The Monitor Magazine April 2021: The Promise of Easter

MONITOR

THE

Official publication of The Diocese of Trenton

Vol. 2 • No. 7 • APRIL 2021

MAGAZINE

The Promise of Easter “The Holy Women at the Tomb”: Jesus, like a seed buried in the ground, was about to make new life blossom in the world; and these women, by prayer and love, were helping to make that hope flower. How many people, in these sad days, have done and are still doing what those women did, sowing seeds of hope! With small gestures of care, affection and prayer. – Pope Francis “Easter and this wondrous season of new life all around us are a time of peace and promise.” – 2021 Easter message of Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M. … page 5

 INSIDE… IN FOCUS: Keeping hope front, center before Easter and beyond EL ANZUELO: Pascua y vida nueva; Caridades Católicas y el COVID-19; Feria de salud

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A1 THE MONITOR MAGAZINE  April 2021

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nning of the pandemic, The Monitor has been there to share the ocese standing steadfast in faith and service.

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ON THE COVER “The Holy Women at the Tomb” is a work of 19th century French painter William-Adolphe Bouguereau. Pope Francis spoke of the women in his message for the Easter Vigil in 2020. Wikimedia Commons image

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33

Contents 7-10  In Focus

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With Easter season of hope comes innovation, positive outlook for future

13  Issues & Advocacy Collaboration key as CCDOT, parishes joining COVID-19 vaccination effort

15  Diocese Good Counsel Homes gets ready to celebrate 10 years of caring for mothers in need

22-25  El Anzuelo Vida nueva esta Pascua; Feria de Salud en El Centro; Igualando alcance para luchar en contra COVID-19

30  Young Catholics Visualize St. Joseph as a man, father and his own person, retreat leaders advise

33  People ‘Prayer without ceasing’ helps 105-year-old woman through COVID-19

REGULAR FEATURES 12  Viewpoints 17  Pope Francis 20-21  World & Nation 26-28  Insight from Fathers Koch & Doyle April 2021  THE MONITOR MAGAZINE 3

Reader’s Corner

It’s all in the perspective

I

n the course of producing a diocesan publication for many years, our team here at The Monitor has had to look through dozens of images to select our annual Easter cover. Often a depiction of sacred art secured by Catholic News Service or its partners, the images have all been unique in some fashion. But mostly, they focus on the person of the Resurrected Christ.

 “We, too, are eager to experience this new life in Christ.”

The image that we selected this year offers a different perspective. The focus is on the women at the tomb who are discovering, to their wonderment, that Christ has risen from the dead.

The angels attest to it and we can see in the faces that are shown that they are

A message from

RAYANNE BENNETT Associate Publisher

witnessing something unfathomable and monumental The artist, 19th century French painter William-Adolphe Bouguereau, draws us into this moment with the women when the world was changed and the promises of Jesus were kept.

Last year, at the beginning of the pandemic, Pope Francis chose to speak about the women at the tomb in his message for the Easter Vigil. The Holy Father observed that it was the women who help along the promise of Easter by “sowing seeds of hope . . . with small gestures of care, affection and prayer.”

The timing of his words is significant. In March 2020, a period of fear and isolation for so many, we might have related particularly well to those women, called upon to find the light in the darkness and share the promise of Easter in their words and actions, in

their prayer and love.

The people of this Diocese have made great strides from last Easter to this one . . . and this issue of The Monitor Magazine tells some of their stories. A number of parishes, in finding creative ways to connect with their isolated people, have blossomed with new life and energy; agencies have looked to solve problems and bring hope to those in need; individuals offer personal stories of strength in the face of adversity and faith as a response to fear. We invite you to read about them and consider how you have done similar things in your own lives, among your own families.

We might all be able to relate to what those women were seeing and feeling on that first Easter. We, too, are eager to experience this new life in Christ and to give witness to the irrefutable truth that by his Death and Resurrection, Christ has redeemed the world!

BREAKING NEWS Visit TrentonMonitor.com for updates on these news stories: C olorado shooting leaves at least 10 dead U .S. bishops decry violence as attacks on Asians increase N .J. Catholic Conference on The Equality Act

By Christ’s Victory over Death we have been given the promise of new life.

May we hold that promise close to our hearts this Easter season.

HAPPY EASTER From Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., and all your friends at The Monitor.

4 THE MONITOR MAGAZINE  April 2021

U pdates on the effort to establish an independent Catholic school after the closure of Trenton Catholic Academy, Hamilton

From the Bishop

Easter 2021:

‘Behold, I make all things new’

(Revelation 21:5)

A Message from

BISHOP DAVID M. O’CONNELL, C.M.

T

The Resurrection (La Résurrection), 1886-1894 by James Tissot (French, 1836-1902).

Brooklyn Museum image

he three days before Easter Sunday are, indeed, instructive. They speak of commitment to something great, of sharing our very selves with one another, of the sacrifice that comes with love, of the precious yet limited time we have on this earth, of the hope that beyond this life, there is even more, even better – in fact, an eternity of joy for those who have faith in God and live their lives in love!

These are good lessons. These are all part of the Easter message for those of us who believe in the Life, Death and Resurrection of the Lord Jesus  “The past Christ – and they year has not are comforting for all people of good been easy.” will, no matter what their faith traditions may be.

Easter and this wondrous season of new life all around us are a time of peace and promise.

The past year has not been easy, to say the very least. That is true because of the pandemic and the economy but those are not the only reasons. Within society at large – while some wonderful things have occurred through the heroism and generosity of many – there have been some tensions, some hurts, some racism, some distrust, some divisions, and some incivility anything but the peace or promise of Easter.

The great thing about the cycle of life and the change of seasons is that we can Continued on 6

April 2021  THE MONITOR MAGAZINE 5

From the Bishop

Breathing deep this Easter Continued from 5

look always forward to the next thing in our lives, hopefully wiser and more caring than in the cycle and season that went before.

We have a few days now during Holy Week and Easter to take a deep breath, to pause and reflect on what is really important, to pray and grow closer to God, to embrace those we love in the ways that only such holy days provide,

to place the hurts we have felt or still feel in the wounded hands and feet and side of the Lord who was nailed to a cross in these very days, to die to ourselves and our own selfishness and pride only to rise to a new and different life in which those things are left behind. Take the time, make the time to do all these things as life is renewed all around us!

Easter is a special time for Christians, for everyone really. While Holy Thurs-

day and Good Friday – and the sacrificial events they commemorate – always come first, there is now and always will follow the sunrise of Easter and the peace and promise of eternal life.

“Behold, I make all things new,” Jesus said. In faith, let us let HIM do so. “For, behold,” he reminds us, “I am with you all days, even until the end of time” (Matthew 28:20).

Happy Easter to you all!

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Holy Thursday Mass of the Lord’s Supper April 1 • 7pm

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“Easter is meant to be a symbol of hope, renewal and new life.”

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di Giovanni

This Easter season, support Catholic Charities, Diocese of Trenton at

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Holy Week ~ Easter

In Focus

Year of Growth

Enhanced technology, new ideas pave way for fruitful Lent, Easter

BY CHRISTINA LESLIE  Correspondent

W

hat a difference a year makes.

While 2020 brought the temporary closing of churches and an abrupt change in how the Lenten and Easter seasons would be celebrated across the Diocese – and indeed, the world – this year’s Holy Season brings in-person Masses and fresh livestream capabilities.

“Like last year, we are livestreaming

the Triduum and an Easter Sunday Mass to ensure that everyone is able to participate in this holiest time of year in whatever way they are able,” said Jennifer Schlameuss of St. Robert Bellarmine Co-Cathedral.

“Last year, it was just staff present, but this year we will be able to welcome in person about 300 people comfortably and with proper social distancing because we have a large worship space,” she said.

The Freehold parish, its pastoral associate explained, began its robust

 “This year, we will be able to welcome in person ...” livestreaming schedule the Monday following the cessation of all public Masses in March 2020. It now regularly livestreams three daily Masses and one Sunday Mass; special liturgies; Stations of the Cross; ecumenical and interfaith programs; worship services, and a

Continued on 8

Parking lot Masses draw more than 200 cars each week to St. Mary Church, Middletown. With more than 500 families in attendance at Christmas, the parish is gearing up for an increased turnout during Holy Week and Easter.

Photo courtesy of Hank Pekarsky

April 2021  THE MONITOR MAGAZINE 7

Holy Week ~

In Focus

Virtual connections build bridges Continued from 7

monthly St. Joseph’s series. Auditing the parish’s Facebook page enables staff to include people mentioned in the general intercessions and respond to any parishioner feedback.

“It’s been a lifeline and tether for those who have otherwise felt very alone and distant from the Church,” Schlameuss said. “We have made it a priority to try and keep those who are not ready to venture out still feel connected with their community as much as possible.”

FAITHFUL SUPPORTERS

Grateful parishioners were also keys to success in St. Francis of Assisi Parish, Brant Beach, which unveiled its new livestreaming capabilities at the beginning of March.

“I was fortunate St. Francis of Assisi Parish, Brant Beach, launched new multi-angle, enough that my high-quality livestream capabilities in early March – just in time predecessor … had for Holy Week and Easter. Facebook photo the insight, creativity and knowledge to  “We now have three begin livestreaming our now have three cameras in the church Sunday Masses, including last year’s Tricameras in the church and a portable camera to livestream duum, all from his iPhone,” Franciscan other celebrations and events. We have Father Francis DiSpigno, pastor, wrote and a portable camera ...” come a long way since Father Jim started in a recent message to parishioners. this all with his iPhone. … Thank you, “If COVID-19 has any silver lining, A clear indication of the technology’s it is that we were forced to reimage how Jim, for setting those wheels in motion, importance was the result of a recent and thank you to our wonderful donors we connect with one another and how request for funding to purchase new for making it happen.” we can be brother and sister to others in video equipment. Parishioners donated a new way,” he said.

OUTDOOR ACCOMMODATIONS nearly four times the amount requested When it was announced in mid“because people have valued our efforts If trends continue to hold steady in 2020 that the parish’s former pastor, so much,” she said.

St. Mary Parish, Middletown, this Holy Franciscan Father James Scullion, would Week and Easter will see the faithful be reassigned by his attending parking lot Masses by the order to Virginia, he hundreds. made it known to the The parish embraced outdoor faith community that Masses as soon as possible last year, he did not want any with numbers growing from an average farewell gifts. Rather he 200-220 cars each Sunday noon Mass asked that any donato about 540 families for the Christmas tions be made to help liturgy. the parish purchase Speakers mounted on poles and a cameras in order to simulcast over an unused FM radio upgrade livestream band assure all can hear the prayers capabilities. and Readings. Ushers and local police “The response was Msgr. Sam Sirianni and pastoral associate Jennifer Schlameuss officers direct traffic into the lot, the wonderful,” Father host a weekly update from St. Robert Bellarmine Co-Cathedral, Eucharist is distributed car to car with DiSpigno wrote. “We Freehold. Understanding the importance of technology, parishioners helped finance new video equipment. Facebook photo

8 THE MONITOR MAGAZINE  April 2021

Easter

minimal contact, and parishioners respond to the Sign of Peace with flashing headlights or friendly car horns.

“People are coming from all over – Pennsylvania, New York, North and South Jersey – to attend the weekly Mass,” pastor Father Jeffrey Kegley said.

“The priests are energized. This is something special,” said Hank Pekarsky, parish business manager, adding that there is an open-air stage in the church’s sprawling parking lot.

“No matter the weather, they are out there. Once, in the rain, Father Jeff asked for a few people to step outside their cars and shelter the extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion with umbrellas, and, instantly, about 20 did,” he said.

At St. Leo the Great Parish, Lincroft, weekly bulletins include reflections or images on the Camino de Santiago for those following the Spanish pilgrimage journey locally. Photo

phrase “The Way to Renewal, Communion and Joy.” All were requested to pray the Rosary or a favorite devotion while walking each day, with distance being tracked by apps or other personal devices. The pilgrims’ virtual passport would be stamped with the locations they reached along the route.

Russoniello reports that rough “This is ly three dozen are walking either something individually or in pandemic-inspired pods. He includes weekly reflections special.” in the parish bulletin, as well as scriptural verses from the Letter of James and Camino photos to motivate the Lincroft pilgrims. A group of women meet weekly at the parish to walk its perimeter and pray the Rosary, he said.

“These apps really give you a sense of being on the Camino route; it’s outside the box, and wearing the T-shirts is subtle evangelization,” Russoniello said.

from

courtesy of Mark Russoniello

‘THE WAY’ TO RENEWAL This Lent, members of St. Leo the Great Parish employed modern technology and sturdy sneakers to achieve a lofty goal: to walk the El Camino de Santiago de Compostela without ever leaving New Jersey.

Mark Russoniello, pastoral associate for parish faith formation, learned of two smartphone apps – “Camino For Good” and “Camino 360” – which enable users to virtually walk the pilgrimage route known as “The Way of St. James,” a 500-mile network of paths through France and northern Spain culminating at Compostela, the cathedral at St. James’ burial site.

The virtual journey was introduced to the Lincroft faith community when Russoniello and pastor Father John T. Folchetti realized it would dovetail with the parish’s Lenten themes of renewal, communion and joy.

The parish even hosted screenings of the 2010 Camino movie “The Way” and created T-shirts emblazoned with the

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Holy Week ~ Easter freepik image

In Focus

 “In the midst of all of our troubles,

Jesus has been tremendously active.”

Glimmers of light shine forth through the unknowns

BY DUBRAVKA KOLUMBICCORTESE  Correspondent

A

s a bereavement counselor, Christian life coach and spiritual director in St. William the Abbot Parish, Mary Ann Collett has journeyed with people who have suffered loss.

Since the pandemic, Collett – a member of the Howell parish – has also seen an increase in faithful turning to the group she helped cofound, the Catholic Women of Zion. The ministry, whose purpose is the evangelization of Catholic women, has been providing support through its website, including links to online Bible studies, Rosary groups, virtual conferences, daily podcasts and, more recently, a Lenten Reflection Group.

All of these outlets, she prays, will help the faithful find ways to remain spiritually positive as the hope of the Easter Season arrives even while the COVID-19 pandemic continues.

“Lent is a time to be with God through prayer, fasting and almsgiving.

It gives us new hope to get to know who he is, but also to get to know who we are,” she said.

For those still searching, Collett hopes the Lenten season has helped bring about new ideas for change.

For example, there’s doing good for others, staying focused on prayer, and swapping tedious activities or distractions for tasks that bring fulfillment and joy.

After all, Collett said, both physical and spiritual loneliness is common for many, even if one is living in a house full of people – not to mention an increase in fear, anxiety and stress. “All this comes from the unknown,” she said.

“Everything [people] are familiar with, they can’t get to.”

Instead, she suggests, build peace and a deeper trust in God by continuing to read Scripture, pray the Rosary or attend virtual Masses. She recommends

10 THE MONITOR MAGAZINE  April 2021

taking one word or theme from the Sunday Gospel, and making it the focus of the week – to pray, think and reflect upon.

“Prayer,” Collett said, “is the sense of God’s presence. We need to find God everywhere. This is our hope.” She urged Catholics to take advantage of the Sacraments, especially Reconciliation.

“That is living in the Holy Spirit of Easter,” she said.

Focusing on the positives, Father Jim Grogan, pastor of Nativity Parish, Fair Haven, sees some silver linings in the past year, calling them “graces that have continued to flow.”

“We will never go back to having some things the same, but that’s not a bad thing,” he said, explaining that outdoor Masses have evangelized passers-by and livestreaming “makes the Church more approachable,” particularly for those parishioners who had not been able to attend in-person Mass due to needing assistance.

Looking toward the future, Father Grogan said he has seen a stronger balance of work and family develop that he believes will continue after the pandemic. “Family is the domestic Church, so the effect will carry over.”

He also suggests the faithful focus on two truths in order to keep hope alive: “the fact that Jesus is always with us, and that we are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.”

“In the midst of all of our troubles, Jesus has been tremendously active,” Father Grogan said. “We get to know how much he loves us when we struggle.”

Managing Editor Jennifer Mauro contributed to this report.

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April 2021  THE MONITOR MAGAZINE 11

Viewpoints

A woman prays for victims of the 1945 atomic bombing at Nagasaki’s Atomic Bomb Hypocenter Park in Japan Aug. 9, 2020, the 75th anniversary of the bombing. The column author points to the value that the Japanese place on harmony, and “filial piety to the elderly and the weak.” CNS photo/Kyodo, Reuters

Editor’s Note: This is the second installment in a series from the Pontifical Academy for Life.

Wisdom of the elderly can show us how to live after COVID-19

I

n the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, a significant number of elderly people died in institutions that should have protected these vulnerable members of society.

By contrast, families protected their elderly much more. But in all of it, a new document asserts, the need remains for a new vision for how society views care for the elderly.

On Feb. 9, the Pontifical Academy for Life, in collaboration with the Dicastery for the Promotion of Integral Human Development, published the document, “Old Age: Our Future. The elderly after the pandemic.”

The document spells out a vision of an affluent society that doesn’t exclude the elderly, but builds its well-being through intergenerational communication, so that the elderly can fulfill their lives calmly and satisfactorily. It is all about building tomorrow’s society both for the elderly and for young people, who are the future elderly.

This document urges a conversion into a new era. It urges us to reconsider the intrinsic value of aging, the final destination of human life and the eternity of human existence, in order to infuse the new era with a renewed humanism.

ETSUKO AKIBA

Catholic News Service

Especially for Japan, the most aging country in the world with a declining birthrate, these suggestions call for our anthropological conversion. For centuries, harmony has been considered one of the greatest of virtues in Japan. We attach great importance to harmony between people and every living creature.

Filial piety to the elderly and the weak has traditionally been expected.

There are proverbs like “Better than a tortoise shell is the wisdom of age (The wisdom that comes from experience is precious)” and “Assist the weak and resist the strong,” etc.

However, after World War II, national policies, a legal system and a compulsory education based on atomistic individualism were introduced in Japan. Due to that, we were able to escape from totalitarian nationalism, but that sudden change also brought about every sort of disunion between humans and nature, theory and practice, the youth and the elderly, the winner and the loser and so on.

12 THE MONITOR MAGAZINE  April 2021

In the artificial high-tech central metropolitan area, covered with a forest of skyscrapers, crowded with single people living apart from their families or at most living in a nuclear family, the law of the strongest prevails. Bullying, seclusion and suicide are not uncommon in school life.

The Japanese greatest generation, who lost state Shintoism after World War II, had devoted religious minds oriented toward national common good.

It is also well known that a not-insignificant number of intellectual elder persons have been baptized in Japan.

It was not difficult for them to translate their vision from the national common good to the universal and supreme common good.

If we could help the elderly adequately, the benefits would feed back into the youth, because the elderly could serve as the incarnation of unconditional love, especially for their grandchildren.

Etsuko Akiba is a professor at the University of Toyama in Japan and is on the board of directors of the Pontifical Academy for Life. She is a member of the Pontifical Academy for Life, an academic honorary society established under the direction of the Holy See.

White: Asian: Latino: Black: Other/unkn

Catholic Charities enlists parishes in Diocese in fight against COVID-19

BY DAVID KARAS  Correspondent

C

atholic Charities Diocese of Trenton is playing a key role in the continued fight against COVID-19, with a particular focus on delivering education, testing, contact tracing and vaccine support to underserved populations, including Latino, Black and immigrant communities.

As part of that role, the diocesan social services organization is collaborating with parishes across the Diocese of Trenton. Parish outreach is significant, said CCDOT executive director Marlene Lao-Collins, especially when it comes to reaching populations that are under-

Issues & Advocacy

AT A GLANCE The percentage of New Jersey residents by demographics who have received the COVID-19 vaccine.

Chart Title

served in the context of COVID relief.

25% “The trust of parishes and the Church by immigrants, I believe, is a natural transition from their homeland 4% where the Church was a trusted place 58% that provided them with both spiritu6% al nourishment and, very often, were 7% engaged in corporal works of mercy to assist their people during difficult times,” Lao-Collins said. “The engagement of  White  Asian  Latino  Black their priest or well-known layperson White: Asian: Latino: Black: Other/unknown  Other/unknown from their parish will go a long way in Latino and Black residents represent the community responding positively.”

 “The community trusts us.”

In support of the effort, Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., has recorded a message to be aired on all diocesan platforms as well as the CCDOT. “The COVID-19 pandemic has made the past year very challenging for so many people. But there are brighter days ahead, especially as vaccines become more widely available every day,” Bishop O’Connell said. “The Catholic Church has deemed vaccine use morally permissible. Getting vaccinated, although not required, is in the interest of the common good.”

The New Jersey Department of Enedelia Martinez of Shoreview, Minn., holds a photo of a loved one, Raul Castaneda, who died of COVID-19 last April. Financial or deportation fears often keep the immigration community from seeking COVID-19 help. CNS photo/Dave Hrbacek, The Catholic Spirit

59 7 6 4 25

37% of the state’s COVID-19 cases – and 45% of hospitalizations.

Source: covid19.nj.gov

Health enlisted CCDOT to work with a regional partner, the Central Jersey Family Health Consortium, as well as local organizations including the Latin American Legal Defense and Education Fund and the Trenton Health Team.

With $100,000 in funding, Catholic Continued on 38

DID YOU KNOW Parishes around the four-county Diocese collaborate with Catholic Charities Diocese of Trenton in many efforts, including COVID-19 vaccine support and clothing bin donations. To pre-register for a COVID-19 vaccination through CCDOT, visit www. catholiccharitiestrenton.org/ covid-19-community-outreach/ To learn more about parish clothing donation sites, visit www. catholiccharitiestrenton.org/ covid-19.

Bishop O’Connell promotes vaccination effort with CCDOT, watch the video at YouTube.com/trentondiocese April 2021  THE MONITOR MAGAZINE 13

Diocese

Clergy Appointments Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., has announced the following clergy appointments: Rev. Daniel Gowen, from pastor, Jesus the Good Shepherd Parish, Beverly, to parochial vicar, Our Lady of Sorrows-St. Anthony Parish, Hamilton, effective April 5, 2021. Rev. Rafael Esquen, from parochial vicar, Jesus the Good Shepherd Parish, Beverly, to temporary administrator, effective March 8, 2021. Rev. Thomas Barry, from parochial vicar, St. Katharine Drexel Parish, Burlington, to parochial vicar, Our Lady of Perpetual Help-St. Agnes Parish, Atlantic Highlands, effective March 5, 2021. Rev. Joy Chacko, from parochial vicar, St. Gabriel Parish, Marlboro, to parochial vicar, Sacred Heart Parish, Bay Head, and St. Pio of Pietrelcina Parish, Lavallette, effective Feb. 16, 2021

BISHOP AHR ENDOWMENT FUND ACCEPTING GRANT REQUESTS Applications are currently being accepted for grants to be awarded from the fund named after Bishop George W. Ahr, the seventh bishop of Trenton.

Grants are available to parish organizations, apostolates or ministries within the Diocese of Trenton that provide services for vulnerable and/ or poor families. Approximately $10,000 in grant money is available for distribution.

In 2020, 11 agencies were named grant recipients; among them were Visitation Community Lunch, Brick, the Mercer County CYO, and St. Vincent de Paul Societies in Burlington, Tabernacle, Cinnaminson, Monmouth Beach and Lakewood.

Applications may be obtained by contacting Grace Magee at the diocesan Chancery at gmagee@dioeseoftrenton.org or by mail: Diocese of Trenton, P.O. Box 5147, Trenton, NJ 08638. All completed applications must be postmarked no later than June 4, 2021.

Christ the Redeemer Parish to close in May AN ANNOUNCEMENT FROM THE DIOCESE OF TRENTON

C

hrist the Redeemer Parish in Mount Holly, which has experienced declining attendance and growing financial struggles over the last decade, will close its church and undergo canonical suppression, it was announced March 20 and 21.

The announcement came in a letter from Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., to Father Daniel Peirano, Christ the Redeemer pastor. In the letter, Bishop O’Connell cited his acceptance of the pastor’s recommendation to close the parish after consultation and unanimous support of the diocesan Presbyteral Council.

Father Peirano informed his parishioners of the closure during weekend Masses.

Christ the Redeemer was first established in 1977 as a personal parish for Spanish-speaking Catholics in the Mount Holly area of Burlington County. Eroding membership over the last 10 years led to struggles for the parish to support its ministries and maintain its facilities, according to Terry Ginther, chancellor and executive director of the Diocese’s Office of Pastoral Life and Mission.

The difficulties were acknowledged in 2017 when, as part of the diocesan pastoral planning initiative, Faith in Our Future, the parish was cited as needing further study to determine its viability.

Since that time, efforts to assist the parish included a pastoral and temporal evaluation, diocesan consultation on managing finances, the establishment of an

internal pastoral plan and collaboration with nearby Sacred Heart Parish, also in Mount Holly. However, the downward trends with Christ the Redeemer persisted and have only accelerated during the pandemic, leaving the parish with fewer than 100 active families.

Bishop O’Connell issued the decrees required for the closure. In his letter, he noted that the final date for Masses to be celebrated in Christ the Redeemer Church will be Pentecost Sunday, May 23, 2021. The Bishop asked Father Peirano to encourage his parishioners to join area parishes “so that their future pastoral needs might be met.”

All parish sacramental registries and other records will be moved and maintained at Sacred Heart Parish. At the appropriate time, the church and other property connected to the parish will be sold; the proceeds of which will be used to pay off financial debt and then be forwarded to the area parishes to which Christ the Redeemer parishioners move, according to the letter.

Bishop O’Connell concluded his announcement by thanking the community’s faithful. He wrote, “I am most grateful to all the parishioners who have been part of and supported Christ the Redeemer Parish since its inception . . .

As with any closing, there will be some sadness but the opportunities to be part of neighboring parishes and all they have to offer will be a blessing.”

The Monitor will have further coverage on Christ the Redeemer Parish in the coming months on TrentonMonitor.com.

ANNUAL BLUE MASS POSTPONED At the request of the Blue Mass Committee of the Diocese of Trenton, the Annual Mass and Celebration of Law Enforcement – originally scheduled for April 13, 2021 – will be postponed until April 2022 due to the continuing evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The event, also known as the Blue Mass, has been held for 20 years in the Diocese to thank God for the sacrifice and service to the communities given by police officers and law enforcement agents at every level.

In lieu of this year’s Blue Mass, the clergy, religious and faithful of the Diocese are asked to remember in their grateful prayers all those involved in law enforcement and their families. Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., will offer his Mass on Palm Sunday 2021 for their intentions.

14 THE MONITOR MAGAZINE  April 2021

Diocese

A Saving Grace

Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., greets a tiny Good Counsel Homes-South Jersey resident in 2016, when the Catholic outreach organization that assists pregnant women and their children marked its fifth anniversary. Joe Moore photo

Good Counsel Homes celebrates 10 years of caring for mothers, babies in South Jersey

BY MARY STADNYK  Associate Editor

W

hen “Abigail” arrived at Good Counsel HomesSouth Jersey, Riverside, more than three years ago, she was a single woman who had emigrated from Haiti; she was unem-

 “The moms come with little or nothing, but they leave with a great deal.” ployed, pregnant and did not speak English.

But once inside the building that serves as a safe haven for pregnant women left homeless for reasons such as abandonment or domestic violence, she knew she had found people whom she could trust.

“They became my family, and they helped me,” Abigail said, thinking back to when she lived in the facility that had once served as a convent for the Bernardine Franciscan sisters who staffed the former St. Casimir Parish and School.

She is now a U.S. citizen, living on her own in a two-bedroom apartment, employed as a supervisor and is the proud

From left, Dominique Coston-Oliphant, current house manager of Good Counsel-South Jersey, JoAnn DiNoia, founding program director, and “Abigail,” a former resident, reflect on the many accomplishments of the organization’s 10-year history. Mary Stadnyk photo

HOW YOU CAN HELP For volunteer information, contact Dominique Coston-Oliphant at 856393-8430, ext. 102, or DOMINIQUE_ COSTON@goodcounselhomes.org. Monetary donations may be mailed to 600 Meadowlands Pkwy, Suite 251 Secaucus, N.J. 07094. To direct donations to the Riverside facility, make checks payable to GCSJ. mother of three-year-old Arianna.

Abigail is one of more than 150 women who have received help from Good Counsel Homes-South Jersey since it opened April 4, 2011. As the organization prepares to mark its 10th anniversary, staff and volunteers cited highlights of the past decade – which include welcoming 87 babies into the world and helping mothers learn the skills they needed to care for their children and themselves in order to live independently.

An online event celebrating the 10th anniversary will be held at 7 p.m. April 22, which will include a video message

by Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M. “I can’t thank Bishop O’Connell enough for his prayerful support and sharing in our mission story over the Continued on 38

April 2021  THE MONITOR MAGAZINE 15

Diocese

Guild’s 101 years of service lauded at anniversary Mass

BY MARY STADNYK  Associate Editor

I

n the year 1920, movies were silent, a Model T Ford was $395, gas cost 33 cents a gallon, the average annual family income was $3,200, and it cost $6,300 to buy a house.

But the way Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., sees it, 1920 was also a time when a significant milestone occurred in the Church of Trenton – when then-Bishop Thomas J. Walsh

established a diocesan outreach agency with the mission to serve those in need.

That vision remains a viable ministry in Trenton and the greater Mercer County area 101 years later.

“The Mount Carmel Guild touches the lives of people of our community, aiding the elderly and homebound through its Home Health Nursing

CATHOLIC HOME MISSIONS COLLECTION APRIL 24-25 The Catholic Home Missions Appeal will take place in parishes across the Diocese of Trenton at all Masses on the weekend of April 24-25.

Every year, parishes across the United States take up the Catholic Home Missions Appeal. Because of those generous donations, this year the Appeal will fund over $9 million in grants to nearly 80 dioceses.

Home mission dioceses are located all across the United States, including the Deep South, Appalachia, and the Rocky Mountains. These dioceses lack the resources to provide their faithful with basic pastoral care, including the sacraments, religious education, and ministry training.

The Appeal primarily supports home mission dioceses, that is, those dioceses in the United States that are unable to offer their people the basic pastoral ministries of word, worship, and service without outside help. It may also give grants to other dioceses in the U.S. for particular projects, and to organizations and religious communities engaged in missionary work.

Surprisingly, the Catholic Church is poorly established in many parts of our country, especially Appalachia, the South, the Southwest along the Mexican border, the Rocky Mountain States, Alaska, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, and remote island chains like the Marshalls and the Carolines in the Pacific. Home missions are everywhere that Catholics are few and the Church is fragile.

The collection funds a range of pastoral services, primarily evangelization activities; religious education; ministry training for priests, deacons, religious sisters and brothers, and laypeople, and support of poor parishes across the country.

For more information on the collection for Catholic Home Missions, visit www.usccb.org and search “Home Missions.”

16 THE MONITOR MAGAZINE  April 2021

In his homily, Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., lauded his predecessor, Bishop Thomas J. Walsh, shown in portrait at right, for establishing Mount Carmel Guild. Rich Hundley photo program and providing emergency food and other assistance,” Bishop O’Connell said during the March 21 Founder’s Day Mass he celebrated to commemorate the Guild’s 101st year of service. The Mass, concelebrated by Msgr. Thomas Gervasio, vicar general, was livestreamed on diocesan media outlets.

The Bishop, in his homily, lauded the Guild for holding true to its original mission of being “the cure of poverty – head, heart and spirit.”

“The Mount Carmel Guild serves the Lord in his people because that is where we find him, in his people, especially among those in need,” Bishop O’Connell said.

Gathered in Our Lady of Sorrows Church, Hamilton, for the anniversary Mass that was postponed from last year due to the pandemic, were Mount Continued on 42

For more photos, visit TrentonMonitor.com> Multimedia>Photo Galleries To watch the Guild’s anniversary Mass celebrated by Bishop O’Connell, visit YouTube. com/trentondiocese

Pope Francis

MORE FROM POPE FRANCIS ONLINE:  Pope: Vocations answer God’s call to make dreams come true  Ministry to families must meet real needs, Pope says  Pontiff: Holy Spirit inspires every Christian to be unique

 Each day that begins, if welcomed in prayer, is accompanied by courage.

@PONTIFEX MARCH 1, 2021

Rembrandt’s “Christ Crucified between the Two Thieves (The Three Crosses),” drawn on copperplate entirely in drypoint. Contemplating how Jesus suffered and died to save each human being should motivate an awe that translates into loving care, Pope Francis says. CNS photo/Rosenwald Collection via National Gallery of Art

Serving the suffering is serving the crucified Christ CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE VATICAN CITY • Contemplating how Jesus suffered and died to save each human being should motivate an awe that translates into loving care for anyone who is suffering, Pope Francis said.

As Palm Sunday and Holy Week approached, Catholics were reminded that “the suffering Christ is present in every poor, excluded, sick or hungry person,” the Pope said.

“To believe that Jesus shed his blood for us removes any doubt about the boundless love which ennobles each human being,” he said, quoting from his 2013 exhortation, “The Joy of the Gospel.”

His comments coincided with a visit by representatives of Fidesco, a Catholic organization that recruits and trains volunteers for mission and

development work.

The March 20 papal audience marked the 40th anniversary of the organization, which was founded by members of the France-based Emmanuel Community, but now includes volunteers from a dozen countries, including the United States.

When Catholics decide to devote a year or two of their life to service with Fidesco, Pope Francis said, they give concrete witness to belief that God loves and has bestowed dignity on every human being, including “brothers and sisters who are farthest away, less fortunate, more disadvantaged and having fewer opportunities than you do.”

“Every human being is worthy,” he said. “Every human being is my brother or sister.”

“When you are on your mission, with

your personal relationship with the Lord and with your faith, keep intact the awe, the fascination and the enthusiasm of living the Gospel of fraternity,” the Pope told Fidesco members. “We all need that in the most difficult moments of solitude, discouragement or disappointment.”

“It is more important than ever today that Christ’s faithful be witnesses of tenderness and compassion,” he said.

“Listening to the cry of the poor that resonates within you, allowing yourself to be moved by the suffering of others and deciding to travel far to touch their wounds, which are the wounds of Christ, not only makes you participants in building a more beautiful, more fraternal, more evangelical world,” Pope Francis said, “but it reinforces the Church in its mission of hastening the establishment of the kingdom of God.” April 2021  THE MONITOR MAGAZINE 17

Church

Pope praises Filipino Catholics as

joyful witnesses of the Gospel

BY JUNNO AROCHO ESTEVES  Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY • The joy of the Gospel has been an integral part of the Filipino identity since the arrival of Christianity in the Southeast Asian country five centuries ago, Pope Francis said.

 “When there is no one to talk with, we pour our hearts to Jesus.”

Commemorating the 500th anniversary of the arrival of Christianity in the Philippines March 15, the Pope told members of Rome’s Filipino community that evangelical zeal is a “part of your genes, a blessed ‘infectiousness’ that I urge you to preserve.”

“I have often said that here in Rome, Filipino women are ‘smugglers’ of faith!

Because wherever they go to work, they

sow the faith,” he said.

Because of COVID-19 restrictions, fewer than 200 representatives of the city’s Filipino community could attend the Mass at the Altar of the Chair in St. Peter’s Basilica. Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, president of Caritas Internationalis and prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, thanked the Pope for the celebration.

The Christian faith, he told the Pope, is a source of strength and comfort for countless Filipino men and women who work abroad to support their families.

According to a survey conducted by the Philippine Statistics Authority, 2.2 million Filipino citizens worked overseas and sent an estimated 211.9 billion pesos ($4.4 billion) to their families in 2019.

“We have left our families, not to abandon them, but to care for them and their future. For love of them, we endure the sorrow of separation,” Cardinal Tagle told the Pope.

Holding back tears, the cardinal said

Visit TrentonMonitor.com for a photo gallery on this Mass.

18 THE MONITOR MAGAZINE  April 2021

 Dancers participate in a procession as Pope Francis celebrates a Mass marking the 500th anniversary of Christianity in the Philippines, in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican, March 14. CNS photo/Cristian Gennari, pool that in the absence of their families, Filipino migrants find solace in their local parishes which they see as a “second home.”

“When there is no one to talk with, we pour our hearts to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament and ponder his word,” he said. “We take care of the children under our charge as our own children, and the elderly as our own parents.”

In his homily, Pope Francis reflected on the Sunday Gospel reading from St. John in which Jesus tells Nicodemus that “God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten son.”

Christ’s words, he said, “help us to see the true face of God” who “always looked at us with love, and for the sake of love, he came among us in the flesh of his son.”

“If hearing the Gospel and practicing our faith do not enlarge our hearts and Continued on 42

Church

VATICAN SAYS NO BLESSING GAY UNIONS, NO NEGATIVE JUDGMENT ON GAY PEOPLE VATICAN CITY • While homosexual men and women must be respected, any form of blessing a same-sex union is “illicit,” said the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

The negative judgment is on the blessing of unions, not the people who may still receive a blessing as individuals, it said in a statement published March 15.

The statement was a response to a question or “dubium” that came from priests and lay faithful “who require clarification and guidance concerning a controversial issue,” said an official commentary accompanying the statement. The response to the question, “Does the Church have the power to give the blessing to unions of persons of the same sex?” was “Negative.”

“It is not licit to impart a blessing on relationships, or partnerships, even stable, that involve sexual activity outside of marriage – i.e., outside the indissoluble union of a man and a woman open in itself to the transmission of life – as is the case of the unions between persons of the same sex,” the doctrinal office said in an explanatory note accompanying the statement.

Pope Francis approved both the statement and the note for publication. “The Christian community and its pastors are called to welcome with respect and sensitivity persons with homosexual inclinations and will know how to find the most appropriate ways, consistent with Church teaching, to proclaim to them the Gospel in its fullness,” the explanatory note said.

NO ONE CAN BE EXCLUDED FROM THE CARE, LOVE OF THE CHURCH, CARDINAL SAYS VATICAN CITY • While the Catholic Church cannot bless unions that are not sacramental marriages, the Church will always welcome and accompany everyone, no matter their situation in life, said the Prefect of the Dicastery for Laity, the Cardinal Kevin J. Farrell CNS photo/Paul Haring Family and Life.

“Nobody must ever be excluded from the pastoral care and love and concern of the Church,” said the Prefect, Cardinal Kevin J. Farrell, March 18 during an online Vatican news conference, presenting details of the “Amoris Laetitia Family Year,” which starts March 19. The Cardinal’s comments were in response to a question about the “disappointment” expressed in parts of the world regarding a recent statement by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which said any form of blessing a same-sex union is “illicit.”

– Catholic News Service

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World & Nation Migrant children from Central America take refuge from the rain in the back of a U.S. Border Patrol vehicle in Penitas, Texas, March 14, as they await to be transported after crossing the Rio Grande into the United States. CNS photo/Adrees Latif, Reuters

Unaccompanied minors, a pandemic and politics mix at the border

BY RHINA GUIDOS  Catholic News Service

CHALATENANGO, El Salvador – For the past month, Magdalena Chávez and her sisters have spent their days praying for their 17-year-old nephew.

They have included the name of the Salvadoran teen in a list of Mass intentions, pray the Rosary each day and ask for divine intercession that he reach the U.S. safely.

 “That is our most urgent petition.”

“That’s our most urgent petition,” said Chávez, who periodically checks in with family members to see if any of them have received the news they most want to hear: that he’s alive and that’s he’s made it through the dangerous crossing from Mexico into the United States.

The teen left his village of Las Pilas

in northern El Salvador with a “coyote,” a smuggler, March 1 without telling his extended family, Chávez told Catholic News Service March 11.

The teen was intent on being reunited with his parents, two Salvadoran immigrants in the U.S. without documents who haven’t seen him in five years, Chávez said. The parents made a deal to pay the smuggler $4,500 if their teen crosses the Rio Grande safely. Soon, he may become part of a record number of minors at the U.S.-Mexico border, many who are quickly filling up shelters on the U.S. side.

The Washington Post recently reported that over 8,500 unaccompanied migrant teens and children, such as Chávez’s nephew, are now in shelters under the auspices of the Department of Health and Human Services, waiting for relatives or sponsors living in the U.S. to claim them. The newspaper also reported that more than 3,500 – also a record number – are at U.S. Border Patrol stations waiting for space to open at shelters.

20 THE MONITOR MAGAZINE  April 2021

A migrant’s dirt-covered feet are seen in La Joya, Texas, following a crossing of the Rio Grande. CNS photo/Adrees Latif, Reuters Late March 13, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in a statement said that for the next 90 days, it was deploying the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, to help “safely receive, shelter, and transfer unaccompanied children who make the dangerous journey to the U.S. southwest border.”

The statement also warned parents Continued on 39

A woman holds a photo of Khant Nyar Hein, a 17-year-old medical student who was shot and killed during the security force crackdown on anti-coup activists, during his funeral in Yangon, Myanmar, March 16. Security forces have killed at least 138 people.

CNS photo/Reuters

POPE SAYS HE, TOO, KNEELS ON MYANMAR STREETS, BEGGING FOR END TO VIOLENCE VATICAN CITY • As security forces in Myanmar have increased their crackdown on civilians, with disappearances, detentions and the killing of peaceful protesters, Pope Francis appealed for an end to violence and the start of dialogue. “Once again, and with much sorrow, I feel compelled to mention the tragic situation in Myanmar, where so many people, especially young people, are losing their lives for offering hope to their country,” the Pope said at the end of his weekly general audience March 17. Without mentioning her name, the Pope recalled the iconic gestures of Sister Ann Nu Thawng, who made headlines when photographs were published of her kneeling before police seeking to shield peaceful protesters and of her extending her arms begging police not to shoot or hurt anyone. “I, too, kneel

World & Nation on the streets of Myanmar and say, ‘Stop the violence,’” Pope Francis said.

“I, too, spread wide my arms and say, ‘Make way for dialogue.’” Bloodshed “resolves nothing,” he said.

CRITICS OF NEW HHS HEAD RAISE CONCERNS OVER ABORTION, RELIGIOUS LIBERTY

WASHINGTON • Xavier Becerra, California’s former attorney general and a former member of Congress, has become the first Latino to be secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. But his nomination by President Joe Biden brought heavy criticism from national pro-life leaders over his long record of support for legal abortion and for spearheading litigation to revoke the Little Sisters of the Poor’s religious exemption to the Affordable Care Act’s contraceptive mandate in the state of California.

Those who supported his nomination to head HHS said he has spent his career “fighting for underserved communities” highlighting his efforts “to protect the welfare of immigrants and migrants.” But National Right to Life and other pro-life groups who object to Becerra heading HHS point to the 100 percent rating by Planned Parenthood and NARAL Pro-Choice America’s for his record on abortion during his 25 years in Congress. About 60 pro-life leaders signed a Feb. 23 letter objecting to his nomination and urging the Senate to reject it; that letter followed a similar one they sent in December.

Becerra was confirmed in the Senate by a narrow vote 50-49 vote.

– Catholic News Service

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April 2021  THE MONITOR MAGAZINE 21

¡Yo hago nuevas todas las cosas!

(Apocalipsis 21:5)

L

os tres días antes del Domingo de la Pascua son muy instructivos. Nos hablan del compromiso con algo grande, del compartir de nosotros con los demás, del sacrificio que acompaña al amor, del tiempo precioso, pero limitado, que tenemos en esta tierra, de la esperanza de que más allá que esta vida haya aún más y mejor – de hecho, ¡una

eternidad de alegría Mensaje para por quienes tienen la Pascua 2021 fe en Dios y viven la OBISPO DAVID M. vida en amor!

O’CONNELL, C.M. Estas son buenas lecciones. Todas son partes del mensaje Pascual para quienes de nosotros que creen en la Vida, Muerte y Resurrección del Señor Jesucristo – y consuelan a personas de buena voluntad, que tengan cualquier tradición de fe. La Pascua y esta estación de nueva vida de nuestro alrededor es un tiempo de paz y promesa.

Este año pasado no ha sido nada fácil. Eso es verdad no solo por razones de la pandemia y la economía. Dentro de la sociedad en sí, aunque hayamos visto unas cosas maravillosas a través del heroísmo y generosidad de muchos, ha habido tensión, daños, racismo, desconfianza, divisiones, e incivilidad – cosas contrarias a la paz o promesa de la Pascua.

La gran cosa del ciclo de la vida y el cambio de las estaciones es que podemos anhelar la próxima cosa o etapa de nuestras vidas, con la esperanza de que sea más sabia y cariñosa que el ciclo y estación anterior.

Ahora tenemos unos días durante Semana Santa y Pascua para respirar profundamente, tomar un pause y reflexionar sobre lo que realmente importa, orar y acercarnos a Dios, abrazar a quienes amamos en maneras que solo días santos pueden proveer, entregar las heridas que hemos sentido o que aun sentimos a las manos y pies y lado heridos del Señor a quien clavaron a una cruz en estos mismos días, morir a nosotros mismos y nuestro egoísmo y orgullo para resucitarnos a una vida nueva y diferente en que dejamos esas cosas atrás. Tomar el tiempo, apartar el tiempo para hacer todas estas cosas mientras la vida se renueva en nuestro alrededor.

La Pascua es un tiempo especial para los cristianos, para todos realmente. Aunque el Jueves Santo y Viernes Santo lleguen siempre primeros, juntos con los eventos sacrificiales que conmemoran, ahora y siempre sigue el amanecer de la Pascua y la paz y promesa de la vida eterna. “¡Yo hago nuevas todas las cosas!” dijo Jesús. En la fe, seamos dispuestos a dejarlo a Él hacerlo. “Y les aseguro que estaré con ustedes siempre, hasta el fin del mundo” (Mateo 28:20). ¡Felices Pascuas a todos ustedes!

“La Resurrección” de James Tissot depicta al Cristo Resucitado saliendo del sepulcro. El obispo O’Connell urge a los fieles a prepararse durante los días de Semana Santa para poder celebrar la Pascua.

Imagen del Museo de Borrklyn

22 REVISTA EL MONITOR  Abril 2021

El Anzuelo

Se cierra la Parroquia Cristo Redentor en mayo COMUNICADO DE LA DIÓCESIS DE TRENTON

L

a Parroquia Cristo Redentor en Mount Holly, que ha vivido menos participación y mayor desafío económico de por la década pasada, cerrará sus puertas y pasar por una supresión canónica.

En una carta del obispo David M. O’Connell, C.M., al padre Daniel Peirano, párroco de Cristo Redentor, el obispo

FERIA DE SALUD  El Centro de Caridades Católicas en Trenton se llevará a cabo la feria de salud anual aprovechada por muchas personas de Trenton y sus alrededores. Foto de cortesía del El Centro

FERIA DE SALUD CON EL CENTRO EN TRENTON, 23 DE ABRIL El Centro de Caridades Católicas se llevará a cabo su feria de salud anual el 23 de abril, sábado, de 9am a la 1pm en el parqueo de la Iglesia Sagrado Corazón (Sacred Heart Church) ubicada en 1 Centre Street, Trenton.

Todos los servicios son GRATIS e incluyen:  Consultas médicas por doctores de práctica general y pediatras  Revisiones de ojos y exámenes para el glaucoma  Revisiones de presión arterial y glucosaAdemás, habrá disponible un camión “de tiras” para destruir cualquier documentos personales o confidenciales de manera segura. Más de 25 agencias están participando en esta feria de salud para compartir/repartir información sobre recursos disponibles para ayudar a familias en Trenton y las áreas alrededor. Habrá también música, comida, juegos y sorteos (premios incluyen dos bicicletas y una televisión).

El evento está patrocinado por ambos El Centro de Caridades Católicas y AARP. Para más información sobre la feria de salud o programas de El Centro de Caridades Católicas, llame al 609-394-2056.

aceptó la recomendación del párroco de cerrar la parroquia después de la consulta y apoyo unánime del concilio presbítero diocesano. El padre Peirano informó a sus feligreses de la clausura durante las Misas del fin de semana.

Cristo Redentor fue establecida en el 1977 como parroquia personal para los católicos de habla español en el área de Mount Holly en el condado de Burlington. Con una membrecía decreciente por los últimos diez años, la parroquia se encontró en una situación difícil para apoyar sus ministerios y mantener la planta parroquial, según Terry Ginther, canciller diocesano y directora ejecutiva de la oficina diocesana de la vida pastoral y misión.

En el 2017, se reconoció las dificultades de la parroquia durante parte de la iniciativa diocesana de planificación pastoral de Fe en Nuestro Futuro. Desde entonces, la parroquia pasó por un plan pastoral interno y consultas para manejar las finanzas entre otros pasos con la esperanza de apoyar a la parroquia. Sin embargo, las tendencias difíciles con Cristo Redentor persistían.

En su carta, el obispo O’Connell notó que las últimas Misas celebradas en la Iglesia Cristo Redentor se llevarán a cabo en la Fiesta de Pentecostés, el 23 de mayo, 2021. El obispo encargó al padre Peirano animar a sus feligreses unirse a parroquias cercanas “para alcanzar sus necesidades futuras pastorales”.

Todos los archivos sacramentales y otra documentación pasará a la Parroquia Sagrado Corazón, Mount Holly. Al tiempo apropiado, se venderá la iglesia y propiedad. Cualquier ingreso irá a pagar las deudas financieras y entonces a las parroquias del área a donde se trasladan los feligreses de Cristo Redentor.

El obispo O’Connell concluyó el anuncio por agradecerles a los fieles de la comunidad. Escribió, “Estoy tan agradecido a todos los feligreses que han formado parte y apoyado a la Parroquia Cristo Redentor desde su incepción . . . Como es con todo final, habrá algo de tristeza, pero las oportunidades de formar parte de parroquias cercanas y todo lo que ofrecen serán bendiciones”.

Más información por venir en PecesdeTrenton.org.

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

Joseph Steinert & Company County Line Hardware Lakehurst Lawn Mower 26 Old Olden Ave. 707 Bennetts Mills Rd. 10 Union Ave. Hamilton, NJ 08610 Jackson, NJ 08527 Lakehurst, NJ 08733 609-587-0246 732-363-6522 732-657-2401 Abril 2021  REVISTA EL MONITOR 23

El Anzuelo

Caridades Católicas recluta a parroquias de la

contra el COVID-19 POR DAVID KARAS  Correspondent

C

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aridades Católicas Diócesis de Trenton tiene un papel clave en la lucha seguida en contra el COVID-19, con un enfoque particular de educar, facilitar pruebas, el rastreo de contactos y apoyo para las vacunas a las poblaciones no servidas, incluyendo a las comunidades latinas, negras e inmigrantes.

Como parte de ese rol, la organización diocesana de servicios sociales está colaborando con parroquias de la Diócesis de Trenton. El alcance parroquial es significante, dijo Marlene Laó-Collins, directora ejecutiva de CCDOT, especialmente en cuanto el alcance a las poblaciones menos servidas en cuanto el apoyo con el COVID-19.

“La confianza que tienen los inmigrantes para las parroquias y la Iglesia, yo creo, es una transición natural que traen de sus tierras natales donde la Iglesia les era un lugar de confianza que proveía alimento espiritual, y muy a menudo, también obras corporales de la misericordia para apoyar al pueblo en momentos difíciles”, dijo Laó-Collins.

“La participación de su sacerdote o algún laico conocido de su

24 REVISTA EL MONITOR  Abril 2021

parroquia ayudará mucho para que la comunidad responda positivamente”.

El departamento estatal de la salud alistó a CCDOT para trabajar junto con el Consorcio Central Jersey Family Health además de organizaciones locales incluyendo a LALDEF (Latin American Legal Defense and Education Fund) y más.

Con $100,000 de financiamiento, Caridades Católicas está colaborando para desarrollar e implementar comunicaciones sobre la salud y estrategias para involucrar a la comunidad, además que la administración de llevar a cabo pruebas y vacunas del COVID-19.

“Escogieron a Caridades Católicas Diócesis de Trenton para este trabajo porque tenemos un conocimiento fuerte de las necesidades de los más vulnerables de nuestras comunidades”, dijo Susan Loughery, directora ejecutiva asociada y directora de operaciones. “Por toda la pandemia, nos hemos mantenido abiertos y operativos, proveyendo servicios como comida, alojamiento, servicios para responder a crisis de violencia doméstica, salud mental, tratamiento de adicciones y cuidado integrado de salud”.

Ella añadió que Caridades Católicas ha estado colaborando con la agencia federal de Emergency Management

Diócesis en luchar en

White: Asian: Latino: Black: Other/unkn

El Anzuelo

59 7 6 4 25

Chart Title

EN BREVE Los porcentajes de residentes de New Jersey por

25%

(Administración de demográficos que han recibido la vacuna del Emergencias) y su iniciativa COVID-19.

Esperanza y Sanación para llevar a cabo el alcance comunitario  Blanco: 58%  Asiático: 7% 4% 58% y que sus equipos enfermeros  Latino: 6%  Negro: 4% 6% están haciendo visitas a casa.  Otro/no conocido: 25% “Hemos aprendido tanto 7% sobre las mayores necesidades Los residentes latinos y negros representan un de quienes servimos como 37% de los casos del COVID-19 en el estado – resultado de la pandemia”, dijo y un 45% de hospitalizaciones.

Fuente: covid19.nj.gov (todos los datos hasta el 16 de marzo) ella.

White: Asian: Latino: Black: Other/unknown La iniciativa incluye la las vacunas estará distribuida a entidades gubernamentales”, dijo creación de una “red comunitaria del COVID” bilingüe y Roberto Hernández, director de El Centro. “Por eso tenerlo aquí multicultural de trabajadores de salud entrenados por el en El Centro es tan importante – porque la comunidad confía instituto New Jersey Department of Health Colette Lamothede nosotros. Las personas confían en El Centro y Caridades Galette Community Health Worker.

Católicas. Hemos estado en la comunidad desde hace muchos “Estamos trabajando con el instituto para desarrollar un años, proveyendo todo tipo de servicios”. programa de aprendizaje de entrenamiento para trabajadores Caridades Católicas también de salud y campeones comunitarios, que son claves en la lucha arrancará grupos de bienestar para en contra del COVID-19”, dijo Loughery. “Adicionalmente,  “... la unos de nuestro personal estarán certificados como trabajadores proveer educación comunitaria y trabajar con las personas más comunitarios de salud con Ocean County College. Muchos comunidad vulnerables y difíciles de encontrar de los trabajadores comunitarios de salud son bilingües y a través de visitas a casa, ofreciendo representantes confiados de las comunidades en que trabajan”. confía de apoyo en varios idiomas.

En Caridades Católicas El Centro, que sirve a la comunidad nosotros”.

El programa también incluirá latina de Trenton y sus alrededores, el personal ha montado sitios para pruebas y vacunas del una habitación virtual para examinaciones médicas. También COVID-19 además de talleres para preguntas y respuestas y cuentan con técnicos médicos, enfermeras, trabajadores habitaciones virtuales médicas en lugares de por la Diócesis. comunitarios de salud y personal para crisis de salud mental “Nuestro trabajo en CCDOT refleja los principios de la para responder a las necesidades de la comunidad.

Doctrina Social de la Iglesia, y entonces, nuestras puertas “Hay mucha desconfianza en la comunidad latina sobre si siempre están abiertas a quienes nos necesiten”, dijo Loughery. información personal que comparten para preinscribirse para “Mantenemos enlaces fuertes con hospitales, centros de salud, y entidades de servicios sociales para reducir las desigualdades, mejorar vidas y avanzar resultados para determinantes de la salud. … Hay una sinergia tremenda entre el trabajo que Parroquias de los cuatro condados de la Diócesis de Trenton hacemos actualmente y esta iniciativa pública de salud”. colaboran con Caridades Católicas Diócesis de Trenton Caridades Católicas ha empezado a conectar con (CCDOT por sus cifras en inglés) en muchos esfuerzos, comunidades parroquiales de por la Diócesis, con unas 57 incluyendo el apoyo de vacunas del COVID-19 y donaciones parroquias que tienen enlaces en sus sitios web, unas 72 con de ropa. avisos en los boletines y otras 24 parroquias que, en la primera semana de la iniciativa, han inscrito a más de 1,700 individuales Para pre-inscribirse para una vacuna del COVID-19 a través para un evento de la administración de la vacuna en la Catedral de CCDOT, visite al www.catholiccharitiestrenton.org/ Santa María de la Asunción en Trenton. covid-19-community-outreach.

Además, CCDOT espera comunicarse con las 18 parroquias Para aprender más sobre los sitios de donaciones de ropa, de la Diócesis de Trenton designadas como Centros del visite al www.catholiccharitiestrenton.org/covid-19.

Ministerio Hispano que podrían ayudar a esta iniciativa.

¿SABÍAS QUE?

Abril 2021  LA REVISTA MONITOR 25

Spiritual Life

Easter fulfills the promise Jesus made APRIL 4  FAITH SEEKS TO UNDERSTAND

THE WORD

Acts 10:34A; Col 3:1-4 ; Jn 20:1-9

M

ary Magdalene went to the tomb of Jesus in the pre-dawn hours of that last usual Sunday morning of all time and saw that the stone had been moved and that Jesus was gone.

Jesus had spoken often about the coming Resurrection from the dead. Yet, she remained in the darkness and could not apprehend what was happening.

Running through the streets of Jerusalem, Mary arrived at the room where Peter and the others were holed up pondering their own futures.

We might expect that it was early and some of them were groggy from a rough night’s sleep and the overwhelming trepidation they faced in this new day of uncertainty. Peter and the other disciple immediately ran toward the tomb. The beloved arrived first at the tomb but remained outside and waited for Peter. Peter, upon his arrival went straight inside the tomb, and the other disciple followed.

We do not know the time the sun broke that morning, but the beloved disciple, as he followed Peter into the tomb, “saw and believed.” He was the first to move from the darkness to the Light.

Faith and the concurrent lack of faith serve as the undercurrent running through this most important of all moments in time. Mary is bewildered, perhaps overcome with grief, and is unable to see the glimmer of light through the darkness. Her own encounter with

Father Garry Koch

the Resurrected One, though poignant, is not part of the Gospel we hear on Easter Sunday.

Peter and the beloved disciple each have their own reasons for heading with haste to the tomb. The other 10 disciples had their own reasons for not going.

Certainly Peter, as the doyen of the disciples, had to go, and the beloved, as the youngest, could certainly get there fast and assess the situation.

APRIL 11  EASTER TAKES US BEYOND THE MUNDANE TO THE GATES OF ETERNITY Acts 4:32-35; 1Jn 5:1-6; Jn 20: 19-31

O

n the evening of that great Easter Day, Jesus appeared to his disciples in the room where they were staying. After a long day of listening to the testimony of Mary Magdalene, Peter, the beloved disciple, and the others, the disciples are, no doubt, experiencing a heightened state of emotions. Their confusion and uncertainty turns quickly to awe and wonder as Jesus miraculously appears in their midst.

Many different thoughts must have run through their minds and certainly more questions arose as Jesus spoke with them. One can only imagine the conversation among the disciples after Jesus left them.

26 THE MONITOR MAGAZINE  April 2021

Their experience with Jesus was immediately and permanently transformative. He “breathed on them” and sent the Holy Spirit upon them. They are now no longer simple disciples of a great master, they have themselves become apostles. From now on others will follow them, listen and learn from them, and look to them to show them the way to Jesus. Most importantly they will now do what they saw and heard Jesus do countless times during his ministry: forgive the sins of others.

Jesus’s Death on the Cross was the sign of God’s love for the world and his desire to reconcile all to himself. Now, through the power of the apostles, sins are forgiven and the reconciliation between God and world becomes a present reality.

APRIL 18  EASTER OPENS NEW POSSIBILITIES OF ENCOUNTERING THE LORD Acts 3:13-15, 17-19; 1Jn 2:1-5A; Lk 24:3548

O

n the Second Sunday of Lent, as the disciples Peter, Andrew and John descended the Mount of the Transfiguration, were forced to contemplate “what rising from the dead might mean.” Now, perhaps some six weeks later, they and the others are immediately confronted with this same question as they encoun-

suring stick of what to believe and how to interpret the Scriptures outside of a tradition, the faithful sallied in many diverse directions, leaving more confusion than clarity in its wake.

There other challenge that comes forth in this imagery is of the sheep themselves. Not all sheep want to be shepherded. Some will wander off and others become defiant to the guidance of the shepherd. Many of us would prefer to be our own shepherd.

While we have seen the failure our shepherds in the past to protect the faithful and to exercise just prudence, we cannot expect them to be more than the human beings that they are. n an

oto

ph

hrm

E ke Mi

ter the risen Lord.

While Jesus has raised others from the dead – the son of the widow at Naim, and their friend Lazarus, they were simply restored to their former selves. They still appeared as they did before and they were not given to suddenly appearing to people without even walking through the door. Yet, here is Jesus. Jesus appears different and they barely recognize him.

The two disciples who encountered Jesus on the road to Emmaus, which is the event just prior to the Gospel passage read this Sunday, are enthusiastically recounting their experience when Jesus appears to the assembled disciples in the upper room.

Imagine Jesus, whom you know to have died on the Cross, now standing in front of you.

Jesus immediately addresses their skepticism, uncertainty and questions.

Jesus has them look carefully at him – to study his hands and his feet – to see that

he still carries the marks of the Crucifixion on his body.

This encounter with Jesus, though, is different. He is more than a resuscitated body as were the others; his appearance is other. Then, as suddenly as he came, he is gone.

John leaves us pondering the question, but as he draws his Gospel to a close, recounts that the works of Jesus would fill uncountable volumes.

APRIL 25  THE LORD SENDS SHEPHERDS TO POINT US TO THE GOOD SHEPHERD Acts 4:8-12; 1Jn3:1-2; Jn 10:11-18

T

he Fourth Sunday of Easter is “Good Shepherd Sunday” and we focus on that image of Jesus.

Jesus uses an image that builds a deeper sense of commitment and relationship between those who have oversight (bishops) and the faithful. We need a sense of direction, a common faith and a faithful and learned champion who hands on the tradition and faith of the Church. As the Reformation unfolded and everyone became their own mea-

 “Imagine Jesus ... now standing in front of you.”

The relationship between the sheep and the shepherds is getting more muddled as certain groups in blogosphere and the world of internet videos rails against the shepherds of the Church often honing in on our chief shepherd, Pope Francis.

This is nothing new. In the 1970s the virulent attacks by some visionaries were made against Pope Paul VI. Many voices were raised against Pope John Paul II during his long pontificate. Pope Benedict XVI suffered the indignity of many awful attacks against him, and now Pope Francis endures his own time of persecution.

Our problem isn’t that we don’t have good shepherds, we seem to not want good shepherds. Yes, Jesus Christ is the true Good Shepherd, leading us to the path of eternal life. But we fail to understand that as we reject the shepherds we see, we do ultimately reject Jesus himself.

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

April 2021  THE MONITOR MAGAZINE 27

Spiritual Life

Burial in non-Catholic cemetery; anxious as death draws near Years ago, my parents purchased burial plots for my family in the local small-town cemetery where we lived. My family is not Catholic, and I wasn’t at that time either – so the cemetery is Christian, but not Catholic.

I have since happily converted to Catholicism and am wondering if I can still use my plot. Can it be blessed by a Catholic priest (or whatever ritual is required)?

I would prefer to be buried with the rest of my family and not have to purchase a plot in a Catholic cemetery. (Wichita, Kansas)

QUESTION CORNER Father Kenneth Doyle Catholic News Service

the cemetery of burial.”

As your question suggests, when a Catholic is interred in a non-Catholic plot, the priest who officiates at the committal says a prayer, which blesses that gravesite and reads in part: “Lord Jesus Christ, by your own three days in the tomb, you hallowed the graves of all who believe in you and so made the grave a sign of hope that promises resurrection even as it claims our mortal bodies.”

If given the choice, my own preference, of course, would be for a Catholic burial ground so that the deceased would have the benefit of the Masses and prayers offered regularly for those who are buried there – but there is no Church rule that requires this.

In your own case, I think that staying with your family’s choice ensures that your loved ones will visit your grave regularly, take care of it and continue to remember you in prayer.

Q

Not to worry. You can be buried in your family plot, even though it is not in a Catholic cemetery. And you should be; I can imagine that your relatives might well be offended if you were to choose otherwise, and the Church has no Ready interest in separating familiestoattake death. the next step?

The Code of Canon Law, in fact, speaks directly to your question. Canon 1180 says, “Everyone ... is permitted to choose

A

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Located in Lawrenceville, NJNJ • For information, please -$2,500 $2,500 value.Located **excluding Morris Hall Meadows** www.morrishall.org or us at mhadmissions@morrishall.org or **excluding Morris Hall Meadows** **excluding Morris Hall Meadows** www.morrishall.org or contact contact mhadmissions@morrishall.org or 609-895-1937 609-895-1937 adows** our community. **excluding Morris Hall Meadows** or contact adows** www.morrishall.org us us at atmhadmissions@morrishall.org orCenter 609-895-1937 wants us to succeed, wants us to be with him for eternity and Shared with St. Rehabilitation Campus Shared with St.Lawrence Lawrence Rehabilitation Center ith St.Campus Lawrence Rehabilitation Center Campus Shared St.St.Lawrence promises to help us get there. with St. Lawrence Rehabilitation Center Campus Sharedwith with LawrenceRehabilitation RehabilitationCenter Center St. Mary’s Assisted Living St. Mary’s Assisted Living St. Mary’s Assisted Living What you might want to do is to ask a priest to bring you the Hall Senior Care Communities includes: Morris Hall Senior Care Communities includes:Morris Morris Hall SeniorAssisted Care Communities includes: St.St. Mary’s Living St. Mary’s Assisted Care LivingAssisted Living Mary’s Assisted Living Grace Garden Memory Care Assisted Garden Memory Garden Memory Care AssistedLiving Living anointing of the sick and, if you feel the need to, go to ConfesSt.St. Joseph’s Skilled Nursing Center •Grace St. Garden Joseph’s Skilled Nursing Center •Grace Joseph’s Skilled Nursing Center Garden Memory Care Assisted Living Grace Memory Care Assisted Living •Grace Grace Garden Memory Care Assisted Living St. Joseph’s Skilled Nursing St. Joseph’s Skilled Nursing • Morris Meadows St. Joseph’s Skilled Nursing Hall Meadows Skilled Nursing Morris Hall Meadows Skilled St. Hall Joseph’s Skilled Skilled NursingNursing • • Morris St.St. Joseph’s Skilled Nursing sion once more. The priest will pray, asking the Lord to treat you Joseph’s Skilled NursingNursing • Morris St. Mary’s Assisted Living, Morris Hall Meadows Skilled Nursing • St. Mary’s Assisted Living, Morris Hall Meadows Skilled Nursing • St. Mary’s Assisted Living, Morris Hall Meadows Skilled Nursing Hall Meadows Skilled Nursing Morris Hall Meadows Skilled Nursing Morris Hall Meadows Skilled Nursing gently and to ease your passage to meet him.

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28 THE MONITOR MAGAZINE  April 2021

Questions may be sent to Father Kenneth Doyle at askfatherdoyle@gmail.com and 30 Columbia Circle Dr., Albany, New York 12203.

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Spiritual Life

Reclaiming

the sacredness of home

M

any would say that in order to be happy in life you must first know your passion.

I’ve always considered writing as my passion, but if that were true, I would have finished at least one of the three novels I started years ago.

Now, having reached senior status, I can finally admit to a passion I believe I share with many other people, one which I have done nothing about except dream or slow down traffic when I spy my passion on one of my travels. Cars behind me might be better prepared if I had an “I break for old houses” bumper sticker.

 “A loving home ... can be a place of comfort.”

An old, abandoned house is like a siren of Greek mythology, enticing me to investigate. It took me years to understand that it’s never just the age of the house that calls to me, or imagining the beauty of what once was, or the chance of finding left-behind antiques.

It is always the mystery of the house, the memories held within its walls from times past when it served as a home, a place made sacred by the love that lives

there and the image of God in every member of a family.

Catholic poet Joyce Kilmer had a deep understanding of the meaning of home: “The only reason a road is good, as every wanderer knows, is just because of the homes, the homes, the homes to which one goes.”

A loving home, even when it’s not ours, can be a place of comfort, hospitality, joy and safety as we journey through life. An open door may be a refuge for someone who has wandered far from home or a life-line for those who have no home, and there are many.

Kilmer’s moving poem, “The House with Nobody in It,” is a lament for those houses that have done what houses are meant to do, to “have sheltered life” and are now empty, abandoned with no one to care for and no people to care for them.

Kilmer writes that in passing an old farmhouse on the road, “it hurts me to look at the crumbling roof and the shutters fallen apart, for I can’t help thinking the poor old house is a house with a broken heart.”

What makes a house a home if not the people who live within its walls? Certainly, family relationships can get messy, but when home is a place where love dwells it becomes a haven, where each person is known and respected for who they are, even in cluttered, noisy spaces that might

THINGS MY FATHER TAUGHT ME Mary Clifford Morrell

not be selected for an HGTV special.

Building a home can only be done with intention. Sometimes, we may get caught up in the decorating or remodeling of our houses and let nurturing our homes fall by the wayside. Sometimes, we need reminding that our homes are sacred ground and need adequate tending.

The Jewish faith teaches that the essence of every Jewish home is to serve as a sanctuary and dwelling place for the divine presence of God, and that every Jewish person is a sanctuary and dwelling place for God’s divine presence, as well.

It is a beautiful image for every family to hold on to, and one that gives rise to this Jewish blessing for a home: “May this home be a place of happiness and health, of contentment, generosity and hope, a home of creativity and kindness. May those who visit and those who live here know only blessing and peace.”

Shalom.

Mary Clifford Morrell is the author of “Things My Father Taught Me About Love” and “Let Go and Live: Reclaiming your life by releasing your emotional clutter.”

April 2021  THE MONITOR MAGAZINE 29

Young Catholics

Young adult retreat centers on example of St. Joseph

BY DAVID KARAS  Correspondent

I

nspired by Pope Francis’ call for a Year of St. Joseph, a virtual retreat for young adults across the Diocese of Trenton and beyond featured a host of speakers who helped relate the example of St. Joseph to the daily lives of young adult Catholics.

The March 12-13 retreat, titled “Not Your Average Joe,” explored the patron of the Universal Church and included online, interactive gatherings; recorded talks and “on-your-own” reflections, and Mass celebrated in St. Robert Bellarmine Co-Cathedral, Freehold, which was livestreamed.

“In my mind, [St. Joseph] is the greatest of all the saints,” said Gez Ford, musician and retreat leader from St. Raphael-Holy Angels Parish, Hamilton.

“This is an example of the type of person I want to be.”

 “[St. Joseph] is a model of holiness for every generation.”

In his talk, “Living Our Role as Protector of the Vulnerable,” Ford spoke about the call for all to live as “apparitions of St. Joseph to the world.” He also challenged young adults to visualize St. Joseph as a man, father and individual – including what he was like in person, how skilled he was at work, or even his likelihood of cracking “Dad jokes.”

Ford also reflected on St. Joseph as “the ultimate protector,” one charged with protecting Mary and Jesus. “He would need to be a strong and powerful figure,” Ford said, noting the tremendous responsibility that God bestowed upon Joseph.

Highlighting St. Joseph’s example in

 “Both work and rest are imitations of God,” Father John Paul Walker of New Haven, Conn., reflects in his presentation.  Gez Ford of St. Raphael-Holy Angels Parish, Hamilton, talks about St. Joseph as a man, father and individual – including what he was like in person or even his likelihood of cracking “Dad jokes.” Screenshot photos his own life, Ford reflected on his past and a turning point in the relationship with his father.

“When I came toward the end of my old life, a life of debauchery fueled by alcohol and drugs, I decided that there was a huge gaping wound to recognize between me my father,” Ford said, recounting a time when he went to visit his father and offer forgiveness for his dad not being the best parent.

In turn, his father spoke about his own father’s shortcomings, as well as Ford’s shortcomings as a son.

“There are moments of grace that invade our lives,” Ford said, “and oftentimes they come at a pregnant pause where you are confronted by a truth that you can’t deny, and you have no words or reactions.”

Ford reconciled with his father, and the two agreed to walk together on a journey of healing with each other and with God. LISTENING TO THE LORD In the keynote address – a live, interactive web session the evening of March

30 THE MONITOR MAGAZINE  April 2021

MORE ONLINE Want to watch the “Not Your Average Joe” presentations? Visit dioceseof trenton.org/yaretreat-talks 12 – Father Jason Hage presented on “The Dreams of St. Joseph: Listening to God’s Call.”

Father Hage, director of vocation promotion for the Diocese of Syracuse, N.Y., centered on how, like St. Joseph, young adults are called to respond to the Lord’s call.

He reflected on the discernment of spirits described by St. Ignatius of Loyola, offering advice about the importance of awareness and understanding. He encouraged attendees to take time to examine what is happening in their spiritual lives, and to reflect on spiritual stirrings and seek understanding to determine what is of God – and what is not.

“Do I listen to this dream, do I listen to this angel, saying take this woman into your home?” he asked, channeling the thoughts that St. Joseph likely had Continued on 43

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Family Life

A year later, Faith At Home continues to grow

BY MARY STADNYK  Associate Editor

K

ristin DiStefano has high praise for the Diocese’s weekly catechetical resource, Faith At Home.

Not only does she find the virtual platform helpful in teaching her three daughters about the faith, she utilizes it in her parish religious education program.

“I like the program because it helps children to understand what is going on during the Masses and what the Readings are actually about each week,” said DiStefano, of Our Lady of Fatima Parish, Keyport.

Faith At Home is a weekly downloadable pdf with links to various Catholic websites; activities for those in all stages of life; each Sunday’s Gospel Readings and discussion questions on how to delve deeper into each liturgy,

APRIL 2021 | EASTER

Make the faith come alive for your family during the Easter season.

• •

• • • •

Pray an Our Father each day.

Have you returned to Mass during COVID-19? If not, consider watching this Story of Hope to hear the experiences of those around the diocese.

Your family can make a spiritual communion when attending a virtual Mass.

The Easter season begins with the Vigil Mass on Saturday, April 3rd and lasts through Pentecost Sunday, May 23rd. Pray the Regina Caeli each day during Easter.

Divine Mercy Sunday is April 11. Pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet for your loved ones who have passed away.

Read Bishop O’Connell’s Easter message.

Any Plans for Easter?

Young Adults Young people between the ages 18 and 39 are part of the young adult community and experience a variety of life stages. Learn More >

Newly Married Two people coming together to form something completely new - a brand new family where one didn’t exist before.

 “I believe Faith

Learn More >

Families with Young Children

EASTER 2021

Becoming parents for the first time-- a tremendous blessing but also a tremendous challenge. This is for parents with children who are between 0-5 years old.

Learn More >

Sunday Mass Readings To prepare for Mass, read the Gospel before you attend.

Following Mass, discuss the question posted below with your family.

April 11th - Today we celebrate the Second Sunday of Easter and Divine Mercy Sunday. Where is God calling you to extend mercy to others?

April 18th - In the gospel account, Jesus asked his disciples, “Have you anything here to eat?”. The Risen God asked for something from the startled and terrified disciples. What is the Risen God asking of you at this moment? Discuss ways you can spend more time with the family, in prayer, in the reading of the scriptures, or in helping someone?

April 25th - In ancient Israel, a good shepherd was admired for his courage, dedication, and ability to provide everything his flock required. Who do you think might be considered a good shepherd today? Why? In what ways do you see Jesus as the Good Shepherd?

The readings of the day can be found on the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops Website

Families School-Aged Children Catholic families with school-aged children (6-12 years old) a diverse group, but all have the same basic goal – to form loving, caring relationships and provide a solid foundation for children so they can reach their full human potential. Learn More >

Families with Adolescents Parents of teenagers (13-18 years old) who are dealing with so many pressures to raise purpose-driven, faith-filled kids.

Learn More >

Single/Married Adults Single adults or those who are married with no kids at home.

Many parents have launched children and are entering into the “empty-nest” stage. Learn More >

Golden Years Singles or couples in their golden years who’ve embraced their vocational calling and are now called to adjust to such changes as retirement, financial challenges, health issues, losing independence, and end-of-life issues.

At Home is a great intergenerational tool.”

“Faith At Home will continue as a resource for the near future to assist families throughout the lifecycle to prepare for the liturgy and grow in their relationship with Jesus,” she said.

For example, Faith At Home is expected to include resources associated with the Year of the Family that was

Continued on 43

Learn More >

Visit dioceseoftrenton.org/ faith-at-home to learn more about this catechetical guide!

The Diocese of Trenton is here to support you and your family.

Resources for families can be found on our webpage: dioceseoftrenton.org

32 THE MONITOR MAGAZINE  April 2021

and more. It is available in English and Spanish.

“As a teacher by occupation, I think the format is appropriate and conducive to use with children of all different abilities, levels and backgrounds,” she said, explaining that the short, high-interest articles are easier for children than long passages in a textbook.

Originally developed by the Diocese last April when church doors closed due to the pandemic, the program has since evolved.

“Faith At Home has grown from an attempt to assist families with preparation for the Sunday Mass to a valued tool used by parish leaders to assist with faith formation through the pandemic,” said Denise Contino, director of the diocesan Department of Catechesis.

Hearing that those of all ages wanted more material, “We are now offering families across the life cycle a way to prepare for Mass and grow in their relationship with the Lord,” said Contino, who developed Faith At Home along with the diocesan Departments of Youth and Young Adult Ministries and Evangelization and Family Life.

d

f

People

At 105, lifelong Catholic beats COVID with lots of faith, and a little gin

BY LOIS ROGERS  Correspondent

L

ucia DeClerck has survived the 1918 influenza pandemic, two World Wars, and the loss of three husbands, one son and many of her physicians.

Recently added to the list: COVID-19, which she tested positive for on her 105th birthday.

“She sailed through the two-week quarantine like a champ without any symptoms,” said her granddaughter, Shawn Laws O’Neil.

The tale triggered a flurry of recent articles; her uplifting health news spread far and wide, resulting in an outpouring of greetings from around the globe – all of which reached DeClerck at her residence in Mystic Meadows Rehab and Nursing Center, Little Egg Harbor.

 “I just pray 24/7 for the whole world.”

There, ensconced in a room adorned with pictures of saints and an olive wood cross from the Holy Land, she recently shared her advice for a long life: prayer without ceasing; love without constraint; abiding concern for others; an open door; no “junk food” and, oh yes, nine golden raisins soaked in gin every day as a tonic.

“I found the recipe in a cathedral in Honolulu years ago, and I have followed it ever since. It’s supposed to cure anything that is wrong,” DeClerck confirmed good-naturedly.

FAITH AND FORTITUDE DeClerck was born Jan. 25, 1916, in Maui, Hawaii, and at age two, she

Lucia DeClerck wears a smile – and some shades – after surviving COVID-19. Courtesy photo

For her 100th birthday, DeClerck received a blessing from Pope Francis. Courtesy photo

Jean. She decided at age 90 to move to Stafford on the Bay Apartments in Manahawkin, a senior residence with many activities and fellowship, which she craved.

During her years there, she helped establish a weekly Mass for the residents. Father Nestor Chavenia, parochial vicar in St. Mary Parish, Barnegat, first encountered DeClerck when she was a parishioner there.

He remembers meeting DeClerck when she introduced herself to him in 2012. “One of the ladies approached me

lived through the Spanish flu. When her mother left Hawaii during hard economic times to work in Wyoming, DeClerck was cared for by her grandfather, who sent her to a convent school.

It was there that the would-be lifelong Catholic developed a steadfast faith and enduring love of prayer.

“I grew up Catholic, and I’ve always Continued on 44 been a very strong believer,” she said, adding that she “doesn’t pray for anything in particular. I just Lucia DeClerck enjoys cake on her pray 24/7 for the whole world.”

100th birthday. DeClerck recently Her strong belief and the recovered from COVID-19, after power of prayer carried her being diagnosed Jan. 25 – her through the decades, from 105th birthday. Courtesy photo Wyoming to California and back to Hawaii. During that time, she became the mother of three sons.

DeClerck later moved to New Jersey in her late 70s to be closer to her oldest child, Henry Laws III, and his wife, Lillie

For more photos of Lucia DeClerck’s life, visit TrentonMonitor.com>Multimedia>Photo Galleries

April 2021  THE MONITOR MAGAZINE 33

One faith, two calendars Date of Easter still on ecumenical agenda

BY CINDY WOODEN  Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY • Psalm 148 is a cosmic hymn of praise to God who created the sun and moon and stars and “assigned them their station forever, set an order that will never change.”

Except that never-changing order is one of constant subtle change. And that can create calendar chaos.

 “It would be a great thing if all Christians, on the same day, celebrated the fundamental truth of our faith.”

The ever-so-slightly shifting alignment of the sun and moon relative to the Earth explains why the Jewish feast of Passover and the Christian celebration of Easter seldom coincide, and why Christians themselves celebrate Easter on different dates most years.

This year, the Jewish community celebrates Passover from the evening of March 27 to April 4. Easter for most

Western Christians is April 4, but for many Eastern Christians – both Orthodox and Eastern Catholic – it is May 2.

Different Christian communities celebrated Easter on different days until the Council of Nicaea in 325 decided that for the unity of the Christian community and its witness, Easter would be celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the spring equinox.

But the Julian calendar, which is what Christians used in the fourth century, was a tad out of sync with the actual solar year, so March 21 – generally assumed to be the date of the northern hemisphere’s spring equinox – gradually “drifted” away from the actual equinox.

In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII, relying on the work of the best astronomers of his time, reformed the calendar, dropping 10 days and making the equinox fall on March 21 again.

The development of the Gregorian calendar was not primarily about being more accurate scientifically; it was to ensure the early spring celebration of Easter, the center of the Christian faith. All other movable feast days on the Church calendar – the beginning of Lent and the celebration of Pentecost,

34 THE MONITOR MAGAZINE  April 2021

Ethiopian Orthodox worshippers hold candles during on Holy Saturday in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in the Old City of Jerusalem in this April 7, 2018, file photo. Although Western and Eastern Christians celebrate Easter on different dates most years, since the Second Vatican Council, the Vatican has been open to a common date for Easter. CNS photo/Ammar Awad

for example – are based on the date of Easter.

The Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and the World Council of Churches already are discussing ways to celebrate the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea in 2025. Much of the focus is on an ecumenical reflection of the Nicene Creed, which was formulated at the council.

But Orthodox Archbishop Job of Telmessos, the representative of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople to the World Council of Churches, proposed something concrete: honoring the Council of Nicaea’s efforts to set a common date for Easter by setting a common date for Easter.

The Vatican is onboard and has been Continued on 44

In the Parishes

St. Joseph teaches how Jesus sees the extraordinary in the every day of life

Ruth Woodcock receives the Eucharist from Msgr. Thomas Gervasio during the Mass for the Solemnity of St. Joseph celebrated March 19 in Our Lady of Sorrows Church, Hamilton. Mary Stadnyk photo

BY MARY STADNYK  Associate Editor

R

uth and Joe Woodcock realized another meaningful way they could relate to St. Joseph.

They knew St. Joseph has a litany of titles – spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary and foster father of Jesus – and that he serves as the patron saint of the Universal Church. But what they found especially heartening to hear were phrases on how St. Joseph “speaks no words in the Gospel” and “carried out his mission in silence.”

Silence is something the Woodcocks, members of Our Lady of Sorrows-St. Anthony Parish, Hamilton, have had to learn about on a deeper, personal level since Joe was diagnosed with an aggressive form of throat cancer in December. Joe’s treatment in the past three months included 10 weeks in the hospital, surgery to remove his voice box and chemotherapy.

“We’ve been praying a lot of St. Jo-

seph Novena’s,” said Ruth.

“I pray to St. Joseph every morning,” Joe Woodcock shared by handwriting his quotes. “If St. Joseph can’t help me beside God, nobody can.”

Like the Woodcocks, it was expressions of faith and deep devotion to St. Joseph that drew faithful to attend the specially planned 12:15 p.m. Mass that Msgr. Thomas N. Gervasio celebrated Continued on 44

 Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., celebrated a Mass for the Solemnity of St. Joseph. To read the online article and view the Mass video, visit TrentonMonitor.com>News>Diocese.

Nativity Parish ‘sleeps out’ to aid homeless youth

F

or the fourth year, Father Jim Grogan, pastor of Nativity Parish, and eight members of the Knights of Columbus Council 3187 joined other members of the Fair Haven faith community in enduring an uncomfortable night March 19 to help area homeless youth sleep a bit more soundly.

The group was part of an army of supporters of the Sleep Out: Covenant House New Jersey Community Virtual Edition, an annual fundraiser wherein participants pledge to spend the night sleeping outdoors. Monies raised during the Sleep Out would enable the New York-based organization to offer safety, shelter and support to homeless young people.

Knights and parishioners joined other donors on numerous teams; Father Grogan’s team raised a total of $13,900.

This was the fourth year for The Church of the Nativity to support the Covenant House Sleep Out. Father Grogan explained, “Kevin Ryan [Covenant House International president and CEO] is a parishioner at Nativity, so we have many

people supporting Covenant House since we have a familiarity with Kevin and his family.”

In his pre-event post on the fundraiser website, Father Grogan admitted, “I really wish it was not needed… Tonight, hundreds of  “Tonight, kids will be on the street, under bridges, hundreds of maybe hoping to find a doorway for some shelter. Hundreds will be hungry, kids will be on and far too many will be exploited because of their need, because of their the street. ... desperation.”

Hundreds will The pandemic prevented the group from spending the night in Asbury as be hungry.” in years past, but participants conducted a virtual sleep-out.

The pastor said, “We decided to have a small, socially distanced version of a virtual event in our parish. Members of the Continued on 45

April 2021  THE MONITOR MAGAZINE 35

Education

Scholarships, Mass mark 65th anniversary of priest’s passing

T

he legacy of late Cathedral rector Msgr. Richard T. Crean was remembered 65 years after his death with a Mass in St. Raphael-Holy Angels Parish, Hamilton, March 21.

Two Catholic graduating seniors from Lawrenceville’s Notre Dame High School – Tyler Kenney and Carolyn Smith – were awarded scholarships created to honor the memory of the beloved priest by the event’s host, the Mercer County Federation of Holy Name Societies.

Msgr. Crean was rector of St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton, from 1934 until March 14, 1956, when a latenight fire swept through the Cathedral and the adjacent chancery and rectory.

Rather than fleeing the rectory that was engulfed in flames, Msgr. Crean tried to alert others to the conflagration. He and two housekeepers living within perished.

“At the time of the fire, that took the life of Msgr. Crean and two others, the

Federation … used his death to honor his name with a yearly scholarship to a worthy graduating high school senior,” said Charles Seidenglanz, who has been a Holy Name member since he was 16 years old, some 73 years ago.

Kenney was awarded a scholarship for his many accomplishments at NDHS, including his roles as math league president, baseball player and National Honor Society member and tutor.

Kenney, who has chosen to study engineering but has not yet selected a college, said, “It is really exciting to see the years of hard work in my education start to pay off, and I am very excited for what my future holds.”

Smith, who will pursue a Catholic education in Alvernia University, Reading, Pa., where she has been accepted into the occupational therapy master’s program, noted the special connection she had with the late Msgr. Crean.

Celebrating St. Patrick A student from St. Mary of the Lakes School, Medford, gets ready to snack on a shamrock-shaped soft pretzel treat on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17. Parishes and schools around the Diocese celebrated the patron saint of Ireland’s feast day with Masses with bagpipe processions, decking themselves out in green attire and decorating their school hallways and doorways with green streamers and other Irish symbols. To see more photos, visit TrentonMonitor.com>Multimedia>Photo Galleries. Photo from St. Mary of the Lakes School Facebook page 36 THE MONITOR MAGAZINE  April 2021

“When I found out I won the scholarship, I called my grandparents to tell them,” she said, only to learn that her great-grandfather assisted with the clean-up and re-wiring of the Cathedral after the fire, and brought home a telephone that no longer worked. My grandparents have this phone on display in their home!”

SUPERINTENDENT SCHMIDT RELEASES VIDEO ON TESTING “Testing is one of those things in school that just happens,” Dr. Vincent de Paul Schmidt said in a light-hearted video to students on the Diocese of Trenton YouTube channel. “It’s like homework, recess and chicken nuggets.”

Dr. Schmidt, who serves as diocesan superintendent of Catholic schools, gave the video pep talk March 17 to encourage students to do their best work on the upcoming standardized tests, even if they don’t like exams.

“Here’s a huge surprise for you: most teachers don’t like testing either,” he admitted.

Though most would prefer to learn “rocking” subjects such as science or math, Dr. Schmidt continued, “If students take this testing seriously, our schools can move forward with the fun stuff.”

The educator told his audience to do their best on the 20- to 40-minute tests, for “it makes a difference to your class and school and you. They should make you feel pretty good.

“We need you to give these tests all you got,” Dr. Schmidt concluded. “Prove to yourself that you are super smart and feel good about your effort. I know I will feel awesome about you.”

To see the video, visit YouTube.com/ trentondiocese.

Sports

BY RICH FISHER  Contributing Editor

J

asmin Boyd – the lone senior on the Trenton Catholic Academy girls basketball team – shares an unbreakable bond with her school and her teammates.

Together, they are the last girls to play basketball for TCA as a diocesan high school. With the recent announcement that the school will close this June and with plans to transition to a private Catholic school still unconfirmed as of press time, the players know that they are part of something historic, and they are taking it to heart.

The upside is that when Boyd bids farewell to the Hamilton institution in June, she will have her alma mater to thank for helping her reach her lifelong dream of becoming a Division I basketball player, as she committed to North Carolina A&T on March 15.

It was a case of Boyd also relying on God. “Praying has always helped me,” said

Courtesy photo

TCA girls basketball team stays strong to the end Head coach Bob Fusik rallies the Trenton Catholic Academy girls basketball players in their game against Pennington in February 2018. The team – including this year’s team leader, Jasmin Boyd, standing far right – went on to win the Mercer County Tournament championship game. John Blaine photo

 “No matter what, we were always a family.”

Boyd, who credits her faith for sustaining her through the high points of life as well as the challenges. “I always went to God, always prayed to him, asked him what’s going on and just put it in his hands.”

When speaking of her basketball career, Boyd readily admits that her prayers, hard work and determination led to her capping off a memorable TCA career during which she was a four-year starter. She helped the Iron Mikes earn two Mercer County Tournament titles and, these past two seasons, provided

Jasmin Boyd leadership for a team that went a combined 42-2.

The Iron Mikes went 28-1 in 201920 and 14-1 this year, with their only loss to a New Jersey team coming a few weeks ago to the state’s No. 1 ranked squad, St. John Vianney, Holmdel. Last year, the TCA team lost to Maryland’s Bishop McNamara, and were unable to play for a Non-Public Group B championship due to COVID-19 shutdowns.

Thus, despite a glittering record over Continued on 47

We would like to thank TOSHIBA, exclusive provider of copier services in the Diocese of Trenton Chancery building, for their sponsorship of this page.

April 2021  THE MONITOR MAGAZINE 37

VACCINATION ACCESS Continued from 13

Charities is working collaboratively to develop and implement health communication and community engagement strategies, along with the administration of testing and vaccinations.

“Catholic Charities, Diocese of Trenton was chosen for this work because we have a strong understanding of the needs of the most vulnerable in our communities,” said Susan Loughery, associate executive director and the director of operations. “Throughout the pandemic, we have been open and operational, providing services such as food, housing, domestic violence crisis services, mental health, addictions treatment and integrated health care.”

She added that Catholic Charities has been working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and its Hope and Healing Initiative to conduct community outreach, and has also deployed its nursing teams for home visits.

“We learned much about increased needs of those we serve as a result of the pandemic,” she said.

The initiative includes building a bilingual and multicultural “COVID Community Corps,” which will involve health workers trained through the New Jersey Department of Health Colette Lamothe-Galette Community Health Worker Institute.

“We are working with the Institute to develop an apprenticeship training program for community health workers and community champions, who are much needed on the front lines of COVID-19 response,” said Loughery. “Additionally, some of our staff will be able to be certified as community health workers with our partner academic institution for

this initiative, Ocean County College.

Many of the community health workers are bilingual and are trusted representatives of the communities in which they work.”

A key component of this effort will be targeting services to Latino and Black communities, and both documented and undocumented immigrants. They will work to increase access through assisting with vaccine registration and appointment scheduling, and through helping clients with technology and providing referrals for support with transportation and childcare.

At Catholic Charities’ El Centro, which serves the Latino community in and around Trenton, staff have set up a virtual exam room, and medical technicians, nurses, community health workers and mental health crisis staff will be on hand to provide support.

“There’s a lot of mistrust in the Latino community about whether or not any of the information they put into the vaccine pre-registration site would be distributed to other government entities,” said Roberto Hernandez, El Centro’s director. “That’s why having it here at El Centro is so important – because the community trusts us. They trust El Centro and Catholic Charities. We have been in the community for many years, providing all sorts of services.”

Catholic Charities will also launch wellness groups to provide community education and to work with vulnerable and difficult-to-reach individuals through inhome visits, with assistance provided in multiple languages.

The program will also include COVID-19 testing and vaccination sites, as well as interactive Q&A sessions and virtual exam rooms in locations throughout the Diocese.

“Our work at CCDOT reflects the tenets of Catholic Social Teaching,

38 THE MONITOR MAGAZINE  April 2021

and as such, our doors are always open to all in need,” Loughery said.

“We maintain strong partnerships with hospitals, health centers, and social services entities to reduce disparities, improve lives and advance outcomes for social determinants of health. … There is tremendous synergy between the work we currently do and this public health initiative.”

Catholic Charities has already started outreach to parish communities throughout the Diocese, with some 57 parishes linking to their website, 72 including bulletin notices and 24 parishes that, in the first week of the initiative, have registered more than 1,700 collective individuals for a vaccine administration event at the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption.

GOOD COUNSEL HOMES’ DECADE MILESTONE Continued from 15

years,” said JoAnn DiNoia, the South Jersey home’s founding program director who now volunteers. She also appreciates opportunities to visit parishes to speak about Good Counsel Homes.

A REMARKABLE HISTORY Good Counsel Inc. is a Catholic organization founded in 1985 by its president, Christopher Bell, and Franciscan Friar of the Renewal Benedict Groeschel. The organization cares for single, homeless, pregnant women and those in crisis before, during and after the birth of their babies. In addition to Riverside, there are four homes in the greater New York City area. Good Counsel also provides counseling to women and men dealing with abortion, and assists other maternity homes across the country.

“We have mothers who come from all over … for a fresh start,” said Dominique Coston-Oliphant,

CELEBRATE ONLINE An online event for the 10th anniversary of Good Counsel Homes-South Jersey will be held at 7 p.m.

April 22 featuring a video message by Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M. To register, visit www.goodcounselhomes.org/southjersey. house manager of Good Counsel Homes-South Jersey. “I love being part of the mothers’ experiences and giving them the love and support they and their children need.”

The residents are referrals from local social service agencies and through the agency’s main helpline, which screens and places clients.

“We are a family, and we want to keep a family atmosphere,” DiNoia said, recalling a time several years ago when a newly arrived mother joined everyone for dinner – the first time the woman had ever had dinner in a family like setting. “I’ll never forget that. We were all together around the table.”

Once mothers take up residence, they have assigned chores and, under the direction of resident assistants, learn household maintenance skills such as budgeting, and planning, preparing and cooking meals.

The residents also participate in weekly workshops on parenting, education, nutrition, child growth and development and job skills such as filling out applications, preparing a resume/cover letter, interviewing and appropriate attire.

At the onset of the pandemic, adjustments were made, including scheduling dinners in shifts for social distancing and placing new residents in a bedroom with its own bathroom for a two-week quarantine.

SUPPORTING THE MINISTRY While those affiliated with

Good Counsel Homes-South Jersey are thrilled that the actual date of their 10th anniversary falls on Easter Sunday, Oliphant said the milestone will be observed March 26 with a pandemic-safe, outdoor drive-by celebration from 2 to 4 p.m., followed by the online event in April.

The eight mothers and four children living in the residence will be outside, and all GCH supporters are invited to drive by and exchange greetings from their cars.

Good Counsel Homes-South Jersey does not receive state funding, and the facility operates entirely on private donations and monies generated through fundraising events, with an annual banquet serving as the major fundraiser. ecause of COVID, this year’s banquet was held online and GCH fell short of its $100,000 goal. The operating expense for 2021 is $495,000.

In addition to its staff, the South Jersey home is grateful for its army of volunteers, one of whom is Therese Garbett. Of her 10-year volunteer experience, Garbett said, “[It] has provided me with an opportunity to do something small that becomes part of the bigger picture or tapestry of someone’s life.”

“The moms come with little or nothing, but they leave with a great deal,” said Garbett, of Sacred Heart Parish, Riverton. “They go out into

the world with a new level of hope, more self-esteem and confidence.

They become part of society as nurses, essential workers, pharmacy technicians – but most importantly they become good moms.“

YOUTH SITUATION AT BORDER CRITICAL Continued from 20

or family members of the minors “the journey that unaccompanied children undertake from their home countries is extremely dangerous, and the danger is more severe during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Dylan Corbett, executive director of the Hope Border Institute in El Paso, Texas, a nonprofit that advocates for migrants on the border, said in a March 11 interview with CNS that minors face the same conditions as other migrants: being transported around facilities and sometimes from city to city without being tested for the coronavirus.

El Paso Bishop Mark J. Seitz said that on March 7, the local network of shelters helping migrants and refugees in the border city received word from Border Patrol that between 250 to 300 migrants would be arriving from south Texas and the flow since then has been steady.

They are coming without having been tested for COVID-19.

Bishop Seitz said, “The people who’ve been crossing the border have a lower infection rate than those who are here. The risk is more that we give COVID to them, but in any large group, there’s going to be someone who has the virus.”

Corbett said there are many groups coming through the southern border: asylum-seekers who were turned away during the Trump administration, repeat border crossers, and some seeking economic relief after tropical storms wreaked havoc in their nations. Testing for any of them is scarce.

Corbett said his organization sent a letter addressed to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas asking that, no matter what group it is, DHS ensure testing of incoming migrants.

The letter emphasized the necessity of a plan to care for and isolate those who tested positive, “but we didn’t hear back,” Corbett said.

Now that lack of testing, a “missed opportunity,” is being used by those “who would exploit a situation like this for political purposes,” Corbett said.

What’s causing much of the drama playing out on the news these

days, Corbett said, points to a new presidential administration trying to rebuild an infrastructure whose capacity to welcome migrants was left “impoverished.”

Corbett confirmed that there’s been an increase in activity of migrants at the border. He added that the activity is “not unprecedented,” but was a product of increasing hunger, suffering economies due to COVID, climate change, and turmoil elsewhere.

As of March 15, the Biden administration hadn’t made public details of its plan to house the minors, whether it would house them in tents or other structures to deal with the influx.

Bishop Seitz said that while the minors have to be held until their living situation in the U.S. is vetted, it’s also not necessary to hold them as if they’re in prison.

And whether it’s minors or adults, border communities have always been disposed to step in to help. Bishop Seitz said, “These are just people doing exactly what you or I would do in the exact same situation. They just need a little compassion along the way, and they will do just fine.”

EDITOR’S NOTE: Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas reported in several television interviews March 21 that the unaccompanied minors coming to the border were being tested for COVID-19 and were being quarantined as per CDC guidelines.

April 2021  THE MONITOR MAGAZINE 39

In Memoriam

 IN REMEMBRANCE, a listing of priests and deacons of the Diocese of Trenton who have died, can be found on TrentonMonitor.com>News>Obituaries

BEATRICE SARAH MURDAY, LONGTIME PARISH DIRECTOR OF RELIGIOUS EDUCATION Beatrice Sarah Murday, who served for many years as director of religious education in St. Elizabeth of Hungary Parish, Avon, died March 14 at age 101.

Mrs. Murday was born in Trenton in 1919, and lived there until she married her husband, Col. Stanley James Murday, in 1941.

As a military family, they moved around the country and overseas while raising 12 children. Upon her husband’s retirement in 1972, the family settled in Avon, and Mrs. Murday became involved in St. Elizabeth of Hungary Parish (now part of St. Teresa of Calcutta Parish, Bradley Beach), where she dedicated herself to fostering the Catholic faith in children and serving the needs of others less fortunate.

Along with her role as the director of the religious education program, she was a member of the Catholic Daughters of America for more than 80 years and the Altar Rosary Society. She was a supporter of Madonna House, Neptune, and the Mercy Center, Asbury Park.

In 2016, she was honored with a Champion for Life Award by Mary’s Pro-Life Ministry, recognizing her defense of all human life.

Mrs. Murday was predeceased by her husband, a granddaughter and great-grandson. She is survived by her children: James, Kathleen, Robert, Patricia, Thomas, Richard, David, Susan, Judith, Linda, Donald and Michael and their spouses; 29 grandchildren, 33 great-grandchildren, numerous extended family and friends.

Memorial donations can be made to The American Cancer Society at cancer.org or Mercy Center, 1106 Main Street, Asbury Park, NJ 07712.

OBITUARY INFORMATION  Additional obituaries will be posted to TrentonMonitor.com as information becomes available.

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ST. BONAVENTURE UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT DIES OF COVID-19 COMPLICATIONS ST. BONAVENTURE, N.Y. (CNS) • Dennis R. DePerro, the 21st president of St. Bonaventure University, died of COVID-19 complications March 1. He was 62.

“Words simply can’t convey the level of devastation our campus community feels right now,” said Joseph Zimmer, who is provost and vice president for academic affairs at the Franciscan university in western New York. He was named acting president in late February while DePerro was in recovery.

DePerro was admitted to a Syracuse, New York, hospital Dec. 29 after testing positive for the coronavirus on Christmas Eve. He had been placed on a ventilator in mid-January. The university flag was to fly at half-staff in his honor through the end of March.

A funeral Mass was celebrated March 6.

MARYKNOLL SISTER JANICE MCLAUGHLIN, MINISTERED IN AFRICA FOR NEARLY 40 YEARS WASHINGTON (CNS) • Maryknoll Sister Janice McLaughlin, who ministered in southern Africa for nearly 40 years and later became president of her religious order, died March 7 in Maryknoll, New York, at age 79. No cause of death was given.

Born in Pittsburgh, “her mission vocation was stimulated by pictures of giraffes in National Geographic, and she somehow knew that Africa would be her destiny,” said Orbis Books publisher Robert Ellsberg. The company published one of her books based on her observations of animals native to southern Africa.

Maryknoll Father Joe Healey, a close collaborator with Sister McLaughlin, said he celebrated a Mass March 7 for the repose of Sister McLaughlin’s soul.

“Janice went to Kenya in 1969 to serve in the social communications department of the Kenya Catholic Conference of Bishops,” Father Healey said. “We worked together for over 50 years throughout eastern Africa. We shared a passion to train Africans in the different media of social communications and to hand over our ministries to the local church.”

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Carmel Guild and diocesan staff, board members and supporters.

Guild board member Benedict Gioe recalled how the Home Health Nursing Program helped his family 65 years ago, when his father was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer in the summer of 1956.

“We turned our living room into a hospital room to care for dad, and the visiting nurses came and assisted my mother. We are very grateful for the service the visiting nurses provided then and at the present,” said Gioe, a member of Our Lady of the Angels Parish, Trenton. “The Guild has provided assistance to the residents of Mercer County for 101 years and never lost sight of its

mission to serve with dignity to all who enter their doors.”

After reviewing how the food pantry was among the very first services the Guild offered in 1920 and that the home health nursing program began in 1941, Mary Inkrot, current executive director, remarked on the “many different ministries” the Guild has had as it responded to changing times and community needs.

“Today our mission is focused on assisting our care receivers to overcome challenges to decent health, nutrition, housing and education,” she said.

While the Guild has witnessed many difficult times and challenges, Inkrot noted how grateful she is “that we are here now to respond to the food insecurity brought on by the pandemic, to help fill the great need

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42 THE MONITOR MAGAZINE  April 2021

for assistance for tenants facing eviction and to continue home care for the elderly through our accredited nursing program.

“I look forward to when the pandemic lessens and we can focus fully on moving forward with several initiatives planned for improving health,” Inkrot said. “We are grateful to our mission members, donors and partners whose generous support allow us to continue to serve as the Guild begin its second century of providing hope and preserving dignity.”

FILIPINOS OBSERVE 500 YEARS OF FAITH Continued from 18

make us grasp the immensity of God’s love – maybe because we prefer a glum, sorrowful and self-absorbed religiosity – then this is a sign that we need to stop and listen once more to the preaching of the Good News,” the Pope said. “God loves you so much that he gave you

his entire life.”

Christians, he added, are also called to make an act of selfless love that “offers itself, gives itself, expends itself” to others.

“That is the power of love: it shatters the shell of selfishness, breaks our carefully constructed security zones, tears down walls and overcomes fears so as to give freely of itself,” the Pope said. “That is what loves does: it gives itself.”

Pope Francis encouraged Filipino Catholics to continue being witnesses of Gospel joy and thanked them for “the joy you bring to the whole world and to our Christian communities.”

The message of God’s love, he added, “cries out to be expressed in love” and is at the heart of the Church’s mission “to care for those who are hurting and living on the fringes of life.”

“The Church is called not to judge but to welcome; not to make demands, but to sow seeds; not to condemn, but to bring Christ who is our salvation,” the Pope said.

THE DIOCESE OF TRENTON is committed to the initiatives outlined in the U.S. Bishops’ Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People and to its own policies and guidelines in regard to the reporting and investigation of sexual abuse allegations involving minors.

If you have been sexually abused as a minor by a member of the clergy or anyone representing the Catholic Church, or if you know of someone who was, you can report that abuse through the diocesan

ABUSE HOTLINE: 1-888-296-2965 or via e-mail at abuseline@dioceseoftrenton.org.

The Diocese of Trenton reports any allegations of sexual abuse to the appropriate law enforcement agencies. Anyone with an allegation is also encouraged to provide that information to local law enforcement authorities.

YOUNG ADULTS GROW CLOSER TO GOD Continued from 30

following his visit from the angel, and his call to vocation. “Clearly you can see the wrestling that must have been going on deep down in Joseph’s heart.”

Father Hage spoke about the competing forces that can pull individuals to and from God, and the importance of discernment in how best to stay on track when moving closer to God. Seeing God in Work In another talk presented by Father John Paul Walker, pastor of St. Mary Parish, New Haven, Conn., young adults were challenged to consider the integration of faith in their work lives.

“If it is true for most of us, that the piece of that journey known as work is going to stretch many decades, probably the single biggest portion of our life … that means it is a part of our life that God very much wants to be part of,” he said. “Something as large and significant as our time spent in human labor – the Lord absolutely wants to be there.”

Father Walker also spoke about engaging in work as a way of imitating God’s act of creation, adding the importance of following God’s call to rest following that work.

“Both work and rest are imitations of God,” he said. “[Rest] is not just a good idea, it is not just something for our mental and psychological well-being, it is a part of the command we have from God.” Other talks during the event – which drew about 75 registrants and was sponsored by the diocesan Department of Youth and Young Adult Ministries – included “A Feminine Approach to St. Joseph,” “Devoting Ourselves to God Through the Intercession and Model of St.

Joseph,” and “Praying with St. Joseph Through Art.” Ford urged attendees to recognize and follow the example that St. Joseph sets for faithful of all ages and backgrounds.

“Whether you are called to single life, married life, a consecrated life, [or] to the priesthood, St. Joseph fits into every single area,” he said.

“He is a model of holiness for every generation, for every person in every generation.”

Monte Bros., who provides quality sound systems for many of the parishes in the Diocese of Trenton, would like to wish the parishioners in the Diocese a very

Happy Easter.

LEARNING ABOUT THE FAITH AT HOME Continued from 32

proclaimed by Pope Francis.

“Faith At Home is broadening the vision and scope of the family, not only supporting the family with young children but also families at every phase of life,” said Josue Arriola, Evangelization and Family Life director.

He explained those phases as: young adults; newly married; families with young or school-aged children; families with adolescents; single/married adults and those in their golden years.

In Our Lady of Fatima Parish, Anne Biagianti, who currently oversees a virtual religious education program for 200 students, said Faith At Home has become “a key part of our spiritual resource not only because it is bilingual but it covers all age groups.”

“I believe Faith At Home is a great intergenerational tool,” she said, adding that she communicates with many grandparents and parents who “think this is a great way to start a topic discussion at family meals.”

As a catechist who uses the Gospel weeklies to create lessons, DiStefano said, “Where virtual learning is very difficult for many kids, I Continued on 44

April 2021  THE MONITOR MAGAZINE 43

Continued from 43

feel the program is user-friendly and engaging.”

She noted that many of the activities and readings can be used as a springboard for more serious discussions on topics such as moral behavior, Catholic living, social justice and community outreach.

As an example, DiStefano cited the online Family Giving Jar, which suggests making a list of small acts of giving that children can perform; encouraging children to keep track of their acts of giving; having children add a coin to the giving jar for every act of giving, and more.

Overall, she continued, the pandemic has posed a lot of challenges “to our conventional way of doing things.” Which is why, she said, “I am thankful that there is Faith At Home to provide some consistency for children in a non-overwhelming manner.

“Now more than ever, we need hope in our world, and helping our children learn about God helps them increase faith – and faith is where we find this hope.”

AGE, BEAUTY, FAITH AT 105 YEARS OLD Continued from 33

and said, ‘I am the oldest person here. You can consider me your

grandma,’” he said.

They exchanged the first of countless hugs, he said, and bonded during the years she was a member of St. Mary Parish.

“She is a very lovely and beautiful lady” of great faith, said Father Chavenia, who worked with parishioners and friends to arrange a Papal Blessing for DeClerck’s 100th birthday.

The first blessing, he recalled, was presented during a large celebration arranged by family members and attended by parishioners and friends. He also arranged a blessing for DeClerck’s 105th birthday but noted that he couldn’t present it in person because of COVID-19 safety regulations.

“I had to put it in a box for her,” Father Chavenia said, adding that he is looking for a beautiful frame for when he is able to see her again.

He is hoping that will be sometime soon.

SOURCE OF STRENGTH About four years ago, DeClerck transferred from the senior residence to Mystic Meadows for rehab after sustaining a fall, her son Henry said.

She liked it so much, she decided to stay.

He said his mother – who has five grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren and 11 great-great grandchildren – has “the entire love of the

44 THE MONITOR MAGAZINE  April 2021

people in the facility, so much so that they gave her space in the conference room to be set up as a chapel.”

Michael Neiman, the administrator, who is Jewish, said that the affection is mutual. “What is amazing is that she is so positive” in her faith and that her presence acts like a magnet to others.

“When we used to allow visitors, everyone would stop by her room to visit,” he said of DeClerck, who “always has a Rosary in her hand.”

“She gives [the staff] and residents strength,” Neiman said.

“She brings blessings to everyone and prays with all who have need of it” – as in one recent case where a staff member was facing surgery.

“You feel the extra goodness in her,” Neiman said. “I go in and pray with her at least once a day” – and if he’s feeling down – “I go in twice.”

UNITED CELEBRATION OF EASTER Continued from 34

since the Second Vatican Council.

Bishop Brian Farrell, secretary of the pontifical council, already is working with other Church leaders to prepare for the Nicene anniversary.

A common date for Easter should be part of the discussions, he told Catholic News Service March 17. “It would be a great thing if all Christians, on the same day, celebrated the fundamental truth of our faith.

That would be hugely important.”

As an appendix to Vatican II’s 1963 Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, the Vatican issued a declaration “on revision of the calendar,” saying council members “would not object if the feast of Easter were assigned to a particular Sunday of the Gregorian calendar, provided that those whom it may concern, especially the brethren who are not in communion with the Apostolic See, give their assent.”

Basically, the Vatican would agree to a change if other Christians would.

Several attempts, almost always led by Orthodox bishops, have been made over the past 100 years to push for a common date for Easter. It seems most Christians agree in principle but picking the date or the calendar or the formula has been elusive. And even Google seems to think there is such a thing as “Orthodox Easter,” which, when searched, gives a different date from just “Easter.”

At a 1997 consultation in Aleppo, Syria, representatives from all the major Christian churches recommended maintaining the Nicaea formula of Easter on the Sunday after the first vernal full moon, but said, “the astronomical data” – the vernal equinox and the full moon – should be calculated using “the most accurate possible scientific means” and using “the meridian of Jerusalem, the place of Christ’s Death and Resurrection,” as the basis for the calculation.

In fact, the vernal equinox that marks the official start of spring in the northern hemisphere is not a whole day, but a specific time that occurs between March 19 and March 21, depending on the place the observation is made.

ST. JOSEPH TEACHES MANY LESSONS Continued from 35

on March 19 for the Solemnity of St. Joseph in Our Lady of Sorrows Church, Hamilton.

In his homily, Msgr. Gervasio spoke of the “many lessons that St. Joseph teaches us” even though very little is known about him and the Scriptures do not provide any details.

“We might call him the patron of the hidden life,” he said.

Msgr. Gervasio drew a

comparison between the way the majority of his parishioners most likely lead their lives to the way St. Joseph led his life, saying, “So much of our routine, so much of what we do each day will never make the headlines, will never receive the acclaim of the public.

“It is not so important that our deeds, our words be seen or broadcast to have value or importance in the sight of God. God does not measure our virtue by the fanfare we receive,” he said.

Msgr. Gervasio reminded the faithful that when thinking about Jesus, most often the thoughts are directed toward his words, miracles, his Passion, Death and Resurrection.

“But we should never forget that before all of that, Jesus lived a simple, hidden life, in a small village, far away from all the great people, great cities and great events,” Msgr.

Gervasio said. “It was a life that was not spectacular and very ordinary.

“That is how most of our lives are lived,” Msgr. Gervasio said. “Let St. Joseph teach us that in the day to day ordinary routine of life, our loving and merciful Lord sees the extraordinary.”

IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE HOMELESS Continued from 35

team joined me to watch the livestream program from Covenant House and then slept out at their own homes. A small contingent of our adult team, five of us, slept out on the parish grounds this year, while others chose their own backyards.

“We slept variously under trees [and] on the floor of our garage,” Father Grogan continued, explaining that most of the adults made it through the night and headed home at 6 a.m. “It was cold but dry, [reported temperatures were about 29 degrees], but I was actually glad

for the cold, as it emphasized our solidarity with the kids who are homeless every night.”

Father Grogan explained that he was grateful that he could return to the comfort of the rectory the following day. “I won't be homeless for a night, but will honor those who are by my action to help raise funds so that Covenant House may continue to change lives, to welcome in the lost, the homeless, the abused, the afraid kids to a shelter where they can experience God’s love, no matter what their story and circumstances may be,” he said.

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April 2021  THE MONITOR MAGAZINE 45

STONE YOUNG MAN NAZARETH PETER

ENTRANCE ROBE NOT HERE GALILEE

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SCRIPTURE SEARCH

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

SABBATH DAWN

© 2021 TRI-C-A Publications; tri-c-a-publications.com

Search FUN & GAMES at TRENTONMONITOR.COM to find more SCRIPTURE SEARCH puzzles to print at home.

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Thessalonica 39 “…rather be poor than a ___.”

(Prov 19:22) 40 Catholic actor Guinness 42 Longest of the prophetic books of the Old Testament 43 Angel’s hat?

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ACROSS 1 “__ and eat; this is my body.”

(Mt 26:26) 3 The ___ Body of Christ 9 3 PM prayer 10 “Bring Flowers of the ___” 12 Joseph and Benjamin, to Jacob 14 “…and there was no man to ___ the ground” (Gen 2:5) 15 Rite in the Church in the West 16 Brothers of Joseph 19 Diocese of Honolulu necklaces 20 Patriarch respite, perhaps 22 ___, amas, amat 24 Saint who gave his name to an alphabet 25 Catholic actress and First Lady of the American Theatre 27 John’s symbol 29 “___ Angelicus” 30 OT prophetic book 31 Prize won by Mother Teresa 33 Christmas stocking disappointment 34 Level of reverence reserved to God alone 37 He housed Paul and Silas in

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45 www.wordgamesforcatholics.com

2:19) 36 One of 12 brothers in the Old Testament 37 Fourth Evangelist 38 Lot’s wife was turned into a pillar of this 39 Feast in the Diocese of Honolulu 41 Agency headed by uncle of Cardinal Dulles (abbr.)

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two seasons, one of the state’s top teams never got to compete for a state title.

So head coach Bob Fusik and assistant Sherika Salmon provided inspiration in other ways.

“We told them ... don’t worry about individual stats, just worry about the team,” Fusik said.

Those words were taken to heart.

“We wanted to go out with a bang, win as many games as we could,” Boyd said. “We wanted to show everybody that even though [the future of] TCA basketball [was uncertain], we’re still gonna stay strong.”

Emotions were mostly ones of happiness after each game. Fusik made sure to load up the schedule with as many ranked teams as possible to provide his players with another form of motivation.

“We went in just saying we want to play everybody and anybody this year because we’re not playing for any championships,” the coach said.

“At St. John Vianney, it was a four-point game with three minutes left. The outcome obviously wasn’t what we wanted, but I felt we had a very good season. We packed our schedule with seven top 20 teams, and to go 14-1, we were very happy,” he said.

Beating TCA was a tough task thanks in great part to sophomores Zoe Brooks and Aalyah Del Rosario. Brooks, a shooting guard, led the team in scoring with a 19.5 average and in steals with 56. Del Rosario, a 6-foot-6 center, averaged 16.6 points and a team-high 11.5 rebounds.

Also making an impact was freshman Aurora Almon-Sanchez, who was second on the team in rebounds, and sophomore Angelica Velez, who led the Mikes in assists with 82.

Making sure it all ran smooth was Boyd, the quiet but indispensable leader, who won this year’s Renee Keister Award.

The award is named after the former Iron Mikes’ great whose career ended after her sophomore year, when an accident suffered at home left her in a wheelchair for life. It is given to the Mercer County player who defines Keister’s determination and ability.

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Continued from 37

“I can’t say enough about Jasmin,” Fusik said. “Every year we just watched her develop her game. She went from being a hard-nosed player and doing whatever we asked, to being a leader this year. She never worried about her stats. There were games she’d take two shots, but never whined or moaned, ‘How come I don’t get more shots?’”

Boyd averaged 12 points over 10 games and had 29 assists and 37 steals. She showed enough ability to be signed by one of the top mid-major programs in the nation after playing for one of the top high school programs in the state. NC A&T won the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Tournament on March 13 and is in the NCAA Tournament for the third time in six years.

“The ride over the last two years was great,” Boyd said. “No matter what, we were always a family. We were always caring for each other. It didn’t matter about anything else. We were there for each other, the coaches were there for us. We were always sisters. We had each other’s back; whether we won or lost, it didn’t matter “Playing for coach Bob and coach Sherika was such a pleasure, and being at TCA was just a great experience,” she said.

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