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Newspaper of the Diocese of Trenton
JANUARY 11, 2018
The four deacons to be ordained priests, from left, Rev. Messrs. Ballacillo, Barry, Gentile and Kennedy, stand before Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., at the start of the Ordination Rite on June 3. Craig Pittelli photo Siani Harding, one of 128 seniors who graduated June 5 from Holy Cross Academy, Delran, and one of the Diocese of Trenton’s 1,700 Catholic high school seniors, graced the cover of the 2017 graduation magazine. Holy Cross, which celebrated its 60th anniversary this year, will close as a diocesan school in June 2018, with plans announced to reopen in July as a private school. Craig Pittelli photo
year in review
The last year brought a range of highs and lows around the world and in the Diocese of Trenton. Epic disasters devastated vast areas in the southern and western United States, Central America and the Caribbean, yet the generosity of the Catholic community has been unyielding. Even as hatred, racism and violence erupted, the Catholic community gave witness to their belief in Jesus Christ and the Gospel values that he taught. Milestones were prayerfully commemorated, including the Fatima Centennial, and new endeavors brought fresh causes for celebration, such as the elevation of a Co-Cathedral for the Diocese.
During the 18th annual diocesan Blue Mass in St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton, April 18, a piper adds his talents to the hymn “Amazing Grace,” played as a Communion meditation. The Blue Mass celebrates the contributions of those in law enforcement. Craig Pittelli photo
A jib holding a video camera hangs about 10 feet above the congregation as Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., celebrates an Easter Mass Nov. 30 in St. Catharine Church, Spring Lake. The Mass was taped in advance to be broadcast nationwide by ABC on Easter Sunday, April 1. Mike Ehrmann photo
S2 YEAR in REVIEW
THE MONITOR • JANUARY 11, 2018
Natural disasters spur generous response from Catholics across nation for aid, recovery efforts By Dennis Sadowski Catholic News Service WASHINGTON • In Puerto Rico, Texas, Florida, California and Mexico City, recovery was slow and deep pain remained from a string of natural disasters as 2017 ended. Hurricanes, wildfires and earthquakes from August through December caused widespread destruction and claimed hundreds of lives. Rebuilding in the affected areas will take years to complete. Catholic agencies responded with emergency aid and undertook fundraising campaigns to help people of different walks of life who lost homes and livelihoods. Perhaps no other place was harder hit than Puerto Rico, which was
Faithful in the Diocese of Trenton were generous in supporting Hurricane Harvey relief efforts. For more on the local response, see the Year in Review on pages S4 and S5. slammed in September by Hurricane Maria, the 10th most intense Atlantic storm on record. Electrical power was at 70 percent capacity and many communities continued to have no access to clean water in mid-December. Cardinal Blase J. Cupich of Chicago visited the island in early December at the behest of Pope Francis. He toured the island with representatives of Catholic Extension, the papal society that has supported the Church in Puerto
Rico for decades. He found once-bustling town centers and business districts shuttered in cities large and small, signaling a massive loss of income and livelihood. Collapsed buildings, flooded homes and roofless structures offered testimony to the severity of the storm. The official death toll in Puerto Rico stands at 64. However, data obtained by the Center for Investigative Reporting shows that at least 985 additional people died in the 40 days after the hurricane, which is a higher death toll than in 2016, a year without such severe storms. Elsewhere, Hurricane Harvey swamped southern Texas and southwestern Louisiana as it ambled offshore in the Gulf of Mexico for days in late August, dumping more than 50 inches of rain on some communities. Catholic parishes and schools were among entities affected by flooding. The storm was the first major hurricane to make landfall on the U.S. mainland since 2005 and caused nearly $200 billion in damage. Then came the back-to-back storms in the Caribbean: first Hurricane Irma followed by Hurricane Maria. With winds topping 160 miles an hour, both storms devastated entire islands. Irma also caused flooding throughout Florida. Beyond Puerto Rico, the U.S Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands, Antigua, Barbuda, Guadeloupe, Martinique, and Turks and Caicos were battered by the storms. About the same time, earthquakes of magnitudes 8.1, 7.1 and 6.1 jolted Mexico Sept. 7, Sept. 19 and Sept. 23, resulting in 474 deaths and more than 6,300 injuries.
NO RELIEF • Margarita Rodriguez holds a flashlight as she quizzes her 11-year-old daughter, Isel Martinez, about homework outside their home Oct. 25 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The effort to restore electrical power was slow and, as of mid-December, had only reached 70 percent capacity. CNS photo/Bob Roller
DEATH AND DESTRUCTION • A firefighter battles a wildfire Oct. 14 near Santa Rosa, Calif. Exacerbated due to excessive winds and a dry summer, the wildfire season unfolded through the fall, taking lives and displacing families. CNS photo/Jim Urquhart, Reuters The temblors were followed in October and December by wildfires in California, driven by hot winds and fueled by hundreds of thousands of acres of dry timber, a consequence of a dry summer. The most recent round of fires near Los Angeles followed by two months more than a dozen wind-whipped blazes in California wine country that destroyed thousands of homes in urban neighborhoods, causing 24 deaths and leaving hundreds of families homeless.
Spirit of Solidarity In response to the disasters, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Catholic Charities USA, Society of St. Vincent de Paul and Catholic Relief Services mobilized to raise funds to assist with emergency relief and long-term recovery. The USCCB collected $38.5 million for hurricane relief and another $1.3 million for Mexican earthquake relief. Catholic Charities USA raised $24 million for disaster assistance. The Society
of St. Vincent de Paul also was on the scene in various locales coordinating its response through parish and diocesan councils. Other donors included Catholic Extension, which provided $400,000 in immediate support to the Church in Puerto Rico following the hurricanes, and the Knights of Columbus, which pledged $1.4 million for church repairs in Florida, Texas and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The organization earlier provided $100,000 to the Archdiocese of San Juan, Puerto Rico. Caritas Mexico by the end of October had raised $900,000 for earthquake emergency aid. Catholic Relief Services, the U.S. bishops’ overseas relief and development agency and a partner in the Church’s Caritas Internationalis network, was on the ground providing disaster assistance. The U.S. bishops’ Subcommittee on Catholic Home Missions made an emergency grant of $50,000 to the Diocese of Santa Rosa, California, to help with See Catholic • S8
CONSECUTIVE EARTHQUAKES • Members of Israeli and Mexican rescue teams carry a body from a collapsed building Sept. 21 in Mexico City, two days after an earthquake. Three quakes hit the country within three weeks’ time, resulting in 474 deaths and more than 6,300 injuries. CNS photo/Carlos Jasso, Reuters
YEAR in REVIEW S3
JANUARY 11, 2018 • TrentonMonitor.com
Nuclear threat raises tensions in U.S., Asia, worldwide By Mark Pattison Catholic News Service WASHINGTON • The ratcheting up of North Korea’s missile testing, and fears that it also is advancing in its quest to launch a nuclear weapon, has gotten the attention of virtually everyone within range of any North Koreanfired missile and leaders worldwide, including Pope Francis. On the Dec. 2 flight from Bangladesh to Rome following his visit to Myanmar and Bangladesh, Pope Francis said St. John Paul II’s U.N. address from 1982 may be out of date. St. John Paul had told the U.N. general assembly that deterrence could be judged morally acceptable as a way of ridding the world of nuclear weapons. At that time, the Cold War still raged, and deterrence was the norm. “What has changed?” Pope Francis asked on the flight. “The irrationality has changed.” The Pope added his position is open to debate, but “I’m convinced that we are at the limit of licitly having and using nuclear weapons.” At a Vatican conference in early November, Pope Francis said today with nuclear weapons, “the threat of their use as well as their very possession is to be firmly condemned.” He later explained to journalists that the increased sophistication of the weapons means “you risk the destruction of humanity, or a great part of humanity.”
Calls for Peace Pope Francis urged religious leaders from South Korea to dedicate their words and actions to building peace and harmony. “We are called to be heralds of peace, proclaiming and embodying a nonviolent style, a style of peace, with words clearly different from the narrative of fear and with gestures opposed to the rhetoric of hatred,” the Pope said Sept. 2, the day before North Korea detonated what it said was a hydrogen bomb. By midDecember, North Korea had conducted six nuclear tests underground. Since February, it has fired off 23 missiles. The Pope told South Korean faith leaders that progress on the path to peace is made “not just by raising our voices but by rolling up our sleeves, to sow the hope of a future in which humanity becomes more human, a future which heeds the cry of so many who reject war and implore greater harmony between individuals and communities, between peoples and states.” Pope Francis’ view has been echoed by others at the Vatican. Continuing education by the Church about the danger nuclear weapons pose is needed if the goal of total nuclear disarmament is to be achieved, Archbishop Silvano Tomasi, an official in the Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, said Sept. 26 at Georgetown University.
“If you keep it at a confrontational level, United States vs. North Korea, and keep the rhetoric hot, you know where that’s going to go.”
look back
FOCUS ON DIPLOMACY • Bishop Oscar Cantu of Las Cruces, N.M., gestures during a 2017 meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson at the State Department in Washington. In a letter to Tillerson in October, Bishop Cantu urged the U.S. to work with others in the international community for a diplomatic dialogue-based solution to rising nuclear tensions with North Korea. CNS photo/Bob Roller
year in review
They said they were concerned by Trump’s threats to “totally destroy” North Korea and to withdraw the U.S. from the Iran accord because both actions would bring the world “to the brink of nuclear catastrophe.” Trump ultimately refused to recertify Iran’s compliance with the deal, but neither did he scuttle the agreement.
Average people, including Catholics in the pew, hold the key to eventual disarmament, Archbishop Tomasi added. He said it is vital for people to learn Sole Solution: Dialogue about the issues surrounding nuclear weapons and press their governments Dialogue is the way to reduce tenabout the threats to security such arma- sions in the “hair-trigger” nuclear crisis ments pose and how their possession between the United States and North and upkeep redirects billions of dollars Korea, said Chuck Hagel, a former U.S. in funding away from human needs. defense secretary, Republican senaThe Vatican also has shared its contor from Nebraska and Vietnam War cern regarding North Korea’s nuclear veteran during a Nov. 2 Georgetown ambitions, and regarding the tensions University forum on the issue. North Korea’s actions have caused with “If you keep it at a confrontational the United States. level, United States vs. North Korea, “The rising tensions over North and keep the rhetoric hot, you know Korea’s growing nuclear program are where that’s going to go,” Hagel said. “If of special urgency,” Archbishop Paul you bring in others, that insulates the Gallagher, Vatican foreign minister, said heat,” he added. “The most successful Sept. 20 at a U.N. conference on the agreements that have been reached since Comprehensive NuclearTest-Ban Treaty. “The threat or use SHOW OF of military force have FORCE • A rocket no place in countering is launched during a demonstration of proliferation,” he said, a new large-caliber “and the threat or use of multiple rocket nuclear weapons in counlaunching system tering nuclear proliferain this undated tion are deplorable.” file photo released More than 750 leadby North Korea’s ers of religious congreKorean Central News Agency. CNS photo/ gations, officials at CathKCNA via Reuters olic organizations and individual parishioners Catholics called on U.S. President Donald Trump and Congress in October to seek diplomatic solutions to defuse rising tensions between the United States and North Korea and to assure that the U.S. remains a party to the Iran nuclear deal.
World War II are multiparty agreements.” “The threat of violence from the North Korean regime cannot be ignored, but the prospect of catastrophic death and destruction from military action must prompt the United States to work with others in the international community for a diplomatic solution based on dialogue,” Bishop Oscar Cantu of Las Cruces, New Mexico, said in an October letter to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. “The agreement with Iran is critical for progress in nuclear nonproliferation and has implications for the deeply troubling prospect of a nuclear-armed North Korea,” Bishop Cantu wrote. On Dec. 12, Tillerson issued a statement saying the U.S. was willing to hold talks with North Korea “without preconditions,” but a day later Trump’s press secretary said the White House’s position is that talks would be pointless if North Korea continues to threaten other countries. In the midst of it all, the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons. It was commended for its work in drawing attention “to the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of any use of nuclear weapons,” the Nobel committee said. “It is the firm conviction of the Norwegian Nobel committee that ICAN, more than anyone else, has in the past year given the efforts to achieve a world without nuclear weapons a new direction and new vigor,” it said.
S4 YEAR in REVIEW
THE MONITOR • JANUARY 11, 2018
year in review CAMPAIGNS, INITIATIVES AND ACHIEVEMENTS After much prayerful consideration, Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., announced the results of the Faith in our Future pastoral planning initiative Jan. 25. “As we move into a New Year, the time is right to adjust our vision to ‘new things’ for our Diocese,” the Bishop wrote in a pastoral letter. “While what has been in our past experience is comfortable, we are a living, changing Catholic community, a changing local Church, that is, in St. Augustine’s words, ‘a beauty ever ancient, ever new.’” The decisions announced Jan. 25 will be implemented over a three-year period (20172020) resulting in: 9 fewer parishes (107 to 98) and 10 to 12 fewer pastorates (101 to 91/89); 25 cohorts of collaborative parishes focused on working together to carry out the mission of evangelization; 7 linkages: 15 parishes will be sharing their pastor with at least one other parish; potential for 2 additional linkages following review, involving four more parishes; 9 mergers: 17 parishes will be consolidated into 8 new parishes; Suspension of operations at two church sites, with potential for a third site to be added after review; 1 personal parish; Designation of 18 centers for Hispanic ministry, 2 centers for Portuguese ministry, 2 centers for Haitian ministry; Action on four additional parishes has been postponed pending review. (See TrentonMonitor.com for additional information on Faith In Our Future.) The Diocese initiated Together in Mission, which was created to help pastors, parish clergy and staff, parish ministry leaders and families become more intentional about evangelizing at every phase of life. It offers an organizing principle or framework for understanding how the ministries of parish life are related to one another and how they can support the real lives of Catholic families growing in faith. Symbolism and ritual mixed with joy and
tears Feb. 19 as the Diocese gathered to witness and celebrate the elevation of St. Robert Bellarmine Parish, Freehold, to Co-Cathedral status. Bishop O’Connell, and Archbishop Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the U.S., signed an official decree elevating the church to the dignity of Co-Cathedral. A keepsake booklet, “Created for the Glory of God,” detailed the rich history, architecture and service of the parish. The Diocese’s multi-year endowment campaign, “Faith to Move Mountains,” concluded in December. The sole purpose of the campaign was to endow the wide-reaching spiritual works as well and material needs of the Diocese and its parishes for a future. More than 23,000 donors contributed to raise more than $71 million as of Jan. 8, 2018. The program has achieved nearly 95 percent of its original $75 million goal. Parishes throughout the Diocese rallied around victims of hurricanes that devastated areas of Houston, Florida and Puerto Rico. In August, Bishop O’Connell instituted a collection for the victims of Hurricane Harvey, amassing a total of nearly $820,000 sent to the Diocese of Galveston-Houston. In response to the needs that emerged following the two subsequent hurricanes – Irma and Maria – Bishop O’Connell encouraged those who wished to donate to the Church-run relief efforts to give directly to Catholic Charities USA. These collections, and subsequent visits to the stricken areas, reflected both compassion and the desire of the people to show their gratitude from the Diocese’s own need during Superstorm Sandy five years earlier. The Diocesan Encuentro was held Sept. 30 in the Holy Trinity Church gymnasium of Christ the King Parish, Long Branch, as part of the national initiative of the V Encuentro (Fifth Encounter). The daylong event, conducted in Spanish and sponsored by the diocesan Office of Pastoral Life and Mission and Hispanic Ministry Initiatives, drew more than 150 parishlevel Hispanic ministry leaders, including
Teens kneel in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament during the Diocesan Youth Conference, a day of song, dance, speakers, games and a Mass celebrated by Bishop O’Connell March 4 in St. Gregory the Great Parish, Hamilton Square. Craig Pittelli photo.
many Encuentro delegates. The gathering was an opportunity for delegates from parishes, apostolic groups and Catholic organizations around the Diocese to share – with the invited ministry leaders – their experiences of reflection, discernment, consultation and evangelization that were part of their parish community’s participation in the V Encuentro process. A goal of the working retreat was to brainstorm, identify and discuss best ministerial practices so the Church in the Diocese can more fully be Church. The V Encuentro – the fifth national “encounter” of Hispanic/Latino ministry since the first one in 1972 – is a four-year process of ecclesial reflection and action inviting all Catholics in the United States to intense missionary activity, consultation, leadership and development. It has been proposed as a priority activity of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Strategic plan for 2017 to 2020.
St. Robert Bellarmine Parish, Freehold, was elevated to the status of Co-Cathedral Feb. 19. A keepsake booklet, “Created for the Glory of God,” detailed the rich history, architecture and service of the parish. Craig Pittelli photo
MAJOR EVENTS AND CELEBRATIONS Though forecasts for a strong nor’easter canceled the annual Rally for Life on the steps of the New Jersey Statehouse in Trenton Jan. 23, dozens of all generations gathered with Bishop O’Connell, for the annual Mass for Life in St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton, that same day. Tens of thousands from across the world were joined by faithful from throughout the Diocese, including Bishop O’Connell, in Washington Jan. 27 to mark the 44th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision. Speakers explored the theme “The Power of One” and called this year’s event “a new day, a new dawn for life.” Bishop O’Connell served as principal celebrant and homilist of a Mass held during the annual Catholic Men for Jesus Christ Conference in St. Joseph Parish, Toms River, Feb. 25. Hundreds of men and boys from around the Diocese heard presentations by pro-life U.S. Rep. Chris Smith, who is also a member of St. Gregory the Great Parish, Hamilton Square; director of apologetics for Catholic Answers, Tim Staples, and author Marie Joseph shared their stories of faith. About 200 women, men and children gathered with their godparents, sponsors and family members for the Rite of Election held March 5 in St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton. The Rite of Election marks a milestone in the faith journeys of the catechumens, those who are participating in the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults processes in their parishes and is the occasion when the catechumens publicly declare their intention to become a fully initiated member of the Catholic Church through the reception of the Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist) at the Easter Vigil. In addition to the 200 persons who became
fully initiated members of the Catholic Church through the reception of the Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist) at the Easter Vigil April 15, some 500 candidates came into full communion with the Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil. The Diocese celebrated the 18th annual Blue Mass for Law Enforcement April 18 in St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton. Hundreds of officers, civic officials and civilians heard Bishop O’Connell speak on the message of Easter and urge the law enforcement personnel never to lose sight of the promise that “Jesus is watching you always.” In honor of the centennial of the appearance of the Blessed Virgin to three peasant children at Fatima, parishes around the Diocese held May processions, prayed Rosaries and celebrated the Virgin’s intercession for mankind. In an advisory proclamation dated May 5, Bishop O’Connell informed the flock of the Plenary Indulgence opportunity granted by Pope Francis in connection with the 100th anniversary of the Fatima apparitions, part of the Our Lady of Fatima Centennial, which began Nov. 27, 2016 and extended until Nov. 26, 2017. St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton, was the site of a joyous Mass May 20 as Bishop O’Connell ordained four transitional deacons of the Diocese: Rev. Messrs. Christopher Dayton; Michael G. DeSaye; James R. Smith, and Rev. Brother Nicholas Dolan. Bishop O’Connell ordained four new priests for the Diocese June 3 in St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral. Father Roy Aris B. Ballacillo, Father Thomas J. Barry, Jr., Father Michael A. Gentile, Jr., and Father Michael Kennedy received the Sacrament of Holy Orders before loved ones, friends and well-wishers. An all-day Hispanic conference in Trenton Catholic Academy, Hamilton, June 10 celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Catholic Continued on • S5
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JANUARY 11, 2018 • TrentonMonitor.com
look back Continued from • S4
Charismatic Renewal. About 700 faithful sang, worshipped, listened to speakers and felt the power of the Holy Spirit. The diocesan Department of Pastoral Care held its annual Senior Spirituality Day July 12 in St. Leo the Great, Lincroft, drawing more than 500 mature adults to an informative and upbeat day with a keynote address and Mass celebrated by Msgr. Walter Nolan, a retired priest of the Diocese, as well as a presentation by Sandy Mullarkey, a registered nurse and pastoral associate in St. Anselm Parish, Wayside, and the music of Irish-American crooner Bobby Byrne. Bishop O’Connell rededicated the refurbished St. Robert Bellarmine Co-Cathedral Parish center Sept. 17 in honor of the parish’s founding pastor, Msgr. Thomas Dentici. More than 650 faithful converged on St. Mary Church, Middletown, Sept. 22-23 to praise the Holy Spirit during the 50th anniversary of the N.J. Catholic Charismatic Renewal. Bishop O’Connell served as principal celebrant of the Mass, and speakers included Father Jeffrey Kegley, pastor of St. Mary Parish; Father John Large, parochial vicar in St. Thomas More Parish, Manalapan; Sister Lucy Lukasiewicz, superior general of her order, the Disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, and Father John Gordon of the Archdiocese of Newark. St. Ann Parish, Lawrenceville, was the site of the annual Diocesan Celebration of Consecrated Life Sept. 30. Bishop O’Connell celebrated Mass for upwards of 65 men and women who have devoted themselves to religious life, serving in scores of ministries throughout the Trenton Diocese. Nearly 300 couples celebrating one, 25, 50 or more years of marriage renewed their
wedding vows and received the blessings from Bishop O’Connell during the Anniversary Blessing Masses held Oct. 8 and 22 in St. Aloysius Parish, Jackson, and St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton. The Monitor issued a special tribute keepsake magazine of the occasion. Some 700 representatives from some 40 Catholic schools across the Diocese filled St. Robert Bellarmine Co-Cathedral, Freehold, Oct. 12 for the Diocese’s annual Catholic Schools Mass. In his homily, Bishop O’Connell reminded the assembled students, “All the subjects we study in Catholic school lead us back to God.”
year in review A journey rich in familial love and holiness culminated at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Washington, Nov. 4 for some 2,000 people from the Diocese of Trenton during the biannual diocesan pilgrimage. With the theme “United in Christ,” the pilgrimage engaged members in a day of prayer, reflection, education and worship in the Great Upper Church. Bishop O’Connell was principal celebrant of the Mass that was concelebrated by nearly 30 priests. The second annual Our Lady of Guadalupe travelling torches, or “Las Antorchas Guadalupanas,” grew to include more churches and faithful. The seven torches, first lit during the Nov. 4 diocesan pilgrimage, were entrusted to parish after parish throughout the month of November, then joined as one for a proces-
At the July 23 75th anniversary celebration of St. Mary Parish, Barnegat, Father Richard Basznianin, pastor of nearby St. Pius X Parish, Forked River, left, joins Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., and musicians in the celebration. Jeff Bruno photo
sion Dec. 2 to St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton, for a Mass celebrated by Bishop O’Connell and a festive gathering that followed in the Cathedral dining hall.
PERSONNEL IN MINISTRY Maureen Fitzsimmons was named chairperson of the diocesan Review Board, a team of professionally trained people who function as a confidential consultative body to the Bishop dealing with allegations of sexual abuse of minors by clergy and other representatives of the Church. Terry Ginther, executive director of the Office of Pastoral Life, was also appointed as diocesan chancellor. A reshuffling of roles and responsibilities in the diocesan Chancery and the filling of vacant posts became necessary following numerous retirements. Joseph Bianchi was
Parishioners from St. Mary Parish, Barnegat, perform a skit of the Blessed Mother’s visit to the young pilgrim Juan Diego as children listen attentively in the Our Lady of Guadalupe shrine during the Nov. 4 diocesan pilgrimage to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Washington. Some 2,000 faithful from the Diocese attended the pilgrimage. Ken Falls photo
appointed chief administrative officer, and in the Office of Temporal Administration he will oversee the newly created Department of Risk Management, with Joe Cahill as director, and the Department of Human Resources, with Angela Gitto as director. Kevin Cimei was appointed chief financial officer and in the Office of Financial Administration he will oversee the Departments of: Computer Services, under the direction of Anthony DeLorenzo; Development, with Steve Nicholl continuing as director, Finance, with newly named director Carolynn Thompson succeeding Daryl Rowe; Catholic Cemeteries, with Mark Wilson as director, and Construction and Real Estate Commission and Building Management (Chancery) with Scot Pirozzi as director. Brian Jefferes was appointed the new associate director of catechesis. Four priests joined the ranks of their retired brethren: Father Michael Burns, Father Edward Griswold, Father Bernard J. Keigher and Father Felix F. Venza. About 140 priests spent time together in prayer and Mass and fellowship during the annual three-day convocation of priests Sept. 12-14 in Galloway. Vincentian Father Martin McGeough, now former diocesan coordinator of jail and prison ministry, spoke on the theme “Whatsoever you do to the least of my sisters and brothers, you do to me.” Brenda Rascher was appointed the Diocese’s new executive director of Catholic Social Services, succeeding Daughter of Charity Sister Joanne Dress, who accepted a new assignment by her religious community. Rachel Hendricks was appointed new diocesan Respect Life Coordinator in the Department of Pastoral Care. Deacon Bill Gallagher is named new diocesan Jail and Prison Ministries director, succeeding Vincentian Father Martin McGeough, who was reassigned as pastor of a parish in Emmitsburg, Md. Deacons of the Diocese and their wives heard the inspiring words of Father Herbert Sperger, director of spiritual formation, Theological Seminary in St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, Wynnewood, Pa., during the Oct. 27-28 Convocation of Deacons in Plainsboro. Continued on • S6
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year in review
YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS The Diocese created the new Department of Youth and Young Adult Ministries, naming Father Martin O’Reilly as diocesan chaplain of youth ministry, and Dan Waddington as diocesan director of youth and young adult ministries. Hundreds of teens gathered in St. Gregory the Great Parish, Hamilton Square, March 4 for the annual Diocesan Youth Conference. Sponsored by the Department of Evangelization and Family Life, the day, themed “Ablaze,” featured song, dance, speakers, games, Adoration and a Mass celebrated by Bishop O’Connell, who reminded the youth “the world throws everything at you to challenge your faith… the Lord Jesus and his Church offer us something to believe in.” The 22nd annual N.J. Catholic Youth Rally in Six Flags Great Adventure, Jackson, was held May 21 and drew hundreds from all five N.J. Dioceses. Cardinal Joseph A. Tobin of the Archdiocese of Newark celebrated the Mass which followed a day of speakers, rides, games and food. Forty-five teens and youth descended on St. Catharine School, Spring Lake, July 25 for the annual Splash service retreat sponsored by the diocesan Department of Youth, Marriage and Family Life. Talks, praying the Rosary and a Mass, punctuated the teens’ hard work at service projects designed to aid the nearby poor. From July 30 to Aug. 4, teens from five Ocean County parishes came together to serve on six different worksites each day during the fifth annual Mission: Jersey service project. The teens served meals in soup kitchens, sorted and packed canned goods in food banks and helped work on a farm. Each night they returned to their home base, Holy Spirit High School, Absecon, where they ate dinner, shared the day’s experiences, prayed, celebrated Mass and got some well-earned rest in preparation for the next day’s tasks.
From left, Rev. Mr. James Richard Smith, Rev. Mr. Michael G. DeSaye, Rev. Brother Nicholas R. Dolan and Rev. Mr. Christopher James Dayton, were ordained transitional deacons May 20 by Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M. John Blaine photo
diaconate include Edner Andre, James Ayrer and Roger P. Dinella. Some 200 members of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul representing more than 50 parishes, three Vincentian priests and four seminarians preparing to enter the order gathered Sept. 9 in St. Aloysius Church, Jackson, to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the Society and its Vincentian charism. Bishop O’Connell, principal celebrant of the Mass, reminded the group, “We are called to the peripheries to serve the poorest of the poor.”
IN MEMORIAM The Diocese mourned the loss of priests who served at one time in the four counties,
including Msgr. Joseph C. Shenrock, Feb. 23, 90; Father Conall McHugh, July 5, 89; Father Michael Waites, Sept. 21, 72; Divine Word Father Vincent Burke, Sept. 21, 83; Father Castor Sanchez, Sept. 27, 82, and Father Gerard McCarron, Oct. 19, 78. Departed deacons of the Diocese included: Paul A. Lachance, St. Paul Parish, Princeton, Jan. 21, 83; Timothy R. Collins, St. Mary of the Lakes Parish, Medford, Jan. 31, 53; Theodore J. Kotz, St. Martha Parish, Point Pleasant, Feb. 9, 61, and Bernard J. Kane III, St. Dominic Parish, Brick, April 3, 66.
DEPARTURES Marie Gladney, who served as executive di-
rector of Mount Carmel Guild for nearly eight years, announced her retirement as of the end of the year. She was succeeded by Mary Inkrot. Anthony Mingarino retired after nearly 14 years of service to the Diocese, including as diocesan chief administrative officer and chancellor. Daughter of Charity Sister Joanne Dress, executive director for Catholic Social Services, departed from the Diocese June 30. She was reassigned to a new appointment by her religious community. Daryl Rowe, diocesan financial director, retired June 30 after more than 20 years of service. Vincentian Father Martin McGeough, diocesan coordinator of Jail and Prison Ministry, was reassigned by his order to serve as pastor of a parish in Maryland.
COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA The Diocese of Trenton rolled out its new website with an emphasis on evangelization, catechesis and multimedia communication. The diocesan television series “Cristo Para Todos – Christ for All” won its third straight Gabriel Award from the Catholic Academy of Communication Professionals. The program’s See Milestones • S8
MILESTONES Collier Youth Services, Wickatunk, celebrated 90 years of service to at-risk youth Jan. 28. Bishop O’Connell, C.M., celebrated 35 years of priestly service May 29. Clergy celebrating 50 years of service included Father Joseph Gnarackatt and Father Edwin Mathias. Father Joy T. Chacko, Father Michael P. Lang, Father Michael G. Lankford-Stokes and Father Jeffrey E. Lee marked 25 years as priests. Religious of the Diocese marking 50 years of service to the Church included Mercy Sister Maureen Christensen, Franciscan Sister Rose Daniel Colanzi, Mercy Sister Nancy Herron, Mercy Sister Rosemary E. Jeffries, Dominican Sister Catherine P. Morgan, Christian Brother Ralph Montedoro, Christian Brother Charles O’Connell and Franciscan Sister Bernadette Schuler. Men marking 25 years in the permanent
Some 700 representatives from 40 Catholic schools filled St. Robert Bellarmine Co-Cathedral, Freehold, Oct. 12 for the Diocese’s annual Catholic Schools Mass, and heard Bishop O’Connell state, “All the subjects we study in Catholic school lead us back to God.” Craig Pittelli photo.
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year in review
BANNER YEAR • Demonstrators protest against the tax bill outside the office of Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif., Dec. 5 on Capitol Hill in Washington. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops added its voice to numerous public policy debates throughout 2017 as Congress and the White House offered new plans to govern the nation. CNS photo/Aaron P. Bernstein, Reuters
New U.S. administration
prompts busy policy year for USCCB
By Dennis Sadowski Catholic News Service WASHINGTON • A new presidential administration and a new Congress kept the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops as busy as ever in addressing public policy issues during 2017. Hardly a week passed without at least one reaction, statement or commentary, all based on traditional Catholic social teaching, on a public policy matter from a USCCB committee chairman or other conference officers. From President Donald Trump’s January travel ban on the entry of people from certain Muslim-majority nations to the Republican-written tax reform legislation that continued to be debated in Congress in mid-December, bishops speaking on behalf of their brothers across the nation repeatedly laid out moral arguments on the importance of protecting human dignity at every turn.
The Church’s Moral Voice The bishops issued an estimated 115 public statements and letters addressing public policy concerns through Dec. 12, according to the news releases listed on the USCCB website, www. usccb.org. That’s more than double the approximately 47 public statements and letters released in 2016. Some of the statements were joined by leaders at Catholic Charities USA and Catholic Relief Services when appropriate. Those agencies also issued their own statements on many of the
“The issues that arose touch deeply on the principles we look at to guide society.” same issues. But it was the bishops’ voice gaining the attention of Congress and the White House. Bishop Frank J. Dewane of Venice, Florida, chairman of the bishops’ Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, has added his name to many of the statements. He told Catholic News Service that he and his fellow bishops didn’t go out looking “to make a lot of statements,” but that it became necessary to bring a Catholic perspective to policy stances being addressed by the White House and in Congress. “The issues that arose touch deeply on the principles we look at to guide society. These policies are always the same for us.” Bishop Dewane pointed to the Trump administration’s immigrationrelated policies and the high-profile tax reform legislation – the first major overhaul of the tax code in more than 30 years – as two areas where the bishops wanted to be sure to have their voice heard. “Budgets and tax legislation are
moral documents. ... We’re looking to care for the poor, (and) strengthen family (and) progressivity in terms of the tax program. If we stop and reflect on the centrality of the family in every society, we need to speak up for that,” Bishop Dewane said.
Protecting Human Dignity Immigration policy – from continued calls for comprehensive immigration reform to the administration’s decision to end Temporary Protected Status for people from Nicaragua, Haiti and Sudan – drew the most public responses from various USCCB committee chairmen with more than two dozen statements. In 2016, the bishops addressed immigration six times. Other issues that have garnered significantly more comments from the bishops in 2017 than 2016 include the federal budget and the importance of prioritizing the needs of poor and vulnerable people in spending and tax reform; racism; health care; the environment and climate change, and religious liberty, particularly around the world. When it came to pro-life issues, including conscience protections for health care workers, the bishops issued eight statements. At mid-year as Congress attempted to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, the bishops repeatedly called for certain provisions to remain, saying that rescinding the law altogether would result in millions of people losing health
care insurance coverage. The ACA has been controversial since it became law in 2010 because some of its provisions – abortion coverage, the contraceptive mandate of the Department of Health and Human Services, and the exclusion of immigrants in the country illegally from being covered – violated Church teaching. But in the end the bishops opposed its total repeal because it had significantly reduced the number of Americans without health insurance coverage. Ultimately, the Republican-led Congress failed to repeal the ACA. The bishops also took a strong stance in favor of the environment, addressing the topic 10 times. Their statements opposed Trump’s decision to begin the process of withdrawing the United States from the Paris climate agreement and efforts by the Environmental Protection Agency to roll back the Clean Power Plan that limits carbon emissions from coal-fired power plants. Bishop Dewane told CNS that being in the forefront of various public debates is vital for the life of the Church. He admitted he did not expect as a committee chairman to have to devote as much time as he has to reviewing statements, signing letters and appearing at news conferences this year. “I could use a little more prayer time,” he said. Still, he added, the need to publicly uphold human dignity is necessary for the Church. “We’ve got to speak up.”
S8 YEAR in REVIEW
THE MONITOR • JANUARY 11, 2018
Milestones, anniversaries marked in 2017 Continued from • S8
“Meme de tu Vida: The Meme of your life” episode won in the category of “SpanishLanguage Entertainment, National or Local Release. The Monitor, newspaper of the Diocese of Trenton, was honored with eight awards June 23 during the Catholic Press Association of the United States and Canada during the 2017 Catholic Media Conference held in Quebec City, Canada, including first-place awards for Best Sports Photo and Best Reporting on Interfaith Issues, and a second-place nod for Newspaper of the Year. Jennifer Mauro, who served as associate editor of The Monitor, was named managing editor in July. Bishop O’Connell’s monthly radio program, “The Shepherd’s Voice,” made the leap to live Internet broadcast on Facebook and YouTube via Domestic Church Media, the Ewing-based Catholic multimedia apostolate. DCM also began broadcasting diocesan parish Masses from faith communities in their listening area, including Visitation Parish, Brick; St. Rose Parish, Belmar, and St. Gregory the Great Parish, Hamilton Square. The diocesan Department of Multimedia Production taped an Easter Mass with Bishop O’Connell in St. Catharine Church, Spring Lake, Nov. 30. The taping will serve as the Mass to air on ABC across the nation on Easter Sunday April 1.
AWARDS AND RECOGNITION John McCrone, coordinator of the Catholic Charities, Diocese of Trenton, Fix-It Program, received the American Red Cross’ 2017 Outstanding Partner Recipient Award. Margaret More, a parishioner in St. Rose, Belmar, won the New Jersey State Governor’s Jefferson Award for her work in establishing Vincent’s Legacy, a diocesan-wide ministry
that collects furniture donations and distributes then to needy families.
PARISH NEWS Parishes marking milestones as faith communities included Holy Family, Hazlet, 75 years; St. Mary, Barnegat, 75 years; St. Monica, Jackson, 65 years; and St. Mary, Colts Neck, 45 years. St. Joseph Parish, Toms River, broke ground on an enhanced food pantry to better serve area needy. The former garage was demolished Jan. 11 to leave room for a new, 1,700 square foot edifice. National speaker Chris Stefanick drew nearly 1,000 faithful to St. James School, Red Bank, Feb. 1 for his “Reboot! Live!” presentation on how and why to become more involved in parish life. The last Mass was celebrated in Holy Angels Church, a worship site for St. Raphael-Holy Angels Parish, Hamilton, June 2. Dwindling attendance and the cost of extensive repairs prompted its closure by the Diocese. Bishop O’Connell was principal celebrant of an outdoor Mass celebrated before more than 1,000 people Aug. 13 at the Silver Lake gazebo, Belmar beach, as part of a cohort gathering of five Monmouth County parishes: St. Rose, Belmar; St. Elizabeth of Hungary, Avon; St. Catharine-St. Margaret, Spring Lake; Ascension, Bradley Beach, and St. Mark, Sea Girt. Bishop O’Connell consecrated a new altar in St. Hedwig Church, Trenton, Sept. 24.
SCHOOL NEWS More than 1,000 men, women and children braved the frigid Atlantic Ocean by participating in the 11th annual Polar Plunge for Catholic Education Jan. 8 in Long Branch. An estimated $110,000 in funds was raised. The third annual “Catholic Schools Do
Catholic aid response rapid Continued from • S2 its response to the fires. In addition, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles began collecting funds even as wildfires raged in early December for families, parishes and schools affected by the fires in Los Angeles and Ventura countries.
Cause for Concern The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said 2017 was the seventh most active hurricane season on record dating to 1851 and the most active season since 2005. Alan Betts, a Vermont-based climate scientist who has studied global weather and climate for more than 40 years, outlined his concerns about future weather patterns during a Nov. 2 Catholic Climate Covenant webinar. Betts long ago concluded that earth is warming and that humans cause it
because of their penchant for burning fossil fuels in large quantities. During the webinar and a September presentation at St. Michael’s College in Colchester, Vermont, Betts explained that a warming atmosphere holds more water vapor. More humidity in the atmosphere means a higher potential for downpours. At the same time, the oceans are a storehouse for excessive heat. The Climate Special Report released by 13 federal agencies Nov. 3 found that the oceans have absorbed 93 percent of the excess heat caused by greenhouse gas warming since the mid-20th century, leading to altered global and regional climate. The warmer the oceans, the more intense the hurricanes, Betts said. Follow Dennis Sadowski on Twitter: @DennisSadowski.
look back
During a May 13 Mass celebrating the 100th anniversary of the apparitions at Fatima, Portugal, Msgr. Joseph Roldan, rector of St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton, accepts the gifts from three children dressed as the young pilgrims who witnessed the apparitions. John Blaine photo
year in review It All,” a diocesan-wide day of service April 28, saw students from pre-K to 12th grade performing a multitude of good works to promote service, faith and community. In May and June, nearly 1,700 young men and women graduated from parish, diocesan and private high schools, earning more than $221 million in college scholarships. The Diocese of Trenton welcomed new school principals for the 2017-2018 school year: Dr. Mark DeMareo, Holy Cross School, Rumson; Madeline Kinloch, St. Joseph School, Toms River; Deacon Joseph G. Rafferty Sr., St. Paul School, Burlington; Amy Rash, St. Mary of the Lakes School, Medford; John Fonero, St. Rose High School, Belmar, and Maureen Tuohy, Our Lady of Sorrows School, Hamilton. Paula Pangilinan, a parishioner in St. James, Red Bank, was named the new diocesan PTA president. Catholic schools marking anniversaries included Holy Cross School, Rumson, 75 years; Notre Dame High School, Lawrenceville, 60 years, and All Saints Regional School, Manahawkin, 20 years. Holy Cross Academy, Delran, marked its 60th anniversary Nov. 11. The Diocese of Trenton regretfully announced the Burlington County school’s closure to take effect in June, 2018, due to financial stresses and declining enrollment. An announcement was made that planning is underway to establish a new, independent Catholic high school. Christian Brothers Academy, Lincroft, was recognized as Blue Ribbon School of Excellence by the United States Department of Education and the Council for American Private Education. This marked the second time the secondary school was thus recognized, and brings to eight the number of schools in the Diocese to receive this designation of excel-
lence in academics in recent years. Donald Galante was named president of Mater Dei Prep, Middletown.
SPORTS Former Notre Dame High School, Lawrenceville, soccer standout Jake Nerwinski was signed to the Major League soccer team, the Vancouver Whitecaps Jan. 13. The indoor track and field team of Christian Brothers Academy, Lincroft, won their seventh consecutive Shore Conference Championship Jan. 27. A week earlier, the boys’ team had won the N.J. State Interscholastic Athletic Association Non-Public A State Relay championship. The Red Bank Catholic High School girls basketball team took home the NJSIAA NonPublic A state championship March 11, the ninth state crown for the team. Alyssa Wilson of Donovan Catholic High School, Toms River, broke her own shot put record and clinched gold at the Penn Relays, held April 27-29 in Philadelphia. May 16 was a great day for baseball in the Diocese as the boys’ Red Bank Catholic High School team and the girls’ team of St. John Vianney High School, Holmdel, both clinched the Monmouth County Tournament championships. For the second straight year, Miguel Jimenez-Vergara, a junior in Notre Dame High School, Lawrenceville, won gold medals in all seven wheelchair events at the NJSIAA Meet of Champions in June. Anthony Sherlock was named new soccer head coach in Mater Dei Prep, Middletown. The girls’ gymnastics of St. John Vianney High School, after a year’s break in the competition, won the Shore Conference Tournament championship Oct. 28. The Christian Brothers Academy boys cross country team finished first in the NJSIAA Meet of Champions Nov. 18.