COUNTRY ‘CRAVES PEACE’ AS TENSIONS RISE IN THE MIDDLE EAST

ROME • On the first anniversary of the attack that sparked an escalating conflict in the Holy Land, Israel’s ambassador to the Holy See said his country still hopes for peace.

“No country craves for peace more than Israel,” Ambassador Yaron Sideman told OSV News Oct. 4. “However, one cannot make peace with a country or a group that calls for your destruction and elimination. One cannot have peace with those who do

Four-year-old Qassem Hussein, who lost his father in an Israeli airstrike, is treated at the Maritime Hospital in the town of Jbeil, Lebanon, north of Beirut, Sept. 26, 2024. OSV News photo/Louisa Gouliamaki, Reuters

not recognize your basic, fundamental right to exist as a people and as a state.”

“When conditions are right,” he said, the Israeli government “will be willing to make further sacrifices for peace, the noblest of goals.” On Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas militants in a devastating attack killed 1,200 people, capturing over 250 hostages. Although over 100 have been released since then, it is unknown how many hostages remaining are alive, especially after Israel declared war on Hamas and expanded to targeting Hezbollah in neighboring Lebanon.

The Israeli ambassador said all of the hostages “living and dead, should be returned, immediately and unconditionally, to their families. The international community and all who care about human dignity and the rule of law should insist upon that and take every action needed to make that happen.” Sideman presented his credentials as Israel’s new ambassador to the Vatican Sept. 16, where he met with Pope Francis and Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state.

–Sources: OSV News and Catholic News Service

Young Palestinians clamor to receive food cooked by a charity kitchen, amid the Israel-Hamas conflict in the northern Gaza Strip in September. OSV News photo/Mahmoud Issa, Reuters

Jubilee countdown: Preparations for 2025 Holy Year move into high gear

BY CINDY WOODEN  Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY • For more than 700 years, the Catholic Church has celebrated “jubilee” or “holy” years as special times to renew people’s faith and experience God’s forgiveness, particularly by going on pilgrimage.

The official Vatican website for the Holy Year 2025 – www. iubilaeum2025.va/en.html– says, “In 1300, Pope Boniface VIII called the first Jubilee, also known as a ‘Holy Year,’ since it is a time in which God’s holiness transforms us.”

Popes typically announce a jubilee every 25 years, although extraordinary holy years have been proclaimed for special anniversaries and occasions – for example, the Holy Year 1983 marked the 1,950th anniversary of Christ’s death and Resurrection, and the 2015-2016 Jubilee of Mercy called all Catholics to reflect on God’s mercy and compassion.

 “... It is a time in which God’s holiness transforms us.”

While the main purpose and some of the key features of a holy year have remained unchanged over the centuries, each pope who called a jubilee has put his own spin on it, usually in response to changes he sees in the Church or the world.

The preparations for the Holy Year 2025 officially began in February 2022 when Pope Francis announced the jubilee’s theme, “Pilgrims of Hope,” and said the focus would be on “restoring a climate of hope and trust” after the coronavirus pandemic and on helping people repair their relationships with God, with each other and with the Earth.

But the formal kickoff for a holy year is the publication of a papal “bull of indiction,” and the pope’s formal delivery of the document to the archpriests of the papal basilicas of St. Peter, St. Paul Outside the Walls, St. John Lateran and St. Mary Major and other church representatives.

The document is named for the round seal – a “bulla” in Latin – which used to be made of metal and is now simply an ink stamp. The bull officially announces the opening and closing dates of the holy year and outlines the aims of the celebrations.

The Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican is seen with a garland of flowers May 9, 2024, before Pope Francis arrives to deliver “Spes Non Confundit,” (“Hope Does Not Disappoint”), his document proclaiming the Holy Year 2025. CNS photo/Lola Gomez

Excerpts of the bull are read in front of the bricked-up Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica in the presence of the pope.

The removal of the bricks, the opening of the Holy Door by the pope and pilgrims passing through the doorway are central symbols of a jubilee celebration and have been since the Holy Year 1500 during the papacy of Pope Alexander VI.

The current Holy Door, with its 16 bronze panels made by Vico Consorti, were consecrated and the door first opened Dec. 24, 1949, by Pope Pius XII in proclamation of the 1950 Jubilee, a scene represented in the bottom right panel.

For centuries, the doors were opened with a silver hammer, not a key, “because the doors of justice and mercy give way only to the force of prayer and penance,” according to “Mondo Vaticano,” a mini encyclopedia published by the Vatican.

The theme of human sin and God’s mercy is illustrated in the other 15 panels on the door, with episodes from both the Old and New Testament, including the Fall of Adam and Eve, the Annunciation, and the Prodigal Son. Between the panels on the door at St. Peter’s are little shields with the coats of arms of all the popes that have opened it for a holy year.

We Believe

Jubilee Year to open Christmas Eve in

BY EMMALEE ITALIA  Contributing Editor

Following Pope Francis’ May 2024 proclamation of the Jubilee Year 2025, Catholic churches throughout the world are planning gatherings and initiatives to engage the faithful in a celebration that usually occurs every 25 years.

Pope Francis proclaimed the Jubilee Year in a papal bull titled Spes Non Confundit (Hope does not disappoint) as a time to rediscover, proclaim and build hope. The official opening of the Jubilee Year will take place on Christmas Eve when Pope Francis enters the normally bricked-up Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican.

“We must fan the flame of hope that has been given us and help everyone to gain new strength and certainty by looking to the future with an open spirit, a trusting heart and far-sighted vision,” Pope Francis said in his letter to Msgr. Rino Fisichella, pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization’s section for new evangelization and chief organizer of the Holy Year 2025. “The forthcom-

ing Jubilee can contribute greatly to restoring a climate of hope and trust as a prelude to the renewal and rebirth that we so urgently desire; that is why I have chosen as the motto of the Jubilee, Pilgrims of Hope.”

The Pope will open the Holy Door of

Why DOES THE CHURCH CELEBRATE A JUBILEE YEAR?

A Holy Year or Jubilee is a time of special graces, pilgrimage, prayer, repentance and acts of mercy, based on the Old Testament tradition of a jubilee of rest, forgiveness, and renewal. (Lev. 25: 10-15). It is also a time to visit designated churches and shrines, recite special prayers, go to Confession, and receive Communion to receive a plenary indulgence – a complete remission of temporal punishment for sins that have already been forgiven.

The aim of a Holy Year is holiness of life. It is convoked to strengthen faith, encourage works of charity and foster a consistent living of the faith. Pope Boniface VIII proclaimed the first Christian Jubilee in 1300. Since then, there have been 26 “ordinary” Holy Years, observed nearly every 25 or 50 years, the last being in 2000, proclaimed by St. John Paul II. Since the 16th century, several “extraordinary” Jubilees were proclaimed to commemorate the anniversaries of significant events. The Holy Year begins Dec. 24, 2024, and will conclude Jan. 6, 2026.

 St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton.

St Robert Bellarmine CoCathedral, Freehold. File photos

the cathedral of Rome, the Basilica of St. John Lateran, Dec. 29. Bishops around the world will open the Jubilee locally with a Mass at the diocesan cathedral or co-cathedral.

The Holy Door for Rome’s Basilica of St. Mary Major will be opened Jan. 1, the Feast of Mary the Mother of God; finally, on Jan. 5, Vigil of the Epiphany, the Holy Door for the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls will be opened.

JUBILEE IN THE TRENTON DIOCESE

In a letter to clergy, consecrated lay religious and lay faithful, Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., talked about how the Jubilee Year will be marked in the Diocese of Trenton.

“Throughout the past several months, I have designated a committee

Rome, Dec. 28 in Diocese

How DO I GAIN AN INDULGENCE FOR MAKING A JUBILEE YEAR PILGRIMAGE?

Indulgences are not superstitions, but rather, St. Paul VI says, a means of cultivating a “spirit of prayer and penance,” the practice of the theological virtues and acts of piety. The Church asks those seeking a plenary indulgence to be free of mortal sin by:

• Making a sacramental Confession within 20 days of the pilgrimage

• Making a pilgrimage to a Jubilee Shrine and participate at Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, Stations of the Cross, Liturgy of the Hours, Rosary or other pious exercise

• Receiving Holy Communion

• Carrying out the prescribed good works and/or prayers

• Praying for the intentions of the Holy Father on the day of the pilgrimage (usually the Creed, Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be or other suitable prayers)

to meet under the chairmanship of Rev. Msgr. Sam Sirianni, rector of the Co-Cathedral, to create spiritual opportunities, events and celebrations throughout the four counties of the Diocese for the Jubilee Year,” he wrote. “While individual parishes and organizations are free to celebrate the Jubilee Year in their own unique ways, they are also especially encouraged to participate in diocesan-wide celebrations … announced throughout the year in diocesan publications, websites and social media.”

These events will span the calendar year, offering multiple opportunities to participate in this joyous and merciful occasion. Chief among these opportunities is the designation of pilgrimage sites throughout the Diocese’s four counties.

Beginning with Solemn Opening of the Holy Year Masses, Bishop O’Connell will designate the diocesan Cathedral and Co-Cathedral as pilgrimage churches. The opening Mass in St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral will be Dec. 28, celebrated at 5:30 p.m. in both English and Spanish. An opening Mass in St. Robert Bellarmine Co-Cathedral, Freehold, will be Dec. 29 at 10 a.m.

In addition to the Cathedral and Co-Cathedral, Bishop O’Connell has designated the following churches as a Holy Year site where people can visit to obtain the plenary indulgence of the Jubilee. The pastor will establish the day and times the church will be open for pilgrims:

BURLINGTON COUNTY: St. Joan of Arc Church, Marlton.

MERCER COUNTY: St. Anthony Church, Hamilton.

MONMOUTH COUNTY: Our Lady Star of the Sea Church, Long Branch.

OCEAN COUNTY: St. Mary Church, Barnegat.

Bishop O’Connell and the Jubilee Year Committee Members have recommended other nearby pilgrimage destinations in New York, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C. Two sites in the Diocese of Trenton have been designated diocesan shrines: Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament Shrine at St. Mary Parish, Middletown; and the Shrine of Blessed Carlo Acutis at St. Dominic Parish, Brick.

Continued on 30

Jubilee Prayer

Pope Francis has invited Catholics across the globe to commemorate the Jubilee Year 2025 by praying the following prayer:

Father in heaven, may the faith you have given us in your son, Jesus Christ, our brother, and the flame of charity enkindled in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, reawaken in us the blessed hope for the coming of your Kingdom.

May your grace transform us into tireless cultivators of the seeds of the Gospel.

May those seeds transform from within both humanity and the whole cosmos in the sure expectation of a new heaven and a new earth, when, with the powers of Evil vanquished, your glory will shine eternally.

May the grace of the Jubilee reawaken in us, Pilgrims of Hope, a yearning for the treasures of heaven.

May that same grace spread the joy and peace of our Redeemer throughout the earth.

To you our God, eternally blessed, be glory and praise for ever.

Amen.

– Pope Francis

For the Jubilee Prayer in alternate languages, visit www.iubilaeum2025. va/en/giubileo-2025/preghiera.html



A BOOKLET EXPLAINING

“everything you need to know” about the Jubilee celebration and how to participate throughout the year will be available to each parish online and limited hard copies.

Diocese ready to celebrate with hope

What IF I AM PHYSICALLY UNABLE TO TRAVEL TO A DESIGNATED PILGRIMAGE SITE?

Those who cannot make the Jubilee pilgrimage due to illness or other circumstances are still able to gain an indulgence by works of mercy and penance. Individuals are invited to take part in the spiritual movement that accompanies the Jubilee year, by offering up the sufferings of their daily lives and participating in the Eucharistic celebration. Other examples include visiting the sick, elderly or prisoners, as well as engaging in charitable acts, abstaining from social media, fasting and donating to the poor.

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EVENTS FOR ALL AGES

According to the Holy See website, Jubilee celebrations are planned for various ministries and groups. In the Diocese of Trenton, the Jubilee theme will be incorporated into the following events:

JANUARY: Jubilee of Life and Catholic Schools – Annual Respect Life Mass, Jan. 24, 11 a.m., St. Robert Bellarmine Co-Cathedral; Catholic Schools Week, Jan. 26 – Feb. 1

FEBRUARY: Jubilee of Youth – Diocesan Youth Conference, Feb. 1, Notre Dame High School, Lawrenceville

MARCH : Jubilee of Catechists – Bilingual Faith Formation and Parish Ministry Conference, March 29, St. John Vianney High School, Holmdel

APRIL : Jubilee of Law Enforcement – 23rd Annual Blue Mass and Luncheon, April 1, 10:30 a.m., St. Robert Bellarmine Co-Cathedral

SEPTEMBER : Jubilee of Bishop and Priests – Annual Convocation

OCTOBER : Jubilee of Judicial Officials and Building Strong Marriages –Annual Red Mass, St. Michael Church, Long Branch; Bishop’s Annual Anniversary Blessing Masses in Cathedral and Co-Cathedral

DECEMBER : Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe – Lighting of the Torches,

Oct. 25, 7 p.m., St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral; closing ceremony / pilgrimage, Dec. 6, 7 a.m., St. Mary of the Lake, Lakewood, to 12 p.m. Mass in Holy Family Chapel, Lakewood

Teachers and catechists will be provided with an additional calendar of themes for each month and suggestions for how young people can perform spiritual and corporal works of mercy related to those subjects. Themes and their respective months are: January: peace; February: sick and homebound; March: reconciliation; April: youth; May: vocations; June: migrants and refugees; July: elderly; August: prisoners; September: families; October: human life; November: the faithful departed; December: the poor.

Information will be updated periodically at dioceseoftrenton.org/ jubilee-2025. To learn more about different aspects of the Jubilee 2025 or to download a special mobile app, visit www.iubilaeum2025.va/en.html.

What DOES THE JUBILEE 2025 LOGO SYMBOLIZE?

From the Dicastery for Evangelization:

“The Logo shows four stylized figures to indicate all of humanity from the four corners of the earth. They are each embracing another, indicating the solidarity and brotherhood that must unite peoples. It should be noted that the first figure is clinging to the Cross. The underlying waves are choppy to indicate that the pilgrimage of life is not always on calm waters.

“Oftentimes personal circumstances and world events call for a greater sense of hope. This is why the lower part of the Cross is elongated, turning into an anchor, which dominates the movement of the waves. As is well known, the anchor has often been used as a metaphor for hope. In fact, in maritime jargon, the hope anchor is the name given to the spare anchor, used by vessels for emergency maneuvers to stabilize the ship during storms.

“It should be noted that the image shows how the pilgrim’s journey is not individual, but rather communal, with the signs of a growing dynamism that moves more and more toward the Cross. The Cross is by no means static, but it, too, is dynamic, bending toward and meeting humanity as if not to leave it alone, but rather offering the certainty of its presence and the reassurance of hope. Finally, the Jubilee 2025 Motto, Peregrinantes in Spem (Pilgrims of Hope) is clearly visible in green.”

DIOCESE OF TRENTON

701 LAWRENCEVILLE ROAD

POST OFFICE BOX 5147

TRENTON, NEW JERSEY 08638 - 0147

TO THE CLERGY, CONSECRATED RELIGIOUS AND LAY FAITHFUL OF THE DIOCESE OF TRENTON

It is in a spirit of joy that the entire Diocese of Trenton joins with the Church throughout the world in celebrating 2025 as a Holy Jubilee Year announced by our Holy Father Pope Francis on May 9, 2024. He has chosen as a theme for the Holy Year “Hope Does Not Disappoint” from St. Paul’s Letter to the Romans 5:5. Pope Francis observed “Everyone knows what it is to hope. In the heart of each person, hope dwells as the desire and expectation of good things to come, despite our not knowing what the future may bring (Pope Francis, “Spes non confundit,” Bull of Indiction of the Ordinary Jubilee of the Year 2025, May 9, 2024)

Beginning with the celebrations of Mass at the Cathedral on Saturday, December 28 and at the Co-Cathedral on Sunday, December 29, 2025, I will solemnly open the Jubilee Year for the full participation of the clergy, consecrated religious and lay faithful of the Diocese of Trenton as “pilgrims of hope.”

Throughout the past several months, I have designated a committee to meet under the chairmanship of Rev. Msgr. Sam Sirianni, rector of the Co-Cathedral, to create spiritual opportunities, events and celebrations throughout the four counties of the Diocese for the Jubilee Year. While individual parishes and organizations are free to celebrate the Jubilee Year in their own unique ways, they are also especially encouraged to participate in Diocesan wide celebrations mentioned in this booklet or announced throughout the year in Diocesan publications, websites and social media.

As our Holy Father has decreed, “The coming Jubilee will thus be a Holy Year marked by the hope that does not fade, our hope in God. … Let us even now be drawn to this hope (Pope Francis, Bull of Indiction, 25).

Faithfully yours in the Lord,

C.M., J.C.D.

For the Youth

Use the QR code for information on celebrating Jubilee 2025 for families, schools and parish religious education programs.

Suggested Pilgrimage Destinations

Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception 400 Michigan Ave. NE, Washington, D.C. • www.nationalshrine.org

The National Shrine of Elizabeth Ann Seton • 339 South Seton Ave., Emmitsburg, MD • www.setonshrine. org

National Shrine of St. John Neumann • 1019 North 5th St., Philadelphia, PA • www.stjohnneumann.org

The Basilica Shrine of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal • 475 E. Chelten Ave., Philadelphia, PA www.miraculousmedal.org

Shrine of Blessed Carlos Acutis St. Dominic Church, 250 Old Squan Rd., Brick, NJ • www.stdominicsparish.com/shrine-of-bl-carlo-acutis/

The Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa • 654 Ferry Rd., Doylestown, PA • www.czestochowa.us

National Blue Army Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima • 674 Mountain View Rd., Washington, NJ  • www. bluearmyshrine.com

St. Francis Cabrini Shrine • 701 Fort Washington Ave., New York, NY • www.cabrinishrinenyc.org/about-stcabrini/

Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament Shrine • St. Mary Parish, 19 Cherry Tree Farm Rd., Middletown, NJ • www.stmarychurchnj.org/ adoration

Journey of Faith Tours

Explore pilgrimage tours in Rome, Ireland, Poland, and many other sites. • Contact: Carolyn Norbut, Founder, 732-216-8073 • www.journeyoffaithtours.com

Most Reverend David M. O’Connell,

Bishop of Trenton

The challenges of being a Catholic voter

BY GREG ERLANDSON  OSV News

Every four years, for as long as I’ve been in the Catholic press, editors get two types of phone calls come election time.

The first is to complain about the perceived bias of the editor or her reporters.

Once, years ago, my paper decided to run a news photo on the cover from each convention when the candidate was chosen. The Democratic convention was first, and we received immediate complaints that our decision to run that photograph showed our bias. Two weeks later, we ran the photo from the Republican convention, and were immediately accused of bias as well.

The second type of phone call is from readers asking who they should vote for.

Most Catholics are trying to make the best prudential decision while a lot of people are yelling at them with their opinions.

The confusion is understandable. While Catholics have traditionally leaned Democrat, reflecting their immigrant and working-class roots and distrust of a Protestant-dominated Republican Party, in recent decades this has changed. Also, pollsters get different results if they ask if the self-identified Catholic goes to Mass regularly or is registered in a parish.

The issue that has tended to dominate any political discussion involving Catholics is, of course, abortion.

When the Supreme Court legalized abortion in 1973, both parties had pro-life and abortion rights wings. Over the past 50 years, and after the assiduous work of activists on both sides, the parties culled their moderates. This polarized the electorate but energized each party’s base.

The Supreme Court’s 2022 Dobbs decision overturning Roe v. Wade and returning the abortion issue to the states

scrambled the equation. Suddenly the outrage about a high court fiat changed sides, with even conservative states like Kansas voting to legalize abortion.

All of which tells me that we are at an inflection point as we approach the fall election. On the one hand, both parties have doubled down on their respective positions, though the Republican candidate has muddied the waters by suggesting that having each state vote is an okay compromise.

Writing in The Atlantic, Dr. Charles Camosy suggested neither party is acceptable now: “We’re a constituency without a political home. As a pro-life academic and activist who has worked on these issues for three decades, I find neither major-party candidate in this presidential election acceptable.”

But rather than throwing up his hands in despair, Camosy has teamed up with other pro-life leaders to propose a way out of the political cul-de-sac pro-lifers have found themselves trapped in.

In a June 24, 2024, article in “The Angelus,” he called attention to a coalition of pro-life groups that have issued a “blueprint for life,” proposing seven policy pillars that will help moms, children and families, reducing the coercive pressure on women to choose abortion and supporting another path. The proposal includes:

• Providing flexible resources to

parents

• Making childcare more affordable

• Supporting healthy moms and babies

• Expanding resources for adoptive and foster parents

These proposals suggest a bi-partisan political agenda that would make real maternal choice possible, and not just a slogan.

As for the election: Well, even Pope Francis has weighed in. Asked Sept. 13 about the choice Catholic voters face between the Democratic candidate, who supports legalized abortion, and the Republican candidate, who wants to severely restrict immigration and deport millions of migrants, the Pope said: Both attitudes “are against life: the one who wants to throw out the migrants and the one who kills children. Both are against life.”

As for what a Catholic voter should do, he said, “in political morality, generally, they say not voting is wrong; one must vote, and one must choose the lesser evil” in accordance with one’s conscience.

Which suggests editors can expect more phone calls in the next several weeks.

Greg Erlandson is an award-winning Catholic publisher, editor and journalist whose column appears monthly at OSV News.

A man prepares to vote in a presidential primary election earlier this year. OSV News photo/Erica Dischino, Reuters

Annual dinner allows Knights to show ‘Pride in Our Priests’

BY CHRISTINA LESLIE  Correspondent

Knights of Columbus from the Trenton Diocese presented Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., with a $5,000 check to benefit the diocesan Holy Innocents Society, which serves individuals and families with special needs of any kind.

The presentation was one of the highlights of an evening of faith and fellowship during the annual Pride in Our Priests dinner Sept. 26 in South Gate Manor, Freehold. The event, sponsored by the Knights’ Trenton Diocese Federation, drew some 300 men, including 89

active and retired clergy.

“This event affords each of our councils the opportunity to honor our priests in a very special way,” said K of C State Warden Edward Michalak, a member of Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish, Moorestown. “Today our priests are in short supply and are hard pressed by the many demands placed upon them. [They] certainly deserve to know of our appreciation, support and love for them. The Knights of Columbus will continue to do everything in our power to assist our priests and the Catholic Church.”

Father Walter Quiceno, parochial vicar of St. Mary Parish, Barnegat, said the event was “a beautiful time to see each other and a time to share with our

parishioners. It gives us the chance to see also our Bishop.

“We share and celebrate our vocation, our ministry and our friendship,” he added. “I love to see many Knights of Columbus I had met in former parish assignments to find out how they are doing. Indeed, it is everything about friendship and sharing in the love of Christ.”

The presence of a strong, active Knights of Columbus council at a parish helps the faith community in a multitude of ways, Father Quiceno added.

“This group of men not only grow together in their friendship and faith, but they also learn how to serve in other ministries of the parish,” he said.

Bishop O’Connell enjoyed posing for photos with the various Knights of Columbus council in attendance at the dinner. Also shown in this photo are priests, Conventual Franciscan Father Michael Lorentsen, pastor of St. Junipero Serra Parish, Seaside Park, seated center, and Father Joy Chacko, parochial vicar of Sacred Heart Parish, Bay Head, and St. Pio of Pietrelcina Parish, Lavallette, standing to the Bishop’s left.

Bishop O’Connell, center, poses with Father William Lago, left, and Father Charles Schwartz, both of whom celebrate their 25th anniversaries of priestly ordination this year. Father Lago is pastor of St. Denis Parish, Manasquan, and Father Schwartz is pastor of Sacred Heart Parish, Riverton. Matt Marzorati photos

SPIRIT OF FRATERNITY

Bishop, priests gather for annual convocation

BY MARY STADNYK  Associate Editor

Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., and nearly 130 priests from the four counties of the Diocese took a few days away from parish and diocesan duties with time to rest and be spiritually renewed during the 2024 Clergy Convocation Sept. 10-12 in Galloway.

 “This is a good, relaxed and informal time where we enjoy a spirit of f raternity.”

Each full day of the gathering, the Bishop and priests celebrated Masses together, and shared Morning and Evening Prayer. On Sept. 11, they offered special intentions for all who lost their lives in the 9/11 terrorist attacks as well as those who were injured, their family members

and emergency personnel. They also prayed for all the deceased bishops and priests of the Diocese, especially those who died in the past year.

BISHOP’S REFLECTIONS

In his homily on Sept. 11, Bishop O’Connell reflected on the Gospel, which was St. Luke’s account of the Beatitudes (Lk 6: 20-26). “As we reflect on the Beatitudes and on our own vulnerabilities, we need to look into our hearts and see the invitation God gives to us to be transformed,” Bishop O’Connell said. “There’s an invitation with our names on it.”

Bishop O’Connell later presented his “State of the Diocese,” in which he reviewed a report that indicated the numbers of Catholics in the Diocese’s four counties; priests and deacons; parishes; Catholic schools, and students in religious education programs. (See sidebar.)

Bishop O’Connell celebrates Mass Sept. 11, the second day of the Clergy Convocation. Joining the Bishop at the altar are Father John Testa, pastor of Corpus Christi, Willingboro, left, and Father David Swantek, pastor of St. Martha, Point Pleasant. Mike Ehrmann photos

The Bishop said he feels that the Diocese of Trenton, overall, is in pretty good shape.

“I feel good about it,” he said.

THE PRIEST’S IDENTITY

Some priests who attended spoke of the keynote presentations given by Dominican Father William P. Garrott of St. Dominic Priory, Washington, on “Priestly Identity in the Age of Identity Theft.”

“The relationships that form the core of Jesus’ identity are that he is a son, he is a brother and he is a chaste bridegroom, and they are the same relationships that have to form the identity of the priest,” Father Garrott said.

“When those relationships are healthy in the priest, then he will be a faithful reflection of what it means to be a spiritual father,” Father Garrott said,

priests concelebrate the Sept. 11 Mass with Bishop O’Connell.

adding that otherwise, there are many challenges from culture that can undermine a priest’s sense of who he is.

SENSE OF BROTHERHOOD

Many of the priests in attendance expressed appreciation for the opportunity to spend time in fellowship, with some noting that morale among the priests has never been higher.

Father Pasquale Papalia, a retired

State

of the Diocese 2023-24

97

Number of parishes in the Diocese, some of which are the result of past mergers while others are as they were at their establishment. Some have multiple worship sites or “church buildings” still in use.

The four counties of the Diocese together have a total population of 2,130,044. Of that number,

640,000 are registered Catholics.

priest of the Diocese, spoke of the convocation being a “happy gathering” of the priests, many of whom he does not see on a regular basis.

“You can see how Bishop O’Connell fosters a sense of community among us,” Father Papalia said. He added that with the Bishop’s Vincentian background and appreciation for being part of a community, “he wants the same for us.”

“This is a good, relaxed and infor-

Number of priests incardinated in the Diocese. And 30 priests belonging to religious institutes or other dioceses, 2 belonging to the Red Bank Oratory. There are 78 retired priests, 12 of whom are disabled.

Number of International priests in the Diocese, the largest national groups are from the Philippines and Colombia; other countries represented are Poland, India, Haiti, Ireland, Korea, and 1 each from Nigeria, Uganda, Brazil, Ecuador and Peru.

52

Religious Orders of Men: Trinitarians, Dominicans, SVD, OFM Conventual, OFM, Redemptorists, Christian Brothers

Among the priests enjoying the convocation are from left, Father Gerald Johnson, parochial vicar, St. Joseph, Toms River; Father Brian Butch, pastor, St. Anselm, Wayside, and Father David Swantek, pastor, St. Martha, Point Pleasant.

mal time where we enjoy a spirit of fraternity,” said Father Brian Meinders, parochial vicar of St. Robert Bellarmine Co-Cathedral, Freehold.

Father Meinders, who was just ordained a priest earlier this year, said that through the prayer experiences, keynote presentations and spending time with other priests, the convocation provides “a good reflection on the priesthood and ministry to which I’m entering.”

253

Number of permanent deacons in the Diocese: 188 active and 65 of whom are retired. There is 1 transitional deacon scheduled to be ordained a priest on May 31, 2025. There are 19 candidates for the permanent diaconate, 9 to be ordained in 2026 and 10 in 2027. The course of studies has been reduced from 5to4years.TheDioceseandSetonHall administer their formation.

There are 19 consecrated religious brothers and 39 consecrated religious women residing in the Diocese of Trenton. Most are retired.

9

Number of Diocesan seminarians in the Diocese: 6 at Mt. St. Mary’s Seminary, Baltimore, 3 at St. Charles Seminary, Philadelphia and 2 in the Red Bank Oratory, studying at Immaculate Conception Seminary, South Orange.

31 Catholic elementary schools (8714 students),

8 Catholic high schools (5145 students) and 1 Catholic university (1962 students).

There are approximately 32,061 children in parish religious education programs

There are 162 catechumens

Sacraments

Baptism: 6088

Confirmation: 5122

First Communion: 4826

Marriage: 1120

Annulments: 79 formal process completed; 70 new formal process accepted; 83 lack of form granted.

Numerous

At Diocesan PTA conference, speakers urge participants to ‘Remember Why’

BY KAYLA LATENDRESSE  Correspondent

Speakers at the 99th Annual Trenton Diocesan PTA Conference challenged participants to remember why they volunteered for their roles.

“Today, I ask you an important question. As active members of the various groups to which you belong: ‘Why are you doing this?’” Dr.  Vincent de Paul Schmidt, superintendent of Catholic schools, asked participants. “As members of the PTA, you are putting others first, and in this case, those ‘others’ are our students, faculty and staffs.”

Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., opened the Sept. 21 conference with a Mass, concelebrated by six priests at St. Robert Bellarmine Co-Cathedral in Freehold.

‘BE

LIKE ST. MATTHEW’

In his homily, he described the importance of incorporating faith into education, how the PTA acts as a bridge that connects from home to school, and the roles as parents to lead by example and live according to Christ’s teachings – so their children feel valued and respected and can grow in their relationship with God.

On the feast of St. Matthew, he related the saint to present life.

“Let us allow Jesus to look at us. Let us allow his look to become our joy, our hope,” the Bishop said, urging participants to “strive to be like St. Matthew … may we inspire our children to do the same.”

For the first time in years, every school in the four Diocesan regions – Monmouth, Ocean, Burlington,

Dennis and Kim Hewski served as conference speakers in which they discussed the mission of Lauren’s Light. Kayla Latendresse photos

Mercer – had representation during the conference. Participants reflected on their true purpose and reason for their membership in the PTA as this year’s foundational theme was announced, “Remember Why.”

A SHARED COMMITMENT TO STUDENTS

Daniel T. O’Connell, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, explained the PTA’s function in encouraging the power of connection among students and teachers.

“Because of your kindness and generosity, the schools of the Diocese of Trenton are seeking to remove some of the stumbling blocks to the unity that all children seek to find and develop,” he said. “Because of you, we are helping teachers to use the tools at their disposal to help those children to feel more confident and secure in who they are and to feel that they are part of the group.”

“‘Remember Why’ reflects our shared commitment to the success and well-being of our students, and it also aligns with the values we hold dear in our Catholic faith,” said Elia Landino, Diocesan PTA president emerita. “Our faith teaches us the importance of community, service and compassion, guiding us in our efforts to provide a nurturing and enriching environment where each child can thrive and is valued.

“It is also important that we value each contribution within our school community. Every parent, teacher, and community member plays a vital role. Recognizing these contributions helps

us amplify our positive impact on the children we serve, thus answering the question … ‘Why?’”

Cyndi Primerano, vice president of the Diocesan PTA Board and Burlington/Mercer regent, said board members try to make sure they are available to provide guidance to all school PTAs.

“We are really working on increased collaboration with the people at the Diocese of Trenton level, at the Catholic office, to make sure we have good communication between their initiatives and how we can disseminate their information to the schools … and in general making sure we are available to attend the PTA school meetings,” she said.

HELPING CHILDREN AND FAMILIES

Craig Palmer, principal of St. Mary School, Middletown, explained how important unity and service are to St. Mary as well as the students and their families.

“One of the biggest strengths of our school is our community,” Palmer said. “We make sure that any child that wants a Catholic education has an opportunity to come meet with us. … We’ll sit down with that family and find out what they can afford.”

He said the St. Mary PTA has raised money for the annual fund and is beginning an endowment so “we can help more children out.” He said it is important “not only to evangelize the child, which is the actual mission of Catholic education, but to evangelize the family through the child.”

 Jessica Jarmer, diocesan PTA president, lights her candle from one held by Elia Landino, president emerita, as she accepts her new leadership role. Looking on, from left, are Roseann Leibrock, diocesan PTA hospitality chair; Lisa Honnig, recording secretary; Paul Signorelli, treasurer; and Cyndi Primerano, vice president and Burlington/Mercer regent.



“We are really working on increased collaboration.”

Jennifer Fialo, president of St. Mary PTA, noted the organization sponsors other fundraisers, such as helping families at holidays.

“We just try to give back to the community and get everyone involved,” she said.

Guest speaker Kim Hewski, founder and chair of Lauren’s Light, explained “your ‘why’ is the driving force in everything you do […] your ‘why’ gives you direction.”

“My ‘why’ is Lauren’s Light,” she said. Lauren’s Light, a 501c3 charity organization, was created in memory of Lauren Hewski, who was a senior in St. John Vianney High  School, Holmdel, when she lost her life on May 11, 2023 in a car accident.  Miss Hewski had just received

her associate’s degree from Brookdale Community College, Lincroft.

In St. John Vianney High School, Miss Hewski was a member of the Early College Academy which allowed her to pursue college-level credits and earn the associate’s degree as a high school student.

Lauren’s Light has as its mission to assist young women in grades six to 12 to discover themselves and follow a path in which they can pursue their dreams and goals successfully.

Connecting Lauren’s Light to the day’s theme ‘Remember Why’, Kim Hewski said, “Reflect on your passions […] identify your strengths […] examine your struggles […] when you live with purpose, everything changes.”

 Bishop O’Connell and a number of priests from the Diocese celebrate Mass for the PTA conference participants in St. Robert Bellarmine Co-Cathedral, Freehold.

Experts share insights with parish pastoral council reps on ministry

BY MARY STADNYK  Associate Editor

The list of ministries in many parishes reveals the critical importance of volunteers and how necessary they are for keeping the ministries up and running.

The challenge for many parishes, however, is building a large enough base of volunteers to keep their ministries active and vibrant without burning out those who are willing to serve.

At the diocesan Convocation for Parish Pastoral Councils, speaker Tom Corcoran focused on ways in which to generate volunteer interest.

“Volunteers are the lifeblood of the parish,” Corcoran said. “We simply cannot fulfill the mission of the Church to make disciples without raising up volunteers in a parish. To raise up volunteers, parish leaders must think of ministry as a system and not just the single area of recruiting or getting people to volunteer. There needs to be a more holistic view of volunteerism in the Church.”

Drawing parish pastoral council reps from around the Diocese, the second annual convocation Sept. 28 at St. Raphael-Holy Angels Parish, Hamilton, included Mass celebrated by Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., and presentations by nationally known speakers: Dan Cellucci, CEO of Catholic Leadership Institute, who spoke on how to think about parish vitality, and Corcoran, coauthor of “Rebuilt” and lay associate to the pastor of Nativity Parish, Timonium, Md.

BISHOP’S ENCOURAGEMENT

In his homily, Bishop O’Connell reflected on the day’s Readings in which “we are reminded of the essence of Christian leadership” and linked it with the day’s purpose.

“Jesus, our ultimate model of servant leadership, teaches us that true greatness lies in serving others. This call to servanthood is at the heart of our mission as members of the parish pastoral council,” Bishop O’Connell said, then added that, as parish leaders, “We are called to emulate Jesus’ example of humility and service.

“Our role is not about wielding power or authority, but about serving our fellow parishioners with love and compassion,” the Bishop said. “We are here to listen, to support and to guide our community in their spiritual journey.”

Bishop O’Connell emphasized that working together to build a strong, faithfilled community is a collective effort, and “it involves fostering

a sense of belonging and encouraging active participation in the life of the parish.”

VITALITY AND VOLUNTEERISM

Corcoran cited three points about building volunteerism in a parish. The first is to remember that their leadership is needed.

“A parish not only needs volunteer ministers to accomplish tasks but to lead and organize ministries,” Corcoran said.

Small group discussions were part of both convocation presentations, allowing participants to share ideas and reflect on how ministry is carried out. Mary Stadnyk photos

After Mass, Bishop O’Connell greeted convocation attendees. Here the Bishop chats with presenter Tom Corcoran and Roni Schulze, co-interim director for partner development on the Rebuilt staff.

Keynote speaker Paul Sanfrancesco, an international technology speaker/consultant, addresses the parish catechetical leaders who attended a Sept. 5 convocation in St. Catherine of Siena Parish, Farmingdale. Mike Ehrmann photos

Award winner says catechists called ‘to meet families where they are’

BY EMMALEE ITALIA  Contributing Editor

Lisa Ann Limongello wears many parish catechetical leader hats. She began serving as PCL in July 2020 for the Catholic Community of Hopewell Valley Parishes: St. James, Pennington; St. Alphonsus, Hopewell; and St. George, Titusville. Just a year ago in August, she added to that a PCL position in her home parish of St. Luke, Toms River. But her experience as a catechist goes all the way back to high school, when she served as a program assistant in the office of religious education at St. Luke’s.

“I assisted Sister Peggy Russell and Teri Frassetto, both now former religious education directors of St. Luke, who taught me so much about my faith and gave me a wonderful experience growing up [here],” said Limongello.

It was that history of dedication, in part, that led to Limongello’s selection as the 2024 recipient of the “Chick” McGinty Award for Excellence in Catechetical Ministry. Limongello was recognized during the annual Parish

Catechetical Leaders Convocation

Sept. 5 at St. Catherine of Siena Parish, Farmingdale, an event that brought together some 64 parish catechetical leaders, who oversee parish religious education programs.

“I have seen such strong women in leadership receive this award. … It is an honor to be named,” Limongello said.

LASTING LEGACY

Named after Rosemarie “Chick” McGinty, first laywoman to serve in a diocesan position as director of the Office of Religious Education, the award is bestowed annually by the office on an outstanding catechetical leader. McGinty joined the Diocesan Chancery staff in 1976 as associate director of the Office of Religious Education for 12 years before she was named office director, a position in which she served for 15 years. She died in 2021 at age 94.

“I never had the opportunity to meet Chick, but from what I’ve heard from my peers who did know her, she was a strong force in ministry,” Limongello said. “She made a lot of strides for women and laypeople in ministry. She has

left a legacy for all of us – to strive to be forward-thinking and to meet families where they are.”

The convocation featured keynote speaker Paul Sanfrancesco, an international technology speaker/consultant, who focused his talk on innovative methods of catechesis for adolescents. He provided PCLs with methods they can use in their religious education programs to better connect with the youth they serve.

PROGRAM OVERSIGHT

After earning her bachelor’s degree in theology and political science in 2018 from Loyola University Maryland, Limongello followed up with a master’s in theology studies in 2020, graduating during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the three-parish Hopewell Valley community, Limongello leads the religious education program that serves some 300 students. She also oversees the parish’s IGNITE Youth Group that has about 30 teens, along with the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults and Adult Faith Formation.

Lisa Ann Limongello is congratulated by the two pastors of the parishes where she serves as parish catechetical leader. At left is Father Stephen Sansevere, pastor of the Catholic Community of Hopewell Valley parishes – St. James, Pennington; St. Alphonsus, Hopewell, and St. George, Titusville. At right is Father Michael Kennedy, pastor of St. Luke Parish, Toms River.

Father Frambes lived his life to be with Christ

BY MARY STADNYK  Associate Editor

The pastor of St. Francis of Assisi Parish told those gathered for the funeral Mass of Franciscan Father John C. Frambes that no one was to shed any tears.

The Long Beach Island parish church was filled to capacity Sept. 16 for Father Frambes’ Mass of Christian Burial, at which Franciscan Father Francis J. DiSpigno, pastor, said, “We’re going to celebrate today, we’re going to celebrate John’s life and the victory that he won because of Christ.”

“John lived his life for this moment,” he added.

Father DiSpigno was principal celebrant and homilist of the Mass; Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., presided and led the Final Commendation.

Father Frambes, who served as parochial vicar of St. Francis of Assisi Parish since 2014, died unexpectedly the morning of Sept. 10 at age 77, doing what he loved to do every morning: making the short walk from the church to the beach, where he would watch the sunrise.

COMPASSIONATE SHEPHERD

Bishop O’Connell extended his condolences to the congregation, which included Father Frambes’ brother, William, and other family members; members of his religious community, the Franciscan priests and brothers from Our Lady of Guadalupe Province; religious sisters from the Monastery of St. Clare, Bordentown, and community members and parishioners.

“He was a thoughtful man. He cared very deeply about people … that was very evident – especially those who suffered and those who were troubled,” the Bishop said. “Father John spoke so often with great love about this parish and those who meant so much to him.

The Bishop told the Franciscans that, as a religious order priest himself, he “understands how deeply the loss of a confrere is felt by his brothers in the community.”

He recalled encountering Father Frambes over the years at events such as Chrism Masses, days of recollection for priests and when the Bishop would preside over Confirmation ceremonies at the parish, and said he came to regard Father Frambes as a “gentle soul, a good friar.”

“As we gather today in prayer, we recall that it was in the waters of Baptism that Father John first found Christ,” Bishop O’Connell said. “In the waters of LBI last Tuesday, Christ found him and brought him home.

“May our good friar now rest in peace,” said Bishop O’Connell.

ABOUT FATHER JOHN

Father Frambes was born in Atlantic City in July 1947. He joined the Franciscans of the Holy Name Province in 1973 and was ordained a priest Dec. 8, 1979. He served in many different roles from North Carolina to Boston, including in the areas of academics, campus ministry, formation, prison ministry and pastoral ministry.

CENTERED ON CHRIST

In his homily, Father DiSpigno incorporated messages from the three Readings “that Father Frambes had selected and were perfect for him.”

“He was a strong believer, but because of his own [human] limitations, he could only see Christ partially, and he wanted more. He kept searching and ultimately what he found out in the quiet peace of life was that being with people, sharing a meal, taking a walk on the beach is where he came close to recognizing Christ in his midst,” Father DiSpigno said.

He spoke of Father Frambes’ “great devotion to the Eucharist at this altar,” and it was during the celebration of Mass, “he knew that with his brothers and sisters, he was walking with Christ.

“In his life he strove with such determination to see Christ,” Father DiSpigno said. “I don’t think there’s anyone here in

As he leads the Final Commendation, Bishop O’Connell incenses the casket of Franciscan Father John Frambes. Mary Stadnyk photo

Father John C. Frambes

Catholic Charities honors supporters at annual benefit

BY MARY STADNYK  Associate Editor

“TheMichael W. Herbert, chair of Catholic Charities, Diocese of Trenton’s board of trustees, left, and Marlene Lao-Collins, executive director, right, congratulate the award recipients who were honored at the agency’s Guardian Angel Dinner Dance. The honorees are, from left, “Jean,” Client Achievement Award; Christie Winters, executive director of Seeds of Service, Corporate Citizen of the Year Award; Msgr. Thomas N. Gervasio, pastor of Our Lady of Sorrows-St. Anthony Parish, Hamilton, Light of Hope Award; Laurence M. Downes, Richard J. Hughes Humanitarian Award; Debbie Riveros, Light of Hope Award. Mary

greatest characteristic of parishioners is their generosity,” said Msgr. Thomas N. Gervasio, as he gratefully accepted on behalf of Our Lady of Sorrows-St. Anthony Parish, Hamilton, the Light of Hope Award at the 35th annual Guardian Angel Dinner Dance Sept. 25.

Now in its 35th year, the event is the signature fundraiser benefiting the work of Catholic Charities, Trenton, which provides essential services to more than 110,000 New Jersey residents every year regardless of faith. Services include meeting basic needs with food, clothing and shelter, as well as specialized treatments for addiction and mental illness and domestic violence in homes. Programs are offered in Burlington, Mercer, Monmouth and Ocean counties. About 250 Catholic Charities staff, volunteers, clergy and supporters gathered in The Merion, Cinnaminson, for a night of celebration, recognition and renewed commitment to the mission of helping those in need.

In brief remarks, Msgr. Gervasio, OLS-SA pastor and vicar general of the Diocese, noted that his parish supports Catholic Charities by hosting regular food collections as well as collecting Christmas gifts. Some parishioners volunteer with Catholic Charities as well as a number of other area agencies.

Stating that the award will inspire his parishioners to do even more to support the work of Catholic Charities, Msgr. Gervasio said, “Thank you for helping us shine the light of hope a little brighter.”

THANKS FROM THE BISHOP

In a written message, Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., remarked on the “impressive milestone” of the gala’s 35th year, saying, “This is an essential annual fundraising effort that speaks to the very heart of the dedication that our supporters have for our mission.

“As Bishop of the Diocese of Trenton, I express my abiding appreciation to all of you who have supported Catholic Charities through this annual gala,” he said. “Your generosity makes a great difference in our ability to serve the hungry among us, and our neighbors struggling with mental health and addiction issues. Your support also provides shelter and assistance to survivors of domestic abuse.

“Please join me in praying for all who are served by Catholic Charities in the Diocese of Trenton,” Bishop O’Connell said. “May their lives be improved, and their hearts be filled with joy because of our efforts.”

HONORING THOSE WHO HELP

The top honor presented at the gala was the Richard J. Hughes Humanitarian Award to Larry Downes, who has been involved with Catholic Charities for decades. Downes, whose service included chairing the Restoring Dig-

nity, Giving Hope campaign, recently relocated to Monmouth County and is a member of St. Catharine-St. Margaret Parish, Spring Lake, after residing for many years in Mercer County and attending St. David the King Parish, Princeton Junction.

 “The greatest characteristic of parishioners is their generosity.”

Through his involvement in the RDGH Campaign, he visited numerous Catholic Charities agencies where he saw services being provided to people in need firsthand. Agencies he visited included El Centro in Trenton, which provides resources to members of the Spanish speaking community; the food pantry in which people received not just food and clothing but vital services as well including rental assistance and home repairs for seniors, and Providence House which helps women and children in domestic violence situations. Downes was heartened to witness Catholic Charities’ outreach during times of crisis such as in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy, during the COVID-19 pandemic and the efforts made to help more than 10,000 Afghan refugees fleeing persecution.

Downes is the retired chairman and CEO of New Jersey Resources. He

Stadnyk photo

PASTORAL COUNCIL

Continued from 38

Second is that parish pastoral council members should encourage parish staff to view volunteer ministry as a system. Third is that Rebuilt Parish, an organization he leads, has a resource and course to help parishes wanting to build and grow a sustainable volunteer ministry.

Cellucci centered his topic on the need to understand the realities and opportunities in parish ministry as they relate to vitality. He recommended that pastoral council members understand the larger context of parish life in the United States as well as some of the drivers and metrics of vitality, so that they could be better equipped to help build awareness among their parish leadership and fellow parishioners.

Two of the most significant trends that every parishioner needs to know, Cellucci said, are the “major generational shifts we are experiencing as Baby Boomers (who are doing most of the volunteering and giving) get older and Gen X and Millennials move into significant moments in their lives.”

A second statistic he shared is that the average parishioner is 11 times more likely to recommend their parish and four times more likely to say the parish is helping them grow spiritually if they recommend their pastor.

“That’s a tremendous burden on our priests as their numbers

decline, and we have to all make sure we are forming people in their discipleship of Jesus Christ, not in any one priest, as great as he might be,” Cellucci said.

He urged the audience to remember that “we all need to be witnesses to hope, because Jesus promised he would always be with us.

“Despite how our parishes might need to change, we will never be alone,” he said. “We need every pastoral council member and every Catholic to build their confidence in sharing the Good News.”

IN THE TRENCHES

Wendy Marano, parish council member at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish, Maple Shade, said one of the biggest takeaways from the convocation was the importance of talking with people from other parishes.

“It’s nice to know that you have shared goals and challenges, and you have a huge body of believers supporting you,” she said. Noting that she can relate to the challenges in encouraging volunteerism, she said Cellucci’s presentation “helped put the Church community in a larger perspective.”

Tom and Mary Anne Altobelli of St. Raphael-Holy Angels Parish said they appreciated Corcoran’s saying that, when asking for volunteers, “it is not what you want from them, but what you want for them,” and “don’t ask [for volunteers] because of need; ask because of parish vision.”

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CATECHIST AWARDED

Continued from 39 St. Luke Parish serves about 250 students, where Limongello mainly oversees religious education and large-scale family events. Both parish communities offer full-year catechesis and one-week summer intensive programs, affording parents a choice of programs that works best with their family schedules.

“Between the multiple parishes I serve, I work with some phenomenal administrative assistants and business managers,” she said. “I currently supervise about 45 catechists between religious education, OCIA and adult faith formation, with another 30 volunteers, classroom aides and assistants. I could not do my work without the service of many other hands.”

NECESSITY OF CATECHESIS

Catechesis, Limongello stressed, “is the bridge that connects humankind with their greatest, strongest, and most important friendship. The relationship that we each have with God is pivotal in forming who we will become in the world and how we will treat one another.”

Learning through religious education and being introduced to the Gifts of the Holy Spirit provide what is needed to live in fullness with God, she added, and forming people in the Catholic faith and tradition shows it to the world.

“When people understand that they are made in the image of God, they ... lead with love and compassion,” Limongello said. “Through a relationship with Jesus and a strong prayer life, we can overcome obstacles and challenging moments. Catechesis offers people the chance to equip themselves with the power of prayer, the joy of faith and the willingness to answer the call to serve generations to come.”

CATHOLIC CHARITIES

Continued from 41

currently serves on the board of Mercy Center, Asbury Park.

Of the Richard J. Hughes Humanitarian Award, named after New Jersey’s former chief justice and 45th governor, Downes said he was humbled for the honor, crediting his grandparents and parents for providing him with “a strong Catholic foundation and for instilling in me passion for serving others.”

Other award recipients were Debbie Riveros, who was honored with a Light of Hope Award. She became familiar with Catholic Charities Family Growth Program through her work as a bilingual victim advocate with the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office and then as coordinator of Monmouth County’s Child Advocacy Center. Also, Christie Winters, executive director of Seeds of Service, accepted the Corporate Citizen of the Year Award on behalf of the agency that provides services to the sick, poor and needy in Ocean County.

“Jean,” the Client Achievement Award honoree, recounted her lifelong journey with mental illness. She found assistance at Catholic Charities, Diocese of Trenton’s Behavioral Health Services and eventually became involved with the agency’s Riverbank Self-Help Center in Burlington. Jean became a Peer Recovery Specialist and is currently working to become a Certified Drug and Alcohol Counselor. She is a driver at the Riverbank center and a Mental Health Peer Advocate on one of Catholic Charities’ teams for Program of Assertive Community Treatment (PACT).

“Catholic Charities was here for me at my lowest,” Jean said. “To be able to give [back to] someone ... that is everything to me.”

Helping the Church where it is young, suffering and threatened

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

As we gather in communion this World Mission Sunday, I extend to you a heartfelt invitation from Pope Francis, inspired by the Gospel: “Go and invite everyone to the banquet (cf. Mt 22:9).” This call to mission resonates deeply with our faith’s core, urging us to share God’s love with the world.

Over a century ago, our own Catholic community in the United States was nurtured through the generosity of the worldwide Church that contributed to what is today this second collection. Now, we are called to extend that same generosity to our brothers and sisters in over 1,150 mission territories across Asia, Africa, Latin America, the Pacific Islands, and the Middle East.

The collection on World Mission Sunday directly supports seminaries, future religious sisters, catechists, Catholic schools, and healthcare centers that provide essential care, embodying the love of Christ.

As members of the Catholic Church, which is universal by its very nature, we are invited to participate actively in this mission. Our contributions and prayers on World Mission Sunday

support the Church’s vital work of evangelization, inviting all to experience the joy and hope found in Christ.

I urge you, dear friends, to respond generously to this call. Let us unite in prayer for the success of the Church’s missionary activities and for the missionaries who dedicate their lives to spreading the Gospel. Your generosity is a powerful witness to the love and compassion at the heart of our faith.

May this World Mission Sunday deepen our commitment to the Church’s universal mission. Together, let us rejoice in the opportunity to share God’s love with the world, inviting everyone to the banquet of the Lord.

With every blessing, Sincerely in the Lord,

The Most Reverend David M. O’Connell, CM, JCD Bishop of Trenton

A Message from BISHOP DAVID M. O’CONNELL, C.M.

Dear Friends in our Mission Family,

Peace to you and your loved ones!

World Mission Sunday will be celebrated this year on the weekend of October 19 and 20. Our diocesan celebration will take place in St. Benedict Church, Holmdel, on Oct. 20 at the 11 a.m. Mass.

Frankie Picciolo, a student from the Religious Education Program of St. Benedict’s, is one of 24 young people from throughout the country to have his artwork selected as a winner in the National Christmas Card Art Contest of the Missionary Childhood Association. It will be an honor for me to present the award to Frankie during the Mass.

As Bishop O’Connell has shared in his message to us, the “call to mission resonates deeply with our faith’s core, urging us to share God’s love with the world.”

We all participate in this momentous event on World Mission Sunday particularly our collection for the Society for the Propagation of the Faith. Through our thoughts, prayers, and financial support to the missionary work of the Church, we have contributed and are continually helping this so worthy and noble cause.

Please share and give as your means allow to the second collection on World Mission Sunday. The funds we generate are entirely devoted to evangelization efforts, including the support of seminaries, future religious sisters, catechists, Catholic schools, and healthcare centers that offer life-changing education and care to those most in need.

We have always been generous in the past years with our offerings. On behalf of our missionaries serving here and abroad, I humbly and sincerely thank you.

United with you in prayer and faith,

Peter James Alindogan Diocesan Director of Missions

onefamilyinmission.org photo

Rev.

Fr. Peter James Alindogan

PARISH

Manalapan • St. Thomas More

Manasquan • St. Denis

2024 AWARDS

C$4,001 $5,003

$3,079 $9,244

Maple Shade • Our Lady of Perpetual Help $726 $3,275

Marlboro • St. Gabriel $911 $5,195

Marlton • St. Isaac Jogues $2, 294 $3,453

Marlton • St. Joan of Arc

Matawan • St. Clement

$4,983 $15,000 $1,620

$1,264 $16,324 $347

Medford • St. Mary of the Lakes $4,917 $9,801 $1,760 $999

Middletown • St. Catherine of Laboure

$1,702 $4,464

Middletown • St. Mary $1,892 $965 $783 $1,089

Millstone Township • St. Joseph NC NC

Monmouth Beach • Precious Blood $650 $600 $210

Moorestown • Our Lady of Good Counsel $1,249 $5,083

Mount Holly • Sacred Heart

Mount Laurel • St. John Neumann

Neptune • Holy Innocents

$1,123 $10,221 $648

$1,402 $7,218

$1,806 $6, 270 $348

New Egypt • St. Isidore the Farmer $2,707 $4,854

Pennington • St. James

$3, 271 $3, 322 $302

Point Pleasant Beach • St. Peter $2,167 $3,840 $583

Point Pleasant • St. Martha $4,581 $12,497

Princeton Junction • St. David the King

Princeton • St. Paul

Red Bank • St. Anthony

Red Bank • St. James

Riverton • Sacred Heart

Rumson • Holy Cross

Sea Girt

• St. Mark

Seaside Park • St. Junipero Serra

$2,000 $16,903

$2,465 $2, 224 $597 $5,017

$1,542 $8,441

$1,621 $3,442 $1,095

$1,001 $4,760 $939

$1,290 $6,595 $275 $795

$4, 203 $5,983

$2,131 $3, 361

Spring Lake • St. Catharine-St. Margaret $9,792 $5,201

Tabernacle • Holy Eucharist

Titusville • St. George

Toms River • St. Joseph

Toms River • St. Justin

Toms River • St. Luke

Toms River • St. Maximilian Kolbe

Trenton • Korean Martyrs

Trenton

• Our Lady of the Angels

Trenton • Sacred Heart

Trenton • St. Hedwig

Trenton • St. Joseph

Trenton • St. Mary of the Assumption

Cathedral

Wayside • St. Anselm

West End • St. Michael

West Long Branch • Our Lady of HopeSt. Jerome

West Trenton • Our Lady of Good Counsel

Whiting • St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

Willingboro • Corpus Christi

Yardville • St. Vincent de Paul

ongratulations to the following parishes and schools who have the highest contributions to the missions this year. This is based on the amount they gave as reflected on the number of enrolled students. Thank you for your help and support.

Per Capita Contributions

ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS:

First place: St. Jerome School, Our Lady of Hope Parish, West Long Branch

Second Place: St. Benedict School, Holmdel

Honorable Mention: St. Joan of Arc School, Marlton

Total Contributions

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION PROGRAMS

First Place: St. Paul Parish Religious Education Program, Princeton

Second Place: Nativity Parish Religious Education Program, Fair Haven

Honorable Mention: St. Rose Parish Religious Education Program, Belmar

DIOCESAN WORLD MISSION SUNDAY MASS

October 20 at the 11 a.m. Mass St. Benedict Church, Holmdel

Principal Celebrant: Father Peter James Alindogan, diocesan missions director

2024 ANNUAL REPORT Year ending 12/31/23 CASH RECEIPTS

The following amounts were collected from parishioners, parishes and the administration in the Diocese of Trenton.

$2,545 $5,520

$1,200 $2, 304

$7,476 $11,580

$1,579 $5,157 $686

$5,518 $4, 385

$3,835 $8,150

$220 $0

$510 $900

$2, 245 $2,947 $260

$628 $690

$1,936 $2,880

$2,000 $4,500

$1,531 $4,614 $183

$3,066 $9,151

$2, 230 $2,650 $3,511 $597

$891 $2, 206

$1,737 $6,678

$2,100 $3,000

$869 $11,000

The donations from the Diocese of Trenton were disbursed to the following national and international programs: The Society of the Propagation of the Faith $461,636

Childhood Association $42,385

Cooperation Plan $449,047 Mass Stipends $10,600

Near East Welfare Association $4,009 $967,677

*Includes WMS collections from Oct. 2022

 To learn more, scan the QR code or visit: dioceseoftrenton.org/missions

MESSAGE FROM HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS FOR WORLD MISSION DAY 2024: “Go and invite everyone to the banquet” (cf. Matt. 22:9)

BY INES SAN MARTIN 

The Pontifical Mission Societies

The Vatican released Pope Francis’s message for World Mission Sunday 2024. In the text, the Pope reflects on the Gospel parable of the Wedding Banquet, where the king tells his servants “Go therefore to the thoroughfares, and invite to the marriage feast as many as you find”. “Go and invite!” Mission as a tireless outreach to invite others to the Lord’s banquet

Pope Francis tells us Mission is a tireless outreach to invite others to the Lord’s banquet:

His Holiness reminds us that mission implies a continuous outreach to all people, not only by going out, but also by inviting each one in a personal way to meet the Lord.

We must go to the ends of the earth,

IN NOVEMBER…

with perseverance and without forgetting that we must incarnate a tireless commitment to the mission of evangelization.

“Everyone” The universal mission of Christ’s disciples in the fully synodal and missionary Church

The universal mission of Christ’s disciples in the fully synodal and missionary Church:

In a divided world, the Gospel remains a unifying force, calling people to meet and rejoice in harmony in the midst of diversity. Mission includes a special concern for the marginalized, echoing the parable’s invitation to “all, good and bad.”

It is crucial to remember that we are in a period calling for a renewal of

strength and to be a fully synodal and missionary Church, affirming that synodality and mission are interconnected.

“To the wedding feast.” The eschatological and Eucharistic dimension of the mission of Christ and the Church

In the parable, the banquet represents a symbol of the definitive salvation in the Kingdom of God:

The invitation to the banquet is linked to the Eucharistic table, where believers share the Body and Blood of Christ, anticipating the final banquet.

The symbolism of the Eucharist, an essential Sacrament, paired with the urgency of the evangelization for all peoples in this parable is a strong reminder of the importance of our mission.

Towards the end of his message, the Pope recommends to all dioceses worldwide the service of the Pontifical Mission Societies as the primary means “by which Catholics are instilled with a truly universal and missionary outlook from childhood, and [as] a means of effectively collecting funds for all missions, each according to its needs.”

As in all his messages, the Holy Father concludes by invoking the intercession of Mary, who played a fundamental role at the wedding feast in Cana. Mary serves as a guiding force in the Church’s evangelizing mission, and her maternal intercession is sought out by Christ’s disciples in the present.

Join us in renewing our mission daily, in anticipation of World Mission Day.

For Pope Francis’ full message for World Mission Day 2024, visit TrentonMonitor.com> From Pope Francis

The Monitor Magazine will include coverage on the diocesan World Mission Sunday Mass to be celebrated in St. Benedict Parish, Holmdel. The coverage will also include a feature story on Frankie Picciolo, a winner in the 2024 Missionary Childhood Association’s National Christmas Artwork Contest, as well as an interview with Father Peter James Alindogan on his mission visit to Bangladesh earlier this year.

Frankie Picciolo

Love is beautiful when lived generously

BY CAROL GLATZ  Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY • Love is demanding, but it is also beautiful when a woman and a man love each other fully, “without half measures,” Pope Francis said.

Love is “the beginning of a new life, destined to last not ‘as long as everything goes well’ but forever, accepting each other and living united as ‘one flesh,’” he said, before praying the Angelus Oct. 6.

 “Love is demanding, yes, but it is beautiful.”

Speaking to people gathered in St. Peter’s Square, the Pope used the day’s Gospel reading from the 10th chapter of Mark to reflect on love between a man and a woman and on marriage.

Jesus teaches “that woman and man were willed by the Creator as equal in

dignity and complementary in diversity” so that they could be each other’s helper and companion, the Pope said. But it also is a challenge for each of them to grow.

For this to happen, Jesus “emphasizes the need for their mutual gift to be full, to be engaging, to be without ‘half measures’ – this is love,” the Pope said.

“Of course, this is not easy, this requires fidelity, even in difficulties; it requires respect, honesty, simplicity” and being open to confrontation and even to disagreements, he said.

A husband and wife may argue “as much as you like, provided you always make peace before the day is over,” he said.

Pope Francis also encouraged married couples to have lots of children.

“Let us not forget, also, that for spouses it is essential to be open to the gift of life, to the gift of children, that are the most beautiful fruit of love, the greatest blessing from God, a source of joy and hope for every home and all of society,” he said.

 Church must recognize, ask pardon for its sins, Pope says before Synod

 Excessive force, even after an attack, is immoral

POPE ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Instagram: franciscus instagram.com/franciscus/

YouTube: Vatican News youtube.com/@VaticanNewsEN MORE FROM POPE FRANCIS ON

The Pope asked people to reflect on their love: “Is it faithful? Is it generous? Is it creative? How are our families? Are they open to life, to the gift of children?”

“Love is demanding, yes, but it is beautiful,” he said, and the more people let themselves love fully, “the more we discover true happiness in it.”

Visitors gather in St. Peter’s Square to pray the Angelus with Pope Francis at the Vatican Oct. 6, 2024. CNS photo/Vatican Media

Pope Francis, leaders of the assembly of the Synod of Bishops and participants attend the synod’s opening session in the Vatican’s Paul VI

Audience Hall Oct. 2, 2023. CNS photo/Lola Gomez

Seven things to know about the second and final session of the Synod on Synodality

BY MARIA WIERING  OSV News

The second meeting of the 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops began Oct. 2 at the Vatican. Like last year’s meeting, it’s a fourweek-long gathering of 368 voting delegates – with scores more of nonvoting participants – from six continents to address the theme “For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, Mission” and experience synodality, a posture of listening, accompaniment and communion in the Church.

Unlike last year’s meeting, hot-button topics are not expected to compete for participants’ attention. Instead, the focus is expected to be on synodality itself.

Here are seven things to know about this year’s second and final gathering for the Synod on Synodality:

 “...synodality (is) a posture of listening, accompaniment and communion in the Church.”

 1. This meeting is rooted in a three-year process, which began in 2021 with diocesan-level consultation on synodality in the Church. That consultation advanced to the level of bishops’ conferences and then included a continental phase. Information gathered from those phases influenced the framework for the 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, which has been distinguished by including, for the first time, voting lay delegates, and for being held over two meetings. The first meeting was held at the Vatican Oct. 4-28, 2023. Following that meeting, bishops and delegates engaged in further consultation on how to grow as a synodal Church, which was synthesized and shared with the

Holy See and the public. Meanwhile, eight U.S. priests participated in an International Meeting of Parish Priests from April 28-May 2 to consider the topic of “How to be a synodal local Church in mission?” Participants in the synod’s October 2024 meeting are expected to craft a synthesis report. In the past, synods of bishops have ordinarily resulted in the Pope issuing a document on the topic addressed.



2. The “roadmap” for the delegates’ work in October is outlined in the “instrumentum laboris” published in July. This document is the second “working document” of this synod, with a different “instrumentum laboris” issued before the synod’s first meeting in October 2023. The 2024 document is rooted in a wide-ranging synthesis report synod delegates adopted at the end of last year’s meeting that identified areas worthy of further attention ahead of this year’s meeting, as well as the additional consultation undertaken between the meetings. With the overarching theme of “how to be a missionary synodal Church,” the working document emphasized questions around Christian formation, communal discernment, and transparency and accountability.

 3. The synod formally opens Oct. 2 with a papal Mass, but a penitential liturgy will be held the evening Oct. 1 at St. Peter’s Basilica. With Pope Francis presiding, the penitential liturgy is expected to include three testimonies, including one from a victim-survivor of clergy sexual abuse. It will also include the confessions of “a number of sins,” according to a document from the Holy See: “The aim is not to denounce the sin of others, but to acknowledge oneself as a member of those who, by omission or action, become the cause of suffering and responsible for the evil inflicted on the innocent and defenseless.” Among the sins are those against synodality. The

Pope Francis, leaders of the assembly of the Synod of Bishops and participants attend the synod’s opening session in the Vatican’s Paul VI Audience Hall Oct. 2, 2023. CNS photo/ Lola Gomez

IN SECOND WEEK, SYNOD TO DISCUSS AUTHORITY IN THE CHURCH

VATICAN CITY • Members of the Synod of Bishops have begun looking for ways to make relationships within the Catholic Church “more transparent and more harmonious, so that our witness may become more credible.”

Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich of Luxembourg, relator general of the Synod, told members that that was their task as the second week of the monthlong assembly began Oct. 7. Opening discussions about the second module of the Synod’s working document, the Cardinal said it would be easy for the assembly to “remain on a general level and simply reiterate the importance of relationships for the development of people and communities.”

But, he said, “the people of God are waiting for guidance and suggestions from us on how to make that vision concretely livable.” The question, the Cardinal said, is: “What is the Holy Spirit inviting us to do to move from a pyramidal way of exercising authority to a Synodal way?”

During the first week of Synod proceedings, members discussed their understandings of the foundations of Synodality in the Church. Cardinal Hollerich said that during the second week, members will “seek ways

to

make operative today the ecclesiological perspective outlined” by the Second Vatican Council.

NO ONE HAS ‘EXCLUSIVE RIGHT’ TO GOD’S VOICE, POPE SAYS AT SYNOD OPENING

VATICAN CITY • Members of the Synod of Bishops must engage in genuine dialogue with those holding differing views, avoid pushing personal agendas and remain open to changing their minds about what is best for the Church, Pope Francis said.

“We must free ourselves from everything that prevents the charity of the Spirit from creating harmony in diversity in us and among us,” he said in his homily at the Synod’s opening Mass. “Those who arrogantly claim to have the exclusive right to hear the voice of the Lord cannot hear it.”

The Pope was joined by the 368 members of the Synod of Bishops for the Mass in St. Peter’s Square Oct. 2. The Synod’s 16 fraternal delegates – representatives from other Christian communities, who are participating in the assembly without voting privileges – were the first to process into the square, followed by laypeople and religious who make up the 96 non-bishop voting members of the Synod, or just over a quarter of the assembly. The Vatican reported that 77 Cardinals attended the Mass. Pope Francis urged Synod participants to be careful “not to see our contributions as points to defend at all costs or agendas to be imposed,” but rather to see their personal contribution to the Synod proceedings “as a gift to be shared, ready even to sacrifice our own point of view in order to give life to something new, all according to God’s plan.”

—Source: Catholic News Service

MEET THE MONITOR’S CORRESPONDENT IN ROME FOR THE SYNOD ON SYNODALITY

My name is Elise Stankus, and I am a writer, student and parishioner in the Diocese of Trenton. Earlier this year I began to serve as a freelance journalist with The Monitor and was commissioned as a correspondent for the General Assembly of the Synod on Synodality in Rome.

This is the second consecutive year that I will spend three weeks in Rome for the Synod gatherings. I have traveled to Rome to be a pilgrim, a voice and a witness to the Synodal process.

Pope John XXIII said “I want to open the windows of the Church so that we can see out and the people can see in.” The historic Synod on Synodality, initiated by Pope Francis in 2021, seeks to refresh the Catholic Church, fostering a community which welcomes, listens to, and embraces the entirety of the people of God.

This Synod is historic for a number of reasons, one of which is that laypeople are participating as voting members for the first time in the history of the Church. Men and women, young and old, laypeople and ordained – the Vatican is listening.

I will be attending events such as the Penitential Service and Opening Mass, meeting and praying with delegates to discuss Synodality and women in ministry and helping to host a public prayer service and educational panel. For the last week of my trip, I will be traveling with CENTERS, a group of college students from across the country experiencing the Synodal process firsthand.

My intention is to document this historic event, as well as to share my own experiences with my diocesan community in Trenton. Stay tuned!

— By Elise Stankus, Correspondent

Use QR code to keep up to date with Elise’s correspondence and all Synod stories

Elise Stankus

CNS photo

Church of Camden formally welcomes Coadjutor Bishop Williams

BY PETER G. SANCHEZ  Catholic Star Herald

Coadjutor Bishop Joseph A. Williams expressed his confidence that the Diocese of Camden is where Jesus wants him to be, during his Sept. 10 Mass of Welcome in St. Agnes Church, Our Lady of Hope Parish, Blackwood.

“I couldn’t be happier to be with you,” he said to the more than 1,000 faithful, clergy, religious and dignitaries from across New Jersey and beyond.

Bishop Williams, with 22 years of ordained ministry to his credit, reminded all in attendance and watching via livestream that the call of discipleship is the call of the Church. The Mass of Welcome “isn’t about a single person – it’s about all of the baptized of the Diocese of Camden. What does Jesus want for you? Missionary discipleship. The consoling, comforting and delightful joy of evangelization has to be our primordial joy.”

The afternoon liturgy, in both English and Spanish, included Bishop Dennis Sullivan, bishops, clergy and

Coadjutor Bishop Joseph A. Williams, second from left, and Bishop Dennis Sullivan, third from left, wait to receive the gifts during the Sept. 10 Mass of Welcome in St. Agnes Church, Our Lady of Hope Parish, Blackwood.

religious from around New Jersey, nearby states and the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis – Bishop Williams’ former archdiocese – as well as Cardinal Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States; Cardinal Joseph Tobin, C.Ss.R., of the Archdiocese of Newark; and Archbishop Bernard Hebda of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., was among the bishops in attendance.

For an expanded version of this story, visit TrentonMonitor.com > News > Church

Calling Bishop Williams “a faithful pastor and evangelizer,” Cardinal Pierre expressed confidence that the bishop “will find in this local Church new opportunities to minister the Gospel.”

“I thank the Holy Father for giving us the gift of Bishop Williams,” Bishop Sullivan remarked at the beginning of the Mass. He said Cardinal Pierre’s presence as Pope Francis’ representative to the Catholic Church in the United States “honors this local Church.”

Cardinal Pierre took part in the Rite of Welcome by reading the papal bull from Pope Francis that appoints Bishop Williams as coadjutor bishop of Camden.

In his homily, Bishop Williams reflected on the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles, in which Jesus immediately took the 12 men to be with the people. “The apostle … is an apostle for the people of God … ordained for the multitudes,” Bishop Williams said.

Jesus’ decision to create these holy witnesses was not done lightly, he added, noting that before Jesus called his apostles, he had spent the night in prayer. “What a consoling thought that is,” he said to his brother clergy. “Our calling is the fruit of Jesus’ prayer.”

Photo by Lori M. Nichols, Catholic Star Herald

Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., was among the bishops in attendance during the Mass of Welcome. Next to him is Father Jean Felicien, episcopal secretary. Photo by Debbie Troy, Catholic Star Herald

Filippini Sisters celebrate Genesis Day with Bishop O’Connell

Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., was the guest celebrant and homilist for a Sept. 7 Mass celebrating the Annual Genesis Day gathering of the Religious Teachers Filippini (MFP) at their Motherhouse, Villa Walsh, Morristown.

Accompanied by his episcopal secretary Father Jean Felicien and vicar general Msgr. Thomas N. Gervasio, pastor of Our Lady of Sorrows-St. Anthony Parish, Hamilton, Bishop O’Connell celebrated the Mass for Our Lady, Mother of Divine Hope, with the intentions both of attracting vocations to the order as well as the needs of those who support the sisters. Msgr. Gervasio was taught by the Sisters at St. Joachim Parish school, along with several other priests of the Diocese of Trenton. His sister, Sister Frances, belongs to the order.

During the luncheon that followed Mass, Filippini Sister Patricia gave statues of St. Lucy Filippini to display at three of the order’s locations to inspire devotion to the founding saint and to encourage vocations. Before departing, the Bishop and priests paid a visit to St. Joseph Hall, the Filippini Sisters’ retirement home and infirmary.

Genesis Day celebrates the beginning of the new year of apostolic activities by the Sisters. Their provincial superior, Filippini Sister Patricia Pompa, welcomed the sisters, encouraging them to follow Pope Francis’ invitation to be “pilgrims of hope” as they live out their vocations.

The Filippini Sisters began their work in the United States in the Diocese

Filippini Sisters Elizabeth Dalessio, Joan DiRienzo and Elizabeth Toft, who serve in St. Jerome School and Our Lady of Hope Parish, both West Long Branch, present the gifts of bread and wine to the Bishop.

of Trenton in 1910 at the initiative of Msgr. Luigi Pozzi, pastor of St. Joachim Parish (now part of Our Lady of the Angels Parish, Trenton), who had requested help to work among the largely Italian population of south Trenton. Five sisters were sent by Pope St. Pius X for this purpose.  From there the order grew and began working in other parishes throughout New Jersey.  Their motherhouse, Villa Walsh, was named for Trenton Bishop Thomas Walsh, who arranged for its purchase in Morristown in 1918.  The 120-acre property hosts Villa Walsh Academy for Girls.

“The Pontifical Institute of the Reli-

gious Teachers Filippini is an Institute of consecrated life dedicated to the works of the Apostolate,” the Filippini Sisters’ website explains. “Impelled by our mandate to ‘go and teach the Word of God’ we, the Religious Teachers Filippini, re-affirm our commitment to Catholic Education, making 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.”

The Religious Teachers Filippini sisters welcomed Bishop O’Connell to celebrate Mass for their Annual Genesis Day held at the community’s motherhouse in Morristown. Pictured with the Bishop are, from left, Msgr. Gervasio, Sister Frances Gervasio and Sister Patricia Pompa. Courtesy photos

Father Andrino says attending order’s chapter was fruit of Holy Spirit

BY EMMALEE ITALIA 

Contributing Editor

Traveling to Italy as a delegate to his order’s general chapter, Divine Word Father Guilherme Andrino got to meet Pope Francis, and he called his entire experience “a moment I will cherish forever.”

Meeting June 16-July 14 for the 19th General Chapter of the Society of the Divine Word in Nemi, just outside of Rome, Father Andrino said he noticed “many of us shared similar views on the importance of healing – both for the world and within our own SVD community.”

“This common ground raised a sense of unity and purpose. It pointed a direction for our mission, which I believe is the fruit of the Holy Spirit,” he said.

Father Andrino, pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish, Lakewood, traveled with Divine Word Father Stephen Michael, pastor of Mother of Mercy Parish, Asbury Park. The two served as elected delegates representing the Divine Word Chicago Province, joined by their

COMMON GROUND

“Meeting with my confreres (priests and brothers) was an uplifting experience,” Father Andrino said. “It provided a sense of solidarity and mutual support as we shared our thoughts and concerns. Discussing the challenges faced by the world and by each one of us allowed us to search for ways to offer comfort and guidance to those in need. It reinforced our commitment to serving our communities with compassion and hope.”

On June 28, delegates traveled to the Vatican and met with Pope Francis, who “had read our draft document and gave us a short talk, emphasizing the need ‘to be the hope for every culture,’” Father Andrino said. “He encouraged us to be peacemakers and bring hope to diverse cultures, exhorting us to be ambassadors of reconciliation in a wounded world.

Upon personally greeting Pope Fran-

cis, Father Andrino mentioned that he is a native of Brazil who works in New Jersey with immigrants in Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish. “He gave me a very beautiful smile,” the priest said.

IDENTITY AND MISSION

Father Andrino explained that the general conference’s theme, “Your Light Must Shine Before Others,” emphasized “being transformative missionary disciples who actively engage with and respond to the challenges faced by society.”

“We discussed the wounds of the world, our mission, and our personal wounds,” Father Andrino said. “At the end of the Chapter, we produced a document highlighting our contributions to healing these wounds.”

Some of those wounds are socio-cultural, including human trafficking and family breakdowns, as well as recognition for the need for adequate preparation to face the world’s challenges.

“The Chicago Province has played a pivotal role in healing the world’s wounds,” Father Andrino said. “Renowned for its grassroots efforts and mission, the province has a strong presence among African American and Hispanic communities, advocating for immigrants and the poor. Additionally, the Chicago Province financially supports missions in countries lacking resources for proper seminarian formation and daily needs of missionaries abroad.”

Divine Word Missionaries and others enjoy a special meeting with Pope Francis during the 19th General Chapter of the Society of the Divine Word.

provincial, Divine Word Father Adam Oleszczuk.

Father Guilherme Andrino, pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish, Lakewood, greets Pope Francis during his summer trip to the Vatican with the Divine Word Missionaries. Courtesy photos

Newly professed sister finds beauty in living in intentional community

BY ELISE STANKUS  Correspondent

Sister Maria Dela Paz describes her final vows as “a love letter to my congregation,” the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia.

She sees her vows as a commitment not only to her own congregation, but to the future of religious life. The median age of religious sisters in the United States is 89 and, as sister in her mid-30s, she believes it is important to acknowledge that there are young women who see the beauty of living in intentional community.

“For me, professing my final vows is saying ‘there is a future here – and it is already present.’”

Sister Maria, who was born in the Philippines but grew up in East Windsor, attended St. Anthony of Padua Parish, Hightstown, where she was an altar server and received her faith formation and sacraments throughout her childhood.

FAMILY AND FAITH

“The church was really the center of my family life,” she said, describing her family’s involvement in parish life. “I was a product of the parish.”

For the Dela Paz family, faith always went hand-in-hand with service. Sister Maria, her sibling and her father were regular volunteers at a soup kitchen in Trenton.

“Faith isn’t just something that is lived inside the church, it’s something that is supposed to go outward, that’s supposed to be a life of service to God and to our community,” she said.

At Jesuit-run St. Peter’s College (now University) in Jersey City, she began to examine more deeply her personal relationship with God. She learned about Ignatian spirituality and explored new

forms of prayer, such as the examen, Taizé, and movement prayer. “That just opened the world to me, opened an individual relationship with God in my life,” she said.

After college, she became a Jesuit Volunteer in the Federated States of Micronesia, where she came to appreciate more deeply the value of intentional community and living with other volunteers her age.

“I realized there is a different way of living,” she mused. “And I was a little bit different after that experience.”

‘SOMETHING WAS MISSING’

In the time that followed, she moved across the country.

“I was living the ultimate ‘American Dream,’” she said, laughing. “But I was sad. Something was missing.”

She found comfort in her experience of community as a Jesuit Volunteer. “I realized what I missed was that sharing and community that I had when I was a JV. [...] That’s what I missed. That’s what I really wanted.”

Sister Maria turned to spiritual direction and found it in the guidance of a Sister of St. Francis of Philadelphia. Beginning to feel a call to religious life, she started to spend more time with different religious congregations, but she found herself always turning back to the Franciscans.

“I loved their sense of humor and just how fun they were,” she said with a smile.

As she learned more about the order, she discovered a deep spiritual connection with their charism.

“What drew me to want to be a Franciscan was the teaching ... that Jesus would have come anyway even if sin hadn’t happened,” she said. “And it was just such a beautiful way to look at faith.

of Philadelphia

It wasn’t out of this deficit mindset. … That overflowing love was just a way that I had never looked at God before.”

DOUBTS ALONG THE WAY

As she began her formation with the sisters, she found freedom in the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. “I learned that it wasn’t about giving up things. It’s an invitation by God to live out and to be my most authentic self.”

The eight years between entering the order and her Aug. 11 final vows in Aston, Pa., were filled with joy, but also some doubt. “Moments of challenge made me more honest with myself,” Sister Maria said, turning again to what had brought her to the Sisters: community.

Professing her final vows was a culmination of years of discernment. She said so many things happened before she could say “I choose this freely and unreservedly for the rest of my life.”

Through juggling moments of desolation, she learned to take time for herself.

“It’s all about balance. I can’t give from an empty cup. Jesus also had to go up to the mountain to pray.”

St. Francis

Maria Dela Paz makes her final profession of vows in Aston, Pa., Aug. 11, on the Feast of St. Clare of Assisi. Courtesy photo

ENDING POVERTY, ARMS RACE AND REGULATING AI ARE KEY PRIORITIES, CARDINAL PAROLIN TELLS UN

UNITED NATIONS • Ending poverty, ensuring nuclear disarmament and regulating artificial intelligence, or AI, were among the issues highlighted by the Holy See at the 2024 United Nations Summit of the Future, held Sept. 22-23 in New York at U.N. headquarters.

With more than 120 conflicts in process worldwide, “the current summit is being convened against a backdrop of apparent crisis in the multilateral system,” said Cardinal Parolin. “This is largely attributable to the erosion of trust between nations, as evidenced by the growing prevalence and intensity of conflict.”

He said that “the future should be constructed on a foundation of principles, including the inherent, God-given dignity of every individual, the promotion of integral human development, the equality and sovereign dignity of all nations, and the establishment of trust between them.” He advised “the need to rethink” approaches to eliminating poverty and the arms race,

while properly harnessing the potential of AI to morally and ethically benefit human development.

“Above all, thinking of the future should take into account the needs and interests of future generations,” said Cardinal Parolin, while noting that “if dignity is the foundation and integral human development is the goal of our future, dialogue is the necessary means.”

Today, “the sense of belonging to a single human family is fading,” he said, but added, “This need not be the case, if there is a will to engage in genuine dialogue.”

MEXICO’S BISHOPS WELCOME NEW PRESIDENT, URGE HER TO PURSUE SOCIAL PEACE

MEXICO CITY • The Mexican bishops’ conference has called on the country’s freshly sworn-in president to pursue social peace as she inherits the complicated legacy of her popular and polarizing predecessor – who promoted social programs for the poor, but leaves her a country rife with violence and perceived to be backsliding on democracy.

Claudia Sheinbaum was sworn in Oct.

1 in the country’s Congress as first female Mexican president in history. In a Sept. 30 statement, the bishops wished President Sheinbaum well, while encouraging her to govern for all Mexicans as she receives an increasingly powerful presidency and the ruling Morena party holds mega-majorities in both houses of Congress – effectively allowing her to rule by decree.

“We believe that when a woman becomes President of the Republic for the first time, she will be very sensitive and respectful, promoting everything that will contribute to the good and social development of all citizens,” the bishops’ statement said. “Mexico faces great challenges, which are an opportunity to grow in participation and dialogue, overcoming polarization,” the bishops wrote.

Sheinbaum, 62, is taking office as Mexico’s first female president and first Jewish head of state, though she identifies as non-religious. A climate scientist and former Mexico City’s mayor, she received more than 60% of the popular vote in the June 2 election, running on a platform of continuing the populist political project of her mentor, outgoing President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.

Source: OSV News

Secretary of State of the Holy See Cardinal Pietro Parolin addresses the 79th United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters in New York Sept. 28, 2024. OSV News photo/Eduardo Munoz, via Reuters

Mexico’s President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum gestures at her swearing-in ceremony at the Congress in Mexico City Oct. 1, 2024. OSV News photo/Raquel Cunha, Reuters

C A T H O L I C H I G H S C H O O L S H O W C A S E

With a kaleidoscope of academic programs, college cooperative course offerings, highly ranked athletics and 21st century technological equipment, Catholic high schools in the Diocese of Trenton are leading the way in secondary education. Coupled with the competitive tools and scholarly opportunities is an environment that is unequivocally centered on the Gospel of Christ, allowing students and staff to live their faith boldly as they grow in insight and implement teamwork strategies.

Following are profiles of Catholic high schools in Burlington, Mercer, Monmouth and Ocean Counties.

DONOVAN CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL

The high school community of Donovan Catholic educates its students to live their faith, respect and serve others in a global society, and pursue academic excellence in a college preparatory environment. Donovan Catholic High School – It Makes a Difference 711 Hooper Avenue, Toms River www.donovancatholic.org

OPEN HOUSE: Oct. 6, 2 – 4 p.m. and Oct. 7, 6 – 8 p.m. Apply Today at www.donovancatholic.org

CONTACT:  732-349-8801| Admissions Coordinator – Lori Jensen, ext. 2429

Since its founding in 1962, Donovan Catholic High School (DCHS) has been a leading choice for motivated students seeking an individualized educational experience and discovering their purpose. DCHS is uniquely positioned to offer a safe, clean, small, secure and student-centered learning environment in the Catholic tradition of excellence.

Our mission continues to evolve to meet the goals of our school community. Guided by our Catholic faith and commitment to individualized instruction, DCHS is truly unique. For over 60 years, our students, families, alumni, faculty and staff call DCHS “family.” Our Catholic identity mirrors the teachings of Pope Francis: the principles of forgiveness, love and service to others. Students embrace opportunities to complete service hours and volunteer in our local community.

Donovan Catholic High School holds charters with the National Honor Society, Thespian Society, and the content-specific Honor Society in Science. It has also earned nationally recognized accreditation from Cognia. Our teachers, counselors, coaches and staff work collaboratively to meet the needs of every student through a wide range of course offerings, athletics, fine and performing arts, a robotics team, clubs, activities, and service opportunities.

We are proud of our Performing and Fine Arts Department. Griffin TV, anchored by our Broadcast Studio, Continued on 56

CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL SHOWCASE

produces two news shows daily.  Students can choose fine arts electives during the academic schedule. Set design, photography, pottery and digital art enable our students to be innovative and creative. Our performing arts program shines on the stage thrice yearly with two musicals and A Night on Broadway.

Our student-athletes have enjoyed athletic success at every level and sport, with an excellent reputation for outstanding sportsmanship and championship wins. DCHS offers over 35 athletic teams within three seasons and was the first diocesan high school to institute the Catholic Athletes for Christ program.

Donovan Catholic offers a comprehensive academic program on a collegiate block schedule with various course offerings beyond our core college prep and honors classes, including Advanced Placement courses, Dual Enrollment College credit, and various enriching electives. We offer an engineering program called Project Lead the Way and a winning Robotics Team. DCHS has partnered with Ocean County College (OCC), Georgian Court University and the University of Delaware to allow students to take dual college credit classes while still in high school. The class of 2024 was awarded over $40 million in college scholarships.

Our Finance Lab hosts 20 Bloomberg Terminals, allowing students access to real-time data from markets worldwide and news, research, and powerful analytics used by top finance, business, and government decision-makers. Students will create a well-developed equity portfolio and participate in the Bloomberg Trading Challenge, developing a strategy and executing trades; students will also be able to earn a Bloomberg Market Concepts certification through a standardized examination.

NOTRE DAME HIGH SCHOOL

Dedicated to academic excellence and nurturing a dynamic Catholic community that prepares students for college and instills a commitment to personal growth and service.

601 Lawrenceville Road, Lawrenceville www.ndnj.org

OPEN HOUSE: Thursday, Oct. 24, 7 – 9 p.m.

CONTACT: Laura Sarubbi, 609-882-7901 | admissions@ ndnj.org

Notre Dame High School was founded in 1957 and offers a powerfully well-rounded college preparatory experience for young men and women in grades 9–12. Notre Dame provides an education grounded in Catholic Values in the spirit of the Sisters of Mercy, aiming to empower students within a positive and supportive community.

The school’s commitment to academic rigor, innovative technology, athletics and the arts ensures students a myriad of experiences. With 28 athletics teams and over 50 co-curriculars, 40 Honors, and 20 Advanced Placement courses, Notre Dame provides unlimited opportunities for students to explore, create, lead and serve. The campus exudes energy, and the spirit of the community is strong, making it a place where young men and women can learn, grow, and thrive.

Notre Dame welcomes students with diverse interests, abilities and strengths, offering them the appropriate academic challenge and empowering them to reach beyond their comfort zones. The school’s ultimate goal is to prepare students for lives of fulfillment and service. Your future starts at Notre Dame High School.

RED BANK CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL

Join the Tradition

112 Broad Street, Red Bank www.redbankcatholic.org

OPEN HOUSE: Oct. 20, 2 – 4:30 p.m. Registration required – visit www.redbankcatholic.org

CONTACT: Kristen Amnott, 732-747-5113 | admissions@ redbankcatholic.com

Red Bank Catholic is a vibrant, beloved, Catholic co-educational institution with a deep tradition, an extraordinary spirit and a record of achievement in the classroom, on the athletic fields, onstage and beyond.

RBC was founded in 1927 in the heart of the city of

RED BANK CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL

CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL SHOWCASE

Red Bank. With 181 courses offered, including 20 Advanced Placement, 32 Honors, 21 dual-enrollment college-level courses and Capstone project opportunities, each student’s schedule is tailored around their individual strengths and interests, and 100 percent of our graduates continue to higher education or career preparation programs.

The vast array of extracurricular opportunities offered at RBC includes our 28 competitive varsity sports, our award-winning performing arts programs, more than 35 clubs and activities, and our semester-long internship program, in which over 800 students have participated since 2007.

Red Bank Catholic’s students come from more than 50 towns and 70 schools. They are young men and women of competence, compassion, commitment and curiosity, and together with over 15,000 alumni, they make up the “Casey Family.”

ST. JOHN VIANNEY HIGH SCHOOL

Ignite, Serve, Explore, Inspire

540A Line Road, Holmdel www.sjvhs.com

OPEN HOUSE: Oct. 19, 9 a.m. and Oct. 24, 7 p.m. Register at www.sjvhs.com/openhouse

CONTACT: Patti Gilmartin, 732-739-0800 x 155 | gilmartin@sjvhs.com

SAINT JOHN VIANNEY HIGH SCHOOL

St. John Vianney is a co-ed Catholic high school operated by the Diocese of Trenton that provides a Catholic education by igniting intellectual growth, serving those in need, exploring passions and inspiring a commitment to know God. SJV’s vibrant community offers outstanding academics and exceptional extracurricular activities, including first-rate athletics. As a Catholic school, we go beyond just academics and activities. SJV educates the whole person – mind, body, and spirit.

SJV promotes an educational environment that supports the growth of each of our students. We provide an advanced curriculum with a student-to-faculty ratio of 15:1. A 4x4 block schedule format allows students to accelerate their learning to an advanced level and remediate weaknesses in any curricular area. We offer many levels in all subjects, including college preparatory, Honors, Advanced Placement, and Dual Enrollment.

We also offer qualified students the Early College Academy and Business Academy. The Early College Academy allows students to graduate with 64 college credits and an Associate Degree in Computer Science or Social Science. The Business Academy combines college courses from the University of Delaware, Georgian Court University and Brookdale Community College with real-life experiences through speakers, field trips, and both on and off-campus business initiatives. Starting in Spring 2025, St. John Vianney High School will introduce the Air Force Junior ROTC program for 9th to 12th-grade students. The program aims to develop character and instill essential life skills based on the Air Force’s core values. SJV is also excited to introduce our new Pre-Law Academy in Fall 2025. Following in the footsteps of our other academies, it will be a combination of Advanced Placement and Dual Enrollment courses with a capstone project senior year.

Additionally, our campus is technologically advanced to provide seamless learning, and all students receive tablet computers equipped with the latest educational software. SJV also has athletic fields, a lighted turf athletic stadium, a 12,000 square-foot fitness center, and a state-of-the-art performance theater – facilities that help support our 35+ student clubs and 30 sports programs.

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EDUCATION

CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL SHOWCASE

ST. ROSE HIGH SCHOOL

607 7th Avenue, Belmar www.srhsnj.com

CONTACT: Admissions office: 732-681-2858 x: 709, admissions@srhsnj.com

St. Rose High School is a vibrant, co-ed shore community where faculty and families are dedicated to pro -

viding students with a faith-based, high-quality Catholic education.

Our rigorous curriculum offers a comprehensive range of academic pathways, including College Prep, Honors and Advanced Placement courses. Thanks to the generous support of alumni and friends, we have continuously enhanced our academic offerings.

In addition to an innovative drop schedule, St. Rose provides unique opportunities in Business through our Institute of Financial Leadership, which is part of the Wharton Youth Program. Our Performing Arts Academy shines both on stage and in the classroom. Athletics and extracurricular activities are central to the St. Rose experience, with over 25 varsity sports and numerous JV and freshman programs that encourage student-athletes to apply their dedication beyond the field.

Our school is also proud to offer a growing robotics program, engineering courses, and a wide variety of student-led clubs, ensuring students are challenged in innovative and collaborative environments.

At St. Rose High School, we strive to meet the needs of every student, creating an enriching Catholic experience where each individual is known, valued, challenged, and inspired to be more.

CHRISTIAN BROTHERS ACADEMY

An outstanding Catholic day school for boys on the high school level

850 Newman Springs Road, Lincroft www.cbalincroftnj.org

OPEN HOUSE: Oct. 6, 12 – 3 p.m.; Oct. 23, 4:30 –6:30 p.m. Pre-registration recommended: www.cbalincroftnj.org/admissions/welcome

CONTACT: Jennifer Maccarella, 732-747-1959 x 217 | admissions@cbalincroftnj.org

Christian Brothers Academy has built a reputation rooted in excellence, basing our educational philosophy on the Lasallian tradition. We focus on developing every aspect of our students through unique activities both in and out of the classroom. Our faculty is committed to a rigorous academic curriculum, while helping each student reach his full potential.

The principles of faith and service remain ever-present in our community, always giving our students a chance to help those who are less fortunate. Over the past five years, each graduating class has averaged over 100 hours of service per student, which greatly exceeds the 70 hours required for graduation. Meanwhile, our championship-winning athletics and dynamic extracurricular activities allow for our students to foster an unparalleled brotherhood during their time at the Academy.

HOLY CROSS PREPARATORY ACADEMY

The only independent co-ed Catholic preparatory school in Burlington County 5035 Route 130 S., Delran www.hcprep.org

OPEN HOUSE: Oct. 22, 6 – 8 p.m. One lucky eighth grade student will win a $1,000 grant. Pre-registration available at https://hcprep.org. Please note, registration is not required. Entrance Exam: Nov. 2 or Nov. 3

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Wednesday November 6 6:30 p.m.

To register:

CATHOLIC

CONTACT: Darian D’Alfonso, Director of Admissions & Outreach, 856-461-5400 ext. 3054, ddalfonso@hcprep.org or admissions@hcprep.org

VISION: To serve as the premier Catholic institute for education and leadership in South Jersey and beyond.

MISSION: To inspire young men and women to become resilient leaders and lifelong learners through wisdom and holiness.

Holy Cross Preparatory Academy offers a collegiate-style block schedule of single-semester courses, ensuring students feel comfortable when they step into their first college classes. Each student is provided a laptop and access to class material online to enhance the learning process.

Through partnerships with Rowan College of Burlington County, Seton Hall University and Holy Family University, HCPA offers dual-credit courses totaling up to

ST. AUGUSTINE PREPARATORY SCHOOL

60+ college credits. Our Guidance Office utilizes Naviance to help students through the college application process and provides students the opportunity to meet with college admissions counselors during the annual College Fair and regular visits from universities. Our teachers also provide summer sessions on campus to help students complete additional college requirements, such as essays and resumes.

Specialized classes are offered in engineering (STREAM), forensic science, graphic design and accounting. Visual and performing arts allow students to explore their talents in our studio, inside the dark room or on the stage. The proud athletic history at Holy Cross is visible in the numerous sectional and state titles lining the walls of our gymnasium. Lancer Nation ensures that positive values and our shared faith are integrated throughout all activities, with teams and clubs regularly participating in group service projects, Masses or prayer services.

STUART COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL OF THE SACRED HEART

A Sacred Heart independent Catholic girls’ school for grades K-12 with a co-ed preschool for ages 2 and 3 and a junior kindergarten program 1200 Stuart Road, Princeton www.stuartschool.org

INFO SESSIONS AT 9 AM: Thursday, Oct. 10, Tuesday, Oct. 29, Wednesday, Nov. 13. Register at www.stuartschool.org/visit.

CONTACT: 609-921-6118, hnastro@stuartschool.org.

Founded in 1963, Stuart Country Day School of the Sacred Heart is an all-girls, college preparatory, Preschool – Grade 12 independent Catholic school whose mission is to prepare young women for lives of exceptional leadership and service.

With a highly personalized and innovative curriculum, superb faculty, and the space given to grow in their faith, Stuart girls graduate as compassionate and empowered global citizens who are driven to be forces of change in our world.

VILLA VICTORIA ACADEMY

Creating confident, compassionate leaders 376 West Upper Ferry Road, Ewing www.villavictoria.org

OPEN HOUSE: Oct. 19, 1-3 pm, meet faculty members

and hear about our program, see the school with a student ambassador and chat with current parents and VVA alumnae. Pre-Registration required at www.villavictoria. org/admissions/open-house/

CONTACT: Colleen White, 609-882-1700 ext. 419 | cwhite@villavictoria.org

Villa Victoria Academy, established in 1933, is one of the oldest, all-girls Catholic schools in New Jersey. The high school provides girls with small, college-prep classes with individualized attention. The mission of Villa is to respect the inherent dignity of each individual, to educate the whole person, instill character and confidence, and to empower young women to reach their full potential and influence the world in a truly Christian manner.

Villa is owned and operated by the Religious Teachers Filippini and draws students from both New Jersey and Pennsylvania to its 44-acre campus. Faculty and staff include lay men and women and our religious sisters. Villa operates a traditional schedule of eight classes per day for 40 minutes each. Recent updates include a TV studio, a state-of-the-art dance studio, and a strength, training and conditioning room.

Financial aid is available to all students, and scholarships are available to those entering ninth grade. The High School Placement Test for potential applicants will be held Nov. 2 and Nov. 23. ($40) In addition, VVA will be offering an HSPT Test Prep Class for any boy or girl in 8th grade.The cost is $80 for five classes and the first class is Oct. 15 from 5-6:30 pm. Contact the Admissions office to register for either or both.

CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL SHOWCASE

CAC forum offers support for student-athletes

SKeynote speaker Mike Sielski, sports columnist for The Philadelphia Inquirer, chats with students during a break. Marianne Hartman photos

A group discussion between Mike Sielski and student athletes.

ome 180 student-athletes from Catholic high schools around the Diocese as well as one school from the Metuchen Diocese, and eighth graders from two grammar schools gathered with their coaches, teachers and chaperones, for the annual Catholic Athletes for Christ Leadership Summit Oct. 1 in St. Robert Bellarmine Co-Cathedral, Freehold.

Hosted by the diocesan Department of Catholic Schools, this year’s forum featured keynote speaker Mike Sielski, sports columnist for The Philadelphia Inquirer. His topic was “Sports and Spirituality.”

Sielski shared stories of famous athletes whose Catholic faith helped them through challenging times in their careers. Two of his books include “The Rise: Kobe Bryant and the Pursuit of Immortality” and “Fading Echoes: A True Story of Rivalry and Brotherhood from the Football Field to the Fields of Honor.”

Another forum feature was the celebration of Mass by Father Christopher Colavito, diocesan director of vocations and chaplain of Notre Dame High School, Lawrenceville.

Forum organizers noted it’s the first time that eighth grade students were invited to attend.  There was student representation from St. Joseph School, Toms River, and St. Benedict School, Holmdel.

Mike Sielski, second from right, meets with Department of Catholic Schools staff from left, Bonnie Milecki, assistant superintendent of School development and operations; Dr. Vincent de Paul Schmidt, superintendent; Dennis Guida, diocesan coordinator of Catholic Athletes for Christ, and Daniel O’Connell, assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction.



Don’t miss The Monitor’s

Sports coverage online

BY RICH FISHER  Contributing Editor:

 Swimming standout Molly Cullen also a soccer star for St. Rose

 Donovan Catholic girls volleyball still rolling after graduation losses

 Notre Dame field hockey making positive strides with baby steps

New story every Friday!

Go to TrentonMonitor.com and click on NEWS>SPORTS.

SPORTS SPORTS SPORTS SPORTS SPORTS SPORTS SPORTS SPORTS SPORTS

Sunday, October 20 11:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. 145 Plainfield Avenue, Metuchen, NJ 08840 Pre-register online at www.stjoes.org/openhouse

St. Rose senior Molly Cullen is going to Texas Christian University for swimming, but she is also one of the Shore Conference’s most dangerous scorers in soccer.  Photo courtesy of Michael Scotto

Focus only on Jesus

THE WORD

Father Garry Koch

OCT. 13  ARE WE AFRAID OF WHAT JESUS IS ASKING OF US?

Wis 7: 7-11; Heb 4: 12-13; Mk 10:17-30

Arighteous and rich young man approached Jesus and asked him the core question about sharing in eternal life.

When told that he must get rid of everything and provide for the poor he walked away from Jesus. We often wonder what became of this young man. While there are various stories told of him in the tradition of the Church, he never again appears in the ministry of Jesus or the New Testament. Each of us is challenged in the same way. It is what we do that is above and beyond the expected that is the true measure of our faith and of our share in eternal life.

OCT. 20  THE DISCIPLES CANNOT LET GO OF THEIR INTERNAL POWER STRUGGLE

Is 53: 10-11; Heb 4: 14-16; Mk 10: 35-45

The sin of jealousy that plagued the disciples earlier on their journey to Jerusalem now again rears its head. The apostles James and John are now vying for roles of governance in the kingdom that Jesus is to establish. There seems to be a desire to displace Peter and the others by boldly and directly asking Jesus to sit at his right and at his left. The other disciples are indignant at their ambition and are undoubtedly jealous as well. Apparently, they still think they are the greatest among the disciples. Jesus rebukes their request and offers them the chalice from which he will drink. They do not yet understand what this will mean for them.

OCT. 27  BARTIMAEUS SEES WHAT EVERYONE ELSE HAS MISSED

Jer 31: 7-9; Heb 5: 1-6; Mk 10: 46-52

One of the most intriguing figures in the New Gospels Testament was Bartimaeus, who was an outcast in Jewish society. Although blind, he recognizes Jesus for who he is, unlike other followers who were unable to perceive

what was going on.

Bartimaeus recognized in Jesus the Son of David; the fulfillment of the messianic promises. The crowd was fearful as Bartimaeus called out “Son of David,” as this title carried a revolutionary undertone.

Bartimaeus risked not only his own welfare but the life of Jesus and his disciples. The crowd sought to keep Bartimaeus silent not for his sake but for theirs.

Father Garry Koch is pastor of St. Benedict Parish, Holmdel.

 To read extended versions of Father Koch’s columns, visit TRENTONMONITOR.COM>FAITH & CULTURE>YOUR FAITH

St. Mary Church, Deal

A balanced spiritual life requires learning to let go

LTHINGS MY FATHER TAUGHT ME

Mary Morrell

ike many adult children who have lost their parents, I have a tendency to talk to my mom and dad when I have something on my mind. When it’s something to do with writing, I check in with my dad, especially when a column deadline is looming and I’m struggling with an idea.

“So, what do you think about the topic of keeping your balance? You think that’s important, right?” I recently asked him. Suddenly, a framed collage of photos began to slip from its precarious perch on a much too thin nail, and head for the floor. I was able stop the momentum with an outstretched cane and grab it before it crashed to the ground.

“Seriously?” I complained to my dad. “A simple yes would have been sufficient.”

It may have just been his enthusiasm for the topic because he was someone who consistently preached “all things in moderation,” which for him meant “keep

everything balanced.” I guess I just didn’t realize how many “things” there were that needed to be kept in balance, which, I discovered is not the same as having so many things to balance, like the circus juggler or plate spinner.

When I was raising my family there was barely time to think about balancing anything. There was just a continual momentum of trying to meet responsibilities. But as the nest began to empty, I became aware of a lopsidedness in my spiritual life, which had for so long taken a backseat to my role as a parent, especially when I became a parent who also worked outside the home.

At some point, probably through a fatherly nudge, I found myself recalling the things my father taught me as a child to help me know myself and center myself when I felt lost or disconnected or overwhelmed – to sit in silence and listen, to the sounds of life or the whisperings of God; to control my breathing and meditate on the breath of life with which God created us, and which keeps us alive; to create something, whether it be growing flowers in my garden, drawing and painting, writing poetry, playing the piano or baking his favorite apple pie.

I realized these were all things, among others, I had let slip away off the thin nail of my unbalanced life, and almost lost them, and me.

 “Letting go is hard, so much harder than holding on.”

I regained an understanding that being balanced was not just a matter of not being overly busy, but learning to let go of all the emotional and spiritual baggage I had hoarded over the years, weighing down one side of my life’s seesaw – the fears, the failures, the perfectionism, the hurts and grudges and inability to forgive, grief and losses, which at times kept me feeling like I was mired in cement.

Letting go is hard, so much harder than holding on.

But over the many years of my life, I’ve learned that you can’t hold on to God when your hands are filled with everything else.

Mary Morrell is editor-in-chief of The Catholic Spirit, the Metuchen Diocesan newspaper.

Jaime Dantas/unsplash photo

What is the Church’s position on cremation?

Q. What is the position or rule of the Church concerning cremation? (Indiana)

A. There is a short answer to your question in Paragraph 2301 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which tells us that: “The Church permits cremation, provided that it does not demonstrate a denial of faith in the resurrection of the body.”

But we can gain a fuller understanding of the Church’s teaching if we dig a little deeper into the relevant documents. In particular, in the Order of Christian Funerals (that is, the book governing the ceremonies for Catholic funeral liturgies) there is an appendix approved for use in the United States which states: “Although cremation is now permitted by the Church, it does not enjoy the same value as burial of the body. The Church clearly prefers and urges that the body of the deceased be present for the funeral rites, since the presence of the human body better expresses the values which the Church affirms in those rites” (413).

In other words, cremation is technically – though not enthusiastically – allowed by the Church, as long as it is not done for reasons or motivations contrary to the Catholic teaching on the dignity of the human body. For example, choosing to cremate the body of a loved one who died of a highly infectious disease in order to avoid spreading contagion would be an ac-

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QUESTION CORNER

Jenna Marie Cooper

ceptable motive; but opting for cremation because of a belief that “the body is just an empty shell” would not be.

The appendix in the Order of Christian Funerals goes on to give some practical directives. Specifically, “the cremated remains of a body should be treated with the same respect given to the human body from which they come. This includes the use of a worthy vessel to contain the ashes, the manner in which they are carried, the care and attention to appropriate placement and transport, and the final disposition. The cremated remains should be buried in a grave or entombed in a mausoleum or columbarium. The practice of scattering cremated remains on the sea, from the air, or on the ground, or keeping cremated remains in the home of a relative or friend of the deceased are not the reverent disposition that the Church requires” (417).

 Cremation is technically – though not enthusiastically – allowed by the Church.

The same document further indicates that if a body is to be cremated, ideally this would happen after the funeral so that the integral body could be present at the Mass (418).

It may seem odd to some of our modern sensibilities to attach so much importance to a dead body, when the soul of our loved one is no longer present within it. But it is always good to recall how “incarnational” our Catholic faith is. That is, we believe that God’s coming to earth as man has rendered many aspects of our humble, tangible material reality as sacred. As the Order of Christian Funerals urges us to recall: “The body of a deceased Catholic Christian is also the body once washed in Baptism, anointed with the oil of salvation, and fed with the Bread of Life. … The body of the deceased brings forcefully to mind the Church’s conviction that the human body is in Christ a temple of the Holy Spirit and is destined for future glory at the resurrection of the dead” (412).

This reverence for the bodies of the dead is a logical consequence of what we profess in the Creed we recite at Mass every Sunday: that we believe in the “resurrection of the body.” Just as Jesus’ body was resurrected, and as Mary’s immaculately conceived body was assumed into heaven, so too will “God, in his almighty power, definitively grant incorruptible life to our bodies by reuniting them with our souls, through the power of Jesus’ Resurrection” (997).

Jenna Marie Cooper, who holds a licentiate in canon law, is a consecrated virgin and a canonist whose column appears weekly at OSV News. Send your questions to CatholicQA@osv.com.

Twin Eagle Scouts chose projects to ‘give

back’ to those who

helped them

BY KAYLA LATENDRESSE  Correspondent

Twin Brothers Ryan and Cole Malinowski chose Eagle Scout projects as a way to say thanks to their community and church.

Ryan made an outside classroom for children at New Albany School, Cinnaminson. Cole created a prayer garden of the Stations of the Cross on the grounds of Resurrection Parish, Delran, where they are parishioners and participate in the music ministry. Ryan plays the guitar, and Cole plays the bass for Sunday Masses.

Eagle Scout is the highest rank attainable in the Boy Scouts of America.

DECIDING ON A PROJECT

Ryan said when it was time to pick a project, “I was just thinking about how I wanted to give back to something that has helped me in the past; my school district, which is a great one, Cinnaminson, really has helped me. … I decided I would help out the elementary school.”

Cole wanted to give back to his church because “the church has really helped me a lot personally, spiritually, mentally.”

They also saw a connection between involvement in their parish and in Scouts; Ryan said, “They kind of intertwined.”

“People that have faith, it grounds you,” added Cole, whose outdoor Stations of the Cross project took six months to complete. “It has added more value to my life and a lot more focus, and

 “Faith ... has added more value to my life and a lot more focus ...”

that gave me a lot of direction.”

“So many people showed up [to help], and it really meant a lot to me,” he said. “It has been nice to see many parishioners using the spot for prayer.”

Ryan’s outside classroom project took about four months. Becoming an Eagle Scout “comes with the notion that you’ve got to live to be your best self and prove that, once you’re an Eagle Scout, you’ll want to maintain it and always stay an Eagle Scout,” he said.

Both said becoming an Eagle Scout was a long journey of hard work, perseverance and determination, but filled with moments they’ll always remember.

Cole said, “it’s really nice to be able

 Shown is the Stations of the Cross garden on the grounds of Resurrection Parish, Delran, that was Cole Malinowski’s Eagle Scout project.

 The Malinowski brothers are recognized at a Boy Scouts meeting. Courtesy photos

to have a project finished at the end of it that can benefit the community.”

As seniors, both students also are involved in their schools. At Cinnaminson High School, Ryan plays the cello in the school’s orchestra and runs track and cross-country. At Burlington County Institute of Technology, Cole is a member of the National Honor Society and studies and works HVAC co-op. He participated in Skills USA and has been the cross-country team captain.

ADVICE FOR YOUNGER BOYS

They shared their advice for young people thinking of joining any group, including Boy Scouts.

“Go for it,” said Cole. “It will be a fun experience, you’ll get to make new friends, develop memories, and do things that you wouldn’t be able to do if you weren’t involved in the program.”

Ryan added, “Zone in on what you want to do, and if that is Scouts, I would follow through with it.”

A group of young people take a selfie with Pope Francis, who made a surprise, late-evening stop at a youth festival, “Hope Happening,” in Brussels Sept. 28, 2024. CNS photo/Vatican Media

BY CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

WYD 2027 IN SOUTH KOREA TO FOCUS ON COURAGE, INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE

VATICAN CITY (CNS) • The first World Youth Day to be hosted in a country where Christians are a minority will seek to instill young people with the courage to share the Gospel while fostering interreligious dialogue, organizers of the event said. World Youth Day 2027, to be hosted in Seoul, South Korea, will help young people “think about the dialogue between faith and modernity,” Cardinal Kevin J. Farrell, prefect of the Dicastery for Laity, the Family and Life said at a news conference Sept. 24. The challenges young people face today – a loss of purpose, climate change, the digital revolution and economic inequality – “will stimulate young people to make their personal contribution so that contemporary culture may be permeated and transformed by the Gospel, with its power, light and freshness,” the cardinal said. The Vatican announced Sept. 24 the themes for the Church’s upcoming celebrations of young people, both taken from St. John’s Gospel: the Jubilee of the Youth, to be held in Rome in 2025, will have the theme “You also are my witnesses, because you have been with me,” and the theme for World Youth Day 2027 will be “Take courage! I have overcome the world.” Seoul Auxiliary Bishop Paul Kyung Sang Lee, coordinator of World Youth Day 2027, said “Korea stands in a unique context distinct from previous World Youth Day hosts” since the country is “characterized by the harmonious coexistence of diverse religious traditions.”

VATICAN APPOINTS YOUTH ADVISERS, INCLUDING U.S. MEMBER

VATICAN CITY (CNS) • Selected from different regions and international Catholic movements active around the world, 20 young people will advise the Vatican on topics related to the pastoral care of young people as well as other issues. The Dicastery for Laity, the

Family and Life announced the appointment of 20 new members of its international youth advisory body Oct. 7. Wyatt Olivas, an undergraduate student at the University of Wyoming, was appointed to the board from the United States. At 20, Olivas is the youngest member of the Synod of Bishops on synodality. The board was formed in response to a request from the final document produced at the 2018 Synod of Bishops on the youth. “The group will play an important advisory and proactive role, collaborating in synodal style with the Dicastery, to further explore issues related to the pastoral care for youth and other topics of more general interest, including in cooperation with other Dicasteries of the Roman Curia,” the dicastery said in a statement announcing the appointments.

Young participants in the Sept. 17-21 Med24 meeting watch a video message by Pope Francis in Tirana, Albania, in this undated photo. CNS

of Tirana-Durres

INDIFFERENCE KILLS; BE SIGNS OF HOPE, POPE TELLS YOUNG PEOPLE

VATICAN CITY (CNS) • Young people must reject indifference and embrace their role as a generation of hope and unity to build a better future for the world, Pope Francis said.

Developing a sense of fraternity is “the best answer we can offer to the conflicts and indifference that kill, because indifference kills,” the Pope told a meeting of young Catholics from around the Mediterranean.

In a video message for participants in the Med24 meeting in Tirana, Albania – the fourth edition of a meeting for young people organized by churches across the Mediterranean region – Pope Francis urged young Catholics to “learn how to read the signs of the times together.”

“Contemplate the diversity of your traditions as a richness, a richness desired by God,” he said in the message published by the Vatican Sept. 17. “Unity is not uniformity, and the diversity of our cultural and religious identities is a gift from God.”

The Sept. 15-21 meeting is intended to address issues affecting the Mediterranean region, such as humanitarian crises resulting from conflicts and the lack of work and educational opportunities for professional development. Fifty young people from 25 countries

photo/courtesy Archdiocese

A group of young people take a selfie with Pope Francis, who made a surprise, late-evening stop at a youth festival, “Hope Happening,” in Brussels Sept. 28, 2024. CNS photo/Vatican Media

BY CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

WYD 2027 IN SOUTH KOREA TO FOCUS ON COURAGE, INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE

VATICAN CITY (CNS) • The first World Youth Day to be hosted in a country where Christians are a minority will seek to instill young people with the courage to share the Gospel while fostering interreligious dialogue, organizers of the event said. World Youth Day 2027, to be hosted in Seoul, South Korea, will help young people “think about the dialogue between faith and modernity,” Cardinal Kevin J. Farrell, prefect of the Dicastery for Laity, the Family and Life said at a news conference Sept. 24. The challenges young people face today – a loss of purpose, climate change, the digital revolution and economic inequality – “will stimulate young people to make their personal contribution so that contemporary culture may be permeated and transformed by the Gospel, with its power, light and freshness,” the cardinal said. The Vatican announced Sept. 24 the themes for the Church’s upcoming celebrations of young people, both taken from St. John’s Gospel: the Jubilee of the Youth, to be held in Rome in 2025, will have the theme “You also are my witnesses, because you have been with me,” and the theme for World Youth Day 2027 will be “Take courage! I have overcome the world.” Seoul Auxiliary Bishop Paul Kyung Sang Lee, coordinator of World Youth Day 2027, said “Korea stands in a unique context distinct from previous World Youth Day hosts” since the country is “characterized by the harmonious coexistence of diverse religious traditions.”

VATICAN APPOINTS YOUTH ADVISERS, INCLUDING U.S. MEMBER

VATICAN CITY (CNS) • Selected from different regions and international Catholic movements active around the world, 20 young people will advise the Vatican on topics related to the pastoral care of young people as well as other issues. The Dicastery for Laity, the

Family and Life announced the appointment of 20 new members of its international youth advisory body Oct. 7. Wyatt Olivas, an undergraduate student at the University of Wyoming, was appointed to the board from the United States. At 20, Olivas is the youngest member of the Synod of Bishops on synodality. The board was formed in response to a request from the final document produced at the 2018 Synod of Bishops on the youth. “The group will play an important advisory and proactive role, collaborating in synodal style with the Dicastery, to further explore issues related to the pastoral care for youth and other topics of more general interest, including in cooperation with other Dicasteries of the Roman Curia,” the dicastery said in a statement announcing the appointments.

Young participants in the Sept. 17-21 Med24 meeting watch a video message by Pope Francis in Tirana, Albania, in this undated photo. CNS

of Tirana-Durres

INDIFFERENCE KILLS; BE SIGNS OF HOPE, POPE TELLS YOUNG PEOPLE

VATICAN CITY (CNS) • Young people must reject indifference and embrace their role as a generation of hope and unity to build a better future for the world, Pope Francis said.

Developing a sense of fraternity is “the best answer we can offer to the conflicts and indifference that kill, because indifference kills,” the Pope told a meeting of young Catholics from around the Mediterranean.

In a video message for participants in the Med24 meeting in Tirana, Albania – the fourth edition of a meeting for young people organized by churches across the Mediterranean region – Pope Francis urged young Catholics to “learn how to read the signs of the times together.”

“Contemplate the diversity of your traditions as a richness, a richness desired by God,” he said in the message published by the Vatican Sept. 17. “Unity is not uniformity, and the diversity of our cultural and religious identities is a gift from God.”

The Sept. 15-21 meeting is intended to address issues affecting the Mediterranean region, such as humanitarian crises resulting from conflicts and the lack of work and educational opportunities for professional development. Fifty young people from 25 countries

photo/courtesy Archdiocese

Strengthening families was focus of diocesan pilgrimage to Doylestown shrine

BY ANGELICA CHICAIZA  Correspondent

More than 250 people from the Trenton Diocese who made a Sept. 14 family pilgrimage to the National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa in Doylestown, Pa., found an emphasis on family and the presence of Christ among people.

Mass in the shrine’s Crypt Church was celebrated by Father Alberto Tamayo, C.O., pastor of the Oratory Church of St. Anthony of Padua, Red Bank, who preached the homily in English and Spanish. A Eucharistic procession followed around the shrine grounds, as well as a picnic lunch and games, and a bilingual Rosary.

In his homily, Father Tamayo recalled St. Pope John Paul II’s historic 1972 visit to Poland as the Church’s new pope, for which some one million people turned out, chanting, “We want God!” –interpreted as an act of defiance by the

communist leaders of the Soviet Union.

“It was a spontaneous cry from the heart after years of oppression,” he said. “I tell you this story because even today this oppression and suppression of the Church has not ceased … we fight not against flesh and blood, but against powers and principalities. That is why we hate no one, we are at enmity with no one, and we love everyone.”

Father Alberto Tamayo, C.O., pastor of the Oratory Church of St. Anthony of Padua, Red Bank, preaches his homily at the Sept. 14 Mass in the Crypt Church of the Our Lady of Czestochowa shrine, Doylestown, Pa. John Batkowski photos

Orlando Zuniga of Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish, Lakewood, who made the pilgrimage with his three children, hoped those who participated learned that “that the most important thing is the presence of Jesus Christ, that He was present with us.”

Josue Arriola, director of the Trenton Diocesan Department of Evangeli-

zation and Family Life, emphasized the importance of strong families.

“What better way to bring families to a holy place where a mother … can help us get our family strong, so we can, with her, overcome temptations,” Arriola said. “It’s not the event itself but rather the journey, [when] pilgrims seek a union with Christ and with the family.”

Georgina Diaz, parishioner of Mother of Mercy Parish, Asbury Park, learned about the event from her ministry group “Mujeres de Fe” (Women of Faith). “The way we were welcomed was incredible,” she said. The day began with a concert, and “it helped us open our hearts to what would be happening.”

Our Lady of Czestochowa, often called the Black Madonna, is a famous icon at the Jasna Gora monastery in Czestochowa, Poland. Pauline Father Michael Zembrzuski established the shrine in Doylestown in 1955 in a barn chapel, with a faithful copy of the icon, blessed by St. John XXIII. When the current shrine was built on Beacon Hill in the 1960s, the barn was transported in its entirety to the current shrine cemetery.

Pilgrims join in a Eucharistic procession led by Father Tamayo following the Sept. 14 Mass at the Shrine.

The Power of Little Things

MARK RUSSONIELLO 

Special Contributor

On Oct. 1, the Church remembers and honors one of the greatest saints in her history – St. Therese of Lisieux. Why does the Church do so and why call her one of the greatest? St. Therese is a model for us today in our over-scheduled, hyper-busy family lifestyles. She calls us through her example to remember that it is the little things we do in life that often have the biggest impact. And she reminds us, too, of the power of prayer. Who is this wonderful woman that we honor in the month of October?

she never gave up, finally entering the Carmelite sisters at the age of 15!

I T H HOM E AT

Making Faith Come Alive for Your Family

Born in 1873, Therese had a tumultuous and brief life. Her mother died when she was only four years old. Deeply affected by her mother’s death, the once joyful and boisterous Therese became sullen and prone to angry outbursts. When her elder sister, Pauline (who became Therese’s surrogate mother), left only five years later to join the Carmelite sisters, Therese became extremely ill. She was subject to headaches, fevers, sleeplessness, hallucinations and episodes of deep depression. Little Therese believed she was being afflicted by the devil. Then one day, Therese turned her head to a statue of the Virgin near her bed and prayed for a cure. “Suddenly” Therese writes, “…Mary’s face radiated kindness and love.” Therese was cured. From then on, Therese was committed to joining her sister in the convent. Too young to join,

F E

CA SA

Haciendo que la fe se mantenga viva en tu familia EN

Here is where Therese’s story becomes worth paying attention to. Today, we so much want to be in control of our lives, sometimes micromanaging the tiniest details. We stress ourselves – and often our children – in the herculean effort of staying on track with our personal goals. Headstrong and committed from such an early age, Therese also knew what she wanted, but often faced challenges and struggles. When she entered the convent, her deepest desire was to become a missionary, bringing the Gospel of Jesus Christ to new places beyond her native France. Another serious illness –tuberculosis – weakened her body so much that she was unable to fulfill her wish. Instead, she learned that she must surrender completely to God’s will and accept that God had a very different plan for her. She dedicated her life to prayer for the missions and for the salvation of the world. In her humility, she declared: “At last I have found my vocation. In the heart of the Church, I will be Love!”

St. Therese dedicated the rest of her life (she died in 1907 at the age of 24) to her “Little Way”. Fueled and supported by prayer and the Eucharist, her every action was infused with love. Even when her fellow sisters criticized her for being lazy and uncooperative, she loved. When an elderly nun beat her, she loved. Even as she suffered from severe illness, she loved. St. Therese gave it all to God, allowing Jesus to work through her.  “I want to seek

Novena Prayer to St. Therese of Lisieux

O Little Therese of the Child Jesus, please pick for me a rose from the heavenly gardens and send it to me as a message of love.

O Little Flower of Jesus, ask God to grant the favors I now place with confidence in your hands. (mention your personal need in silence here)

St. Therese, help me to always believe as you did in God’s great love for me, so that I might imitate your “Little Way” each day. Amen

out a means of going to heaven by a little way, a way that is very straight, very short and totally new,” she once wrote.

In our busy and uncertain world, this lesson of doing little things with great love can be difficult. As parents, how do we teach our children to be confident without being boastful? Strong without being aggressive? We can teach them to follow the Little Way of St. Therese – and do everything with love.

Mark Russoniello is parish catechetical leader in St. Robert Bellarmine Co-Cathedral, Freehold.

Newly installed pastor pledges

for Princeton parish

BY EMMALEE ITALIA  Contributing Editor

The Installation Mass of a new pastor is always a joyful event that offers parishioners an opportunity to formally celebrate and express appreciation for their new shepherd, and vice versa.  On Sept. 22, the installation of Father Christopher Dayton as pastor of St. Paul Parish in Princeton more than lived up to that custom.

“Each Sunday, I look out during Mass,” Father Dayton said in his homily, “and I am reminded of our rich culture and diversity that gives our parish its uniqueness, and I thank God each and every day that this is where I serve his people … I promise to give of myself totally, to this parish and to each of you. … I promise to love and to care for each of you as a spiritual father and will do all I can with God’s help.”

Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., celebrated the Mass, which included Spanish and English music and readings, as well as intercessory prayers in multiple languages and a procession of ministry leaders.

“St. Paul Parish has always held a special place in my heart,” said Father Dayton, who recalled an Advent Mass there in 2016 when he and his classmates publicly committed their lives to the priesthood. “The question on any seminarian’s mind – where God would send me to serve — passed through my mind. Now, eight years later, I stand in a different place in St. Paul’s, and again I publicly commit my life to the priesthood,

to St. Paul’s and to the Diocese.”

Following Mass, the celebration continued with the annual multicultural Parish Fest, featuring a wide variety of foods from across the globe, prepared by parish volunteers. Representatives of more than 52 ministries were set up at tables to promote volunteer opportunities, and games and activities for young people filled the playground area of the adjacent St. Paul School.

SOLID BACKGROUND

Born in Long Branch to Chip and Melissa Dayton, Father Dayton grew up as the eldest of four boys and four girls, spending much of his childhood in Spring Lake’s St. Catharine-St. Margaret Parish. He credits both his family and the encouragement of the parish’s pastor, the late Msgr. Thomas Luebking, for his early active role in the Church, beginning as an altar server.

Graduating in 2006 from Christian Brothers Academy, Lincroft, he earned degrees in political science and economics in 2010 from Christendom College, Front Royal, Va. He prepared for the priesthood at St. Mary’s Seminary and University, Baltimore, graduating in 2018 with a bachelor’s degree in sacred theology and master of divinity degree. Bishop O’Connell ordained him to the priesthood June 2, 2018, at St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton.

In 2018, Father Dayton served his first priestly assignment as parochial vicar in St. Rose Parish, Belmar. He also ministered as chaplain in the parish’s schools before he was assigned in June 2023 as parochial vicar at St. Paul.

REJUVENATING THE PARISH FAMILY

Father Dayton spoke of the welcome that the parish of some 3,000 registered families has extended to him since he was assigned there.

Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., was principal celebrant of the Sept. 22 Mass of Installation of Father Christopher Dayton. John Batkowski photos

The new pastor, Father Dayton, extends his greetings to parishioners following his installation Mass.

Communing with Saints

Franciscan Father Pio Mandato blesses a woman during the St. Padre Pio healing service Aug. 1 in St. Pio Church, Lavallette. Courtesy photo

John Batkowski photo

A woman in a wheelchair has the opportunity to venerate a St. Pio relic in St. Ann Church, Keansburg. John Batkowski photo

Speaker Julia Calandra-Lineburg gives attendees details on the life of St. Padre Pio during a talk she gave in St. Ann Church, Keansburg. John Batkowski photo

A man touches a rosary to one of St. Pio’s relics during the event in St. Ann Church, Keansburg, making it into a third class relic. John Batkowski photo

A baby has the opportunity to touch one of the relics of St. Padre Pio of Pietrelcina as they are displayed in St. Ann Parish, Keansburg. John Batkowski photo

Continued opportunities to pray with saints’ relics offer consolation, hope to diocesan faithful

BY EMMALEE ITALIA 

Contributing Editor

While praying to the saints for their intercession and guidance is not a new phenomenon, the enthusiasm for praying with an earthly remnant of their holy presence seems to be growing throughout the Diocese.

As the relics of St. Pio of Pietrelcina – affectionately known as “Padre Pio” –have traveled to many Trenton Diocese parishes this summer at the invitation of Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., still others have added their communities to the list of hosting sites, providing further opportunities for Catholics to commune with these examples of devotion and Christian life.

FOLLOWING PADRE PIO

When parish pastors chose to host the relics of St. Padre Pio under the sponsorship of the Saint Pio Foundation, several parishes began responding enthusiastically through the summer months with Masses, talks and opportu-

nities for veneration. Five first- and second-class relics of the Italian saint have since visited the parishes of St. Anthony of Padua, Hightstown; St. Joseph, Toms River; St. Paul, Princeton; Our Lady of Guadalupe, Lakewood; St. Veronica, Howell; St. Ann, Keansburg, and Our Lady of Good Counsel, Moorestown.

“For many years, I have had a devotion to St. Pio – so when I heard that his relics would be available to the Diocese, I jumped on the opportunity to bring St. Pio’s to St. Ann’s in Keansburg,” said Father Richard Vila, pastor. On Sept. 7, the parish hosted a talk by Julia Calandra-Lineburg, acclaimed speaker on the life and spirituality of St. Pio and vice president of the National Center for Padre Pio, Inc.

“A number of people from around the Diocese contacted the parish regarding the exhibition,” said Father Vila of the response. “They were excited to attend and see the relics. One parishioner mentioned how this was a once in a lifetime opportunity to be in the presence of St. Pio.”

LEFT: The St. Pio relics are displayed on a table for veneration Sept. 7 in St. Ann Church, Keansburg, courtesy of the St. Pio Foundation, who brought the relics to the Diocese at Bishop O’Connell’s invitation. RIGHT: The relics of Polish saints Maximilian Kolbe, Maria Faustina Kowlaska and Pope John Paul II are displayed for veneration Aug. 18 in Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, Seaside Heights (see sidebar). John Batkowski photo

Faithful line up in Seaside Heights’ Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church Aug. 18 to venerate the relics of Polish saints Pope John Paul II, Maria Faustina Kowalska and Maximilian Kolbe. John Batkowski photo

CONTEMPORARY SAINTS OF POLAND

Complementing the presence of St. Pio’s relics has been the journey of relics of three Polish saints of the 20th century – St. Maria Faustina Kowalska, St. Maximilian Kolbe and St. Pope John Paul II. On Aug. 18, they were hosted by St. Junipero Serra Parish, with a Mass in the Seaside Heights worship site of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church.

“These three contemporary Polish saints entrusted their whole lives to the Immaculate Mother of God and provide for us the clear glimpse of the life of heaven,” said Conventual Franciscan Father Jobe Abbass, who accompanied the relics on their pilgrimage, and who served as homilist for the Mass.

As delegate for the Marian Apostolate of Our Lady of the Angels Province, over the course of four years Father Abbass is bringing the three saints’ relics to the 50 parishes and ministry sites of the Province to promote devotion to the Immaculate Mother of God.

Father Abbass presented a brief history of each of the three Polish saints, noting their particular relationship to the Blessed Mother.

“Throughout all of his life, Father Kolbe

Catechetical Sunday observances affirm gift, responsibility of those who teach the faith

BY CHRISTINA LESLIE and MARIA SHUFLAT  Correspondents

Parishes in the Diocese of Trenton recently joined their counterparts from across the country in showing their appreciation for the many women and men who have responded to the Church’s invitation to serve as teachers of the faith.

In observance of Catechetical Sunday, Sept. 14-15, parishes recognized those who serve in Catholic schools as well as parish religious education and ministry programs for children and adults. Many parishes in the Diocese held commissioning ceremonies for their catechists, offering prayers of thanksgiving for their volunteers as well as special blessings. Some parishes also hosted breakfasts or receptions after Mass, giving their communities an opportunity to greet the catechists in a social setting.

In the 2023-2024 school year, the number of students enrolled in religious education is more than 32,000 and the number of individuals serving in catechetical ministry is more than 2,100.

GIFT AND RESPONSIBILITY

“Catechists give so much of their time and energy, and that dedication is essential for our children’s spiritual growth,” Cindy Craft, parish catechetical leader in St. Pius X Parish, Forked River, said of the 34 catechists who received a special blessing of their hands from the pastor, Father Richard Basznianin.

“They aren’t just teaching doctrine; they’re guiding our children through a world that often tries to pull them away from their faith,” Craft said. “Catechists help provide the tools our young people need to stay grounded in Catholic values. It’s an incredible responsibility, but also an incredible gift they’re giving to the Church and to future generations.”

Diana Zuna, parish catechetical

leader in St. Mark Parish, Sea Girt, said catechists were recognized on Catechetical Sunday during two Masses, one in English and one in Spanish.

After the homily at each Mass, Divine Word Father Miguel Virella, pastor, invited all catechists to the sanctuary for a blessing, and the catechists pledged to

serve their parish community “with love, compassion and faith,” Zuna said. She noted that this year’s program has 40 catechists and 10 aides serving approximately 300 students.

“The time, dedication, and love they give selflessly to our program is crucial,

Divine Word Father Stephen Michael, pastor of Mother of Mercy Parish, Asbury Park, stands with the catechists following a commissioning ceremony on Catechetical Sunday. Facebook photo

Father Richard Basznianin, pastor of St. Pius X Parish, Forked River, blesses the hands of catechists on Catechetical Sunday, Sept. 15. Hundreds of women and men from around the Diocese were recognized during special commissioning ceremonies that day. Maria Shuflat photo

Princeton speaker series kicks off with Bishop on topic of St. Paul

BY EMMALEE ITALIA 

Contributing Editor

Addressing those gathered in the St. Paul Parish spiritual center Sept. 24, Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., talked about the Apostle Paul from a three-fold perspective: the man, his mission and his message.

“St. Paul the Apostle defines … much of what we have believed and taught for over 2,000 years,” he noted. “He is often considered the most important person in Christianity after the Lord Jesus himself.”

The Bishop gave his talk, “In the Footsteps of St. Paul,” as the first of a four-part speaker series launched by the Princeton parish.

 “[Paul] could not be shaken from his conviction of faith.”

“He could not be shaken from his conviction,” Bishop O’Connell pointed out. “St. Paul traveled over 10,000 miles preaching, teaching, baptizing and evangelizing, rallying communities and churches around the message of the Gospel.”

EXAMPLE OF EVANGELIZATION

Although not much is known about Paul’s early life, the Bishop explained, his own writings indicate that he was both a devout Jew and a Pharisee. He was also a tentmaker by trade and a Roman citizen.

St. Paul’s writings “constitute the major portion of the New Testament … 13 letters out of 27 books, as well as

17 chapters about him in Acts,” Bishop O’Connell emphasized. “It is through his letters that God reveals to us how to live … and how to engage the world around us with a confident faith.”

Paul’s mission, he said, was two-fold: pre-conversion, when his mission was the destruction of Christianity, and post-conversion.

“From the conversion forward, Paul’s life became a tireless heralding of the message of the Lord Jesus,” Bishop O’Connell said. “He set out with courage, facing all kinds of dangers, to witness to his faith in, as he calls him, ‘Christ Jesus’ … the post-Damascus Paul could not be shaken from his conviction of faith.”

The Bishop pointed to St. Paul’s three missionary journeys before his mission to Rome.

“He encountered several physical hardships … He was opposed by the Jews, by the Romans, even thrown in jail and stoned,” he said. “He also had spiritual and emotional issues, anxiety … but despite all these challenges along the way, Paul exhibited unwavering faith and perseverance.”

Catholics hear St. Paul’s message

St. Paul the Apostle, Bishop O’Connell says to those gathered in St. Paul Parish spiritual center, is probably best known for his New Testament letters written to both Gentiles and the Jews.

nearly every Sunday in the second Reading at Mass, he said, as these are mostly taken from Paul’s letters, either authored by him or by his closest associates.

“The message reflects … the centrality of the redemptive suffering and Cross of Christ; grace and salvation sustains all we do; unity and community; [and] mission, purpose and evangelization.”

SPARKING AN INTEREST

Those gathered followed the Bishop’s talk with interested questions about St. Paul’s life and message. One attendee asked what caused Paul to become such a huge persecutor of Christians.

“He was so deeply immersed in the Torah and Hebrew Scriptures and tradition that he never made any room whatsoever for the possibility that there could be anything else,” Bishop O’Connell responded. “Then he saw the vision of Christ, and everything changed.”

St. Paul parishioner and adult choir member Pat Callahan commented on how much she appreciated Bishop O’Connell’s presentation.

“I love history, and I really enjoyed his talk from the historical as well as the spiritual perspective,” she said. “[Paul] was so bent on torturing Christians, God really had to show him, to say something to make a difference.”

“He’s a teacher at heart,” said Father Christopher Dayton, St. Paul’s pastor, of the Bishop. “One of the biggest roles of being a bishop is to teach, and seeing him in action is, as a priest, always something really profound for me.”

Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., speaks on the Apostle Paul Sept 24 for the St. Paul Parish speaker series launch. EmmaLee Italia photos

Father Schwartz marks silver jubilee of priesthood with Mass

Bishop O’Connell addresses the congregation during which he extended his congratulations to Father Schwartz and appreciation for his ministry to Sacred Heart Parish.

FATHER DAYTON

Continued from 73

“I’ve always been so grateful for the kindness of parishioners who have offered me a kind word after Mass or invited me to their homes for dinner,” he said. “The parish community has always impressed me with everyone’s commitment to the parish and the school. There is a very true love of volunteering in St. Paul’s. I’m so impressed with the joy in service … and it challenges me to do the same in my ministry.”

Father Dayton also expressed gratitude to Bishop O’Connell “for his trust in placing me in this assignment,” adding, “I couldn’t accomplish anything here at St. Paul without the help of the amazing deacons, staff and volunteers. They are the rock of the parish, and the people of the parish truly know and love each of the clergy, staff

Charles

Joined by Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., his brother priests, family members and parishioners of Sacred Heart Parish, Riverton, Father Charles Schwartz celebrated a Mass of Thanksgiving marking his silver jubilee as a priest.

The Mass was held Sept. 20 in Sacred Heart Church, where Father Schwartz serves as pastor. Father Schwartz was principal celebrant of the Mass and

and volunteers who make St. Paul what it is.”

RIGHT AT HOME

Members of the St. Paul community shared their joy in the installation of Father Dayton and the impact he has had on the parish already.

“He genuinely cares about the people and the parish,” said Ernie Andreoli, director of music ministry.

“He likes to get things done, but without too much pressure. We are moving forward because Father Chris has a plan.”

Laura Sarubbi, newly appointed pastoral associate for family life, noted that “Father Chris has focused on the Eucharist and Sacraments while revitalizing the importance of community and family life in the parish. Our parish has come back to life with a profound respect for tradition, yet understanding the need for new initiatives that support today’s families.”

CATECHETICAL SUNDAY

Continued from 76

homilist. Bishop O’Connell presided and nearly 20 priests from the Diocese concelebrated.

Father Schwartz was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Trenton in 1999.

A feature story on Father Schwartz’s silver jubilee was published in The Monitor Magazine’s Religious Anniversary issue in July. Scan the QR code to read the story.

because they are truly witnesses of faith. They are the connectors to our Catholic faith; they lead our children and families in a journey to grow more in their faith, and most importantly, (they grow in) their relationship with God,” Zuna said.

WITNESSES OF FAITH

Though Christina Brown had taught Vacation Bible School in St. Pius X Parish, this year marks the first time she is serving as a catechist, working with second graders – including her daughter – preparing for their First Communion.

Not only did Brown want to be part of her daughter’s journey, she explained, “I also felt a call to share my faith with other children. It’s a blessing to help guide them on their journey.”

She added that what she looks

forward to most is seeing children grow in their faith. “Teaching them about the love of Jesus and the beauty of our Sacraments is so fulfilling,” she said.

At one time, Charlene Brown said that being a catechist was something she thought she would never do. But she shared that while spending time in prayer several years ago she felt a “strong call that Jesus and the Blessed Mother wanted me to teach.”

“I couldn’t ignore that,” said Charlene Brown, who is now in her third year as a catechist in St. Pius X Parish. “Even though I wasn’t sure at first, it’s been an amazing experience.”

Craft offers encouragement to anyone who may be considering becoming a catechist. “It’s one of the most rewarding ministries they can take on,” she said.

“If someone feels called, I’d encourage them to take that leap.”

Father

Schwartz celebrates a Mass of Thanksgiving for his 25th anniversary of priestly ordination Sept. 20 in Sacred Heart Church, Riverton. Mike Ehrmann photos

The festival included outdoor activities which were a hit with the children.

Hightstown parish opens 140th anniversary year with festival, Mass

BY MARY STADNYK  Associate Editor

St. Anthony of Padua Parish, Hightstown, used a special Mass and its annual multiethnic festival to open its 140th anniversary observance.

The annual festival, held this year Sept. 7, includes food, traditional music and dancing, and activities for all ages. The parish includes a mix of ethnic populations, including from Eastern Europe, the Philippines, Africa and various Spanish-speaking countries.

“The festival is a time that brings everyone together as one family, and this year we thought there would be no better way to open our 140th year,” said Father Oscar Sumanga, pastor, noting that the parish has about 2,500 parishioners. He said the parish is planning a year of events, culminating with a Mass of Thanksgiving June 14 with Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., presiding.

the closing of the church in 1890 and, two years later, it was reopened under the care of the Conventual Franciscan Friars of Trenton, who served the faithful of the Hightstown-Cranbury area during the 1890s and into the new century.

In 1906, Bishop James A. McFaul assigned Father John B. McCloskey as resident pastor, and he was succeeded two years later by Father John B. Conway, who, in 1912, built a rectory. Succeeding pastors included Father Edward Whalen, 1918-1929; Father Aloysius D. McCue, 19291930; Father (later Msgr.) Francis J. Sullivan, 1930-1934; and Father William Quinn, 1934-1941.

“There’s such a spirit among the community,” Father Sumanga said.

St. Anthony of Padua Parish was incorporated Feb. 19, 1885, by Bishop Michael J. O’Farrell, first bishop of Trenton, who appointed Father Bartholomew W. Carey as the first resident pastor. Before that, the spiritual needs of the Catholics of the Hightstown area were cared for on an irregular schedule by visiting priests.

Early in 1886, work began on the construction of a frame church, and the cornerstone was laid by Father Anthony Smith, rector of St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton, and diocesan vicar general. Financial difficulties forced

During Father Louis F. Cogan’s 25-year pastorate from 1941 to 1966, new facilities were added to the church, and a catechetical center was established under the care of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy, and later of the Our Lady of Victory Missionary Sisters of Huntington, Ind. The center served a large area of Monmouth County in addition to the Hightstown area and functioned until 1966. A year later, the building was razed to make way for the new St. Anthony Church.

Under Father William J. Haughney’s pastorate, plans were made to build a new larger church to accommodate the growing parish. Ground was broken Aug. 11, 1968, and work began on the new church and classroom and meeting room facilities for the parish hall. Bishop George W. Ahr officiated at the March 8, 1970, dedication of the church and catechetical center. Succeeding pastors who served St. Anthony of Padua included Father John H. McDonald; Father Francis E. Santitoro; Father Patrick Castles, Father Patrick McDonnell, and currently, Father Sumanga.

Filipino parishioners present a traditional dance during the festival.

Parishioners of various ethnicities participate in the Sept. 7 Vigil Mass during which St. Anthony of Padua Parish inaugurated its 140th anniversary. Mary Stadnyk photos

In Memoriam

SISTER LESLIE BIRKS, FORMER EDUCATOR IN LINCROFT AND HAMILTON SCHOOLS

Funeral services were held Sept. 16 in Assisi House, Aston, Pa., for Franciscan Sister Leslie Birks who died Sept. 10 at age 83.

The former Sister Mildred Mary had been a professed member of the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia for 62 years. She was born in Trenton and graduated from Cathedral High School. She entered the congregation in 1959 and professed her first vows in 1962.  She earned a bachelor of arts degree in English from Neumann University (then Our Lady of Angels College), Aston, and a master of arts in science education from West Chester University, West Chester, Pa.

Ministering primarily in elementary education and social services, Sister Leslie served for 21 years in the Diocese of Trenton where she taught at St. Leo the Great School, Lincroft, and Holy Angels School, St. Anthony Grade School and McCorristin Catholic High School, all in Hamilton. Additionally, she taught for five years in the Harrisburg diocese.

In the mid-1980s Sister Leslie switched focus to social work and served for five years in the Archdiocese of Boston and for 34 years, she served those who were poor and homeless in Philadelphia. She moved to Assisi House, the congregation’s retirement community, in 2024, where she served in prayer and hospitality ministry until her death.

Internment of Ashes was in Our Lady of Angels Cemetery in Aston.

Sister Leslie is survived by her brother, her cousins and her Franciscan family.

Memorial donations can be made to the Sisters of St. Francis Foundation, 609 S. Convent Rd., Aston, PA 19014.

Continued on 82

OBITUARY INFORMATION



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JANIS BELL, FORMER CHANCERY STAFFER, DEATH ANNOUNCED

Janis W. Bell, former coordinator of the Ministry for Maturing Adults in the diocesan Department of Evangelization and Family Life, died Sept. 19.

A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated Sept. 27 in St. Denis Church, Manasquan.

Mrs. Bell held a degree in elementary education which she received from Elmira College, Elmira, N.Y., in 1964. She also held a master of arts degree in education from Rutgers University, New Brunswick. She had been a longtime advocate for persons with disabilities in addition to her work with the Diocese.

Over the years, Mrs. Bell lived in Wall Township, Jackson and Greensboro, N.C. She is survived by four children: Kristin (and

her husband Patrick) DiDomenico; Lauren (and her husband Charles) Meyer; Craig (and his wife Kate Howard Bell), and Ryan, and seven grandchildren.

Memorial donations may be made to Family Resource Associates at frainc.org.

JOHN RICK, FORMER DIOCESAN STAFFER

Funeral services were held Sept. 25 in Saul Colonial Home, Hamilton Square, for John “Jack” Rick, Jr., who died Sept. 21 in Serenity Hospice Unit of Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, Hamilton. He was 87.

A lifelong resident of the Trenton area, Mr. Rick graduated from the Trenton Catholic Boys High School, Class of 1954. He earned a bachelor’s degree in commerce from Rider College (now University),

Lawrenceville, in 1966, and worked as an accountant for the State of New Jersey and the Diocese of Trenton. The majority of his career was spent at Mercer County Community College, from where he retired in 2001. He also had his own accounting practice serving many local small businesses.

Mr. Rick is survived by his wife of 66 years, Patricia Reeves Rick; two children as well as several grandchildren and great grandchildren; two sisters, as well as nieces, nephews and loved ones.

Cremation service was to be held privately.

Memorial donations may be made to Mount Carmel Guild at https://mtcarmelguild.org/donate.

FATHER FRAMBES

Continued from 40 this place that doubts he sees Christ now face to face.”

MANY MEMORIES

Franciscan Brother Jose Rodriguez, a representative of Our Lady of Guadalupe Province; Rose Valentine, a representative of the LBI Jewish Community Center, and scores of parishioners were among those who warmly remembered Father Frambes.

Tears welled in Skip Carey’s eyes as he shared that Father Frambes had heard his Confession just days before he died.

“His words of wisdom will be with me forever,” said Carey, a parishioner since 1986 and daily Mass goer. “I can’t thank him enough for that day. He’s been here for all of us.”

When thinking of the impact that Father Frambes had on the parish community, Deacon Bob Cunningham said the word “beloved” comes to mind.

“He cared a lot for everyone. He was a man of peace,” Deacon Cunningham said.

“He was in his happy place when God called him home,” he continued. “And now Father John is in even a happier place.”

Father Frambes was predeceased by his parents, Horace and Mary Frambes. He is survived by a brother, William Frambes, two aunts and his cousins.

Burial was in Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Totowa. Memorial donations may be made to St. Francis of Assisi Parish, 4700 Long Beach Blvd., Long Beach Island, NJ 08008.

HELENE

Continued from 24 through,” Fishleigh added. “Carloads of people have been coming in saying, ‘I’m going to Asheville, what can you give me,’ ‘I’m going to Swannanoa, what can you give me.’ Everything that gets donated here, we’re dispersing.”

Bishop Martin unloaded supplies into the school gym and moved furniture into hallways to make space for more. He encouraged the volunteers – calling them “rock stars” – and he spoke to residents in the car line, praying over them and asking how they were holding up.

“It’s a beautiful thing to see people from Charlotte come and roll up their sleeves,” Beale said, adding that everyone there at Immaculata was extremely grateful for the outpouring of support.

“I’m very happy to get this water,” said Mickey Mahaffey, who had driven to Immaculata to pick up bottled water for his family. His house has water, but they’ve been advised not to drink it. “One of things I’ve been most impressed about is all of the volunteer help, plus the government has been on the spot. They have sent so much help to us,” he said.

Hendersonville resident Toni Wickersham was also at Immaculata this morning to get a few supplies. She and her elderly mother have running water at their house, but no electricity. Despite the ongoing tragedy, Wickersham said she’s seen some good coming out of it all.

“Actually, it’s been heartwarming to see the whole community coming together. You see volunteer efforts like this. You see people grilling food out so it doesn’t spoil. You see neighbors cutting and clearing trees for each other,” she said. “Even though we’ve had this terrible

flood, it’s been good to see the local community coming together.”

“That’s the beauty of the Church,” Bishop Martin said. People “love the Lord and they love each other, and they want to build the kingdom.”

The Catholic News Herald is the newspaper of the Diocese of Charlotte. Christina Lee Knauss, Amelia Kudela and Liz Chandler co-wrote this story. Jay Siltzer contributed to this story.

ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY

Continued from 25

those who have been forced to flee their homes and seek refuge elsewhere.

“I am with you, the mothers who weep while looking at your dead or wounded children, like Mary at the sight of Jesus; with you, the children of the great lands of the Middle East, where the intrigues of those in power deprive you of your right to play,” he wrote.

Pope Francis lamented that “despite all the talk of plans and strategies, there is little concern for those who suffer the devastation of war, which the powerful impose on others.”

However, he warned, the powerful who impose such wars on others “will be subject to the inflexible judgment of God.”

The Pope thanked all the people around the world who have been assisting those in need in the Middle East, and he thanked the region’s bishops and priests, “who bring God’s consolation to those who feel alone and abandoned. Please look to the holy people you are called to serve and let your hearts be touched, putting aside, for the sake of your flock, all division and ambition.”

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penitential liturgy will conclude a two-day retreat for synod delegates.

Last year’s synod meeting was preceded by a special ecumenical prayer vigil in St. Peter’s Square that brought together leaders of other Christian denominations, including Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew I of the Eastern Orthodox Church and Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby. An ecumenical prayer service has been planned this year for the evening of Oct. 11, the 62nd anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council.



4. The structure of the second synod meeting is expected to mirror the first meeting, with delegates sitting at round tables, listening to presentations and participating in “conversations in the spirit,” an approach to listening to the Holy Spirit and each other that includes periods of silence and an opportunity for everyone to share and respond.



5. Widely controversial topics – such as women’s ordination to the diaconate, married clergy and ministry to people who identify as LGBT – have moved from the synod’s roundtable discussions to special theological study groups. With these study groups doing the heavy lifting on these topics, synod

participants are expected to focus more on the meaning and experience of synodality itself. However, delegates expect to receive a progress report from the study groups, and they are expected to submit final reports on their work in June.

One topic that is expected to be discussed – formally or informally –is the December issuing of “Fiducia Supplicans,” a pastoral instruction issued by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith that outlined the “possibility of blessing couples in irregular situations and same-sex couples without officially validating their status or changing in any way the Church’s perennial teaching on marriage.” The document was met with controversy worldwide, both

for its content and its promulgation, with some critics suggesting that the mode for crafting the document did not include proper consultation, or that bishops were underprepared for its publication. Bishops in Africa and elsewhere formally rejected the pastoral guidance offered in the document, and, while the document was not tied to the synod, some African leaders told OSV News that they felt “Fiducia” tainted the synod process.

 6. Of the 368 voting delegates – 272 bishops and 96 non-bishops – the vast majority are returning from the first meeting. The U.S. will have the same 18 delegates with the exception of Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New

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York, whose seat has been assumed by Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore. Archbishop Lori was among the bishops initially chosen to attend both synod meetings, but he was unable to attend last year.

 7. For many, “synodality” continues to be a difficult-to-define concept. The synthesis report acknowledged this challenge, noting that “the terms ‘synodal’ and ‘synodality’ require a more accurate clarification of their levels of meaning in different cultures.” The document also explained synodality this way: “In its broadest sense, synodality can be understood as Christians walking in communion with Christ toward the Kingdom along with the whole of humanity. Its orientation is towards mission, and its practice involves gathering in assembly at each level of ecclesial life. It involves reciprocal listening, dialogue, community discernment, and creation of consensus as an expression that renders Christ present in the Holy Spirit, each taking decisions in accordance with their responsibilities.”

Last year’s synthesis report also stated that the assembly members agree, by and large, “that, with the necessary clarifications, synodality represents the future of the Church.”

– Maria Wiering is senior writer for OSV News.

PADRE PIO RELICS

Continued from 75

He pointed out that being able to pray with saints in this special way helps us to learn from them. “They remind us to love God above all things,” Father Vila said, “to keep him first in our lives, to maintain our gaze on him so that our hearts will not be divided between him and the world.”

NIGHT OF HEALING

St. Pio of Pietrelcina Parish, Lavallette, has long known the power of the saint’s intercession, hosting an annual healing service Aug. 1 – near St. Pio’s ordination date – with Franciscan Father Pio Mandato as its guest, who brings with him one of the gloves worn by the saint.

The evening begins with Confessions, with people lining up for hours beforehand; a teaching by Father Mandato follows, as well as Eucharistic Adoration and an opportunity for those attending to be touched with St. Pio’s glove as Father Mandato prays for them.

Coordinator Dawn Russinko calls the event “truly life-changing.”

“Over the years it has grown to be truly reflective of transformation in such a powerful way that people come from all over to experience it,” she said.

Father Mandato was born in Italy, and along with his brother Vincenzo, received his First Holy Communion from St. Pio before coming to the U.S. Growing up in New Jersey and entering the Capuchin Franciscans at the age of 17, Father Mandato was ordained in 1985. Since 1998 he has served the Diocese of Scranton, Pa., and now lives a life of solitude, prayer and intercession. He is also chaplain to the Capuchin Sisters of Nazareth and at times is engaged in the preaching apostolate.

“We have so many people return to us telling us their stories of conversion, entering the seminary, and being healed that we continue this blessed tradition every summer,” Russinko continued. “It is a blessing to be able to offer this type of service ... We live in such dark and difficult times that people need hope and a resurgence of faith to live a satisfying holy life

that will positively affect others.”

Mother of Mercy Parish, Asbury Park, will host the relics of St. Padre Pio Oct. 11 from 9 a.m. to noon; Oct. 12 from 4 to 9 p.m., and Oct. 13 from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, Asbury Park.

POLISH RELICS

Continued from 75

had devoted himself to the Immaculate Heart of God entrusting himself to the hands of Mary,” he said of St. Maximilian Kolbe, who offered his life in a Nazi concentration camp in place of a fellow prisoner. “That is, to the furthest extreme, showing love for neighbor.”

St. Faustina, he noted, although most famous for revelations of God’s Divine Mercy and witnessing apparitions of Jesus, “has in her diary 22 visions of, or conversations with, the Blessed Mother … Faustina is speaking to Jesus, saying, ‘I have trouble in one area of my spiritual life.’ And Jesus says, ‘My dear, if you’re having trouble in that area, why don’t you go to my mother?’”

St. John Paul II took as his motto “Totus Tuus” or “All Yours,” referring to the Blessed Mother,

with a stylized M on his coat of arms. Having lost his own mother at a young age, Father Abbass said, he became very attached to Mary.

“Like most Poles, John Paul II had a filial devotion to Our Lady of Czestochowa,” he explained. “And in his first visit to the shrine, Pope John Paul II invoked St. Maximilian when he said, ‘As she, Mary, won the good St. Maximilian, so shall she win in you, the reverence of Poland.’ And of course, this would strengthen the nation’s quest for freedom from communism, and their ultimate triumph with Mary’s help.

“Showcasing the relics of these saints helps us to draw closer to and imitate the enduring example of their lives leading to Christ,” Father Abbass noted.

SCRIPTURE SEARCH

Gospel for October 13, 2024  Mark 10: 17-30

Following is a word search based on the Gospel reading for the 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B: the difficulty for the young rich man. The words can be found in all directions in the puzzle. KNELT JESUS

TEST YOUR CATHOLIC KNOWLEDGE

12 Prayer ender

3 He cured Naaman of leprosy

9 “___ Dimittis”

10 Job owned five hundred yoke of these

11 It’s during Holy Week

14 “An ___ of youth flying the standards of truth…”

16 Number of Beatitudes

17 “___ of heaven and earth”

18 Second book of the Bible

Answers on back cover.

20 Jacob’s dream

22 Like Teresa of Avila or John of the Cross

24 Catholic star of “Samson and Delilah”

26 It may be actual or sanctifying

27 Catholic actor of “Gone with the Wind” fame

30 He blamed the Christians for burning Rome

32 “He is seated at the right ___ of the Father”

34 Catholic Chemist and inventor

35 He is in Jesus’ genealogy in Luke

36 Friday in Lent no-no food

37 Title for a Dominican, for example

1 Father-in-law of Caiaphas

2 How many times each day the soldiers of Joshua marched around Jericho

4 Epistle

5 David used this to kill Goliath

6 David and Bathsheba were guilty of this

7 Il Osservatore ___

8 “…but do not perceive the wooden ___ in your own eye?” (Mt 7:3)

13 Adam and Eve were afraid because they were this

15 “…mean ___ and your ‘No’…” (Jas 5:12)

17 Paul was shipwrecked here

19 Esau, to Joseph

21 Explanation or interpretation of Scripture

23 “Lord, ___ us to pray” (Lk 11:1)

24 Adam was the first

25 Book written by St. Thomas More

26 There are stories about this saint and a dragon

28 Make the sign of the cross

29 Saintly convert executed in Auschwitz

31 “…___ this day be at my side…”

33 Son of Adam

SIGN OF HOPE

Continued from 70

were scheduled to participate in the meeting and discuss issues with bishops from the region.

The theme for the meeting draws from the motto of the Holy Year 2025: “Pilgrims of Hope. Builders of Peace.”

Pope Francis asked the young participants to “put the voice of those who are not heard at the center,” namely the poor who are “considered a burden” and migrants.

Such issues “are not about numbers, but people, and every person is sacred; it is about faces, whose dignity must be promoted and protected,” he said.

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“Let us give up the culture of fear to open the door of welcome and friendship,” he told them.

The pope also asked the young people to be

inspired by the example of Blessed Maria Tuci, an Albanian martyr who died in 1950 at the age of 22 after being imprisoned and tortured by Albania’s communist regime.

“Guard the spirit of service in all circumstances, take care of every creature entrusted to your hands,” he said. “Know how to walk in the footsteps of your martyrs; their courage is a living testimony that can inspire your commitment to resist all the violence that disfigures humanity.”

By Justin McLellan, Catholic News Service

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