Kid’s Corner

By Jennifer Ficcaglia Catholic News Service

One day, God sent the angel Gabriel on a mission. He wanted Gabriel to go to the town of Nazareth in Galilee and deliver a very important message to a young girl who lived there. The girl’s name was Mary. She was a virgin who was betrothed to a man named Joseph, who was of the house of King David. “Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you,” Gabriel said when he visited Mary. When Mary heard Gabriel’s greeting, she was troubled and wondered what it meant. Gabriel knew what she was thinking. “Do not be afraid, Mary,” he assured her, ‘for you have found favor with God.”

Gabriel then shared with her the message God wanted him to relay. “Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus,” the angel announced. “He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his Kingdom there will be no end.”

Mary was confused. She asked Gabriel how she could have a baby when she and Joseph had not yet begun their married life together.”The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God,” Gabriel explained. The angel also gave Mary some additional news. “And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God,” he said.

“Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord,” Mary said. “May it be done to me according to your word.” After Mary had spoken, Gabriel left.

Not long after, Mary traveled to Judah to visit Elizabeth. When Mary entered the house of Elizabeth and her husband, Zechariah, she called out a greeting. When Elizabeth heard it, the baby in her womb leapt for joy, and she was filled with the Holy Spirit. “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb,” Elizabeth said.

Read more about it: Luke 1

Q&A 1. Whom did Gabriel visit? 2. What message did Gabriel deliver?

Puzzle: Unscramble the words and arrange them to make a quotation from the children’s story.

si bowm het sledbes truif royu fo

Blessed is the fruit of your womb. Answers: is, womb, the, blessed, fruit, your, of

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This month’s featured retreat house

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The Loyola Jesuit Center is a very special place that has been used for retreats since 1927. Since then thousands of people have walked through its doors, seeking peace, restoration and God’s presence. Rooted in our Catholic and Jesuit identity, we will fulfill this welcoming mission by: • sponsoring a variety of retreats and days of prayer, offering the experiences of discernment and contemplation at the heart of lgnatian spirituality and the Spiritual Exercises • providing spiritual direction, contemporary programming, and other resources for growing in a personal, mature relationship with God in a place of peace and serenity.

ACCOMPANYING ALL WHO SEEK A DEEPER FRIENDSHIP WITH GOD

St. Augustine of Canterbury Parish member speaks at conference

EASTON, Pa. — To retreat means an act of moving back or withdrawing, usually with a negative connotation. But in Catholicism, to make a retreat means withdrawing for a while in order to move foreword renewed and refreshed to live our life in a deeper and fuller mode. At the St. Francis Retreat House Nov. 18-20, 44 permanent deacons from the diocese made their canonically required annual retreat.

The meeting provided time for the deacons to step back from their ministries and focus on their spiritual journeys. In addition, there were opportunities for them to renew relationships with one another that are such a vital part of the dimensions of ordained deacons. The attendees represented a span of diaconal ministry from six months of service to 40 years.

Msgr. Charles W. Cicerale, a retired priest from the diocese, served as the retreat master. The former pastor at St. James Parish, Woodbridge, is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with many years of experience as a pastor, counselor and spiritual guide.

Msgr. Cicerale also shaped the theme of the retreat at four conferences on topics he believes are vital to the life of a deacon: prayer, suffering, vulnerability and ministry.

“God is hiding in the world and their role is to let him emerge,” Msgr. Cicerale said.

While providing meaningful insights on ministry from his own pastoral experiences, he offered recommendations for books and provided a number of handouts to allow pportunities for the deacons to continue reflecting on his insights and messages from the weekend.

The retreat also offered time for rest, reflection and prayer at adoration of the Blessed Sacrament in a chapel; walking the Way of the Cross; praying the rosary and Divine Mercy Chaplet as a group: and participate in a penance service in preparation for reception of the sacrament of reconciliation. Father Anthony Arockiadoss, pastor, Sts. Philip and James Parish, Philipsburg, and Father Gilbert Starcher, parochial vicar there, visited the retreat house for this purpose. In addition, Msgr. Cicerale was available during the weekend for spiritual conferences and reconciliation.

Continuing a tradition started two years ago, a memorial service was held on Saturday afternoon to remember and pray for the deacons from the diocese who have died since the last retreat: Angel Perez, Thomas Klaas, Frank d’Auguste, David DeFrange (director emeritus of the Office of the Diaconate), Luis Moral, John Hanna. As Deacon Bill Bauer read each name, a candle was lit by one of the deceased’s classmates. Although some of the men had retired from active ministry for reasons of health or relocation, the seven men combined for more than 120 years of service. An additional candle was lit in memory of all deceased wives of deacons.

On Saturday evening Deacon Stephen F. Kern, director, diocesan Office of the Diaconate, led a Service of Recommitment for the men. This was an opportunity to remember their respective ordination days and renew the promises that were made.

Msgr. Cicerale presided at Mass on the second morning and on Nov. 20, they joined with the community of St. Francis to celebrate the fgeast of the Solemnity of Christ the King. Each day of the weekend the men prayed the Hours of Morning, Evening and Night prayers.

Deacon Paul Flor, who has exercised his ministry at Sts. Philip and James since being ordained to the diaconate by Bishop James F. Checchio at the Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi, May 25, described his first retreat as an ordained deacon as ”definitely inspirational.”

“It was very heartening [to be with] men who strive to serve our Lord in an enormous number of different ministries,” he added.

Deacon Stephen F. Kern (front row, left), director, diocesan Office of the Diaconate, poses with fellow deacons from the diocese at their annual retreat Nov. 18-20 at the St. Francis Retreat House, Easton Pa.

—Deacon Patrick Cline photo

By Cassidy Darcey

Madison Reda, a junior at Notre Dame High School, Lawrenceville, has many reasons to be proud. She is active in Peer Leadership, as a Student Ambassador, and as vice president of Photography Club. But, in addition to her notable contributions at Notre Dame, Madison recently had the amazing opportunity to speak at the National Catholic Youth Conference (NCYC) in Long Beach, Calif.

NCYC is a three-day experience where Catholic teens of high school age come together for a time of prayer, community, evangelization, catechesis, and service. It is the premiere Catholic youth event on a national scale that gathers people from across America. The experience that focuses on community and service in order to feel closer to Christ. This year’s conference welcomed 2,600 attendees.

Reda is very active at her parish, St. Augustine of Canterbury, Kendall Park. Guided by the Center for FaithJustice, she and other youth at St. Augustine’s participate in the NeXt Level program, which provides Catholic youth and their mentors with the resources to create passion projects in their parishes, weeklong service immersion experiences and resources for advocacy and education. NeXt Level mentors led Madison and her peers in creating their own passion projects focusing on youth mental health, called PEACE of Mind. Their goal is to end the stigma behind mental health and bring education to the community. Reda’s leadership in PEACE of Mind (prevention, education, awareness, community, engagement) culminated in the invitation to speak at NCYC, along with five other teens from parishes in New Jersey. They all were chosen to speak about the projects they implemented in their parishes.

At the conference, Reda gave presentations at three breakout sessions to a total of about 300 people. She discussed her parish program and how attendees could begin similar passion programs in their own parishes.

Reda spoke about social justice and Catholic Social Teaching, a guide to living a moral and just life. The goal was to have participants identify areas of need in their own parishes and begin the process of creating their own programs.

Her favorite experience from the trip was when she was able to talk one-on-one to other Cathoplic teenagers about the important topic of mental and what they are doing to make a change.

Reda thanked Colleen Paras, her middle school religion teacher, for pushing her to join the NeXt Level program. Reda describes her as “her main supporter and role model.”

Tracey Reed, a Campus Minister and faculty member at Notre Dame, described Reda as someone who “has a fire in her.” Matt Greeley, also a Campus Minister and religion teacher, recognizes Reda’s leadership abilities and said she is a “source of pride for the Notre Dame family.”

Darcey is a senior communications intern.

Madison Reda, right, a junior at Notre Dame High School, Lawrenceville, and member of St. Augustine of Canterbury Paish, Kendall Park, speaks to an attendee at the National Catholic Youth Conference in Long Beach, Calif.

—photo courtesy of Notre Dame High School

Hot Wheels:

Food truck nourishes bodies, souls of needy

By Christina Leslie

Correspondent

HILLSBOROUGH — It takes many willing hands to ease the grip of hunger in Somerset County. Thanks to an innovative ministry at St. Joseph Parish, dozens of them are holding tight to the wheel and cargo of a bright blue messenger of hope.

The goal of the used food truck, named “Holy C.H.O.W.” (Christian Hospitality on Wheels), is to improve the lives of the hungry in the Manville area. A Scripture passage on the side of the truck reminds passersby to “Do justice, love kindness, walk humbly with your God (Micah 6:8).”

Each Tuesday evening, the truck, filled with hot meals prepared at St. Joseph Parish, departs for a parking lot adjacent to Christ the Redeemer Church, Manville. Since the truck’s inaugural trip in September, more than 450 meals have been distributed to the hungry.

St. Joseph parishioner and food truck volunteer Michelle Laffoon explained an anonymous donor had given the vehicle to the parish before the pandemic, and a committee was formed to discern its best use. The food truck ministry is in partnership with Somerville-based SHIP (Samaritan Homeless Interim Program), a faith based, interfaith and community funded, assisted and supported grassroots organization that offers programs and services to Somerset County area poor.

“We went into the community to see the need,” said Laffoon, whose husband, Christopher, is also involved in the project. “We created a 90-minute program to train workers how to serve, not just the food, but serve the people. You have to have a soft heart and work together as a team.”

The process begins in the pews. With the aid of recipe cards and baking pans, willing parishioners prepare and donate casseroles four times a year for the food truck weekly trips, the scheduled bake depending upon in which section they sit for weekly Masses. Food is stored in the parish freezer in preparation for each Tuesday evening’s repast.

On the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, as on each Tuesday since September, multiple groups of willing volunteers began a multi-step production reminiscent of a military-style undertaking. Jeanine Cavanagh, the parish director of social ministries, outlined the schedule volunteers follow as they prepare, transport and distribute the meals. She noted, “It is our mission to provide nourishment on many levels, and offer great hope to individuals served.”

The day began at 7 a.m. as one volunteer visited Panera Bread in Somerset to pick up their donation of leftover breads and sweets for the meals. Cooks arrived at the parish kitchen about 11 a.m. to slide the casseroles into the oven, warm industrial-sized cans of green beans and load all hot food into the truck’s Cambro unit to stay at temperature. Meanwhile, the food truck was checked and replenished with all needed supplies for the evening: clamshell to-go containers, carbonated water, extra boxed and canned food, cleaning items, utensils and statistics paperwork.

The Holy C.H.O.W. food truck left St. Joseph Parish just before 5 p.m. to meet the evening’s mission volunteers; all drove to the Manville lot where they set up the eating area, opened the food truck awning and began to serve at 5:30 p.m. Recipients of the ministry emerged slowly from the shadows, greeting the workers and patiently queueing for the hot meals as the temperature dipped into the low 20s. A worker led them in praying Grace before the meal, and the plates were filled with the foods chosen from the colorful outdoor menu board.

Laughter could be heard over the sound of the truck’s generator, and the atmosphere lightened as clients shared their gratitude for the meals.

“I lost my job and my home, and can’t always stay with my son,” shared “Mary,” a middle-aged woman bundled up against the cold. “Now I live in a hotel. These meals are great. I try to eat healthy.”

“Sam,” a young man who sheepishly requested to buy some food with his last remaining two dollars was incredulous when he learned the truck’s volunteers would bestow him with two dinners for free. Clutching his bounty, he uttered, “Thank you” repeatedly as he slipped away in the darkness.

New Holy C.H.O.W. volunteer and St. Joseph parishioner Jill Witt mingled with the clients and shared the reasons for her participation. “This is my hometown” she said. “I used to be part of corporate America, but hated it. It’s good to give back. I think I found what I need to do.”

Father Francis “Hank” Hilton, pastor, reflected upon the food truck ministry, declaring it met the parish’s mission to nurture its priests, prophets and kings – three legs of a tripod, each integral.

“We pray, we serve, we build up community. Everyone knows what they are doing,” Father Hilton said. “We don’t just want the same 20 people doing everything. That’s not what it’s all about.”

The Holy C.H.O.W. food ministry has about 45 members and is growing, for it takes many behind-the-scenes workers to assist with truck maintenance, driver scheduling, food collection and other vital tasks to make the program a success.

Cavanagh insisted both volunteers and clients received gifts from the Holy C.H.O.W. project, explaining, “It truly is a work of God. Those that serve and are served… resonate the love and vitality of the Lord. The mutuality of God’s love is a gift to all involved,” she said.

“Our charity is love… and it is more, so much more than providing food. This is about nourishing body and soul. It is about serving up nutritious, delicious food with a heaping helping of hope!”

Above left, volunteers in the Holy C.H.O.W. (Christian Hospitality on Wheels) food truck, which is a ministry from St. Joseph Parish, Hillsborough, recently served hot meals to the needy in a parking lot adjacent to Christ the Redeemer Church, Manville. Middle, from left, cooks Marilyn Stephenson, Gail Bellas, Joanne Gagliardi, Eleanor Ogdin and Jeanine Cavanagh, who is also the parish’s director, Social Ministries, pose for a photo. Right, the cooks prepare food at St. Joseph Parish. The food truck ministry, which serves the needy each Tuesday evening, has about 45 members. — Christina Leslie photos